SECTION I. INTRODUCTION.

GIVE ear, O ye daughters of beau­ty, attend to the voice of your sister, for experience hath taught her wisdom, and length of days virtue and understanding.

My father was the brother of tender­ness; my mother was the sister of love.

As the rose-bud opening to the morn, as the dew-drop on the lily, so was the loveliness of my youth.

[Page 6] I awoke at the rising of the dawn; my salutation was that of joy and gladness. Pleasure beckoned me forth, and I sport­ed in the sun-shine of plenty.

The hours were swift, and ran smil­ing away; but the lightness of my heart out-lived the going down of the sun.

The day departed with the mildest breeze, and the night but invited me to the bed of repose.

My pillow was the softest down, my slumbers attended with golden dreams.

Thus one day passed away, and the morning of the next found me happy.

Happy are the hours of artless inno­cence! happy the days of virgin sim­plicity, while the bosom is a stranger to deceit, and the heart inconscious of the painful sigh!

O that I could overtake the wings of time! O that I could recal the pleasures of my youth! for the days of my wo­manhood have been days of many sor­rows; the tears of misfortune have be­dimmed the lustre of mine eye; the li­ly is fallen, and the rose-bud is blown and withered on my cheek.

[Page 7] For I listened to the voice of adula­tion, and her bewitching blandishments allured me to destruction.

The silver tongue of flattery is hol­low, and laden with guile; the manna that drops from her lips, is corrosive poison to the heart.

Hear then, O daughter of Britain. O fairest of the fair among women! let my precepts be treasured in thy bosom, and walk in the ways of my counsel; so shalt thou shun the thorn of reproach, more keen than the bite of the asp, more venemous than the sting of the scorpion.

The hand of scorn shall point its finger from thee; the tear of misery shall never bedew thy cheek; thy life shall be replete with good things, and peace and honour shall satisfy thy soul.

SECTION II. CURIOSITY.

AS the first of all evils, as the source of calamity, as the beginning of [Page 8]pain, avoid, O daughter of Eve, the bewitching charm of curiosity.

Seek not to know what is improper for thee; thirst not after prohibited knowledge; for happier is she who but knoweth a little, than she who is ac­quainted with too much.

Remember thy mother, the daughter of heaven, arrayed in the whitest robes of innocence; forget not the fatal con­sequence of her disobedience.

How much happier in the bowers of paradise, feasting on the luscious grape of gladness, than wandering in the wil­derness of care to chew the bitter weed of repentance!

Be thou contented, therefore, with knowledge fitting for thee; for in the acquaintance of many things, lieth not wisdom; but in the knowledge of that which is meet.

Let the threshold of thy neighbour's door secure her family, let her window tempt not thine eye to see, nor the open casement thine ear to hear the se­crets of her house.

The prying eye is a foe to itself, and the listening ear will hear itself slan­dered.

[Page 9] Art thou inquisitive after deeds of scandal and reproof, enquire of thyself, and thou wilt find employment within.

Art thou a virgin, doth the bloom of health grow lively on thy cheek, study not to know the ways of man.

As the way of a serpent in the grass, or a traveller over the waste, in a dark night, so the ways of man are danger­ous and hard to find out.

Thy ignorance of his cunning may lay thee open to his deceit; but the knowledge thereof must be the conse­quence of thy being deceived.

Learn therefore, O woman, what thou shouldest know before thou seekest farther knowledge.

SECTION III. REFLECTION.

AS the way of a man who walketh, yet knoweth not whither he is going, so is the discourse of one who weigheth not his words.

[Page 10] As the chattering daw, that prateth without understanding; as the young magpie, with its double tongue, talketh by rote; as the monkey jabbers, as the green parrot squalls without ceasing, so is a woman, who regardeth not her speech.

Before thou openest thy lips to speak, reflect whether thou knowest the truth of what thou art about to say, or un­derstandest the matter thereof.

Else thou mayst be detected in a fals­hood, and thy assertions may be an im­peachment to thy understanding.

So shall the stranger, and the ac­quaintance, repeat thy words to thy disadvantage; the sincere will despise thee, and the wiser than thou, laugh thy folly to scorn.

Let thy promises be few, and such as thou canst perform; lest thou art re­duced to break thy word, and it be hereafter reckoned of no account.

Be not less circumspect over thy ac­tions; for the sayings of thy mouth may be forgotten; but the work of thine hands will make a deeper impression, and may be lasting causes of remorse.

[Page 11] Consider what thou art about to do, before thou beginnest thy work; lest thou labour in vain, and the fruit of thy endeavours turn to no end.

Weigh thy strength and thy design; lest thou faint under thy burden and fall short of the recompence of thy toil.

Wouldst thou attempt to reach up to the moon, the nurse would laugh and the young child hold thee in derision; yet as well mayst thou undertake a work thou canst not perform.

Examine also the price of thy labour, the consequence of thy deeds; lest, when thou hast finished thy task, thou art dissatisfied with thy wages.

For the consequence of precipitancy is repentance at leisure.

The price of folly is reproach, and the wages of sin is death.

SECTION IV. VANITY.

THOU art fair as the snow-drop of the spring, the rose of June blows on thy damask cheek, thine eye [Page 12]out-sparkles the blue lustre of the sap­phire, thou art stately as the tall fir­tree, and thy presence is commanding as majesty itself.

The east and the west pour forth their treasures to deck thee; the sea and land give up the pearl and the pre­cious stone; thy array is the finest silk; the diamond is a star on thy bosom, and the ruby and the emerald are interwo­ven with the hair on thy temples.

Therefore vanity hath lifted thee up, thou flutterest on the wings of thine own conceit, thou despisest even the ground where the vulgar tread, thy chariot is drawn by white horses, and thy feet are hardly conscious of their own burden.

O deluded woman! the butterfly and the gaudy tulip are emblems of thy fan­cied importance.

They are decked in the pride of sum­mer, they enjoy the sun-shine a while, but shortly fade and attract the eye no more.

Is thy breath perfume, is thy taste rich? the particoloured carnation and [Page 13]the speckled rose are sweet, and the juice of the ripe grape as delicious as thy taste.

But the rude hand of the spoiler com­eth, both in the opening of the bud and at the fulness of the bloom, and the untimely frost turns sour the rich flavour of the vine.

So misfortune may crop thy imagina­ry greatness, in the bud of thy joys, or in the full bloom of thy splendor; and the clay-cold hand of disease con­vert thy exquisite taste to undistinguish­ing bitterness.

Doth gold pamper thee with dainties, doth the smiling aspect of full-fed plen­ty delight thee:

Be not exalted beyond measure, for thou knowest not how soon they may forsake thee: when starving poverty shall provide scraps for thy table, and meagre want, with famine on her hol­low cheek, shall stare thee in the face.

Art thou quick of invention, is thy mind stored with the talents of wit and understanding, doth the power of elo­cution sit on thy tongue, do thy periods flow like honey from thy lips; be not [Page 14]vain-glorious of these, nor boast them in thy possession.

For the fool will take a pleasure to peck at thee; thy words will be sifted, and thy speeches examined with the nicest severity.

The malicious and the ignorant will catch at the opening of thy mouth; neither shall the justest of thy sayings escape their criticism.

Nay, they will condemn thee unheard, yea, censure when thou speakest not.

If thou sayest thou wilt act wisely and eschew evil, and the frailties of human nature should overcome thee to do ill, they will then point at thee and cry out, This is the wise woman who buildeth her house on a rock, who is sagacious to do good; let us profit by her example, let us take pattern by her wondrous wisdom.

Avoid therefore, vain-glory and self-conceit; for she who lifteth herself up, will others take a pride to pull down; and, if the day of calamity should come, her fall will be their triumph and their rejoicing.

But the humble shall be honored in prosperity; they shall find favour in ad­versity; [Page 15]and compassion shall invite them to her home, in the day of trou­ble and distress.

SECTION V. KNOWLEDGE.

WHO is she that travelleth from the farthest parts of the earth, who crosseth the mighty waters, to find out the ways of the children of men?

Who changeth her habitation daily, who dwelleth in the fields and in the populous cities, beneath the straw-crowned cottage, and the golden roofs of the king's palaces?

Fatigue hath wrinkled her forehead, her head is silvered o'er with age; yet she walketh upright, for experience is her support and her strength.

Her name is Knowledge: she is the daughter of Enquiry, and the mother of many children.

For pleasure and profit, and experi­ence, and sorrow and pain are the fruit of her womb.

[Page 16] Wouldst thou, O fair one, be the guest of her house, be satisfied with what her table affordeth.

For pleasure standeth at the door and inviteth thee with smiles, and profit spreadeth the best on the board; but if thou desirest what she hideth from thee, and pryest into the secrets of her closet, experience will embitter thy drink, and sorrow, like a churl, make thy cheer and thy welcome, naught.

It is not for thee, O woman, to un­dergo the perils of the deep, to dig in the hollow mines of the earth, to trace the dark springs of science, or to num­ber the thick stars of the heavens.

Let the kingdom rule itself, let the wise-men and the counsellers enact laws, and correct them; the policy of govern­ment is a hidden thing, like a well of water in the bottom of a deep pit.

Thy kingdom is thine own house, and thy government, the care of thy family.

Let the laws of thy condition be thy study, and learn only to govern thyself and thy dependants.

SECTION VI. REPUTATION.

BRIGHTER than polished silver, more valuable than Peruvian ore, more precious than the pearl in the sea, than the diamond in the bowels of the earth, or all the shining treasures of the mines of Potosi, is reputation to a woman.

As the time that is past is gone for ever; as the word that escapeth thy lips, returneth not again; so is the good-name of a woman, when it goeth from her.

Art thou beautiful as the morning, art thou comely as the evening, do strangers speak thy praise, and thy ac­quaintance pour their encomiums on thee; yet thy way is a narrow path, from which, if thou strayest, thou wilt never more find it out, thy praises will be turned into revilings, and thy enco­miums into keen reproach.

Art thou placed on an eminence, among the daughters of women, dost [Page 18]thou sit at the head of the board, do crouds of admirers bow down before thee with reverence; yet thou sittest on a slender pinnacle, from which the sud­den breath of indiscretion, or the strong blast of envy, may cast thee down; so shall thy fall be that of a falling meteor: thou shalt be despised in the dust, and gazed at on high, no more.

Wouldst thou preserve this jewel of an high price; let not the boaster, nor the professed betrayer, come near thine house.

Be not frequent in the walks, nor in the thronged parts of the city, nor in the high places of the theatre.

Let not thy foot often leap at the sound of music, lest in thy dancing-days, thy reputation forsake thee.

Encourage not a train of admirers, lest their envy and jealousy of each other, cast an odium on thy conduct.

As the way of a man on the ridge of an house, so is the fame of a woman among a croud of fools; but the co­quet is light of heart, and danceth along; no wonder, therefore, she falleth.

[Page 19] Yet affect not to despise temptation; for the prude loseth her good-name by the means she taketh to preserve it.

As a man, on the brow of a preci­pice, trembleth at the depth below, and, fearing to fall, his head swimmeth, and he is gone; so is a woman who boast­eth her reputation.

Keep the appearance of evil at a dis­tance; for the shew of a crime may be as fatal to thy reputation, as the reality of a transgression.

Sport not with thy good name, nor run it heedlessly into danger; for the consciousness of thine own innocence, will not protect thee from reproach.

SECTION VII. APPLAUSE.

APPLAUD not on slight acquaint­ance; be not over hasty in thy commendations.

For the deed that speaketh for thy sister, may not be owing to a deserving motive; nor the words of her mouth pro­ceeding from the sincerity of her heart.

[Page 20] By giving applause rashly, thou mayest be reduced to recal thy opinion; and thy praises hereafter, will not avail thy deserving friend.

Commend not thyself with thy lips; but let thine actions speak in thy behalf.

Yet the merit of thy deeds may be lost in ostentation, and she that seeketh praise, will be disappointed therein.

Also, if thou disclaimest the enco­miums to which thou art fully entitled, they shall be justly taken from thee again.

For she who affecteth to despise com­mendation, shall not enjoy the privilege thereof.

Be not exalted, though all men com­mend thee; for thou knowest not but the breath of a whisper may convert their eulogies into revilings.

Give not applause to another, because she bestoweth it on thee; lest the world detect thy motive, and thy words be held in derision.

Dost thou commend another for vir­tues more conspicuous in thyself, take heed lest thou art accounted the trum­peter of thine own deservings.

[Page 21] Be not too cold in the general ap­plause, yet utter not thy praise without due deliberation.

Praise not a woman to the skies; for her most consummate perfection, is infe­rior to the angels.

Thy friend will not thank thee for the extravagance of thy praise; for un­deserved commendation is the severest satire.

Rather at all times approve than ap­plaud; for the child, and the undistin­guishing fool, clappeth his hand in ex­tasy; but the judgment of the under­standing examineth and approveth.

SECTION VIII. CENSURE.

BE not fond of reproving, for she who assumeth the place of a cen­sor, will be esteemed arrogant; and she who reproveth others, must look well to her own conduct.

For the ill example of the reprover is a scandal to her office, as the mal­conduct [Page 22]of the preceptor bringeth his precepts into contempt.

Beware how thou censurest, lest in like manner thou art censured.

Trust not to the appearance of a crime, nor to the breath of report.

For as the specious shew of virtue may be hypocrisy, so the appearance of ill may be sometimes deceit.

The news of the day may awaken suspicion, but justice condemneth not without strict examination.

The report that prevaileth, may be the workings of envy; and envy is un­charitable and delighteth in false ac­cusations.

Prejudice is unjust; for the look is not the true index of the mind; neither doth a day, or a week, discover the behaviour of a stranger.

Be tender of the good name of others, so mayest thou find the same tenderness toward thine own indiscre­tions.

If thou art forced to condemn, con­demn with gentleness and compassion; so shall thy praises last longer than thy [Page 23]beauty, and thy reputation, from the ornament of thy youth, become the comfort of thy age.

SECTION IX. INSINUATION.

LET not thy praises savour of iro­ny; nor thy compassion be mixed with evil reflections.

Insinuation is sly; the breath of her mouth is subtle, and penetrateth unob­served into the heart of her that hear­eth.

It is sharp as the east wind; it blast­eth wherever it blows.

It is poisonous as the breath of the slow-worm; it is venemous as the lick of the young adder.

She affecteth to pity the backslidings of her friend; yet she taketh an op­portunity to spread the knowledge of them abroad.

She speaketh in all gentleness of her neighbour, and concludeth wishing things were otherwise with her.

[Page 24] She crieth, it is hard to judge; but saith, can every body be deceived?

The glance of her eye conveyeth evil thoughts, and the motion of her head giveth room for the apprehension of ill.

If she pointeth with her finger, yet sayeth nothing; her looks are more significant than the strongest phrase of speech.

Her silence is more destructive than the clamours of the loudest calumny.

Insinuation is barbarous and full of guile, she putteth on the face of friend­ship to abuse.

She smileth while she stabbeth to the heart; she woundeth where she pre­tendeth love.

Be open in thy censure, or censure not; for he who deserveth not reproof, should be free from the breath of suspi­cion.

SECTION X. AFFECTATION.

WHO is she that cometh tripping with nice, mincing steps; whose tongue lispeth sweetness, and whose form is not her own;

She hath put off herself, and decked her with the borrowed plumes of others, by whom she is despised.

She affecteth melody of voice, and harmony of speech, and wisdom, and importance, and dignity of deportment.

Her dress is antic and singular, her attire is gaudy or rich to excess.

She hath forgotten how to tread; she neither danceth nor walketh along.

She distorteth her features to appear lovely, she laugheth at nothing to shew the beauty of her teeth.

She washeth her cheeks till the native bloom departeth away; then painteth with the artificial rose.

She placeth herself in the midst of an assembly; she delighteth to dance [Page 26]alone, she sitteth in the foremost seat of the theatre.

She is pleased to hear herself speak; she listneth not to the voice of another.

She breaketh in upon the discourse of her sister, and finisheth the sentence her neighbour hath begun.

She taketh on her to instruct the wiser than herself, and to teach what she understandeth not.

Dost thou laugh at her folly, she will pity thy ignorance, and go on in her own way.

She is incorrigible till she seeth her­self in the form of another; yet even that may not make her sensible of her error.

Beware, O daughter of beauty, lest thou art misled by affectation; for thou wilt be neglected by others, till by re­flection thou discoverest the cause, and art led to despise thyself.

SECTION XI. MODESTY.

BEHOLD the daughter of inno­cence! how beautiful is the mild­ness of her countenance! how lovely is the diffidence of her looks!

Her cheek is dyed with the deep crim­son of the rose; her eye is placid and serene, and the gentleness of her speech is as the melting softness of the flute.

Her smiles are as the enlivening rays of the sun; the beauty of her presence as the silver light of the moon.

Her attire is simple; her feet tread with caution, and she feareth to give offence.

The young and the old are enamour­ed with her sweetness; she carrieth her own commendation.

She speaketh not the first in the con­versation of women, neither is her tongue heard above her companions.

She turneth not her head to gaze after the steps of men; she enquireth not of them whither they are going.

[Page 28] She giveth not her opinion unasked, nor stoppeth her ears to that of ano­ther

She frequenteth not the public haunts of men, she enquireth not after the knowledge improper for her condition.

So becoming is the behaviour of mo­desty, so lovely among the daughters of women!

Is there who hath forgotten to blush, who playeth with the wanton glances of her eyes, who replenisheth the cup when the toast goes round, and despi­seth the meekness of her sister.

Shame shall overtake her in the prime of her days, and the years of her wi­dowhood shall be infamous as they are many.

SECTION XII. CHASTITY.

WOULDST thou be honored of thy Creator, wouldst thou be hap­py in thyself, wouldst thou be lovely in [Page 29]the eye of man; without chastity thou wilt be neither of these

For its loss is the loss of peace and satisfaction to thy soul; and the conse­quences too often the worst that can befal thee.

He that robbed thee of it, will de­spise thee, and expose thy want; and she that hath in secret forfeited her own, will hold thee in much contempt.

Behold the house of incontinence; the mark of infamy is indelibly stamped on the threshold, and on the posts of the door.

At the window sitteth misfortune forcing a smile; and within are remorse and disease, and irretrievable misery.

The children of her house are the curse of their mothers, and their lives the growing monuments of their in­famy.

Art thou chaste, boast not therefore; the security of thy possession is as brit­tle glass, that may be accident fall and be broken.

Be on thy guard, for thou knowest not the weakness of thy nature, nor the power of temptation.

[Page 30] Is there a man with whom thou de­lightest to talk; let not thine ear be too familiar with his discourse.

Doth he teach philosophy, and en­tertain thee with the researches of know­ledge; yet beware lest he instruct thee too far.

Is he accounted modest, and sober, and virtuous; depend not on the truth of these pretences.

Doth he promise thee fair, doth he protest in the sincerity of his heart he meaneth no harm, yet believe him not, neither put confidence in his discretion.

Doth he only ask a kiss of thy cheek, indulge not his frequent request; lest the sweetness thereof inflame him to de­sire, and the poison of his lips descend into thine own bosom.

Taste not the wine, when the bowl goes a second time round: join not of­ten with him in the sprightly dance; nor suffer opportunity to overtake thee.

By avoiding temptation thou mayst preserve thy chastity; but man is the serpent of deceit, and woman is the daughter of Eve.

SECTION XIII. COMPLACENCE.

TIMOROUS as the tender fawn, pliant as the bending osier, gen­tle as the young turtle, and assable as courtesy itself, is the daughter of com­placence.

She maketh friends wherever she go­eth, she is loved by all the children of men.

Her behaviour winneth the stranger, and endeareth her to those of her ac­quaintance.

Do her steps lead to the house of mourning, she cometh not in dancing; neither doth the lightness of her heart disgust the wedded to cal unity.

She weepeth with those that weep, she laugheth with those who laugh; she singeth in the house of gladness, and rejoiceth in the joy of her neigh­bours.

She giveth not her advice to the stranger, nor openeth her lips among a [Page 32]croud of visitors, till after the rest have spoken.

She fashioneth her behaviour to the model of others; wherefore, all must approve the resemblance of themselves.

In the strait betwixt two, she is si­lent; she divulgeth not herself, that either may know to condemn or ap­prove.

Art thou deceived, she will mildly endeavour to set thee right; but if thou art froward to be instructed, she will permit thee to enjoy thy opinion undisturbed: so shalt thou praise her when thou findest out thy error, for having so modestly left thee in thy de­ception.

She is the sister of moderation; she denieth none the privilege of thinking for themselves.

She urgeth not belief where a doubt is remaining, nor denieth a scruple the power of conviction.

Dost thou admire her steps, wouldst thou reap the advantages thereof; yet be cautious lest she lead thee astray.

Follow not a multitude till they lead thee into evil, nor fear to draw back [Page 33]when thy sister goeth wrong, tho' she be offended at thy singularity.

Be not over courteous, lest thy mo­desty suffer; fear not being accounted unfashionably virtuous, lest thou after­ward reproach thyself.

Better is the reviling of the world to the innocent, than the reflections of self-reproach to the guilty.

Complacence will endear thee to the world, but virtue to thyself and thy Creator.

The love of many bringeth gladness to the heart; but happiness is only the companion of the upright.

SECTION XIV. ACQUAINTANCE.

WHO is she that biddeth thee good-morrow, that kisseth thy cheek at parting, and giveth thee an invitati­on to her house?

She is an acquaintance, believe her not; go thou to her home, tarry a while and thou wilt find her out.

[Page 34] The coldness of her respect will ap­pear in thy welcome, and the distance of her behaviour will pall thine enter­tainment.

Doth she promise thee much in thy prosperity, and wish an opportunity to oblige thee; thou shalt see her avoid thee in the day of thy trouble, her door will be shut against thee, and thy name estranged from her knowledge.

Doth she sympathize in thy misfor­tune, doth she tell her sorrow for thy present distress; yet her cheek is dry, and she forgetteth thee the moment she turneth from thee.

Doth she rejoice to see thee, yet her eye sparkleth not; is she sorry for thy departure, yet her countenance altereth not.

Good offices are familiar to her tongue, but if thou claimest her pro­mises, she is astonished and knoweth not what thou meanest.

She calleth herself thy friend to thy face, and owneth to a third person, she hath some knowledge of thee.

Trust her not with thy dealings, let her have no knowledge of thy ways; [Page 35]for she is the spreader of scandal, and enquireth after news to divulge it.

A void also the number of her sisters, nor let them find out the way of thine house.

SECTION XV. FRIENDSHIP.

AS the tenderness of a mother in the hour of thy distress, as the love of a father in the day of thy trou­ble, so is the help of a friend in the time of need.

Dost thou think thou hast many friends, do they profess much love, are they lavish in their promises of kindness; be not credulous, nor rely on the form of set speeches.

The breath of the mouth is cheap and costeth nothing, and the tongue moveth slippery within, but the heart is often unacquainted therewith.

Hast thou tried their sincerity, hast thou experienced the veracity of their [Page 36]promises, have they served thee when thou stoodst in need of their assistance; yet, for all this, beware how far thou confidest in them.

Try them once and again, and at the third time they may cast thee off, and say thou troublest them too often.

Hast thou a friend, put it not in her power to be much thine enemy, if thou can'st avoid the necessity thereof; for thou knowest not how slight an occa­sion may turn her heart against thee.

Thy bent of inclination, thy agree­able accomplishments, may excite many to a shew of amity, for a while; but friendship dwelleth not in outward ap­pearance.

Thou art not indebted for their kind­ness, the favour thou receivest is but the price of thy talents, and their own interest the motive of their good-will towards thee.

There are those who make friend­ships on purpose to betray; who confer obligations, that they may exact obedi­ence.

Who think they have a right to com­mand thee; thy life and thy reputation, [Page 37]they will boast as the effect of their ten­derness, and thy success as their care toward thee.

Have no confidence in these; neither desire to be entrusted with the privacies of their actions.

Who giveth thee a secret and enjoin­eth thy silence, she doth it that she may have the pleasure of telling it herself.

Yet let not thy distrust stir up ingrati­tude. The favour of the day deserveth the thanks thereof, till the injury of to morrow cancels the obligation.

Is there a friend indeed, thou wilt know her when thy acquaintance for­sake thee: will she defend thy inno­cence when all men accuse thee falsely, will she bear reproach unjustly, for thy sake? take her to thy bosom; she is a jewel of an high price, a diamond of inestimable value.

SECTION XVI. ELEGANCE.

AS the diamond is an ornament to beauty, so is elegance, to the be­haviour of a woman.

[Page 38] Art thou modest, art thou chaste, is thy reputation unsullied, is thy fame spotless as the new-fallen snow; yet elegance will make thee still more wor­thy admiration.

As the crow or the raven, which de­vour carrion on the hills of the north, differ from the singing bird of the Ca­naries, so differeth the elegant woman from her who is wanting therein.

As the elegance of dress adds grace to beauty itself, so delicacy in behavi­our is the ornament of the most beau­tiful mind.

Discover not the knowledge of things, it is not expected thou shouldst under­stand; for as the experience of a ma­tron ill becometh the lips of a virgin, so a pretended ignorance is often better than a shew of real knowledge.

Undistinguishing levity giveth hourly offence, and the form of solemnity be­comes unseemly when it lasteth too long.

Is there a word that will offend, is there a tale thy companion chuseth not to hear; avoid it in thy discourse; so shall she honour thy prudence, and ap­plaud thy good-nature.

[Page 39] Art thou lettered, let not the diffi­culty of thy speech puzzle the ignorant; lest, instead of admiring thy knowledge, they condemn thee for pride and affec­tation.

Yet let thy words be choice as the matter of thy speech, nor pervert the elegance of thy phrase to suit the gross apprehension of the weak and injudi­cious.

Perspicuity will never force thee to be indelicate, or to forget thou shouldst support the elegance of a woman.

Let thy actions be proportioned to thy speech, so shalt thou gain respect; for whoso setteth a watch over the breath of her lips, will preserve the work of her hands free from blame.

SECTION XVII. FRUGALITY.

GIVE nothing foolishly away.

Whoso scattereth abroad, will find herself the loser; who throweth her [Page 40]substance away, shall lift up her hands empty in the day of necessity.

The hand which lavishly distributeth its goods, will at length close its singers in emptiness.

Profusion lasteth not for ever; the daughters of riot will become the chil­dren of poverty.

Who streweth her money in the streets is not generous; who giveth it vainly away is as guilty of waste.

Hast thou enough, preserve it for thine own use; hast thou too much, bestow it, that those who merit, may not want bread.

What thou bestowest on the deserving, is not the voluntary gift of thine hands, but a debt thou owest, and art bound in justice to pay.

The meritorious are entitled to thy superfluities: if thou keepest it from them, thou committest an act of injus­tice, and wrongest thy neighbour of his right.

If thou givest it to the undeserving stranger, thou givest away the property of another: it is no charity.

[Page 41] Sayest thou, these things are mine, I may use them as I list:

Canst thou employ them to thy com­fort, thy honour, or thy advantage, thou hast then no superfluity: if other­wise, they are not thine, they are put into thy hands for the use of others, and they will be required of thee.

Be frugal therefore in that which thou employest for the use of those who need, as in that which thou keep­est for thyself.

Waste not the substance of the de­serving poor, nor wrong him of his inheritance.

His merit is a right, and as just as thy immediate possession.

Who hath riches that are a burden to herself, she is not frugal.

Doth she waste them by hoarding them in secret, doth she cast them away in riot and profuseness; she cheateth herself, and abuseth her trust: for the miser and the prodigal defraud both the world and themselves.

SECTION XVIII. EMPLOYMENT.

FROM whom cometh evil? from whom poverty and dejection of spirit?

Idleness is the mother of mischief: idleness is the parent of shame and dis­ease.

The slothful spendeth the day in slumber, she waketh at noon, she drink­eth her cordial, and enquireth the time of the morning.

She turneth again to sleep, and awak­eth not till the dinner of the evening.

She converteth the night into day, and keepeth the light of the sun hid from her eyes.

Her house is a scene of riot and con­fusion, she hath eye-servants.

Her appetite faileth, and the physici­an is daily set down at her door.

Industry is up with the sun, she awak­eth at the crowing of the cock, and walketh abroad to taste the sweetness of the morning.

[Page 43] She is ruddy as the daughter of health: her ears are delighted with the music of the shrill lark.

Her garment sweepeth the dew-drop from the new stubble and the green grass, and her path is by the murmur­ing of the purling brook.

Her appetite is keen; her blood is pure and temperate, and her pulse beat­eth even.

Her house is elegant, her handmaids are the daughters of neatness, and plen­ty smileth at her table.

She saunters not; neither stretcheth herself out on the couch of indolence.

She crieth not, what have I to do? but the work of her hands is the thought of a moment.

She listeneth not to the gossip's tale, she sippeth not her tea in scandal; but employment is the matter of her dis­course

Her work is done at the evening, but the work of the slothful is put off till to-morrow.

SECTION XIX. VIRGINITY.

THE coronet of glory decketh the head of the young vestal, she sit­teth in respect, her steps are attended with reverence, and the words of her mouth are held in high estimation.

She approacheth the excellence of an­gels, her state is that of the most perfect innocence of mortality.

The Heathen consecrated her to divi­nity, her trust was esteemed an inviolable security, and her intercession gave life to those who had forfeited it unto death.

The Christian calleth the mother of salvation by her name, she is honored throughout the whole earth.

Art thou enamoured with the beauty of her condition, wouldst thou honour thyself in her situation; attend to the voice of instruction, and shun the rock, on which the vessel of thy sister hath been dashed to pieces.

[Page 45] Presume not on a vow of chastity, nor be transported with the zeal of vo­luntary virginity; there is no merit in constraint, there is no virtue in forced obedience.

Be cautious lest thou sully the white­ness of innocence; the least speck is seen on the new-fallen snow.

Let not curiosity mislead thee; for curiosity is unseemly in a woman, but in a virgin, dangerous as the breath of evil.

Let thy conversation be with the sis­ters of elegance; listen not to the levity of the daughters of indiscretion.

Do they say there is no harm, we may talk, for the words of our lips are air, and not criminal; these are the snares of the licentious; the breath of their mouth is malignant, the sparkling of their eyes is contagious.

They will infect thee to do ill, thou wilt fall into the snare before thou art aware thereof.

As the ladder descendeth by degrees, so many are the intermediate steps be­tween the modesty of the virgin, and the boldness of a prostitute.

[Page 46] Let not thine ear listen to the tale of the wanton, nor be privy to the amour of thy sister, even with her sworn spouse.

Delight not in the romantic tales of love; the triumphant beauty and the captive knight, are deluding images to thy passions.

A fictitious tale, may awaken a real curiosity, and that may prove fatal to thy peace.

Learn not wisdom of thy compani­ons, nor endeavour to over-reach the sagacity of thy mother.

Let thy toilette claim thy morning hours, but dress not a second time in a day.

Thy elegance will be an ornament, but thy frequent change of apparel will favour of profuseness and uncertainty of temper.

Let not thy servants fly thick with invitations, neither be thou much af­fected if the rout be put off till to-mor­row.

Be not perpetually gadding abroad, neither let the gadder abroad be often invited to thine own home.

[Page 47] In thy father's house, learn the oeco­nomy of a wife from thy mother; so shalt thou carry it into life, and be the comfort of thy future husband.

Is there who delighteth in assemblies, who prideth herself in the pleasures of the mask, who staketh her fortune on a dye; she putteth her honour in the hands of a sharper, and placeth the jewel of her reputation on the next hazard.

The days of her virginity shall want the honour thereof; and the man who giveth his freedom for her embraces, shall repent of his bargain.

Grey hairs are uncomely to the virgin, the ancient maiden is a by-word with her sisters, and is accounted ill conditioned among women.

Doth she strive to hide her years, doth she assume the gaiety of her youth; her celibacy will not appear the effect of choice, but of necessity.

Reject not the ordinance of marriage, nor put the day afar off, when it promises thee happiness.

Yet trust not a man, on thine own knowledge; confide not in his appear­ance before thee.

[Page 48] Deceit is familiar to his ways, and flattery and hypocrisy the fruits of his tongue.

Is he obsequious, ceremonious, and full of words; though the honey of the wild bee is on his lips, yet the sting of the hornet lieth hid in his bo­som.

Be not taken with the appearance of gaiety: the painted butterfly is an em­blem of the coxcomb.

Be not deceived by the high opinion of heroism, by the empty braggard; he is as the sound of a drum, and the secu­rity he promiseth thee but the defence of a coward.

Neither is the valour of a man, or the strength of his arm, an indication of the integrity of his heart.

Hath he slain his friend in defence of thy beauty, is his sword loose in its scab­bard; join not thy hand with his, lest thou repent the magnanimity of thine husband.

Take not a man absorbed in study, the philosopher is not a man of this world; he will be absent even in thy company, he will be as a child to be [Page 49]taught the common forms of cere­mony.

He will hold thee inferior to his pro­found wisdom, he will regard thy remon­strances as the conceptions of a weak woman.

Thou wilt have no companion in him; he will be wanting in the duties of his family.

Listen not to the servile, who cring­eth low and is a beggar in his solicitati­ons; for when he hath command, he will be imperious; thou wilt perceive he knoweth not himself.

Avoid the libertine as the fiery ser­pent; he is the destroyer among the daughters of women.

Thou wilt be wedded to him, yet have no husband; thy bed will be bar­ren, and thy nights comfortless and for­saken.

Doth he promise reformation, yet thou hast no security.

Dost thou flatter thyself thy charms will engage him for ever, thou wilt find thyself deceived e'er the waning of the moon be over.

[Page 50] Give not thy youth to the embraces of age, nor the treasure of thy beauty to enrich the poverty of the decrepid.

The gravity of age ill suiteth the levi­ty of youth, and disparity of years is the source of many inquietudes.

Sell not thyself for gold; for content­ment is not the portion of riches.

Let the voice of a parent sanctify thy choice, but let thy director thereto be thine own happiness.

SECTION XX. MARRIAGE.

HAST thou taken to thyself an hus­band after the institution of heaven, hast thou consented to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh?

Love him as the partner of thy hap­piness, as the sharer of the pleasures and pains of mortality.

Without love the husband is a tyrant, and the woman is a slave.

The matrimonial vow is a commercial contract without affection; it is the sha­dow [Page 51]of marriage, and not the substance thereof.

Doth he respect thee; do thou nour­ish and improve his affections.

Art thou perverse and froward, so shall thou extinguish the flame of love, and raze the traces of kindness from his bosom.

Art thou enamoured with his accom­plishments, yet let not thy affections outrun his desires; lest thy fondness too openly disgust him.

Neglect not the little arts of endear­ment; but let the charm which capti­vated the lover, secure the attachment of the husband.

Forget not the elegance of thy virgin­ity, but appear every morning as at the morning of the bridal day.

Let not jealousy come near thy bosom; it is the monster that feedeth upon its own entrails.

It is called the child of love; but as the viper whose birth is the death of its parents, so is the conception of jea­lousy the destruction of the mother that bears it.

[Page 52] Be thou cautious to destroy suspicion in the breast of thine husband, lest it prove as fatal to thy peace, as if the fruit of thine own conception.

Suspicion goeth about whispering lies, she will fill thy brain with waking dreams, thy sleep shall forsake thee, and thou wilt have no rest night nor day.

Her companions are wrath and anger, and malice and revenge, for jealousy is the rage of a man, and the madness of a woman.

Hath thy husband deceived thee, doth he proclaim it aloud, doth he publish it in the streets, and boast his shame as an act of glory; pour not vinegar on nitre, neither apply corrosives, where the bal­sam of tenderness is wanting.

Neither the thunder, nor the storm of hail, closeth the openings of the dry earth, but the soft dew and the gentle showers of heaven.

Return his injustice with mildness of reproof, that his guilt may not have to reproach thee with bitterness; so shall thy meekness sting him deeper than the sharpest venom of the clamorous tongue.

[Page 53] The roaring of the stuck swine ex­citeth not our pity; but the patience of the bleeding lamb awakeneth to com­passion.

Art thou suspected, yet hast thou been solicitous to approve thyself virtuous; patience will heal the wounds of his un­kindness.

Tempt not the weakness of his su­spicion by unwonted levity; thou shalt but inflame him the more, for his mind is distempered.

Wouldst thou urge a madman when he stareth, wouldst thou give him a sword that he may wound himself?

Make not thine husband a stranger to thy friends, lest the fashion of the times make you strangers to each other.

Be thou obedient, for the law of supe­riority is given to man from above, and subjection is the portion of the daugh­ters of Eve.

The imperious woman raiseth a storm for her own shipwreck, and she that af­fects dominion should be made the slave of her husband.

As rebellion lifteth up its head against its sovereign, and thereby adds weight [Page 54]to the yoke it attempted to shake off; so the subjection of a wife when she usurpeth to govern, should be convert­ed into servitude.

Expose not the infirmities of thine husband, neither contemplate on his im­perfections; cast thou a lustre on his vir­tues, for the beauty of his conduct is an honour to thine own head.

Be not luxurious nor extravagant lest thou convert the riches of thy husband into toys that avail not, and trinkets that are of no profit.

Affect not beyond thy sphere, nor think the honour of thy family is in the appearance of great things.

Preserve thy vow inviolated, for the strayings of thy husband absolve thee not.

SECTION XXI. EDUCATION.

ART thou a mother, let thy child be the darling of thy affections, let the fruit of thy womb be the first partaker of thy tenderness.

[Page 55] Are thy pleasures dearer than thine offspring, dost thou become cruel like the ostrich of the wilderness, art thou har­dened against thy young ones as though they were not thine; they shall live to look coldly on thee, they shall not re­gard thee as a mother, in the days of thy widowhood.

Dost thou refuse them nourishment from the fountain of their life, the sea monsters draw out the breast and give suck to their young, but the milk of human kindness is denied to her children.

Dote not on the idol of thy womb, for the extreme fondness of a mother is as dangerous as the violence of her hate.

Thy darling shall be taken from thee in the excess of thy love; or if it live, it shall grieve thine eye and consume thine heart, it shall bring a curse upon thee, and not a blessing.

In the morning of infancy, when the dawn of reason appears, learn thy child obedience.

On this foundation thou mayst build high towers; this clay thou mayst mould into what form thou pleasest.

[Page 56] An obedient mind is ductile and ten­der, but a stubborn breast taketh no im­pression.

As the young osier groweth as it is bent, as the shoot of the vine curleth as we list; so is a young child in the hands of its mother.

Correct betimes; lest thy indulgence be cruel, and evil become habitual.

Trust not a servant with the educa­tion of thy son, nor a maid servant with the tuition of thy daughter.

Study the temper and capacity of thine offspring, and model thy reproof and severity in proportion thereto.

Let not the austerity of a parent de­ny complacence to its own child; lest it descend to familiarity with servitude, and listen to mischiefs of flattery and insinu­ation.

Make thy daughter thy companion, so shall she become thy friend, the yoke of duty will be light, and the obliga­tions of the child become the voluntary offices of good-will towards thee.

Is thy daughter beautiful, lead her not into the public haunts for admirati­on; for the way of a virgin, just rising [Page 57]to the estate of woman, is a path where the nicest foot will slip, if the hand bear­eth not on the staff of education.

Let not the bowels of the mother pe­trify against her child, let her not cast off her daughter to misery.

Sell her not; neither make a sacrifice of her youth to the power of gold.

As those who offer immolations to Moloch, so are the idolaters of Mam­mon.

Let not thy conduct be a reproach to thy precepts; lest thy daughter disre­gard thee, and say, thou teachest others, but teachest not thyself.

SECTION XXII. AUTHORITY.

ART thou supreme in thine own house, or art thou second, in dele­gated authority; trust not the concerns of thy family to a servant.

Tempt not thy domestics, by putting confidence in them; give them not room to be merely eye-servants.

[Page 58] Dost thou raise one above the rest; let him be such whose merit is conspi­cuous; so shalt thou excite commenda­ble emulation in his fellows.

Let not the number of thy servants exceed the business of the day; for the hand that wanteth employment, is rea­dy to lay hold on mischief.

An unprofitable servant is a scandal to his master, he bewrayeth the hand that provideth him bread.

The vice of thy servant will be a re­proach to thine house, for he goeth by the name of his mistress.

If he serve thee faithfully, cast not off thy servant in distress; neither let him ask thee for his wages.

The detention of the price of the hireling is injustice, and exciteth him to be his own pay-master.

Let not the deserving feel the weight of his servitude; neither bid the best of thine houshold sit down at thy table.

The reward of a good servant should be much favour, but familiarity will bring thy kindness into contempt.

SECTION XXIII. WIDOWHOOD.

IS thy love stronger than death, do thy affections survive the decease of thine husband? doth thy flame burn un­extinguished, even as the funeral lamp of the sepulchre?

The obligations thou liest under, are sacred to the remains of him thou lov­est.

Be not pompous in the burial of the body, but embalm his memory and per­fume it with fragrance of his virtues.

Let his frailties sleep with him in the grave, let his offences be remembered no more.

The care of a husband's honour is honour to a wife, and the tenderness to preserve it is most comely to the widow.

Art thou guardian to thy children, wrong not the fatherless.

The orphan and the widow, are joined in calamity; therefore let them not rise up against each other.

[Page 60] Art thou young and seekest a second espousal, experience hath not made thee wise.

Thou art as a galley-slave, who, in the madness of joy for his liberty, run­neth himself again into bondage.

Art thou ancient, yet seekest the em­braces of a young spouse, he will be the bane of thy latter days; he will bring jealousy to thine heart, and misery to thy gray hairs.

He will think himself a living body tied to a dead carcass, and hold thee loathed in his sight.

Dost thou think to fix the giddy ap­potite of youth? thou mayst buy beau­ty, but it will not become thee; thou mayst paint, but it will not make thee fair.

When thou art dressed for the bridal morn, men shall say, is this decking for the living, thou deceivest thyself; if for the dead, make haste to follow him.

SECTION XXIV. RELIGION.

BRIGHT as the morning star, dress­ed in the radiance of the sun-beams, cometh the seraph of immortality.

She approacheth in white robes, her eye is fixed on the heavens, her knee is humbled in the dust, she giveth laws to the daughters of women.

She teacheth the way of virtue, her precepts are simplicity and truth.

Her profession is pure and undefiled, her temple is not filled with priests.

The duties she enjoineth, are plain and easy; she dealeth not in the systems of speculation and vain philosophy.

She perplexeth not the mind with the hypotheses of scepticism, neither the ca­villers nor the sophists are the teachers of her precepts.

Attend to her counsel, and abide by her instructions; so shall peace be the companion of thy reflections, and hap­piness the partner of thy contemplations.

[Page 62] In the practice of piety is satisfaction on earth, and its reward is on high, in the regions of bliss and immortality.