bemoan themselves, instead of casting about for Relief against their Afflictions, whereby they become but yet more soften'd to the Impressions of their Sorrow, and every day less able to support them? They are usually (it is true) the most Vertuous Women who are the aptest to bear with immoderate Grief, the ill Humour, or unkindness of their Husbands: But it is pitty that such, who (in an Age wherein the contrary is too often practis'd) have more Vertue than to think of returning the Injuries they receive, should want so much Wit as not to repay unkindness, with a just contempt of it: But instead thereof, foolishly sacrifice their Lives, or the Comforts of them (which is our All in this World) to those who will not sacrifice the least inclination to their reasonable Satisfaction: And how much wiser and more becoming Christians would it be for such Ladies to reflect less upon what others owe to them, and more upon what they owe to themselves and their Children, than to abandon themselves, as too many do, to a fruitless Grief; which serves for nothing else, but to render them yet less agreeable to those whom they desire to please; and useless in the World: Diseases, and, in time, constant ill Health being the almost never failing Effects of a lasting Discontent upon such feeble Constitutions. But I take leave to say, that the fault of those who make others thus miserable, and the weakness of such who thus suffer their Minds to think under Adversity, are in a great measure both owing to one and the same Cause, viz. Ignorance of the true Rules and Measures of their Duty; whereby they would be taught to correct every excess; together with the want of such other Knowledge (suitable to the Capacity and Condition of the Person) as would both usefully and agreably employ their Time: This Knowledge, tho' not perhaps of a Nature immediately conducing to form, or rectify the Manners, yet doing so, in a great measure, by restraining or preventing the irregularities of them. For as ill natur'd and vicious Men, if they know but how pleasantly and profitably to employ those tedious hours which lye upon their Hands, would be generally less Vicious, and less ill Humour'd than they are; so Women of the most sensible Dispositions would not give up themselves to sorrow that is always hurtful, and sometimes dangerous both in their Honour and Salvation (excess of Tenderness, when abus'd, too often producing Hatred, and that Revenge) if they were not only very little inform'd as to what God requires of them; but also very Ignorant in regard of any kind of Ingenious Knowledge, whereby they might delightfully employ themselves, and divert those displeasing Thoughts which (otherwise) will incessantly Torment, and Prey upon their Minds. She who has no Inclinations unbecoming a Vertuous Woman, who prefers her Husbands Affection to all things in the World; and who can no longer find that pleasure in the ordinary Circle of Ladies Diversions, which