Page:A Treatise concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed.djvu/283

 the Defects of the Mind, the Unsuitableness of the superiour Parts; 'tis all out of his Way.

As 'tis in the more vitious Part Men often abandon handsome and beautiful Ladies, their lawful Wives, and take up with the foulest, ugliest, and most disagreeable Creatures, make their Whores; so in this Humour of marrying, meerly to quench Desire, the Vapour darkens the Eyes, the Vice clouds the Sight, the Man or Woman takes what Offers, making no Judgment, no Distinction of worthy or unworthy, suitable or unsuitable, young or old; 'tis the Sexes that are only concerned; 'tis the Fire that is to be quench'd; neither Reason, Religion or Reputation, are hardly allowed to give a Vote in the Case, nay, sometimes common Sense: And, in this Heat, I say, most of the unequal unsuitable Marriages are made; and, what is it all? what can it be called? Is this Matrimony! Is this being join'd together according to holy Ordinance, or is it Whoring under the Mask of the holy Ordinance! Is this a chaste and honourable Marriage! Is this the Bed undefiled, or is it rather a meer Matrimonial Whoredom!

I might include in this same Chapter, the unsuitable Tempers which often come together such Occasion; but as it is true, that this is a thing not always to be avoided, and is what too frequently happens in Marriages made with the utmost Consideration; so I shall convince the Reader that I am careful not to run from the Subject in hand, by passing it over as a thing out of my Way at present. It is not always possible fully to discover the Tempers and Dispositions of one another before Marri-