The Project Gutenberg EBook of Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a
Vertuous or Christian life, by Lady Damaris Masham

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Title: Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian life

Author: Lady Damaris Masham

Release Date: August 25, 2004 [EBook #13285]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS

In reference to a

Vertuous or Christian

LIFE.

LONDON,

Printed for A. and J. Churchil at the
Black Swan in Pater-noster Row.
1705.

THE PREFACE.

_The following discourse was written some Years since, not without the
thought that, possibly, it might be of farther use than for the
entertainment of the Writer: Yet so little express Intention was there
of Publishing the Product of those leisure Hours it employ'd, that
these Papers lay by for above two Years unread, and almost forgotten.
After which time, being perus'd and Corrected, they were communicated
to some Friends of the Authors, who judging them capable to be useful,
they are now sent into the World in that Hope.

There is nothing pretended or suppos'd to be in them which is not
obvious: but Truths the most evident, are sometimes overlook'd, or not
sufficiently and universally attended to: And where these are Truths
of moment, it is no ill Service, by frequent representations of them,
to procure them attention.

I think there can be few heartily concerned for the Vice and
Immorality that abounds amongst us, who have not sometimes reflected
upon loose or careless Education, as one cause thereof: But yet the
great weight that right Instruction and Discipline of Youth, is of, in
respect both of Peoples present and future Felicity, is (as I take it)
far from being generally so settl'd in the Minds of Parents, as to be
steadily look'd upon by them as the one thing to that degree
necessary, that without due care taken thereof, all other indea