and wanton Writings, which warm and corrupt the Imagination, is fo great, that one cannot be too careful in the Choice of our Author. Too much of this will be found among the Works of Poetry and Eloquence, with which none but Ladies of good Tafte and folid Judgment fhould be trufted.

The like. Cautions are neceffary with respect to Mufick and Painting; the Fancy is often too quick in them, and the Soul too much affected by the Senfes. Mufick especially fo foftens, that it enervates it, and exposes it to be conquer'd by the firft Temptation which invades it. The Ancients were fo well convinc'd of its Perniciousness, that they would never fuffer it in a well-regulated State. Why are languishing Airs pleasant, but because the Soul gives itself to the Charms of the Senfes? What is it you mean by Tranfporting or Moving in Mufick, but the Fury or the Softness of Defire? If the wife Magiftrate of Sparta broke all the mufical Inftruments, whose Harmony was too delicious and melting, and Plato rejected all the fofter Airs of the Afiatick Mufick; what should we Chriftians do with the Italian, as moving as any that ever were known to Antiquity? How can chafte Minds delight in the Languishments of wanton Poetry, made yet more languishing by the Graces of Mufick? What great or noble is there in the dying Notes of foreign Strumpets and Eunuchs? The Power of Mufick never appear'd more in England than it has done of late; we have seen it draw after it numerous Audiences of both Sexes at a very ext travagant Expence, who knowing nothing of the Language were bewitched only with the Magick of the Sounds. Was it either Vanity or Pleasure? or if either, was it not alike criminal? Should Christians fquander away fo many precious Hours in Vanity, or take Pleafure in gratifying a Sense that has so often been a Traitor to Virtue?

Not that all Poetry and Mufick is of the fame dangerous Nature. Retrench from them whatever tends

not

not to the true End, and they may be very ufefully employ'd to excite in the Soul lively and fublime Notions of God and Religion. As for Poetry, many Parts of the Holy Scriptures are Poems, and were fung by the Hebrews. The first Precepts of Morality were deliver'd in Verfe, and the finging the Praise of God was the most ancient Worship among Men. Our Church has carefully provided for the Refreshment of the Souls of her Children; the Mufick of our Choirs give us a ravishing, tho' a faint Idea, of the happy Choirs in Heaven. For this Reason ought not these Arts, confecrated by the Spirit of God, to be condemn'd. If a Christian Turn was given to Mufick and Poetry, it would be the greatest of all Helps to difrelish profane Pleafures. Thofe Ladies that are fenfible of the Impreffions made by these two Arts, fhould early be directed to put them to Divine Ufes. And fuch as have Genius's and Voices may innocently and usefully indulge themfelves in them, if they find their Souls rais'd by it in Devotion, and their Paffions are free from those irregular Emotions which are the Effects of all Pleasures that owe their Birth to the Senfes. If young Gentlewomen are forbidden Poetry and Mufick, it will only increase their Curiofity, and make 'em fanfy there's more in them than they will find upon the Experiment, If they have no Tafte nor Genius, which are Bleffings that every one is not endow'd with, without Genius and Tafte they will foon be weary of thein: Wherefore the best way is to humour their Inclinations, and take care that what Talents they have, may rather serve to improve than to injure their Virtue. The lefs is to be faid of Painting, for that few have a Genius for it, and those that have none, would reckon it ridiculous to have Advice given them about a thing they despise. All these Arts, Poetry, Mufick, and Painting, are proper Entertainments only for Women of Quality; not for fuch as the Duties of their Families, and what they owe to Heaven, would wholly employ.

The

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The common Education of young Gentlewomen at Boarding-Schools is render'd ufelefs, and indeed pernicious. Whole Years are spent in teaching a tastelefs Girl to paint on Glafs, and such sort of useless Knowledge, which fhould be employed in forming their Minds to Virtue, and the moral Duties of Life. To draw, or to know fomething of Defign, will be useful in feveral Works that pafs thro' the Hands of those Ladies, who do not take Idleness to be the greatest Privilege of their Sex and Quality. For want of knowing the Rules of Drawing, do we meet with fo many extravagant Figures in Laces, Linen, Stuffs, and Embroideries. Every thing is ill defign'd and confus'd, without Art, without Proportion. These pafs for fine, because they coft a great deal of Labour; their Luftre dazzles thofe that fee them afar off, or do not underftand them. However the Ladies have their Rules which they will not depart from, as irregular as they are: Custom has fo habituated them to 'em, that they reckon nothing more fantastical than to difpute them. The Principles of Painting, if known to them, would make them look with Contempt on things they otherwife fet the highest Value upon. This Knowledge would leffen the Labour and the Expence of their Works, and give them that Variety and Beauty, that Regularity and Grace, which can only fet a Price upon them.

In whatever innocent Employments they spend their Time, certain it is, that 'tis their Duty to employ it about fomething, and that Idlenefs is a Vice as well in Women as in Men. The Primitive Chriftians of the highest Quality wrought with their own Hands. The very Apostles themfelves, and the Saviour of the World, did the fame: They did not work to pafs away their Time only, they made of Labour a ferious, a continued, and a profitable Employment. Auguftus wore no Clothes but what were wrought and made by his Wife Livia, and his Daughters; and a greater than Livia, because a Christian, and more virtuous, our

late

late Sovereign Queen Mary, of bleffed Memory, was always employing her leifure Hours in fome Handiwork of Use and Convenience. She had an Abhorrence for the Idle, and fuffer'd none of her Ladies to be fo in her Prefence. She knew and practifed the Duty of Induftry, knowing that Labour is a great Guard to Innocence. For the Mind will be bufy, and if the Hands do not take off the Head and Heart from wandring, they will fometimes forget their Duty; and having not good Matter to act upon, will be bufied in that which is ill. When it wants neceffary and ufeful, it ftrives by all means to amuse itself with needlefs and useless things. This, as it is the most dangerous, fo it is the most ordinary Cheat of the Enemy; he takes from us the Occafions of employing our Time, by prefenting us Ways of lofing it.

Idlenefs has two conftant Companions, Irrefolution and Inconftancy. The Ladies who are infected with this Vice, no fooner have a Defign, but they presently change it: They lay, indeed, a great many Founda tions, but they never finish the Building; they do not fay I will, but I am inclin'd to will fo or fo; not this I defire, but this I could defire: They deliberate, but they never refolve; their Motion is not progreffive, but circular; they advance no more than the Person who walks in a Labyrinth. And how should there be any Progress in the Labours of thofe that have no Aim, and propose nothing but to spend Time: They care not what becomes of it, fo they can but get rid of it. Some perhaps work a little to pass it away, as they call it, and to divert themselves; they overturn thus the Order of Nature, by which they are to reft a little, that they may work much; they, on the contrary, are for taking much Reft, that they may work a little. Religion fpeaks after a quite another manner than thefe Ladies feem to understand: It does not, 'tis true, forbid us to use Recreation, but it requires that it should not be exceffive. Whether God treats

us

us as Mercenaries, or as Children, ftill he enjoins us to work, seeing he himself works always. We have to animate us both his Precept and his Example. It is herein that we imitate him as a Father, when we serve him as a Master. None are dispensed with from this Law, either upon the Advantages of Nature or of Fortune. To work is a hard Word with fine Ladies; their delicate Fingers make it grate to their Ears; and they can't imagine any Obligation lies upon them to do any thing, who have fo many to do every thing for them. Their Pleasure they take to be their Business, and look upon themselves as not bound by thofe facred Laws which bind the reft of Mankind; with fuch, good Counfel will be reckon'd ill Manners, and one cannot hope that Human Advice will have any Influence where Di. vine Command has none.

How far might our Reflexions run, on the good Employment of Time in both Sexes, and on the Helps we may have in it.

He that is choice of his Time will also be choice of his Company and his Actions, that there be nothing vain in the one, nor criminal in the other. God has given us a fhort Time upon Earth, and yet upon this fhort Time depends Eternity. There's not an

Hour of our Lives (when we are of Years to distinguifh Good from Evil) but we muft account for to God who gave it to us. If every Idle Word will be put to our Reckoning, what will every Idle Day? Many Enemies have we to conquer, many Evils to prevent, much Danger to run through, many Difficulties to overcome, many Neceffities to ferve, and much Good to do; where then is the Leifure that is fo burdenfom to Perfons of all Conditions? Nor were we born for ourselves only; our Children, our Relations, our Friends, our Neighbours, our Prince, our Country, demand their several Duties of us, after we have difcharged what are owing to ourselves. There is no Station of Life but a Man may ferve God in. All Bu

finess