to single persons, but to all families by alienating estates from the right heirs; confounding property; and by accidental discoveries, creating embarrassment in the titles to estates, that have for a long time been peaceably and without interruption possessed? As these last circumstances, by which the innocent must necessarily suffer, are likely to be oftener the consequence of the wife's than of the husband's infidelity, they may justly be reckoned another of its heinous and special aggravations.

Let me add farther, that the injury done by this particular offence is perhaps beyond that of all others (the case of murder only excepted) irreparable; and that even the confession and ingenuous acknowledgment of it—which, with respect to many other injuries, is esteemed some kind of reparation; and where the injurious person has no more in his power, may be accepted by generous minds, as a sufficient reparation: even this, I say, here will frequently increase and aggravate the injury; as it will add to the inconsolable affliction and the piercing agonies of grief, which the kind and tender-hearted husband feels, by leaving him no possible room to doubt of his dishonour, nor consequently the least dawning of hope to palliate and relieve his misery.

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These last indeed are mischievous and dreadful circumstances, attending the crime of adultery universally; and ought to have the same weight to deter the husband from the commission of it, as the other contracting party in marriage, to whom they have been directly represented. And it is an undeniable branch of his duty, likewise, if this capital instance of infidelity be an unpardonable act of guilt in the other sex, carefully to avoid every thing that may be an inducement or provocation to it; every thing that tends to create an aversion to his person, all ill usage that may gradually extinguish love and inspire deep and settled resentment. He should take care to maintain a strict watch over all his loose and wandering passions, that he may be a bright and unexceptionable example of pure uncorrupted fidelity. For if he violate his own solemn tiethough God may be righteously displeased, and will, doubtless, severely punish, and the world may justly censure the like instance of corruption in the wife-yet he himself, without being quite impudent in vice, in excesses of most unbridled and licentious vice, cannot think that he has any right to complain.

But let him guard, with the whole collected force of his reason, against the sin and torment of causeless jealousy, ordained by the wise Author

of nature to be a perpetual punishment to itself; because it is a seed, fruitful of every thing mischievous, and of irreconcilable discord-a passion, weak, ungenerous, and unmanly in itself; the utmost dishonour and injury that can possibly be offered to an innocent and faithful wife; and which may prompt some of impetuous tempers, and not duly influenced by principles. of virtue and religion, to meditate such wild schemes of revenge, as in all probability no other inordinate passion would ever have engaged them in. It is, therefore, a wise caution, which is given by the Son of Syrac, in the book of Ecclesiasticus-Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.

But let me remark here, before I conclude this head, that the passage just cited was only designed to intimate what may be, in fact, the fatal consequence of groundless jealousy; but not in the least to vindicate or excuse such extravagant and unnatural resentment in the wife, for any abuse or wrong which she may have unjustly suffered: for, though another fail in his duty, mine is still inviolable. Much less can his doing me a lesser injury justify my being hurried on, by an ungoverned transport, to the commission of a greater. Upon all together as

reasonable a ground may defamation and slander provoke to fraud and robbery, or a violent assault upon my person, though without actual mischief, to premeditated murder itself, as jealousy can urge to adultery.

CHAPTER IV.

FRUGALITY.

THE fourth head, according to the division and arrangement which I have made of the duty of wives, is frugality and prudence. I have joined these two together, because frugality in domestic affairs, and especially in personal expenses, is one of the chief and most eminent instances of prudence in a wife. And, here, the general rule for her conduct is, that all concerns, in which she may have the immediate direction, be managed with decency, without unnecessary profuseness; that she may do proper honour to the husband, and to herself, without squandering away the family substance. Now in order to her discharging, rightly, this part of her duty, it is, I think, absolutely necessary that the wife be not immoderately fond of public entertainments; in which too much of that precious time, which is the preparatory term allotted for eternity, is at

best unprofitably spent, with very little improvement in any qualities that are truly valuable, and to the neglect of more important concerns. Nor should she, if she would support the character of a frugal and prudent wife, affect to shew an ostentation beyond her rank, nor emulate persons in higher circumstances; in whom the very same expense that is extravagance in her may be a reasonable and just economy. And such conduct will, in all probability, defeat the end which she herself may aim at. For the world is apt to be censorious, and much more inclined to be impertinently inquisitive about the affairs of other people, than to attend to their own, and will therefore secretly despise what they imagine to be an indiscreet and excessive ostentation, however they may admire, applaud, and encourage it in public.

In this indeed, as well as in almost all other instances, none but general directions can be laid down, without a tedious and endless prolixity. Both husbands and wives must be left to their own consciences and honour, to make the minute and direct application to particular cases. choose, therefore, to mention but one special case, which I think of importance, and highly worthy of regard, which is this—that it seems to me to be utterly inconsistent with the due

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