to endeavour to hide their meanness by their infolence, to cure them by a little reasonable rallery, a little sharpnefs well placed without dwelling long upon it.

Thefe and many other kinds of pride are to be

avoided.

That which is to be recommended to ladies, is an emulation to raise themselves to a character, by which they may be diftinguished, an eagerness of precedence in virtue, and all fuch other things as may gain them a greater fhare of the good opinion of the world. Efteem to virtue is like cherishing air to plants and flowers, which makes them blow and profper; and for that reafon it may be allowed to be in fome degree the cause, as well as the reward of it. That pride which leads to a good end cannot be a vice, fince it is the beginning for a virtue; and to be pleafed with juft applaufe is fo far from a fault, that it would be an ill fymptom in a woman, who should not place the greatest part of her fatisfaction in it. Humility is, no doubt, a great virtue, but it ceafes to be fo when it is afraid to fcorn an ill thing. Againft vice and folly it is becoming ladies to be haughty, but they must not carry the contempt of things to arrogance towards perfons; and it must be done with fitting diftinctions, elfe it may be inconvenient by being unfeasonable. A pride that raises a little anger, to be outdone in any thing that is good, will have fo good an effect that it is very hard to allow it to be a fault.

It is no eafy matter to carry even between these two differing kinds of pride; but they fhould remember that it is fafer for a woman to be thought too proud than too familiar.

The folly and wickednefs of this vice having been thus explained, as well with refpect to our conduct in civil life, as in a chriftian: it will appear not only fo hainous, but fo ridiculous, that were our concern for this world only, methinks enough has been faid to make all reafonabe people to deteft it.

INDE X.

A

Ability to be confidered in almfgiving, page 202.

Admiration falfe, that is raifed by beauty, 86, 88. Admonition a remedy against calumny, 264. The duty of it, 257.

Adulterers, their fin and punishment, 102. How feveral nations dealt with them, 105.

Adultery, whether worfe in the man or woman, 105,

106.

Affections guide more than judgment,

281.

Alms, the manner of giving them well, 186. proportioned to the wants of the poor, 209. be referved to our lat will, ibid.

To be

Not to

Angry inen a pain to themfelves, 160.
Anger, its mifchief and deformity, 164, 165.
Ant, the wonderful formation of it, 144.
Ancients, their fimplicity in drefs, 52.
Animals, in what on a level with man, 334.
Apparel, mens not to be worn by women, 44. Should
be fuited to every one's condition, 45. Gold and
coftly may be worn, 57, 58. The pride of it, not
in the coft, 59. Loofe and immoded, finful, 63.
Mistakes in coafuring of it rectified, 73.

Applaufe, the vanity of an eager puriuit of, 268.
Arbitrament, an ufeful branch of charity, 196.
Arguing, rules for it, 311.

Arguments falle, three cautes of them, 321.

Ariftides banished his country out of pure envy to his

virtues, 240.

Authority

Authority divine, not fo readily believed as human,

289.

Authors, their errors through vanity, 330.
Arithmetick fhould be taught to ladies, 12.

B.

Backbiting, the common topic of discourse, 251.
Bafhful, a modifh name for a coward, 113.

Beauty, a bleffing only when accompanied with virtue, 48. Not worth the Time and pains bestowed upon it, 86.

Beggars, directions for giving alms to them, 205.
Bigotry, a child of hell, 153, 175.

Boarding-fchool education ufelefs and pernicious, 19.
Books, directions for the choice of them, 299
Burgundy, heiress of, her modefty, 45.

Bufy-bodies dangerous company, 24. Always impudent, 136. Scandalous 246. Never to be courtenanced, 260.

C.

Cæfar, what he fays of the fear of death, 128. Calumny, how it triumphs, 193. Spreaders of it as bad as the inventors, 232. Supported by malice and intereft, 233. The bafenefs of it, 258. An infallible rule against it, 264.

Caution to be obferved in speaking of others, 261. In delivering propofitions, 328.

Cenfure, the ladies moft expofed to it, 132. How to be regulated by charity, 193. The great fault of doing unjufty, 245. We fhould never be the firft in it, 267. When lawful, 271.

Certainty, moral, what it is, 286.
Chance, the impotence of it, 143.

Charity, the excellence of that virtue, 81. Is Chrift's new commandment, 170, 174. A remedy against

envy and pride, 172. Cenforioufnefs, 173. Malice and
revenge, 174. The want of it a forfeiture of God's
pardon, 180. Chearfulness a neceffary quality of it,
187. How to be exercised, 181, & feq. Should be
rather a provifion than a relief, 212.

Chaftity the moft powerful of all chriftian virtues, 99.
Helps to it, 109, 110. An inftance of it in a Nico-
median prince, 110.

Christian life influenced by common life, 152. Its
qualities, 329.

Chriflianity the beft natured inftitution, 275.

Churches, the ladies drefs for them, 44.
Clamour fuccefsful, in women, and why, 162.
Clearnefs, the caufe of it in thinking, 352. What
moft conduces to it, 325.

Clemency, the abufe of it, 84.

Cloifters, the virginity of them not praife-worthy, 100.
Campany, good againft lewdnefs, 111.

Compaffion bred by charity, 171.

Contemplation, what requifite to it, 298.

Contradiction, men delight in it, 295.

Converfation gay and merry, the danger of it, 9.
Coftly apparel, when criminal, 68.

Curiofity, too much of it criminal, 135. How it
should be employed, 137, & feq. Vicious when it
enquires into the works of the creation with a spirit
of fcepticifm, 145. Begot by envy and idleness,
147. A caufe of fcandal, 263.

Custom not to be our guide in giving Alms, .202.
mifchiefs of it, 278.

D

Dancing, the úfe and abuse of it, 41.
David's wickedness after his adultery, 103.

Decency makes converfation useful, 84.

The

Debates, religious, with what animofity carried on,

235.

Debtors