"Tis true, the garb and modern apparel of the men, is more neat and decent than it has been in former ages; though the many plaits in their coats, take up a great deal more cloth than needs: but feeing it tends to the confumption of our Woollen Manufactory, and therein ferves the Public, I have the lefs to fay against it. Only to those who have a mind to be moderate in their expences, and yet wear that which is good: I recommend them to the Quakers for a pattern, whofe garb both for men, but especially for wo→ men, is very becoming. The next thing by which we may fave money, is our recreations; of which fome are more expenfive and chargeable than others; calling for more charge, and requiring more addrefs; tilting is one of thefe, which formerly was much used in the Courts of Princes; but of late, tilting of one another in earneft, has caufed that which is in jeft, to be quite out of fashion. But what I intend, is the recreation of private men: for fuch is the frailty of human nature, that we cannot ftand long bent, but we must have our relaxations both for the mind and the body; and both have their peculiar recreations: thofe which are proper to the mind, is reading of delightful and pleasant books, and the knowledge of the Mathematics, and other contemplative fciences; which are the more taking and delightful, because the pleasures of the mind are more noble and excellent than thofe of the body; and thofe that are peculiar to the body are Walking, and Riding, Shooting and Hunting, Hawking and Fowling: alfo Ringing and Palt Mall. These are pleasures without doors; but there are others that are within doors, and those are playing at Chefs, Tables, Fox and Goose, Cards, Dice, Billiards, and fuch others. Now Now with respect to your recreations, let the following rules be obferved. First, Let your recreations be fhort and innocent; and take heed to avoid all thofe dangerous games and fports that are apt to take up much of your time, or enfnare your affections, and fo caft you off from your more fevere and manly employments. Secondly, If you have a mind to recreate yourfelf, remember that recreation is fo called a recreando; that is from a metaphorical new creating of man, by putting fresh life and vigour into him, when the powers of his mind and body, have been decayed and weakened with over-much study and labour and therefore is to be used only to that end. Thirdly, Avoid thofe recreations, which inftead of diverting, do only ferve to trouble and amuse the mind, perhaps much more than the hardest ftudy fuch a diverfion is Chefs, which was therefore not improperly ftiled, A Philofophical Folly, by King James the Firft. Fourthly, Ufe fuch recreations as leave no fting of repentance after them, for fin committed in them; or grief and forrow for lofs of money or time, many days after; for this takes away all the notion we have of pleasure. Fifthly, If therefore you would play to divert yourself, never venture more money at it than what you intend for idle expences; or at most, so much as may wet your attention to your game, but not render you anxious about the iffue of it; for that will take away the pleasure. Sixthly, Let thofe with whom you play, be of your friends and acquaintance, and not strangers, whofe humours and difpofitions you know not. Seventhly, Neither borrow nor lend money to play withal; much less carry any thing to pawn tq to help you with money; for he that shall be guilty of fuch fordid actions, is unworthy the name of a Gentleman, or of a fober Citizen. Eighthly, In all your recreations, avoid having any thing to do with them that are given to quarrelling, fwearing, or curfing; for if you keep company with such persons, it is impoffible you should be innocent. Ninthly, Never play for more than you are willing to lofe; that fo you may find yourself, after your pastime, not the worse, but the better; which is, or ought to be, the end of all recreation. Tenthly, To conclude this fubje&t; let not your recreations be lavifh fpenders of your time, but choose those that are healthful, fhort. tranfient, recreative, and apt to refresh you; but by no means dwell upon them, or make them your great Employment; for he that spends his time in fports, and calls it recreation, is like him whofe Garment is made all of Fringes, and his Meat nothing but Sauces; they are healthlefs, chargeable, and ufelefs; and therefore avoid fuch Games which require much time, or long attendance; or which are apt to fteal away thy affections from thy daily calling; which must by no means be neglected; efpecially where thy family's fubfiftance depends upon it: for to whatsoever thou haft given thy affections, thou wilt not grudge to give thy time. Natural neceffity, and the example of St. John (who as History tells, recreated himself with a tame partridge) teaches us, that it is lawful to relax and unbend our bow, but we must not fuffer it to be unready or unftrung. And therefore make not an occupation of any recreation: the longeft ufe of pleasure is but fhort: ufe therefore lawful recreations, fo far forth, as it makes thee fitter in body and in mind, to do more chearfully the fervice of thy Creator, and the duties of thy calling; re G membering membering always thy work is great, and thy time. is fhort; and how little thou haft done: be therefore careful henceforth, to make the most advantage of thy fhort time that remains; as a man would of an old leafe that was near expiring and when thou art difpofed to recreate thyfelf, remember how fmall a time is allotted for thy life; and that therefore much of it is not to be confumed in idlenefs, fports, play and toyifh vanities: feeing the whole is but a fhort while, though it be all fpentin doing the beft good that thou canft; for man was not created for fports, plays, and recreations, but for higher and nobler ends. CHA P. VII. How a Man may always keep Money in his Pockets. HE E that would always keep money in his pocket. must first be a person industrious to get it. and Secondly, careful to keep it; and Thirdly, cautious in fpending it. I. e must be induftrious to get it; and muft make hay while the fun fhines, fail while the wind blow fair; and follow the current while the ftream runs ftrong; for if fortune be followed, as the firft falls out, the reft will follow: Money is a coy miftrefs, and is not to be won without much courting; that is, not without labour and industry: and without diligence in acquiring, it is impoffible to keep a penny in thy pocket; and this the facred Oracles abundantly inform us, by telling us, It is the diligent hand that maketh rich; and affuring us, that the flothful foul fhall fuffer hunger: yea, Solomon, (a man fo famed for wifdom, that he never had his equal) gives fuch a high encomium to diligence, that he aiks, Seeft thou a man diligent in his his brifinefs? He fhall ftand before Kings; he hall not ftand before mean men: as if he had faid, fuch a man is worthy of the higheft honour, and fit to be entrusted in the moft arduous affairs; because a diligent man will spare no pains in doing what he is employed in: he is not a talking but a doing man; and knows that in all labour there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. And as he commends diligence in bufinefs; fo he, on the contrary, fets forth the lamentabie fruits and effects of flothfulness, fending the fluggard to thể Ant to learn wisdom, and faying he is as a fimoke to the eyes, and as vinegar to the teeth, and that his way is an hedge of thorns; and telling us that, he that his flothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great wafter; that flothfulness cafteth into a deep fleep, and that an idle foul fhall fuffer hunger; nay, he that hideth his hand in his bofom, and will not fo much as bring it to his mouth again; and that the defire of the flothful killeth him, for that his hands refufe to labour; ranks him amongst fuch wine bibers, drunkards and gluttons, that fhall come to poverty, and is pofitive, that drowfinefs fhall clothe a man with rags; and to conclude, gives us his own obfervation upon fuch a man, in thefe words: I went by the field of the flothful,----and lo it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the fice thereof: then I faw, and confidered it well; I looked upon it, and received inftruction: yet a little fleep, a little flumber, a little folding of the hands to fleep; fo fhall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man; that is, it fhall be unavoidable and unrefiftable. And all these fayings being the dictates of divine wifdom, and writ by an unerring pen, fufficiently evince this truth, that he that will always keep money in his pocket, must take care to be G 2 diligent |