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upon FOLLY, 23
dient that Man, who was Born for th 2
aétion of Bufinefs, fhould have fo CORE
dom as fhould fit and capacitate him for the
Diſcharge of his Duty herein, and yet left
fuch a Meafure as is requifite for this Purpole
might prove too dangerous and fatal, I were
this Infallible Receipt of taking a Wife,
Creature fo harmlefs BA filly, andl yet fo 68
and convenient, as might mollifie and make
pliable the Stiffneſs and moroſe Humour of
Man. Now that which made Plato doubt
under what Gezus to rank Woman, whether
among Brutes or. Rational Creatures, was
only meant to denote the extream Stupidnefs
and Folly of that:Sex; a Sex fo unalterably
Simple, that for any.of them to thruft for¬
ward, and reach at the Name of W7/e, is but
to make themfelves the more remarkable
Fools, ſuch an Endeavour, being buta ſwimming
againft the Stream, nay, a turning the Courts
of Nature, the bare: Attempting whereof is
as extravagant as the effecting of it is im¬
poffible: For.asit isa trite Proverb, TLat an
Ase will be an Ape, tho clad iu Purple ; fo
a Woman will be a Woman Z. e. a Fool,
whatever Difguife fhe takes up. And yet
there is no Reafon Women fhould take it
amifs to be thus charged ; for if they do but
rightly confider they'll find that it is to Folly
they are beholden for thofe Endowments
wherein they fo far furpafs and excel Man, as
firft; for their unparallell’d Beauty, by the
Charm whereof they tyrannize over the greateft
‘Tyrants : For what is it but too greata Paar?
o