Page:A Treatise concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed.djvu/47

 was like a Horse rushing into the Battle, who depending upon the Hand that rules him, has no Weapon of his own, either offensive or defensive; whereas, on the Man's side, like the Soldier, he has both Armour to preserve himself, and Weapons to make him be fear'd by his Adversary.

know not by what degeneracy in our Manners, or corruption of Principles, it is come to pass, but 'tis too general in practice, that Matrimony is now looked upon only as a politick Opportunity to gratify a vitious Appetite: The Form, how sacred soever graver Heads may pretend it is in its Institution, is now become our Jest, and not only ridiculed and bantered in our Discourse, for that might be born with, but 'tis become a Jest in practice; all the solemn Part is dropt out of our Thoughts, the Money and the Maidenhead is the Subject of our Meditations; not only the divine Institution is made a Stalking-horse to the brutal Appetite, but indeed the best of Women are betrayed by it into the hands of the vilest of Men, and in the grossest manner abus'd; nay, which is still worse, this is done with a Banter and a Jest, all the sacred Obligations, the indissolvable Bands of Religion and Virtue, are trampled under foot; the modest and most virtuous Lady is impudently defloured, and the Night's Enjoyment boasted of the next Day in the Arms of a Strumpet; the innocent Bride is poisoned with a Disease, and the detestable Wretch is a Bridegroom, and an Adulterer, in the first four and twenty Hours of his Engagement.

A B was a Gentleman of Figure and Fortune; in his Coach and four, and Rh