122 REFLECTIONS ON MARKIAGE. [1693. 



born with a desire of Conjunction, Nature had for all that, 

 loaden them with Irons. The Cares and Tribulations men- 

 tioned by St. Paul} were also urgM against them ; and 'twas 

 said, the Beauty of Women was no more durable, than that of 

 Flowers. That the Sweets which we fansie we may enjoy 

 with them, are no solid good ; and after all, this just devise 

 of Marry'd Men, will be eternally true ; for one Pleasure, a 

 thousand Pains. That notwithstanding all the Precautions 

 we endeavour to take, we shall often find our selves coupled 

 with Harpyes and Traiteresses; and the Eage of Jealousie, 

 together with all the Misfortunes that accompany Marriage, 

 are often the fruit of the greatest Love. The quarrelsome 

 Contentious Women, of whom Solomon^ speaks, were not 

 omitted ; nor the famous Passages^ in the xxv and xlii 

 Chapters of the excellent Book of JEcclesiasticus, where 'tis 

 said, All Malice is little, and all Wickedness supportable, pro- 

 vided the Malice of a Woman is excepted ; and the Iniquity of 

 a Man is of more Worth, than the Woman that do's good, or 

 than the goodness of a Woman, as some Authors Translate it. 

 Besides^ we consider'd, that if such a thing has been heard 

 of, that the Union between Man and Wife is very great, the 

 thoughts of an unavoidable Separation, and the grief of Part- 

 ing, must be most Cruel and most Bitter. 



The Subject being Fertile, it gave occasion to other Peflec- 

 tions against the Sex, with which I would not tire the 

 Ladies,^ who shall vouchsafe to cast their fair Eyes on this 

 Ptelation. 



One of the youngest^ said with a modest and pleasant Air, 



1 1 Corinthians, vii, 28, 29. 



2 Proverbs, xix, 13. 



3 Cf. Ecclesiasticus, xxv, 13, 19 ; xlii, 14. 



* In orig. : " On considera encore qu'apres tout, si I'union avoit 

 ete grande entre deux Epoux, chose qni a la verite n'etoit j^as inouie, 

 la douleur d'une inevitable separation devoit etre plus cuisante & plus 

 amere." 



5 In orig. : "les oreilles des dames." 



6 M. Benelle again. 



