The character of a good woman This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B08685 of text R224611 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing C1974A). 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. 5 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B08685 Wing C1974A ESTC R224611 64551058 ocm 64551058 184439 2240870061

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B08685) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 184439) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2863:46) The character of a good woman 2 p. Printed for R. Baldwin, [London : 1697] Caption title. In verse. Publication data suggested by Wing (2nd ed.). Reproduction of original in: Harvard University. Library. eng Women -- Conduct of life -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800. eebo The character of a good woman. [no entry] 1697 2 752 1 0 0 0 0 0 13.3 C The rate of 13.3 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2012-06 Assigned for keying and markup 2012-07 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2012-10 Sampled and proofread 2012-10 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2013-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The Character OF A GOOD WOMAN . SHou'd my presumptuous Muse pretend to draw A Woman , which few Ages ever saw ; Like bold Prometheus , she must rob the Skies , To shew what Nature did of old devise : How GOD , to make One absolutely True , A Pious ANNE , or Blessed VIRGIN drew ; On whom the Vertues so profusely thrown , Are since but-seldom , and but thinly sown : As if the Maker had turn'd Prodigal , And in creating Those , exhausted All. Hence then , Profaneness , and no more disperse Your sawcy Censures in detracting Verse : No more let Eve the Female Glories stain , Since what she lost , Another did regain : One , by whose Life it 's plainly understood , 'T is possible a Woman may be Good : Who has no Minute , no small Sand to spare , And throw on idle , superstitious Care : Nor does she spend the Fragment of a Day , Like a Court-Lady , at a Ball or Play : Her Life 's a Sacred Book , that teaches more Than Ten Fanaticks , that in Pulpits rore . Her Church is ev'ry where ; so oft she prays , That where she treads , she consecrates the Place . So oft her Soul in pious Raptures flies , She lodges here , but lives within the Skies . Her Thoughts are staid , and in a Circle run , Obsequious , busie , constant as the Sun , Yet clear without his Spots ; and like his Ray , Round all the Heav'ns she travels in a Day , Her Contemplation treads a brighter Way . She views each shining Saint , their Counsel knows , When Night perswades her to a sweet Repose , Her Soul , which in soft Slumbers had retir'd , New sprung from Angels Breath returns inspir'd . Early she wakes , and puts the Moon to flight , Who drives her Coach away , and thinks the Night Can need no other Help , no better Light . Aurora , blushing , knows her Time to rise , Not by the prattling Birds , but by her Eyes ; Which open , e'er the watchful Cock proclaims The Dawning of the Sun 's approaching Flames . Then first tow'rds Heav'n her eager Thoughts aspire , With burning Zeal , and a devout Desire ; Her Pray'rs , like Mano●●'s Angel , mount in Fire . When True Religion , like a welcom Guest , Takes up her Lodging in a Noble Breast , The Troop of Vertues hasten at her Call , As at the Summons of a General . Thus arm'd within , the Female Saint neglects That outward Tinsel which adorns her Sex : For if Dame Nature , in a careless Haste , Has fram'd her of a course , unfashion'd Paste ; Her Vertue recompenses that Miscare : Religious Deformity is Fair. But if , to shew his Excellence and Art , What at a stretch his Pencil could impart , The God shou'd draw fine Colours on her Face , And lock a Jewel in a Silver Case ; She thanks her Maker on a double score , Much for her Beauty , for her Vertue more . Chaste , humble , courteous , sober , silent , wise , Brisk , but not wanton ; grave , but not precise : Sincere , forgiving , honest , just , content , Gall-less as Doves , and like them innocent : So meek and patient , that , while she lives here , Nor Job nor Moses can be singular . Her Charity 's diffusive , unconfin'd , Flies far and near , like a refreshing Wind , And like the wide-spread Sun-beams , warms Mankind : She counts This a Diversion far above The false Delights of Wantonness and Love . 'T is true , substantial Joy , to seed the Poor ; The Charitable is an Epicure . Her Tongue , that common Ill of Womankind , Yields to the nobler Language of the Mind . Her Life 's a Miracle ; her Zeal , a Flame ; That burns for ever , and is still the Same .

LONDON , Printed for R. Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms-Inn in Warwick-lane .

Where also may be had , The Character of a Bad Woman .