sufficient ground for punishing this pragmatical parson."



CHAPTER XIV. The two great Parties of Wives, the Devotos and the
Hitts.*

*Those who were for and against the doctrine of nonresistance.

The doctrine of unlimited fidelity in wives was universally espoused
by all husbands, who went about the country and made the wives sign
papers signifying their utter detestation and abhorrence of Mrs.
Bull's wicked doctrine of the indispensable duty of change. Some
yielded, others refused to part with their native liberty, which
gave rise to two great parties amongst the wives, the Devotos and
the Hitts. Though, it must be owned, the distinction was more
nominal than real; for the Devotos would abuse freedoms sometimes,
and those who were distinguished by the name of Hitts were often
very honest. At the same time there was an ingenious treatise came
out with the title of "Good Advice to Husbands," in which they are
counselled not to trust too much to their wives owning the doctrine
of unlimited conjugal fidelity, and so to neglect a due watchfulness
over the manners of their wives; that the greatest security to
husbands was a good usage of their wives and keeping them from
temptation, many husbands having been sufferers by their trusting
too much to general professions, as was exemplified in the case of a
foolish and negligent husband, who, trusting to the efficacy of this
principle, was undone by his wife's elopement from him.