practical Holiness. Her Soul daily afpires, and foars up to Heaven with divine Raptures, elevated Devotion, and feraphick Love. But, after all, we must not restrain this religious Character only to our own Country-Women, For, without doubt, there are Outlandish Virtues as well as Native; and Foreign Beauties too as well as Domestick, whofe Hearts are entirely English.

AS to her glorious Morals in the next Place. Her Prudence appears at the Head of all her Actions. She always acts habitually, according to the Rules of right Reason, in diftinguishing with the greatest Nicety between Good and Evil in general; and fhe never hefitates with any Doubts of making her Election fure, both commendable and advantageous as to Particulars : By this Means wearing all the rest of the moral Virtues about her Neck, as it were, in a Chain. Her Fortitude does not fo much confift in the Strength of her Body, as the Intrepidity of her Mind, without any difcommendable Fearfulness on this Side, or extravagant Fool- Hardiness on that: not a Suicide, nor a Dueller, and yet no Coward Mafculine only in Courage under any unreafonable Confinement, to efcape from her Keepers. Her Temperance appears glorious in moderating her Defires, without too much indulging her carnal Appetite in Delicacies, or fantastically denying her Senfes; without any grofs Excefs of Intemperance, or Defect of Stupidity in refufing the neceflary Pleasures, or Satisfactions of eating and drinking to fupport Nature. Her Liberality and Magnificence are remarkable for obferving a due Decorum, and a laudable Mediocrity in defiring, giving or receiving of Money: That Virtue, the plainly

fhew's

fhews by not being too prodigal or profufe of her Gitts and Favours in one Refpect, and not too illiberal, covetous or tenacious of her Generofities in another, where real Merit appears, and they are highly deferv'd at herbountiful Hands: This, fhe as manifeftly discovers by keeping an exact Medium in her greatest Expences; not magnificent for the Sake of Oftentation to lavish away her Riches, but for Honesty's Sake, in the prudent Management of her kind Diftributions Abroad, or her own Charges and Disbursements at Home, equal to her Fortune and Abilities; without exceffive Luxury on that Hand, or a defective Sordidnefs of Soul on this. Her Magnanimity and Modefty, are likwife as confpicuous andfhining Virtues in the unprejudic'd Eye of the World : That, whereby fhe wifely governs her Defire and Affectation of great Honours in Publick, without any Pride and Arrogance in the Excefs, or sneaking Pufillanimity and Dejection of Spirit in the Defect; for fhe's no Blabber of Secrets, no Admirer of Fanfarons or fwaggering in fine Clothes, no Bearer of Malice for Injuries done, no Self-Commender or Auto-encomiaft, no hypocritical Diffembler, no back-biting Calumniator, and no DangerHunter, engaging her felf in every trifling Quarrel; 'tis below the Greatnefs of her Soul! This, whereby fhe behaves with that deferving Moderation in the Courting of fmall Honours, as humbly to defire only thofe Dignities or Titles, which are justly due to Virtue and Merit, fit to make her a Queen by Marriage; without too high an Ambition, or too low a Dejection of Mind on either Hand, in Regard of her Humility. Her Meeknefs of Mind alfo, we fee

L 4

gloricufly

gloriously display'd by preferving a wife Mediocrity in being angry and in taking Revenge; Her Anger never proceeds to the violent Height of Fury, Madness or Murder; neither is fhe revengeful upon private Piques and Refentments of an Injury, beyond the neceffary Bounds of dif creetly vindicating her Honour and Virtue in a publick Manner, to make her an equivalent Satisfaction, or to do her felf Justice for the Indignity. You fhall never perceive her paffionately transported with too much Wrath, Indignation or Violence, on that Side, beyond Difcretion; nor pufillanimously deficient or dejected, on this, with too great an Indolence, Irrefolution, Apathy, Lenitude or Mildness of Temper, below her Dignity: For the wifely knows when and where, and for what to be angry, upon Occafion, without perverfely finning in her Paffion. Her Veracity, Courtesy, and Civility again are fo evidently familiar, fo eminently engaging, fuch refplendent Virtues in her daily Converfation; that he must wink at the Sun at Noon-Day, who does not fee them brighten the whole Sex in her Company with uncommon Splendour, as well as addicional Inftruction and Beauty. By the First, the always fpeaks the Truth from her Soul; expreffing the real Sentiments of her Mind, as ingeniously as frankly, from the Bottom of her Heart; and fimply profeffing the fame Sincerity, not only in her Words, but in her very Gestures, perfonal Addreffes and external Habits. She abhors all Lying and Equivocation, as well as mental Refervation, either to impofe upon others, or to preferve her own Credit; and fhe makes ufe of no Diffimulation, Hypocrify or Counterfeit, to gain any popular Applaufe

plaufe for herself peculiarly, or to gratify other People, by concealing their Faults, and foothing them up in their Sins. By the Second, fhe fhews a due Decorum of Moderation and Modesty of Life, in affording Pleasure as well as Profit to others, by a moft lovely Behaviour in her courteous Looks, inftructive Words, and generous Actions: neither indulging her felf in too great a Study or industrious an Humour of pleafing her Companions with Vanities and Vain-Glories, nor letting her Converfation drop into downright Moroseness, or Peevishness of Temper, to difoblige them, against the known Rules of Courtesy and good Manners. By the Third, her Urbanity and Affability appear most charmingly fine, either in receiving Strangers, or entertaining her Friends,as well as upon keeping a juft Medium in publick Sports and Private Jefts; Games, Paftimes or Diverfions. She will be facetious and witty ftill, without Scurrility or fcolding to Excefs; and civil, without Rufticity, Clownishness or Ill-Breeding in good Company, to an Imperfection. She can take the innocent Liberties of playing upon her Inftruments of Mufick, in finging the Song of Solomon, or diverting her felf at Cards, Tables, &c. with her happy Husband at Home; and not be guilty of the Licentioufnefs of gadding Abroad to hear immoral Plays acted, of going to loofe Balls, or of frequenting lewd Masquerades. Her particular Juftice, in the laft Place, fhines forth with the most exemplary Brightness and radiant Influences upon all Mankind : for the has not only a conftant good Will, and a perpetual Inclination of giving and restoring to every Man, what is his own of Right or

com

common Reafon, with Refpect to Debts or Demands, Rewards or Punishments, both private and publick; but also puts it in full Practice and immediate Execution, to the greateft Advantage of a general Good in all Čafes, without too much Delay, Rigour or Lenity, upon any Account. But chiefly, to give Cafar his Due; that is ingraven upon her Heart. Hence we fee her diftributive Justice manag'd with the highest Prudence and Equity, according to the Rules of right Reafon, in Confideration of People's refpective Merits and Demerits; without the leaft Tyranny, Spitefulness, Arbitrary Power, Refpect of Perfons, or partial Regard to Royal Prejudices. Her commutative Juftice alfo, which confifts in the right Management of Bargains and Contracts and Commerce, we fhall likewise find her remarkably exa&, even to the Standard of the Royal Exchange it felf, in fair Dealing. She will have nothing to do; no Dealing at all with avaricious and griping Ufurers; no Meddling with those that are given to change; no trafficking with Tally-Men, Pawn-Brokers or Exchangers of Government, as well as Money: not to name the most notorious Extortioners of the Town, or South-Sea-Cheats, Bites and Bubbles of celebrated Infamy. They are all profcrib'd out of Aftraa's Books, and have no Benefit of her Laws. Infomuch, that upon the whole Matter, fhe may be juftly call'd Virtue it felf in Abstract, or the exact Epitomy of it; who makes-up, in her own Person, the most confummate Lady of all her Sex, as well as the most accomplish'd Mistress of Religion and Morality, fcarce to be found in this vicious Age. What King then, what Emperor would fcruple