dau, to be seen abroad with her. And he had this farther conftant Mortification, whenever the appeared at any of the Places of public Refort, to fee herfelf defpifed and fhunned by all People of Family, and to be laughed and pointed at, together with the hopeful Adonis the maintained for her in famods Pleafures, wherever they came w

ni sud on old wo 9311 din 10 ; D Now this, one would think, was a' Condition, which, to any Perfon of a liberal Education, and any Spirit, would be worfe than Death; and yet fo little do we take Warning by the Example of ochers, fo apelare we to flatter ourselves that we Thall come off better, that, not many years after, and even while the former was labouring under Want and Infamy, another, the Lady of a Baronet, bleffed with a vaft Eftate, giving a Lobfe to her inordinate Defires, expofed herself likewife to be the Subject of Mirth and Derifion to every polite TeaTable and Affèmbly ::For Tuch is the hard! Fate of thefe unfortunate Wretches, that theymareofcarce ever pitied by any ones especially of their own Sexy and that even uch as are gulty of the fame Jacominence, and perhaps in a gfchter Degree; if they have had the Diteretion, or good. Fortune, to avoid Difcovery, are fare to be loudett in the Outcry against them, in order to cover their own Frailty, and avoidi Sufpiciono gard to quit wit'f Resolig! I 756 as acqu bralcol vheimot edi C A But, of all mofamazing was the Fall of a young Lady of Qualityg every Way, accomplished, de fcended from a long Race of nobles Ancestors, PoL felfed of an immenie Fortune by Inheritance, ins Aructed in every thing that could render ber agreeable and admired, and to brownal, mars ried to a Nobleman of unblemished Honour, of fuit able Years, of the firft Rank, and Master of a vaft Bftatempat could a Woman in fuch gan Staf on want to complea herFelicity She was poffeffed not only of all the Conveniences bat, whed Su

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perfluities,

perfluities, and Elegancies of Life; in short, there was no Manner of Enjoyment, we mean no manner of lawful Enjoyment, which the might not have commanded; but, alas! all this was nothing, (like the wicked Haman, who tho' poffeffed of Grandeur, Riches, and Power, could not relifh any of them, whilft Mordecai was fuffered to fit at the King's Gate; or rather like our Mother Eve in Paradife who, though the might freely eat of all the Trees, but one, in the Garden, could not reft fatisfied till the had tafted that alfo,) fhe could not be contented, till fhe had plucked of the Forbidden Fruit, though like our first Parent alfo, fhe had all the Realon in the World to apprehend that Mischief would follow.

In effect, it did fo; a Difcovery enfued, and that fo palpable, that a Diffolution of her Marriage was founded thereon; a Difgrace, in itself worse than Death! And tho' her high Rank, and immenfe Fortune, made her in some measure fuperior to Scandal and Obloquy, or at least rendered them lefs infupportable, yet did fhe think it advifeable to condemn herself to a voluntary Exile in a foreign Kingdom, rather than ftand the piercing and fcowling Eyes of her more fortunate, or less frail quondam Acquaintance, and undergo the continual Mortification of being forced to give Place to thofe whom the formerly looked upon as her Inferiors, and of whom the used to take the upper Hand:⠀⠀ A Punishment, which, however flight it may feem to fuch, who not having been born thereto, were never accustomed to regard or contend for Precedency, is well known to be more cutting to Perfons of a high Rank and lofty Spirit, than can be easily. imagined!

Having thus fhewn the fatal Consequences and Mifery, almoft conftantly attendant upon the Breach of this Law, even in this World,ands having calio

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fhewn, that neither Youth, Beauty, Grandeur, Riches, or high Titles, can protect those who will be guilty thereof from the moft grievous Mortifications; we fhall now proceed to confider in the fame Manner, what good or evil Effects may be expected to refult from our Obedience to, or Tranfgreffion of the next Commandment.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the good and bad Confequences of the Obfervance, or Non-Obfervance, of the Eighth Commandment.

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Hou shalt not fteal. The Words of this Law are fo very explicit, and the Senfe feemingly fo very clear, that many People, we doubt not, will think us quite impertinent in offering to add any farther Comment thereon. We happen, however, not to be altogether of their Opinion, having good Reafon to believe, that like all the others before examined into, it has hitherto been taken by most Perfons in a much too reftrained Senfe; and we are the more induced to imagine this, because we fee it violated every Day by those who would be very angry, and perhaps make us anfwer it with our Lives, fhould we tell them in plain English, what nevertheless is ftrictly true, that they are Thieves.

It is very easy indeed to account for the Generality of the World's being fo greatly mistaken in the Latitude of this Commandment; fince it is intirely owing to the fame Caufe as their mifunderftanding the others, namely, because it makes against

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themselves, and they cannot allow it its full Scope, without pronouncing their own Condemnation : But for all this, if they will commit fuch Actions as bring them within the Verge of this Law, they must be contented to find themselves fentenced thereby, and muft not take it amifs if they find themselves included in the Number of those who tranfgrefs it. For, not to flatter any one, this Com mandment, as well as all the others, is exceeding broad; and indeed fo great is its Latitude, that however vainly fome Perfons may footh themselves with the Fancy of having never offended against it, it will be very well, if, upon a serious Review of our paft Conduct, any of us can clear ourselves of that Guilt.

Many People, no doubt, will think this Cenfure too rash and uncharitable, and imagine themselves mighty honeft Folks, because they have never done any Action that is punishable by the Laws of the Land; which is faying no more, in other Words, than this, that they have had so much Value for their dear felves, as to avoid the Ga'lows, Tranfportation, the Houfe of Correction, or the Whipping-Poft; a pretty Commendation truly ! And yet it would be well if all would come up to this. But come we now to the Law and to the Teftimony, that is, to the written Word of God, which certainly must be allowed to be the best Comment upon the Ten Commandment, and then let us fee who can fay, I am clear.

How then do the holy Oracles fpeak upon this Head? Do we nor find it there thus written, My Son give me thy Heart? And have we done this? If we have not, we must own ourselves guilty of Robbery. But this is not all: Have we never run in Debr, without any Thought of paying? If we have, then are we likewife Robbers. Have we never run any Goods ourselves, or have we never know

ingly bought or fold any fuch? If we have, we are Robbers. Have we made any Scruple, when we have received bad Money, of putting it off again? If we have not, we are alfo Robbers. Have we never given, nor taken a Bribe? If we have, how great foever we may be, we likewife are Robbers, and that of the worst kind. Have we never broken a Promife made, to the Detriment of our Neighbour? If we have, we are involved in the fame Guilt. Have we never been guilty of skreening Criminals from Juftice, or preventing Enquiries into Frauds? If we have, however exalted our Station, or however venerable our Character may be, we are no better than Thieves, and that of the worft Sort. Have we never undervalued Goods when going to buy, or over-rated them when about to fell; or have we never taken Advantage of the Ignorance of those with whom we dealed, to buy too cheap, or fell too dear? If we have, we come under the fame Denomination. Have we never preyed upon the Neceffities of others, and especially the Poor; or have we never exacted Ufury, that is, more than legal Intereft? If we have, we are Robbers. Have we never concealed a Depofit, or perverted a Truft? If we have, we are likewife guilty of Robbery. Have we never been acceffary to any grievous and unreafonable Taxations? If we have, we are involved in the fame Guilt. Have we never endamaged our Neighbour's Goods, or Eftates, by Negligence, or otherwife? If we have, then alfo we are guilty. Have we never demanded Expedition-Money, for what we were otherwise paid for, and obliged to do by virtue of our Office? If we have, we are likewife included in the Number of the Tranfgreffors. Have we never refufed to restore the Pledge, when we imagined oar Purfe would bear us out in fo doing? If we have, this alfo is Theft. Have we never taken more than was juftly our due, under the foft Name of Perquifites? If we have, it will b