wife.

_Husb_.--I know not where to begin.

_Wife_.--Why, you keep two horses and a groom, you keep rich high
company, and you sit long at the Fleece every evening. I need say no
more; you know where to begin well enough.

_Husb_.--It is very hard; I have not your spirit, my dear.

_Wife_.--I hope you are not more ashamed to retrench, than you would be
to have your name in the Gazette.

_Husb_.--It is sad work to come down hill thus.

_Wife_.--It would be worse to fall down at one blow from the top; better
slide gently and voluntarily down the smooth part, than to be pushed
down the precipice, and be dashed all in pieces.

There was more of this dialogue, but I give the part which I think most
to the present purpose; and as I strive to shorten the doctrine, so I
will abridge the application also; the substance of the case lies in a
few particulars, thus:--

I. The man was melancholy, and oppressed with the thoughts of his
declining circumstances, and yet had not any thought of letting his wife
know it, whose way of living was high and expensive, and more than he
could support; but though it must have ended in ruin, he would rather
let it have gone on till she was surprised in it, than to tell her the
danger that was before her.

His wife very well argues the injustice and unkindness of such usage,
and how hard it was to a wife, who, being of necessity to suffer in the
fall, ought certainly to have the most early notice of it--that, if
possible, she might prevent it, or, at least, that she might not be
overwhelmed with the suddenness and the terror of it.

II. Upon discovering it to his wife, or rather her drawing the
discovery from him by her importunity, she immediately, and most
readily and cheerfully, enters into measures to retrench her expenses,
and, as far as she was able, to prevent the blow, which was otherwise
apparent and unavoidable.

Hence it is apparent, that the expensive living of most tradesmen in
their families, is for want of a serious acquainting their wives with
their circumstances, and acquainting them also in time; for there are
very few ladies so unreasonable, who, if their husbands seriously
informed them how things stood with them, and that they could not
support their way of living, would not willingly come into measures to
prevent their own destruction.

III. That it is in vain, as well as unequal, for a tradesman to preach
frugality to his wife, and to bring his wife to a retr