fturbing the very Peace of a good Neighbourhood, over that unhealthful Liquor, how fafhionable foever; where all the falfe Stories about the Town come to be fcandalously recounted with Ridicule, Banter and Barbarity; while they are immoderately drinking either their hot or cold Tea, to the great Detriment and Defamation of abfent Perfons, as well as to the Prejudice both of the publick and their own. private Welfare. For all fuch Goffps are efteem'd either the greatest Inventors of Slander, or the verieft Rehearfers of Lies in the World. Whereas Calumny ought to be check'd; not encourag'd, countenanc'd, or propagated. And, in the mean Time, their Children perhaps have no better Leffon fet them all this while at their Books, but only to take Care of the SilverKettle, the Gold-Pot and the China-Dishes, as they would of their Lives; for fear of breaking them, and fouring their immoral Converfation upon the next merry Meeting at Breakfaft. But we hope better Things; and that common Fame may only prove to be a common Lyar. However, if there is no Need of Correction in this Point; it may yet be neceffary, by Way of Prevention.

BE that as it will! I cannot forbear mentioning another Sect again of modern and newfashion'd Mothers, who teach their Children, and efpecially their too much indulg'd Daughters, an other-wife Leffon, far different from Bathsheba's; of reading Romances, Stage-Playes, Love Songs, fmutty Ballads, and the most pernicious Books of Buffoonry, Prophaneness and Im morality: Inftead of curious Needle-Works and other ingenious Exercises or industrious Arts; in Lieu of revolving the Holy Scriptures, or

more

more particularly in Contempt of Perufing the wife Proverbs of Solomon: As if they were but wafte-paper; quite out of Fafhion; defpis'd, as infipid to their lufhious Gufts, or below their finer Tafte of Things; rejected, as equally unworthy either of their corrupt Reading, prejudic'd Perufal, or vicious Practices; and only reckon'd now-a-days, as unfit to qualifie our young Gentry for the more agreeable Liberties and Vagaries of this loofe Age of Diversion and Spectacle. But her Majefty here had more glorious Things in Things in View; of View; of teaching Youth Virtue, and better Breeding than thofe fashionable Vices most in vogue among unreformed Courtiers and genteel Sinners.

VERSE II.

WHAT, my Son? And what, the Son of my Womb? And what, the Son of my

Vows?

H

PARAPHRASE.

ERE the great Queen fpeaks the natural Sentiments of her Soul, with no lefs Eagerness of Paffion and Vehemency of Affecton for her young Son Solo.

mon, than a prefling Earneftness of Concern for his profpering and flourishing hereafter in the World. Hear your Mother, my Love and Delight, with the most diligent Attention! What, my dear Child; my only Son,

and

and the fole Heir to your Father's Glories as well as Eftate? What, the Child that I carefully bare of my own Body? And what, O the Child of my Vows, Prayers and Defires; whom I begged of God to give me, as the greatest Bleffing from Heaven? How can I exprefs the Care and Tenderness I have both for your facred Perfon and good Education, according to your Royal Extract; or how can I find Words fufficient to inftru&t your tender Mind in all manner of Kingly Virtues to make you happy, according to the full Extent of my Wishes for your Well doing, before you have the Honour of Sitting upon the Throne of your Father David! What fhall I beg of you, my Life, and the Joy of my Heart, to do for my Satisfation; who have endur'd fo much Difficulty, Shame and Difgrace, as well as Pangs of Labour, Sorrow and Travail, for the Happiness of your Birth? What greater Comfort fhall I ask of you, than to imitate the Virtues of your noble Father, as you grow up; and to learn true Wisdom and Religion by his glorious Example? I was confin'd fome Months by carrying you in my Womb, and bringing you forth into this wonderful World. I have fuffered both Natural Hardships of Body, and Political Pains of Mind, for your fafe Delivery. What Request then can you deny me, Great Sir! born to Empire and Dominion! for whom I fent fo many Prayers to Heaven, before you ever faw the Light; and for whom I will continue my fincere Devotion, that you may live to be a Man; a wife King, full of Grace and Goodness; accomplifh'd with all Princely Endowments as well as Divine Excellencies; and crown'd at last with univerfal Renown, Applaufe or Acclama

tions of Joy, when you come to take Poffeffion of the Regal Sceptre and your Paternal Kingdoms! Hearken to my Advice then; which will the better qualify you to afcend the Throne of your Ancestors, without any popular Oppofition or Reluctancy. This is all I paffionately defire of you, my Son, in your growing Years!

P

REMARKS.

IOUS Fondness, and Zeal in Perfection indeed! These paffionate Expressions of Love are fuppofed by fome Writers, to flow from the Mouth of Queen Bathsheba, with a hearty Defire for reclaiming her Son Solomon, when fhe perceiv'd in him fome vicious Inclinations, or faw him begin to ftagger in his Manhood; to take ill Courses, and to delight in the Converfation of diffolute Women: Expoftulating the Matter with him fedately, and checking the Career of his keeping light Company in the Flower of his Youth. As if she had faid, What do you mean, my Son, by following fuch loofe PraEtices, and expofing your noble Perfon to fuch vile Temptations, or evil Communication, which always corrupts good Manners? But it is a great deal more probable, that fhe began this affectionate Lecture with his Infancy; and that it was given him as foon as ever he grew up, during his innocent and untainted Years, before his Childhood could poffibly be corrupted by filthy Thoughts, wicked Words, or worse Actions: In the most pathetick Terms of Tenderness and greatest Concern of her Spirit for his doing well, and living virtuously in the World. Infomuch that the lays before him, in his Minority, Three or Four of the most momentous

Precepts

Precepts of humane Life, as well as the pro pereft for a Prince of his Royal Blood; hoping that he might continue to practife them fo faithfully in his Majority, as never to forget his Duty either to God or Man afterwards, in the whole Courfe of his future Grandeur and growing Glory.

HOW excellent then and wife was this Expoftulation! The Paffion of the loving Mother is very remarkable here; wrought up to the utmost Pitch of Pathology, and feeling Elo quence. It is a moft tender and preffing Repetition of a natural Duty incumbent upon all Mothers, of what Denomination or Diftinction foever, from the highest to the lowest Rank; and very plausibly inculcated in Behalf of their Children, to give them good Education in their Infancy, and to feafon their younger Years with everlasting Principles of moral Honesty and Virtue, as well as Religion. A pious and inftru&ive Mother is a compleat Volume of Virtue and Goodness to her obfervant Children; whereby they may perfectly learn their own Leffons, to the utmost Degree of Duty, Devoutness, and Obedience.

I. FROM hence we may understand the Neceffity of preparing for the early Education of our Children. 'Tis never too foon for them to begin to learn good Things, even by the Eye, before they can fpeak. Inftruction is as neceffary as Nutrition, or their daily Food: The One, to fupport Life; the other, to adorn it, or make it easy and happy. They ought to be as carefully brought up, as they are naturally brought forth; and bred up to Letters in due Time, with as much Diligence, as they were born into the World. Nature of it felf is ei

ther