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who would be at the Trouble of buying fuch precarious Estates, that are liable to the most lamentable Accidents and After-Ruines? Houses will always be tumbling of them felvas, fooner or later, through the Decay of Time; but the the Earth is immoveable and firm as a Rock. The Foundation of it is everlasting, as well as inviting enough for other Perfons perhaps to build upon in a good convenient Situation. She relies more wifely upon the never-failing Rent of the folid Ground, where the honeft Tenent is either willing or folvent. Thus fhe ftill inlarges her Purlieu's, as well as fecures her Landed-Intereft; and can never fail of Succefs, or fall fhort of making a plentiful Fortune, by Virtue of her faving Frugality, getting Diligence, and thriving Industry!

II. SHE plants a Vineyard with what she has gotten by her own Carefulness: highly preferable to all the empty Follies, Fish Ponds and Aviaries; vain Grotto's, Vifto's, and SummerHoufes; which are ufually admir'd, and made for the Adornment of an Estate. It is of much more Ufe, Service and Diversion, than bare Grafs-Plats, or Groves of fruitless Trees. No Fruit or Flower Garden is comparable to it, either for Pleasure or Profit. They yield nothing like the lufhious Grape. The Vine far

excels all other fruitful Trees about a Country-Seat, and affords the most invigorating Juices to chear-up the Heart of Man, refine his Parts, and make him almoft a Mercury for Wit and Eloquence. Pity it fhould not thrive better in England, becaufe of the Coldness of our Climate! For we find more Virtue by the Drinking of genuine racy Wine moderat ly, either in Sickness or in Health; and receive me Benefit

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Benefit from it, than all other Liquors put to gether, by common Experience, as well as the Phyfician's Approbation. Her planting of a Vineyard therefore was upon very good Confideration. She knew it would be of the greateft Advantage, and give the moft Satisfaction in her Family, by keeping up the Chearfulness and Hofpitality of her Houfhold. All Mankind allow it to be far more wholesome or healthful, than windy Cyder, cold Perry, and flegmatick Malt- Drink, or any other balderdafh'd LowWines from the Fruits of our own Growth and Brewing of Mixtures. How commendable then muft we own her Choice to be, in making fuch a valuable Plantation for the Benefit of her House or nobler Entertainments!

VERSE XVII.

SHE girdeth her Loyns with Strength, and
Strengtheneth her Arms.

T

PARAPHRASE.

HUS preparing for the Business of the Day, fhe dreffes her felf betimes in the Morning; puts on her Garments in decent Order; girdsup her Loyns with Strictnefs, and Strengthens her Arms for the faithful Work of her House. After this, being modeftly equipp'd in a neat, plain and prudent Habit, proper for the Labour either of her pliant Limbs, active

Arms,

Arms, or diligent Hands; fhe firft ferves God with her Soul, fets her House to Rights in the next Place, and then makes ready all manner of Provifions necessary for the good Entertainment of her well-fed Family. By the Strength and Vigour of her Body, the excites her Domefticks to an Emulation of Equality or Likeness of her Virtue. As fhe always took the best Method of being healthful and ftrong, by the regular Conduct of her Life, the injoyes the Benefit of Both, as the Bleffings of her Virtue; and exercises them, as well as they were beftow'd, for the Satisfaction and Service of her Houfhold. They fhall ever be tafting the Fruits of her Labour, and reaping the Advantages of her Industry. There's a perpetual Harvest, where the Sows. Her Servants live in Plenty by the Strength of her Arms, and rejoyce in the Abundance of her robuft Hands. You shall not find a ftronger Labourer in the Field, among all the bufy Reapers of her Gain; either more vigorously exerting their active Powers of Body, or giving a better Example of Affiduity, and Willingness of Mind. In fhort, fhe fortifies her felf by daily Exercife; for he knows, that diligent Practice quickly perfects the dulleft Nature, fets an Edge on the blunteft Genius, and finishes the hardest Work. She loves to put forth her whole Strength in any Undertaking for the Imitation of her mental Servants; that they may thereby follow her induftrious Steps, to the full Stretch of their livelieft Powers, by exercising their Hands with Virtue, girding their Loyns with Vigour, and imploying their Arms with Vivacity. Those that will not be active in their Business, and doing their Duty, muft needs fuffer for it, and be

Q. 2

come

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come unfortunately Paffive by their Negligence or Tranfgreffion.

H

REMARK Só

EALTH and Strength of Body generally go together, and are almost infeparable Companions. They are in a Manner convertible Terms, and fuppofe one another in Fruition by Turns. The Latter is the natural Confequence of the Former in Livelinefs. The One feems to be the first Principle of the other, naturally speaking as much as Fire is the Caufe of all primary Motion; and Motion again convertibly, the Caufe of all fecundary Fire, in different Refpects. Life, Light and Labour, are the happy Effects of Both in Perfection. They are the greatest Bleffings of a humane Conftitution. Neither Shape, Beauty, nor external Shew, can come near them for Efficacy and Happinefs. To be Healthy, is the Goodness of God. To be Strong, is the Gift of Nature. To be Happy, is the fpecial Grace and Favour of Heaven, and the End of all Religion as well as MoFality. Soundnefs of Wind and Limb, accompany'd with that of the Mind; which, as Juvenal well obferves, we ought to pray for earneftly is almoft of univerfal Power and Conqueft in fecular Affairs. Bath joyn'd together in the fame Perfon, produce the most glorious Effects of accomplish'd Wisdom. They work Wonders in the common Business of Life, and eality furmount all Oppofitions, as well as remove all Impediments in the Way to good Fortune, fpiritual Welfare or temporal Felicity. Bleffed is the Man or Woman, that can preferve both in a good Difpofition, till the

latter

latter End of their Days! But without Health, our Strength foon fails us in our Hopes. It is either quickly weaken'd by frequent Indifpofi-· tions, impair'd by chronical Distempers, or quite loft at laft by fome lingring Sickness. However, it must be granted, that moderate Labour and gentle Exercife, contribute mightily to the Prolongation of Both jointly confider'd, That is Self-Evident, and needs no other Demonstration than daily Experience. The pleafant Story of old Tithonus among the Poets, may eafily convince us, that Early-Rifing, Walking in the Air, and Working moderately fometimes, preferve Life very long; even till we are almost weary of our felves, and begin to beg for a Change, or a Tranflation. In this Cafe let Him be the Fable, as the long-liv'd Favourite of Aurora: and We the Moral, as the bufie Grafhoppers, or laborious Bees of the Day; ftrong, healthful and vigorous, without a Fiction, by our honeft Imployments. But as for Tranfmutations of Bodies, or Tranfmigrations of Souls, I have no great Faith.

AN excellent Woman is ever best known, by the Health and Strength of her Constitution; always in Action, always communicative, always in good Humour: and either diffufive of Her felf, her flowing Bounties, or her benign Influences in the happy Neighbourhood where fhe dwells, and they are blefs'd with her inlivening Prefence. She is, in Verity, like another Amalthea, with her Horn of Plenty and Abundance. Not to call her the Italian Ceres, as Horace hints at, who fettled her Habitation there from a far for their Benefit. Her Fortune, in fhort, overflows the Country, by the Fulness of her Fruits and Productions. All

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