of all Ages to be the solidest and sweetest pleasure in this World:  And where can Friendship have so much advantage to arrive to, and be maintain’d in its Perfection, as where two Persons have inseparably one and the same Interest; and see themselves united, as it were, in their common Off-spring?  All People, it is certain, have not a like fitness for, or relish of this pleasure of Friendship, which therefore, however preferable to others in the real advantages of it, cannot be equally valuable to all.  But where there is mutually that predominant Disposition to vertuous Love, which is the Characteristick of the most excellent Minds, I think we cannot frame an Idea of so great Happiness to be found in any thing in this Life, as in a Marry’d State.

It seems therefore one of the worst Marks that can be of the Vice and Folly of any Age when Mariage is commonly contemn’d therein; since nothing can make it to be so but Mens Averseness to, or incapacity for those things which most distinguish them from Brutes, Vertue and Friendship.

But it were well if Mariage was not become a State almost as much fear’d by the Wise, as despis’d by Fools.  Custom and silly Opinion, whose consequences yet are (for the most part) not imaginary, but real Evils, do usually make it by their best Friends thought adviseable for those of the Female Sex once to Marry; altho’ the Risque which they therein run of being wretched, is yet much greater than that of Men; who (not having the same inducements from the hazard of their Reputation, or any uneasie dependance) are, from the examples of others Misfortunes, often deter’d from seeking Felicity in a condition wherein they so rarely see, or hear of any who find it; it being too true that one can frequent but little Company, or know the Story of but few Families, without hearing of the publick Divisions, and Discords of Marry’d People, or learning their private Discontents from their being in that state.  But since the cause of such unhappiness lies only in the corruption of Manners, were that redress’d, there would need nothing more to bring Mariage into credit.

Vice and Ignorance, thus, we see, are the great Sources of those Miseries which Men suffer in every state.  These, oftentimes, mingle Gall even in their sweetest Pleasures; and imbitter to them the wholesomest Delights.  But what remedy hereto can be hop’d for, if rational Instruction and a well order’d Education of Youth, in respect of Vertue and Religion, can only (as has been said) rectify these Evils?  For vicious and ignorant Parents are neither capable of this, or generally willing that their Children should be instructed or govern’d any other ways, than as themselves have been before them.