OCR Text |
Show ( z6 ) the total Ruin of an innocent Virgih, to be the Means of debauching and fpoiling the Virtue of a modeft and well difpofed Mind, to drive a thoughtlefs young Creature, who loves one, into imminent danger of her Life (which every Woman is in Child-birth) and of final Defhuction in another World ; to make all this fearful Havock merely to gratify a beaftly Appetite; [ h .>po no young Man, who hlS been under my Care, will ever be capable of fuch Bafenofs and fuch Cruelty. Laflly, to dare to violate the moll facred Bond of Society, I mean that of Marriage, fi·om which all orhers take their Origin; to bring Ruin into a huppy Family, to break the Peace of a Hufband, to raife in the Mind of a contented happy Man the tormenting Fiend of Jealoufy, to confign over a Fellowcreature to Angui{h and 1"'orture, which never ends but with Life; tn alienate from a £\.Jan the .AftfEtion:; of his Wife, and to bring into his Family a fpurious Race to inherit his Fortune; in fhort, lo <lo the Htdband an Injury which 110thing can repair, and plunge the Wife into final Ruin; to do thefe Things is to violate all Reflraints of Humanity, and -to fly in the Face of Religion, Law, and Decency. Yet thefe thing:; every Man docs, who carries on an Intrigue with a married Woman. To conclude this Suhjec\. I will affure you, that in the En· joyment of the Pleafures (as they are fa !fly cal· lui) of unL•wful Love, you will lind infinitely more Pain than Pleafure; and that on cafting up the Account, you will find the Di'fadvantage, by Lofs of Money, of Time, of Reputation, and of Peace of ~1.ind, will infinitely overbalance the fhort and tumultuou~ and bcafl-ly ly Pleafure; and tl><•t for what faint Shadow or. Refcm]Jlance of E.tjoyment there is in the unlawful Commerce of the Sexes, all the true and ca.lm and peaceable Happinefs, this Life c.m y1eld, ts to be found in the M.uricwc-flate where (if you be direCled to rpake a wifi: Choi~e) you. wdl ijnd that the Gratification of the fenfual Appetite is the l~afl Part of the Happincfs. Be w1fe therefore, and avoid whatever m:.1y have the leJft Tendency to lead you to this moll impure and filthy Vice, fuch as all manner of ohfccne and 01amelefs Ta'king and J efting;. whtch, befidc; bctJ1g unworthy of a Gentleman, :u1d a certam Mark of a mean and fordid Difpofuton, l}as a natural 11 endency to conupt both. )\Our own Morals and thofe of your Acquaintance. You will likewifc do well to avoid carefully all manne·r of obfr:ene Books and Ptctures~ and that tl)Ofl fatal and ruinous Haunt of lewd. a.nd ~antun Images, the PLty-houfc. The En~ ertall,lOH'nt of ti)e Stage, w.hich was or igin ally wveut~d for the Promotion of Virtue, and evGn, of Religion, i• at prefent fo muoh debauched and funk from its ancient Pu rity, that it is not, orioufly~ the great N urf~; ry of V icc and Immorality, and the principal Caufc and Promoter of the unbounded Licentioufnefs and Lewdnefs of this great City. lt is notorious, that in molt of. the Englijh Plays, the pretty Fclluw, or moll: fhmtng Character, is He, who contri\·es with a good Addrefs to debauch his Neigh!Jour's \Vifc or who, after running out his- Fortune, has th; Art to delude fomc innocent credulous y0uncr La~y of }i'ortune t>J make up his ruined Affair~ ~ga1n b~ marrying him ; by which Rcprefentatwns V J.rtuc;; and Vice, and Rio-ht and \V ronrr D 3 " ,;~ |