meat, drink, sleep, and what else may add fuel to

your lust.

285. A dishonest love put all Greece in arms, and its

flames reduced to ashes the fairest city in Asia. 286. A well-bred man never gives himself the liberty

to speak ill of women, much less to rail against marriage, which was God's first ordinance, confirm'd by Christ's first miracle, and is honourable, holy, pure, and chast, but? whoremongers and

adulterers God will judge. 287.

When tempted to incontinence consider God's omnipresence, meditate on Christ's death and passion, and read Prov. 7. from ver. 6. to the end.

288. Son. One that had such a habit of swearing,

truth and lies were uttered by him with an equal affirmation; no sooner enter'd the Club, but rapp'd

out a full mouth'd oath. Whereupon, quoth 289. Wiseman. Other sins gratify the concupiscible,

or irascible appetites, please mens love, or serve their hate, but swearing is a tastless and a fruitless sin, that brings neither pleasure to the palate, nor gain to

the purse, so that according to the divine Herbert. 290. “Were I an Epicure I cou'd bate swearing." 291.

Swearer. D me, sir, 'tis only a custom, I mean no harm by it.

292.

Wiseman.

“Weak is th’excuse, that is on custom built,

The use of sinning lessens not the guilt." 293. The third Commandment is, “ Thou shalt not

take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.” 294 'Tis strange men, who own a God in their oaths,

shou'd disown him in their lives, as if there were

a God only to swear by, but none to believe in. 295. It were better to have no opinion of God at all,

than such an opinion as is unworthy of him: For

the one is unbelief, the otlier is contumely. 296. Swearer. No canting, I beseech you, sir, I

swear only as the readiest way to be believed. 297.

WISEMAN. Oaths do not credit men, but men

their oaths. 298. One of God's judgments against swearers is, that

the number of their oaths discredit even the truth

they wou'd perswade. 299.

Over earnest asseverations give men suspicion,

that the speaker is conscious of his own falsities. 300. SWEARER. P- take me if I can tell when I

swear, and when I don't. 301. WISEMAN. It's a bad symptom when excre

ments are voided without the patient's knowledge. 302. Swearer. R-t symptoms, how can I help it? 303.

Wiseman.

Fast and pray.

I am

а

a

304. Swearer. Ha, ha, ha, I do neither.
305.
WISEMAN.

sorry for't ; there's little hopes of a soul that lies speechless. 306. So throwing down his club, Wiseman convey'd a

small manuscript into Youth's Hand, and withdrew. 307. Father. The great excellency and perfection

of humane nature is religion; the lively sense and firm belief of a Deity, and carriage and demeanour

suitable to that belief. But, 308. He that prophanely swears, or prates dishonour

ably of sacred Things, demonstrates himself to be an ill-bred clown. Such language grates the ears of good Men, and forces 'em to quit the place, as the Israelites did the tents of Korah, Dathan, and

Abiram. Yet, 309. Fools make a mock at sin. Wo unto them that

draw iniquity with the cords of vanity ?-and treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath.3

1

310. Son. One that after travelling seven years

was returned well vers’d in amorous smirk, the alamode grin, the antic bow, the newest fashion ogle, cringe, shrug, &c. and cou'd cough and spit in set-form, and not like the vulgar, began to blazon cities, as if he had been their herald, telling us that -Constantinople was the store-house of GreeceParis the metropolis of France-Venice the eye of Italy–Florence the seat of beauty, and— Rome the lady-city, whose impress was orbis in urbe. Nevertheless, he prefer'd Heidelbergh far before