united as to form an Insurrection. They are for the most part wise
enough to love their Chains, and to discern how very becomingly they
fit. They think as humbly of themselves as their Masters can wish, with
respect to the other Sex, but in regard to their own, they have a Spice
of Masculine Ambition; every one would Lead, and none would Follow. Both
Sexes being too apt to Envy, and too backward in Emulating, and take
more Delight in detracting from their Neighbour’s Vertue, than in
improving their own. And therefore, as to those Women who find
themselves born for Slavery, and are so sensible of their own Meanness,
as to conclude it impossible to attain to any thing excellent, since
they are, or ought to be best acquainted with their own Strength and
Genius, She’s a Fool who would attempt their Deliverance or Improvement.
No, let them enjoy the great Honour and Felicity of their tame,
submissive and depending Temper! Let the Men applaud, and let them glory
in this wonderful Humility! Let them receive the Flatteries and Grimaces
of the other Sex, live unenvied by their own, and be as much belov’d as
one such Woman can afford to love another! Let them enjoy the Glory of
treading in the Footsteps of their Predecessors, and of having the
Prudence to avoid that audacious Attempt of soaring beyond their Sphere!
Let them Huswife or Play, Dress, and be pretty entertaining Company! Or,
which is better, relieve the Poor to ease their own Compassions, read
pious Books, say their Prayers, and go to Church, because they have been
taught and us’d to do so, without being able to give a better Reason for
their Faith and Practice! Let them not by any means aspire at being
Women of Understanding, because no Man can endure a Woman of Superior
Sense, or would treat a reasonable Woman civilly, but that he thinks he
stands on higher Ground, and, that she is so wise as to make Exceptions
in his Favour, and to take her Measures by his Directions; they may
pretend to Sense, indeed, since meer Pretences only render one the more
ridiculous! Let them, in short, be what is call’d _very_ Women, for this
is most acceptable to all sorts of Men; or let them aim at the Title of
_good devout_ Women, since some Men can bear with this; but let them not
judge of the Sex by their own Scantling: For the great Author of Nature
and Fountain of all Perfection, never design’d that the Mean and
Imperfect, but that the most Compleat and Excellent of His Creatures in
every Kind, should be the Standard to the rest.
To conclude; If that GREAT QUEEN who has subdued the Proud, and made the
pretended Invincible more than once fly before her; who has Rescued an
Empire, Reduced a Kingdom, Conquer’d Provinces in as little Time almost
as one can Travel them, and seems to have chain’d Victory to her
Standard; who disposes of Crowns, gives Laws and Liberty to _Europe_,
and is the chief Instrument in the Hand of the Almighty, to pull down
and to set up the great Men of the Earth; who conquers every where for
others, and no where for her self but in the Hearts of the Conquer’d,
who are of the Number of those who reap the Benefit of her Triumphs;
whilst she only reaps for her self the Lawrels of disinterested Glory,
and the Royal Pleasure of doing Heroically; if this Glory of her own
Sex, and Envy of the other, will not think we need, or does not hold us
worthy of, the Protection of her ever victorious Arms, and Men have not
the Gratitude, for her sake at least, to do Justice to her Sex, who has
been such a universal Benefactress to theirs: Adieu to the Liberties,
not of this or that Nation or Region only, but of the Moiety of Mankind!
To all the great Things that Women might perform, inspir’d by her
Example, encouraged by her Smiles, and supported by her Power! To their
Discovery of new Worlds for the Exercise of her Goodness, new Sciences
to publish her Fame, and reducing Nature it self to a Subjection to her
Empire! To their destroying those worst of Tyrants Impiety and
Immorality, which dare to stalk about even in her own Dominions, and to
devour Souls almost within View of her Throne, leaving a Stench behind
them scarce to be corrected even by the Incense of her Devotions! To the
Women’s tracing a new Path to Honour, in which none shall walk but such
as scorn to Cringe in order to Rise, and who are Proof both against
giving and receiving Flattery! In a Word, to those Halcyon, or, if you
will, _Millennium_ Days, in which the Wolf and the Lamb shall feed
together, and a Tyrannous Domination, which Nature never meant, shall no
longer render useless, if not hurtful, the Industry and Understandings
of half Mankind!
__FINIS.__
[Illustration]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
_BOOKS lately Printed for, and Sold by_ WILLIAM PARKER _at the_ King’s
Head _in St._ Paul’_s_ Church-Yard.
_FOLIO._
A Compleat History of _England_, to the Death of King _William_ III.
with large Notes. Collected by the late Bishop _Kennet_. With the
Effigies of all the Kings, from the Originals: Engraven by the best
Masters. 3 Vols.
_Puffendorf_’s Law of Nature and Nations; in eight Books. Done into
_English_ by _Basil Kennet_, D. D. To which are added, all the large
Notes by Mr. _Barbeyrac_. The Fourth Edition, carefully corrected.
_Guillim_’s Display of Heraldry: The Sixth Edition, improv’d; with large
Additions of many hundred Coats of Arms, under their respective
Bearings; with good Authorities from the _Ashmolean_ Library, Sir
_George Mackenzie_, _&c._
The Natural History of _Northamptonshire_; with some Account of the
Antiquities. To which is annex’d, A Transcript of _Doomsday-Book_, so
far as it relates to that County. By _John Moreton_, M. A. Rector of
_Oxendon_ in the same County, and F. R. S.
The _Cambridge_ Concordance to the Holy Scriptures: Together with the
Books of _Apocrypha_; and the various Readings both of Texts and Margin,
in a more exact Method than has hitherto been extant. The fifth Edition,
very accurately corrected.
The Works of the famous _Nicholas Machiavel_, Citizen and Secretary of
_Florence_; newly and faithfully Translated into _English_. The Third
Edition, carefully corrected.
The Works of the most exemplary Christian Mr. _William Allen_,
consisting of thirteen distinct Tracts on several Subjects. With a
Sermon preached at his Funeral by Bishop _Kidder_: To which is prefix’d,
a Preface concerning the Author and his Writings; by _John Williams_,
late Bishop of _Chichester_.
_QUARTO._
Common-Place Book to the Bible.
_Littleton_’s Dictionary.
Religion of Nature delineated.
_Tournefort_’s compleat Herbal, 39 Numbers, to be continued. Price 1
_s._ each.
The History and Antiquities, Ecclesiastical and Civil, of the Isle of
_Thanet_ in _Kent_. By _J. Lewis_, M. A.
The History and Antiquities of the Abby and Church of _Feversham_ in
_Kent_; of the adjoining Priory of _Davington_ and _Maison-Dieu_ of
_Ospringe_, and Parish of _Bocton Subtus le Bleyne_, _&c._ By _J.
Lewis_, M. A.
_OCTAVO_ and _TWELVES_.
An Answer to the Dissenters Pleas for Separation: Or, an Abridgment of
the _London_ Cases. Wherein the Substance of those Books is digested
into one short and plain Discourse. The 6th Edition. By _Thomas Bennet_,
D. D. late Vicar of St. _Giles_’s _Cripplegate_.
Bishop _Bull_’s Sermons, with his Life. By Mr. _Nelson_, in 4 Vols.
The Book of Psalms made fit for the Closet; with Collects and Prayers
out of the Liturgy of the Church of _England_, _&c._ particularly
adapted, with Titles to each Psalm.
Dr. _Comber_’s short Discourses upon the whole Common-Prayer, designed
to inform the Judgment, and excite the Devotion of such as daily use the
same. The Fourth Edition.
Civil Policy, a Treatise concerning the Nature of Government. Wherein
the Reasons of the great Diversity to be observed in the Customs,
Manners, and Usages of Nations, are Historically explained, and Remarks
made upon the Changes of our _English_ Constitutions, and the different
Measures of our several Kings. By a Doctor of Physick.
Bishop _Cumberland_’s _Sanchoniatho’s Phœnician_ History.
—— _Origines Gentium Antiquisitione_: Or, Attempts for Discovering the
Times of the first Planting of Nations. In several Tracts.
_N. B._ These two Pieces of Bishop _Cumberland_’s, contain a
Confutation of the new Notion of Chronology advanced by Sir _Isaac
Newton_.
_Drelincourt_’s Christian’s Defence against the Fears of Death; with
seasonable Directions how to prepare our selves to Die well. The 12th
Edition.
A Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy, in Answer to a Book of Dr. _David
Clarkson_, lately published, intituled _Primitive Episcopacy_. By _H.
Maurice_, D. D. The Second Edition.
Sir _John Floyer_’s Treatise of the Asthma. 3d Edit.
The Frauds of the _Romish_ Monks and Priests, set forth in eight
Letters. The 5th Edition. With Observations on a Journey to _Naples_:
Wherein the Frauds of the _Romish_ Monks and Priests are further
discovered. Lately written by a Gentleman in his Journey to _Italy_, and
published for the Benefit of the Publick. 2 Vols.
The Gentleman instructed in the Conduct of a virtuous and happy Life. In
Three Parts. Written for the Instruction of a young Nobleman. To which
is added: A Word to the Ladies. By way of Supplement to the First Part.
The Gardeners and Florists Dictionary: Or, A compleat System of
Horticulture. In 2 Vols. By _Philip Miller_, Gardener of the Botanick
Garden at _Chelsea_.
The genuine Use and Necessity of the two Sacraments: Namely, Baptism and
the Lord’s Supper; with our Obligations frequently to receive the
latter.
The History of _England_, faithfully extracted from authentick Records,
approved Manuscripts, and the most celebrated Histories of this Kingdom,
in all Languages, whether Ecclesiastical or Civil, with the Effiges of
the Kings and Queens. 5th Edition. 2 Vols.
_Olyff_’s Practical Exposition on the Church Catechism. 2 Vols.
Lawfulness of Infant Baptism improv’d from Scripture: With the Right
that the Infants of Christian Parents have to be Baptized. Wherein also
Mr. _Gale_s Reflections on Dr. _Wall_’s History of Infant Baptism are
examined and refuted, so far as they came in the Way of this Discourse;
and all the Objections and Arguments of other Antipædobaptists, that are
of any Weight, are taken off. By the Rev. Mr. _Owen_, Vicar of _Iford_
in _Sussex_.
Bishop _Potter_’s Discourse of Church Government; wherein the Rights of
the Church, and the Supremacy of Christian Princes are vindicated and
adjusted. Third Edition.
Pious Communicant: Containing whatever is necessary to persuade and
prepare us for that and all other Duties of Devotion, and prevent all
Scruples concerning them, _&c._
Father _Quesnel_’s Moral Reflections upon every Verse of the New
Testament, in order to make the Reading of it more profitable, and the
Meditation more easy. In four Vols.
_N. B._ Those Gentlemen that have the First and Second Volumes, are
desired speedily to send for the Third and Fourth, otherwise they
will find it difficult to compleat them, there not being so many
Printed of the two last as of the former Volumes.
Reflections upon Learning; wherein is shewn the Insufficiency thereof,
in its several Particulars, in order to evince the Usefulness and
Necessity of Revelation. The sixth Edition. By a Gentleman.
The Scripture Doctrine of Christ’s Divinity: or, The adorable Nature,
voluntary Subjection, and necessary Supremacy of the Son of God,
consider’d: In six Sermons; preach’d on several Occasions. By _Sam.
Johnson_, M. A. Vicar of _Great Torrington_, Rector of _Little
Torrington_.
Where may be had _Gratis_, a _Catalogue_ of _Books_ (being Part of the
Stock of two Booksellers who have lately left off Trade) which are
to be sold very cheap unbound till _Michaelmas_ next, the Prices
printed in the Catalogue afterward, at the former Prices.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. P. 89, changed “defin’d” to “destin’d”.
2. All spelling errors were left uncorrected.
3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
End of Project Gutenberg's Some Reflections Upon Marriage., by Mary Astell