The virgins A B C. Or, An alphabet of vertuous admonitions, for a chast, modest and well- governed maid. The tune is, The young mans A B C. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B06457 of text R234202 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing V637B). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 7 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B06457 Wing V637B ESTC R234202 52529069 ocm 52529069 179205 2240895071

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.

 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B06457) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 179205) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2780:6) The virgins A B C. Or, An alphabet of vertuous admonitions, for a chast, modest and well- governed maid. The tune is, The young mans A B C. 1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. Printed for J. Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger, [London] : [1681-84] Place and date of publication from Wing. Contains 1 illustration and illuminated capitals. Reproduction of the original in the Glasgow University Library. eng Young women -- Conduct of life -- Poetry -- 17th century. Ballads, English -- 17th century. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. eebo The virgins A.B.C. or, an alphabet of vertuous admonitions, for a chast, modest, and well-governed maid. The tune is, The young mans A.B.C[.] [no entry] 1681 1 970 1 0 0 0 0 0 10.31 C The rate of 10.31 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2008-02 Assigned for keying and markup 2008-02 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-03 Sampled and proofread 2008-10 Rekeyed and resubmitted 2010-01 Sampled and proofread 2010-05 Rekeyed and resubmitted 2010-06 Sampled and proofread 2010-06 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2011-06 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The Virgins A. B. C. OR , An Alhpabet of Vertuous Admonitions , for a Chast , Modest , and well-governed Maid . The Tune is , The Young-Mans A. B. C.

ALL you faithful Virgins , to this song give ear , And learn these Lessons , which are taught you here : An Alphabet of Vertues , are here set , Being learn'd will make a Maid compleat BEar not a scornful mind , although you are Beautious as Hellen , or like Venus fair : It ill becomes a forehead smooth and white , To threaten anger in a Lovers sight . CHuse thou a modest carriage , and still be Courteous and not too coy , in company : Their nature's changing , and too much unkind , Who hath a comely face and scornful mind . DIsdainful never seem , nor yet too much Dote on your faces beauty , slighting such As sue for Love , least creeping age come on And then to late , your folly you bemoan . EXchange no love but always constant be , Esteem true Love , a perfect treasury : For where true love and beauty doth unite , It yields both parties both their hearts delight . FEign no affection , but where vows are past , Fix there your heart , there let your love be plac't For if by feigned wiles , loves knot be ty'd , It breeds dissention , 'twixt the Groom & Bride . GRow not too proud , though smiling fortune do Great store of wealth , and her best gifts bestow : For pride the Proverb says , must have a fall , And so must Maidens , widdows , wives , and all . HAst not too much for marriage , nor the thing , Which doth not pleasure but doth sorrow bring : For hasty lovers often do destroy , Their sweets of Love , e're they their hopes injoy . IF you do chuse a man whom you affect , Injure him not , with any disrespect : But wary be , and e're loves knot you tye , Prove first your own , and then his constancy . K Knowledge is gained by experience , and by this , Thou may'st arrive unto the height of bliss ; First try , then tru●● , the which when you have prov'd You both may love and be as well belov'd . LOok e're you leap , the proverb still doth say , Let not smooth tongues your love to Lust betray : In fairest Grass a Snake is often found , And smoothest tongues , with falshood much abound MOan not too much , nor be thou always sad , Mirth sometimes may became a vertuous Maid : Yet use not too much laughter , lest you be Slighted and scorn'd , for your immodesty . NOr use uncivil talk , or gesture light , Nor in unseemly wantonness delight : But keep chast behavour , that you may Have good report , in every kind of way . OFfend not with a foul and slandrous tongue , Of them that do not think thee any wrong ; But speak thou well of all , and always do With others as you would have them to do with you . PAint not your beauty when it is decay'd , Prize not that for , a jewel that will fade , And when you 've done , the best will fade away , And through red Cheeks , a wrinkled brow display . QVench in thy self all lusts inflaming fires , Which may provoke thee to such unchast desires : For though a while such pleasure please thy mind , Yet sorrow , want , and beggary comes behind . REmember next , how like a fading flower , The earths best treasures vanish in an hour : And now the best of things you can enjoy , The Sithe of tune shall cut , and death destroy . SEek therefore richer gifts then he can give , So shalt thou in a state most surely live : For though fair beauty , deck thy outward part , Yet inward vertue best adorns thy heart . TRy that rich jem , which when thou hast attain'd , Thou hast a vertuous Maids chief beauty gain'd : And if fair Vertue do thy courses steer , Like loves fair daughter , thou shalt bright appear . VAin beauty's but a triffle , that a while Dame nature lends thee , with a flattering smile : Which lovers gaze at , and with greedy hands , Each one would crop its blossoms as it stands . WHilst in its fullest ripeness it is grown , When 't is decay'd , their loves are with it gone Let then this he thy care , and chiefest strife , To live a vertuous Maid , and honest Wife . XAntippe like the wife of Socrates , Affect thou not thy husband to displease : Nor with a railing tongue , persue his will , And in humility , obey him still , YEild not to others , when you once are wed , The pleasures of your lawful husbands bed : For if you you guilty be of such a fact , Thou shalt not escape , unpunisht for that act . ZEalous be thou in all these vertues , prove Both constant , chast , and loyal to your love : And if these Lessons well you learn , for thee , 'T is truly stil'd the Vrigins A , B , C.

Printed for J. Wright , J. Clarke , W. Thackeray , and T. Passinger .