after All, but gilding a fordid Dunghil, in Comparison of the incorruptible Part? How perifhable are all other Commodities of external Figure; and their Glories fading, like the faireft Flowers, in Apparel!

VERSE XXII.

SHE maketh her felf Coverings of Tapestry; her Cloathing is Silk and Purple.

H

PARAPHRASE.

EREUPON, our virtuous Wife again redoubles her commendable Diligence and Curiofity. The Furniture of her House appears very noble, and her own Apparel fuitable to its Excellency in which, the Greatness, as well as Goodness of her Mind, is the more confpicuous ftill, because they are both of her own frugal Making and Contrivance. She makes her felf Carpets, Coverlets, and Hangings of the I beft Tapestry, wrought with ingenious Pictures of diverse Colours: infomuch that fhe furnishes her Dwelling-Place, like a Palace; fit for the Reception, Entertainment or Co-habitation of the greatest Monarch. Thus fhe hangs her Rooms, fpreads her Tables, and adorns her Beds in the genteeleft Manner. She cloaths her felf alfo with fubftantial Silk, and covers her Body 3 with the most serviceable Garments of her own curious Handy-works: fo that by her Ingenuity,

as well as Industry, fhe adds a greater Luftre to the very Purple fhe wears, with the most becoming and exquifite Elegancy. Virtue and Prudence prompt her naturally to those useful Undertakings, and put her upon studying thofe delightful Arts of making the finest Coverings of all Sorts, both for her own and her Family's Service. Her well-imploy'd bufy Fingers are rarely difengag'd from doing fome neat Piece of Needlework, or curious Imbroidery. She imbellishes all her Houfhold-Goods by her admirable Dexterity, and often inriches the very Garbs of her whole Progeny, apparell'd in Silks, or Cloth of Silver and Gold. She fupplies them with abundance of the best Satins, Tiffues, and Tapestries of feveral forts, for the Ufe of the nobleft Offspring or the latest Posterity. The fuperlative Excellency of her Manufactures ennobles her Appearance, and glorifies her Perfon. Her common Cloathing is incomparable; and her ornamental Coverings, inimitable. In fine, the Attire of her whole Houfhold; whether dress'd in plain or Purple-Garments, fimple or imbroider'd: will always be made modeftly fuitable for any Occafion, either facred or fecular, folemn upon holy, or fervile upon working Days.

SUM

REMARKS.

UMPTUOUSNESS of Apparel and Furniture have been always equally exploded by ancient Writers; whenever they exceeded the due Bounds of Modefty, exa& Rules of Decency, and juft Limits of Moderation. The moral Philofophers and Poets of Old, highly condemn'd the needlefs Superfluities of Both, as well as all other chargeable Excelles of a luxurious Life;

either in Point of expenfive Food, or diffolute Fafhions. Homer, to prove the Immortality of the Heathen Gods, affigns this Reafon for it; that they did not eat: making fuch Indulgencies as Eating and Drinking, &c. an Argument of Death. Seneca cries out against the Shortness of Life, the Length of Art, and the Prolixity of =Pride; hinting at the Laboriousness of Vanity, in the Study of artificial Satisfactions. We are always in a Hurry of Life; hunting after new Inventions, and modifh Novelties in Cloathing, as well as other vain Things: which commonly prove either infignificant, fatal, or unfortunate to their Admirers in the Pursuit ; and they themselves often become the Prey. For what is it but preying upon themselves, if they fall into Poverty by it, and are forc'd at laft to go a-begging with their fond Trifles? Extravagance, either in Food, Fashion or Furniture, is like a Lion, a Bear, or any other wild Beast, that turns upon his Keeper, and tears him to Pieces. The Heathen Poets, as well as moral Philofophers, were more prudent Oeconomifts. They utterly decry'd all other fuperfluous Magnificence, and pompous Diffolutenefs; either in frivolous or unprofitable Expences, in fumptuous or coftly Apparel, in precious or precarious Moveables, in immoderate or ufelefs House Furniture, in gaudy or gilded Horfe-Trappings, in numberless and vain-glorious Servingmen, or in keeping fo many fine Horfes, Hounds, Hawks, Birds, and Beafts of all Sorts, for Diverfion only to fhew their own Grandeur, gratify their Ambition, and indulge their Affectation of Curiofity. Their chief Bufinefs, as well as domeftick Furniture, confifted in learned Books; or else they themselves were their own

living Libraries. Their nobler Minds were wholly fet upon fublimer Studies, and more inftrutive Recreations. Their loftier Thoughts were imploy'd in search of real Truth, Knowledge and Wisdom. Their diviner Sentiments were

fix'd upon the fupreme Being of Beings, (how much unknown foever) in Queft of their Philofophick Mercury, and fpiritual Idea's abftracted from grofs Matter. Their wifer Confiderations tranfcended the Body, dignify'd their Notions, either natural or metaphyfical, and, in a Manner, transmuted all earthy Riches into real Content

Their more curious Arts and Enquiries, were far above the Care or Concern of external Habits. In fhort, they made the World truckle and ferve them, but never render'd themfelves fubfervient to the World. It is certain, as Cicero well obferves, that all the Dieting of our Conftitutions, Decking of our Bodies, and Adorning of our Houses, ought to be wholly referr'd only to Health, Strength and Decency; not to Praise, Pleasure, Delight, Delicacy, or Vainglory. Sumptuary Laws were ever yet efteem'd neceffary in a well-govern'd State. Solon made feveral Acts to cut-off all Occafions of idle Expences, upon severe. Penalties. Lycurgus eftablifh'd feveral Decrees, to abolifh all Kinds of Superfluities, and banifh all forts of strange Wares from Abroad: whereby both the Athenian and Lavedamonian Governments were kept in a more flourishing Condition of Profperity. As to our wearing Habits, Antiquity thought all Masks and Mummeries, or Difguifes at Masquerades, to be of the most dangerous, devilish, and pernicious Confequence to Virtue, or the naked Truth of the Gofpel. They are now alfo lately become the hellish Inventions of modern Practice, that invert

the

the very Ordinance of God; by fome People's affuming falfe Faces, falfer Names, and the falfest Hearts too, for the Sake of transacting fuch diffolute Impostures, Liberties and Senfualities, as are not fit to be nam'd in a Christian Country. But let the reprobated Authors, and Abetters of all blafphemous Kit-Kat, Hell-Fire, SulphurClubs, or Red-Dragon-Societies, remember, the Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah did not escape the divine Vengeance. Let them confider the fad Fate, and fudden Catastrophe of Lewis of Magdeburgh; who, dancing only with fome Ladies to an unfeasonable Time of Night, broke his Neck upon the Spot, by an accidental Fall. Let them ruminate upon the providential Deliverance of Charles the Sixth, who, being dif guis'd once like a wild Man in his Dress, and dancing by Torch-Light, narrowly efcap'd the Danger of being burn'd to Death. There are temporal Judgments, as well as eternal. In a Word, that's a fufficient Caution or Terror to the Wife.

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BUT fuch like excellent Works as thefe, mention'd in the holy Text, which the noblest Ladies us'd to apply themselves to in former Days, are not lefs ufeful and profitable, than commendable or Praife-worthy. They are the fignal Marks of a moft ingenious, as well as honourable Woman; Demonstrations of her great Frugality, and the Mafter-Pieces of her induftrious Hands. They do not only imploy her Time well, but improve her Invention to the greatest Advantages, and Admiration of her incomparable Performances. She feems to be the very Matron of Wisdom, and the great Difciple of Minerva Her felf; the prolifick Mother of all Elegancy in Drefs, and a meer Com

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