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to come in fucceeding Generations, from her own fruitful Body; and fhe hopes that every new Birth will open a new Scene of Affairs to their mutual Advantage or growing Profperity. Her Patience and Refignation to the wife Difpenfations of divine Providence, will eafe him of half his Pain; lighten his Burden, or very much alleviate his Troubles. She will never put him upon doing any dishonourable Thing to better his Condition, but willingly fhare in his Sufferings, and help him to preferve his Integrity not like Job's Wife, that would have him curfe God and die; not like those time-ferving Comforters of this Age, that are too apt to advise a Perfon in Affliction to renounce his Confcience for Preferment, and to make his prefent Fortune at the Expence of his future Salvation. No; fhe is none of thofe mercenary Help-Meets, to defire her Husband to purchase his daily Bread by Difhonour, Perjury, Witchcraft, Apoftacy, or Af faffination. Heinous Offences! On the contrary, fhe will manage his adverfe Affairs fo prudently, with that political Difcretion and Dex-. terity, he need not ufe any unlawful Means, either to get his Living or recover his Right. But he cannot fuffer him to take any ill Courses, commit any enormous Crimes, or run the Rifque of any defperate Adventures, even to preferve their own dear Family from ftarving. She took her beloved Spoufe for better for worse, for richer for poorer; and will always continue his obliging, indulgent and obedient Wife till Death in both Fortunes. This fhall be his perpetual Comfort in the most defponding Circumftances!

GREAT

GREAT Men ought to confider, that no Perfon, Prince or Politician, can behave well either in Profperity or Adverfity, but by Wif dom and Virtue; in Order to avoid Pride or Prefumption in the one, and prevent Despair or Pufillanimity in the other Cafe. In the Former, Cicero fays, we ought to confult our Friends, not Flatterers; with a wife Diftruft of the Favours of fickle Fortune, for fear of a fudden Change. Alexander was too much puft-up with Arrogancy by his Greatness and Conquefts, in defiring to be worshipped as a God. Pompey betray'd himself by his own Infolency, to a fatal Overthrow, in advancing a wicked Minifter of State to the Government. Cyrus loft his Head by a politick Woman, with the fevereft Sarcafm, for trufting too much to his own Strength, Succefs and Exploits. 'Tis wonderful, as well as abominable, why fome modern Ambitions, revolutionary Princes, fhould affect fo much to be call'd Saviours, for fear of being crucify'd by their Subjects. That Style magnifies into Blafphemy. In the latter Refpect, there is requir'd great Courage and Conftancy of Mind, to bear up against National Afflictions. Crafus, coming to the Block by Cyrus's cruel Order and Command, undauntedly call'd upon Solon Three Times, and fav'd both his Life and his Kingdom by it. Publius Rutilus, when he was unjustly banish'd by an ufurp'd Power, never changed his Countenance or Behaviour for it; but brav'd the Malice of his Enemies, without ever requesting any Favour at their Hands. Quintus Metellus being driven into Exile by a popular Faction and bafe Sedition, thought it below his Manhood ever to repine at the

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barbarous Indignity of his Depofers. But then he was a Perfon of fo much Worth, that the Senate was foon forc'd to recal him; and he modeftly return'd accordingly to his own Country again, with greater Glory and Acclamation. Lo the true Magnanimity of thefe ancient, noble and renown'd Heroes! Banishment to a brave Soul is no Difcouragement. Nothing can dishearten fo couragious a Prince. The whole World is his, as well as Socrates's Country; whether he be Athenian, Gracian, Roman, &c; by Birth or Habitation,

VERSE XII.

2 SHE will do him Good, and not Evil, all the Days of her Life.

D

PARAPHRASE.

EAR Child! When I confider the Solitarinefs of humane Life without a Companion, and compare the Dangers of a single State with the Safety of a fettled one; weighing the Inconveniencies of the Former with the vaft Advantages of the Latter,, and laying to Heart the Temptations you will be expos'd to, by living unmarry'd in your Manhood: I cannot but advise you to change your Condition, and the fooner the better; either to fix your Affections, fettle your Affairs, or eftablish your Throne upon fure Foundations.

You

You will have the greatest Reason and Incouragement to marry fuch a Peerless Lady of Virtue as I have found out for your Partner; who will take a particular Care of your Eftate, difcreetly manage your Houfhold, and blefs you with a Royal Offspring. She will not only make it her Bufinefs to answer your Love with an equal Affection, but also ftudy Night and Day to oblige you in every Thing; inceffantly provoking you to an Emulation of her Virtues, and exciting in you thofe reciprocal Paffions and Indearments which you perceive in her Mind by her prudent Deportment: always loving, kind and pleasing; never cross, never ungrateful, never difagreeable; embracing every Opportunity that may gratify your Defire, and avoiding even the very Shadow of any Thing whatfoever, that may give you the leaft Umbrage of Displeasure or Uneafinefs. She will make it her daily Study to deserve well of you, to promote the Intereft of your Affairs, and to increase the Advantage of your great Family. She will perpetually maintain your perfonal Honour and Reputation, to the fpreading of your Fame through Foreign Countries; and making you not only happy at Home, but highly esteem'd all over the known World, with a Renown proportionable to your Royal Dignity. And all this fhe will do, not only by Fits and Starts of Levity, but by folid Refolutions of Love all the Days of her Life: and not to ftint her Affections to this Side of the Grave; even after you are dead too, if she can furvive you, by cultivating your immortal Memory. But in your Life-Time, fhe will continually be doing you Good, and promoting your Welfare,

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by abandoning all Evil; Morofenefs and Dif contentment; Peevifhnefs, ill Temper and Melancholy. Her whole Concern will be to humour you, to divert you, to exhilarate you for your mutual Satisfaction, as well as her own peculiar Pleasure. All the good Offices of her Soul fhall be at your Service upon all Occafions. She will conftantly deserve the best Treatment at your generous Hands, both by her Words and Actions; merit your tendereft Embraces or most indulgent Indearments, and make your Happiness reciprocal with her own as endless in a Circle of good Turns as her Wedding Ring, immutable as the Poles, and as unchangeable as the Centre of the round World. All the Days of her Life will be wholly spent in cherishing you in your Youth, and nurfing you in your old Age. Your Nourishment, either in Time of Strength and Vigour, or of Decay and Infirmity, fhall always be her Imployment; as voluntary, as neceffary. She cannot fo much as entertain an evil Thought against her beloved Spouse, nor fpeak an ill Word of him, either in private or publick Converfation, nor do him the leaft Damage by any finifter Dealing, or perfidious Acting to the Prejudice of his Reputation, Credit and Estate. No; fhe will ever behave her felf as the Mistress of better Manners.

REMARKS.

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