ples to their
Children._

It was formerly very pleasant living, when Trading and Merchandizing
flourished so nobly, that every evening people were fain to carry a
whole drawer full of mony out of the Counter in to the Counting-house;
and then the good woman had alwaies two or three hours work to sort
it, before they could so much as think of going to bed: but it seems
that destructive War, as being a scourge from Heaven, for our
dissatisfied Spirits; hath so lamentably humbled the Land of our
Nativity, that there are very few who have not now just causes enough
to complain.

And you, O young people, shall be witnesses hereof, who have already,
in that short time that you have been married, experience that things
do not alwaies run upon wheels so merrily as was expected. 'Tis true
you possess the Pleasure of an indifferent Trade, as well as the rest
of your Neighbours; but it is not in any measure to be compared with
those golden daies that your Ancestors had, when they could lay up so
much wealth, and yet complained they had but little custom.

[Illustration: 135 _Published by The Navarre Society, London._]

Verily, when I rightly consider it, methinks you are happier then they
were. For at that time all their delight was, by a covetous frugality,
to reap much riches together, and though that hapned very well, yet
there was never enough; for mony is no impediment to a covetous soul
because it alwaies yearns for more. But now on the contrary, it is
esteemed to be very nobly done, and people take an absolute delight in
it, if they can but tell how to scrape so much together, that they may
keep the Dunners from their dores, bring up their children
indifferently well, and pay the taxations and impositions that are
imposed upon them. In good truth, they that can do this now, are
worthy of as much credit and reputation, as those were that prospered
much in former daies; and their Pleasure ought not to be lesser then
the others before was.

O happy Successors, who through the contentment of your minds, possess
now as great Pleasure, as your rich Parents formerly did, in their
plentifull daies. Verily, your gain is comparatively better then
theirs, because you are satisfied with so much less; and by
consequence when the hour of death approaches, you can so much the
easier depart from this World, by reason you shall not leave so many
knives behind you that may cut your childrens throats.

Therefore if your Trading shou