_Sophia._ Nature has made all Things on a Level: Our first Father made no Jointure in Marriage, nor had our first Mother any Portion. _Adam_ was Lord, and _Eve_ was Mistress of the Universe; and we ought to tread in the Steps of our Lady Mother, and bring our Husband no more than what Nature hath given us. Settlements and Portions never came into Custom, till such Time as Murder and Rapine had entered the World, and Dowries were first brought into Fashion by the Posterity of _Cain_. The hellish Miser, which the other Day made so many Scruples about my Portion, Did you not observe the Mark of _Cain_ in his Forehead? The Match-brokers look just like the wandering _Jews_ in _England_, followed by the Curse of God into all Countries where they come. Now, it is an easy Matter for the Parliament of _England_ to bring Marriages on the same Level, as was designed at first by Nature. I will propose how: Suppose every Gentleman of one-thousand Pounds _per Annum_, was obliged to marry Gentlewomen of such Quality and Portion with ourselves, and, if he would not marry at all, his Estate should become forfeited to the Use of the Publick. _Politica._ That would be hard, to take away all a Man has in the World, because he will not marry. _Sophia._ We will then find a Medium: Suppose we build and endow them an Alms-house with their own Money, where every one of them shall have a convenient Apartment, with a Bed, and two Pair of Sheets, one Chair, one Candlestick, a Chamber-pot, and Fire-Place, and some other cheap Necessaries. We will allow them one Coat a Year, with a yellow Badge on the Arm, as the Mark of a Batchelor; and every Ten of them shall have one old Woman to wait upon them: They shall be chiefly fed with Water-gruel, and Barley-broth; and, instead of Meat, they shall eat Potatoes, _Jerusalem_ Artichokes, Turneps, Carrots, and Parsnips; for you know they come into that Hospital, because they do not love Flesh. _Politica._ Oh! fye Madam, fye upon you! that would use brisk young Gentlemen at such a cruel Rate: This is downright Tyranny. _Sophia._ I am sorry to see you so tender of those, who are so cruel to our Sex: But here is no Cruelty at all in the Case; consider the Thing rightly, Madam, and you will find it otherwise: We esteem it the highest Charity to provide Alms-houses for the antient superannuated Poor, who are past their Labour; now a Man that is not come to his Labour of Generation, at twenty-five Years of Age, is certainly past it, and we ought to reckon him as superannuated, and grown an old Boy, and not fit to be trusted with what he has, as not knowing the Use and Benefit of Riches.