THough Complaints of Poverty and Scarcity of Money are unhappily become no less general than lamentable; so that where-ever we go, our Ears are assaulted with the sad Rhe­torick of Beggary; and our Eyes with deplorable objects of pitty: yet must it be acknowledged, That we rail Impertinent­ [...]y at the hardness of the Times, since 'tis our selves that make them [...]uch; men generally by Sloth or Vanity, Pride, Negligence, or Ex­ [...]ravagancy, twisting those Chains of necessity wherein they lie En­ [...]angled; wherefore since Diseases are not cured with our Cries, nor Miseries redrest by Lamentations, let every one wipe his Eyes and make use of his Head and his Hands to preserve or recover himself but of the Quagmire of Want: It being certain that still every man in Health and Strength, may forge himself out a Fortune by Indu­stry and Frugality, and obtain (though not a splendid yet) a com­fortable Subsistance.

The general Cause of Poverty, is either Profuseness, or not Im­proving those Talents God hath lent us: Of the first kind, we may reckon up,

I. One to be Gaudy in Apparel, and we will rank it first, because 'tis most visible; How do many Shipwrack their Credits and score vast summs in Silk-mens, Mercers, Drapers, Taylors, or Semstris­ses Books; only to follow some foolish New Fashion, and make hemselves rediculous Apes; or at best but like the Cynamon Tree, whose bark is more worth than its body: when a thrifty wise per­son can accouter himself with good, decent and creditable Apparel for half or a third part of the others charge. Can our best-studied Fashion-mongers tell us what use there is of Perriwigs or Lace­ [...]ands of six, seven, or eight pounds, nay forty or fifty pounds a [...]and? Or of such dawbing of Coats or Petticoats with Gold Lace, [...]r Silver Points of Five or Eight pound the dozen, meerly to dan­ [...]le at their Knees? Persons that have the Kernel of Wisdome and Magnanimity, seldome give much regard to the Shell of Gawdy Ap­parel; and a Gentleman in a plain Cloth Suit, well made, may de­ [...]ently appear in the presence of the greatest Monarch in Christen­ [...]ome.

II. A Liquorish Tooth, or Extravagant Dyet: What waste do [...]ur young Gallants make at their Treats at Tavern or French Or­ [...]aries? I have known three or four of them spend Forty or Fifty [...]illings a piece, for a Dinner or Supper; when two dishes of seven [...] eight shillings price, had been as pleasant, and much more nou­ [...]shing and wholesome. No less vain is extravagancy in ordinary House-keeping, variety of dishes does but oppress nature and di­ [...]urb digestion: the belly never ballances Accounts. What madness [...] it therefore to keep such a stir to gratify it? especially where all [...]ngs are to be bought in by the penny, and Servants are trusted [...] be our Purveyors.

III. Drinking, or (as they nick-name it) Good fellowship, is not [...]ly a shrewd drainer of the Purse, but a great Consumer of Time, [...]ereby causing neglect of business, and many times rendring one in­ [...]pable of doing any thing some dayes after: besides it weakens the [...]ody, impairs the Intellectuals, brings into Ill company, ruines ones [...]edit, and leads to a thousand inconveniences: for what folly, mis­ [...]ief, or villany will not a man engage in when he is drunk? See [...] to Drunkards.

IV. Courting of Women; Experienced Solomon calls a Whore a [...]ep ditch, and certainly who ever follows her Enticements, though [...]s way seem paved with Delight, treads to paths of Destruction: [...]d though he have never so plentiful an Estate, shall in short time, [...]d emptiness in his Purse, rottenness in his bones, horror in his [...]onscience, and infamy intail'd upon his memory: Nor is it any [...]her than a foolish vanity to treat any Women often at Extraordi­ [...]ary Expences; for if they be Vertuous, they will not expect it, if otherwise, they do not deserve it.

V. Gaming, is the High-way to Beggars Bush; a bewitching [...]anity; that will not suffer a man to keep his money in his pocket; [...]thout putting it to the hazard of a Throw, whether it shall conti­ [...]ue his own, or be anothers. I have known a poor Citizen so besot­ [...]d with this itch of Shaking the Elbow, that no sooner could he [...] Half a Piece or a Piece, but away he must go, till he had plaid it [...]y every farthing; though his poor wife and half a dozen small [...]ildren were ready in the mean while to starve for want of bread: [...] himself glad to drink water or Small Beer, for a fortnight after.

VI. Suretiship, has been an Eminent Gulf to swallow fair E­ [...]s; so much the more lamentable, because it falls upon persons [...]he best nature; easily inveigled by Crafty Knaves to Engage for [...]r own Debts, which they never intend to pay themselves. That [...] Emblem I have seen, was very significant in such Cases; of a [...]k gallant young Heir, sliding down the great end of a Hunters [...]rn with ease; but cruelly pinched and tattered at the coming [...]h at the small end; with one of his brother foolls standing hard [...] laughing at him; and this Motto,

VII. Trusting to servants, We use to say, The Eye of the master [...]kes the Horse fat; Sure I am, the not having an Eye to Servants, [...]ll make his Purse Lean, what with Idleness, Waste, and Embezle­ [...]ents, he will find a sensible Consumption in his Estate if he do not well examine their accompts, and continually suspect their doings.

VIII. In short whoever would Thrive, must continually have an eye to Frugality, a vertue that is the Root of all Liberality: For that by retrenching unnecessary Expences, avoiding much Buying, continual borrowing, superfluous buildings, vexatious Law-sui [...]s for trifles, chargeable Recreations, and expensive Studies, as the Phylosophers Stone, or the like; preserves and maintains a plen­tiful Estate: which not only renders the owners life comfortable, but also serves as a Spring, whence he can send forth streams of Bounty upon any necessary occasion; which Prodigality would soon dry up, and leave him miserable in himself and useless to o­thers: Thus sings the witty Randolph,

IX. Defects of Improving what we have, are either by Sloth, one of the greatest baits the Devil has to all kind of wickedness; He that will not work, deserves not to eat, by the Apostles Rule: Re­member the end of the Sluggard is miserable Beggary. Be curious sometimes to see the morning Star draw the Curtain of the day, or behold the Sun in Summer scatter glories as he climbs over the Ea­stern Hills. What a shame it is to spend half ones life-time in Dreams and Slumbers; Leave your bed therefore when first sleep hath left you, lest custome renders your body sluggish; or (what is worse) your mind a Cage of unclean thoughts.

X. Man is born to labour, as the sparks fly upwards; saith Job: And as he shall only fill his throat with Air, that sits lazily expe­cting Fortune to drop an Estate from the Clouds into his mouth, when it can only be attained by the care of a Vigilant Head, and sweat of a laborious brow; so tis a most foolish proud humour, to continue in a wretched, sharking, necessitous condition, rather than embrace any honest Employment, that might be adventagious, meer­ly because it is not so neat and genteel as he would have it: just as if a condemned Malefactor should refuse a gracious Reprieve, be­cause 'tis not brought him in a silver box, or by the hands of a Privy Councellour.

XI. The Serious Spanyard when he would bestow the bitterest Curse upon an Enemy, is wont to wish, he may be a Beggar when he is old. And truly there can scarce be a greater misery in this life, than to be then in want, when all the faculties both of mind and bo­dy being disabled to labour for supplying our necessities; leave us not so much as hope ever to raise our selves again. The considerati­on of which, should effectually warn All, whilst Youth and strength last, not to trifle them away in Vanity or Debauchery: but endea­vour to lay up something as a Reserve for Gray Hairs, or a Bed of Sickness: not to speak of a thousand other Cross Accidents that hap­ning suddenly, may utterly ruine a person, if he be not a little be­fore hand in the world. Most true is the Proverb,

XII. The general means of Thriving, are for a man to be di­ligent, Nulla dies sine linea, alwayes employed in some honest Cal­ling, or designs suitable to his condition, advantagions in themselves, and feasible for him to accomplish; to be vigilant, and way-lay op­portunities: there being undoubtedly some offered in the course of every mans life, that they may make him reasonable happy, if he have but the wit to nick them luckily. Add to this a wariness in his Expences and Bargainings, buying if possibly with ready money; preserving his Credit, by keeping touch when he appoints any pay­ments: Affability and obliging Carriage to all in matters that can­not damnifie him: but to avoid engagements for any to his preju­dice; nor to concern himself in others matters; not to go to Law but upon necessity; then first to take good advice on his case, and after­wards to prosecute it with all imaginable Vigor; that so the success may make others afraid to contend with him unjustly.

XIII. I am not ignorant with what clamour the Libertines of the Age decry that Sacred Institution; but those that think Wedlock so insupportable a Yoak, may fancy their Garters to be Shackles, and their Bands Halters. I fear not many have received so fully the Gift of Continence, as to observe a Single life with a pure and invi­olated Chastity (thrice happy are those that can) but if they do fly out, most certain I am, besides the wounds to their Soul 'tis no small prejudice to their Estates and business, having alwayes esteem'd a Mistriss a more chargeable convenience than a Wife, the first ha­ving still an Eye to her own profit, lest her Gallant should prove un­constant; whereas the interest of the last is inseperably twisted with that of her Husband: Nor is she of small advantage to him in the management of his Affairs: Hear old Tusser on the point,

XIV. As to the choice of a Wife, having little experience my self, let me advise you in the words of the same Poet,

'Tis the most Critical action of a mans life; not only his own happiness or ruin, but his relations and posterity are concerned in it; and since it can be done but once, it concerns us to consider more than twice before we undertake it: the fear of God, consent of Parents, and a fitness between the parties for each other, are requisite: A t [...]ue mutual affection above all things should precede; for nothing can be a greater torment than a loathed Bed. Yet since Love is a flame, 'tis convenient it should have some fuel of Estate, lest damps of necessity extinguish it. He that weds meerly for money, turns Marriage into a Bargain and Sale; and he that marries one wholly portionless, does the worst of Drugeries for nothing. I would take the Woman for her own sake; but welcome a Bag or two as good additions, considering Wealth in relation to her, as Cyphers in Arith­metick, which though signifying nothing themselves, do yet much vary the signification of those figures wherewith they are joynd.

XV. Another way whereby some ruin themselves, is folly, un­dertaking things impossible or dangerous, or suffering themselves to be cheated and rook'd of what they have: For the prevention whereof there is no better way than to deale as securely with all men as if they were the veriest Knaves; then let them prove as they will, you are safe. If a man impose on you once, tis his fault; if twice your own: Alwayes suspect the smoothest tongues and fair­est pretenders. In this sense many a man is saved by his Infidelity.

XVI. Above all to thrive, be very punctual in your Accompts; Register all Receipts and Disbursements, and delight often to bal­lance them; never slight little advantages, nor contemn small ex­pences: The Scotch Proverb says well, Every little makes a mic­kle; and the wiseman tells you plainly, That he that contemneth lit­tle things, shall fall by little and little. What vast summs do some men trifle insensibly, Hangt, one Pinte with such a friend, tother pot with such an Acquaintance; tis but twelve pence, tis but two pence: whereas if these superfluous expences had but been laid up together, they might have paid the Rent at the years end; or stopp'd some other gapp: for which now perhaps thy goods are like to be seized, or thy person haled away to Jail. That none may pre­tend ignorance, for want of Arithmetick; we shall here insert,

This Table is so plain: the meanest capacity cannot but under­stand it: Find the sum of pence or shillings spent in one day, in the first Column on the left hand, and just against it you have the summ in pounds, shillings, and pence, which it makes by the Week, by the Moneth, or Year, according to the respective Titles above.

Hereby it appeareth, That one penny a day comes to one pound ten shillings and five pence in a year; and therefore in 21 years it will come to 31 l. 18 s. 9 d. only by the saving thereof. But if you also imploy this, so that you may gain after the rate of Ten in the Hun­dred; it will amount to above Fourscore and six pounds, in the said time: which may be a good Portion for a Mans Child.