The Athenian library, or A universal entertainment for the lovers of novelty. [electronic resource] : Containing six thousand essays both in prose and verse, upon such nice and curious points in divinity, history, philosophy, &c. as were never handled before, and are thus entitled, viz. 1. The lost rib restor'd, or An essay attempting to prove that the relation between man and wife is not dissolv'd by death but abides for ever; and that those virgins who dye unmarry'd are yet related to husbands, and will be united to 'em in the other world. 2. The progressive knowledge of the saints in heaven. (by intuition, revelation, and otherwise) or an essay proving that the blessed above will be eternally making new discoveries of their happiness. 3. Female courtship, or The honesty, necessity, and modesty, of changing the old custom of the men's first courting the women, into the women's first courting the men, (as discover'd by the virgins in a complaint to the batchelors of their backwardness in making love, and) publish'd that sorrowful widdows may no longer be forced to spin out miserable lives on earth for want of husbands, or any virgin dye that despisable wretch an old maid. 4. An essay in praise of poverty, or A paradox proving he is the happiest man that has neither money nor friend, as 'twas sent in a letter to an honourable lady to quiet her mind under the loss of all earthly enjoyments, with her ladyship's answer, greatly approving this new and surprizing notion. 5. The wedding night, or A modest essay upon the loss of a maidenhead, (occasion'd by Mr. Dunton's good luck in marrying a pure virgin) in which is discover'd with what caution and decency a young and unexperienced couple should act, that they might not exceed that chaste and lawful use of the marriage-bed; the whole essay divided into three parts, and publish'd to promote chastity in that state of life, wherin men and women (if they first say grace) think they may fall to as they please. These five essays (with 5995 novelties more that are to compleat this Athenian Library) contain whatever new and curious thoughts may shew us our mental errours, reform our morals, and prepare us for a future state. Part I. Written by Mr. John Dunton, the first projector and author of The Athenian oracle, a work resolving all nice and curious questions, concealing the querists, and dedicated to his honoured friends and brethren those sons of the clergy that lately presented a petition to His Majesty, proving 'tis a national complaint that the author of these new speculations has gone ten years unrewarded, for his early, bold, and successful discoveries of Oxford's and Bolingbroke's plot to restore the pretender, entitled, Neck or nothing, for which six warrants were issued out for seizing the author, by the principal secretary of state.