mend them without fome fufpicion of partiality. My real defign is, I confefs, the very fame I have often detefted in moft dedications; that of publishing your praifes to the world; not upon the fubject of your noble birth, for I know others as noble; or of the greatness of your fortune, for I know others far greater; or of that beautiful race, (the images of their parents,) which calls you mother; for even this may perhaps have been equalled in fome other age or country. Befides, none of these advantages do derive any accomplishments to the owners, but ferve, at beft, only to adorn what they really poffefs. What I intend, is your piety, truth, good fenfe, and good nature, affability, and charity; wherein I wish your Ladyfhip had many equals, or any fuperiors; and I wish I could fay, I knew them too, for then your Ladyfhip might have had a chance to escape this addrefs. In the mean time, I think it highly neceffary, for the intereft of virtue and religion, that the whole kingdom fhould be informed in fome parts of your character: for inftance, That the eafieft and po liteft converfation, joined with the trueft piety, may be obferved in your Ladyfhip, in as great perfection as they were ever feen apart in any other perfons: That, by your prudence and management, under feveral disadvantages, you have preferved the luftre of that most noble family into which you are graffed, and which the unmeafurable profufion of ancestors, for many generations, had too much eclipfed: Then how happily you perform c very office of life, to which Providence hath called you; in the education of thofe two incomparable daughters, whofe conduct is fo univerfally admired; in every duty of a prudent, complying, affectionate wife; in that care. which defcends to the meaneft of your domeftics; and, laftly, in that endless bounty to the poor, and difcretion where to distribute it. I infift on my opinion, that it is of importance for the public, to know this, and a great deal more of your Ladyship; ; yet whoever goes about to inform them, fhall, inftead of finding credit, perhaps be cenfured for a flatterer. To avoid fo ufual a reproach, I declare this to be no dedication, but merely an introduction to a propofal for the advancement of religion and morals, by tracing, however imperfectly, fome few linea

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ments

ments in the character of a Lady, who hath spent all her life in the practice and promotion of both.

A

MONG all the fchemes offered to the public in this projecting age, I have obferved, with fome difpleasure, that there have never been any for the improvement of religion and morals: which, befides the piety of the defign from the confequence of fuch a reformation in a future life, would be the beft natural means for advancing the public felicity of the state, as well as the present happiness of every individual. For as much as faith and morality are declined among us, I am altogether confident, they might, in a fhort time, and with no very great trouble, be raised to as high a perfection as numbers are capable of receiving. Indeed the method is fo eafy and obvious, and fome prefent opportunities fo good, that, in order to have this project reduced to practice, there feems to want nothing more than to put thofe in mind, who, by their honour, duty, and intereft, are chiefly concerned.

BUT because it is idle to propofe remedies before we are affured of the disease, or to be in fear till we are convinced of the danger; I fhall firft fhew in general, that the nation is extremely corrupted in religion and morals; and then I will offer a fhort fcheme for the reformation of both.

As to the first, I know it is reckoned but a form of speech, when divines complain of the wickednefs of the age. However, I believe, upon a fair comparison with other times and countries, it would be found an undoubted truth.

FOR, firft, to deliver nothing but plain matter of fact, without exaggeration or fatire, I fuppofe it will be granted, that hardly one in an hundred among our people of quality or gentry appears to act by any principle of religion; that great numbers of them do entirely difcard it, and are ready to own their disbelief of all revelation in ordinary difcourfe. Nor is the cafe much better among the vulgar, efpecially in great towns, where the profanenefs and ignorance of handicraftfmen, fmall traders, fervants, and the like, are to a degree very hard to be imagined greater. Then it is obferved abroad, that no race of mortals hath fo little fenfe of religion, as the Eng

lifh foldiers. To confirm which, I have been often told by great officers of the army, that in the whole compass of their acquaintance, they could not recollect three of their profeffion, who feemed to regard or believe one fyllable of the gofpel. And the fame at leaft may be. affirmed of the fleet. The confequences of all which upon the actions of men, are equally manifeft. They never go about, as in former times, to hide or palliate their vices, but expose them freely to view, like any o ther common occurrences of life, without the leaft reproach from the world or themfelves For inftance, any man will tell you, he intends to be drunk this evening, or was fo last night, with as little ceremony or fcruple, as he would tell you the time of the day. He will let you know he is going to a wench, or that he has got a clap, with as much indifferency, as he would a piece of public news. He will fwear, curfe, or blafpheme, without the leaft paffion or provocation. And tho' all regard for reputation is not quite laid afide in the other fex, it is however at fo low an ebb, that very few among them feem to think virtue and conduct of any neceffity for preferving it If this be not fo, how comes it to pafs, that women of tainted reputations find the fame countenance and reception in all public places, with thofe of the niceft virtue, who pay and receive vifits from them without any manner of fcruple? Which proceeding, as it is not very old among us, fo I take it to be of moft pernicious confequence. It looks like a fort of compounding between virtue and vice; as if a woman were allowed to be vitious, provided she be not a profligate; as if there were a certain point where gallantry ends, and infamy begins; or that an hundred criminal amours were not as pardonable as half a score.

BESIDES thofe corruptions already mentioned, it would be endless to enumerate fuch as arife from the excess of play or gaming; the cheats, the quarrels, the oaths, and blafphemies among the men; among the women, the neglect of household-affairs, the unlimited freedoms, the indecent paffion; and, laftly, the known inlet to all lewdness, when after an ill run the perfon must answer the defects of the purfe: the rule on fuch occafions hold

ing

ing true in play, as it does in law, Quod non habet in crumena, luat in corpore.

BUT all these are trifles in comparifon, if we step into other fcenes, and confider the fraud and cozenage of trading men and shopkeepers; that infatiable gulf of injuftice and oppreffion, the law; the open traffic for all civil and military employments, (I wish it refted there*,) without the leaft regard to merit or qualifications; the corrupt management of men in office: the many detestable abufes in chufing those who represent the people; with the management of interefts and factions among the reprefentatives: to which I must be bold to add, the ignorance of fome of the lower clergy; the mean fervile temper of others; the pert pragmatical demeanour of several young ftagers in divinity, upon their first producing themselves into the world; with many other circumstances needlefs, or rather invidious to mention; which falling in with the corruptions already related, have, however unjufty, almoft rendered the whole order contemptible.

THIS is a fhort view of the general depravities among us, without entering into particulars, which would be an endless labour. Now, as univerfal and deep-rooted as these appear to be, I am utterly deceived, if an effectual remedy might not be applied to most of them; neither am I at prefent upon a wild fpeculative project, but fuch a one as may be eafly put in execution.

FOR, while the prerogative of giving all employments continues in the crown, either immediately, or by fubordination, it is in the power of the prince to make piety and virtue become the fashion of the age, if at the fame time he would make them neceffary qualifications for favour and preferment.

IT is clear from prefent experience, that the bare example of the beft prince will not have any mighty influence, where the age is very corrupt. For when was there ever a better prince on the throne than the present Queen? I do not talk of her talent for government, her love of the people, or any other qualities that are pure ly

Perhaps the author intended to intimate that it extended to ecclefiaftical. Hawkef.

ly regal; but her piety, charity, temperance, conjugal love, and whatever other virtues do beft adorn a private life; wherein, without question or flattery, fhe hath no fuperior: yet neither will it be fatire, or peevish invective, to affirm, that infidelity and vice are not much diminished fince her coming to the crown; nor will, in probability, till more effectual remedies be provided.

THUS human nature seems to lie under the disadvantage, that the example alone of a vitious prince will in time corrupt an age; but the example of a good one will not be fufficient to reform it, without further endeavours. Princes must therefore fupply this defect by a vigorous exercise of that authority which the law has left them, by making it every man's intereft and honour to cultivate religion and virtue, by rendering vice a difgrace, and the certain ruin to preferment or pretenfions: all which they should firft attempt in their own courts and families. For inftance, might not the Queen's domestics of the middle and lower fort be obliged, upon penalty of fufpenfion or lofs of their employments, to a conftant weekly attendance on the fervice of the church; to a decent behaviour in it; to receive the facrament four times a-year; to avoid fwearing, and irreligious profane difcourfes; and to the appearance at leaft of temperance and chastity? Might not the care of all this be committed to the ftrict inspection of proper officers Might not those of higher rank, and nearer accefs to her Majefty, receive her own commands to the fame purpofe, and be countenanced or disfavoured according as they obey? Might not the Queen lay her injunctions on the Bishops, and other great men of undoubted piety, to make diligent inquiry, and give her notice, if any perfon about her fhould happen to be of libertine principles or morals? Might not all thofe who enter upon any office in her Majefty's family, be obliged to take an oath parallel with that against fimony, which is administered to the clergy? It is not to be doubted, but that, if thefe, or the like proceedings. were duly obferved, morality and religion would foon become fashionable court-virtues, and be taken up as. the only methods to get or keep employments there :