pleased to give up the bond, none can give an acquittance to themselves.

She chooseth not a single life solely for itself, but in reference to the better serving of God. A single life is none of those things to be desired in and for itself, but because it leads a more convenient way to the worshipping of God, especially in time of persecution. For then, if Christians be forced to run races for their lives, the unmarried have the advantage, lighter by many ounces, and freed from much incumbrance, which the married are subject to; who, though private persons, herein are like princes, they must have their train follow them.

She improveth her single life therewith to serve God the more constantly. Housekeepers cannot so exactly mark all their family affairs, but that sometimes their ranks will be broken; which disorder by necessary consequence will disturb their duties of piety, to make them contracted, omitted, or unseasonably performed. The Apostle saith, "Such shall have troubles in the flesh "; and grant them sanctified troubles, yet even holy-thistle and sweetbrier have their prickles. But the virgin is freed from these incumbrances. No lording husband shall at the same time command her presence and distance, to be always near in constant attendance, and always to stand aloof off in an awful observance; so that providing his break

fast hazards her soul to fast a meal of morning prayer: no crying children shall drown her singing of psalms, and put her devotion out of tune: no unfaithful servants shall force her to divide her eyes betwixt lifting them up to God and casting them down to oversee their work; but making her closet her chapel, she freely enjoyeth God and good thoughts at what time she pleaseth.

Yet in all her discourse she maketh an honorable mention of marriage. And good reason that virginity should pay a chief rent of honor unto it, as acknowledging herself to be a colonia deducta from it. Unworthy is the practice of those who in their discourse plant all their arguments point-blank to batter down the married estate, bitterly inveighing against it; yea, base is the behavior of some young men, who can speak nothing but satires against God's ordinance of matrimony, and the whole sex of women. This they do either out of deep dissimulation, to divert suspicion, that they may prey the farthest from their holes; or else they do it out of revenge: having themselves formerly lighted on bad women (yet no worse than they deserved), they curse all adventures because of their own shipwreck ; or, lastly, they do it out of mere spite to nature and God himself: and pity it is but that their fathers had been of the same opinion. Yet

it may be tolerable, if only in harmless mirth they chance to bestow a jest upon the follies of married people. Thus, when a gentlewoman told an ancient bachelor who looked very young, that she thought he had eaten a snake, "No, mistress," said he, "it is because I never meddled with any snakes which maketh me look so young.

She counts herself better lost in a modest silence than found in a bold discourse. Divinity permits not women to speak in the church; morality forbids maids to talk in the house, where their betters are present. She is far from the humors of those who (more bridling in their chins than their tongues) love in their constant prating to make sweet music to their own ears, and harsh jarring to all the rest of the company: yea, as some report of sheep, that when they run they are afraid of the noise of their own feet; so our virgin is afraid to hear her own tongue run in the presence of graver persons. She conceives the bold maintaining of any argument concludes against her own civil behavior; and yet she will give a good account of anything whereof she is questioned, sufficient to show her silence is her choice, not her refuge. In speaking, she studiously avoids all suspicious expressions, which wanton apprehensions may colorably convert into obscenity.

She blusheth at the wanton discourse of others in her company. As fearing that being in the presence where treason against modesty is spoken, all in the place will be arraigned for principal: yea, if silent, she is afraid to be taken to consent. Wherefore, that she may not suffer in her title to modesty, to preserve her right she enters a silent caveat by a blush in her cheeks, and embraceth the next opportunity to get a gaol-delivery out of that company where she was detained in durance. Now because we have mentioned blushing, which is so frequent with virgins that it is called a maiden's blush (as if they alone had a patent to dye this color), give us leave a little to enlarge ourselves on this subject.

1. Blushing oftentimes proceeds from guiltiness; when the offender, being pursued after, seeks as it were to hide himself under the vizard of a new face.

2. Blushing is other times rather a compurgator than an accuser; not arising from guiltiness in our virgin, but from one of these reasons: First, because she is surprised with a sudden accusation, and, though armed with innocency that she cannot be pierced, yet may she be amazed with so unexpected a charge. Secondly, from sensibleness of dis grace, ashamed, though innocent, to be withir the suspicion of such faults, and that she hath

carried herself so that any tongue durst be so impudent as to lay it to her charge. Thirdly from a disability to acquit herself at the instan (her integrity wanting rather clearing than clearness), and perchance she wants boldness to traverse the action, and so non-suiting herself, she fears her cause will suffer in the judg ments of all that be present; and although accused but in jest, she is jealous the accusation will be believed in earnest; and edged tools thrown in merriment may wound reputations. Fourthly, out of mere anger; for as in fear the blood makes not an orderly retreat, but a confused flight to the heart, so in blushing the blood sallies out into our virgin's cheeks, and seems as a champion to challenge the accuser for wronging her.

3. Where small faults are committed, blushing obtains a pardon of course with ingenuous beholders. As if she be guilty of casual incivilities, or solecisms in manners occasioned by invincible ignorance and unavoidable mistakes, in such a case blushing is a sufficient penance to restore her to her state of innocency.

She imprisons not herself with a solemn vow never to marry. For none know their own strength herein. Who hath sailed about the world of his own heart, sounded each creek, surveyed each corner, but that still there remains therein much terra incognita to him