Shepherd. Well, sir, what cannot be cured must be endured. Pray, has his Majesty many children?

Steward. O yes! we increase and multiply: the queen is always pregnant, in child-bed, or breeding, the whole year round.

Shepherd. And, pray, who has the care of the children? I suppose every one has a distinct nurse and rocker, have they not?

Steward. Any of the family may suckle, Isaiah lxvi. 12; swaddle, Lam. ii. 22; dandle, Isaiah lxvii. 12; bear them upon their sides, or rock them, that will; and those of the family, even the young princes and princesses, that can hardly walk without a back-string or a go-cart, are fond of lugging them about. I have sometimes seen one, that has itself staggered through weakness, endeavouring to keep another from falling into the ditch; and some, who are so tendereyed as to be incapable of looking at a candle, much less at the sun, are often endeavouring to bring others from, or cautioning them against, the black-hole, or horrible pit.

Shepherd. That is a good thing. It is with them as it is with lambs: the more they sport about and play, the stronger they grow, and the better they thrive and so it is with children; the more they are tossed and tumbled about, the better; it keeps them from the rickets, and strengthens their limbs, if they do not humour them too much, nor handle them too roughly.

Steward. Too many fingers often spoil the pie; and too many nurses often hurt the child. All have not got sincere milk that draw out the breast some suckle with the poison of asps, Job xx. 16; and stunt them in their infancy; and it is a rare thing to see such with proportionable heads. Others, again, both nourish and cherish them like real nurses, 1 Thess. ii. 7. And, as for children, their taste is not very quick at discerning perverse things, Job vi. 30. "Stolen waters are sweet," as well as honey; and, if they taste but the candy, it is enough for them, they take all down.

Shepherd. But pray, sir, have you the care of them? This work is more fit for women than

men.

Steward. The mother and her daughters are commanded to suckle them, and bear them upon their sides, as we have before observed; but, as soon as they are off the knee, I have the care of some of them. As a steward of the household, I am to give them a portion of meat in due season, Luke xii. 42; to look to their ways, manners, and education; and likewise to their clothing: for there is a punishment "to the princes and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel," Zeph. i. 8. And when there are any that are stunted, sickly, weakly, or ricketty, I have more trouble with such a child than I have with all the family beside. I have had three of these under my care at once; and I used to doubt

whether they ever would be able to go alone and feed themselves or not; but two of them are now gone from my care.

Shepherd. Pray, what are their names? Are they down in the court calendar?

Steward. Yes: the name of one is Weak Heart, Ezek. xvi. 30; the other, Silly Dove, Hos. vii. 11; and the last, Little Faith, Matt. vi. 30. Which shews that the first has a heart, though weak; that the second is a dove, though silly; and that the third has faith, though but little.

Shepherd. I perceive, sir, that you and I both serve one Master, though you are in the household, and I in the field; therefore, tell me the reasons why so many of his Majesty's children are so often ricketty and feeble. One would think that the king would stand at no expense; and therefore the queen must have the best help, and her offspring the best of care.

Steward. The fault lies not in the king, who stands at no expense; nor in the queen, who is a tender and delicate woman, Jer. vi. 2; but it lies chiefly in placemen, and in the rulers of the house, who are often biassed, not faithful to their trust, nor watchful to keep intruders out; but often recommend unwise and unskilful persons to the young of the family; till, at times, it is more like Ahab's court than David's palace. Besides, groaning-times are times that old ladies are all in motion: they are always very busy and active at those seasons; and, while the queen is in labour,

she has enough to do to bear up under her own sorrows; and, therefore, cannot tell who are about her person, whether friends or foes. If the latter, the fault lies in them who called the gossips, or those who recommended them. You know, that every person is not loyal that tastes the queen's caudle various persons get about the child-bed, where every lady speaks her mind freely, and in the general fluently, after the groaning-ale is broached; till, in process of time, the hubbub is like the confused assembly at Ephesus: some say one thing, and some another, till the greater part know not wherefore, nor for what, they are come together. At these times, disaffected persons learn a cant, and get a wild gibberish, which introduces them as familiars to the household; and, if one is faithful to his trust, and tries to get them out, another acts against his conscience in endeavouring to keep them in: and there were too many of this sort about the queen's person while she was in labour with Little Faith, Silly Dove, and Weak Heart.

Shepherd. Well, sir, but let the gossips be what they may, doubtless her majesty had her proper maidens, or women in waiting, about her; and her proper midwife, doubtless; and the care of the queen's person must rest chiefly in the hands of these.

Steward. In our days, every molecatcher pretends to skill in midwifery; and every old barren woman will give directions at a groaning,

who never knew what conception means, much less the bitter throes of child-birth. These generally hurry the birth, knowing nothing from experience; but, having imbibed some notions by observation, they will therefore neither let Nature struggle with her own weakness, nor leave Providence to work his will.

Shepherd. Such are like some shepherds that I have known, who, by their over-carefulness, do more hurt than good in lambing-time. If an ewe seems long in yeaning, they are always forward at drawing the lambs, for fear of losing the ewe; by which means many a lamb hath had its shoulder dislodged, or pulled out of place, which has rendered it either weakly or a cripple all its days; whereas the best way is to turn their heads toward the hill of Zion, or to the rising ground; and see that they lie to an advantage, attend upon them, and watch over them; keep wild beasts off, and foolish shepherds that cannot understand, from intermeddling, Isa. lvi. 11; and leave them in the invisible hand of Him who carries the lambs in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young, Isa. xl. 11.

Steward. You talk like a shepherd that has some knowledge of his business. Nature should not be forced; nor will Providence be hurried. Blind, unskilful, or ignorant persons, and mere pretenders, do as much mischief in the King's household as such foolish shepherds do in the field; for, if any in the house be touched either