1

This was his nightly dream, his daily care,
And to the heav'nly pow'rs his conftant pray'r,
Once, ere he dy'd, to taste the blissful life
Of a kind husband and a loving wife.

These thoughts he fortify'd with reasons ftill,
(For none want reasons to confirm their will.)
Grave authors fay, and witty poets sing,
That honest wedlock is a glorious thing:
But depth of judgment most in him appears,
Who wifely weds in his maturer years.
Then let him chufe a damfel young and fair,
To blefs his age, and bring a worthy heir;
To footh his cares, and, free from noise and strife,
Conduct him gently to the verge of life.

Let finful batchelors their woes deplore,
Full well they merit all they feel, and more:
Unaw'd by precepts, human or divine,
Like birds and beafts, promifcuously they join:
Nor know to make the prefent bleffing laft,
To hope the future, or efteem the past:
But vainly boast the joys they never try'd,
And find divulg'd the fecrets they would hide.
The marry'd man may bear his yoke with ease,
Secure at once himself and heav'n to please;
And pass his inoffenfive hours away,

In blifs all night, and innocence all day:
Tho' fortune change, his conftant spouse remains,
Augments his joys, or mitigates his pains.

15

20

25

30

35

40

But what fo pure, which envious tongues will fpare? Some wicked wits have libell'd all the fair.

With matchless impudence they style a wife

45

The dear-bought curse, and lawful plague of life;
A bofom-ferpent, a domestic evil,

A night-invafion, and a mid-day-devil.

Let not the wise these sland'rous words regard,
But curfe the bones of ev'ry lying bard.

50

All other goods by fortune's hand are giv❜n,

A wife is the peculiar gift of heav'n.

Vain fortune's favours, never at a stay,
Like empty fhadows, pass, and glide away;
One folid comfort, our eternal wife,
Abundantly fupplies us all our life:

55

This bleffing lafts (if those who try, say true)
As long as heart can wifh- and longer too.
Our grandfire Adam, ere of Eve poffess'd,

Alone, and ev'n in Paradife unblefs'd,
With mournful looks the blissful scenes furvey'd,

60

And wander'd in the folitary fhade.

The Maker faw, took pity, and bestow'd

Woman, the laft, the best referv'd of God.

65

A Wife! ah gentle deities, can he
That has a wife, e'er feel adverfity ?
Would men but follow what the sex advise,
All things would profper, all the world grow wife.
'Twas by Rebecca's aid that Jacob won

His father's bleffing from an elder fon:

70

Abufive Nabal ow'd his forfeit life

To the wife conduct of a prudent wife:

Heroic Judith, as old Hebrews show,

Preferv'd the Jews, and flew th' Affyrian foe:
At Hefter's fuit, the perfecuting fword

75

Was fheath'd, and Ifrael liv'd to blefs the Lord.
These weighty motives, January the fage
Maturely ponder'd in his riper age;
And charm'd with virtuous joys, and sober life,
Would try that chriftian comfort, call'd a wife.
His friends were fummon'd on a point so nice,
To pass their judgment, and to give advice;
But fix'd before, and well refolv'd was he;
(As men that ask advice are wont to be.)

80

My friends, he cry'd (and caft a mournful look 85
Around the room, and figh'd before he fpoke :)
Beneath the weight of threescore years I bend,
And, worn with cares, am haft'ning to my end;
How I have liv'd, alas! you know too well,
In worldly follies, which I blush to tell;
But gracious heav'n has ope'd my eyes at laft,
my vices paft,

With due regret I view
And, as the precept of the Church decrees,
Will take a wife, and live in holy ease.

90

But fince by counsel all things fhould be done,

95

And many heads are wifer ftill than one;
Chufe you for me, who beft shall be content
When my defire's approv'd by your consent.

One caution yet is needful to be told,

105

To guide your choice; this wife muft not be old:100
There goes a faying, and 'twas fhrewdly faid,
Old fish at table, but young flesh in bed.
My foul abhors the tasteless, dry embrace
Of a stale virgin with a winter face:
In that cold feason Love but treats his guest
With bean-straw, and tough forage at the best.
No crafty widows fhall approach my bed }
Thofe are too wife for batchelors to wed;
As fubtle clerks by many schools are made,
Twice-marry'd dames are miftreffes o'th'trade: 110
But young and tender virgins, rul'd with eafe,
We form like wax, and mould them as we please.
Conceive me, Sirs, nor take my sense amiss;
'Tis what concerns my foul's eternal bliss;
Since if I found no pleasure in my spouse,

As flefh is frail, and who (God help me) knows?
Then should I live in leud adultery,

And fink downright to Satan when I die.
Or were I curs'd with an unfruitful bed,

The righteous end were loft, for which I wed;
To raise up feed to blefs the pow'rs above,
And not for pleafure only, or for love.
Think not I doat; 'tis time to take a wife,
When vig'rous blood forbids a chafter life:

120

125

Those that are bleft with ftore of grace divine,
May live like faints, by heav'n's confent, and mine.