very difpleafing to Confidence, who was always inclined to hurry on, without much forethought or deliberation, in the first road he met. Wisdom and Virtue were infeparable: but Confidence one day, following his impetuous nature, advanced a confiderable way before his guides and companions; and not feeling any want of their company, he never enquired after them, nor ever met with them more. In like manner, the other fociety, though joined by Jupiter, difagreed and feparated. As Folly faw very little way before her, fhe had nothing to determine concerning the goodness of roads, nor could give the preference to one above another; and this want of refolution was increased by Diffidence, who, with her doubts and fcruples, always retarded the journey. This was a great annoyance to Vice, who loved not to hear of difficulties and delays, and was never fatisfied without his full career, in whatever his inclinations led him to. Folly, he knew, though fhe hearkened to Diffidence, would be eafily managed when alone; and, therefore, as a vicious horfe throws his rider, he openly beat away this controller of all his pleafures, and proceeded in his journey with Folly, from whom he is infeparable. Confidence and Diffidence being, after this manner, both thrown lofe from their respective companies, wandered for fome time; til at laft chance led them at the fame time to one village. Confidence went directly up to the great houfe, which belonged to Wealth, the lord of the village; and, without staying for a porter, intruded himself immediately into the innermost apartments,

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apartments, where he found Vice and Folly well xeceived before him. He joined the train; recommended himself very quickly to his landlord; and entered into fuch familiarity with Vice, that he was inlifted in the fame company with Folly. They were frequent guests to Wealth, and from that moment inseparable. Diffidence, in the meantime, not daring to approach the great house, accepted of an invitation from Poverty, one of the tenants; and entering the cottage, found Wisdom and Virtue, who being repulfed by the landlord, had retired thither. Virtue took compaffion of her, and Wifdom found, from her temper, that she would easily improve: fo they admitted her into their fociety. Accordingly, by their means, fhe altered in a little. time fomewhat of her manner, and becoming much more amiable and engaging, was now known by the name of Modesty. As ill company has a greater effect than good, Confidence, though more refractory to counsel and example, degenerated fo far by the fociety of Vice and Folly, as to pafs by the name of IMPUDENCE. Mankind, who faw these focieties as Jupiter firft joined them, and know nothing of these mutual desertions, are thereby led into strange miftakes; and, wherever they fee Impudence, make account of finding Virtue and Wisdom; and where ever they obferve Modefty, call her attendants Vice and Folly,

ESSAY

I

No. I.

ESSAY II.

OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE.

KNOW not whence it proceeds, that women are so apt to take amifs every thing which is faid in diffo paragement of the married ftate; and always confider a fatire upon matrimony as a fatire upon themfelves. Do they mean, that they are the parties principally concerned, and that if a backwardness to enter into that state should prevail in the world, they would be the greatest fufferers? or, are they fenfible, that the misfortunes and mifcarriages of the married state are owing more to their fex than to ours? I hope they do not intend to confefs either of these two particulars, or to give such an advantage to their adverfaries the men, as even to allow them to fufpect it.

"I have often had thoughts of complying with this humour of the fair fex, and of writing a panegyric upon marriage; but in looking around for materials they seemed to be of fo mixed a nature, that at the conclusion of my reflections, I found that I was as much difpofed to write a satire, which might be placed on the oppofite pages of the panegyric; and I am afraid, that as fatire is, on most occafions,

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cafions, more read than panegyric, I fhould have done their cause more harm than good by this expedient. To mifreprefent facts is what, I know, they will not require of me. I must be more a friend to truth, than even to them, where their interefts are oppofite.

I fhall tell the women what it is our fex com. plains of most in the married state; and if they be difpofed to fatisfy us in this particular, all the other differences will eafily be accommodated. If I be not mistaken, 'tis their love of dominion which is the ground of the quarrel; though it is very likely, that they will think it an unreasonable love of it in us, which makes us infift fo much upon that point. However this may be, no paffion feems to have more influence on female minds than this for power: and there is a remarkable instance in history of its prevailing above another paflion, which is the only one that can be fuppofed a proper counterpoife for it. We are told, that all the women in Scythia once confpired against the men, and kept the fecret fo well that they executed their defign before they were fufpected. They furprifed the men in drink, or afleep; bound them all fast in chains; and having called a folemn council of the whole fex, it was debated what expedient fhould be ufed to improve the prefent advantage, and prevent their falling again into flavery. To kill all the men did not feem to be the relifh of any part of the affembly, not-withstanding the injuries formerly received; and -they were afterwards pleafed to make a great merit

of

of this lenity of theirs. It was, therefore, agreed to put out the eyes of the whole male fex, and thereby refign in all future time the vanity which they could draw from their beauty, in order to fecure their authority. We must no longer pretend to dress and show, faid they; but then we shall be free from flavery. We fhall hear no more tender fighs, but in return we fhall hear no more imperious commands. Love muft for ever leave us; but he will carry fubjection along with him.

It is regarded by fome as an unlucky circumftance, fince the women were refolved to maim the men, and deprive them of fome of their fenfes, in order to render them humble and dependent, that the fense of hearing could not ferve their purpose, fince it is probable the females would rather have attacked that than the fight; and, I think, it is agreed among the learned, that, in a married state, it is not near fo great an inconvenience to lose the former fenfe as the latter. However this may be, we are told by modern anecdotes, that fome of the Scythian women did fecretly spare their husbands' eyes; prefuming, I fuppofe, that they could govern them as well by means of that fenfe as without it. But fo incorrigible and untractable were thefe men, that their wives were all obliged, in a few years, as their youth and beauty decayed, to imitate the example of their fifters; which it was no difficult matter to do in a ftate where the female fex had once got the fuperiority.

I know