He disposeth not of his master's goods without his privity or consent: no, not in the smallest matters. Open this wicket and it will be in vain for masters to shut the door. If servants presume to dispose small things without their master's allowance (besides that many little leaks may sink a ship), this will widen their consciences to give away greater. But though he hath not always a particular leave, he hath a general grant, and a warrant dormant from his master to give an alms to the poor in his absence, if in absolute necessity.

His answers to his master are true, direct, and dutiful. If a dumb devil possesseth a servant, a winding cane is the fittest circle, and the master the exorcist to drive it out. Some servants are so talkative, one may as well command the echo as them not to speak last; and then they count themselves conquerors, because last they leave the field. Others, though they seem to yield and go away, yet, with the flying Parthians, shoot backward over their shoulders, and dart bitter taunts at their masters; yea. though with the clock they have given the last stroke, yet they keep a jarring, muttering to themselves a good while after.

Just correction he bears patiently, and unjust he takes cheerfully; knowing that stripes unjustly given more hurt the master than the man and the logic maxim is verified, Agens

agendo repatitur, the smart most lights on the striker. Chiefly he disdains the baseness of running away.

Because charity is so cold, his industry is the hotter to provide something for himself, whereby he may be maintained in his old age. If under his master he trades for himself (as an apprentice may do, if he hath covenanted so beforehand), he provides good bounds and sufficient fences betwixt his own and his master's estate (Jacob, Gen. xxx. 36, set his flock three days' journey from Laban's), that no quarrel may arise about their property, nor suspicion that his remnant hath eaten up his master's whole cloth.

SHE

THE GOOD WIDOW.

HE is a woman whose head hath been quite cut off, and yet she liveth. Conceive her to have buried her husband decently according to his quality and condition, and let us see how she behaves herself afterwards.

Her grief for her husband, though real, is moderate. Excessive was the sorrow of King Richard the Second, beseeming him neither as king, man, or Christian, who so fervently loved Anna of Bohemia his Queen, that when she died at Sheen, in Surrey, he both cursed

the place, and also out of madness overthrew the whole house.

But our widow's sorrow is no storm, but a still rain. Indeed some foolishly discharge the surplusage of their passions on themselves, tearing their hair, so that their friends coming to the funeral know not which most to bemoan, the dead husband, or the dying widow. Yet commonly it comes to pass, that such widows' grief is quickly emptied, which streameth out at so large a vent; whilst their tears that but drop will hold running a long time.

She continues a competent time in her widow's estate. Anciently they were, at least, to live out their annum luctûs, their year of sorrow. But as some erroneously compute the long lives of the patriarchs before the flood, not by solary, but lunary years, making a month a year, so many overhasty widows cut their year of mourning very short, and within few weeks make post speed to a second marriage.

Though going abroad sometimes about her business, she never makes it her business to go abroad. Indeed "man goeth forth to his labor," and a widow in civil affairs is often forced to act a double part of man and woman, and must go abroad to solicit her business in person, what she cannot do by the proxy of her friends. Yet even then she is most careful of her credit, and tender of her modesty, not

impudently thrusting into the society of men. Oh! 't is improper for tinder to strike fire, and for their sex, which are to be sued to, first to intrude and offer their company.

She loves to look on her husband's picture in the children he hath left her: not foolishly fond over them for their father's sake (this were to kill them in honor of the dead), but giveth them careful education. Her husband's friends are ever her welcomest guests, whom she entertaineth with her best cheer, and with honorable mention of their friend's and her husband's memory.

If she can speak little good of him, she speaks but little of him. So handsomely folding up her discourse that his virtues are shown outwards, and his vices wrapped up in silence, as counting it barbarism to throw dirt on his memory who hath moulds cast on his body. She is a champion for his credit, if any speak against him.

She putteth her especial confidence in God's providence. Surely if he be "a father to the fatherless," it must need follow that he is an husband to the widow. And therefore she seeks to gain and keep his love unto her, by her constant prayer and religious life.

She will not mortgage her first husband's pawns, thereby to purchase the good will of a second. If she marrieth (for which she hath

the Apostle's license, not to say mandate, "I will that the younger widows marry"), she will not abridge her children of that which justly belongs unto them. Surely a broken faith to the former is but a weak foundation to build thereon a loyal affection to a latter love. Yet if she becomes a mother-in-law, there is no difference betwixt her carriage to her own and her second husband's children, save that she is severest to her own, over whom she hath the sole jurisdiction. And if her second husband's children by a former wife commit a fault, she had rather bind them over to answer for it before their own father, than to correct them herself, to avoid all suspicion of hard using of them.

THE CONSTANT VIRGIN

S one who hath made a resolution with herself to live chaste and unmarried. Now there is a grand difference betwixt a resolution and a vow. The former is a covenant drawn up betwixt the party and herself; and commonly runs with this clause, durante nostro beneplacito, as long as we shall think fitting; and therefore on just occasion she may give a release to herself. But in a vow God is interested as the creditor, so that, except he be