On the other side, how different is the life of the sensual Ladies and Gentlewomen to whom I am now writing. When they have indulged their sloth in unnecessary sleep, till the precious morning hours are past, they arise with thoughts as fruitless as their dreams: Their talk and time, till almost half the day is gone, is taken up only about their childish trifling ornaments: so long are they dressing themselves, that by that time they can but say over, or join in a few formal words, which go for prayer, it is dinner time (for an Image of Religion some of them must have, lest conscience should torment them ⟨image 8⟩before the time.) And when they […] sate out an hour or two at dinner, in gratifying their appetites, and in idle talk, they must spend the next hour in talk, which is as idle: A savoury word of the life to come, must not trouble them, nor interrupt their fleshly converse: Perhaps they must next go to Cards or Dice, and it may be to a Play house, or at least, on some uprofitable visitation, or some worthless visitors that come to them, must take up the rest of the afternoon, in frothy talk, which all set together comes to nothing, but vanisheth as smoke: And they choose such company, and such a course of life, as shall make all this seem unavoidable and unnecessary, and that it would run them into contempt and great inconveniences if they did otherwise. If they look after their affairs, it is merely through covetousness: But more usually they leave that care to others, that they may do nothing that is good for soul or body: They use their servants, as they do their beast•, for their service only; and converse with them as if they had no souls to save or lose: They teach them by their example to speak vainly, and live sensually, and to forget the life to come: Their children they love but as the brutes do their young: They teach them how to bow and dance, and carry themselves decently in the sight of men; but never labour to heal ⟨image 9⟩their souls of ignorance, unbelief and pride; nor open to them the matters of everlasting consequence: But rather persuade them that serious holiness is but hypocrisy, and the obedience of Gods Laws is a needless thing. They teach them by their example to curse, and swear, and lye, and rail, and to deride Religion, or at least, to neglect God, and life eternal, and mind only the transitory vanities of this life:
On the other side, how d•fferent is the life of the sensual Ladies and Gentlewomen to whom I am now writing. When they have indulged their sloth in unnecessary sleep, till the precious morning hours are past, they arise with thoughts as fruitless as their dreams: Their talk and time, till almost half the day is gone, is taken up only about their childish trifling ornaments: so long are they dressing themselves, that by that time they can but say over, or joyn in a few formal words, which go for prayer, it is dinner time (for an Image of Religion some of them must have, lest conscience should torment them ⟨image 8⟩before the time.) And when they 〈…〉 sate out an hour or two at dinner, in gratifying their appetites, and in id•e talk, they must spend the next hour in talk, which is as idle: A savoury word of the life to come, must not trouble them, nor interrupt their fleshly converse: Perhaps they must next go to Cards or Dice, and it may be to a Play house, or at least, on some uprofitable visitation, or some worthless visitors that come to them, must take up the rest of the afternoon, in frothy talk, which all set together comes to nothing, but vanisheth as smoak: And they chuse such company, and such a course of life, as shall make all this seem unavoidable and unnnecessary, and that it would run them into contempt and great inconveniences if they did otherwise. If they look after their affa••s, it is meerly through covetousness: But more usually they leave that care to others, that they may do nothing that is good for soul or body: They use their servants, as they do their beast•, for their service only; and converse with them as if they had no souls to save or lose: They teach them by their example to speak vainly, and live sensually, and to forget the life to come: Their children they love but as the bruits do their young: They teach them how to bow and dance, and carry themselves decently in the sight of men; but never labour to heal ⟨image 9⟩their souls of ignorance, unbelief and pride; nor open to them the matters of everlasting consequence: But rather perswade them that serious holiness is but hypocrisie, and the obedience of Gods Laws is a needless thing. They teach them by their example to curse, and swear, and lye, and rail, and to deride Religion, or at least, to neglect God, and life eternal, and mind only the transitory vanities of this life:
