& it was only by Imprudence; but after a Year's good Conduct to make amends for it, fhe fhall be taken in upon the first Vacancy. NO Widow, that is proved, out of mere Prudence, to have delayed marrying only for Decency's fake, till her Time was out, fhall be allowed to come into the Order, provided that it be proved that the promised her self, un-_ der-hand, during that Time. NO foolish old Maid that hath loft above one Suitor, when the was young, by affecting to be a Prude, or playing the Coquet, is entitled to be a Candidate: Thofe that Platonick Love really deceiv'd, or that liv'd fo, to keep their Virginity as long as they could, are Perfons I have not only a Compaffion, but a Value for: These shall be admitted. I have, for this End, drawn up fome Part of the Form of an Oath, for the Candidates to take. The Inftru ment is drawn after their own familiar Way of Vowing and Swearing. 'Tis by their making fuch Vows and Oaths Men have been, as I may fay, at a Distance, courted into a Mood of Courting them for Wives; and tho the Men are called the greateft Vow-breakers, 'tis the Women that have been fo, without knowing it themfelves. I have therefore fhewn them, how their daily Difcourfe runs, and bound 'em to their daily Oaths in a formal Manner: "Tis form'd on what fome think trivial; but Perfons, of more Penetration, will find, that all the greatest Differences of Marriage arife from the fmall Breaches thereof. "TIS what is every Day vow'd, protefted, declared, folemnly profefs'd and fworn in their ordinary Converfation, as to their Conduct in Dress and Manners, as to their Reading, Recreation, Gaming, going to Plays, Regaling, and Behaviour in the Church; in all which is fet forth, what a Woman ought to do, and what not, in their own Forms of Speech. The The Oath to qualify the young Virgins, Widows, and old Maids of Great Britain, that defire to be well married; for their being chofen Companions of the moft Ancient and Honourable Order of the PEARL, first founded by the Great and moft Virtuous Euphrofina, Empress Dowager of Conftantinople. I. ] Declare I never take up above three half Hours at my Toilet and Looking-Glafs; nor, when I am drefs'd, review my felf in it above feven times a Day, (being allow'd, tho I have Wisdom and Virtue, to fall fo often,) and then I will not spend above three Minutes at a Time. II. I folemnly profefs, I will never drink above one Gallon of Tea on a vifiting Day, nor above a Quart on any other. I Vow, that I think from my Heart, that above a Pint of Coffee in four and twenty Hours, is an Excefs; and that more than two Difhes of Chocolate, is an unpardonable Debauch; and we ought to drink thofe two but very feldom, for fear of Heating our Conftitutions, efpecially towards the opening of the Summer. It is a very great Abuse, to pretend a Fit of the Head-ach above once a Week, for the fake of a Dram of Strong Waters; or to complain of an Illness in one's Stomach any oftner, that one may have the Benefit of fwallowing a Cordial: Sincerely, more is bordering on that Sin, which is odious and filthy in a Man, and deferves the Name of Female-Drunkenness, a Vice that ought never to be named amongst us. III. I vow and proteft, it is a very ill Cuftom to go abroad in a Hackney-Coach on Mornings, to make littie Purcbafes, as cheapening Tea, buying up China and Remnants of Brocade, &c. with no Body but one's felf and a Maid, wrapp'd up in loofe Gowns, without Bodice on; that it is highly tending towards ill Manners, and is, without a great Crime, impracticable by any one that hath been ever inftructed in the Rules of Decency. IV. I declare, that the Atalantis is a fcandalous and unlawful Book; and if one would divert a Body with Reading, it should be with famething that is inftructive at the fame time; and I think, if all the Baaks in the World No 646. World, to be pleafed into the way of being a fine, virtuous, and accomplish'd Perfon, one needs no other Book, than that which contains all others, the Ladies Library; and I could spend all my Hours of Study upon that. I vow I think this, and for my own part, I intend to practife it. I V. RECREATION I allow of, and applaud, except where it is not allowable and praife-worthy: forfwear all high Play at Cards or Dice; and it is my Judgment, that that Woman is extremely to blame, who ventures any fuch Sum, as that the Lofs of it should or would create any Uneafness in her; or the Winning of it, give her too much Pleasure, which ferves only for Fuel to her Avarice. As for Plays, I confefs. it is no Fault to have been at Cato every time it was acted, and one fhould feldom mifs Timon of Athens: As to Comedies, the Funeral ought to be a Favourite; for nothing fhould enter the Mind as witty, that offends against the Chaf tity of the Ear. No Woman should vifit Mrs. Behn's Plays, any more than a Woman should have written them. The Country Wife, and many other Comedies, done by eminent Hands, I hear are very full of Wit, but at the fame time very full of fomething worfe: I believe them witty; but I will never know it at the expence of my Reputation; nor fearch for the Pleasure of Wit amidst the Displeasure of Ribaldry. VI. I fwear, I think it a very indecent thing, in any Woman, to pull off a Glove to fhew a fine white Hand, or a vaft large Brilliant upon a little Finger; or under a Pretence of taking a modifh Pinch out of a new-fashion'd Snuff Box, during the time of Divine Service: That 'tis fill more criminal to be looking about for Conquefts there, where every Heart, without diftin&tion of Sexes, ought to be intirely and religiously devoted to an Object of pure Love, a Love far beyond the Love of Women. But to hide the Face by Halves, and not quite cover a Smile bebind a Fan, and whisper with a fair Companion in a Pew: That, I do protelt and vow, is moft infupportable, and a publick Breach of any one's Credit, that is of the Devout Sex. LASTLY, 7 proteft, I vow; and I swear, this is my Opinion; and that I will ftrictly act according to every Article, Article, as I define the Favour and Help of HYMEN, and as I hope to be well married. N. B. MANY Articles more, are only to be known, by thofe to whom the Oath is offer'd." **THESE Words, I vow and fwear, are not to, be repeated in a forced Tone of Voice, and in an affected Manner, as Ladies generally ufed to do on Occafions the moft frivolous, but in a ferious fober way, and with an Attention to what they are faying, and a firm Resolution of Performance. B. No 647. Friday, M Juftum tenacem propofiti Virum, Nec fulminantis magna Jovis manus; Hor EDITATING, the bother Day, upon the fhallow Grounds, on which Human Amity is for-t med, and how fhort-liv'd almoft all the deareft Alliances and ftrongeft Friendships are, on this our Earth, the Land of Bitterness, and the Vale of Mifery," I began, ati laft, to sdefpairs of finding any true lafting Friend, for a Man, that both deferv'd one moft, and flood in need of one moft, I mean one, if I may be vallow'd the Expreffion, obftinately Good, and yet conftantly and unalterably Unfortunates. But I found Mistake lay, in fuppofing for him thofe Wants which he had not. The happy Wretch bears, within his own Bofom,the moft conftant and comfortable Companion, my that that the Holieft of Mortals can deserve, or the most Af flicted need, the Teftimony of a good Confcience. An Angel defcending from Heaven, and favouring an earthly Creature, burden'd with any Guilt, that gave him but the Leavings of a Remorfe, with Celestial Converfation, would not be able to adminifter half ⚫ that inconceivable Delight to him, as would be unconquerable, and interruptedly abide in a Soul that knows no Stain or Blemish of its Purity, remaining even when every Particle of the Body, like Job's, was put to the utmoft Rack, and to the most exquifite Torments that 'could the moft peculiarly affect each Particle thereof. THIS is faid, even by a Heathen Poet, fpeaking of moral Virtue. It is, indeed, the most truly noble Saying that ever was, amidst all the voluminous Learning of Heathen Antiquity; and it is a kind of Miracle, that fuch a Sentence as this fhould have come down to us by fo long a Tradition, as the Invention of fimple Nature, unaffifted by Grace, and mere human Capacity. But yet, it is what every Man now-a-days, enjoying the facred Name of a Chriftian, fhould not only be able to fay, but to prove by his Practice, if he's ever call'd to the Trial. It is indeed the beft Saying, of but one or two of the most morally virtuous and learned Heathens: But I advance it here as the Doctrine of the most illiterate Christians, That, with the Teftimony of a good Confcience, a Man may eafily endure all the Miseries of this World, if it was poffible for it to be fuller of them than it is. SUSTAINED and comforted by this All-powerful Companion, a true Chriftian in the Road of Virtue, which feems of it felf fo thorny, if, as he is looking forward, and moving chearfully on, he meets with a Tyrant that gives him impious Oppofition, with Piftol and Sword in hand, will not let the arm'd Pirate rob him of his Christianity: No, he will firft lofe his Life, and leave the Rogue of Temporal Authority, of earthly Dignity, of vain and tranfitory Power, to be one day tried for his Murders and Robberies, at a just and omnipotent Tribunal, from which there is no Appeal. HE is a Member of the Church Militant, a Soldier under the Banners of Christ, commanded to march onwards |