Imatges de pàgina
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§. 15. All the fmiles fat on the face of Mifs Henley's anStatia, while I was haranguing in this de- wer. vout manner, and her countenance became

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and by virtue of this primordial and moft intimate bond of fociety, convey down the race of mankind, and maintain its fucceffion to the final diffolution; it is not therefore to be neglected or difregarded. We muft not dare to follow our fancies, and in unhallowed mixtures, or an illegal method, have any pofterity. As the great God appointed and blessed this inftitution only, for the continuance of mankind, the race is notto be preserved in another way. We must marry in the Lord, to promote his glory, as the apoflle fays, 1 Cor, vii. 39. The earth is not to be replenished by licentious junction, or the promiscuous ufe of women. Dreadful hereafter must be the case of all who flight an inftitution of God.

I am fenfible, the libertine who depreciates and vilifies the dignity of the married state, will laugh at this affertion: The fop and debauchee will, hifs it, and ftill do their best to render wedlock the fubject of contempt and ridicule. The Roman clergy will likewise decry it, and injuriously treat it as an impediment to devotion, a cramp upon the fpiritual ferving of God, and call it an inftrument of pollution and defilement, in respect of their heavenly celibacy.

But as God thought marriage was fuitable to a paradisaical state, and the scriptures declare it honourable in all as this is the way appointed by heaven to people the earth; and the inflitution is neceffary, in the reafon and nature of things, confidering the circumftances in which mankind is placed; to prevent confufion, and promote the general happiness; as the bond of fociety, and the foundation of all human government; fure I am, the rake and the mass-priest, must be in a dreadful fituation at the feffions of righteoufnefs; when the one is charged with libertinism and gallantries, with madnefs

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a conftellation of wonders. When I had done, this beauty said, I thank you, Sir, for the information you have given me. I am

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nefs and folly, and with all the evils and mifchief they have done by illicit gratification, contrary to reafon, and in direct opposition to the inftitutes of God;and when the other, the miferable mass-priests, are called to an account, for vilifying the honour and dig nity of the married ftate, and for ftriving to feduce mankind into the folitary retirements of celibacy, in violation of the laws of God; and more especially of the primary law or ordinance of heaven. Wretched priefs! Your inftitutions are breaches in revealed religion, trefpaffes upon the common rights of nature, and fuch oppreffive yokes as it is not able to bear. Your celibacy has not a grain of piety in it. It is policy and impiety.

Hear me then, ye libertines and mass-priests: I call upon you of the first row, ye rakes of genius, to confider what you are doing, and in time, turn from your iniquities Be no longer profligate and licentious, blind to your true intereft and happiness, but become virtuous and honourable lovers, and in regard to the advantages of this folemn inftitution, called wedlock, as well to the general state of the world, as to individuals, marry in the Lord; fo will you avoid that dreadful fentence, Fornicators and adulterers God will judge, that is, punish; and in this life, you may make things very agreeable, if you please; though it is in the heavenly world alone, where there fhall be all joy and no forrow. Let there be true beauty and gracefulness in the mind and manners, and thefe with difcretion, and other things in your power, will furnifh a fund of happinefs commenfurate with your lives. It is poffible, I am fure, to make marriage productive of as much happiness as falls to our fhare in this lower hemifphere; as the nature of man can reach to in his present con

a Chriftian. There is no malignity in my heart. You have altered my way of thinking, and I now declare for a fucceffion.. Let Father Flemming be fent for, and without waiting for my being two and twenty, or minding my father's will, as there's no one to oblige me to it, I will give you my hand. Charming news! I dif patched my lad for the Fryar. The priest arrived the next day, and at night we were married. Three days after, we fet out for

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dition. For, as to joy flowing in with a full, constant and equal tide, without interruption and without allay, there is no fuch thing. Human nature doth not admit of this. "The fum of the matter is this: To the public the advantages of marriage are certain, whether the parties will or no; but to the parties engaging, not fo: to them it is a fountain that sendeth forth both fweet and bitter waters. To thofe who mind their duty and obligations fweet ones; to those who neglect them bitter ones."

In the next place, ye monks, I would perfuade you, if I could, to labour no longer in ftriving to cancel the obligations to marriage by the pretence of religion. The voice of heaven, and the whispers of found and uncorrupted reafon are against it. It is will-worthip in oppofition to revelation. It is such a presumption for a creature against the author of our nature, as muft draw down uncommon wrath upon the head of every mafsprieft, who does not repent their preaching fuch wicked doctrine. Indeed I do not know any part of popery that can be called chriftianity: but this in particular is fo horrible and diabolical, that I can confider the preachers for celibacy in no other light than as fo many devils. May you ponder in time on this horrible affair.

Orton Lodge, at my wife's request, as fhe longed to fee the place. For two years more I refided there; it being more agreeable to Statia than the improved Groves of Bafil. We lived there in as much happiness as it is poffible to have in this lower hemisphere, and much in the fame manner as I did with Charlotte my first wife. first wife. Statia had all the good qualities and perfections which rendered Charlotte fo dear and valuable to me; like her fhe ftudied to increase the delights of every day, and by art, good humour, and love, rendered the married state such a fyftem of joys as might incline one to wish it could laft a thousand years: But it was too fublime and defirable to have a long exif tence here. Statia was taken ill, of the fmall-pox, the morning we intended to return to Bafil-Groves; the died the 7th day, and I laid her by Charlotte's fide. Thus did I become again a mourner. I fat with my eyes fhut for three days: But at last, called for my horse, to try what air, exercise, and a variety of objects, could do.

SECTION

SECTION III.

'Twas when the faithful herald of the day,
The village-cock crows loud with trumpet fhrill,
The warbling lark foars high, and morning grey
Lifts her glad forehead o'er the cloud-wrapt hill:
Nature's wild mufic fills the vocal vale;

The bleating flocks that bite the dewy ground;
The lowing herds that graze the woodland dale,
And cavern'd echo, fwell the chearful found.

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1729, we

again, and

Spaw. A

country we

Ætat. 27.

§. I. ERY early, as foon as I could April 1, see day, the first of April, 1729, leave OrI left Orton-Lodge, and went to Bafil-Groves, ton Lodge to order matters there. From thence I fet fet out for out for Harrigate, to amufe myself in that Harrigate agreeable place; but I did not go the way I defcription came to Mr. Henley's houfe. To avoid the of the dangerous morafs I had paffed, at the hazard rid over. of my life, we went over a wilder and more romantic country than I had before seen. We had higher mountains to afcend than I had ever paffed before; and fome vallies fo very deep to ride through, that they seemed as it were descents to hell. The patriarch Bermudez, in journeying over Abyffinia, never travelled in more frightful Glins*. And yet, we often came to plains and vales which had all the charms a paradife could have. Such is the nature of this country.

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Relation

de l'Ambaffade,

dedica a

Don Sebafrien, roy de

Through Portugal.

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