be uninteresting to our readers. On the miseries of ill-assorted marriages, he says:-"Life or death, felicity or a lasting sorrow, are in the power of marriage. A woman, indeed, ventures most, for she has no sanctuary to retire to from an evil husband; she must dwell upon her sorrow, and hatch the eggs which her own folly or infelicity hath produced; and she is more under it, because her tormentor hath a warrant of prerogative, and the woman may complain to Heaven as subjects do of tyrant princes, but otherwise she hath no appeal in the causes of unkindness. And though the man can run from many hours of his sadness, yet he must return to it again; and when he sits among his neighbours, he remembers the objection that lies in his bosom, and he sighs deeply. . . . It is the unhappy chance of many persons, that, finding inconveniences upon the mountains of single life, they descend into the valleys of marriage to refresh their troubles, and then they enter into fetters, and are bound to sorrow by the cords of a man's or a woman's peevishness: and the worst of the evil is, they have to thank their own follies; for they fell into the

snare by entering an improper way. So do men and women change their liberty for a rich fortune (like Eriphyle, the Argive, who preferred gold before a good man), and shew themselves to be less than money, by overvaluing that to all the content and wise felicity of their lives; and when they have counted the money and their sorrows together, how willingly would they buy, with the loss of all that money, modesty or sweet nature, to their relative! The odd thousand pounds would gladly be allowed in good nature and fair manners." In reference to marriages for mere beauty, he says:"As

a very fool is he that chooses for beauty principally; his eyes are witty, but his soul is sensual; it is an ill band of affections to tie two hearts together by a little thread of red and white. And they can love no longer but until the next ague comes; and they are fond of each other but at the chance of fancy, or the smallpox, or child-bearing, or care, or time, or anything that can destroy a pretty flower. which is, at first, beauty in the face may prove lust in the manner. He that looks too curiously upon the beauty of the body, looks too low.

That

Let our first suit be in the court of Heaven, and with designs of piety, or safety, or charity; let no impure spirit defile the virgin purities, and 'castifications of the soul;' let all such contracts begin with holy affections." It should then be always entered into with deliberation; at a proper age; and with mutual consent; as well as with the consent of parents and guardians, under whose care single persons may be. Of the sanctity of marriage, he says:-"It was ordained by the Almighty, instituted in Paradise, was the relief of a natural necessity, and the first blessing from the Lord; He gave to man not a friend, but a wife; that is, a friend and a wife too (for a good woman is, in her soul, the same that a man is, and she is a woman only in her body; that she may have the excellency of the one and the usefulness of the other, and become amiable in both); marriage was ministered to by angels; the first miracle our Saviour did, was to do honour to a wedding."

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Marriage is a school and exercise of virtue; and though it hath cares, yet the single life hath desires, which are more troublesome and more dangerous, and often end in sin, while

...

the cares are but instances of duty and exercises of piety; and therefore, if single life hath more privacy of devotion, yet marriage hath more necessities and more variety in it, and is an exercise of more graces. Here is the proper scene of piety and patience, of the duty of parents, and the charity of relations; here kindness is spread abroad, and love is united and made firm as a centre. Marriage is the nursery of heaven; the virgin sends prayers to God, but she carries but one soul to Him; but the state of marriage fills up the numbers of the elect, and hath in it the labour of love, the delicacies of friendship, the blessing of society, and the union of hands and hearts; it hath in it less of beauty, but more of safety, than the single life; it hath more care, but less danger; it is more merry, and more sad; is fuller of sorrow, and fuller of joys; it lies under more burdens, but is supported by all the strengths of love and charity, and those burdens are delightful."

For the present we take leave of the "Marriage Ring," with the intention of again extracting a small portion of the very excellent matter found therein.

Marriage is a part of the law of nations, founded on the original constitution of the senses, and dignified by peculiar sentiments of affection, delicacy, and honour.

According to Paley, the public use of the institution consists of-1. The comfort of individuals and families. 2. The production of the greatest number of healthy children, their