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then is the Dignity, Pre-eminence and Prerogative of Marriage! But then I mean fuch as are lawful, not not Mock- Marriages; dubious or ftolen Ones in Fashion: may perhaps be thought very fweet in the prefent Injoyment; but they generally prove bitter Waters at the Bottom, in the future Event. Stealing a great Fortune by Report, as clandeftine Matches go now a-days, often happens to be only marrying a Misfortune. However, what greater Comfort and Contentation of Life can there be, than to have a fecond Self in humane Society; than to injoy fuch a faithful Partner and true Friend in both Fortunes? If he be rich, fhe'll increase her Husband's Store; if poor, fhe'll inrich him; if fick, fhe'll nurse him; if hungry, she'll nourish him; if perfecuted, fhe'll comfort him; if confin'd, fhe'll bear him Company; if melancholy, fhe'll divert him; if folitary, fhe'll afford him fufficient Satisfaction at Home; and if he chances to go abroad at any Time, she'll be fure to make a most trufty House-Keeper in his Recefs, and a juft Steward in his Abfence. By Marriage a Man makes many Friends. An injur'd King fometimes recovers his Right by it. He increases his Allies, Kinsfolks and Neighbours by it. He multiplies his Pofterity by it. He fills his Royal Family with a numerous Iffue; a Progeny of Princes and Princeffes in good Time. Uncles and Aunts, Nephews and Nieces, Brothers and Sisters, are all doubled and trebled for many future Generations. Peace is many Times procur'd between great Emperors, Monarchs and Sovereign Princes by happy Inter-marriages. By Virtue of which, the fierceft Quarrels among them are

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Often reconciled into a loving Oblivion; the moft turbulent Differences, cruel Diffentions or cross Divifions, appeafed into a profound Silence or Accommodation; and the most bloody Wars hufhd-up into the ftrongeft Alliances of Friendship and Confederacies of Felicity: almoft fufficient, not to fay powerful enough yet, to restore the loft Tranquillity of Europe to its former Glory in Chriftendom. But it would be end lefs to recount all the vast Benefits and Advantages of fuch a Royal Marriage, as King Solomon's is fuppos'd to be in this Treatife!

NOW it is highly probable, that our young Solomon in Procefs of Time found out fuch a virtuous Woman, and marry'd foch a venerable Wife : a Lady of the moft illuftrious Birth, the most charming Beauty, and the greatest Liberality! So fair, fo lovely, fo precious! fo faithful and fortunate! fuch a Nonpareil, fuch a Phoenix, fuch a Bird of Paradife! How fhall I exprefs her Excellency? Our Language fails me in her Praife, upon the most neceffary Harangue. In whofe Virtues her inamour'd Spoufe injoys not only the real Riches and Honour; but all the Satisfactions and Felicities of having fuch an uncommon Bleffing; of poffeffing fo valuable a Jewel in his own Bofom. What Confidence and Truft would any Man or Prince of Goodness, Judgment and Wisdom, have a Reluctancy of putting in fuch an amiable, faithful, virtuous Woman? In this Cafe, if he had been marry'd fooner, it had been better for Himfelf, Friends and Family.

BEHOLD then her rare Qualifications and wonderful Indowments of Mind; her Chastity, er Prudence, her Frugality, her Diligence, and her

her Singleness of Heart towards her loving Husband, the fame with his own in Affection! His Domestick Affairs are well manag'd; his Bed, well made; his Children, well taught; his Servants, well fed; his Family, well governed; and the Poor, well imploy'd, or liberally reliev'd. Nothing equals her Industry, comes up to her Education, or exceeds her Difcipline. Her Bounty and Liberality are univerfally known, and fenfibly felt to her utmost Ability. By her fingular Love, Courtefy and Affability, the preferves her dear Spouse from having the leaft wand'ring Thoughts, or hankering after other Women, as well as from falling into Paffions of Intemperance, and following the Infatuations of a difcontented Mind. By this Means, he begins to take a perfect Delight in her Company alone; as if he was wedded again to her Converfation, as well as her Perfon before; and becomes at laft only not too uxorious, not fond or indulgent to a Fault. Upon this, he intirely falls in Love with her Veracity, and makes himself her fole Rival. In fine, he thinks himself highly oblig'd, wholly to confide in her Conduct; without having the leaft Sufpicion of any foul Play, Levity, Unfaithfulness, Indifferency, Carelefnefs or Negligence in his Affairs, either of the greatest or smallest Importance.

THE Bleffings of Heaven will affuredly be his Portion every Day, whoever marries fuch a happy, pious and perfect Lady. Her Spouse who meets with her is a bleffed Man, and may thank God for his good Fortune. She will always be true and faithful to him in all the Viciffitudes of humane Affairs, both in Sickness and in Health; and never fail of ten

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derly fympathizing with him in Adverfity for his better Confolation, or of heartily rejoycing with him in Profperity, to inhance his Pleafure, and double his Satisfaction. He may fafely truft her with the Care of his Soul alfo in fome Meafure, as well as the Cure of his B dy, and Comfort of his Mind, under any difturbing Difafter or dangerous Disease; becaufe of her great Devotion, good Counsel, and kind Affiftance, as far as lies in her Power.

I. IN Profperity, he may be fure to have a joyful Partner, and Partaker of his Superfuiries; ftill induftriously improving his Eftate, and adding her own to his unlimited Felicity; till iariching his Coffers, and ennobling his Riches; ftill accumulating his Treasures, or aggrandizing his Wealth equal to his bounti ful Liberality and benign Charity towards the Poor. She can eafily prevail with him rather to build Alms-Houfes, erect .Hofpitals, or found Colleges with his fuperfluous Money, to eternize his Memory; than to fquander it away in Hunting, Hawking and Horfe- Racing, to miffpend it in Sports and Paftimes, or to play it away at the Gaming-Table, only to make himfelf at last a monumental Beggar. She can pow. erfully diffuade him from keeping ill Company with lewd Women, or carowzing with intem perate Wine Bibbers; and lavishing a plentiful Eftate away against the Wall, as the Vulgar call it by a worfe Name; whereby he may perhaps impoverish his fuffering Family, and bring his Children at laft to the Parih. She can readily perfwade him to nobler Things, and win him over to more honourable Undertakings by her Indearments. Instead of griping the Poor, or fpoiling the Needy, the

will always be preffing her Husband to relieve them out of his great Abundance; to fupport them in their Neceffities with what he may very well fpare by the Bleffing of Providence; to give Drink to the Thirsty, to feed the Hungry, and to cloath the Naked : rather than trip him to the Skin, or pinch, starve and imprison a miferable infolvent Debtor; only to make-up an ill-gotten Golden Fleece at Home by Oppreffion and Covetousness. She will never diminish his Subftance by her own Profufenefs, or Extravagancies of Dreffing and Gaming, Jaunting and Junketing Abroad; either with too fplendid a Retinue, or too gaudy an Equipage. No; fhe is a wifer Houfe-Keeper, than to be guilty of fuch fcandalous Prodigalities!

II. IN Adverfity, he will certainly have the most indearing Companion of his Misfortunes or Miferies. She will let him want for nothing that Art or Nature can afford; nothing that can be had for Love or Money, within the Compafs of her Power, Friendship and Interest. She will ever be comforting him with her own Contentment; and contriving his entire Satisfaction. She will never cease reviving his dejected Spirits with her delightful Difcourfe, and raifing his noble Courage with the most promifing Views, in Expectation of better Days. God governs the World ftill, and can work Wonders; even to the Degree of stopping the Sun, or making it go back upon the Dial. He can make thefe dry Bones live again; and reftore an afflicted Family, that was almoft extinct, to its priftine Glory, by her own prolifick Bleffings. She can give him the Confolation of Horace's happy Olim

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