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Heart which acquits me before God, will alſo plead my Excuſe before Men, for making theſe Repreſentations; eſpecially ſince I apprehend, that I am juſtified by the Laws of the Land, which allow every Engliſh Subject, the Privilege to ſpeak his own Grievances.
It is reported of a magical Ring of Gyges's, that it had an extraordinary Power of making the Wearer of it inviſible. A Perſon being aſked, what a Man of Honour would do had he ſuch a Ring? He was anſwered, juſt the ſame as he would without it. All Men who have the leaſt Notion of Honour, would readily acquieſce in the Juſtneſs of this Reply: Bur I believe few who know the preſent Diſpoſition of the World, would think it very politick to preſent every Man in his Majeſt's Dominions with ſuch a Ring; leſt the Power of doing Miſchief, might create, as well as aſſiſt an Inclination to it.
A Man of Honour would not deſire ſuch a Ring; a Man without Honour ſhould not be truſted with it.
A good Huſand would not deſire the Power of Horſe-whipping, confining, Half-ſtarving his Wife, or ſquandering her Eſtate; a bad Huſband ſhould not be allowed it.
A good Huſband would never feel the Reſtraint; a bad one, would ultimately find the
Advan-
