ftrait gate, that leadeth unto life, under the no fmall uneafinefs of struggling with our brutal part, of wrestling with flesh and blood, than to walk in the broad road that leadeth to deftruction, with all the pleasure and cafinefs that may accrue to the fenfual man, from gratifying his inclinations, from (wimming with the stream, and following the devices and defires of his own heart.

Q. I have heard feveral relate ftories with diverse aths in them: and fuppofe Irehearse the fame ftories with. the oaths:

Whether fuch rehearsal is finful, and whether I incur the penalties the laws enjoin for fwearing?

A. Tho' the law of the land has no regard to the repetition of another's oaths, yet a tender confcience would be very cautious of fuch a repetition, for the following reafon: when an oath (from so provoking a tranfgreffion, good Lord deliver us) when an oath is profanely utter'd, the good, the pious man, immediately cries out, that it grates his offended ears. Whenever therefore we rehearfe any oath that we have been fo unhappy as to hear, we bring the fin, as it were, upon the stage again; we make the company auditors of difobliging words; renew our own unhappiness, tho' overpaft; and give thofe about us an ungrateful fellow-feeling of fo unfortunate a fcene. That fentence therefore of St. Paul's, with an inconfiderable variation, is very applicable here; It is even a shame to speak of those things, which are done of them in fecret.

Q. A young man, an apprentice, married a young woman, but never bedded. He has fince got another woman with child, and went away with her, fo that he has not: been heard of for almost these three years paft. The lawyers tell us, that bed and board is the fundamental act of marriage. The query is, whether this young woman may not lawfully marry another man, her former being bus half a marriage, according to the law of England?

A. Whatever the cafe, you propofe, may be with respect to an earthly judicature, it is a compleat marriage with regard to an higher court, the court of confcience. The perfons mentioned were undoubtedly man and wife in the fight of God. And what

God has joined together, no man should put asunder. But tho' the marriage were compleat, yet if the unwarrantable act, which the husband was guilty of, were committed afterwards, that adulterous offence, in the judgment of our bleffed Lord himself, cut afunder the gordian knot. The woman therefore upon this fuppofal is at liberty to marry, if fhe has the advice of a very able lawyer, that by fo doing the fhall make no encroachment upon the laws of the land. For otherwife fhe cannot overlook that apoftolical injunction; fubmit your felves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake.

Q. I once courted a lady, who telling me I was not in earnest, I wished a most dreadful mifchance might befal me, if I ever married any other; but fince that, she having proved a base woman, I am going to marry ano

ther.

A. You fhould have let us know, whether, when you fay, that the perfon you had once better opinion of, has proved a bafe woman, by bafenefs you mean the lofs of her virgin modefty. For fince a married woman, if the defile her husband's bed, is no more a wife, and might lawfully be put away, would the law of the land permit it, as may implicitly be collected from our Saviour's words; Whofoever putteth away his wife, excepting in the cafe of fornication; fo much more does fo inexcufable a bafenefs cancel an obligation inferior to that of a marriage-folemnity.

But we would advise you for the future religioufly to avoid all manner of imprecations, and not rafhly venture to entangle your felf in fuch ensnaring as well as unwarrantable circumstances.

Q. It hath pleafed God, that hitherto we have had no children, nor probably may ; on which my husband for fome time bath grown a little melancholy. I entreat you

would

would be fo kind, as to fend him what comforts you can under fuch circumstances.

A. Madam, we never expofe any thing but the vices and follies of the age. As to the query, it may be obferved, that providence is fo indulgent to mankind, as to afford comforts in all conditions of life, how (feemingly) unhappy foever they may be, if man takes the pains to fearch them out, and submits to the conviction of them. As to the cafe before us, moft fure it is, that children are certain troubles, but uncertain comforts. In their minority, their infenfibility of our kindness to them, renders us little fatiffaction from the gratitude of their returns. As they encrease in years, we but more and more part with them, to fchools, then to univerfities, inns of court, trades, c. during which time, the distance prudence commands us to keep prevents all pleasure of converfation. And when they come to years of difcretion, too often the return for all our cares, pains and expences on their education, &c. is pray Father be pleas'd to die! The confideration whereof fhocks even nature. If they happen to be fools or vicious, they adminifter only difgrace and affliction, if they excel on the other hand, they eclipse and defpife us. If we are deprefs'd in our own circumstances, they add the extremity of affliction, in the confideration we fhould bring them into the world to be miferable; if we enjoy the affluence of all things, it generally debauches their natures; befides, as afflictions ftick tafter to us than comforts, the infelicity of deprav'd children is more infupportable, than the enjoyment of the good is fatisfactory. On the other hand, he who has no children, is not only freed thereby from infinite cares and troubles, which affault thofe who have, but also enjoys even tranfports in mifery itfelf, when he confiders he has not made others miferable with him as he finds many of his neighbours around him have done: and if he enjoys great plenty, he has opportu nity to adopt for children, pious acts of charity. which will be fo far from upbraiding their Father,

or

or wishing his life fhortned, that they will affift him
in obtaining eternal life, in the beatifick vifion.
Q. Ye learned fons of art, by heaven defign'd
To blefs, improve, and cultivate mankind;
Who mighty things in lofty ftrains express,
And in each flowing line the God confefs;
Who to the wretched always yield relief,
Bind up their wounds, and kindly footh their grief;
Yet this once more extend your gen'rous aid
To an afflicted, loft, abandon'd mai d.
Now had the glorious ruler of the day,

From mortal view withdrawn his all enlivening ray,
And now the pale fac'd empress of the night,
Thro' gloomy clouds diffus'd a fickly light:
When in the shelter of a verdant grove,

Such as the Gods admir'd, (when Gods made love)
I met the lovely object of my flame,

The charming Strephonah unhappy name !
Our folemn vows we mutually renew'd,
And with delight the facred theme purfu'd,
Till be, regardless of my peace and fame,
Prefs'd me to joys, which I want words to name.
With grief and anger fill'd, long time I ftrove,
Against the torrent of invading love;
But he with fresh attacks my heart affail'd,
Till o'er my fainting virtue he at length prevail'd.
To all love's dictates I obedience paid,
But now (too late) I find I am betray'd.
The Swain-

With bafe ingratitude my flame requites,
Laughs at my anger, and my paffion flights:
Where fhall I fly, oh! whither shall I run,
My fhame, difhonour, and my felf to fhun?
Where shall I shroud me from this dire difgrace,
And in what corner hide my guilty face?
How fhall Ito my foul loft peace reftore,
That peace, which I too happily enjoy'd before?
A. As fair Clorinda's charms our fex upbraid,
To be fo cruel to fo kind a maid,

Whofe

Whose numbers, falvage natures might reclaim,
And make barbarians lofe their horrid name;
So fhe restores our dignity again,

By yielding up to our defpotick reign,
Cancels our plot of tyranny, when she
Her virtue flays with greater cruelty.
When fuch strong folid fenfe and poinant wit,
To grofs fallacious arguments fubmit;
Yield jewels of inestimable price,

The purchase of the fordid rags of Vice:
Who can prefume, he fhall fecurely ftand,
Except upheld by fome fuperior hand?
Implore that unfeen pow'r with flowing eyes,
There your redrefs, Clorinda, only lies:
Implore his aid, your virtue to restore,
With refolution to relapfe no more;

Your virtue thus recover'd, may be ftronger than
before.

Q. Apollo's fons, be cautious how ye guide
FAME'S CHARIOT, let not Phaetonian pride
Poffefs your hearts, too high your thoughts elate,
And you untimely meet your brother's fate,
For nine revolving months your glory bright,
Has fhone oe'r Britain with refplendent light;
But now your flagging muse fupinely roves
In tracts inglorious, finging nought but loves.
For fhame you Britains roufe, your strains prepare.
To welcome home our heroes from the war.
The labours of the dufly field relate,
With all the toil and actions of the great,
Or elfe let stinging fatyr point your lines,
To lash the follies of thefe vicious times.
Dare to be bold, in virtue's caufe engage,
And crush the growing crimes of this degenerate ages.
A. Miftaken bard, is love fo low a field,

To whom the Gods their awful fcepters yield,
Who triumphs o'er the attributes of heaven,

يه

And with coeleftial flames, infpires the best of men ;
Who is all harmony, to whom the (pheres,
Tune all the measures of fucceeding years?

Yet?