And what God in this kind had bestowed on her, she was careful accordingly to employ and improve. For, for her carriage and courses, she was such an one as Solomons Mother describeth min the last of the Proverbs, as the Apostle Paul requireth nin the second to Titus; a constant okeeper at home; nor idle in the house, but a diligent and industrious, a prudent and provident, directer and disposer of domestic affairs; housewifely, without harshness or hastiness; quiet and peaceable, without sluggishness or sheepishness; grave, without austerity; cheerful, without levity; modest, without stateliness; kind and courteous, without either incivility on the one side or loose dalliance on the other. In general, such was her sweet, discreet, and well-tempered demeanour, as gave abundance of satisfaction and contentment, not to them alone, that it pleased God successively to join her unto, but to their friends, and those that had interest in them; yea, to all, familiars or strangers, of what state and degree soever, that had occasion to repair to them, and to be entertained with them. Issue indeed she had none: it seemed good to God, to deny her that blessing. But to the children of some of them, that God had joined her unto, she was no step-mother, but as careful of procuring their good, and as forward to perform any good office for them, as if she had been a natural Mother unto them: That, which some of them, were they surviving, I know, would freely testify; and those of them that do survive, if they be not extremely unthankful, cannot but right willingly acknowledge. And some of her first Husbands kindred, beside others not a few, she brought up as carefully, as if they had been her own children. In a word, she was such an one, as pSolomon could hardly ⟨p. 26⟩find one of a thousand; a complete Woman, a complete wife; defective in nothing, that might be required in either.
And what God in this kind had bestowed on her, she was carefull accordingly to imploy and improve. For, for her cariage and courses, she was such an one as Solomons Mother describeth min the last of the Proverbs, as the Apostle Paul requireth nin the second to Titus; a constant okeeper at home; nor idle in the house, but a diligent and industrious, a prudent and provident, directer and disposer of domestick affaires; housewifely, without harshnesse or hastinesse; quiet and peaceable, without sluggishnesse or sheepishnesse; grave, without austeritie; cheerefull, without levitie; modest, without statelinesse; kind and courteous, without either incivilitie on the one side or loose daliance on the other. In generall, such was her sweet, discreet, and well-tempered demeanure, as gave abundance of satisfaction and contentment, not to them alone, that it pleased God successively to joyne her unto, but to their friends, and those that had interest in them; yea, to all, familiars or strangers, of what state and degree soever, that had occasion to repaire to them, and to be entertained with them. Issue indeed she had none: it seemed good to God, to denie her that blessing. But to the children of some of them, that God had joyned her unto, she was no step-mother, but as carefull of procuring their good, and as forward to performe any good office for them, as if she had beene a naturall Mother unto them: That, which some of them, were they surviving, I know, would freely testifie; and those of them that doe survive, if they be not extremely unthankfull, cannot but right willingly acknowledge. And some of her first Husbands kindred, beside others not a few, she brought up as carefully, as if they had beene her owne children. In a word, she was such an one, as pSolomon could hardly ⟨p. 26⟩sind one of a thousand; a compleat Woman, a compleat wife; defective in nothing, that might be required in either.
- mProv. 31. 10. 29.
- nTit. 2. 5.
- o[Greek or Hebrew], unde [Greek or Hebrew], mukeris conjugatae symbolum, [Greek or Hebrew], •lu•. conjug. precept.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, unde 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, mukeris conjugatae symbolum, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, •lu•. conjug. praecept.
- pEccles. 7. 28.
