in Society, upon any useful Conversation or more profitable Bufinefs. Hide thy Life, fays an Epicurean; but a wifer Moralift fmartly confutes his Error. 'Tis difhoneft to live to thy felf only, for thy own Satisfaction; and no Body ever the better for it. Art thou vicious? Shew thy felf Abroad; to be admonished, corrected and cur'd of the Evil by thy Betters: that thou may'ft repent and reform thy Manners by other Mens greater Wisdom. Art thou virtuous? Appear in Publick, to inftruct other idle Offenders in humane Society; by fhewing them the good Example of thy induftrious Well-doing, and giving them_plain Demonstrations of the Juftice, Honour, Honefty, Profit and Improvement of thy laborious bufy Life. Truth, Diligence, and ingenuous Dealing, never yet was afraid of Day-Light, nor requir'd any Lurking-Holes. Living in Obfcurity, like a Reclufe, without any studious Application of the Mind to Philofophy, Piety or Learning, for the publick Good, feldom proves either Moral or Religious. Such an uncultivated Life, is like a barren Tree that bears no Fruit!

FROM thefe Remarks we may observe, that this foul Idlenefs both of Body and Mind, is the most unfruitful, unprofitable, and unnatural Vice; fo odious and irkfome to a virtuous Woman, that fhe ftands in Need of no Arguments to perfwade her to avoid it, and imploy her felf in fome industrious Piece of good Housewif'ry. She does it of her own willing Mind, without any Body's Defire or Inftigation, and readily fets-up a Linen or Woollen Manufacture of her own Accord: to which useful Undertaking, the applies her own Hands with fo

much

much Dexterity, as well as Willingness and good Inclination, that it plainly appears, the does not only delight in the Work, but likewife in Diligence it felf, and honeft Imployment. It is certain, that the greatest Women, either of Birth, Quality or Character, in former Days, when Vice was out of Fashion, (as appears by feveral old Authors, as well as this facred Leffon) made it their Business to exercife themselves conftantly in fuch like notable Manufactures as are here mention'd; and That too, with fo much Industry, Forwardness or Propenfion, as we find highly prais'd in their Books, and glorioufly fet forth in this holy Panegyrick, by Way of Opposition to that vile Character given of the Sluggard's Averfion to all Virtue and Goodness; Prov. Chap. XXI. Ver. 25. The Defire of the Slothful killeth him: for his Hands refufe to labour.

I. INDUSTRY makes a great Addition to the Character and Reputation of a virtuous Wife. It ingages all her Powers and Faculties to be doing Good to her Neighbours and Friends, as well as her felf and fober Family. She is always cafting her watchful Eye about her Affairs at Home, and vigilantly findingout fomething of Profit or Advantage, not only to exercife her own bufy Genius, but like. wife ingage other People's idle Hands for Want of Work. Action and Bufinefs are her chofen Delights, which fhe daily improves to fome notable Emolument or confiderable Gain. She looks upon Idleness with Difdain, as the Impertinence of humane Life, and reckons it the very productive Root of all Evil, but utterly barren of any good Fruit, and void of bearing Virtue by a Curfe. In short, fhe

esteems

efteems it at leaft the fatal Forerunner of Poverty, Difgrace and Sterility of Fortune; not to fay worfe on't. Sloth is her natural Averfion; turns her Stomach, and makes her fick, either of her own Diet, or other People's Sluttishness in the Cookery. Lo! How willingly fhe goes to Work, upon Choice, in all Capacities, either Private or Publick, as bafy as the laborious Bee, and as active as the cheerful Light, in Order either to make the sweetest Honey from the bittereft Herbs, or to produce the most beneficial Bufinefs of the Day from the heaviest Burdens. Nothing can escape her induftrious Hands; no Difficulties can overcome her diligent Enterprizes. She winds and turns her Money to the beft Improvement; makes a Pound of a Peny in Time by her advantageous Dealing, and brightens every Splendid Shilling of it at laft into better Metal, by her golden Management of gaining in Trade. It is worth our Obfervation to confider, what a vaft Account the muft make of her Flax and her Wool, or other mechanical Wares, and profitable Works, that the deals in, fo well manag'd with incomparable Prudence; whereby fhe muft needs prove the greatest Gainer imaginable, upon the Return of her Diligence, in Requital for her Pains. Riches must inevitably be her Reward.

II. HER excellent Houlewif'ry alfo appears as remarkable as her Traffick. Her Commerce Abroad, without doubt, is always unexceptionably good; but her Care and Conduct at Home must be much better. It is the main Card of her Life fhe has to play, to look to her good Family in the firft Place; and to fee that all be right there; in decent Order, and well

pro

1

provided for in all Points of Neceffity, Inftruction, or good Difcipline. That is the principal Matter of her Concern, and the most important Duty of her conjugal Life; which' The faithfully difcharges with the greatest Diligence and Regard. It is true, the delights' in making Work for the Poor of all forts in general, as well as Carders, Spinner's or Weavers in particular; mightily incouraging our own' Woollen Manufactories, either by cloathing her private Houfhold, or fupplying the Publick with her own peculiar Handy-work. And yet the does not difdain to wear Callico's, as well as other People, upon Occafion, for a Change; but especially thofe of her Native Country's making For he is a profefs'd Enemy to the Importation of any Foreign Goods or Commodities whatfoever, that tend to the manifeft Prejudice of thofe of our own Production, Growth, Cultivating, Improving or Finishing for Sale. But then the never neglects her more neceffary Bufinefs at Home, to promote any fantastical Fopperies, or fet-up any new Fafhions of Apparel Abroad. She makes a Trade of her Virtue, Prudence and Indultry by Example. In fine, fhe approves her felf to be one of the moft laborious, as well as virtuous Penelope's of the Age. Nothing could take that famous Lady off from the Purfuit of Her Diligence; neither Love, nor Money, nor Marriage could tempt her to párt with her Fidelity; upon the strongeft Report of her Husband's Death, who had been gone away many Years to Troy: till a Web of Cloth fhe had in hand to weave, was finifh'd. And by that Means, unravelling in the Night what was done in the Day, the fairly eluded the, fond Addreffer of

.

her falfe Admirers; who would not only have diverted her Work, but alfo corrupted her Chastity. Thus fhe labour'd still, and not in vain, by the Sequel of the Story: for her dear Vlyffes return'd at length to reward her Virtue, and deservedly flew all thofe defigning Ruffians, or troublesome Rivals of his Happiness during his Abfence.

BUT however, nothing can be more vifible than the fedulous Care of her great Family. Her Husband's Good and her Children's Benefit, is the chief Confideration of her Soul. See how affiduoufly fhe is contriving for their Decency and Welfare! She is continually mending or making of Linen for their Ufe. Their Woollens are well made, and well kept in good Repair. Behold their Drefs! It is exact, neat and clean. There is not a Hole, a Rent or a Flaw to be found in their Gar ments. Their whole Garb is all of a Piece, intirely elegant and praife-worthy like Her felf. She never fuffers them to go in Mourning for want of the Washer Woman. She cannot endure there fhould be a Stitch wanting in their Clothes; nor a neceffary Pin to make their Habits exactly agreeable to her own Nicety. According to her decent Humour, their Attire must never be loofe, dirty or diffolute. She drelles them all by the. Looking Glass of her own Modefty, Cleanlinefs and Elegancy. Their Neatnefs of Catriage and difcreet Behaviour, is only a Copy of their excellent Mother; and the her felf is the Original. She will never let their Bellies fare worfe than their Backs neither, by providing their daily Food for them, as far as is convenient or ne ceflary for their Health, Support and Happi

nofs.