the world, as if I had no other portion, I have lived as if I were never to die; and I am afraid I shall die as if I had never lived. The whole crime lies at my door..

[The alderman weeps.]

Clo. I am sorry I have said so much. I knew nothing how it was.

THE FIFTH DIALOGUE.

ts. The discourse of the good man and his wife had such an effect upon the country alderman, especially with the addition from the account he had received of the conduct of his apprentice, that it caused him seriously to reflect on his fa ́mily conduct, and convinced him that he had been quite out of the way of his duty as a master of his family to his servants, as well as his relation of a father to his children; and these convictions put him upon resolutions of altering his conduct in his family.

But here, as in all such cases where religious economy is not established in the beginning, insuperable difficulties appeared to him; which several times discouraged him, slackened his resolution, and cooled his mind so as to ineline him rather to go on in the neglect as he had begun, believing it too late to reform. But two unexpected providential accidents surprised him into his duty; the happy consequences whereof will appear for the encouragement of other masters of families in the like attempt, of reforming their practice, and applying themselves to set up a religious government in their households, notwithstanding all pretended difficulties.

The difficulties he had before him were two. First, he had married a lady who differed from him in opinion. He had been bred a dissenter from the church, and his wife had been bred in conformity to the church, and continued

so. And as this kind of marrying (however not at all unlawful) is not always the greatest help to, or forwarder of a religious family; so he (though erroneously) judged his wife might not be willing to join with him in his way of family-worship, if he should begin. Again, as to his servants, his apprentices, and journeymen, several of which he had, were men grown such as seemed to be past govern ment. And as they had none of them any appearing inclination to what was religious, he having always indulged them in a total neglect of such things, he thought they would but make a jest of him, and that he should never be able to bring them to conform to any thing of family or der. As to his children, they were young, and he did not so much consider them in the case; and those that were any thing grown up, were abroad at the boarding-school. Now in both these cases he was happily disappointed; Providence removed both the difficulties at once, so as to take from him any kind of excuse for the further neglect of his duty.

It soon became known in the house, that Thomas and his master had had some words about his going out every morning and evening to the clothier's. Nor could it be hid upon what occasion he went thither; and his master had spoken of it to another of his servants, that the young man should not be hindered, for that he was very well satisfied of the business he went about. As it was known among the servants, it could not be concealed from his mistress, who being a very pious, religious lady herself, seemed not a little concerned at the thing; and having observed her husband to be more than usually thoughtful and melancholy for some time, she imagined something about that apprentice had disturbed him. Both which circumstances put together occasioned the following discourse betwixt them.

Wife. My dear, pray let me ask one thing of you. Have you examined any further, since you and I dis

coursed last of it, about your youngest apprentice keeping bad hours?

Husb. Yes, my dear, I have; but I do not find there is any thing in it worth notice.

Wife. How do you mean, nothing in it? It is certain he has a haunt somewhere in the town; that he steals out in the morning before day, and comes softly in again, as if he were a thief; and every evening, as duly as it comes, he is abroad, no body knows where.

Husb. My dear, I have examined into it,

Wife. Nay, if you are satisfied, I do not use to meddle, -especially with your servants; but methinks it is a great pity the boy should be ruined. He was a pretty sober lad when he came hither; and if he takes any bad courses now, even for his father's sake, as well as his own, methinks something should be done to prevent it. I wish you would have told his father of it, that he might have taken some care of him.

Husb. My dear, there is nothing at all of harm in the boy. Be satisfied.

Wife. Nay, I have thought so too; but what can he go out so for then, and at such hours too?

Husb. I have examined into it, I say, and am fully sa tisfied.

Wife. Nay, if I must not know the case, I will say ne

more.

Husb. My dear, I do not conceal the case from thee upon this account at all.

Wife. Well, then, I suppose he has promised you

amendment.

Husb. No, indeed; so far from that, that I have approved of his doing it, and have allowed him to do it, and ordered none of my people to hinder him, as some would have done, by taking the key of the door in.

Wife. I do not use to meddle, I say, with your busi ness; but you may be sure the seeming mystery of it

tempts my curiosity to know what the meaning of it can be; but if you do not think fit to tell me, I shall desist my inquiry.

Husb. I cannot tell you the case.

Wife. Cannot! that is still more dark; it seems it is not because you do not know it.

Husb. No, indeed, roy dear.

Wife. If it is some secret I should not know, on the least notice my inquiry shall cease.

Husb. I never concealed any thing from thee in my life.

to me.

Wife. Nor did I ever discover any thing yet committed What have I done, then, that you begin now? Husb. I wish I had not this secret to conceal; it is a burden too heavy for me.

Wife. Then let me bear some of it for thee, my dear. Cannot I lighten the load, by taking some of it upon myself? I would bear any burden to remove it from you.

Husb. This is a load nobody can bear, a wound no surgeon can cure.

Wife. You surprise me with the nicety of the thing, and swell my apprehensions, perhaps to a greater degree than it requires. It must be something very mysterious, that, from the conduct of a boy, can be so essential to you. I intreat you, my dear, tell me so much of it as is proper for me to know, if any part of it be so; or tell me that none of it is proper for me to know, and I'll cease my importunity.

Hush. My dear, it is all proper for you to know, and I ought to let you know it; and you both can, and perhaps would assist to ease it: and yet it is very difficult for me to let you know it.

Wife. You leave me in the greatest uncertainty now in the world, whether I should importune you any further or

not.

Husb. I wish you would not, and yet wish you would.

Wife. Whether would it be more for your own ease and advantage? for as for a mere satisfying my curiosity, I lay no weight on that now.

Husb. It would be most for my advantage to have you know it.

Wife. Then, if you believe I have been faithful to you, and can still be so, put it in my power to relieve you. I have not been insensible, that something has a good while oppressed your mind; sure, if I can relieve you, your remedy is easy.

Husb. I do not say you can entirely relieve me, but you may in part.

Wife. Let me do my part then.

Husb. My part will be the hardest.

Wife. My dear, amuse me and yourself no more. Wha has this boy done?

Husb. My dear, he has done nothing which he ought not to have done, and I nothing that I ought to have done. He strove all along to do his duty, and has deeply reproved me that I have not done mine.

Wife. He has shown more honesty than manners, then, Sure it was not his place to reprove his master.

Husb. No, my dear, he has not reproved me in words: he bath rather used more modesty in that, than consisted with truth; but his actions have given me the severest and most just reproof that ever I had in my life.

Wife. Nay, if you acknowledge it just

Husb. Or else it would be an insult, not a reproof. No doubt it is just. The case is this: you know I mentioned to you, once before, my dissatisfaction at the boy's conduct, and you gave me some hints yourself, of his being melancholy and discontented; upon which I acquainted his father with it; but his father threw it back upon me, to examine it myself, and a long dispute we had about whose duty it was to take cognizance of the morals and behaviour of 'prentices.

Wife. What could you dispute of about that?