ftruction, and destroys by Delight. 'Tis like the Bee, that carries a Sting in its Tail, after all the Honey it affords. Plato and Socrates, Ariftotle and Hippocrates, all upbraid carnal Concupifcence for being the Mother of Madness, Fury and Fire of the Body; the Inflammation of the Blood; the Caufe of diverse dangerous Difeafes; the Calenture of the Brain; and the tormenting Curfe of the reasonable Soul, as well as the Plague of humane Society.

IT is not poffible to tell what infinite Mife ries, Murders, and notorious Wickedneffes, it produces and propagates in the World. And although Acts of complicated Adultery, or fimple Fornication, be no capital Crimes among English Men; yet it is either a Mercy or a Pity, that they are not brought to fuffer greater Punishments, than only thofe of a conditional Divorce from Bed and Board; barely standing in a white Sheet, or doing Penance in the Church. Getting of fpurious Children now-a-days, is vulgarly reckon'd, by the vileft Injustice, among the common Peccadillo's of Mankind, as a cheap Sin; and Adultery is not yet made Death by the Law, for good Reasons of State without doubt. But we ought not to believe rafhly, that our virtuous Legislators, or any Perfons in Authority, ever were afraid of them felves by any Remifnefs or Moderation in this critical Affair. That would be an incredible Reflexion; a Cenfure, a Slander, a Detraction, or the groffeft Scandalum magnatum, as unpardonable, as groundlefs. For the Secular Power, as well as Spiritual Authority here, can make a Bill of abfolute Divorcement; diffolve the very Bond of Matrimony, and intitle the Parties injur'd to a fecond Marriage by Act of P-1-m-t.

D 2

But

But I forbear dwelling any longer upon this ticklish Topick, for Fear of offending. Let fuch nullifying Separations, or political Diffolutions, be as they will for me, by the Wisdom of a Nation.

HOWEVER, those libidinous Actions, or Liberties of Whoring, were reckon'd among the most flagrant Wrongs and Offences in former Days. Infomuch, that Julius Cafar order'd one of his Captains to be beheaded immediately, for deflow'ring his Landlady; without any Complaint of her injur'd Husband. Zaleucus, among the Locrians, punish'd Adulterers upon Conviction, by, having their Eyes pull'd out of their Head: Neither would he fpare his dear guilty Son once, though at the Expence of one of his own Eyes, to atone for the young Man's Crime in the Violation of his Virtue. Augu ftus himself made a Law to punish Adultery with Death; and those wrong'd Perfons, who took Advantage of it, were always abfolv'd by the Senate for making Reprifals, or revenging the Injury by Way of Satisfaction. The Egyptians alfo were very fevere in their Punishment of Adulterers, by cutting off the Woman's Nose, and the Man's nobler Parts. Alexander the Great was a profefs'd Enemy against defiling of Women, or ravishing of Virgins; even to the Discountenancing of it in his Confidents, and difcarding fuch Offenders out of his Favour for ever, as unpardonable Malefactors. But all Hiftory abounds with fuch a Variety of Inftances, not only of Man's Severity, but also of God's Wrath, Indignation and Judgments, National as well as Perfonal, never to be bury'd in Silence or Oblivion, against Whoredom; that a due Confideration of them, would make

the

the greatest Prince in Europe look about him, tremble and believe that there can be no true Liberty in Lafciviousness, no true Virtue in Venery, no true Satisfaction in Unchaftness, no true Happiness in Debauchery, and no Self-Intereft, Security or Salvation, for lewd, incontinent and impenitent Whoremongers, either in this or the next Life. But to fay no more upon this Head How gloriously was Jofeph rewarded for afferting his Chastity, on the other Side, and preferving his Virtue upon the greatest Temptation in Egypt !

:

VERSE IV.

IT is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink Wine; nor for Princes, ftrong Drink!

L

PARAPHRASE.

ET me advise you, in the next Place, my dear Lemuel, to avoid immoderate Drinking, as well as the common Sin of Whoring, and the general Frailty of keeping Company with lewd, ignoble, or ignominious Women! It is not proper for the meanest Perfons to addict themfelves too much to guzling of ftrong Liquors; for fear of getting ill Habits of Body, and worse Dispositions of Mind. 'Tis not fit for young Princes to indulge themselves in carowzing of racy Wine exceffively; for fear of debauching their Morals, and difparaging their noble Character. 'Tis not

convenient for older Kings to give themselves up to the intemperate Quaffing of any rich Cordials, potent Mixtures, poaching Drams, or intoxicating Draughts of the strongest Drink; for fear of disordering their Heads, fhaking their Crowns, and overthrowing their Governments, by contracting the popular Odium, or univerfal Contempt of their Kingdoms, through Drunkennefs and a befotted Indolence. Kings, above all other People, ought to be exemplarily, fober, cool, active, grave and fedate in their Behaviour, either in publick, or private at Home. Their Deportment ought to be all made up of Chaftity, Temperance and Sobriety, in their Royal Palaces, for a good Example to their admiring Subjects; who are always fondly big with the Imitation of their fupreme Head and Governour, being naturally ambitious. In fine, they ought to be extremely careful and cauti us in making a right Ufe of drinking good Wine and other comfortable Liquors; by keeping ftill within the due Bounds of a moderate Refresh ment, and the neceffary Support of craving Nature. In all humane Probability, this Difcretionary Conduct in Drinking, with good Confideration, would would have an extraordinary Effect, as well as powerful Influence, upon their fubordinate Councellors, Commanders, Judges, Ministers, and other Civil Officers of State; to make them regular in their Inclinations, moderate in their Defires, abftemious in their Enjoyments, fparing in their Cups, and very fparing too in their Indulgences or Delights of this inebriating Kind: In order to have the Honour of being like their prudent Prince, in the Virtues of Moderation and Temperance, or of becoming as perfectly fober, as their King himself, over a refiefling Bottle, after the Toils

of

of Business at Court, and the Fatigues of Adminiftration at the Helm of Government. Thus will your Kingdom flourish at length, O Solomon, when you come to that Glory; and your People will have the greatest Reason to rejoice in the Profperity, Prefervation and Preferment of their lawful Prince! But otherwife, if you degenerate; if you give your felf over, either to Wine, Women, or Whoredom; you may expec to be in Danger of lofing Ten Parts of your Dominions, and forfeiting your future Felicity, as well as popular Applaufe, Veneration and Obedience.

H

REMARK S.

ERE this Holy Leffon preffes on to a farther Degree of Perfection, and a greater Progrefs in Virtue. But it seems to take a different Turn, in a fort of Triumph over the wicked Ways of the ftrange Woman; which deftroyeth Kings, as well as other libidinous Perfons of inferiour Quality, or puts them upon a Level with the ignobleft vitious Poltrons in a Kingdom. However, fuch a wife Lecture it is, if well learn'd, and practis'd accordingly, as will make the most polite Proficient in the Schools of Humanity and Temperance: That is to fay, the compleatest Gentleman in the whole Univerfe. Upon this, the Queen-Mother argues the Cafe fo lovingly with her Son Lemuel, given her of God, for his greater Encouragement in learning the Virtues of Sobriety, It is highly improper for a King or a Prince of Wisdom, ever to be in Drink, or intoxicated with Wine. It is unpardonable for a Person of your auguft Defcent, Character and Eminence