Monophylo, drawn into English by Geffray Fenton. A philosophical discourse, and division of love.  
Mon heur viendra.  
Anno. 1572.   

❧ TO THE RIGHT virtuous Lady, the Lady Hobby, Geffraie Fenton desireth increase of honour, according to her worthiness.  
SINCE MY LAST translation to your good Ladyship, I have disposed some part of my leisure to reveal Monophylo, whose argument albeit is not religious, and less expectation of grave things, in so unquiet a state of his, yet he brings forth a Philosophy no less moral and natural, then necessarily tending to assure our frailty amid many hidden miseries, wherewith we stand environed by God's necessary providence: wherein by how much he offereth help to our infirmity, as both by advise, whose reasons are invincible, and private experience which toucheth us in example: by so much he merits authority (although with some) his precepts may seem suspicious as touching the subject, and my hours improperly exercised, whose condition requireth (in common wisdom) to practise in matters of more benefit. For the first, the Philosophers generally are to answer for me, who in their precepts either of glory, of covetousness, to move contempt of the world, or in any other cause tending to instruct, reform, or edify, observed in their doctrine, to decipher the secret nature of things, the better to prepare their Disciples to the high knowledge of such matters as they delivered to them but by speech, the same being the proper instrument to perfection in science, as Erbes and Simples rightly compownde, are ready medicines to remove the injury and disease of the Patient: And for myself I allege the corrupt property of the time, whose nature is entangled with such confusion, that in few men is found conformity of opinion, and much less to yield affection or merit to the honest endeavours of others, on whom (either by malice or ignorance) the most sort do throw many nice errors, according to their imperfect fancies: But as I doubt not, but Monophylo is able to be his own Champion, as being armed with loyalty (the very virtue in love.) So I stand not now to allure the popular favour (whose judgement wandereth in revolution and change) seeing it is to your Ladyship, to whom I offer the censure of my travail, and in whom is no less discression to discern, then deep modesty to pardon or excuse: humbly beseeching you to receive this second exercise not as a recompense worthy your last liberality, but as a simple testimony to continued the reverent duty I own you, until I bring forth my great work, which I hope will more worthily resemble your high virtues, and with less mourmure draw others to the knowledge of GOD, to whom I leave the success, and your good Ladyship to his holy fear: At London, the sixth of April. 1572.  
Your Ladyships readily to command, Geffray Fenton.   

❧ The first Book of Monophylo.  
NOt long after the expedition of Germany, when the king, to the indifferent shame and confusion of his enemies, raised the siege of Metz: certain Gentlemen of no less conformity in nature and consanguinity, than resembling one another in society and neighbourhood (seeing the wars dissolved, and the danger for that year either prevented or provided for,) drew into a set company to return to their houses, with expectation of new occasions to be eftsoons employed. And after they had (some little time) dispensed with the honest and chaste entertainments of their wives, disposing (withal) their household & familiar affairs, they determined by mutual meetings, to restore their late weary time in war with every honest pleasure, which either the present season could stir up, or most conveniently agreed with their state and condition: wherein, foreseeing the term of their delights to be but short, as most assured that the wars would revive, they erected by common consent a law to visit one another mutually and generally, under this special covenant, that as the husbands should not go unaccompanied of their wives, to the end there should be a common communion of delight and benefit in that fellowship, so, because there were many young gentlemen happily unfurnished of wives the law gave strait charge to every married man and master of famuly, as to whose lot should happen to receive and feast the rest, to provide such most honest and best spoken gentlewomen as the place and time could any ways afford, so should there be an equal sort of company, every one contented, and their progress run forth in exercise of all honesty and honour, hoping by such means to recover the arrearages of that pleasant season, which fortune had kept from them since the beginning of the wars. This was their beginning and entry into their common wealth of delights: but, as they were not all of one conformity, either by an inequality of years or manners, so every one made choice of his pleasure according to his complexion and nature: the elder sort for the most part, reasoning in contemplations most convenient to their age, and the young men contending in the use and activity of arms, together with all other exercises best consenting to their humours.  
Among the rest, 
Three chief men in this dialogue.  there were in this company three young Gentlemen of choice, not only well proved in matters of war, but also of deep judgement in learning and sciences, wherein the most part of their young years had been trained. These three (of peculiar estimation above the rest) not to seem exempted from the thing which most resembled their condition and age, protested most of all to make an estate and profession of love, the same notwithstanding, as the opinions of men be divers, so every one in his own behalf according to his peculiar affection: the one of them was so extremely passioned with love, as all his thoughts and devotions tended directly to his Mistress, upon whom he committed idolatry, as making her the only Idol of his secret contemplations: him (in a special respect) will I pass under a covert name of Monophylo: an other, not so deeply distressed as he, preferring a civil and courteous behaviour to the Ladies, seemed rather to hold an estate of a Courtier, then to profess singular love: he shall be disguised for this time under the name of Glaphyro: but the last and youngest of them all delighting in a liberty of affection, without any peculiar choice or regard, I will name for one occasion Phylopolo: And these three, as they were divers in judgements, so their outward effects revealed a difference in their inward thoughts and conceits of mind: Glaphyro better stayed than the rest, enterneyd the Ladies with honest discourse and exercise, having as many good parts in him as any Gentleman of the troop: Phylopolo of the contrary disposed to mirth with variety of delight and salace, trifled with them with such a lively liberty of speech and affection, that it could hardylye be judged whether of the two were best accepted of the Ladies, either Glaphyro in his honesty, or Phylopolo with his scoffs and pleasant toys, such was the order of both the one and other accompanied with an equal grace and argument of delight. But Monophylo seemed died in another complexion, as so settled in sorrow and solitary regards, that by the only heavy and dead carriage of his eye, might be discerned the secret passion and disposition of his heart: the same being a singular pleasure to me, and matter of consolation to my present case, as to see him bleeding in the same wound, which I judged afore to be only peculiar in myself, albeit as then it could not be easily discerned by me: For happening into that place by mean of a gentleman, my very friend, to govern her who long before had made a stealth and possession of my heart, I had not (with Monophylo) cause of melancholy conceit, as having afore mine eyes the only mistress of my felicities, who by happy adventure, being one of that company, made me not only forget all my passions of her absence, but also even myself to whom it seemed, her sweet delivery of speech consenting with a gracious moving and disposition of her eyes, had power to pierce even millions of hearts, yea the deity itself▪ if by incorporation they had vouchsafed to have bestowed their eyes upon my earthly Goddess: this or such like infirmity did travel the languishing mind of poor Monophylo, and so wrappeth him in perplexities, that even the groves and meadows wherein he was withdrawn to record his desolate state, seemed to impart with his sorrow, and yield pity to his cries and scorching sighs: and as love carrieth always an unquiet condition, hating (with the nature of an Ague) all things that stand not in conformity with his appetite, so the more he saw us increase in delight and pleasure, the more did he resolve into sorrow, as despairing (I know not by what destiny) of that whereupon depended the substance and full of his felicity: wherein certainly as it is one chief office in our christian duty to use compassion to th'afflicted, and such most of all incident to this bond, who needing comfort, have been relieved accordingly, so for my part notwithstanding I seemed translated and rapt above the third heaven joying in the benefit of the present season and place, yet I could not but yield tribute to his sorrows with such effect of transitory confusion in myself, as if I pleasured greatly in the view and proof of my present felicity, my pity likewise was nothing inferior on the behalf of his tragical condition, so that by how much I traveled in consideration of his case, even by so much I felt myself drawn to an increase of compassion wishing it were lawful for me to share and communicate mutually with him, as either to deck his garland with some of my flowers, and sprinkle him with the dew of my delight and contentment, or else to lay my shoulders under his burden, and so though I restore him not altogether, yet his distress may be qualified, and he rest satisfied of my honest meaning.  
But now all the campanye abiding at the house of a Gentleman, one chief director of this fellowship, amongst other discourses there moved (during the first dinner) according to the custom of our exercises, certain speeches fashioned to raise and exalt the invincible virtue of the King, together with the delivery of all jermany, without stroke of sword, for the only fear of him to whom the whole world is promised: The Ancients following their estate of years and discression entertained grave discourses sometimes in matters of a common wealth, & sometimes touching the course and condition of our life, but above all, they deciphered the nature of this earthly fragility, wherein when we account us most near the resolute success of our business, it is then we are found oftentimes by a divine mystery, no less far from it, than afore we held us sure of the end. With these voluntary speeches was also drawn into argument this Question, how it happeneth and that by many examples of proof, that a captain, who in the first race of his life carrying (as it were) fortune upon his shoulders, and happily prevailing in many attempts of equal peril and policy, should, in riper age which with long use aught to (assure a more full and perfect experience) be in one instant, as though Fortune were weary to favour him any longer, overthrown even by a young man, to whose course and consent of nature, should be also a less likelihood of proof and experience in such affairs: here was Alexander esteemed most happy above all his felicities, for that in the glory and flower of his years he gave end by one self mean, to his life and virtues together and had not as then felt the smarting whips of fortune, who no doubt at length had philed him upon her beadrole and prepared as much for him as for others of his faculty and place. This argument ran thorough the whole company and found authority by many and sundry reasons, as some transferring the guilt of such defaults not to fortune, but to ourselves, who feeling us raised and puffed up with all felicity, do oftentimes so far forget ourselves as being blinded with so many happy chances, we become (as it were) out of breath in ourselves, without foreseeing how the wit and policy of other men lieth always in wait to aspire to that degree, whereunto, with the forwardness of our youth and careful diligence, we laboured in pretence to come, which reason as some of them justified by many examples, as in the person and success of Hannibal, when he gave himself over to the delights of Capua: so other passing further, laid the whole occasion and cause to nature, who in all things of this world doth increase according to our proportion by little and little even until the degree of extremity, and then begins to decline and yield to infirmities, so as it seems, that successively we all play arsy-varsy. A thing to be verified not only in singular men, but also by most huge monarchies, wherein is found the age of infancy, virilytie or manhood, and so old age which leads them to their ruin and fall: so that seeing nature is their guide, it is not to be noted strange, if men, whose business in their season have happily succeeded, & drawing to extreme age, though they grow strong and mighty in council, yet become weak in the favours and benefits of fortune. This was the manner and matter of discourse of these Gentlemen, who seemed covertly to prognosticate somewhat of the present time, albeit with such modesty, that without precise diligence and heed, the intent of their reasons could not be easily discerned: wherein albeit they were not understand of every one, yet were they hard with singular and settled cares, with this liberty, that every one gave his judgement a part as best agreed with his peculiar fancy. But as they thus continued in variety of matter, falling eftsoons into fresh occasions to entertain their arguments all that after dinner, Phylopolo, (after the table uncovered) weighing (as it seemed) in an ordinary delight such Philisophie, disposed himself to talk with a Gentlewoman sitting next him, to whom he made this roving question: Why Madam, do not we resemble these good and ancient Captains, who after a long proof and practice in the affairs of their common wealths, forsaking their estates and rule in cities, do choose the fielden life as there to entertain the residue of their time to relieve and repose their old bodies and weary minds: For so (as I have learned) did in old time Cyncynatus, Curius, and at length that great Emperor Dyoclesian, to whom if the city seemed a kind of prison, what belongs to us to do, that in the midst of these fields (a place of pleasant and quiet solace) are yet stung with the pricks and miseries of this world, as having passed and learned more in this little season of dinner while, than all those great personages, during their most high and weighty affairs: To whom the Gentlewoman somewhat smile (as one no less modest in behaviour and manners, than of deep insight in all other virtues unknown to the ordinar●● sort of women) made this answer. I know not (sir) the compass and faculty of your judgement, and much less what opinion you have of their speech, but sure for my part I have heard them not without a singular delight and pleasure: only I doubt not but such discourses seem improper enough to your age, which (in my judgement) delights more naturally otherways, as in exercises of activity & value of the body, then to tie your ears to these controversies: whereupon he desired her that without offending their discourses, they might make their walk to some pleasant meadow, there to choose their pastimes, no less convenient to their humours, than to here the contentions of these old Gentlemen, neither concerning their faculty, nor consenting with their fancy: What seigneur Phylopolo, answered Charyelea (for so shall be her name at this time) are you yet to know of my purpose to erect one day a school of Philosophy, wherewith both the one and other laughed, when Glaphyro, whose place was over against her, and jealous belike of their common pleasure, till he was privy to the occasion, enforced also the appointment as telling her, that it belonged to her both in reason and honour, not to deny the request of the Gentleman, specially concerning an equal contentment to them both: and for my part (saith he) if either I were worthy for company, or meet in other regard, I would it might not offend you to name me a third, not to hold equal place and society with you, but only to record, or at lest listen to such good matters as I imagine will pass amongst you afore you departed. I see well (answered Charyclea, who perhaps was no less weary than they of the exercise at dinner) that it were better to make a simple consent at the first, than using the policy of long excuses, to be constrained in the end to condescend to your wills: and therefore both the one and other of you shall be obeyed, not as in your request, seigneur Glaphyro, to play the Register as you require, but rather to stand me in steed of defence against seigneur Phylopolo, if he offer to play his part according to his common custom: wherewith, after many protestations avowed by Phylopolo, to attempt nothing contrary to her liking, the Lady rose, and also the two Gentlemen, who (after an honourable reverence to the company) led her by either arm into a little grove, where at the first, they encountered the poor Monophylo, languishing in heavy and doubtful thoughts, to whom as Glaphyro yielded compassion in respect of the martyrdom he endured, so Phylypolo made a scoff at his passion, as esteeming love no other thing than a substance of folly: Notwithstanding, by the advise of Charyclea, (who foresaw the wrong they should do him to trouble or break his contemplations) they agreed to visit him.  
The place where he had shrouded himself contained such excellent art and industry, together with such familiar respect to the disposition of that company, that it seemed nature herself prepared it of purpose to assist the recreations of so honest personages: For there might you see a gallery of convenient length, so well vaulted and pavised above by natural sleight, and assistance of little twigs and sprays that neither the heat of the sun, nor vehemency of any wind could molest it: And the green arbour or grass underneath kept in seemly proportion, & sorted with an infinite delicate and small flowers, gave also such delight to the eye, that even the chirping birds using their solace upon the tender sprays, gave sufficient declaration in what reverence and value they h●lde that shaded temple which (notwithstanding) seemed far more beautified by the sacrifice of honour which Monophylo offered in consecrating there his most secret and devout thoughts, than by all the helps which nature or art had brought: And so finding this a convenient palace for their devices, Chariclea undertaking the speech of all her company, framed her behaviour to the poor passioned Monophylo and said unto him: Albeit (sir) in the argument, and outward view of your distress, I find no less cause of compassion than myself readily inclined thereunto, yet I can not but prepare complaint against you, as seeing you wholly resolved into a state of sorrow, and that in these fields of solace, who (in respect of their delightful view) aught not only to draw you to a disposition of joy and pleasure, but also to consent with this honourable company in the exercise of their most honest disports: wherein by how much you see us delight in this paradise of joy & mutual comfort, by so much we find you to settle and give place to your sorrows, the same making us suspect, that either you grieve in our common pleasure, or else languish in some peculiar and secret heaviness of mind, which if it pleased you to communicate, I believe there is not one of us whose shoulders should not be offered to ease your burden, wherein I presume to undertake and protest for these two gentlemen: But if that which I judge worthy of pity in you, is but a policy of nature, yourself may as speedily cure the cause as you seem cunning to dissemble the smart, whereunto I leave you, with this last advise, that the readiest mean to relieve a grief, is to will to be eased: Madam saith Monophylo, it is an assured liberty to a free mind to give advise, but very hard for a man in misery to admit any council, and let death be a due justice to him, who under policy will dissemble torment, albeit some evils carry this reverent nature rather to be concealed with grief, then revealed in hope of remedy, and it is a common wisdom to be as willing to be eased, as loath to suffer smart, wherein for my part (good Madam) I yield you many humble thanks, & no less to the Gentlemen, assuring you that if there were virtue in you to give order to my sorrows by how much less I have deserved it, even so much larger should my bond stretch to labour to be thankful: And yet I pray you have this opinion of my care and travel of mind, not to distend by chance, but by a natural folly by which I am guilty of mine own evil: These be but speeches at pleasure (saith Phylopolo) neither can you make me believe that heretofore I have not seen you better disposed, and therefore am ieylowse that you have some eyle under the rock, which because you will not discover, breeds you this confusion and division of mind: And be it you confess it, as the better to defend your condition, giving it such virtue or quality as by concealing it, your grief would continued in one constant estate and as it is, where in discovering it, would (with the canker) spread further, not unlike the nature of a green wound, or a disease to whom the air is forbidden: yet (under correctiou) the resemblance agreeth not: for albeit the diseases of the body require the abode and fellowship of the house, the sicknesses concerning the spirit (according to the opinion of the Physicians of the soul) who be the Philosophers, desire of the contrary, scope and air, as most proper for their recovery: So that in greatest passions of love (from whom in my fancy descends the original of your present grief) albeit they have commonly desired three things, to be solitary, secret, and careful, yet the better to direct these passions, they have not forbidden the society of an other themself, into whose bosom they may assuredly distill the secret passions of their minds, as by that mean the rather to give succours to a thousand small disquiets and indispositions falling hourly into our fancies, either by a false suspicion, or faint fear, which some call jealousy, without the which love can no more be, than a body without a soul: here Monophylo, seeing an entry into the field wherein he most delighted to walk (as to speak of love the only mover of his disquiet) began to enter into a fresh stomach, and as one cunningly clawed, where it pleasantly ytched, prepared himself to play his part, when by good adventure, and to entertain for an hour my inconstant thoughts, I was also withdrawn thither without any suspicion at all of their purpose, albeit seeing their manner, arguing their further intent, I shrouded myself subtly in a tough of young trees the better to impart with their discourse, using rather silence than offer of speech, the better to understand their issue which fell out in sort, as you may read in the sequel of this Dialogue: For Monophylo considering the importunity of their requests, and under what conditions they require him to discover the cause and state of his sorrow, break of at last his weary silence, and began to unfold in what value & estimation he held love, & also that to him only belonged to speak of him & his laws: But to describe him in deed in his true degree, I think there was never any so deeply pinched with the miseries of love, nor more honoured him in his common behaviour than this Monophylo, in whom was settled such a resolute jealousy, that only he (in his fancy) was worthy to speak of love, whose heart languished and laboured in the present motion, or at lest had sometime in his life made experience of his stings, and not that unpolished rout of old Philosophers, or other of lea●e heavy and gross judgements, who tasting only the outward rind, had never the faculty to decern the true sense and virtue of love: seeing, to such people it was always forbidden to speak of love, according as we read of the priests in old time, who because they would not have the mysteries of their sacrosauntoes profane, would not suffer strangers to handle or use them: by whose example, Monophylo, as a true and simple minister in love, striving still to sound and make further way to the speech of Phylopolo, said unto him: such philosophers (sir) have judged, as blind men discern of colours, even so they are to be pardoned, as men at unwares speaking impertinently. For as they professed no inclination to love, so, standing inexperienced in such fits as you note in me, they must needs be also ignorant either how to govern him or guide themselves. I know not, saith Phylopolo, in what sort you direct your opinion, but in my fancy and common reason, it is far more easy to such as bestow their time and study in contemplation, to judge in these affairs, then to any who have no further scope than within this Dedalus, where they labour in such variety and confusion of mind, that they are not only ignorant in matters necessary for their knowledge, but also we see them deu●sted of all sense, brain, and spirit, yea sometimes they lose even the remembrance of themselves. You know, that to get the name of a good Physician, is not requisite to lie long sick, and to merit the praise of an excellent Lawyer, is not meet to have many suits in his proper and private name: But of the contrary, in respect of the motions and troubles traveling diversly the minds of men, it stands against the common order of physic, that the Physician cure himself, or minister by his own counsel only: and to the Advocate it is defended to plead in his own cause, as in regard of a certain imperfection of spirit unknown to him: and lastly experience and nature agree, that our judgements are more sound and upright in cases of strangers, than in our own causes. This comparison (saith Monophylo) albeit at the first show appears not impertinent, yet, touching the case which is offered, I pray you let me ask you, seigneur Phylopolo, whether it were not superfluous to give counsel in love to such, who being exempted from his laws, seem also void of need to be either warned or instructed: wherein, if in such respect, such Philosophy is no less improper, than inprofitable, would it not become a greater scorn and mockery to any, who never proving the rules and use of Geometry, would yet undertake to give precepts of that art afore Ptolomeus: Likewise, who in the profession of an Orator or eloquence, would offer to instruct Cicero, or who living always without use & judgement in arms, and no less in exercised in the guide and charge of an army, would direct Hannibal in matters of war, should not he be valued with Phormio, that is rude and gross, as Phormio was judged by Hannibal, when he presumed to lead that worthy captain in the Art wherein stood his greatest skill and profession. If these be notes of vanity in these insolent men, what less imputation of folly can you lay to your worthy schoolmasters, whom you will have to instruct such, as being already forward and advanced in love are able to learn more in a moment of themselves, than by the books or persuasions of all those smatterers of Philosophy, altogether without experience that way. And, in the truth of your own fancy and conscience, I ask you seigneur Phylopolo, to which of these two would you give more faith, either to an Amadis of gall figured by our Romans for a pattern of true and loyal love, or to Xenocrates, who having not so much as a nose to smell the true sent of love, may rightly be compared to a stone, for that using company one night with a Gentlewoman singularly fair, was not of power so much as to touch her, notwithstanding her delicate and enticing allurements. And yet you will erect such one to prescribe us precepts of government in this Art: wherein offering to pass further, Charyclea intercepted him, as not willing to give him further liberty of speech till he had satisfied her in one point. And seeing (saith she) our mutual talk of one to another, seeks in this sort to succeed to matter of argument, I will leave the motion and pursuit of your disputations, grounded (as it seems) to sift the cause of your proplexitie, and refer to your good and wise discretions the resolution of that, wherewith you seem to torment yourselves in vain, in which seigneur Monophylo, it may be, I will make myself one of your side, but not in the process which I promise' to try with you unless you change opinion. And therefore, the cause being no less grave in itself, than requiring precise consideration, let us take breath a little in this arbour, afore I prefer the point wherein I mean to accuse you in the hearing and witness of these two Gentlemen, who are to stand as judges, if with wrong, I bear part against you: and so entering the Arbour, they made themselves seats of sweet herbs and flowers, wherein being set every one at his ease, according to the favour and consent of the place: Madam Charyclea, with a countenance of pleasant anger, roaved at Monophylo, in this sort: it is you seigneur Monophylo, upon whom I am to give the charge, if (as they say) you supply not the pageant with an other part, because your last speech (as I think) tends to a false blame of the good Philosopher Xenocrates, as not to incline readily to the will of a woman, notwithstanding she was favoured with every perfection in beauty: would you maintain, that a man possessing such happy place, merits sinisterly, if he departed either without doing sacrifice to his pleasure, or adding execution to the advantage of his time and place: what do you know whether this Xenocrates had his heart consecrated to another Lady, and being so, would you (as you seem) make it a strange and rare virtue, or wonder at his chaste government, as to observe loyalty where he had already pawned his faith, or that he with honesty used abstinence, where he could not use appetite without offence: yea this trial passing natural peril without stain, approves his virtue in respect of temperance duly requisite in a man, and assures his affection to his former mistress, to whom he gave neither cause of jealous fear, nor doubt of actual wrong: which she pronounced with such modesty and behaviour of delight, that the whole little troop fell into a soft murmur or secret whispering, as of the dealings of that mortified Lover, whose austerity was not unknown to any of that fellowship, notwithstanding Phylopolo, to satisfy her demand, prevented Monophylo, and answered her: be it Madam (saith he) that Monophylo took it so, and that your sayings carried truth, would you think notwithstanding that opinion to be erroneous: touching myself, I would judge him of slender wit and less discretion (what profession of love soever he published in any singular place) who standing in possession of the time and opportunity, would let slip the occasion, as being without the power or policy of man eftsoons to be recovered. Liberty of speech (saith the Lady) discovereth truly the inconstancy of thoughts, and words pronounced for pleasure, dissemble commonly the meaning of the mind, even like a light feather tossed with a voluntary wind, which rightly is verified in you, in the matter of your opinion, which I doubt not, differs enough from the consent and judgement of your thoughts. But what say you seigneur Monophylo, what faith can you afford to his sayings? O Madam (saith he) God defend that my mouth should deliver such speech: yea, if I were guilty but in thought, I would restore the fault with criminal penance, and laying myself upon the sentence of all Ladies, I would endure mortal punishment as a mild justice. Neither meant I to reprehend Xenocrates for such dealing, if his devotion were vowed to another saint, seeing that as his virtue acquits him from blame, so his constancy merits above the best, as having made a singular bequest of his heart, he continued no less firm and stable, than a hard rock bestowed in the midst of devouring waves: And touching the phrase of seign●ur phylopolo, besides that I wipe my hands of such judgement, yet (in the testimony of an undefiled conscience) I protest here to abhor his opinion, notwithstanding it be grounded upon good and ancient laws, drawn out of the Registers of Venus' Temple at Rome, whose tenor bore express permission to execute our actual will on all as occasion offered: having also for myself the authority of custom settled by long distent of time into the minds of men, to the which it were lawful for me to have recourse if the law should fail me. But I fear greatly, saith Chariclea, that law never found place in the Chapter house, albeit it were enroled in the temple of Venus, nor published thorough the whole temple, but only to such as stood on the ridge and battlements of the Church and not to others, who chose their residence within the heart, and they either may pretend the law not to be general, or at lest allege ignorance to understand it: And touching your recourse to custom (as you threaten) you are not now to know that such corruption of manners, gotten by an usurped use, do not merit the name of custom: for so (to shadow and cover our faults by nature and worldly infection) might we hold by the same reason, that the vices whereunto we are inclined since the sin of our first father, have won the name of custom lawful and valable: which speech so shaked phylopolo, that fore bearing to offer any further question, they found matter enough to treat upon. And therefore renewing the charge upon Charyclea against loyalty, I fear Madam (saith he) that if you and I should enter this combat, the issue would stand so hard between us, as the doubt would follow who should glory in the victory, seeing indifferent errors would rise on both sides: And I think singularity is no less displeasing to God, than if a man made division of his heart to many women, seeing amongst the rest, it bringeth this loathsome inconvenience, that the love of men to women being extreme, and a rage above all other passions, makes us oftentimes forsake the love of God, and imagine our God to rest in them, as if we should do worship to Idols, whose nature is under vain resemblances, to corrupt the devotion of men: a thing so common in example, that to a sensible judgement, a slender rehearsal may suffice: only I pray you remember many millions of great estates, whose life (so long as they were governed with numbers of Concubines) never fell into actual stain or popular obloquy, but when they laid themselves upon the rule of one only, they become so ravished in fancy and affection, that by the testimony of the histories, their confusion proved not only hurtful to themselves, but hateful to their common wealth and people: as what business (in common experience) succéedes most commonly more unhappily, then where the affection is parshiall, and the party led in a singular council, which may be corrupted either in advise or action. We see also by natural reason, that a thing dispersed and dissipated, is never so sharp and cruel, as that which is undivided: And therefore Madam I think it not inconvenient to the humour and appetite of man, and far better for the surety of his delight, to make a general estimation of all Ladies, then under a shadow of loyalty, drawing after one imperfect scent, to move his own scorn to all the world. Here Monophylo to whom as the cause of loyalty was more dear than to the Lady, so he challenged afore her the revenge of this blasphemy in this sort: mark good Lady I beseech you, with what rhetoric this Gentleman seeks to cloak a huge vice under a high cover, which is God: Why did he not infer by the same mean, that marriage is not good according to the present observation and testimony of the holy laws, but rather (after Mahomet's order) to give a liberty of many wives at one time, to th'end that sparing to set our heart upon one, we put not also in hazard to forget our love to God: be your own judge, seigneur Phylopolo and pronounce sentence against your own error, which in effect, resembles the ancient Cinikes, who in their fond imagination of a common wealth, would erect a community of women, and that in general use and degree. Which opinion notwithstanding (as it well deserved) was banished from all free states well governed: But why do I stand upon strange contemplations, seeing our City of Christendom doth warn us sufficiently in this: For read we not on all sides that the conjunction of one man, to one woman is only required: yea, albeit second marriages are tolerated by God's law and man's policy, yet were they never found so sweet a sacrifice either to God or men, as the first, and that in respect of this corporal communion distributed into many places: God gave to Adam at his first entry into this world, one wife and no more, which he drew out of his bones, as to advertise us of the indissoluble amity which we aught to bear to our wives, yea, he commands us to forsake father and mother (to whom notwithstanding all law of nature provides a sovereign obedience) to stick one to another: And therefore me thinks seigneur Phylopolo, with great wrong you labour to exempt us from this extreme amity of one to one, which God himself hath not only recommended, but straightly commanded unto us: It may be you will choke me here with a sinister construction of this text, as that it includes mention of marriage, and our speech runs in a course of simple love, wherein I pray you let me thus far advise you that where you pretend in your defence against my Lady Charyclea, to pavish your opinion under some shadow of virtue, there will be found on her side a more true and lively image of divinity, than in all the reasons you can allege: being sorry from the bottom of my heart (which here I pronounce in the sight and testimony of God) that we m●st be driven to erect a double kind of love, as one to consist in marriage and the other without.  
At the first, when all marriages were established under a mutual love according to God's ordinance, there was not this distinction amongst men, till by corruption of times manners began to decline, when also crept in this difference in love, the same being at the first introduction of dowries when the lawyers (incensed upon a wicked consideration) to draw men the rather to this reciprocal conjunction (whereunto nature sufficiently inclined them) brought them into their common wealths: and for the same respect & reason, were enforced to provide infinite laws for adulteries, because that proving the inconveniency wherein by indiscretion they were fallen, as to have taken from marriage part of his accustomed amity (and supplied it with their hurtful dowries) necessity drive them the better to entertain their diseased common wealth, to seek out a new medicine, which was by restraining such as should defile those marriages, notwithstanding their own constitutions had made them already corrupted: for a true testimony whereof you shall find it justified in the common wealth of Sparta where the wise lawmaker Lycurgus, would raise no law against adultery, as not to bring that vice into the knowledge of his Citizens: And what was it that kept it from their knowledge: not that they were not moved with the stings of nature, aswell as other people and nations: But rather this excellent and holy ordinance. By the which that grave lawgiver and Philosopher shutting all dowries out of his common wealth, would not that marriages should proceed upon any other pretence than by an only and har●ie love: So that it is not to be marveled, if such as enter that holy state at this day defiling their affections, with covenants and conditions of money, find this difference in love to the great blemish and often prejudice of their husbands, who not being truly and equally coupled, see their wives for the most part delight in an other, to whom it seems the heavens had predestinate them from the beginning: But now seigneur Phylopolo, if in marriage (which at this day contracts not but under a desire of wealth and goods) there be required another duty and care of loyalty, sure we are bound in simple love, yea, even on the behalf of a married woman, if our affection chance to settle or draw that way wherein if I waded yet further, as well the matter itself as the innocency of my meaning, are to clear me of imputation, and to maintain a truth, all speech is tolerable, seeing the truth itself carrieth such a modest countenance, that though she use silence, yet she satisfieth by imagination, so that if I spare to enforce further proof, I hope you will not turn my modesty to want of matter, no more than the hound, that forbears to hunt when he hath killed the chase, deserves to be rebuked. And so persuading that the laws civil are not of equal force with the instinctes of nature, it shall stand as the opinion wherein I will settle and resolve, with this last lesson, that who in a true and indessembled love, hath bequeathed his heart to any singular Mistress, is bound to no less chaste behaviour to all other Ladies, in respect of her, than silly Zenocrates to his Goddess Phryena, from whom the occasion and authority of our talk did move. Here Phylopolo rather to stir up the company, then renew the occasion and no less tickled with his reasons, than loath to be foiled in that presence prepared to answer in this sort: I see well seigneur Monophylo, that in us shall be verified the old saying, that one fable draws on another, seeing that by how much you advance the authority of your matter, by so much do you summon me to maintain the defence, not only touching the point of our present question, but also in others according to the variety of your proofs, which if I would encounter as I might, and the matter requires, I fear that as well you as I should easily slip into a Quagmire, whereof the delivery or issue would be hard: and yet I will not altogether answer you with silence, specially where the matter itself favoureth my opinion. And albeit your places and texts of marriage which you have here preferred to give your mutual love, a deeper authority, concern little or nothing our purpose, yet as far as my faculty will stretch, and your consent incline, I will speak my fancy, and leave you satisfied. I resemble (you say) Mahomet, who allowed many wives at one time, or else the ancient Cinykes, amongst whom the community of wives was tolerable: only I wish it had sufficed you to apply their authorities, albeit they are neither proper to your purpose, nor apt to the matter, and forborn simply their names, whose remembrance cannot be without hate. But I pray you, how have you learned that the marriage of one to one, is better, than that of one to many, but of the law? the which notwithstanding, if by way of argument it were lawful for us to exempt, (as our thoughts are free) think you, my last marriage is not armed with defence as well as your first: wherein if amongst all other creatures, nature raised up man only, for the procreation, inducing us, (the better to entertain this humane society) to cope one with another, can you deny, that the conjunction of one with many is not greater, than to couple fellowship with one only woman: and yet seigneur Monophylo, I stand not resolute in that opinion, seeing, that beside we have the law written, which in this behalf binds both our thought and words, yet in upright judgement, the knot of such marriages would remain imperfect, for that in this condition, the man would found out an advantage above the wife: seeing, that being all reciprocally inclined to the stings and motions of nature, which one of us could ever be able to furnish contentment and liking to them all: and so should this conjunction be defective, but not unfurnished of appearance and likelihood of reason. But what need we run so far into marriages, with the which our conference hath nothing common, saving, that having no better means to approve your goodly loyalty, you were glad in the beginning to make them stand you in turn, but now, with the knowledge of your fault, you have also confessed the error of them, as not only cutting them of in the end of your speech, but also that you enter into terms against their part. And touching that you lay against me, for the community of wives, I stand as free from such meaning as far from that thought, (albeit I could march under the authority, not only of the Cynics, but of the stoics, together with all these people and nations sometimes called Messagettes, yea even with Plato's doctrine, maintaining still, that in a common wealth, he is more perilous, & of nearer affinity to the vain Cynikes, who applieth his pretence and practice to one married Gentlewoman (as you esteem) to the end to fashion her proper and peculiar to himself, than another, who without stay takes his flight into all places, according to the offer and favour of every happy wind: a thing whereof I promise' you to make declaration, hoping by the same mean, that of yourself, you will apply to yourself the wrong, which wrongfully you heap upon me. To maintain simply any good order, or civil policy to be in the community of women (as the Cynikes hold) would appear to every one but froth of speech, not much unlike to such, whom time and variety of argument can not make weary, in the question whether a confused conversation of goods be more convenient to mankind, than a division, in sort as we observe it at this day: and what profit would rise to put in controversy a thing that could not happen in use: and yet there be sorts of people, whereof some desire generally of goods, and some delight in community of women: wherein afore we pass further, was not (I pray you) that community of goods better esteemed in the ancient common wealth of the Lacedæmonians, where thefts and pillage were tolerated, then in the state of Rome, where thieves and robbers were double punished: wherein as I will not enter into your fancy, so for myself, I presume ever upright judgement will consent with me in opinion, no less for the quality of the matter, which in itself is assuredly grave, then in respect of the conformity of the reasons and proofs assisted with undoubted authority. Let us then descend from transitory goods, to women in general (which seem to have a certain resemblance one of the other) & so we shall found with whether of the two common wealths your opinion hath most conformity: you allow loyalty, with toleration also that a woman married give herself to her peculiar friend, the same resembling the ordinance of Lycurgus who by a privy theft would practise to himself a thing which notwithstanding by the law belonged to another: wherein what confusion do you indiscretely admit, as to leave nothing in particular to men, but that whereunto your nature doth draw you, and having conquered the good will of a Lady, you will have Idolatry committed, and that rather under a vain and fond self fancy, then in any true title of the loyalty you speak of: wherein seigneur Monophylo, (besides the error of this community wherein you are slipped unadvisedly) you comprehend not rightly in my judgement the order of every nature. For if all things in the world have their seasons, wherein they fall successively from one to an other, may it not stand with the same reason, that being come to the mark whereunto we did pretend, we resign and give up our place to another: if the four seasons of the year should stand in this difference, as the one falling into seasonable opportunity with us, and his term expired, would not make place to another, as the Spring time to Summer, the Summer to Autumn, and lastly Autumn to Winter, would you not think the fatal ruin and reversement of the world to be at hand: every thing is appointed by heavenly influence to take his time, as we have seen in example most mighty Monarchies by an interchange and revolution of things, to be translated from one people to another, as the Assyrians to the Medes, the same to the Persians, then to the greeks, then to the Romans, and lastly reverted once again to the greeks, so that you dream in vanity, if that you think to establish an eternity in this world, and much less plant a perpetual will so long as you abide upon earth: neither doth nature suffer it, who to declare to us how much she delighted in this great variety, become disguised herself in an hundredth thousand sorts for our use: and not only in things concerning our conversation and use, but in infinite other mutations and changes, whereof as she reserves to herself the number, so also we see this first substance which God endeavoured to make incorruptible in this world, take notwithstanding divers forms, according to the revolution of times: and yet seigneur Monophylo, you, either scarcely acknowledging nature, or else disdainfully despising her lore, would remain always one, as though there were no mutability, either by destiny, or worldly casualty.  
Besides, what profession of honour make you, in embasing so much your mind, as having practised only one Gentlewoman, you dare not adventure upon a higher enterprise. For my part, as I esteem most in a man, diligence and high courage, the better to merit and win the price of such a pray, so also, dwelling in the conquest of it, without stomach eftsoons to venture in a victory of more majesty and state, cannot escape the note of a cowardly mind, not unlike the barbarous peasant, who nuzzled in vile and base exercises, dare not lift up his mind to aspire to greater things: why then shall any man be of such negligent and low stomach, as to bring his mind within singular limit, seeing the more conquests he perfourmes, the further resounds his value and estimation: if Alexander had sufficed in the mighty estate of his own kingdom, had he ever come to possess the universal Monarchy: and yet not contenting with the general Empire, he sought still to apply his victories to attempts of far more high and deep peril if either by the power or policy of man, he could have sought out more worlds: wherein as (by his example) it stands not with the nature of a valiant mind, to be content with a little, so he that limits his glory, is unworthy of it, and he least meritorious of commendation with whom singularity stands in value, and will not enforce a further proof and assay of his virtue: to encroach somewhat upon the lands and marches of an other, but to establish a perpetual property, me thinks should be to cut of a traffic and mart amongst men, for a common entertainment of this humane society: have you not heard of the comparison which the ancient Roman exhibited to the people of Rome, to make them knit and enter conjunction with the Senators, as representing unto them the body of man, which no doubt would easily dissolve and grow to end without the mutual aid & traffic which passeth in the members one to another: in which sort were brought into all common wealths, sales, bargains, purchases disposition of places, loans, borowing, tributes, and benevolences, upon the which only I pretend so to make my ground, that in acknowledging the benefit which I receive, the husbands of the other side find a thousand courtesies and friendships at my hand, which otherways they should in no respect participate with all: wherein common reason leads me in this thankful humour, that if I borrow familiarity on them for a time, I can do no less, then in confessing the benefit, to become thankful for their friendship. where you Monophylo, with all others favourers of your persuasion, disposing all your study to be come tributary to one mistress only, all the pleasure you receive is a short death or quick dispatch of a poor and innocent husband. By which may be easily discerned, what troubles rise with your reasons, as accomplishing your stealths & amorous thefts with unnatural manslaughter, where, of the contrary, as well yourself as the present assistants are able to consider (I doubt not) what benefit distendes with mine, moving by a greater bond and unity amongst men, than the laws by their threats and commandments: wherewith he ceased his further speech not without cause of pleasant laughter to all the company, the rather for that all his discourse run in a vain of such pleasant and frank regard, that it could be hardly judged, whether he argued at pleasure, or spoke as he thought: When Madam Charyclea,, not yet forbearing to smile and laugh, told him he was a noble soldier, but perhaps saith she, a greater conqueror than that mighty Alexander, whom you profess to imitate, I mean in acts of valiancy, such as you seek to apply your mind unto, which notwithstanding you seem much to deface and abuse by your comparison of merchandise, which upon the end of your speech, you seem to match with your brave and high enterprises, the same proving (in my fear) no less dishonour to you, than to him that of a noble man becomes a Merchant: But take heed seigneur Phylopolo, and stick not to repose credit in my council, that being (as you profess) a general traficor, and borrowing at a high interest, that when you fall into the state of marriage, your debts be not paid with a double usury: the same being the common experience of the present time, that who burns with the flame, is commonly scorched with the smoke, as every offence hath his just punishment in his due season. But for your part (seigneur Monophylo) albeit I had no intent at all to make myself any party to your quarrel (seeing you stood on my side) but rather to leave it to the censure of you two at your pleasures: yet notwithstanding I consent with you in all the rest, I fear shall hardly favour your opinion, that our lover pretend and maintain a perfect loyalty towards the married Gentlewoman: wherein, if you had provided a behaviour of the husband towards his wife of no less integrity than that which he desires in her, you had used the nature of an upright judge, and your judgement had stand as an indoubted authority: But to agree with you, that she on whom is laid the yoke of marriage, is bound to bear respect or reverence to any other, than to him who though not nature, yet the ceremony of the law hath tied unto her, were to admit a general and hurtful confusion no less than when the negligent Physician giving liberty to a corrupt humour, lets it grow to a canker to the general hazard of the whole body: And cutting from her all freedom to transgress those limits, who dare attempt with you, to give her lib●rtie of loyalty to strangers, whom she is bound to use but in a general friendship: For be it, we have some likelihood of reason to content our affection, because nature inclines us to it, yet we aught to love with moderation, both because it so pleaseth the laws, and also conducible to a politic government: otherwise we should bring in a huge and confused Chaos, as not to be able to discern (under the shadow of this mutual amity) to whom a wife is due, either to him which loveth perfectly and is not married, or to the husband who only is induced to take a wife in respect of substance and wealth, wherewith (for my part) I can not consent, seeing that albeit, a husband be imperfect in many things, to allure and draw love, yet it is a Christian duty in the wife to love him only because God hath made him her husband: and much less can I allow the subtle tie of him, who having enticed a woman to confess that the Ox, house, or field of her neighbour being better than her own, should be also more acceptable and welcome to her, would therefore successively conclude (imagining to hold her in his nets) that she should own more love to her neighbour, if he seemed of better taste, than to her husband: his error being monstrous in itself, is also to be defaced with sundry reasons: for the wife albeit he for whom she is provided, is neither rich, fair nor fashioned with equal cause of delight to others, yea be it that without consent of affection she be thrust to him, yet in the former respects, she aught to moderate in him, and so temper the passion of her lot, that no unbridled infirmity appear: wherein let her make familiar with herself, the modest answer of a virtuous matron in Rome to her husband, who falling into angry terms with her, for that in the long season and time of their fellowship together, she had not told him the ill savour of his breath, which in strange company was strangely reproached against him: in good faith husband (saith she) I thought all other men's breath carried the like savour: so that a woman aught to make the beauty and bounty of her husband a looking glass to resolve her fancy and judgement, and not to imagine a deeper perfection, then in his person: yea, and if she happen by blind concupiscence to use ne●ligence in this duty, let her take advise of reason, to intercept and break that whereunto not her nature, but a disordered will doth enforce and thrust her, otherwise if your opinion should be favoured with authority it might be applied to other matters of no less injustice, when by a foolish motion they seem acceptable to us: a thing, which aught not to be suffered, and therefore for our better assistance, the laws are delivered as a bridle to our fleshly desires, which we could not sometimes subdue without fear to incur punishment, for which cause in common wealths was allowed a cohertion of adulteries for such as should offend against the statutes of marriage, and that only to encounter our humane frailty, and not for any matter in dowries as is imputed, who much less that they were impediments to marriages, (seeing of the contrary) they gave quick furtherance and high dignity to wedlock: what if I prove seigneur Monophylo, 
For dowries.  by invincible reasons, that by wise & discreet advise, dowries have been thought necessary for the entertainment of this society of man: will you not confess to me, that notwithstanding for the only consideration of dowries marriages did begin, yet for all that they must not be restrained in any sort: in deed if we were in that golden time, when was erected the first institution of marriage, I confess a certain conformytie of reason to your present opinion, and that we aught to knit with our wives for favour sake only without respect, because in that first time, people were not subject to such variety of afflictions and miseries as at this day, seeing, without labour or pain, they lived in the favour and good pleasure of the earth, who not then drawn into custom, nor yet weary to bear fruits, refused to be tilled as since she hath required, by means whereof they enjoyed all things in common without discord, neither was there any separation or distinction of things, and therefore it was lawful for them in such foison and mass of wealth, to make their pleasure privy to their choice, and may only for affection without covenant or condition of gold or silver, which as we see at this day happen to some great Lords, who want neither power nor mean to entertain their wives in what proportion they like best: So touching us, whom nature and fortune have so liberally imparted there treasures, methinks we stand upon a weak understanding if under the only consideration of love, without other necessary care, we enter this bond of marriage: we must live with our wives, I mean we are bound to continued the port of their estate, to feed them and nourish our children and famuly, and so succour their diseases, as no inconvenience happen: of all which travels and pains, the only burden rests upon the hus●●●●e, according to the provision of the eternal and infallible wisdom of that mighty and sovereign judge in Haven. Will you then confound yourself, and reverse your whole house, through a vain and fond suggestion stirring sinisterly in your mind: if in your common wealth of Lacedemonia (whose authority you have used) the people had been so disordered, as was the nation of Rome, when the wise Lawyers brought in dowries, I believe your Lycurgus (so peculiarly esteemed above the rest) would have used no less policy to his Lacedæmonians, than the other magistrates to reduce and establish their people: for the Lawyer, to such as he would form and institute, prescribes with the good Physician to his patient, whom he suffereth sometimes to taste unwholesome broths, to the end to give him a quick appetite to better meats: but if he should restrain or tie him to one singular observation of his strait precepts, his peril might prove mortal, and his recovery doubtful: even so is it with the Lawyers, who in a general corruption of manners applying themselves oftentimes to the wills and humours of their subjects, find it necessary to tolerate vice, in respect to advance virtue and good things, the same happening in the example of dowries, which for such respect and reason have been found necessary in marriage, being no other thing than a common society: And if amongst merchants, the better to entertain their traffic, yet be lawful for one to furnish the charge, in counterchange of another that affords his diligence, what aught we to think in this association of man to woman, whereof (as I have said,) all the brunt and matter touching this humane practice depends on the wit and policy of the man: sure (seigneur Monophylo) I can not make of it other than very inconvenient (albeit my opinion run directly against mine own condition and sex) that only husbands should be clogged with this double yoke and burden (I mean both to afford the pain, and contribute with the gain) and that the wife should be left to her delight and pleasure without other care than such as is voluntary unto her: Let then this little that I have said, suffice to prove a necessity of dowries in the course of marriages, and yet not so necessary, as under colour of a corrupt nature, either man nor woman (transgressing all order of policy) do pretend to violate the laws of chastity ordained in marriages: Wherewith Charyclea, ended and gave liberty of speech to Monophylo, who after his waspish manner replied in this sort. This language Madam is not inconvenient to your condition, as being either partial in the matter, or party to the cause, albeit (for mine own part) happening not long since into society with Gentlemen of value, amongst whom, as their grew question of our present argument, and maintained by the self reasons of your defence, there was one amongst the rest of no less aptness in speech then deep judgement, who undertook to impugn both the matter and his voluble opinion, which it may like you to suffer me to recite, seeing the occasion requires it: 
Of Marriages for money.  I find (saith he) great reason in your words, but better could I allow your opinion, were it not that love is above all your statutes and polletykes of man: hoping you will thus far consent with me, that where nature speaketh, love must keep silence, specially where she contends against him: as for example, how can all our positive laws enforced to their greatest power, dissolve this proximity of blood and parentage which we have one of another, so long as we rest upon earth: it may be you will say, that for some fault or offence, they will sometime bereave us of the right which seems to belong to us by the mean of parentage: but they cannot cut of consanguinity by which we are knit together from our nativity: Because nature only, and not the laws hath laid that foundation, and perfected the work: even so in a marriage contracted only under a pretence of dowry, you must not think that the law who admits such toleration, hath any power at all to wrist the course of our true nature: not that I would fashion a Chaos in common wealths according to men's imaginations: obedience and society are due to husbands by civil band: but the singular affection to our peculiar friends, is within the compass of a natural duty, wherein I believe that the laws (albeit they have made no public determination) are notwithstanding covertly miscontented with such reciprocal friendships: and if in times past (as also at this day) only in respect of a natural appetite inducible to pity, have excused the execution of vengeance upon any act of oppression, yea though it stretched so far as murder, which of itself is punishable by all authority and policy: what aught we to esteem of love, who (being no other than a self nature) carrieth oftentimes against our wills, our affections, with constraint to love diversly: neither do I think that the pain and statute for adulterers (the only remedy for marriages) was raised against such, as in a violent affection do vow their hearts to one mistress: but rather to bridle these amorous scoffers (who as of a set mind to dally and dissemble) lay siege to every place, as they who in a privy watch or ambush put the revenge of their enemies to execution: like as I think you shall find justified in the common wealth of Athens, wherein for a time, it was suffered to the women, not able to conceive by her husband, to raise generation with an other whom she loved, with this provision, that the fruit springing of her should be esteemed the act of her husband, by which (in my opinion) the common wealth was never the more disordered, but rather governed with more quiet and concord of mind and manners, because that satisfying their civil ordinances, they contented withal, those which nature only (without other mean) taught them. And yet could I be better contented, (the better to incercept all such occasions) if, cutting of altogether our opinion of dowries, we entered this yoke of marriage under a simple pretence and motion of affection only: for touching where they may be maintained & made necessary in respect of a politic estate, I do not only disallow it, but also of the contrary, I think they are the first & original ground of the greatest part of disquietes that thunder upon married men. And for your estate politic, I pray you of what depends this humane fellowship, which we have named mutual entertainment, if not of a reciprocal friendship which we aught to bear one to another, the same being defaced by this wicked invention of dowries. For if I chance to settle in affection with a maid of base condition, and by a tolerable suggestion of nature, proceed with her in holy marriage, shall I not run into a popular obloquy, as proclaiming in me an act and example of wilful folly? yea my friends will contest against me: my companions concur in common imputation: and my parents eschew me and my choice with unnatural grudge, as to have mingled my descent with a match of inferior estate (such is the impression and regard of dowries) where they discern not that in this I have found my Paradise, and by the other I should have run headlong into hell, for as well the one as the other, are comprehended under the name of marriage: But if in a greedy desire of gold and transitory dross, I practise a Lady of equal place and value to myself, than that blind ignorance commends and congratulates with me, as esteeming that for my benefit, which in deed converts to my extreme displeasure: he may live now (saith this wondering people) without the pain of the world, as though by my portion of xu or twenty thousand franks, I were able to govern the earth: where others, of deeper insight into the cares of marriage, stand aloof and lament with me, that biting (with the fish) at a golden bait, I should unhappily swallow up the hook of continual torment and bondage: o time, o manners to much corrupted, wherein money must usurp the name of marriage, and the conjunction of persons must be called servitude and bondage: All which I still maintain to move originally and wholly by covetousness, to the which our predecessors opened the gate, when they admitted dowries. And yet you marvel and canvas your wonder with infinite subtle reasons, if a lady, forestall the ordinance of your laws, encounter a second friend besides her husband, and he likewise use the like revenge to his wife. For if (according to Lycurgus in his common wealth of Sparta) every one bent his devotion to her in whom reposed his whole religion, we should cut of all the pains and travails which we see at this day reign amongst worldlings, which in common reason, would prove far more convenient, than your commodity (sir) which you have alleged in the administration of a family: you do nothing in preparing the way to marriages, if you do not associate them under a mutual friendship: neither shall any city or state be happy, until (with the example of our ancestors) we establish our marriages under one heart, as by which mean and not otherways, we shall banish not only all the errors of such conjunctions, but also even purge the whole common wealth, who tending to a perpetual moneaccorde and general quiet, shall never enjoy her felicity, so long as (in place of true friendship) she finds secret simulation between man and wife: which if it be so, and that by this marriage copulation your policy and whole common wealth be brought to the bait, (seeing that in the beginning the world being divided but into the unity of two persons, it multiplied by little and little into villages and walled towns:) sure if the foundation of such bounds be corrupted, the whole building must necessarily fall to ruin: wherein to give you my fancy in plain speech, I cannot otherways think, then that from this corruption of marriages (which succeed in no other meaning than for money, seeing in all other respects there is no resemblance between the parties) doth come the cause of our ordinary jars and disagréements between brothers and sisters, who being composed of divers and different humours, contend as it were in contrary qualities and dispositions, which they borrow severally of their father and mother. I profess, not to pretend by this, to have in my hands the reformation of our manners, but this me thinks cannot be inconvenient as well for present order sake, as to banish from us in time this corruption of dowryes, that a Lady being in that unhappy sort married, to have a friend of reservation with assurance to keep to him an indissoluble faith and loyalty, standing as a good and faithful example to others, not to marry themselves to goods, but to men according to the consent of love and destiny: here this forlorn Gentleman, ceased his further discourse, to the great rejoicing of the assistants, amongst whom, as there was none that pretended interest with him, so, for my part, albeit I know not whether he argued at voluntary pleasure, or used a plain meaning, yet weighing, with the majesty of the matter, the nature of his reasons, I could not so far consent with his sayings, as not to reserve a liberty to contend with him. And where he maintained so sharply, that love passed all ordinances of man, his error was no less in itself, than his opinion far from the purpose of the present question. For who is so ignorant or lead heavy in judgement which discerns not (as it were by his eye) that marriage was not ordained by man, but erected by the eternal divine policy, as the only mean for conservation of mankind: so to accommodate a thing so high, to our humane fra●●tie, me thinks is neither order in discretion, nor consideration in duty, which draws me (Madam) on your side, not only in regard of the society which you have wisely alleged, but also for other deep respects, as chief for that God commands that a woman do not make herself meet for any other, then him to whom the ceremony of the Church ●ath bound her: yea, albeit there were default of love between her husband and her, yet in christian duty she is bound to enforce her nature, to the end to enjoy an eternal peace. And yet (Madam) if this marriage happen to be one of those in whom is such resolute imperfection and contrariety, as love cannot be brought in, I cannot (in a necessary care for her worldly felicity) but excuse her, and approve the advice of this Gentleman, to bequeath herself to a constant friend: wherein though you note me of corrupt counsel, yet I have nature to answer the cause for me: and marriage itself (if it could speak) I know would not accuse me, but rather incline on my side, as to see her nourcechilde under a promise of wealth, defrauded by a husband of her true and pleasant inheritance, which is love, which justly she may exclaim to be sold at too vile a price against all reason. And if you will needs thrust upon me the defence of this cause in mine own name without calling other warrant, do you not see in common wealths well ordered (seeing you call upon the aid of a state well governed) that many things are suffered for necessity sake, which other ways, being esteemed evil, should be also abolished: referring you to consider more largely of the rest, seeing this text is ticklish enough, specially for the married sort, wherein God grant that as eschewing this gulf and pit of strife, every one may choose such a wife as nature and not money reserves for them: so if other ways their lot prove evil, and they miscarry, let them blame themselves as guilty to such destiny: With the which Glaphyro, who had heard all their discourse with a modest ●●lence, prepares himself to play his part: Here do I find (saith he) to be verified in us, the tale of the Poet Horace, of three men invited by him to a banquet, they all being divers in taste, strange in appetite, and hard to be pleased, but most of all the third: because the first delighted in sweet meats, the second took pleasure in sour sauce, and to this were agreeable neither the one nor the other, such was the delicacy of his complexion, whom in this I may perhaps resemble, as seeking to find a mean between the two extremities so thoroughly debated between you. For as far as I can gather of your contention (as one matter draws on another) from love simply, (as you term it) you are descended to marriage. In love (seigneur Monophylo) you maintain a conjunction of one to one, without enforcing the duty by which we are bound to our mistresses. And in love also, you (seigneur Phylopolo) defend the contrary: to your love seigneur Monophylo, you give scope to overrun even married women, notwithstanding, by right of marriage, they concern us nothing: & laying all the fault upon dowries as divesting us of such friendship as in those acts is requisite, you would have marriages proceed under the only title of love: wherein for my part, in as much as concerns the first point, I am not of opinion with you seigneur Monophylo, and give less faith to the sayings of you seigneur Phylopolo, not for any desire I have to impugn either of you, but being men's judgements divers, every man hath also a liberty to think at pleasure: touching the second tending to affection in wedlock, whereof for the dignity of the matter I intend to speak afore I enter into that servitude of love which you have set out: it seems seigneur Monophylo, that albeit you comprehend in part the motions of the troubles in marriage, yet, you build to much upon your ground of nature. For to abolish altogether the benefit of dowyres (as you pretend) were no less strange in respect of the manner, than prejudicial as touching the matter, because that as we aught not in deed to settle our chiefest stay in them, but marry altogether for the conservation of ourselves in our kind, yet we may use them as an ay●e, and ornament for the time to come: our will in entering into this bond of mutual conjunction, is to give being to o●r children that are to come. But in dowries as well our children as ourselves, found both present being and future benefit in this behalf we may consent with Madam C●aryclea, that to use regard of loyalty to a married women by any other then by her husband, is not lawful to any degree: for albeit those affections (as also they of love) seem to be infused into us by a heavenly influence which willingly would usurp a dominion over us, yet aught they to be bridled by reason, who was given us in a semblance and similitude of him to whom is due the sovereign Empire over all the world: seeing that even as this universal circuit or compass, is no other thing than a great body, wherein the rest seem to hold place of passions, because that as the affections in us, so also the celestial passions by their courses and revolutions, do govern altogether the bridle of this huge creature which we call the world: in respect of which proximity the Romans, giving as well to the stars, as to the passions, common names called them indifferently, motions: And albeit these powers are esteemed to hold a party government of this round wonder, yet we see all remains in the hand of him, to whom (as an universal reason of this huge body) is due a general & supréeme empire: even thus may we resemble a man, who being a little world, composed in his quality as an image of the whole, notwithstanding he seemed sometimes inclined to certain motions of nature proceeding (as some hold) of the stars under which he is borne: yet nature hath erected (as it were) a throne in his brain, wherein reason bearing chief rule, he should in his little kingdom, govern over this heavenly influence, which seemed to draw him from any virtuous operation: in which respect, albeit your love pertycipat never so much with nature (as you say) yet we must needs resolve and end our actions in the law, who albeit for some singular cause that moves you, condiscendes not in your judgement with reason, yet the same reason teacheth you to obey it: because you are so commanded by those that have power to direct you: And therefore seeing adulteries are forbidden, not only in these days, but also in all ancient memory, we must not suffer to fall into our thoughts, to bear love to her, whom the law hath assigned to another: which notwithstanding, because you give such a freedom to our natural inclinations, there rests only to find a guide to lead reason thither, as to meet the defects falling in marriages by occasion of these strange loves, on which you have run so long a discourse, wherein you and I shall not yet agree, because that to apply a remedy, you would have such conjunctions performed by that reciprocal love, which you call instinct of nature, but the ancients in an apt phrase, term it passion: And of the contrary, I think such vehement affections aught not to fall in marriage, but only a simple friendship proceeding of reason: For if being led in this extreme love which you figure and set out here, you think to take from married women, those inintemperaunces which you pretend to remedy, it were also necessary, that our passions vary not, and being carried in affection to one singular person, that we remain always firm and constant: which as we find notwithstanding m●st ordenarely to fail, so also, neither by pain nor policy, nor assistance of any time, shall you be able to root out of the fancies of either the men or women, those defaults which you note, and much less shall you be able to let, that many of free and disposed minds (I say not voluble and light) by continuance of time, do not fasten their love on another, aswell as they fixed it on you in the beginning: By which mean and reason, I could have better allowed, if to warrant marriages, and entertain them in this loyal friendship, you would have fashioned their beginning, not by this love, which you speak of, as being to light, but by good & grave advise, & counsel taken at large, the better to know how to live & love, afore they enter into that indissoluble conversation: For even as a good man of war preparing himself to an enterprise where he pretends to make proof of his prowess and value, afore he buy horses, he runs them, trains them, and makes many tryalles of them, refusing the unlykelye and making choice of such as he likes, at what price so ever he buyeth them: even so in this short race of life which we mean to perform with our wives in comfort, solace, and pleasure, we must not so much stand upon contemplation of a wavering love, which possibly crept into us in a dream or at unwares, as with deep advise and consideration, weigh the manners and conditions of the Lady with whom we pretend that way, considering withal her parentage, and manner of bringing up from her youth, by which order of choice, we shall easily find mean to make her entertain the thing which she aught to hold in most dear estimation, which is her honour, the same being the glory of her husband, as in his honour is contained the estimation of his wife: The man of war examynes his horse with great consideration, albeit he may departed with him at his pleasure: But we are negligent to cyfte and search our wives with precise judgement, with whom we are tied to an eternal society and abode unto death: we read the marriages in time past, dissolved upon very slender occasions, some renounced their wives, because they went amongst company without their veils or barefaced: some for that they sat at gaze without the knowledge of their husbands, and some because they went to the common Baths: Which kind of people, as they had good means to relieve themselves of the pains in marriage, so they aught not to stand in example with us, who drawing at this day in another course, as restrained of that liberty both by Gods and man's law, are bound to another consideration in the high enterprise of marriage, which afterwards is either to revert to our full felicity, or else resolve to our extreme torment and mishap: I have heard often an old persuasion of the people, that, who hath a pretence of marriage, aught to enter therein with his eyes closed: But for my part, if I had either so many sights as old Argus, or were able to bear no fewer eyes than the sky hath stars, I should hold them all insufficient to direct me in my choice, as being a matter of most high judgement and deep in sight: neither can I allow in this behalf, the consideration of the romans, who gave liberty to their daughters at twelve years, and leave to their sons at fortene to marry: respecting more the ability of the body, than capacity of the mind, as esteeming those ages most fit for copulation to multiply the world. At those years they suffered man and woman to alyenate their body, and yet in all other contracts, they forbade alienation of lands and benefit until twenty and five years: They said marriages should only knit by a free consent of the mind: and yet they tolerated contracts in a slender knowledge and distinction of good and evil: yea, they almost suffered marriage, when there was no judgement of pleasure: For a child (specially in such age) is like a tender slip or plant, who plies always with every wind, liking all encounters, as his first motions lead him, to whom many things at the first are delyghtfull, which time translates to a froward disdain and contempt: Better could I agree with the institution of Plato, who in his common wealth did not admit man to marriage but in ripe years, which with him were thirty five, and the woman, in respect of her forwardness, exceeding the man in readiness and ripeness, at eighteen, and nintene, which rule if you accounted either to strait in the persons, or severe in example, choose your time in the man when you think him in his most maturity, as of best knowledge to consider his commodity: This is the cause why our lawyers have wisely foreseen, that no marriage should pass without counsel of the parents, who inclining to our profit more faithfully than ourselves, stand as a relief to our wanton weakness, as not suffering us to practise a Wife, whom they esteem not for our honour and benefit: For albeit (as you persuade seigneur Monophylo) marriages be made under a suggestion of love, which is no other thing than an inward passion of torment, and that for the beginning they flatter us with shadows of joy and pleasure: yet when our desire shall be satisfied, and our disordered will cloyed, we retire forthwith into continual penance (the only running plague and canker of the mind) which will prove such a coresey to the best parts in us, that our expectation of pleasure being banished as a fair form in a flattering looking glass, we shall live plunged in a Labyrinth of infelicities, which (to our worthy confusion) of ourselves, we brought to our selves: In your fancy, you fashion a wife, of the mould and metal of pleasure, with persuasion to find in her all the felicities of the world. But beware of the storm that succéedes the flickering calm, and (with the wise Arthitecture) when you prepare a plot to build upon, be sure to see in your mind the top of your palace, afore you pitch your foundation. For if your wife be wanton, if she be unchaste, if disobedient, if sharp in words, and subtle in abuse, if easy to deceive, and doubtful to trust, if rude in bringing up, and rough in behaviour, if froward at home, and foolish abroad, if vain in life, and void of will to be ordered, if lastly she have no other conformity with your conditions, then to her own liking, will not these griefs come in counterchange of your frail pleasure, yea alas they are poisons of themselves, and galls whose bitterness can never be taken away: if you once see her disposed to divide the pleasure which you challenge peculiar to yourself, shall you not then to late find yourself deceived in your vain thought: to whom for reward, is reserved a gnawing repentance, as due to your light and rash choice: yea oftentimes a sweet kiss received of a delicate Lady, breathes such a poison, as there is no art to purge it. And in a little glance of her eye is harboured such power (with the nature of the basilisk) to pierce you, that blasted with that enchantment, you seek to die afore your time. And then, if the sooner to enforce and effect your loathsome desire, you advance marriage with that pleasant enchantress, think you not on your hasty execution, there attends a weary and lingering repentance? and that your choice of folly for that one day, shall not be redeemed with a price of cares so long as you live after: It is an experience in nature and reason, that all things take dissolution, from whence they had their beginning: as our natural beings originally framed out of earth, resolve eftsoons to the same substance: goods evil gotten, succeed not well, and friendships kindled in such a light heat, do soon dissolve to ●um●, as matters of no long continuance, where such as rest upon the immovable pillar of virtue, are never subject to ruin, so long as the body is subject to life: which in deed aught to be the state and example of love in a good and loyal marriage, the rather to induce both the one and other to a constant felicity. And as that love which you prescribe seigneur Monophylo, by his heat and vehemency in the beginning, hath no long abode, so that which I discover in marriage begun by the plot and means I have laid, doth hoist more and more her sails, and even in the last day (when one of us must yield tribute to nature) is of no less force, than the first night wherein he offered his sacrifice to love under the guide of the master of ceremonies Hymeneus: yea, and for a further disproof of your opinion, I say, that for a man to fall in marriage into the hands of her whom he had long pursued in love, is the thing which above all other he aught most to fear: for where afore he professed the state of her servant and slave, with a prompt readiness to run under her commandments, his condition being now changed by reason of marriage, he altereth also his authority, challenging an empire and sovereignty over her, whereunto she is hardly brought considering her experience in her former pre-eminence. And so where afore there was a sympathia and concordance of friendship, both the one and other are now translated into loathsome spirits, striving either of them to maintain and possess their right. The man being now careless of his former pretence, for the which he had in so many sorts disguised himself, seeks to be husband both namely and actually: as also the wife on the otherside loath to leave her late sovereignty, strives still to keep him within the state of his former servitude: which difference of mastership, where it concurs together, there can be no concord, and where wants conformity of wills, there can be no perfit friendship: Besides, as we further consider herein, we shall find more inconveniences rise, as where the wife (afore her marriage) becomes obedient to the will of the man, what a Bees nest doth she breed in the head of her husband, who when time hath mortified his unbridled heat, will not stick to bring in memory the pleasures he coolled of her without other merit than a voluntary and light will, wherein jealousy playing her part, will not stick to lead him in a suspicious mind, to make his wife as prodigal to all men, as she hath been liberal to him: as for example in general, it is proved in common experience, that things which sometime seem good to us, by a better advise and consideration become of slender regard, the same happening by our blind passions which make us unable to discern the good from the evil: to a foolishmen over ruled with a burning desire, nothing seems impossible, but to the wise man, all things are hard, till by long and grave advise he hath made them easy: Even so love hath victory over all things, and making his subjects able to high enterprises, he qualifies all impossibilities to advance their pretence, but his great heat being resolved to a temperate cold, they stand to complain their former folly, and can not cure their present evil. And notwithstanding their sundry importunities, which (with the Chameleon) they can disguise in all sorts saving true meaning, yet they are no sooner put in possession of their desire, than as well the thing itself, as their affection to it, converts into an other quality, as beginning then to know the small value of the cause of his late torment, and of less merit in his own regard, albeit of special respect touching her, for that on it is grounded the duty of her honour: wherein also as these things lie hid from him, till by a charm of prayers and other subtleties apt to entice the simplicity of women, he hath brought her within his power, as the Hawk stowpes to the Lewer at the voice of her keeper: So, when marriage reveals an understanding of them, it is then he gives judgement against her tractable obedience, as so soon to bequeath herself to his mercy, without other bond or merit, than a simple persuasion on his s●de, with this mind that by the same mean she may as easily prostitute herself to others, as she was willing to incline to him: which will prove such an indifferent torment to them both, that the felicity which they expected in marriage, will turn to a curse of that holy institution. In which respect, it can not but be better to establish your marriage under a wise information of the manners and conditions of your wife (which is a contentment continual and incorrupt) then under a short and passable pleasure, whose end concludes with far greater grief and bitterness, than the beginning brought joy or delight. And grounding your marriage in this sort, it will bring forth such a virtue in the man, as using chastened his desti●●e, he shall also become estranged from all other unhonest provocations: as also touching the woman it is likely her parents will not choose for her a man of gold and wealth only, according to the warning of Themistocles, who had rather marry his daughter to a man needing money and able to govern wealth, than to gold which had need of a man to use it: For to speak a truth, without comparison more commendable is the poor man getting little, than the rich man spending prodigally: So then, let not the father be slenderly advised to provide place for his daughter, and much less apply to her discretion, if virtue lay not the ground of her choice: the wanton lo●●ed assyet in the cradle of imbecility, enable to discern directly, if she have once tasted the sweet speech of some dallying Courtier, yields by and by simple faith to his subtle meaning, and caries away the picture of his behaviour imprinted in the dearest part of her heart. But alas, what fruit take we of the example of Medea, who left father and mother with all her own estates to follow a disloyal jason: and likewise Oenone miserably abused and forsaken of Paris. A man inclined to deceit, will not stick, by enforced importunities to protest such lamentable service and affection to a Lady, as if marriage succeed not between them, he wisheth death to dissolve his painful and languishing estate: and she pitying such ghastly resemblances, makes a present bequest of her heart with consent to the marriage, to the end to communicate with the honest pleasures therein, but (in mine opinion) with the most irksome encumbers that the wit of man can devise: was there ever man, to whom at the first (notwithstanding he had a more lust to the wealth, than liking to the woman) nature hath not given a facility to flatter with no less show of friendly behaviour, then if he meant perfit friendship in deed: for nature hath given to men a face to serve as a visor the better to disguise their thoughts: albeit it is good policy to use an Antidote to purge a poison. But if even wise men can sooner foresee, than easily eschew the malice of their evil disposed enemies.  
By greater reason, how can a young maid discern him that loves her, amid so many dissimulations in the world. But admit, he that pretends her in marriage, love her unfeignedly, is it meet for all that that love fall into the mind of so weak and tender a creature: Nature created woman with her eyes downward, and to man she hath given a liberty of upright looking, advising us by that, that a woman should not be bold to raise the lids of her eyes, but hold them always in a modest behaviour inclined to the earth, to the end she should not have the faculty to judge of the countenance of men. And if she be capable to know what love is, by the same capacity also many other malices may enter into her, wherewith it needs not that she participate: For, if I might fashion a Maid entering into marriage, I would frame her either simple not to know good from evil, or at lest so tractable, as to incline altogether to the fancies of her husband, and not to learn or study any thing which should not tend to the common quiet of them both: and being such one in herself, and rightly matched by her parents: o happy, and twice happy marriage: o life agreeable to God, and plausible to the world: o blessed couple of lovers, enjoying a temporal felicity which will lead you to the everlasting paradise: this husband shall instruct his wife without grudge, and she apply to his will without compulsion: he shall command and find no resistance, and she obey him with all reverence, if she entreat, he alloweth her reasons, and will not deny her request, if any thing offend him, she either submits, or useth modesty to persuade: and so living both in one nature, and conformytie of manners, as this husband will not search the life of his wife incivillye, so her simple innocency stands always to defend her from those inconveniences in marriage, which all men fear, and most men find, using rather an unstained loyalty with an honest love unfeigned in them both, than such a disordered will as you have described: For if in any other respect, a man enter this holy estate, let him not grieve, if by succession of time, his wife choose. A secret friend against whom I will not erect such hard ●awes of restraint towards his mistress, as you (seigneur Monophylo desire,) wherewith I fall eftsoons upon the matter of loyalty by you preferred: albeit afore I enter into the field of that argument, because I will not couple so profane a thing as love, with the holy profession of marriage, it may please you (Madam) to use patience to hear, and modesty in concealing your judgement. But hear Monophylo not content with the matter, and less liking the manner of the man, as one with whom love stood in more dear value, than all the other felicities in the world: you have seigneur Glaphyro (saith he) I know not by what occasion entangled our discourse with speech no less impertinent to the matter, than somewhat estranged from the general purpose of the company, because in my advise to him that would marry, I did not pretend in my plot of singularity, to bring in question that point, unless by the way, and (as it were) at unwares, neither under hope to stand long upon it, nor to help my opinion the rather: albeit, seeing you seem to settle in it, your challenge shall not offend me: and if you had well weighed the nature of my reasons, I think you would have given them a higher merit, than those which by yourself are revealed, the same containing no less distinction in themselves, than there is common difference between life and death, seeing your marriage is grounded upon a voluntary or rather artyficiall consideration, and mine marcheth under an inclination of nature, which we cannot restrain: wherein by how much less facilytie the bonds of nature are to be unknit, than those which we see Art doth couple and conjoin, even by so much more authority, do I assure and ground my marriage above yours. And I pray you seigneur Glaphyro, (to avoid weary speech) how many divorces, jars, and household strifes, do you see happen daily between the honest and chaste wife, and her husband: yea, I know at this day, a wise and discreet Lady (if there be any) equally sprinkled with the favours of nature, and liberally endued with the virtues and qualities of the mind, whose race of youth hath run under an honest and obedient name with her husband, and possessed between them a number of fair children, yet such is his inequality and difference of manners with her, that notwithstanding the continuance of their love many years, with end honest and chaste endeavour requisite in the office and part of a wife, he cannot be induced to honour her with the affection of a husband: wherein, being cyfted in the cause of this disagreement, when he can not prove prostitution or other such criminal error in marriage, he allegeth only that as he never loved her with his heart, so, yet if another man had the lawful interest of marriage in her, he could then draw his affection thither, is not this man so much the more worthy of rebuke, as either his words be hateful, or his example hurtful to a common wealth, but above all his offence is the greater, for that virtue (with the nature of the Adamant) draws to her even people unknown: But for my woman, being such one as I have figured, I will love her chastity and virtue, and not her proper person, only because my mind cannot apply thereunto. I will honour and esteem in my wife that wisdom which God hath breathed into her, and not such as of itself will offend me: oftentimes, happening into argument of▪ marriage, amongst sundry men and women; I hear not seldom as well the one as the other sort to marvel of the pleasant and sweet agreement of some married men with their wives: for (say they) if such a man, or such a woman, had chanced to my lot, we should have agreed even as fire and water. So that what other cause knits this equality and concord between them two, who, being divided could hardly agree with others: but a love, a conformity, yea a kindly nature between them, which could not hold concord with others. For if you require a precise perfection of manners in your wife, wherewith perhaps yourself is not furnished, never look to agree with her in conversation and behaviour other then as the Lion with the Lamb, whereof the one is of humble and meek condition, and the other endued with a proud and haughty nature. And albeit your wife discreetly assay to reform your incivilities▪ and by reverent obedience seek to lead you in an honest affection, yea though with the vail of her modesty she cover your imperfections, thinking at last to allure you with th●se honest trains, yet such marriage will prove imperfect and all her honest travail yields but a desperate fruit, because you stand estranged from her in heart: our nature never changeth in us, and (with the opinion of the Philosophers) who seeks to translate his nature, laboureth with the Giants in time passed) to make war against the Gods: well may we for a time dissemble the suggestion of our thoughts, as by an artificial hypocrisy pretending an other estate than we bear: but at length as (with Esop's Apes that broke the dance to scamble for Nuts) this nature of ours must revart and take her place: So when love once imprintes in her, much less that the man and wife shall jar or disagree between themselves, but of the contrary they shall bring forth in their lives and action's▪ one con●●nt of will, yea there shall be that richesse and community of manners which you wish▪ and the wife of such chaste and reverent behaviour to her husband, as their conversation shall be no less free from reproach, than their whole life far from example of disobedience. In which estate, were it not better to live in such sort and pleasure, (albeit the one be deceived in his opinion) then dwelling in the condition you have prescribed, to be always plunged in pain and passion▪ This love doth so dazzle and lead our spirits in a judgement of affection and favour, that we value all things in the best, and esteem nothing inconvenient on the behalf of them whom we love: where this wisdom which you wish: stands upon such delicate and precise respects, as she holds nothing acceptable, yea though in your wife were even the very virtues of judith, or the rare constancy of Penelope: wherewith the Lady noting their vehemency, me thinks (saith she) you lead the company wrongfully in a cause of doubt, albeit the nature of the matter requires it. But to leave you mutually contented, my judgement is that you devil still in your singular opinions, seeing in either of them is a clear resemblance of a truth, like as in common experience and practise of things, that which is proper in one place, we found oftentimes most inconvenient in an other behalf, and that by the variety of manners & order of such as handle them. And therefore seeing there is a diversity of fancy between you, let every one feed on his private opinion without seeking to disinherit his companion. But for your part (seigneur Monophylo) if you should be driven to abandon and exchange your lot (I mean your Lady and Mistress) to mary the richest woman in the world, I think it would digest with you as an unsavoury ●yll in a sound stomach: And even no less to you monsieur Glaphyro, if you were to choose a wife only for wealth, or altogether for love, so that (as I said) my sentence runs still to restrain you of speech, and leave you only a liberty and contentment in thought recommending unto you (seigneur Glaphyro) a new memory of your old promise to proceed in the matter of love, whereof you have given us as it were a pleasant taste, and seems now to faint in the challenge, when you have kindled our desires leading our appetites in imagination, as though you would warm us by a painted fire: only I pray you be not weary in well doing nor hard to incline to honest requests, seeing there is no less virtue in the one, than the other conducible to merit of them by whom you are required: your request (Madam) saith he, is no less just in itself, then meritorious on your own behalf, and your reasons so necessary, as if I should deny them, I should be holden either ignorant or obstinate, and so leave you unsatisfied in my duty, and fulfil in myself an example of imperfection touching the parts requisite in a Gentleman. And yet Madam, your request seemed a fleeing authority, seeing it prevented me in matter, but not in meaning: yea, if I had not a grounded knowledge of you, I should judge you with those delicate creditors, who, if their day be not kept, do salute us suddenly with their Sergeants or officers of areast, notwithstanding you shall be satisfied as appertaineth, upon this charge and covenant that you receive my money in payment as it is, seeing I will give you no other than such as I cull out of mine own coffers. And so as far as I remember the degrees of our beginning, seigneur Monophylo, allows love mutually of one to one, and of the contrary Phylopolo would love in many places: wherein Madam, if I give my fancy either simply, or as I have partly learned of you, I crave only to be defended in my right as well as they two. To make such base merchandise of his body, as to bequeath it to the first (according to the desire of seigneur Phylopolo) me thinks is neither good nor seemly, & even so I can less condescend to hold so hard a hand of the bridle, with imagination of such an Idol of constancy, as you (seigneur Monophylo) require: only I could better allow a mean, as the Lawyers use in causes of contention: I will not deny that the principal point in love, and the mark whereat every one aught to shoot, is not loyalty towards our mistress, yet considering this great frailty which nature hath grafted in us, as to be all in all and partaker more with mortality, than divine respects, seeing our minds be wrapped in the vail of this fleshly dross, if pursuing our necessary occasions and opportunities, we chance into a long absence from our Mistress, & applying the favour of the time to our desires, happen to row in another stream, I cannot make that light scape a deep offence, nor such exchange of pleasure only alienation of mind, & therefore no other fault than either may be pardoned or excused: seeing that dwelling still in one constant mind and will towards her, albeit I supply a certain suggestion and actual appetite which nature stirs in me, yet with that disordered will, I do not translate my heart to other then to the Lady and Mistress of my first thoughts, to whom I bear a constant reverence as well absent as present, wherein as the Sun keeps always his clearness, although sometimes he enter into a cloud, even so may it be of him who sometimes visits a strange Mistress, to whom he yields no other affection then to serve his present turn. To be short, seeing friendship rests in the heart, and not in these small intemperances' of nature, me thinks love cannot be violated by a necessity forced of an instinct which moves and kindles by nature. And yet will I not establish any liberty (under the shadow of such necessity) to s●acke the bridle of our pleasures at all times, and upon every motion: for so might we run into a negligent and careless regard of our mistress, albeit there be many faults which may be pardoned for once, but coming to an use and custom, deserve no small rebuke: wherewith Monophylo, to cut of the question of marriage: Let us leave them (saith he) to such as pretend interest in that holy state, and return eft 'zounds to the matter of love where we pitched our beginning, wherein (s●igneur Glaphyro) you are nothing so prodigal of yourself, as Phylopolo, & yet perhaps your opinion might found place amongst the common people, as holding some simple affinity with them, shadowed with an honest and seemly cover. But being here to dispute not according to popular fancy, but exactly upon things, I will frankly tell you my judgement, if friendly you apply liberty to my simple meaning: not only scope of free speech (saith Charyclea) but all the authority I have to warrant and assure your cause, wherein (if need be) I will become pawn and pledge for you: often have I read (saith Glaphyro) that women are sprinkled with many imperfections, as unable to give advice in causes of estate, and much less to be received into judgement in matters of this advice: those be the laws of men, saith the Lady, to whose ignorance is given a certain supréeme authority, lest in indifferent reason, they were found either less able, or more imperfect than we, and all to establish an usurped preregative over our virtuous obedience, wherewith offering to proceed further in the honest defence of their simple sex: Monophylo, either under the warrant of her consent, or at lest presuming of her condition, intercepted her speech, and pursued his purpose of loyalty in this sort: if the highest virtue in love be actual constancy, the second felicity (in mine opinion) saith he, is to have the thought clear from all corrupt motions, as neither to aspire by imagination, nor attempt by policy, how so ever the season or opportunity do favour: for who maketh profession of true love aught so to bridle his stirring lusts to all other women, that much 〈◊〉 he perform any desire, which you say to be natural, but also tha● the will or disposition of so doing do not once fall into his mind: seeing, who so passeth that honest ●onde▪ and respect, and professeth a peculiar consecration to one, is guiltless with God's enimies● in profane prostitution: yea I cannot allow Scipio, who in the sack or riste of a town refused to behold certain maids singularly fair, lest against reason and honour, he should perform some disordered will of them, by which effect he proved that his heart was not elsewhere possessed: as also that mighty Alexander, who, after the overthrow of 〈◊〉, notwithstanding the 〈◊〉 and chance of 〈◊〉, had brought under his commandment the wife, daughters and damosels of that great Monarch, yet he spared to lay unhonest hands upon them, as whose honours were in dear regard to him: not for all this, that I will assure his mind to be entangled elsewhere, but I lay him as an example, that if he were exempt from all passion of love, what then is his duty, whose thoughts are and aught to be avowed to one only. All of the contrary (saith Phylopolo) for such as do love, being more 〈…〉 with such desire, thou others, and not able 〈…〉 to possess the pleasa●●● pray of then best beloved Mistresses, are enforced to change of place and 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 pass over that hea●e which they had 〈…〉 Seeing (saith Monophylo) I am not of myself able to satisfy you so well as both the case requireth, and 〈…〉 for your incredulity, I pray you 〈…〉 and perfit example of 〈…〉 familiar companion of mine own, not altogether unknown unto you, who, after long and much labour to 〈◊〉 the good 〈…〉 Lady, and ●he for her 〈…〉 with many vanquettes of court, as dissembled 〈◊〉, and incertain hope 〈◊〉 happened that falling one day into a special opportunity of time and place, he added new flame to his old fire, and required to visit the 〈◊〉, which saving to married folks, nature would not have known but by imagination: which notwithstanding 〈◊〉 unto him, albeit with a gracious nay, accompanied with a certain hope hereafter, I pray you judge the estate of this poor Gentleman, who, to quiet his unruly will, went elsewhere to be satisfied, and being upon the place both free from danger, and far from all impediments, he become so mortified, that as well the passion as the cause qualified of themselves: I pray you, what power of love did he show in this experience: yea such a force and sovereignty, that albeit we be violently strained in will and desire, yet doth he not suffer us to pass the limits of reason. And albeit this Gentleman, is not in some respect, without his merit of praise, yet will I not phyle him upon the bedroll of true lovers, seeing he suffered his mind to be spotted with such a corrupt motion: what if (as we read in Authors worthy of faith) two or three have lain by the space of six months, even in the arms of them in whom rested their whole affection, and yet, as not to disobey the chaste wills of their ladies, suffered themselves to be governed without touch or inclination of dishonour, shall not or cannot a true lover (by the only memory of the pleasure he encountereth in dreaming or thinking of his Lady, in whom he lives in true felicity) abstain copulation with an other although occasion and opportunity consent: what numbers could I reckon (if numbers were necessary to establish your fancies, as well as they can prove my opinion) to whom their allegiance to their Ladies were so dear and careful, that they have even cried out of nature, when she hath suggested dishonestly in them: wherein, (for some respects) I will spare to wade further at this time, although I could make example of some of your acquaintance and my thorough knowledge, with whom God doth witness, that albeit they have governed without danger the bodies of Ladies of no small affection, and, by the season and place, might prevail over them, yet would never gather the fruit of the garden which lay open to them, and that only in a reverent remembrance of their Mistresses, in whom they found more felicity by imagination, then in all the actual pleasure in the world: which last words he could not bring forth without some tears, (albeit he wisely dissembled his passion) the same assuring the company that in himself was meant the example and party of that pity. But Phylopolo, according to the malice he always bore to such loves, dissembling withal not to have understand his words, urged an incredulity to his tale, as holding all his discourse for fables, not of our time (saith he somewhat smile) but rather of that first age called the golden season, when men (if we may believe Hesiodus) continued in infancy the space of an hundredth years: wherein as such men as you describe unto us, might retain life two hundredth years, and living in such manner, might devil in estimation both of beasts and children, who for want of knowledge in any thing, and inability of their age, stood need to be fed: even so also we may well love such men in comparison with Tantalus, who in the midst of water, and oppressed with a vehement desire to drink, suffered himself to die of thirst: which fables albeit they allure faith with some, yet they can persuade no credit at all to me. Neither do I mean to travail with you to such purpose (saith Monophylo) yet if by yourself and not by me, you were well and duly instructed in the obedience and servitude which in love we bear to our mistresses, for fear to offend them, it may be, though you were not fully of my opinion, yet you would not altogether withstand it: by which want or default, there is nothing that we can prefer, which (aswell to you as to all others without experience and proof) will not seem monstrous and impossible to be done. But now for you seigneur Glaphyro (whom I think to have somewhat satisfied touching the necessity which you say in us by nature) tell me I pray you, what slanders, how many jars, what sorts of irksome inconveniences in love may spring, if, as you hold, under pretence of (I know not what) disordered appetite shadowed with your long absence, you seek to defrawde your mistress of that which is only due to her, and you duly bound to reserve for her: would you not the unity of our hearts to take other ground then of a simple and only presence, as though absence could hold no love, and men unseen become negligent in affection, ah how far is that from the office of a loyal mind, how lamentable to be heard of, how dangerous in use, yea an heresy most intolerable in a communion or society of faithful friends: for my part, by these hands and tears which are witnesses of my zeal I protest and prove the contrary, that absence is such a torment in our minds, that the more we stand bereaved of the pleasant philosophy, flowing from the sweet breath and speech of our Ladies, the more do we honour their virtues in contemplation, and the seldomer we govern the actual motions of their quick and sparkling eyes, the more do we travail in desire to behold them, so that it cannot be that we decline in good will, seeing (with the nature of fire long kept down with straw) absence reviveth our affection, enforceth our desire, and redoubleth our hope, which truly used, is never without his true merit: Herein I have the help of Philosophy, in which this is one principle, that more do we desire those things which we lest command, than such over whom we have a free government, the same perhaps being the cause why many esteem the Italians most constant in their love (and yet in my judgement not without their errors that way) because that possessing only the favour and use of the eye, without other benefit of speech or secret familiarity, they always continued in love, and increase in desire: which is also the very nature and operation of absence: not for all this, that I maintain presence to procure any default or diminishing of love, seeing the only presence of your Ladies, stirs up such a present contentment, that all torment, all dolour, yea every sigh and sorrowful vision passed, is nothing in respect of the pleasure which her only society brings, and the same (as an indifferent virtue) dividing itself into a mutual felicity to you both, fashions such a fift heaven in you, that you leave her not without a vehement desire eftsoons to see her, as a stomach whose appetite increaseth by a restraint of meat: This is it which Amadys de Gaul hath figured unto us in his eight Book, when Nyquea presenting before her eyes in a looking glass her Amadys de Grece, was so rapt into present conceits of joy, that the only vision in the Glass defaced all other pleasures with her, but the form being taken away, the effect also did vanish as a shadow on a wall which is governed by the reflection of the Sun, and all her former joys turned into a mountain of smoke by the only loss of that dissembled cause: The like also happening to Anastarax, when he could enjoy no more the presence of his Nyquea: Did Penelope I pray you, for all the importunities of so many Princes, corrupt the duty of her wivehoode to her husband for his long absence of twenty years: and she was not induced to this constancy by any fear of her husband, because in such a distance of place and time, she might conceal her fault: not, the extremity of honest and careful love to her husband kept her in that virtuous course in his absence: And even as good old Seneca is wont to say, although he knew is offence would be concealed not only from the world, but even from God himself, yet (saith he) would I not sin, for the only hate I bear to sin: even so, the true lover (notwithstanding your voluble fancy) although he know his offence shall not come to the knowledge of his Lady (a thing of very hard assurance) yet aught he to eschew the inconvenience you spoke of, in a reverent regard to the perfect love he bears to his Mistress. So that as their presence procures to us a pleasure and most perfit contentment, so absence leads us in an insatiable desire towards them: the same being a sufficient mean to call us back from all other temptations: yea this only desire and constant remembrance of them (being continual and extreme) will mortify in us all mind and memory of every other thing. Like as also such ●orment proceeding of such absence will exceed (without comparison all the delights we can imagine even in all the other women in the world, so that if my judgement might challenge authority) I hold that such love in itself is so passioned, that by it we forget all other passions and fancies, & are made as half Gods in such sort, that in respect of our great fragility, we are not able to draw ourselves from these intemperaunces whereof you speak (although God commands us) yet, being clothed with this kind of love, (notwithstanding all the pleasures of the world m●ster, and present afore our eyes, we shall not serve or decline one jot. And now touching the latter part of your discourse, that love consists not but in the heart, & not in these inclinations of nature, wherewith necessarily we are touched, your opinion is not altogether without the society of reason, wherein (as I think) you might allege that Apothegma sometimes attributed to Aelyus Verus Emperor of Rome, who, to cover his wanton and licentious facts, said it was not lawful by the honesty of marriage, to execute his passions upon his own wife, and therefore (to preserve the honour of wedlock) he allowed himself a conversation with other public women: even so might you allude as not to contamynate this precious cloak of true love, a law or liberty to do as much on the behalf of them on whom you had not fixed your heart: Albeit you make a further restraint of yourself, as not desiring the execution in such things, but only when by a natural violence, you are forced to do it. But I pray you tell me seigneur Glaphyro, if you had married a wife not for any settled affection towards her, but only in a greedy regard to the greatness of her wealth (as we have said before that marriages took their beginning) and she glozing with you in affection, and profess a presential obedience to you, and secretly prostitutes herself to another, would not her dealing be of hard digestion with you: yea albeit, you may answer that it belongs to every wife dutifully to conform herself altogether to the pleasure of her husband, and not to seek to delight the residue of the world, yet, would not her abuse seem intolerable with you: wherein then if you took your wife under pretence of gain, without any consideration of love, what would you say if she, whom the heavens seem to have reserved for you, imparted her body with another: O lamentable destiny, o grief without comparison, o dealing might you say, whose bore remembrance brings with it a horrible imagination of death: for my part, albeit I make no careful inquiry in such things, yet, in nature and reason, I hold it the greatest wound that can happen to the heart of man: so that you must not think seigneur Glaphyro, that reciprocation is not found in your Lady, who feels no small smart of mind as often as you relieve strangers with the alms which she accounts proper to herself: where as be it that she be ignorant, yet aught you not to pretend worse to her, than you would she should perform against you, because it is peremptory in God's judgement to reward fin with his merit, and return to every one the same measure wherewith they have served others. And this is one point (saith Phylopolo) which might give place to the question, wherein perhaps I will one day offer you the challenge, as finding it strange that you will make march under one Method the man and the wife: albeit, for the present I will reserve it to another season, only to discharge myself now against seigneur Glaphyro, who for the better authority of his opinion, seeks to make us understand, that love hath none other residence then in the heart, and nothing at all in these natural intemperaunces which he saith are nourished in our minds: sure seigneur Glaphyro, me thinks you sake to lead us in a strange construction touching the force and virtue of love, seeing, there was never lover, who loved not to this end which you so far estraung & banish from the park of love: what other cause is there of our abaction▪ or what else doth induce us to love our Ladies, if not this last felicity which we pretend to find in them, wherein beside common experience, which of itself aught to suffice to judge between us, how many examples have we read in antiquity, amongst whom we find no one lover, who at length hath not required of his mistress that point which we call the fruit of love, the same (in mine opinion) being the motion and only purpose of this extreme love: nay rather it is even love itself, which is none other thing then a desire to use and possess. Great surely and gracious is the effect of the eye, hand and hears, but not of such force, as that in them we may find a full relief to the torments we endure: but rather with Mars when he possessed frankly his Venus, let us directly seek out the mark whereunto love leads us. And albeit from the eyes and looks do flow no small contentment, yet they are but dim stars in respect of the other light, wherein I hold him altogether insensua●e, who under any other consideration pretends to profess love to Ladies. This speech is not indecently used seigneur Phylopolo, saith Monophylo, neither improperly applied to the present matter: only I thank you, that in favouring partly my opinion, you offer me simply your aid, without the which notwithstanding I think Glaphyro understanding my reasons would have condescended to my saying as being of itself sufficiently defensible. And albeit I have now to rest in quiet with him for the matter of loyalty, yet me thinks, (notwithstanding I acknowledge somewhat unthankfully the benefit you have presented to me) you and I shall not so easily accord, because (in my judgement) as you seem sinisterly to comprehend all the nature of love, so I will not resist that the lover aught not to thirst for the thing which you hold in such estimation. But that to love only for that respect, is either true love, or friendship of continuance, I maintain against you and all challengers, hoping you will take it as from him whose nature cannot be disguised from the office of a true lover: we see by experience many men who, pretending only that mark and end in love, after they have brought their pretence to a matter of effect (as men whose natures change in a moment, they become no less cold in desire, than erst they laboured in vehement means to advance the execution of their fleeting will: yea, they are evil acquainted with the nature of love, who dispose him only under a contentment to frail, he being in himself so divine and wonderful, and the pray after which they hunt, so passable, and of no abode: indeed this I will confess that nature, to multiply this huge and round body which you see, doth kindle in us by a secret wisdom certain motions or stings, which with good right, some have called brutal as being common to us with other creatures, and not only with them, but even with trees and things not sensible, which seem to bloom and become fruitful for the increase of their 〈◊〉: which natural vehemency, if it had not been necessary also in us, this huge plot and workmanship of the earth had soon taken end: This is the cause, why, intercepting our wills▪ and guiding our affections by these disordered appetites which necessity puts in us, we bear to the community of women, certain sparks of str●nger good will, than to men, and they likewise to us: the same happening in ordinary example, seeing there was never parsonage of such deformity (if I may charge him upon his faith and conscience) who naturally receives not (specially in a conformity of things) more contentment in the company of women, then in the fellowship of men: For our nature doth even rejoice in them, as seeing herself (by an honest and lawful conjunction of one to another) immortalised: So that by this mean is found an affection very vehement which generally we bear to all women. But not this particular friendship of one to one whereof you speak, which in my judgement consists as a more violent cause then that which you allege: wherein I will lay myself upon the relation of certain noble minded men, who albeit do honour their Ladies with a settled affection, pretending with all policy to conquer the extreme mark and felicity in love, yet I have noted them to rest best satisfied with the only use of the sight, presence, and speech of their Ladies, and that because they feared, that being possessed of that invisible paradise, their love would convert into some change, then much less that they esteemed it to be the only cause of their affection: yea it is a common persuasion among the popular sort, that having won that point upon a gentlewoman, love (which the son when he is at the highest) begins to decline, and then better is it to hunt the chase, then obtain the prey: so that (according to the purpose of their reasons) the self same subject, which (as they judge) is the very spring and original of love, is also the whole and only reversor of the same: seeing their building being pitched upon a frail foundation, the work and matter desolves in itself, the same happening oftentimes to such foolish lovers, who rest no less deceived in their enterprise, than their thought was vain: But now seigneur Glaphyro, let me ask you this roving question, if two lovers, not setting their mind upon this contentment which you mean, and yet one of them betray his affection, as to become prodigal of his body elsewhere, do you think this abuse is not a tiring grief to his mistress, if by chance she come to the knowledge of it: This I say, because that you, establishing your love in the heart, esteems these natural intemperaunces as you call them not to touch or hurt in any sort such as do love: wherein (for my part) such is my opinion (and in it is some conformity with yours) that love keeps his true and only abode in the heart, not stirring by such intemperaunces, but by a certain greater cause, as immediately I mean to prove, and yet neither one of our said two lovers can impart with a stranger without our extreme displeasure: because that as the life of two lovers depends mutually one upon an other: the man living altogether in the woman, and she likewise reposing only in him, so they could not but communicate both in equal grief, if others besides themselves would press to give pleasure, not only such as nature kindles in us, but generally, to their Ladies, as their Lords: And yet they spare it in themselves, as in a reciprocal regard delighting far rather to feed themselves with a sweet and sugared desire which by this appetite they have, then with a cloyed fullness gathering the pleasant fruit one of another: yea we are so deeply vowed in them, and they assured in us, that if it happen in a dream, their imaginations have deceived them, as thinking to have communicated with us (such is our pleasure to think that felicity moved in them by our occasion and means) we triumph in no less inward joy and gladness of mind, then if we had been present to perform and execute our wills: For (to use a judgement in simple truth) the pleasure doth not so much move us in ourselves, as the desire we have to be the cause of that wherewith our Mistresses may participate, seeing as we are borne for them and not for ourselves, so we live in them and not in ourselves, and die in them, to be eftsoons revived in them: like as also the benefit which we promise' ourselves to receive of them, although in itself, it contain singular greatness and merit, yet is it not so highly perfit, as that which we hope to procure to them: and so doubt not at all (sir) that there is any one in love who is not extremely grieved, when his pretended friend or second himself, finds contentment with any other whatsoever: not that their love (as I said and still maintain) be grounded upon such substance: In deed we desire and thirst after that point, because nature upon great cause & consideration hath taught us so to do: But as we desire it by nature, so love by a more violent reason teacheth us a modest government, what is more to be said: Although there were no hope to enter that common haven, and that my mistress had made me altogether desperate in accustomed expectation, yet I stand in the same duty and regard of settled love that was rooted in me before, albeit under this singular persuasion and assurance in myself, that there was no default of friendship, but rather some greater reason tending to entertain our love which induced her to deny me: wherein also if other occasion should lead her, as to be more affected to an other than to me, or holding me less dear, than either I have hoped or she professed, yet my love should not diminish otherways then by a Metamorphosis or tragical conjunction into pining grief, which (as the Eagle upon Promotheus) should pluck and pinch my heart by piecemeal, till, with my love, my life were also resolved to air, because I only desired to be in place, to give her the contentment she wished, more in contemplation and regard of her, than of myself, who if my love did not aspire but to that point, I would never rest till I had advanced the issue and conquered that happy effect: and yet in thrusting for it, I desire it not, as in desiring it, I do not long for it, but as a voluble affection, I make it far inferior to other regards I repose in her: You may ask me here what is this true love, whose pleasant torment so throws the world into passions: whereunto the Philosophers shall answer for me, who in a deep insight, thinking to attain to the understanding of nature, imagined love to be a most excellent form or plot, exceeding generally the consideration of man, and therefore did figure unto us an Androgina, by whom they meant a man composed of the Masculine and Feminine sex, and he standing in his state of perfection, swelled in such mortal pride against the Gods, that by that means he was afterwards divided into two.  
But it is most manifest, that this unity of the two halves, is not meant by a conjunction of the bodies, but by the communion of the minds: because this superficial form of body which we see in ourselves, is not the man of whom we speak, but an organ of the man which we cover in ourselves, like as we note even from the beginning of the world, that God hath formed us to his own likeness, as always invisible and de●ided from all corporal mass, until the time wherein he is to accomplish his promises: If Plato were the first that preferred this opinion of Androgina, as I am not resolute that he meant the only conjunction of minds, so I dare fully assure myself that he figured such a miracle, to represent unto us some heavenly matter in love: wherein it may be disputed of it in such sort, as one, by whose search and travail in Egypt, he had commoned with the priests of the law in the history of Moses touching his Genesis: But what need we acknowledge this Androgina in the Greeks and foreign Philosophers, who only (as it were) by certain chinks and crevices behold the Sun, seeing the true light thereof remains amongst ourselves: and whatsoever they defined of it, was either ignorantly or by stealth which they have disguised since, as not to be seen to borrow any thing of other strange nations which they call barbarous. The true and only Androgina is that which was presented unto us, not by a history or riding tale, but by a marvelous effect in the person of Adam, when this mighty Archit●uctor of all things, of a sovereign wisdom reserved only to himself, framed of one body, and one spirit, two bodies and two minds, which proves this amity to be more divine and heavenly than the common sort can presume: Albeit if you will that I declare more at large (having already in short revealed this excellent miracle under the which is comprehended the Image of true love) what liberty God hath left us since, to love one another, and the cause why we travail in affection: Assure yourself seigneur Phylopolo, to note no less confusion in me, then happened to him, who undertaking to dispute upon the nature of God, referred it always from one day to another, as a thing incomprehensible to our minds: O God what thing is love: may I say it proceeds of a similitude manners: or that he takes his beginning of a constellation or influence of the self ascendantes under the which we are borne: Not, not, for then, in both the one and other manner it must needs follow by infallible consequence, that no man loving should be deceived in his love, but be encountered with reciprocal action, I mean, every one that loved, should be also beloved: And to establish love upon a self education and mutual nouriture, would seem no less far from reason, then free from all conformity to truth, seeing mutual nouriture, kindles a custom and certain sparks of private familiarity: but neither one body, nor one spirit, sure, seigneur Phylopolo, the more I aspire into consideration of this great divinity which we speak of, the more am I rapt into confusion, with such ghastly amaze, that me thinks it were better for me to judge that love is not, then raising my thoughts above the reach of nature, to seek to fly into his dwelling, to discover the force wherewith nature hath armed him even from the beginning of the world: And even as who pretends to comprehend the substance and majesty of this universal maker and creator of us all, discourseth in himself his most infinite miracles, as this round and firm plot of the earth, and the voluble course of the skies above, & so descending from one wonder to an other, finds at last, by the greatness of these effects that the great GOD is not to be discerned by the faculty of mortal judgement, but that he contains an essence exceeding man's consideration: even so, to whom so ever it lay in desire to understand at large what love is, it is needful he enter into a particular contemplation of all his wonderful effects, and so, resolve and end that it is a thing, whose knowledge can not enter into the spirit of man: So that seeing love takes his being, neither of a heavenly influence, nor conformity of conditions, nor lastly of a custom or mutual conversation, what other thing shall I term him to be, than a motion stirring I know not how, which is far more easy to be felt in our hearts, then uttered by speech: yea it so knits and unites our minds, that being the cause of a perpetual death, yet it revives us in an other, making us forget our proper condition, to remember ourselves eftsoons in an other, second ourselves, and draws us beside by a divine power, with such a strong and indissoluble bond (returning to the first Androgina of our father Adam) that he distills two spirits into one body, & by the same miracle brings to pass that two spirits be made one mind in two bodies, (is not this I pray you) a most sovereign and extreme miracle, wherein to the end to draw you to a better understanding of my saying and not to think it a fable, is it not (as it were) to have one spirit in two bodies, when a man and woman differ not in desire of things but applying in conformity of wills and affections, the one doth not desire but that which the other doth wish, and yet being one mind in two bodies, they become in the end by a singular metamorphosis & exchange two spirits in one body, because my mistress standing in full possession of my heart, & I likewise ruling over her affections, I can not but esteem myself to possess both mine own and hers, and she likewise to govern them both, seeing that like as if I be named Lord over hers and her, I may rightfully mean myself the only possessor of both our hearts, so, albeit we seem both deprived of two minds and two hearts, yet we retain and possess both the one and other in ourselves: And therefore who can say that the knowledge of love is able to happen into our minds: or that we have the faculty to discern the true substance and matter of love. This is the cause why the ancient fathers and philosophers, amongst the demons which they established (the only searchers out as they thought of our thoughts and actions) called love Demon, as to advise us thereby that it is a thing enforced by a natural instinct, & (as it were) by an impression which we keep of our ancient image, without other consideration, a thing to be discerned by actual example: seeing that even as, when we encounter upon a sudden any of our old friends, whose long absence leads us in a want of knowledge of him, we waver in judgement, and yet being assured in the end that it is the same of whom we doubted in the beginning, we embrace him with plausible signs of so happy a meeting: even so reserving some knowledge of that ancient custom, wherein it seems the heavens (if we may use the phrase of the Philosophers) did consent to us, as soon as our eye hath taken hold of her to whom our nature doth draw us, we begin as all amazed to enter into knowledge and (albeit not well assured otherways than in feeling some little spark of the ancient conjunction) fortifying ourselves in ourselves by little and little (as being then assured to have found again the object whereunto the heavens have vowed us) we delight, we congratulate and become familiar with every pleasure end contentment: wherein notwithstanding I do not hold, that after such characts engraved within us, and that the two lovers be tied together in one mind, by I know not what benefit, which they understand not (for so hath love taught me to say) we do not desire after a long use & conversation together, a conjunction of the two bodies one in another, the same being that appetite which nature hath infused generally into us all and that we find it better in our Ladies, than in any other woman whatsoever in respect of the great sympathya and bound of friendshish which is between her and us, the same retaining such a force in action of our love, that if after such a valiant beginning, we chance to be called to participate in the pleasure, much less (in mine opinion) that our love diminish or fall into any default, but rather that it will take new force and always increase more and more: Where if even in the beginning we had not traveled but for that point, the conquest had been loathsome, and the continuance none, seeing when the desire had been satisfied, our delight would have vanished, as the smoke dissolves when the fire forbears his action, and every effect mortefieth when the cause is taken away: so that as I can not allow that love (if love it may be called) either constant or of continuance, whose only purpose is to possess that point: so also he is weak in opinion, whose fear makes him doubt that the greatness of his love will diminish by this mean, and therefore dare not entreat his mistress in that respect: Love is then a power lying between the two worse extremities, not setting his original upon this common lust, and yet, though long he do reject it, at last he doth admit it: the same being the cause (as I believe) why all our church laws in the consomation of a true marriage (wherein aught to consist the mark and end of true friendship) require not but the consent of the parties: as though this true love of marriage aught not to pass but under a conformity of minds, and not by any lust or suggestion of the flesh: Thus ended Monophylo, not without a singular contentment to Chariclea, who to witness how deeply she favoured his side, wished she might warrant his opinion with such authority as she would, the rather (saith she) for that with the property of Archars, who advisedly direct and level their arrows to a little white, in respect of the white, which of itself is a small substance, but in a certain secret regard of honour to come nearest that little mark: even so albeit your lover aspire mystically to that last and desired sacrifice in love, yet it is not the principal purpose that first induced him to love: wherein sure as your reasons hold such conformity with truth, that if love himself should descend from his temple to dispute herein, he could not more lively touch the very white of this business, so I believe that in your mouth are presently revealed the oracles of Cupid, whereof seigneur Monophylo, according to my prerogative, I institute you from thinstant, archbishop. Even now began Phoebus to change complexion, converting his rays of warm reflextion into a dark disperition, inclined (as it proved to relieve the earth with some pleasant dew or sweet shower, which notwithstanding) had no power to offend in any sort these four valiant champions of love, who by his divine providence had so well pavished them with trees and leaves intricately interlaced together, that neither the sun had any hurtful power over them, and much less the wind could use his violence, by mean whereof, the Lady, after a little pause, fell eftsoons upon the matter of her last speech: If (saith she) Cupid be drawn to favour you in respect of your argument, I stand in doubt whether the sun hath reason to rest contented, as seeking to quench the fire which you begun to kindle in us touching the divinity of love: which perhaps he doth for malice, as seeing this little mighty God doth blow up more flame within our hearts than he that is esteemed the general star to give light to the whole world: under your correction Madam, saith Glaphyro, Monophylo hath brought the sun eftsoons into memory of his ancient loves, which I see he can not remember, without these sweet tears which you see he lets fall, to record the great unthankfulness he received of his Lady Daphne after so many infinite merits: And so let him be excused (saith Charyclea) only this condition I promise' and make, what tears or showers so ever he let fall, not to departed from this place till our argument be further enlarged, and drawn to an other issue: and always will I allow your reason's seigneur Monophylo, wherein you have not only divinely satisfied the divinity of love, but also erected a notable method and mean, not how the lover aught to behave himself, but (without difficulty) how he may maintain and defend his challenge wherein I doubt not but these gentlemen will not only approve the matter, but join with me in voice, to commend your judgement. Only phylopolo, to whom these contemplations were of careless regard, as delighting rather in a liberty of mind, and general assemblies where he might liberally slent with all women and put them in some waspish humour, desiring here to play an other party with the Lady, and convert his weapons not against Monophylo, but covertly to touch her, I could with all my heart, Madam, saith he, pass my consent to the opinion of Monophylo, as by that means to be acceptable to him for the matter, and not hateful to you that so allows it, but seeing you take pleasures to sound me so deeply, I pray you let me have freedom of speech with favour, and rather equity in judgement, then disdain to hear my short opinion: I have listened, with no small diligence to his tedious reasons, whereof as I find some good, other passable, and the most part impertinent and loathsome enough: so above all I find the chiefest mark whereunto he seemed to pretend, was, to make us approve loyalty of one man to one woman: wherein, seigneur Monophylo, albeit modesty hath hither unto bridled in me, that which desire offered to enforce, the rather when you fell upon that point wherein you have given such a gloase to faith: yet seeing you are settled in this voluntary pause, I can do no less (with the present opportunity) than enter the field against you, the matter of your rhetorical answer to seigneur Glaphyro, whom you have established judge in his cause as to know, if his Lady commit heresy in love against him, whether he could quietly digest it or not: hoping by such policy drawing the worm from his nose, to make him confused in his saying: But seeing in a civil and respect of high courtesy you seek to bear the state of procurer general to the community of Ladies, I hope my motion will not seem intolerable, if under the like affection of nature, I sew to be protector to maintain in their rights, the condition of men: wherein I doubt not with such reasons in myself, and honest conformity on your side, to make you see and know, that albeit loyalty is requisite in the woman to the man, yet that men are not loyable to such laws, although women (for many necessary respects) stand subject to their awe. I thank you (saith Glaphyro) for that of yourself, without any motion or merit of mine, you undertake the defence of my cause, wherein (according to your liberal offer to stand me in this pleasure) me thinks Monophylo may well assure himself, that albeit, in the charge you mean to lay upon him, he have the better of you, yet shall he with much difficulty maintain his proof, that love consists not but in a thing, which he cannot unfold, seeing such forms as are not to be revealed do seldom happen in love: Here, I governing (as I have said) their exercises, and therefore concealed myself, as rather to use mine ears than my tongue, seeing them pass over so lightly the last speeches of Monophylo, and desirous to supply their default, concluded at last to break my first purpose of silence: and therewith roosing myself in my place, without other reverence, than if I had assisted their company all that after dinner, presumed to tell them that in those two points was cause of controuers●ie worthy such an assembly, and to the which it belonged to Monophylo, in common hour, to prepare his answer, lest he were noted either of insufficiency in matter, or obstinacy in will, and so loose in one instant the estimation which he had so painfully got, and carefully kept: for my part if by you others I might be admitted into the society of this quarrel, I would easily incline to the part of you seigneur Glaphyro & Phylopolo: & therefore let him if he list, whet both his wit & tongue, the better to assure his credit in the defence he hath taken in hand: here Madam Chariclea, amazed above the rest with my sudden approach, but more troubled (as it seemed) with my boldness of speech, what seigneur Pasquier saith she how are you dropped out of the clouds, or by what chance are you so aptly light into this company: sure Madam, and by that faith which I reserve for the God of love (quoth I,) I find myself no less passioned than you, and to tell you the cause and manner of my coming hither, though I use a simple truth, yet I fear it would carry incredulity with you: only having to record at large my unquiet thoughts, traveling in contemplation to the goddess of my devotion to whom you are no stranger, I know not by what happy wind, I was blown into this pleasant haven, where with no small delight, I have made my mind a register of all your discourses, which I did not think to interrupt, without this occasion of Monophylo, who contrary to the opinion of Phylopolo, goeth about to prove that love is not a lust of corporal conjunction: which I can not consent unto him, albeit in so doing I shall somewhat transgress your will: your will is not law (saith the Lady) and much less of authority to direct the company, seeing as you have no prerogative in council, so you are not touched in example, and so, if you can not forbear partiality in judgement, at lest let modesty govern your speech, lest either you innovate your purpose or deserve to have the law of silence laid upon you: for we have already passed sentence on Monophylos side as also Phylopolo, hath allowed his reasons, to whom belongs a deeper interest in the matterthan to you: whereupon Phylopolo (after the company had somewhat saluted my sudden coming) protested in his own behalf, that it should not be long of him, that I undertook not for his sake, his defence: And if (saith he) I have negligently passed over any discourse of Monophylo, it was not for that I did consent with him, but only upon a new occasion, that I might charge him with innovation of matter: therefore it may like you (good Madam) not to allege myself in prejudice of mine own condition, and much less that negligence make me to lose my case, if there be just cause of favour: I answered to be as free from such meaning, as far from the fact protesting rather to live in silence all the rest of my life with the contentment of Madam Chariclea, then to hazard her displeasure by any liberty of speech, by which suit she was content to grant me audience albeit upon this charge, that there should be no expectation of reply, if perhaps any matter succeed to the disadvantage of seigneur Monophylo whose arguments seemed more acceptable to her (although they were naked and void of reason,) then all my proofs, figured in the subject I pretended, what sense and method so ever they contained: whose law albeit I allowed, as esteeming her word, aperemptorie warrant, yet Phylopolo (after some waspish and reciprocal jars) denied her to have any such sovereignty over that little fellowship, and gave me an inkling to begin, as in whom he seemed to repose his protection: Not rather the defence of love himself (said I) and that against him, who, under a pretence to protect him, thought by a certain art to revive him, when in deed he hath altogether mortified him wherein notwithstanding I half excuse him, as imparting the cause with love, who albeit will make himself familiar with us, choosing his seat in the very entrails of our hearts, yet he will in no wise that we know him, but covering more and more his nature, he leaves us only a judgement according to our particular affections for love being as a Chameleon changing divers colours according to his sundry objects, every one hath his singular opinion according to the variety of passions that are in him: and yet in this diversity, I never knew lover, who either more or less aspired not to this last point of pleasant use, according to the suggestion of the passion which he endured: For even as in all things we pretend to a certain end, so love must necessarily contain a last effect wherein our minds rest satisfied: All men travel to eat, and supply the necessities of nature, the Captain to win honour, incurs peril of death, and the pensionary fouldiour runs to the wars to have part of the spoil: yea there is no sort of operation how light so ever it be (unless it proceed from a mad man) wherein is not a hope of gain and special pretence of a resolute end, the which as it proceeds not but of a lust that falls in us, so the more we are tormented in it the more do we settle our heart upon it: So that it is necessary there be a certain end in love, wherein albeit we feel ourselves affected according to the variety of our passions, it is needful there be a general cause by which, or for which we love: But lest we be abused by the mean of equality proceeding of the proximity of causes; you shall here understand seigneur Monophylo, that all the Philosophers maintain (as certainly is true) that in all the things of the world there be two principal causes, efficiens, and finalis: that they name efficient or original, whereof the thing is, and by the other is meant the cause, why and in whose favour the thing is: which words albeit to some delicate stomachs may seem to smell somewhat of the school, yet they are not impertinent to the present question as also necessary to who soever seeks to understand the knowledge of the truth: o thrice and thrice happy is he, who understanding these causes, hath the faculty to distinguish the one from the other, the same being the want (as I guess) which hitherto hath kept you in this fowl error, for to take away this impression from the people that this lust and desire of the flesh is not the cause why we love, you seek to prove it to be a thing accidental, (which notwithstanding) proceeds assuredly of the true & pure substance of love: The efficient or original cause by the which we love a Lady, is in deed the self same instinct which you say breeds in us as it were by the permission of heaven: but the end and purpose why we love is, to possess wholly, pleasantly, and absolutely, and so every one of us doth love, as one day to possess at our pleasure, and the cause, by which we are induced to desire this conjunction more with our mistress, than any other, rises of I know not what, which you say is more easy to feel, than able to be expressed, which we imprint in us, by a certain opinion we conceive of it, making thereby a piecemeal or confusion of reason with passion: This is the cause wherefore our common and general mother, sought to divide us from all other creatures, who without discretion of that which pleaseth them, but pushed forward by their first motion, tending to the conservation of their kind, seek indifferent conversation with their females, not knowing what it is to love, because in them doth want opinion, the chief cause that breeds love, some notwithstanding will not stick to maintain that they have a certain imagination and spark, to whom, if they have proved the condition of beasts, I leave the matter to their beastly judgement, seeing it is not for the respect of beasts I speak, but for men which love: wherewith Phylopolo dissembling his thought, yet have I learned always (saith he) that lovers were beasts: I know not (quoth I) either what sorts of lovers you mean, or with what forms of beasts you resemble them, but well may I vaunt for myself, by the honour and love which of long I have borne, and yet with all reverence do own to a singular mistress of mine, of a simple idiot, I am become better instructed, then if I had run over all the precepts of the Courtier. But not to wander in variety of matter, as I hold with you (seigneur Monophylo) that love kindles of this natural instinct, so there rests only in proof between you and me, and the same to be handled by some sufficient means, whether the only end of love consider the sweet use, wherein if I might strengthen myself by the common opinion of the world you should not only lose your challenge, but resign at one instant both the field and the fight: for (except yourself) what is he in the world that loves not chiefly for that end, and yet (sir) not to assure myself upon so frail a judgement, I pray you tell me, if the love of a man to a woman pretended not but to the mind, why should we feel the same to passion us, sometime with a whire wind of joy, and from thence to a storm of sorrow, and then suddenly become as overwhelmed with quailenesse of fear. And in the friendship of man to man, we are touched with no such torment, saving that in this last we hold ourselves satisfied to be beloved of them, and the same being known unto us, we have already touched the point of our pretence: but in the last, besides the mind we accompany our desires with a hope which leads us in a promise to bring us one day to the port of pleasant possession: Besides I pray you tell me, if this love were guided only by a bond and conjunction of minds, aught we not, by natural judgement, rather love him whom God hath fashioned in every degree like to ourselves, then to follow the woman whom it seems he created one degree inferior to ourselves: But we prove the contrary in common example and experience, seeing (without comparison) we rather dote of the woman, than love the man: yea we see (by this feminine love) that the law of true friendship, which was between man and man, hath been violated and corrupted, wherein I could commend unto you the tragedy of Gysippus and Tytus, which Tytus, notwithstanding the ancient and settled friendship between him and his companion, which was such, as their seemed to remain between them a common will in all things, yet such was the violent fury of love towards the future spouse of his friend, that it dissolved that strong and long league between them, and notwithstanding the order and help of his companion, he prepared his own destruction: the same moving, for that he proved in his mind two extremities of contrary quality: albeit the one more vehement than the other, which was love, whose sharp stings so pricked him forward, that albeit he would have refrained in favour of the friendship to his dear Gysippus, yet he had no power to apply other remedy, than by his death, whereunto he prepared himself: A like example do I find in justine, of the son of a King, who defile all laws of men & nature, was so enchanted in love to a stepmother of his, that notwithstanding his office of obedience to his father, yet could he never be purged of that evil, but either by the accomplishment of his desire, or that death had applied a plaster to his raging sore: what set abroach these vessels of frenzy in these two men (for so may I call them, as by whom was violated all right of friendship and nature) but that in the friendship of man to man is comprehended but a conformity of minds and this love contains a sympathia, communicating both with the mind and the body, I mean (as touching the body) this fleshly copulation, the only end and purpose of our love: for even as in all other things being come to the end we aspire to, we resolve into a contentment and absolute quiet, even so by this only mean, these two afore named attained to the execution of their passioned desires, and not only they but all others arriving in that desired port of pleasant use: wherein, in place and proof of our former perplexities in these extreme desires, being in this haven, the storms of our violent passions, do either absolutely dissolve, or partly qualify, and love takes in us a new form and habit as our nature is disposed, abiding still notwithstanding in his essence of love: this is the cause why the Ethnics have figured the same Androgina by you alleged, as when the two parts & moyties separated, seek to rejoin themselves, as an ancient poet of that time held that the souls were thereupon coupled together, to whose opinion you could willingly have condescended (were it not you feared to entangle yourself) when you confessed to us, that the Androgina, was a desire to unite and knit the two moyties being divided: and if you will descend to that which God from the beginning of the world propounds unto us (whereof you have thought to make your profit albeit upon credit) is it not provided in the same, that we should be rather two minds in one body and one flesh, than one spirit within two bodies: I will not deny, that to form thandrogina, both the one and other are requisite, but the same is to prove unto you, that if you desire one mind only in two bodies, you seek to make this our Androgina defective and imperfect: And whereupon the issue of your discourse (to give a greater grace to your opinion you seem to allege the authority of your laws, as in that they require the only consent to establish marriage: I say that consent proceeding of this conjunction of minds not common, breeds and engendereth this love, but the communion of the bodies consomates and makes it perfit: for so did our laws understand, who in every respect maintained the true end of marriage to be the multiplying of the world: and yet I stand in some doubt in what sense they construed this consent you speak of: seeing we have in example that it hath been suffered to men and women to enter marriage even in the age of indiscretion, wherein they seemed not so precise in knowledge, so that only there were ability of cohabitation: and therefore it seemed the laws understood by this consent, a mutual foreknowledge to this conjunction of the bodies: the same being proved in many lamentable treatyes of marriage, where if one part be found cold or imperfect, the bale dissolves at the will of the other, which in other respect had not been suffered neither by the decrees of our holy Popes, nor our good Civilian lawyers to whom I refer this argument: only let suffice you that marriages are formed by the consent you speak of, but fastened by the actual copulation of the body: and where you seem to esteem love a thing far to heavenly to take his ground in a matter which in your opinion partakes so deeply with an earthly or base substance: see in what error you fall, and evil do you acknowledge the great felicity which is in love, as tending only to so happy a end by the which is procured an immortality in our mortal bodies by the propagation of ourselves into our likes: in which point nature resembles the wise and discreet mother, who forcing the benefit, that in time to come will prove necessary for her child (wherein his slender age makes him ignorant) by gifts, presents sweet and pleasant speech, with other allurements apt to entice his youth, she pampreth and draweth him on (without that he thinks of it) to direct and tend to the purpose which in herself she hath laid and imagined, until by a long assistance of time and ripe confirmation of age, this child is fashioned fit for the purpose of his mother to both their great contentmentes: even so Nature our wise and foreseeing mother, pretending in herself the increase of the world, doth sow in us from our beginning, certain little seeds of love, which we suffer easily to succeed in us, till they congeal to a ripe and perfit fruit, which is not that pleasure which we hold in community with other creatures but rather as I have said, seigneur Monophylo to make us immortal in our mortality: and as she doth hide and cover this secret with the vail of the first pleasure offered in this mutual communion, so aspiring further, we know at last by a more great and iterative pleasure that this end tended to a higher end, which was to have children: in whom (as having fulfilled our last purpose) naturally we delight with more pleasure, than in all the other things of the earth: which end is an end interminable, and subject to no end, because nature is never weary of having children: And so do renew within us continually the lusts of pleasure, and also (by the same mean) desire, which then doth not suggest with such passion, because that after this pleasant conjunction we stand assured of speedy remedy, which we durst not so much as promise' afore, wherein as before, we float between hope and fear, so now we live in assurance to command that end, whereunto all our thoughts tended: so that love remains always, albeit he put on divers qualities, because that if at the first he might be called desire, garnished with hope, now he may be named desire accompanied with assurance, I say then that love (I mean that love which torments men) is a passion conceived of an opinion proceeding of a certain instinct which is printed within us tending to the corporal conjunction one of another▪ So that let love be an instinct according to your persuasion seigneur Monophylo, but yet let him not be without a desire to be rejoined, and likewise let your desire march always with the instinct, so shall we perhaps satisfy certain men, who (by reason of this lust that encountereth here) maintain, that love aught not to be invested with that name till the act of pleasant use be performed: wherein for my part, albeit I make no great profession of terms, (being understanded of you) yet methinks such men are not without their several errors: for albeit we are not as yet entered into this point of corporal use, yet there is an other thing which in ourselves we enjoy, by which we merit the name of lover to our Ladies, and that is a natural and inward impression and opinion of their virtues, which as we cover secretly in our minds; so for them, we love them above all other women? And to speak simply, of this instinct love doth principally depend, because he seldom aduaune●th himself without the society of this natural lust which we have to knit together: where oftentimes we lust for this operation of nature in many women, without respect of love, but guided (as it were) by a certain brutality without any other consideration than to pass and purge our collar: But to return to my matter, that love is a passion, I believe you doubt not of it as by your own discourse you have half confessed: And touching this communion of the bodies although you are hard to be satisfied, yet I think I have said as much as is necessarily requisite in the matter: But touching the instinct, albeit it cannot well be discovered, yet I imagine there is none of us which knows not, that naturally we are inclined more to some persons, then to others, wherein as our natural judgements are diverse, so also do we particularly bequeath our hearts, every one as nature leads him: from whence I may say, doth spring the diversity of opinions, so as to some it seems the truth lieth drowned in the bottom of the pit, because every one of us hath a judgement not according to truth, but as our instinct moves us▪ So that albeit I cannot discover from whence this instinct proceeds (unless it 〈◊〉 of our own nature, because we nourish so many inclinations as we contain numbers of men) yet both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reason do teach me, that it is the only key that openeth the door to love: And if (as it may be) many men fall into affection with one woman, it is because they have some resemblance or affinity with a common influence. This definition I have used for the time, of love, notwithstanding, I am sure there is an other kind, which seems to hold of nature, and yet proceeds of the instinct we speak of, as we see it happeneth ordinarily, that albeit of ourselves we are not inclined to sundry personages, yet contrary to our forethoughtes we feel ourselves induced to bear them a certain affection, because only we see them disposed in good will to us: wherein our unthankfulness would judge against us, if we should not be reciprocal in regards of friendship. This is a kind of love, but not of so lively condition as the other, seeing (to give him his proper nature) he partakes more with pity, than with love: for even as it is familiar to every one to green in the displeasure of an other (yea, sometimes to have sorrow for our enemies when we see them afflicted) and that not in respect of any affection, like to the friendship we own to others to whom our nature doth invite us: even so I cannot ascribe to this last love I speak of, other dignity than an ordinary compassion, which we take of such whom we see tormented in our favour, without any touch at all of that divinity which is rightly in the other, of whose perfection, albeit I have not so largely spoken as the worthiness of the matter requires, and that I stand doubtful with what mind you digest my reasons, yet I hold myself sufficiently satisfied with that little wherein it hath pleased you to hear me: advising you for end, that what so ever I have preferred, contains matter of no small contemplation, unless to such as having less proved it then I, understand better his nature, seeing it is easy to be judged that standing (as I do) in this state of servitude for her who is not unknown to you (Madam) I can have no liberty of judgement to discern neither in this high matter, nor any other of far less importance: Here Chariclea, somewhat what smile, without consent notwithstanding to any of my reasons, challenged my excuse of ignorance, and asked me of whom or how I had learned so much: to whom I answered, that I had no other school than amongst the multitude, to whose liberty of life (Madam, quoth I) is joined a higher capacity in those things, than to such who wandering in this dark prison, have not the faculty to know the thing that hath brought them to this captivity: you shall have never the more authority for all that (saith she) seeing even in the beginning of your discourse, you pronounced sentence against yourself, as seeking to instruct us, that such as dealt in the argument of love, had no other method of speech, than according to their passions: But if they had made no proof of him, they should be less credible seeing they speak as Clerks of arms: so that by your own law you cannot be believed of us: Wherewith Monophylo, to whom silence was a trouble, you may in your own respect Madam give him assurance of no faith nor credit, but not for these two other Gentlemen: and therefore I beseech you, albeit it impugn your order, let it be lawful for the defence of mine own cause for me to give answer to seigneur Pasquier, in whose favour I think and not altogether for my sake, you have erected a law not to reply: this law (saith she) was not made without reason, and therefore not to be dispensed with all by any suit, and therefore content yourselves in your several condition, he to have had audience against your will, and you to have said so sufficiently as there needs no further defence: good Madam (quoth I) let not singular partiality prevail above common right, least in inclining to much to the cause of Monophylo, your own credit at last be not suspicious, which words I tempered with such dissembled countenance, that Monophylo grew jealous of my challenge, thinking I had defied him as judging him unable to answer me: by which occasion, with sundry shows of indignity towards me, he made many offers of revenge which the Lady, under a certain pretty waspish anger, cut of, willing him at last to suffice, that I was but extraordinary in that fellowship, and not naturalised amongst them: and therefore seigneur Monophylo, (saith she) it is not upon him you aught to stay, seeing (in a more respect to honour) you have to remember the alaram, which even now these two other Gentlemen offered you, against whom it lieth you upon to stand upon your guard, and not to feed the time with this new war, which being without fear, requires no great policy: I would Madam saith Phylopolo, who with Glaphyro had heard with silence all our reasons, you would remove the veil of your affection, and give at last the honour where it is best deserved: well well sir (saith she) of all the rest you have the lest interest in this challenge, only prepare you to perform your enterprise which you undertook afore the coming of Pasquier, to the end that seigneur Glaphyro may also succeed in the matter of this attempt: This match Madam, saith Monophylo, me thinks is unequally made, seeing under your offer to favour my weakness, you pretend my whole destruction, as sparing me to enter the field against one enemy, and stirs up at one instant these two valiant Captains to commit me to utter spoil: this fear (quoth the Lady) is without need, seeing aswell the goodness of the cause as the value of the party, doth warrant a contented success: But now seigneur Phylopo, by whom is opened the occasion of this quarrel, I pray you make us judges whether you be as rough in execution, as forward in enterprise, wherein (in my fancy) you have some necessary reason, as to have chosen a burden whose weight (if you well foresee not) will overthrow you, seeing you maintain (as a singular paradox) that loyalty is not requisite aswell in a man as in a woman: Phylopolo answered that albeit he feared lest under his pretence to favour & help the opinion of Glaphyro, he should procure to himself a self wrong, yet Madam weighing with the nature of your importunities, the duty of mine own promiss, I will give you my fancy in few words, and that only to declare to Monophylo (under the reverent correction of the whole fellowship) that where he asked, whether we delighted in our Ladies, using prostitution with others, and likewise what estimation we aught to have of them, abandoning ourselves to strangers, this comparison in my judgement hath no place: not that I mean to offer any oppression to the noble sex feminine the rather to extol ours, but only to add a certain new memory to our ancient prorogative, that as women are not placed in such degree of liberty as men, so many things are made lawful to men, which are not suffered to women: I mean not as touching government of common wealths, exercise of arms, and charges over politic states from whence they have been repulsed as insufficient for such uses: only the ancients have desired in them a certain chastenesse, which only virtue they have esteemed a supply sufficient to all other things, of which, aswell our laws civil as natural, had deprived them, which hath not been required in man, as being nothing so frail and sliding a substance as the woman, wherein nature, providing by good and reasonable means, hath pronounced many things as improper to women, which she hath established as matters of praise to men: touching which law if I were urged to give a more full reason, I could not otherways answer, than that nature hath proclaimed it: neither was I borne or preserved hitherunto, to make a base estimation of your sex, of whom the greatest part of my felicity and life do depend (which perhaps he spoke skoffinglye) only let it suffice you, that such a thing being imprinted from the beginning within our hearts by a natural inclination, there is no need to apply to one, that which may be appropried to an other: O smooth style and far from the matter, O simple countenance and no such meaning, O short discourse, quoth the Lady, and yet nothing forgotten: I see now your judgement is led by your own opinion, and that which erst the world noted as a respective modesty in you, I see turns to a vomit, and you infected with a popular error. But where is seigneur Monophylo, will he leave us in this plain way without succour: sure I must appeal to you the rather, for that under this generality me thinks is comprehended that goddess which you daily worship, where so ever she abide, yea though she sit even in the midst of your heart: and for my part I could not thus long have refrained from answer, were not that both I must not plead in mine own cause, and also it was lately defended by your goodly ordinances: it is not Madam saith Monophylo long since you prevented that, when you told us that we stood not now upon such scrupulous judgement beside, in encountering seigneur Phylopolo, you shall not be noted to defend your proper cause, but to give charitable aid to me and mine seeing it pleaseth you to endue me with that honour and estimation: here the Lady took some pause, as though she either doubted the matter, or feared the success, which I think might be rather laid to her want of exercise in such affairs, and therefore she wisely foresaw that hardly she should govern her affection to the cause. But Phylopolo, using the offer of his opportunity, urged her eftsoons with this second challenge: I see (saith he) your cause is like to quail for want of a good Champion, if yourself undertake not the defence of your quarrel, which in itself is so perilous, that by good reason, Monophylo, eschews the lists, lest he be made recreant: wherewith the Lady kindling in a soft anger, as appeared by a fresh blood drawn into her face, told him, she would rather put her simplicity on the judgement of the company, than suffer him to steal away the victory from her in a cause of no less equity on her side, than altogether unjust touching his part: wherein (saith she) (somewhat rising from the seat where she sat●) albeit by your wisdom you think to reverse the innocency of my cause, yet if I fail in force, I hope the matter will not faint in value and goodness, as being in itself able to defend itself without either orator or advocate: and seeing from the speech of that liberty which you laboured to attribute to men, you are distended into many other circumstances far impertinent to the matter of your surmised question, I will not prepare to satisfy only the motion of our present argument, but even all the residue of your reasons, to the end yourself may judge that you have put nothing to me of credit, nor I unwilling to repay it with money no less current than yours: Wherein if you will enter into necessary consideration of the difference in our two causes, I doubt not (neither is my fancy vain) but you will find them of no less inequality and dissemblaunce, then between a paineted image and a lively creature: For as your reasons are grounded upon transitory opinions of men, so I have even nature herself to enter defence with me, who to prove she hath not altogether exempted us from acts of virtue and worthiness: I pray you look into the lives of Semiramis and Tomyrys for the direction of a policy or common wealth with infinite others, by whose womanly wisdom not only their Monarchies and states have been well established, but also had such a valiant dexterity in arms, that by them their posterity is made noble so long as the world remains a world: we read also of Panthasile, and the Amazons of high renown for activity in war: for the gift of Poesy, we have Sappho, and in our own time a Lady of high memory Margeret de Valois, besides the learned rout in Italy, whose works remain as lanterns to guide the studies of learned wits: if you seek for examples of eloquence (the very pillar of every common wealth well guided) behold what majesty the Romans have given to Cornelia, and fame to Hortensia, to the aid of whose natural wits, was joined such facility in eloquence that they were valued with the best Orators in Rome, yea what numbers might also be found in these days of equal merit that way, were not for the malicious laws of men, who knowing the great minds of women, weak notwithstanding in bodily force (even with the example of the silly fishes who are devoured by the great) forbid us all charge over politic states, making us of so frail judgement that we are bereaved from all liberty of grants and alienations of our goods, without the express consent of our husbands: And yet o how common is the experience, that great and mighty houses decline by the wilful prodigality of men, which are eftsoons restored and entertained by the wise foresight and behavioer of the women, the same being a probable inducement, that if it were lawful to us to apply our wits with your exercises (if the direction of a public state, may resemble the order of a private or familiar family) our capacity may stretch aswell to the greater, as we are thought sufficient to govern that of common moment: But to leave the examples of the ethnics, what state of more majesty have you, than the supremacy and throne of Rome: wherein notwithstanding we have read that a woman under the attire of a man, hath discharged a government equal with any that succeeded her: yea it was necessary both to her and Semiramis aswell to content the world, as to intercept the popular opinion, to disguise themselves in the proportion of a man, which state so long as they exercised, nothing was evil done, all their attempts were virtuous, and held for true examples of high magnanimity: But as soon as they fell into the discovery of men, and that they were known for women, their ancient praise of virtue, prowess and holiness, began to take contrary qualities, and became no less loathsome, than the parties hateful, by whom they were performed: such is the settled malice of men towards us, that fearing, lest by our virtue and wisdom, they might perhaps fall into some decay of credit with the world (with the manner of tyrants, who destroy all such as they fear) have taken from us the possession wherein we had as large an interest as they: it may be, you will encounter me hear with the heresies of these two women by me alleged, as the one pretending an unseemly lust in the person of her son, and the other in the end stained with many gross follies, for such is the common saying of men as thinking by this only reason to triumph over our weakness: But O holy argument, O well disposed people, O subtitye worthy your sex: as if even those of whom you hold most, either for valiantness or wisdom, have not more fallen into these vices: as first, your worthy Hercules by whose mean you might well have vaunted to have killed all the monsters in the world, if he had killed himself, when in place to wield his heavy mase, he was commanded to use the spindle. What say you then to your idolatrous Solomon, to whom albeit was given a singular wisdom, yet the histories challenge his life in many other loathsome respects: wherein how far I could further enlarge with examples of like resemblance, I make yourself judge, though (in a worldly custom) you had rather defend your proper errors, than confess a simple truth: But let us cut off these fond opinions no less inconvenient to you than hurtful to us, yea, if you weigh them in a precise consideration most prejudicial to you, as being induced by God, (according to your general opinion) with a more sound and stable wit than we: and falling eftsoons upon my speech of opinion and nature, will you have a more wise Philosopher than Socrates, who could not wink at the wrong which was offered us, but holds us no less capable of every virtue and science, than even the best of you: Lycurgus also by his laws accustomed women to deeds of arms with all other exercises wherein you men challenge a singular peculiarity: and now in these days we are left only to our rocks: if I show you that in Lycya in old time those acts which now you make proper only to us women, were the common exercises of men, shall it be a sufficient example to prove that such things consisted not but in mortal opinion: so that seigneur Phylopolo, where only your tyranny hath taken from us the lawful use of such acts and virtues you must not wrongfully blame nature from whom we have no less capacity in all sciences than you: in deed Lady saith Phylopolo, you half persuade me to believe it, although it is contrary to my will, so that what by the natural resemblance of your examples, and force of your reasons, which I could hardly have thought could have fallen into the brain of a woman, I am almost allured to hold with you, protesting unto you in mine own hehalfe (which he uttered under an honest and reverent grace) that in my common wealth you shall be one day installed as precedent not in causes concerning the acts of women (as Heliogobalus a Roman Emperor did to his mother) but to govern in affairs most hard and necessary to entertain my estate: when your common wealth stands in necessity of such governors (saith she) I doubt not of sufficient numbers besides myself to be your ministers, and albeit I doubt not (if you resort to the opinion of the common sort) that this little discourse will not seem strange to you, yet (notwithstanding by you men, we are restrained of all liberty to read good authors and also to confer with clerk of learning and sience) I have spent some part of my voluble youth in such contemplations: I think Madam saith Monophylo you have the voice of the whole company, both to allow your reasons, & commend your order, & for my part, I think yourself of sufficient authority, without foreign examples, to deface the opinion of such with whom your sex stands in a negligent or careless regard, wishing you only might stand in place of a worthy Achilles, to answer all sinister challengers: such is also my consent to your opinion, as I am fully persuaded (according to the matter of your discourse) that the same hath been the cause why the ancients poets enduing every thing of the world with his peculiar God, would not also leave them without their goddesses, as for the matter of war they erected Bellona, aswell as the God Mars, over science and wisdom, they established Pallas aswell as Mercurius, the disposition of richesse they gave aswell to juno as to Plutus, in love Venus had as high prorogative as Cupid, and touching Poesy, the nine Muses were as famous as Phoebus, signifying to all the world under the cloak or mean of Poesy, that aswell women as men did aspire in deep capacity of the arts and sciences and all other things which are comprehensible with men: yea a little further, because nature divesting them of bodily force, seemed of right to supply them with the abundance of the mind, as being not coyffed or overcharged with so heavy a burden of the earth as we, but drawn forth of a matter more purified, as taking their beginning of us, and we grossly raised of the corrupt earth without any form: which surely is a mystery which aught to figure unto us the majesty of that work of nature, when she fashioned the woman: for even as we see in Limbeckes, from gross matters are drawn and distelled sweet and delicate waters, albeit not in so great quantity, even so women, being as it were distilled from the massive body of man, draws with her even the best, and leaving no other remain, than the original matter of earth (which is his strength as to all other creatures) puts on the faculty of his magnanimity in all virtuous things: this opinion (saith Phylopolo, hath a very near affinity with truth, seeing God drawing the woman from the parts where lie our affections, thought to disfurnish man of them, to the end to fashion the woman of that substance, and therefore enduing her with a sharp and vehement anger, with infinite passions, it was necessary to take from her all force, lest in her had been found a creature more violent and furious (which he pronounced smilingly) than who within himself gnaws and ●éedes of a continual fierceness: no rather (answereth Monophylo) nature: (not to fail in any thing to perfit the woman) having graffed in her so high and excellent a courage, would not by the same effect arm her with such waspish heats as rage's in us, the rather to lead her in a temperate discression, the better to govern her haughty courage: as we see in young men more rash and inflamed humours, than in others, yea almost thrust into fury and madness by abundance of blood and heat which bear rule in them, where of the contrary, old men seem more gravely stayed by reason the fountain of passions, which partly draws her nurture from the liver, begins to diminish and grow weak: even so, God delighting to discover his inestimable power in the person of the woman, makes her in common experience (by this default of ho●e humours) aswell advised in her youth, as the oldest and best stayed man of us all: only, in respect she is sprinkled with a pure and subtle blood, she keeps with her always, not a rash and unbridled courage of our blind youth, but a mind altogether guided by a certain constant wisdom: So that if we settle with them in right consideration, we shall find the most principal stateliest monarchies that ever were, to have been directed and preserved, by the wisdom and magnanimity of women, or at the lest by their means as by a heavenly influence: and of the contrary small common wealths running under the rule of men▪ have either negligently dissolved, or at lest, even in their first entry been ●allowed with the name of tyranny (although I am not ignorant that there is no rule so general, which hath not his exception.) And Madam to renew eftsoons the virtues of your Semiramis, did not she I pray you open the first way to make her successors monarchs, even until Sardanapalus by whose monstrous and filthy lusts, the gate was eftsoons closed upon his subjects, as giving occasion to the Meade● to invade the empire upon them: of which second monarchy notwithstanding I mean not to speak, for the small estimation which the historians make of it: But if we distend to the Persians, what was their mean in the beginning to rule over so many nations, but only the virtue and valiant minds of women, when all that people (under the conduct of Cyrus) seeking to warrant themselves by flight against the fury of Astyages king of the Meads, the women ashamed of the infamy of their husbands, issued out of the town wherein they had pretended their safety, and running against them, with their secret parts all bore, asked them if they would enter again into the place from whence they took their birth, the same kindling such confusion in their husbands, that turning faces upon their enemies with new hearts, they charged them so hoatlye, that they put them to flight, and keeping from that time forward the better of them, they become also (as by that fortune and mean) peaceable possessors of the greatest part of the world: in memory of these, and as it were in an everlasting monument, it was ordained that every king, afore his entry into that town, out of the which the women made such valiant issue, should give to every woman Citizen of that place, a certain sum of silver according to the rate and measure of the law: And albeit this monarkye by Alexander's means, was translated to the Macedonians, yet consult with the chronicles, and see what continuance it had, as taking his beginning in him, and also ending with him, and all because against the office of mortality, he as a man had conspired to subdue the whole world: and so in one instant, that empire was divided by scantlinges, which even he in whom the world reposed most for valyauntcie, with such weary travel had conquered. But now to an other, what common wealth hath been ever more noble than the Roman state, who being raised above all others, may vaunt to have proou●● all manner of politic governements and from whence did she draw her original being but from the good matrons of Troy: who arriving upon a coast of Italy when their husbands were gone of foraging for victualss, entered into common accord, aswell touching their common rest and quiet, as professing a present benefit, with continuance of honour to their posterity, and determined at one instant to burn all their vessels and ships: which being put to execution by the council of one of them named Roma (in memory of which fact the town of Rome, took and hath continued her name) they gave occasion to the Trojans to establish there, their abode and dwelling: So they began to erect kings, who adding diverse names and qualities, as albania, and then Rome, become by success of time, to be abused, and yet (such was the sufferance of destiny, who hatched in itself a new form of common wealth, by the mean of Lucretia defiled by Tarquin, this monarchy changed into a popular estate, such as was after observed by the space of five hundredth years: here you may say, that kind of common wealth was not iutroduced by the wisdom or council of women, even so it may be answered that upon them fell the lot and mean to direct that City in an other form, more profitable for the common sort: But as there is no eternity in mortal doings, so this common wealth declining into corruption by the licentious ambition of potentates, to whose perversity of manners was required a new policy, there rose up a julius Cesar, who in a haughty stoutness, inverting all ancient laws translated eftsoons the order of this city into a monarchy: but what monarchy may we name it: if not an empire of perpetual tyranny disguised sometimes by the goodness of a few, who against their wills were called and chosen to that dignity of an emperor: and yet it was not for the regard of men, that the Gods prepared such reformations: But now to a last example of familiarity, it is not yet six score years past, that in one of the greatest monarchies even in the heart of christendom, a simple maid (sent by god's providence) was sufficient, to deliver the whole country from a general servitude, wherein they had long lived, so that it seems God hath reserved to women the best part of honourable victories as not leaving to us to possess but their small remainder, and therefore with wrong our ancestors sought to oppress this sex, as thinking to raise our own, which (not to disguise the truth) comes not near their excellency by a million of paces: For this have I to give you thanks (saith the Lady Chariclea) although thanks be no sufficient reward to so great a merit, and by this is worthily proved your noble condition, which I promise' you shall remain with me in no small estimation: only I am now sorry I used my authority heretofore so precisely over your silence, seeing by how much I restrained you to speak, by so much was I a secret enemy to myself, which open wrong to your deep judgement tempered with a modesty of speech not ordinary to the most sort of Gentlemen: But having yet to end mine own Carver, touching the jealous language of Phylopolo, which tended to prove that chastity was more requisite in women than in men, I pray you let me ask him by what law men have that privilege above women, if it by the law of God, either you understand it not rightly, or allege the text negligently, seeing the scripture abhors the same against chastity, aswell in the man as in the woman: And if you challenge it by the statutes of man, you can not allege them to my prejudice, unless in this cause you will hold an estate both of judge and party: But be it either sort, I will not much impugn your saying: not that I will confess such an advantage (for so may I call it) to proceed by bond or natural law, as you maintain, but by a certain honesty, by which we women plasing it before our eyes, are always more in study to guard our chaste honour than men, to whom it is a custom to bequeath their hearts upon credit upon the lest suggestion that moves, wherein if by our wisdom we have learned to bridle our natural lusts, and you men (as in a possession and custom without memory) do slack, the rains to your loathsome desires, to the first that offereth, I see no reason to allow you (in the matter of love) any prorogative above us, seeing also (if I may weigh my reasons with the opinions of the world) that as by common voice the woman is esteemed above him who offereth court to her (as she being called mistress, and he servant) so it stands him more in duty not to offend his Lady, to whom he is bound then she to fear him, whom she may command like as in common reason there is always more liberty allowed in general respects to the master, than a simple licence to him that professeth the state of a servant, and yet for my part, because I will be no party to that fond opinion I neither can nor will persuade, that in love there is or aught to be prorogative of power: For where the woman is not equally plunged with the man, nor he likewise as deeply touched with affection as the woman (how so ever they embrace one another) yet such cold banquets can no way merit the name of love, but rather mere dissimulation, stirring I know not by what motion, whose continuance is not long: I can make no reckoning of that woman, who seeing her poor friend endure extreme passions of love for her sake, will sometimes embrace him, to draw him the rather within her nets, and then upon the sudden will turn the cart against the horse, and not vouchsafe one look of favour upon him: For my part much less that I can commend this order seeing, if I were allowed precedent in that cause (as Phylopolo would have erst established me) her cruelty should be punished with a continuance of banishment from the society of all honest Ladies: I cannot deny for all this, that sometimes we shall not be constrained to receive such troubles in love, as it is possible then to entertain our Ladies or friends as we were wont, but in that we aught to be ignorant, and much loss proceed by any artificial policy, the sooner to give them a be to buzz withal) but rather by a certain natural instinct stirred up of an extreme love under the which are comprehended fear and sorrow: Thus much I hold (Gentlemen) against the opinion of such, as rashly pretend inequality in love, which I can never admit and much less allow that the woman be called mistress of the man, unless in like sort, he be in deed the peaceable possessor and Lord of the heart of his Lady: maintaining also by the same (contrary to Phylopolo) that it is no more lawful to the man than to the woman, under colour of my fond opinion, conceived amongst men to communicate themselves in many places: Indeed (Madam quoth I) you may well call it opinion, but not nature how soever the common sort esteem of it, wherein (for a better declaration) I wish Phylopolo, to look upon Solon a true follower of nature, who by his law●s (as one in this company did erst affirm) made lawful to the wife, not having mean to conceive by her husband, to procure her generation by other helps, and yet you say it is a natural thing, that the woman participate not but with one only: if I should allege unto you the country of Cypress, wherein maids win their dowries by the sweat of their bodies, would you hold our custom to be more founded upon nature than that: yea if I should bring forth Plato, in whose common wealth was suffered a community of women, would you not assure your saying upon wordly opinion, seeing that great Philosopher thought he ruled himself altogether by the reasons of nature I like not of that law saith the Lady (by reason of the confusion of children (as being not able to be discerned in this quality) no more than the request of the good matrons of Rome in the time of Papyrius, pretending to have two husbands, for such sought to much to satisfy their disordinate lusts: yet you saw (saith Phylopolo) with what opportunities these good dames enforced their suit to the Senate, and I doubt they would not have been contented with two husbands, but abusing that liberty would at length have fallen into the vice of all those women which passed through the hands of those two errant Knights Astolphe, and Joconde represented within that excellent Italyan Homer Arioste: herein you are deceived (saith Chariclea) for if all those Ladies had been stricken with such love as we speak of, they had never fallen, and in mine opinion, we find more felicity in one friend simply and truly affected, than in a number others, whose loves be either ordinary, or for necessity, wherein what better example can I allege that out of the place you speak of, for the same Astolphe & Joconde chose in the end one Lady to content them both, and yet a little quidam, who afore had gauged the vessel of love to them both, notwithstanding their precise heed, did cut the grass from under their feet, the same because love by this former ambush, had given him a first conquest there: But as these examples do not touch me in care, so are they also out of the course of my first argument, which tenden only to this end, that as I would not allow to a woman liberty of communion with every one, so that I would not also have you to think that the same is caused more by a natural reason (wherein you may establish some advantage to our prejudice) than by a bounty and sincerity of heart, which guiding us thereunto, in time doth so settle in the hearts of most men, that if we offer to withstand it, they make it a matter of sinister imputation to us: albeit in deed the act itself there is neither cause of discredit nor reason of such disadvantage as you pretend, but rather it includes matter of honour and commodity to our honest meanings: in deed Madam saith Glaphyro, it can not but give you a singular value of honour. But for my part, I believe that law was never erected, but to our great confusion, neither do I see any other cause why a woman should be embraced or counted by so many honest personages, and not attain to the sweet use of their pleasant attempts, but the tyranny of this wicked law, raised (as it seems) in despite both of man and woman: because the woman fearing the note of dishonour, by the world, dares not perform the last act of the league: but by wonderful policy: hear Phylopolo stood still upon the iustructions of nature, and that we were not directed by man's ordinance, wherein he laid the examples of beasts, amongst whom, notwithstanding the long pursuit of the male to his mate, yet is she hardly brought to obey his will: by whom (saith he) we may be taught, that the woman aught not to be so familiar that way as the man: This is but a voluble fancy (saith Charyclea) and rather an error by ignorance, than a true judgement of the property of beasts, of whom the example of the turtle is against you, in whom (be he male, or be she female) is suffered no singular prorogative one above an other: wherewith the Lady retired to silence, not as weary with any long speech, but (as it seemed) because Phylopolo in an inreverent lightness, intercepted her further discourse, a thing no less displeasant to the whole fellowship, then singularly grievous to me, who, wondering at the ready shift of learning in this Lady, could not but say in myself, o singular wit, not common to women, o deep judgement aspiring supernaturally, o modesty worthy of the subject wherein thou abidest▪ o woman no way imperfect, by this dost thou make known (notwithstanding the malicious murmur of the world) the nobility of thy mind, by which thou dost not only ennoble all thy sex, but also defacest that little worthiness, which remained to us: And albeit, during this whole discourse, I meant not to play other part, then to discharge the office of a faithful Secretary to so honourable a company, yet according to my desire to do good to my power, (in this opportunity of matter and place) but call all you dear damosels standing in the profession of honour and virtue, to behold as in a glass the conversation of my Charyclea, whose example I wish might lead you in no less modesty of behaviour, then by her discourses, I wish you drawn to a desire of equal knowledge: And yet, I doubt not but some will be esteemed evil employed (as in respect of the majesty of her presence and chaste honour to her sex) to be the first raysers of the speech and talk uttered in the favour of love: to whom I answer for her, that it is no less commendable to seek out the true property of love, wherein nature, even from the beginning of our age, hath hid within us a secret instruction: then by a dissembled art, to be guided and taught by an Orator or Physician, who in times past have been driven out of common wealths, the one for corrupting the bodies, the other for infecting the minds and manners of men: where love being imprinted in us, by so excellent a mistress and workewoman, hath had always an Empire over us: by him the world had his being, and in him it hath multiplied: and by him even trees and other insensible things seem to take their increase one of an other: so that right necessary and noble is the desire of my Charyclea, to seek out his condition and nature: And for mine own part, having thus enregistered their reasons, I hope that no one man will turn that to a singular vice in me, by which all men receive a common profit, or at lest an honest pleasure, but me thinks, I hear such as know me not, challenge this exercise as inconvenient to the state of my profession, to whom (if they will not satisfy with the honesty of my meaning) I answer, that albeit, it be indecent to my faculty, yet not impertinent to my years, who, afore their time are loathe to participate with old age: And hear, I put myself of the beadroll of the happiest crew in the world, seeing it is the pleasure of the mighty God of love, to choose me for one of his, to the end to instruct and acquaint me with his arms, which hereafter will be more intolerable to me, than if he had called me to his train, when either by age or other needful occasions, I should be less apt to attend him: And herein (good Ladies) you may believe me, (as one to whom untrue reports are hateful) that such is the strange and haggard nature of love, that if we defy him in our tender years, he will punish our old age with such sharp passions and plagues of his power, that (in the common gaze and scoff of the world) he will bring us at last to march under his banner: being on the other side of such compassion and just consideration, that if he have entertained and nousseled from his youth a good and loyal servant, and knowing him to be settled in some state of perfect ripeness (according to the manner of old soldiers, whom their common wealth after many good services, doth make free from all charges of war) he gives us some release and consolation, as not to match his tyranny with the judgement of the people, who if they had not proved him, may one day run under a smarting experience: wherein lastly, I beseech that God by whom I was first moved to employ my Pen in these exercises, that if any crabbed Saturnus, chance to steal a pill of his confection, that he may find it of hard digestion, and so to my Champions, whose most speech (if I be not deceived) gathered always to this point of loyalty, which Phylopolo would not should be so requisite in the man as in the woman: by which occasion Charylea in waspish terms wished him one day to fall upon a wife in whom in stead of mercy, he should find a mind equal to this merit: I hope (Madam) saith Phylopolo, your words are without meaning of curse, or at lest your curse not to carry such enchantment as you wish me, but in his am I best contented, that being at liberty, I mean never to come in bonds: because I have always dwelled in this opinion, that as it is a thing impossible to make of a common, a particular, so if a woman once corrupt her bonds of honour with prostitution of her body to one, she may use the like liberty of favour to another, then to a third, and so become general: ah saith Monophylo (to whom this judgement was most hateful) God forbidden that in my presence I suffer you so inaduisedly to blaspheme against the truth: how mean you (seigneur Phylopolo) to make of a common, a peculiar, the same being the common error of the people, who think to sacrifice love by that only reason: as though it were impossible that loyalty could abide in the brain of a woman, in which who would allege to you infinite honest Ladies (wherewith the histories do infinitely swarm) that have consecrated their honour to one saint, I think you would either hold the authorities false or such women for monstrous: yea, you would esteem them rare monsters, as never proving the virtue of women otherways then by the report of the world, which for the most part is malicious: But for such in whom experience hath planted an upright judgement, they will rather repose a resolute loyalty in their Ladies, than once presume of suspicion of treason: And yet your argument is to weak to reverse true love, seeing if my heart be already settled in one place, there follows not by that reason any duty of division into divers places: But of the contrary, because naturally it inclines to one, me thinks the same should be a sufficient bar against all other, as having imprinted within it this true love, whereof we spoke even now: yea, this degree of pryoritie (as I think) is the only cause, why we see at this day so many poor suffering lovers not to achieve, the happy plot of their intentes because indiscréetelye they dressed their vows and offerings to Ladies, who afore were consecrated to other saints: To avoid this danger (saith Phylopolo) I say as before, a pleasant liberty, is a precious price, and by so much the dearer to me, by how much my nature is impatient, being denied what I demand, and therefore if I be enforced to make love, I will either angle with an enchanted hook, or at lest fish in that stream which will give me no cause of complaint: This is your liberty of speech (answereth Monophylo) by which you reveal your natural ignorance in love, as the fond man, in his own brain ymagines he may dispose all the world: you will not love, you say, otherways than in an imperial respect to choose and command: I would to God the choice were in our powers, or our discretion able to moderate our authority: defy not that, seigneur Phylopolo, whereunto we are drawn by nature and destiny, seeing when you account you most free from the motions of love, you shall find yourself most forced with his violence, and so sharply persecuted, that (in despite of your wanton resistance) you shall be enjoined to do smarting penance for the blasphemy, which now (without advise) you maintain, as either to like loathsomely, to love desperately, to choose unadvisedly, to possess jelously, to live poorly, or to hate extréemelye: of all these saith Phylopolo, the greatest plague is to love and not be encountered, seeing in our liking, we have reason and judgement, afore we choose, we either know or inquire: in our love we have temperance to avoid iealowsye, touching our state, we stand upon God's providence: and to hate is improper to a man of reason, without great cause: so that next to desperation, in love, a loathsome mate is the second infelicity, which I doubt not to avoid by the help of nature who draws us all to desire the fair and leave the foul: But take heed saith Monophylo, lest seeking to enter into the rules of Philosophy, you stumble not upon Thequivox for I never as yet heard of lover, who esteemed not his Lady fair, wherein notwithstanding there is a singularity in fairness, and some ladies of greater beauty than others, yet, we see the silly herdsman or poor Peasant, would not leave his pretty Katie for the fairest Lady in the realm: and why? because in her he hath laid up his heart, and she (in his rural fancy) appears more contenting fair, than all the dainty dames of the train. And yet perhaps he is no less studious in beauty than you, but his mind being fixed in one place by an opinion which he hath conceived of the party (as of late seigneur Pasquier well approved) albeit in her do rest all the incivility and rudeness of the world, yet he consters her and her quality to a singular wise and seemly behaviour: wherein what better example can I prefer then out of Angeliqua figured within Arioste in his book of Furius: she, who had been beloved courted, and pursued by numbers of the best knights of the world, without using any mercy upon them, in the end when she thought herself most free from passion, it was then she felt herself so deeply inclined in affection to a mean soldier (not comparable to the lest of the other) that even in her was forced the office and endeavour of the man, which is to require and demand: here Phylopolo, desired him to pass no further in that example, lest (saith he) you blind us all with that which erst you doubted in me, which is Thequivox. For by the nature of your present example, the author of Furius seeks to teach us no other thing then that the natural inclination of a woman, is not (with the man to choose the better, but (as children) address themselves always to the worse as we see the she Wolf, who amongst the whole troop of Wolves, doth commonly make her singular choice, of him in whom appears lest likeyhoode of ability to satisfy her appetite: even so the experience is common in many women, who rather than they will yield to the honest friendship of some worthy man, will dissimule to be a Penelope, but having the place and opportunity free from danger, they will not stick to enter foul conversation with a foul groom of the stable or some loathsome Scullion of the kitchen, so that if (as touching the only regard of women) you judge with me in this sort of this inclination and opinion, whereof you speak so much, I am of your side, but otherwise not: you shall pardon me (sir) saith Monophylo, if at so dear a prize you hold your society in judgement, seeing of an infected ●ier, cannot come but a corrupt gain, and where the consent is bought, the matter cannot escape dishonest incredulity: but touching your comparison of the Wolf with the woman, you are either a sworn enemy to women, ●r else ignorant in the secret nature of the Wolf, in whom (under correction) above all other creatures, is directly discerned a most full and familiar instruction to love, and to whose example we aught chiefly to apply the manner and measure of our affection (if the same were in our power) for such is the condition of the she Wolf, that being pursued by many dog Wolves, chooseth out of infinite numbers the most lean and evil favoured amongst them, even he which first began to follow her when she entered into her heat, and who by a weary pursuit and infinite labours is so mortified for her, that to recompense his deformity proceeding for her sake, she seems to receive him afore all the rest, as having above the rest, best deserved: whose manner I wish might stand in example to certain Dames, to whom the martyrdom of a poor afflicted lover is a singular felicity: a thing (in my judgement) so abominable to God and men, as I think the heavens close their gates, & the earth vomits curses against such unnatural in iniquity. And yet (Madam) I may wrongfully lay this fault upon them, seeing they have to allege the supremacy of Cupid, who only lies in ambush to steal our hearts, to the end that leading them in his authority, he may dispose them at his pleasure: For so doth this little God entangle himself with our doings, by whom all Ladies falling into such inconvenience, are dispensed withal, and the whole guilt laid upon him, who (unwares to us wretches) infects the best and soundest parts in us, without any liberty of health but such and in whom it pleaseth him to grant it: This is the cause why the ancients made him an archer without eyes, as having no respect to the qualities of persons, doth oftentimes dazzle our sight, and blind our senses, that without any consideration, we translate our hearts to such as the common people (murmuring at our destiny) holds unworthy of us, who as blind judges, lay the fault to our own motion and clear this little invisible thief, by whose trains our hearts are betrayed: and yet seigneur Phylopolo, if some few mistrese chance to fall into that inconvenience, God defend that either in their example or judgement should be comprehended a generality of women, as you seem to maintain, which if it should be so, into this common error should we fall, to think that never man of honour and value was beloved of a woman, but such only as deserved the names of villains, than many hundred thousand gentlemen were never beloved, than men of noble & high attempts were never esteemed, yea then any sort of people in whom nature had planted a value of mind, have been dissembled withal which is not only unlikely in common reason, but altogether untrue in familiar & common proof. And yet I will not deny that many valiant and noble knights, yea even the very Peragons of a kingdom, may not sometimes and in some places bestow their love in vain, and even so again without long or many matches receive a pleasant reward of their painful merits: the same lot or destiny being altogether governed by that little god Cupid, who in his quiver doth carry two sorts of arrows whereof the one is tipped with gold to molyfie and allure the hearts of his subjects, and the other dipped in lead, to harden the hearts of such to whom we pretend most affection: by which fiction I find no other signification, then that the one feeleth himself in a motion stricken with desire of a thing which he seeth in the other: the same by a certain secret instinct drawing him unto him, and in the other I can discern nothing by which he may cleave to his love: Here you have prevented me, saith Glaphyro, for that (according to my promiss) I had prepared fresh charge for you as to reverse your opinion, that love is not kindled but by a certain thing, which you could not well express, wherein I had thought to have contended with you bythe authority of certain old Philosophers, who hold that love depends not but upon a certain desire of beauty: wherewith he directed his speech and countenance to me, as to whom (as he said) this cause did most duly appertain: seeing as in my definition of love, he charged me to have given that nature: so having set forth a large and general portrait of him, it belonged to me also to dissipher at full his several qualities: But I told him this season of after dinner was due only to him wishing him to remember the felicity that fortune had purchased for him as to have conquered the favour of her, who stands as judge over our exercises: in whom (happy Monophylo quoth I) you need doubt no favour to hear, nor delay in judgement, seeing I fear she will entangle his estate of a judge, with the office of an advocate to defend you: God forgive you seigneur Pasquire saith Charyclea, the goodness of any cause is a judgement in itself, so that you need not be jealous of my inclination to Monophylo, whom I take to be of that merit, as I can not think myself deceived if I bear him favour: ah good Madam answereth Monophylo, that the effect of this friendship which you pretend to bear me, might be reserved for mine absence, seeing I doubt not so to moderate the present season and ooportunitie, as if you find want of duty in action, you shall not fail of ready good will, which only is in my power to perform, which if it be not so much as I aught, and you look for, at lest I hope you will satisfy in my good meaning But to draw Glaphyro out of suspense, seeing seigneur Pasquire seems to fear the touch, I am content to answer him in the point of beauty whereof he thinks love to take his beginning, and not that instinct which you have preferred: albeit, afore we wade further, I pray you let us have your fancy how and in what sort you understand this beauty: I am consent saith Glaphyro, and to lead you to a more subtle and true sense of it, you have to note that beauty lieth not altogether in the body, but hath also her residence in the parts of the mind: the one is called beauty simply, and the other good behaviour, which consists not only in good manners and outward fashions of conversation, but also hath a special participation with virtue, even as the beauty of the body rests not altogether in the lineaments and feature of the face, but also in a good composition and universal proportion of all the other parts of the body: And thus beauty being understanded as it is by this short and true signification, my opinion is that the very first day wherein we are betrayed by love we feel a certain spark of this beauty which is in our Ladies, a thing which afterwards by succession of time settles so in us that with our ignorant confusion to all other respects we come even to lose the knowledge of ourselves: wherein as there is diversity of beauties, so also every one inclining according to his particular fancy, some delights in the properties of the mind, other takes pleasure in the parsonage, to some the state and majesty of the countenance are a singular felicity, and to other, the facility and promptness of speech, is the only cause to kindle affection, but above all, the eye hath a supreme power, about the which the little Cupid flies and fleets in ten thousand sorts and shapes: By this I persuade we delight not in foul things, neither can any be alured to love her, in whom is a want of all, these qualities, so that as an imperfect and sergeant woman cannot set herself forth with cause to be beloved, so I think she is exempted from all fortune and favour of any to honour her as a mistress in love: this is the point in which I tarried for you (saith Monophylo) seeing by your talk you seem to establish certain kinds of beauty, a thing notwithstanding, not to be done in deed, I cannot but consent with you, that every one pretends to the fairest, but in case of love, to hold that one thing aught to be fairer than an other, is a manifest error: seeing every woman in general, finds a friend to endure loss passions for her sake, than may happen to any special lover on the behalf of some singular Lady more fair and perfect than she, and if your opinion should challenge place of a law, we might say that only she is honoured with servants in love, to whom is allotted by nature a singularity in one of these proportions you speak of, and the more she is endued with them, the more doth she make herself to merit in the fancy of men, although we see the contrary in every success of time: wherein let us make an example by two Gentlewomen, whereof the one by common judgement is thought to be singularly fair, & to the other is given a commendation of mean or indifferent beauty: if we be enticed (as you say) by this beauty, it is likely we should rather incline to the singular beauty, than to the other: albeit we prove often times the contrary, seeing love (to make known unto men his invincible authority) will as often pitch his abode in her of mean and indifferent beauty, as in the other to whom nature seems to have given a singular perfection: But for a more familiar example, I pray you seigneur Glaphyro look into the choice of one of your old companions, and my ancient friend, and tell me, what variety or shift of wit, what shape of parsonage, what notable enamel of complexion or favour, what sweet delivery of speech, yea, what favour of nature above her common regard to all ordinary women, hath she for whom as you know our friend labours in no small torment of body and mind: sometimes (in an idolatrous regard to her) he blasphemes openly all other women, as not to hold value and comparison with her, in whom (if love be to be measured by that beauty you speak of) there is no one spark or part of such perfection: sometimes again he sets her in his mind as an oracle or Goddess of contemplation, raising her even unto the highest heavens, with hymns & praises, drawing her excellencies into parts, & (as it were with a pencil) leaving no part untouched with high reverence & devotion: But if either you or I should be called to judge of this Goddess, & her excellency, I fear we would note more folly in her friend, than worthiness in her to deserve his affection: So that what other thing causeth this fairness in her, if not the instinct we speak of, which hath drawn this our friend to such an extremity in conceit, that he esteems his mistress to be even beauty herself: And so feigneur Glaphyro you see how we aspire to this fairness, and beauty, also being no other thing then as we are guided by our natural inclinations, such inclinations, by infallible consequence must needs be the very motions and causers of love: For to hold (as many pretend) that the excellency of the eye consists either in green or black, or the tall or mean parsonage: to be esteemed one above an other, be notable abuses moving of the affections which we bear more to one than to an other, whom because we esteem so we would that every one would consent with us in will and fancy: wherein to give you my plain judgement after long and much confusion in myself, with no less perplexity to judge and discern this difference, I swear unto you, I stand in indifferent doubt whether beauty be the mover of love, or our affections kindle by that which seems fair unto us: But because only that thing that is fair doth best please and agree with us, I must needs say, that the perfection in love, is the only mean that makes some things appear more fair to us then others: as for example, there was never father, who in his own fancy found not his own children fairest, albeit in common judgement nature had made them imperfect: what other thing draws him to this persuasion of beauty in his children, but love, yea that love whereunto only nature without other cause, doth lead and induce him: the like may we consider in our Ladies, observing always the suggestion of our instinct, by the which we both love our Mistresses, and hold them in a value of beauty above all others, yea, far otherways then the father doth by his child, for that when by a long absence, not acknowledging himself as son, the affection of the father will decay and convert into a common estimation, where even at the first, and as often as we settle our eyes upon our Ladies, we feel such a translation of affection, that it is without our power to resolve what moves us to love them: yea though they had in them all degrees of deformity, yet by this instinct, their characts and images would settle so surely in us, that in despite of us, we should both love them and esteem them the perfectest creatures in the world: hear you seem (saith Phylopolo) to figure unto us a love, resting rather in imagination, then in truth? yet methinks it stands with congruent necessity, that there should be something which should be called fair, and the same to consist in the pure truth, and not in the opinion of men, as you seem to maintain: I have in deed maintained it, and still will defend it (answereth Monophylo) so long as I live: Not that I mean to deny you that there is not something which in itself aught to be called fair, but if there be, I say it is the only creator which hath knowledge of it: who albeit by his dear grace, do make distribution of some sparks of it to men, yet think not (seigneur Phylopolo) that it is in us to know it: we can not but confess with one voice that in all things there is one truth, but what is he who durst assure himself at any time to have found it, but only God, who seems to reserve it in himself, as meaning that, that title & name should only remain to him and to none other: and such hath been our punishment, since the offence of the first man, that from thence hitherunto, it hath continued as a matter of continual succession from the father to the son: For where our nature afore was perfect and not corrupt, nor blasted with such whirlwinds as we are now driven to feel, yea, being bounty itself and standing (as it were) in a state of most pure innocency: since declining by this delight to corruption, keeping notwithstanding some sparckeling memory of her former felicity, there remains only an appetite to enter into it again, that is to seek to aspire and pierce into this bounty and beauty (which have a society together) and yet of ourselves we are never able to attain thereunto: the same perhaps being the cause why certain notable personages, sought in old time to usurp the state of Philosophers, and not to bear the name of wisemen, professing only to be zealors and seachers of wisdom which they could never find (notwithstanding) by all their subtle Sillogismoes, but speaking generally of that high benefit (whereunto we all pretend) they disputed severally every one according to his particular fancy. So that if you ask me who hath ever possessed it, I must answer with the divine, that only he hath pierced into it, who (acknowledging the incomprehensible estate of God) confesseth by an extreme faith not to be able to reach the knowledge of this high science, which lies only in the hands of the sovereign eternal: For albeit nature hath made us partakers of a soul reasonable in itself, to study to know the truth, yet she hath sprinkled her with passions which greatly hinder her heavenly exercises: The ancient Platonistes were of opinion that our soul occupied in us two seats or places, whereof the one they bestowed in the brain, which is reason, and the other they say possesseth the inferior parts, which they name lust or desire: wherein albeit that which occupieth the parts more noble, aught to assist the other, as being most wise and foreseing, yet (such is our share and part with this massy earth) being tickled by their flattering and deceitful passions, communicating with them her secrets and (as it were) conspiring secretly against her, submits herself oftentimes to their mercy to her great confusion: For example, who aught to have been more devested of all humane passion than our original father Adam, being in his innocency, seeing our mortal nature was as then in his most great perfection: and yet was not he rather over ruled by concupiscence then guided by reason, when in an ambitious humour, he rebelled against the will of God: But if we distend more familiarly: by what other effect I pray you are we divided from beasts, but by this reason only, which (notwithstanding) we see so abused in thousands of men, that they seem to partake more with beasts than with humanity, wherein what better testimony can we produce than the doings of wisemen, and such as are enraged & replenished with fury in whom notwithstanding that lust or desire never failed, which keeps residence in us all, which makes me think that when this mighty & general architector began to fashion man, he framed him divided, as it were half divine & half brutish, so that, as he would not make him altogether ignorant in things passed, nor directly to foresee chances to come, so he intercepted him to fly with the wings of his mind to the consideration concerning only himself, which is the knowledge of the truth, but seems contented only with our faith and credulity: And so in the matter of beauty, we need not much to marvel if our judgement waver, seeing it happeneth in all other humane actions, which I think proceeds by the great providence of God (yea even in the matter of our present question) because such women as of certain are esteemed fowl, seem sufficiently fair to others, as not to be wholly abandoned being as necessary for the increase of the world, as those that stand in a greater estimation of beauty: And yet we must think that although in this opinion love makes himself common with all other things of the world, yet he contains a certain nature in himself, by which he is made altogether heavenly: For except this general league of policy, which proceeds of the unity of our hearts (whereof I will not now speak) I have always learned of such as imagined the heavenly felicity, that the contentment that most we found in this supernal region, is a perpetual contemplation of this divine essence, which makes us forget ourselves: wherein albeit I aught not to apply so high a similitude to the subject we speak of, yet if we be suffered to imprint in our hearts an image of that divinity, I may well say, that the impression we have of the forms and figures of our Ladies, doth so ravish us in them, that by them we do not only hold all the joys of the world as transitory, but also they take from us the knowledge of the very cause why we love, as being rapt in wonder in them, even as by a diligent beholding the sun, we lose the natural light of our own eyes: I consent to all you say (saith Glaphyro) confessing withal, that as by the imbecility of our senses, it is not lawful for us to fly or aspire to this truth, so I believe also that it is the only cause of the diversity of laws altogether contrary in divers places. And yet you cannot deny to me, that in the question of beauty, there be not things, which by common consent of the world, are not allowed most fair: as who in a self obstinate fancy will give unto the crooked and wrinkled a more singularity in beauty, than those whom nature hath created upright and perfit hath (in mine opinion) no less maim in his sight, than imperfection of reason and judgement. I speak not of monsters (saith Monophylo) but of things common and indifferent: for seeing nature hath created us all upright, I will not entangle our question with such sort of people as you speak of, affirming that in what proportion so ever we are framed, if we procure to ourselves no other defect of members then according to God's general distribution, we are a substance sufficient enough to be beloved: Because all other accidents happening, appear not to us, either fair or foul, but according to the diversity of our humours which lead us to that opinion: yea, we persuade often times a thing to seem fair in some season which in an other appears foul and loathsome: So that seigneur Glaphyro, if this generality vary according to the diversity of times, let us not think strange if our minds (in the same respect) differ particularly: wherein touching women on whom your late speech did run, I can hardly believe, that in this variety of opinions, they find not some friend in affection, albeit not so commonly as others, because they are further estranged from our common nature: herein you are both deceived (saith Phylopolo) for nature never created thing so rare, but for admiration: And albeit (in regard of their bodies, such women are not so generally delightful to us, yet they have always a help of the mind to satisfy that default: for God was never so niggardly bend to any, but if he raised an imperfect body, he supplied it with some inward excellency of mind: as in the nature of insensible things, we have an example of the Vine, who albeit seems most crooked and counterfeit of all other sorts of wood, yet he contains even in his succeeding effects the spirit and mind of us men: This is somewhat to purpose for you (saith the Lady) and albeit you had used no other speech at all, yet by these last words you should have been dispensed with all, touching all your blasphemies, wherein all this afternoon you have taken your voluntary pleasure: beseeching you all my Gentlemen and dear friends, to suffer this last speech of Phylopolo to close up our long question of love, wherein Monophylo seems to challenge a singular triumph: who lest he should over ween in himself, I think it is not impertinent so to moderate the state of his prosperity, as by our mean, he hoist not sail above our power, to embase it by discretion: wherein I hold opinion with an ancient captain of Athens, who being asked, if he took not pleasure to learn the art of memory: no rather (saith he) I delight in the art of forgetfulness, because (in his judgement) he preserved well all things in his mind, which (being learned) he forgot not: But above all, if a thing once engraved in us, cannot be defaced without great pain, love only once rooted in our hearts, is most hardly, yea impossible, drawn from us by any humane art or pollysie: and therefore I hold it no less necessary to learn the means to eschew such a place, then profitable to know the causes for the which we enter into it: A small persuasion (Madam saith Glaphyro) would draw me to your opinion, but let us take heed least offering to make a road or invasion upon love, the night charge us not behind, whose dark ministers may do us more harm, than any way we can grieve him, upon whom we have made this war, and therefore (Madam) as the present season requireth, it were better to make a safe retreat, than a perilous folly, under this charge notwithstanding, if the company so like, to renew this war the next morning, when I doubt not the pleasant dew, as the tears of jupiter distilled will no less delight us, than the Sun hath specially favoured our exercise this afternoon: And so this little band of amorous soldiers fearing the swift approach of the night, and finding withal a necessary appetite to relieve their bodies, aswell as their minds were delighted with pleasant discourse, approved the counsel of Glaphyro and also his condition of return the next morning, which they performed as you may hear.   

❧ The second Book of Monophylo.  
THat was (truly) a laudable custom and most familiar with the Fathers of old time, who, by how much they reposed a dignity in their works, by so much were they curious to choose patrons of high condition, under whose authority their endeavours might spread abroad. For which cause they consecrated both their names and books to the Gods only and the Muses, as assuring the world thereby, that the end whereunto they aspired rested not in any mortal pretence. But in your opinion (Madam) if the world might become a Metamorphosis, and all those great personages eftsoons return to life, would you not think that as the complexions of men be changed, so also generally they would altar custom, as leaving their Gods and Goddesses, to search out new protector's: and yet if we weigh with the condition of their age past, the nature of the present season wherein we live, we shall find their time more generally inclined to assist that custom of theirs, than any consideration at all to follow our exercises, what virtue or variety of wit so ever they contain: For as in their days (when gold and silver stood not in such authority as now) he only was esteemed above the rest, whose virtue and science gave best show of a singular well qualified mind. So being since fallen into more extreme seasons, which favour not the faculty of good and excellent wits unless they have a society with wealth and riches, it is not also to be marveled if such as have succeeded them in writing (aspiring even with them to the self same point of ymortalitie) seek to reclaim Princes, to whom (as to the high executors of God's benefits) they make offer of the fruits or best of their faculty, as (by such mean) to partake with their high liberallities and bounties: By whose example we not only direct to Princes and great men the greatest part of our works, but also even repose and depend the value of our wits, upon their wills, as upon the only point and ceinter, upon which all our thoughts do rest and hung: we find by faith of authentic writers what happy numbers of learned men flourished in Rome, in the life o● the Emperor Augustus the only macaenas for science in his time, and of the contrary, how naked that profession grew when the Goths (enemies to all Art and humanity) reigned over Italy: wherein Madam, enter not into further wonder than the reason of the cause requireth, seeing as every season hath her revolutions, so no estate is exempt from the power of voluble time, and naturally we are all drawn to do good under a hope of honour, which being not esteemed unless it be pricked full of the feathers of transitory riches, every one (we see) applieth himself to the good pleasure and service of him, from whom he plucks profit and commodity: And yet I say, he cannot be to highly recompensed, whose wit and pen as the painful handmaids of truth travel to set forth the accidents of time: seeing all the valiant acts which we see stand upon the heads of great men cannot be raised into a higher degree of fame, than by the mean of a pen well disposed to whom all prescription of times hath given this privilege, to embase the prows of great men, and raise the doings of the meaner sort at his pleasure, which was not unknown to the great conqueror Alexander, when he lamented to be disfurnished of such a trumpet as fortune had stirred up for Achilles in the person of Homer: By what other occasion (I pronounce it with reverence and private grief) are our histories become seasoned with such small value and estimation, if not by the slender care of our great Lords, who flattering their time with other professions in their negligent regard to learning, take away also all example or courage from all men that exercise their wits that way: Kings give life unto wits, and the learned in counterchange crown princes with ymortalitie: the travel of writers is a monument of perpetuity, and the endeavour of the pen preserves memory above time: learning (as saith the Psalms) comforts the afflicted soul, and gives aid to the frail infirmities of the flesh: it rules between Prince and Prince, and directs private causes of mean men: it is a testimony to the matter, and a judge to the controversy which cannot be corrupted: yea, by learning we have conversation even with God, & in writing he hath left amongst us the words of his infallible will, which being well observed, leads us (as the Prophet saith) above the heavens: But O miserable condition of our great men, who in place to prefer learning, pluck away the means to preserve it, as in not assisting the painful endeavours of writers, are unthankful even to the benefits of God, whose providence they use unworthily, and are guilty in the spoil of their own monuments and eternity: For by how much God blesseth our age with men of quality and science (a constant sign of his care over us) by so much it lieth you in charge (you noble men and states of wealth) so to govern this singular blessing, as neither the soil in the seed, nor the seed in the fruit, be unthankfully used, lest (with the plague of other times) your monuments be defaced and your names and actions run in a dark memory, as the eclipse of the Moon when she is barred from her natural light: But Madam, amongst so many eloquent wits, albeit I justly esteem myself inferior even to the worst, as standing also less in the favour of nature than they, yet, (with the be that yields honey for his house rend) I must confess, that if ever any fruit went out of this little garden of mine, you only have planted it: and as others aspire to Kings and Princes, for whose delight they set awork their wits, so I beseech you let it be lawful for me to name you the star by whose aspect I am led to every well doing: protesting (for my part) to hold such a guide in no less value and honour, then in times past the Muses upon whom the poets bestowed such solemn and devout invocations: you only (Madam) are the Goddess whom I invocate, yea, the element wherein I live, and the oracle of all my plots and purposes, wherein I dare pretend no other benefit of you, then that which even yourself is able to promise' in me: wherein albeit, all my works and traveles are directly disposed to you, yet I dare not presume to present you at this time with the exercise of this morning, nor yet the discourses chief raised to our confusion: neither had I adventured to spread them abroad were it not, that as the day before was employed in such felicity of mind as I desired, so also I imagined such success and sequelle to our present proceedings, that albeit, it import some sinister advantage to us, yet it may bring such fruit to some other the assistants and parties, that if they grudged in the matter of the former exercises, this may be applied as a recompense and supply of their supposed injury, if an injury it may be called: A thing so just and true, as was the discourse of our Monophylo, altogether in the favour of love: and therefore in this treatise there is reserved for them some satisfaction, but no contentment at all to me, who stands not only to disallow Chariclea, for whose respect these speeches were first procured, and also Glaphyro by whom they are pronounced, but also I mourmour even against myself, as to have used my pen in a subject, so hateful to all equity and reason: wherein in common truth I confess myself more imputable than all the rest, seeing that as to Chariclea is just cause of pardon, as seeking (by a natural zeal to knowledge (common to all your other Ladies) to comprehend all things from good to better: so Glaphyro, is tolerable because he argued according to the suggestion of his thought: But for mine own part I protest, if any thing be handled against the majesty of that little God whose slave I am, it is altogether contrary to my opinion of him, as being for this time settled in a certain hypocrisy, the better to fulfil the plot of my determination: wherein as I may resemble those good and ancient instructors, who leading us by their divine exhortations to the contempt of honour, prepare to themselves a ready pathway to an immortal glory. So seeking to mortify in others by the speech and discourse of our four Champions, the true roots of love, I shall kindle the sparks more and more in myself, and with the Salymander bathe my limbs in the flames of hot affection: advertising you notwithstanding (Madam) that albeit they conspired not only the overthrow of love, but also to reverse me altogether, yet (such is God's ordinance) that there is infirmity in their pretence, and their wicked will without force, as professing if you look into their doings) rather words of threats, than matter of effect: so that I dare promise in myself that love hath the lest cause to be offended: Assuring you for end, that according to my delight in the discourses of Monophylo, I dare eftsoons give him the honour of this days exercise with this last request (to you Madam) to set down in memory his reasons with some of mine, as a rose amongst a number of thorns. And so without further report of their several circumstances, let us leave them ready to pursue the point of their purpose, which was to fall into a second society the next morning in the place which erst had yielded them such convenient favour: where according to the hour of appointment, the whole fellowship being assembled, Phylopolo used his accustomed liberty, and began to make court to the Lady Chariclea, not with speeches of civil and honest regard, as is the use of all men professing the state of honour, but offered to touch her indecently, yea, even to say his hand upon the place which stands in curious charge to all women of careful behaviour, when the Lady more misliking his rashness, then fearing her own weakness, gave him this modest cheek, if seigneur Phylopolo you adventure to offer me this wrong in respect of my familiar conversation in this solitary place under the hands of you four young Gentlemen, I hope to find defence in the virtue of your faith, and assurance in the promise of seigneur Glaphyro, under whose protection I began this enterprise yesterday, which if I eftsoons put in practise this morning, methinks I merit not imputation, but rather that my disposition be more favoured, and my honesty better assured by you, upon whose safeconduct I repose even the estate of mine honour: Here aught to be no cause of doubt (Madam saith Glaphyro) where is no pretence of evil dealing, and the faith of a Gentleman is the best warrant he can give to assure his behaviour, wherein as we protest innocency in thought and act, so our hope is, you will not defile your discression with any corrupt judgement, as to note us incivil in that, wherein if we seemed insufficient in duty, yet not unready in good will as far as belongs to the office of Gentlemen: only your opinion to enter society with us shall not loose her expectation, which I beseech you let lead you in such judgement of our behaviour, as (notwithstanding the wanton liberty of Phylopolo) you may use us in our meaning of honour towards you, wherein it may please you eftsoons to settle under the faith and promise of those to whom nothing is more dear then to do you duty and service: I accept your conditions (saith the Lady) and believe your promise, albeit I could not otherways say of Phylopolo than I both find and prove, which I entreated him to forbear, lest he kindled occasion of complaint, and to hold him less welcome to all honest company, ah Madam saith Phylopolo, how you challenge my liberty in speech, whereunto custom hath given a grace and name of modesty to others, though you make me guilty in rude behaviour: And if the exercise of yesterday was wholly consecrated to the commemoration of love, what new offence can be enforced if you & I dress a sacrifice to him by a reciprocal pleasure one of an other by which should be made perfect the dedication of this place: which last words he pronounced with such life in countenance, as they seemed plausible to the whole company, except the Lady, who dissembling her opinion of his meaning, told him she had no other sacrifice to make with him, then that as the day before they studied to erect, and set up the tabernacle of love, so now they would labour to commit him to formentes and utter ruin: For so (saith she) shall we offer a goodly and acceptable sacrifice and of far more merit, than the superstitious oblations of the old ydol●tours for penance and satisfaction of their sins: wherein I could wish the society of Aryadne by whose policy the poor desperate Theseus found means to wind out such a Dedalus as Monophylo hath figured unto us: ah Madam quod I, how religious you are in opinion, from which much less that the night, your absence, or change of place, have taken any authority, but rather have added (as it seems) an invincible force the better to establish your fancy in the matters of our conversation yesterday: yea who would have thought, that by your means and counsel, our lover would have enforced the gates of so honest a prison, to hope to settle himself eftsoons in liberty: O seigneur Pasquier saith Phylopolo, are you yet to know that torments can make men tell truth, and a pinching sore cannot abide a smarting plaster: even so oftentimes the rude and hard handling which we find of our friends or Ladies, brings occasion to eschew their society, or at lest to labour to avoid it: and yet I dare not bring, Madam Chariclea, within the compass of that condition: whether she be or not (saith the Lady) I account you without commission to inquire, and myself without reason to yield your reckoning: And yet I hope you will not note it strange in me, if (according to the care I have over the state of poor lovers, the same concurring with the nature of our present exercise) I use the compassion of my sex and calling, to wish them rather a plausible liberty, than this dark and hideous prison, wherein I see them so martyred: not that I challenge any property in these speeches or that such matters resemble me above the rest (as you think) But because I have dwelled always in this mind, that notwithstanding the pleasures distending with love, is great in the highest degree, in respect of other felicities, yea & without comparison: yet, in common experience it comes not near the lest part of the sorrows & torments, which of it are nouzled and trained, as a thousand suspicions, ten thousand ielowsies, with infinite distempered fears (the proper substitutes of love) with whom (as rain in a mighty wind) is brought such passions & pangs, that to a man of sound judgement there seems no difference between the labyrinth of this endless travail, and the infernal gulf which continually casts up nothing but loathsome vapours and flames of sulphur. For my part, I never knew lover favoured with any hour or moment of happy time which he bought not both before and after the act, at an unlawful price and usury. For before he traveles in a confusion with incertainty of success, as being not yet come to the assurance of his unbridled affections: and after having got with charge, that which he keeps with care, he lives in fear to lose what he hardly holdeth: in deed the perfit lover, who stands assured in his felicity, lives without the compass of those doubts: But whom may we term this assured lover, yea, who can give unto himself, such certain warrant of the will of his Lady, as of his own faith and constancy: I spare here to allege unto you the speech of the people, which (for the single honour of his mistress) h●e aught to satisfy: For if such be the malice of the world now a days, as a simple conversation of a young man and a woman, doth draw people into opinion and suspicion, what travel of mind, and inconvenience of policy is he tied unto, who being vowed to a mistress, must both supply her will, and satisfy the popular speeches, seeing the nature of love making men properly silent and sorrowful, serves here as a proper trumpet to discover their passions: What make you hear also of a sharp repulse, after a long suit, yea, how digest you a false report, whether of spite touching yourself to your mistress, or of disdain of her to yourself: Sure those pills and ague fits are of more bitter qualities, than all the pleasures that can be imagined in love, contain felicity, and albeit the joys be great in number, and pleasant in condition, yet are they not without their continual property of fretting melancholy. I could here enlarge further in the ordinary accidents in love (whose number is no less infinite, than their quality intolerable) and their actions most true in example, were not I should do wrong to the experience of your other Gentlemen, whose practice proves you in those affairs deep judgement only in my knowledge I never saw or knew any one truly transfigured into the state of a perfit lover, on whom (notwithstanding he had possessed the actual felicity in love) did not attend inward perplexities, and outward disquietness, confused counsels and careless execution, broken speech and unsound judgements, yea, such a general negligence in all his acts and conversation of life, that in a due consideration of the effects of love in his example, it may be easily discerned that there is more gall than honey, less pleasure than pain, far more care care than commodity, and more want of courage, than any true commendation of a noble mind. You are not far from the truth saith Glaphyro, and for that self cause certain ancient Philosophers feigned love to be borne of Porus and Penius, as making him the son of abundance and penury, to figure unto us, that lovers, in their greatest contentment, are notwithstanding miserable, by a certain insatiable lust: yea even he that possesseth, is never absolutely contented, and that was the cause answered the Lady, why I would wish this lover to find some issue in love, if it were to be found. Here Monophylo the only protector of this little murderer, by whom moved all his grief, I know not (Madam) saith he, by what occasion you happen into these terms: yea, I marvel so much the more, as I know your wisdom and high discression to carry no small praise amongst men of judgement, and yet by the manner and phrase of your speech you seem to resemble him, who for a small transitory delight which he promised himself by the view of his mistress, despised an immortality prepared for him by the Gods: this I say as seeing you wish a lover to leave his profession for certain light disquiets of mind, which being banished from him, you esteem him more than happy: But (good Madam) what is he in whom this disease hath not been incurable, or who hath ever been unfurnished of those passions, yea generally I ask, what state of mortality hath been ever so absolutely happy, on whom (in the greatest delight of the world) hath not attended some discontentment: I marvel that by the same mean you desire not that children should not be borne, seeing the more we love and esteem them above others, so much the more do they bring unto us care and grief: do we not fear, desire, hope, and travel our bodies and minds for their sakes: we desire to see them great, as then to become the stay and comfort of our old age, wherein we employ no small diligence: we fear their venturous youth, as not to fall into danger of body or infection of mind by lewd conversation, and for that cause we provide tutors to moderate their rashness: such is our torment and care of mind for them, that we even feel the displeasures they suffer, and endure a share in their woes and miseries: yea if we weigh in even balance the grieves distending with such as we bring into this world, with the pleasures we receive by them, we shall hardly judge the difference and yet such is the vehement nature of our affection, as it makes us forget the sorrow and trouble whereof they are the cause: it is impossible that in matters by which we receive extreme contentment, that sometimes also they turn us not to heavy grieves and annoys: what one thing in the world doth more necessarily delight us then the fire, and yet by it we see stately cities and palaces reversed and consumed: who denies water to be most convenient for the necessity of man, and yet it is the element in which much people perish, and great treasure is devoured. So that notwithstanding the perilous accidents happening by these two elements, yet to hinder or take away their use, were to drive nature from her course, and confuse the things of the world: even so is it of love, whose profession you wish us to leave for certain light inconveniences accompanying him by circumstance, and nothing considering the sovereign benefits which secretly lie shrouded and hid within him, wherein to offer you familiarity of experience, why wish you not in like sort, that we were not borne at all, seeing that as being once entered into this world, our conversation runs under infinite and intolerable miseries: even so our destiny carries this condition that the higher we are raised into degrees of felicity, the redilier we incline to revolution, and feel with more grief the pinching stings of displeasure: which (Madam) me thinks might draw you to a favourable consideration of love, by whom if sometimes we are lifted into acts of high and perfect pleasure, it is not out of reason if at other seasons he lead us in effects of more hard and strange nature seeing that if at one time the pleasure should be little even so at an other season, the displeasure could not but be less, for so hath God united and poised the one with the other, as to bridle our presumption in vaunting to be happy on all sides, and therefore he doth draw over our calm of pleasure and felicity, a dark cloud of grief & calamity: and yet our voluble pleasure is far more great without comparison (in the respect of our present controversy) than the inward grieves which we feel: for where the lamentable tears, the strained sighs, the broken sorrows, which oftentimes we pour out in love, are not enforced by other occasion or mean, then as perticipating of our mortality, subject to all infirmity and misery: the pleasures, on the other side which like sweet honey distills by his suggestion, lay us in resemblance with Angels, as though in that contemplation, we imparted with the heavenly powers, and to use a direct truth, love would establish us (as it were) in a perfit felicity upon earth, were not that his pleasant motions be sometimes mingled with certain light disquietes: Wherein may be discovered a great providence of God, who (to say afore us our humanity) hath tempered our delights with pills of sorrow, and provided our river of transitory joy to run in a stream of anguish and grief: not that those small accurrauntes should challenge such authority and force as, for them, it should be needful to divest ourselves of so great beatitude: But it behooves, amid such distresses, to prove the heart of a true and loyal lover, even as gold is tried in the furnace, seeing that to whom so ever living continually nourished in pleasures, such as either he would have or can wish for, without proof of displeasure or grief, it is a hard experience to have a true taste of the sweet fruit which the garden of such delights doth yield: yea it stands not with incongruent necessity (to make his taste and judgement more perfit) to entangle his pleasures with some easy and light annoys, like as to give a good season to meat, is required not only sugar and sweet things, but also some sharp spices (of quality, to be hardly digested) which applied and tempered with other drugs, do give a good and perfit taste to that which otherways would carry no season at all: Ah seigneur Monophylo, saith the Lady, such is your force in speech and reasons to persuade, that I could even settle in your opinion, were it not that for you alone over whom a voluntary force holds the heavy yoke of love, there may be found thousands and ten thousands, who bitterly do wash their mouths in curses and complaints, against the day and hour wherein they took first footing in that miserable prison: yea, such is either their natural blindness, or providence of destiny, that albeit they behold their own spoil and ruin, yet the missery of their thrall estate holds so straight a hand upon them, that neither force nor policy can deliver them, even like unto the Dear entangled in nets, who the more he strives, the faster contends he against his delivery: Why hath nature then, saith Phylopolo (who valued lovers with brute beasts) endued man with a soul of reason, as to divide him from beastly creatures, if he losing the custom of reason, enter willingly into a place, which afterwards (without his great confusion) he cannot eschew: the same resembling the condition of the silly bird (albeit more excusable) to whom only belongs to complain of nature as taking from her all knowledge to resist the sweet charm of the fowler, by whom if she escape death, she is sure at lest of captivity: where man drawing to himself, his self destruction, without other power of remedy then to late a repentance wherein I pray you, is he to be divided from other creatures, but only in the outward eface under the which he covereth his great beastelinesse: What sir answereth Charyclea, who here though good to cut of his jealous speech wished him not to presume so far of his own felicity, seeing he had neither policy nor special prerogative above others to avoid the mystery if the mischief fell upon him: For saith she, even as the experience is common that many Marinors undertaking a long voyage, commit themselves to the sea under a show of fair weather, smiling at the first upon them, albeit their hope being turned to heaviness, they stand at last so deep in the danger of the tempest, that (notwithstanding their endeavours) they are enforced to abandon their ship to the mercy of the waves, without mean of remedy: even so stands it with our lover, who oftentimes indiscréetlye, yea, when he thinks to sleep in most safety, slips into the charm of the enticing eyes of some Lady, who leads him with great delight into this huge sea of love, where in the end he takes a miserable comfort in to late a repentance: o happy mariner so long as he sailed under a favourable climate, o thrice happy lover, until his son disguised his light: But o wretched condition of both the one and other when a contrary wind and common destiny casts them upon the sands of Charibde and Sylla, monstrous women (with the poets) whose custom is to change into form of beasts, all such as unhappily rub upon their shore, when the poor lover finds his pleasure translated into a quality of bitterness, and his hope so turned into despair, that he hath no other refuge then in death, and yet in him he hardly finds medicine, what think you then of the authority of love whose sweet baits as they are swallowed up even by the most wise and subtle that be: so he hath also a second power, that having once made himself Lord over us, he takes from us all knowledge both of himself and his nature, bathing us (as it were) in a consuming flame, far less quencheable than the continual fire of the hill of Cycylie, yea, such is the virtue of this indissoluble knot of perfect love, that it is without power or mean to us mortified: and that which worse is, it happeneth in often experience, that some man labouring long in an amorous train with a Lady, and she perhaps no less touched with the motions and passions of love than he, yet in a necessary regard to her honour, she is driven to answer his desire with modesty, and dare not adventure to be thankful to his demand: I pray you judge by yourself (if his purpose pretend altogether to possess:) the condition of this lover and the languishing pangs that long suit stirs up: yea, what medicine would you apply to his disease? I would not that for my repulse he should altar the nature of his affection to his Lady, and much less be negligent in his means of obedience and humility: But let us find out some happy operation or droage, by which we may help to qualify his passions, and yet not discontinue his love: for so shall we make lively in him the pleasures which by imagination he shall conceive of his mistress, and utterly choke up those sorrows which else would devour him with infinite deaths. Your discourse (quoth I) contains matter of to high condition, as to demand a thing that is not to be done, which is to love without passion: and it is as easy to draw out of the four elements that Quintessence, from whence the Philosophers derive the original of our souls, as to hope to satisfy in any one respect your present desire, which albeit I cannot but esteem of high merit, as proceeding from a mind so well affected to the miserable estate of lovers: yet in all reason and experience I cannot hold it less impossible that love should be without passion, than a man without a soul, the Sun without light, fire without heat, and water without moisture: which things as they are so natural and proper, as without them neither man, Sun, fire, or water, can be in their particular: even so if you lead love in his true degree, you shall never see him march without passions as his familiar substitutes and companions: In which respect me thinks it were matter much impertinent to dispute upon a form in our minds, which neither hath been nor can be: only let us apply our speech to things not impossible, lest with the loss of time, our exercise also bring forth nothing but vanity: And touching your opinion that a woman making an estate to love, and yet will maintain her honour (or at lest that which she esteems her honour) although in such a case it would be hard that love should ever bring forth his full and absolute effect: yet in such proof I wish the example of the amorous Poet might be remembered, that for two, three, or many repulses, he must not think himself denied, but turning modesty into importunity, solicit his Lady with increase of diligence and means: who albeit at the first (under a light fear to make a wound in her honour) stands doubtful to bequeath herself to our mercy: yet doubt you not but she traveleth inwardly in a singular felicity and joy of mind, to see herself sued and required of him whom she honoureth most, and specially in a thing which she would chiefly desire, were it not for that strong bulwark and rampire of shamefestnesse, which notwithstanding is not so defensible, but being battered it may at the last become vincible by vehemency of love to whose power all worldly forces are but weak: herein also, reason stands most peremptory (specially in the present case that moveth) because this honour consists not but in the opinion of men, & love is drawn altogether out of the registers of nature, by whom we are induced to it: wherein because you shall not judge strangely of my opinion, I make you this resemblance: if our enemies become affable by our humility, yea if brute beasts void of reasonable consideration, be drawn to a familiar tameness, by our soft stroke and alluerments, I pray you what belongs to him in duty, which holds us in dear regard, which cherisheth us, & who loves us no less than himself: do you think a woman is not subject to love as much or more than a man? yea, even to adventure upon things which are expressly forbidden her: did not Byblys love her brother, Myrrha her father, and poor Pasiphae was she not ravished in lust with a Bull? And yet I think it was never hard that a woman (what passion of love so ever possessed her) adventured to solicit or require, but being governed with a certain shamefastness, would not so much as be required, and yet being required would make no doubt to consent: and therefore I have heard it often spoken of people well experienced in those exercises, that the best is to be sparing in requiring, but in requiring, to use such an honest boldness to s●ack the bridle of their passions that with impudency they be not possessed of the thing which without shamefastness they aught not to desire: whereof I make judges my masters of the spirituality, and lawyers specially in these affairs wherein the speech, how covertly so ever it run, is far more shamefast and hard to digest then the effect: the same in my opinion being the only mean to come to the full of their purpose, which being well practised, is seldom without his desired fruit: seeing (with reverence I speak it) the number is very small (and they borne under an unhappy star) whose love in the end hath not happily succeeded. Here Phylopolo observing his opportunity to molest women, allowing his reasons, began in speech to justify them further: for (saith he) if women were as haggardlike as they seem, and as many poor fondelinges in love, full simply do believe, their pomp and vanity would be less in attire, and themselves not so popinjay like in conversation, as now a days we see them: For who (I pray you) hath first brought in this cawl or coronet of gold, more curious than comely, more precious than necessary, for the modest attire of the head: unless (with the old superstition) you would deck an artificial idol to draw the world to vain worshipping: who devised this curling of hair, so divided and laid into locks that it seems to carry precepts and proportion of Art: who first invented this hoof, such a mask or vail for the face, that it leads men in imagination of a greater beauty than is in deed, even as in times past the papists, although (to enforce a more religion to their pilgrims) they were curious to reveal their saint, yet, when the doors of his shrine were disclosed, there appeared nothing but a counterfeit image: for what cause have they drawn to them of late suborned bodies either of horn or wood according to the mind of the Carpenter: yea what other purpose is in their huge vertingale, with infinite other vanities in their common attire, but only to please men, and pleasing them, to be desired of them: yea what other mystery is contained in these curiosities, then that they are invented as helps and instruments to supply the tongue, who either fearing, or shamefast to exercise his office to require is for the ●ost part revealed by these alluring ministers most famyli●● in these times with most women. Be that as it may be (quoth I) and yet perhaps seigneur Phylopolo, you are either not well informed in this matter, or to forward in judgement, seeing this curiosity (as you term it) is allowed to women with more authority than you think. For being created only for the aid and pleasure of man, it is like that God stirs that opinion in her, to raise her into endeavour not to please herself, but to give contentment to the eyes of him, for whose sake she was brought into the world: as for example, is it not a tolerable behaviour in a maid, to prepare her beauty, the better to please those that pretend marriage to her: the same being allowed by Lycurgus in his common wealth, that maids should go bore faced to the end they might be s●ene and desired: and by the same mean the married wife laboureth to please not the popular sort, but her husband to whom she is predestinate, it is written that the good Emperor Augustus, seeing his daughter attired one day above her custom of modesty, wherein albeit he took no delight, yet for the present, he governed his judgement by silence, as attending a more fit season to warn her, whom when he found an other time in habit more simple and convenient (as he thought) for the condition of women: o (saith he) how far more seemelye is this attire for the daughter of Augustus, then that which she ware the other day to the disguising of nature, and deface of both our estates: to whom she answered, and that with reverence rather to believe her reasons, then enter into wonder, seeing (sir saith she) I used my time to please the desire of my husband, and now I stand to satisfy my duty to you: such was in effect the example of the good Lady Esther, when she protested before God, that the sumptuous atires which sometimes she used, carried no other purpose then to feed the liking of that great king Assuerus, who had chosen her for his own: All this I bring in (albeit as matter impertinent to our present purpose, yet occasioned by you) to show how wrongfully women are charged with their sumptuous attire, when both their estate requires it, and their husbands consent to it: For to that, aught they to apply their fancy, & not to delight the eyes of strangers, to whom as they own but common regard so if they should fall from the fancy of their husbands, to follow the wills of others, their fault rather deserves punishment then rebuke: indeed I must hold a difference between the order of the widow, and manner of the married woman and maid, seeing as she aught not to pretend further object of contentment, so, albeit she feel stir in her a vehement desire and will to enter marriage again, yet is she more acceptable both to God and the world, in her seemly and modest simplicity: yea the tears of her wydowhead continuing a careful memory of her dead husband, aught to serve her as an honest bridle to draw her from pomp or vanity, whose example also I wish might direct the behaviour of the married wife in the absence of her husband, seeing that living without him, she aught also to lay a part all occasions to delight others. And why (saith Phylopolo) should not maids be as commendable in their modesty as widows. Let us not I pray you disguise or cloak their thought, seeing we live not at this present in that common wealth of Sparta, but are exercised in a time of other manners and conditions of life: And yet howsoever you wrist the laws of Lycurgus, you never found them to give liberty to maids (although they went without veils) to use this visor and mask of garments which now a days we see in common custom: And to use a simple truth, if in such consideration of marriage, such disguised garments should be practised as you (seigneur pasquior) presume, were it not as hurtful in example, as hateful in sufferance, and most of all to be scoffed at in the parties themselves: seeing that to a maid pretending to get a husband these confused attires are but as Popingay feathers pricked on a black Crow, which notwithstanding, when she flieth, do fall away with the wind: For as wisdom and honesty aught to be the proper virtues in a maid, to allure the affection of a husband, so if by art she seek rather to flatter the world, then follow the virtues in nature, she shall hardly win preferment, and not easily shake of the speech of people, who as they note her garments indecent, will judge her also dissolute in condition, as being a common experience in our conversation to set our judgements upon that which we see with our eye: an example well observed by that good Captain Lysander, to whom a certain tyrant of Cycylie having sent many precious garments to advance the beauty of his daughters, he refused them with this wise and commendable answer, that those attires did rather contain dyshonor then ornament: whether doth he better resemble the state and name of a grey Friar, or a jacobin, who in swash apparel wandereth like a vagabond in the world, or he who keeping always his cloisture, doth fashion his life according to the form of his order: even so, in the judgement of the world, a maid shall not be holden chaste in such great superfluity of garments, and less likely (by the same reason) to win a contented husband: seeing that so precious a virtue is chastity, either in maid or married wife, that it is as easily defiled in garments, thought, and the eyes, as in the act: For if she reapose in her attire such a special bait to allure a husband, she may on the otherside account herself so much less likely or worthy, as he seeth her vanity and void of true arguments of chastity: what need we any more disguise or suspend our purpose, seeing such spiced follies were never invented, but to advance the last act in love: For, to God hath been always more acceptable a woman in her simple modesty, or modest simplicity, then being imboast with such curious insolency, which we read hath been paineally forbidden to the wise matrons in Rome, as the only encumber of their common wealth, as fell out in example when by little and little it got footing amongst them: great is the folly of that husband (if we may touch the married estate) who not content with that beauty which nature hath given his wife, will set a new form upon her to abuse himself, and make her desired of others: if she be fair, may not her natural beauty content him: if she be fowl or deformed, forbear to resist the will of God, in seeking to suborn in her an other form then according to her first creation, lest in giving an edge to the tongues of the multitude, he be also subject to the common destiny of the married sort: by this he helps forward the rumours of the people, to whom every light occasion is matter sufficient to set abroach their vessels of infamous speech: yea, by this, the evil sort will take ready cause to make court to his wife, in whom pied attire is like a mark in the field that leads the eyes of the Archer: Ah many be the examples of old time, and ten times so many are the miseries of the present season, and ten times ten so many infelicities will thunder upon us, if there be not discipline to reform this general abuse: what other cause rooted out the ancient kings of Rome, if not the folly of the husband of Lucrece, who washed his fond mouth with such a flattering praise of his wife in the presence of Tarquyn, that it wrought like a violent Medicine in the heart of the ravisher: wherein what necessary occasion could draw him to such speech, specially in a thing, which touching himself in peculiar, aught not to concern others in common talk, the rather if to him only belong the use and benefit of the beauty of his wife (how excellent or imperfect soever it be) what need he to blaze it, and so bring it into the desire of the world, whose nature is dangerous to allure: such lipsubtill people I may say in comparison with that ancient Candaules, who less provident than was necessary, and more arrogant in the beauty of his wife, then able to use it worthily, discovered her immodestly to one Gyges' his supposed friend, who to return his dear familiarity, settled so deeply in love with her, that to enter marriage with her, he prepared death for her husband: But what, such people are not perhaps to be resembled with that Candaules on whom fell such higher for his desert, seeing of the contrary, those that I speak of, more happy than wise, receive upon credit a thousand favours for their sakes, to whom many honest people make love, and so are they cherished of every one for their wives, whom they besmear with all painted bravery: A thing so hateful to God, and abominable in reason, that who suffereth it merits even with beasts: But why stand I so long upon this matter, which is so convenient for us, and prejudicial to husbands: let them feed and flatter themselves with so fond sufferance, and we in the mean while as errant knights, will travail in the conquests of their wives: For to believe that in the favour of them, these sumptuous pomps were first drawn into use, were a faith without a reason: But to hold them invented only as a visor to cover their wantonness, is no less likely in judgement, then most true in proof, as is directly manifest in the answer which Augustus daughter practised with her father: yea I say (and by this I leave you to see how far I differ from you) that less is the widow to be accused in this habit of immodesty, then either the maid or married wife, because that as she is a better warrant to make love with more surety, so, with less danger she may disguise herself with these artificial vanities, then either of the other two, whereof the one is commonly discovered by her waspish parents, and the other dangerously suspected by a shaded husband, yea, and the widow (quoth I) lieth open to the whole popular sort, whose eyes are so much the more exercised upon her, as her vail and visor is taken away, which was her husband, whose affection blinded him in many respects to his wife, which lie naked to the world, whose property is to use the eyes of Argus in the discovery of other men's dealings: But you must consider answereth Phylopolo, that the opportunity either to speak, or execute, favour not so familiarly the married women, as the widows, who depend not but of themselves? and therefore having a more due property to love (as well for the opportunity, as in a natural heat and forwardness, to that business, whereof the maid hath made no proof, and the married wife finds some satisfaction with her husband) it is also more convenient for them to use garments necessary for love, than the other two: Here the Lady suffering with a modest impatience this challenge of their prerogative in attire, told him that his reasons might find place in such as would agreed that this curiosity of attire was invented as an instrument or occasion to love, the same being neither indifferent in truth, nor likely in resemblance, as being a weak ground in judgement to resolve upon an inward effect by an outward appearance of cause, seeing (with the old proverb) as the feather makes not the bird, so our renown aught not to be assured but upon virtue: For as the Frock makes the Friar never the more devout, but is rather a sign of religion, than a proof of his holiness: so in the attire of a woman lieth no true argument of incontinency, and much less aught her garments to breed any opinion of lewd life: And albeit they are matters apt to where the suspicions of the world, yet our conscience being clear, what other reckoning have we to make of wicked speeches, then that they are rather of custom then of credit: Besides (such is the babble of the enemies to our behaviour) if a Lady should attire herself contrary to the order and use of others, she should be noted either disdainful of the present fashion, or at lest an hypocrite in her conversation: and no less blame should she have of the multitude who amid so many pomps, would disclaim the use, than an other entangled with innovation) would play the Courtier among a company of severe Noons: because, if all such new-fangled devices carry a property of hate in their beginning: yet time and practice gets them such authority, that they are as easily digested as the other fashions: And as those light challenges consist not but in the opinion of men, so seigneur Phylopolo, seeing such fashions make their own authority, and by little and little become both tolerable in use, and seemly in conversation, I pray your (with the property of an upright judgement) mislike not if we practise them by general and common accord, some upon a lewd will, and others without evil thinking, but most part for that use and custom so require: you know also how commonly it happeneth in our worldly experience, that any thing how good so ever it be, yet if it be wrested to evil, may be as easily fashioned thereunto as to good, whereof the example is more than lamentable even in the gospel, the which (with grief I speak it) we wrist and apply according to our wavering affections: And so seigneur pasquyor, to cut of this waspish and weary discourse, I pray you work us out of this, encumbered labyrinth, with a fresh onset of your first beginning, lest with wandering in unknown ways, we loose the lines that should lead us to our first entry: Then Madam (quoth I) my opinion holds it impossible, that a woman thoroughly touched with love (notwithstanding all resistance at first) be not brought at last to reason, and made tractable to the will of her friend, wherein notwithstanding I wish you to hold my judgement imperfect, if the love be not reciprocal between the two parties, as we presume: for if it should want on either side, (a thing likely to happen, either by a prevention of some other, or by a disconformity in the persons) there is no less impossibility to plant affection there, then to kindle a flame where is no fire: a sentence notwithstanding which I will not justify to the death, seeing I have seen ere now most strong Castles (invincible by imagination) brought to submission by time and policy: such Ladies (saith Phylopolo) would I practise with the Engine of philip king of Macedonia, whose common saying was, when he came afore any town inassaultable by force, that if an Ass loaden with Gold could enter, he and his army would not be kept out, as advising us thereby that what friendship or force could not mollify, might be made soft by money, who governing the things of the world, doth also command our men: even so I believe there are few women, whose virtue are not vanquished by this mean, and in whom although love can work no power, yet money (bearing the nature of the Adamant) is an instrument to draw them to the pleasures of men: ah seigneur Phylopolo answered I, how unnatural is such pleasure, whose price and value being vile in itself, the love also is most abominable that runs under such hope, yea they are to be condemned with the damnable policies of such, who by magical broths and drinks, seek to force the nature of women, as a mean to induce them to love: For love, resting not but in the heart, of small value is the use of the body, where wants the consent of the mind: and as what Lady so ever bequeathes her body to use under a price and pretence of money, cannot merit better than with a common strumpet: So, of the contrary, the honour were greater in her, not only to withdraw all affection from such a friend, but also to settle in hate against him, as to hold her in such vile estimation, that rather money than other merit had power to lead her affection: yea, this aught to stand in such high consideration with Ladies as not once to fall into the thought of any noble mind: the same being the cause why some making a question, whether it were better to offer love to a gentlewoman or a Merchants wife, maintain that to the gentlewoman belongs a more property to love, as whose fancy is not defiled with vile respect of money, nor her pleasure subject to other tribute than love for love: and yet I will not excuse those people of their errors, seeing that as we see commonly, good & high flying Hawks of all sorts of plumes, so I have heard that the effect of money is no less hateful to many merchants wives, then to most gentlewomen, on whom in this case may be thrown a more suspicion, because their estate being great and of nature like to birds desiring costly feathers, requires a high proportion, and continual supply of money, where the condition of the other being less chargeable, hath also less need of relief, and yet both lives and loves in no less felicity than the gentlewoman: and yet for my part, I can not judge either sort of those women (having their affections settled in places worthy of them) to own more delight to wealth, then desire to the persons: And therefore to a man not being beloved, and yet continuing in his purpose to possess her whom he pursueth, a most proper and fit way were, (in my experience) to stand upon increase of merits, and by his ready services, to declare the vehement nature of his love to his mistress, seeing that nature teacheth us, to hold reckoning of such as be our well willers, as also to be desirous of revenge against those who prepare violence against us: yea, even as God (fashioning man of matter more massy) endued him with a force, which the woman doth want, so having framed the woman with a nature more tender and subtle, hath made her most familiar with mercy and pity: ah saith Phylopolo, how either you abuse your experience, or are ignorant in the condition of women, to whom in all other respects, mercy and pity are most familiar, but in this their tyranny exceeds the natural cruelty of beasts: yea, such is the violence of their spite, that with the Salymander, they seem to have a felicity in the torment of their servants, whose presence they feed with a flattering hope, and in their absence make a scoff at their honest affection. This I speak not without cause, as being warranted by the manner of many Ladies, who albeit have their hearts settled in any one place, yet being courted by divers honest gentlemen, and desirous (in a common humour) to be seen to have many servants sue to them (the same being in their fancy the chief testimony of their beauty) they will not stick to embrace every one with a particular affection, and that with such cunning, as the wisest shall be led in a blind hope of their good wills: yea such is the violence of this coossenage in love, that their lovers falling from one hope to an other, into infinite fancies, happen at last into miserable passions, either incurable in deed, or at lest of painful remedy, and yet seigneur pasquyer, if you think that for all these extremities, such women are drawn to any pity, you are deceived in their property, and the truth not known to you, seeing (with the Vipor) the more they see you tormented for them, the heavier martyrdom will they heap upon you, and yet never dismiss you, but with hope to return: so that where destiny (or rather our natural folly) brings upon us this misery, let counsel be applied afore such passions take deep continuance, seeing love (with the property of the Mariegolde), who being grown by the sun, discloseth as the sun ascends into degrees of heat: so our thoughts and cares do more and more increase, if at the first we resist not love, the original mover of our disquiet. And even as a material fire, if it be not quenched in the beginning, useth his property to increase in such dangerous flames, that even rivers of waters can not command it, notwithstanding in the beginning it might be put out without difficulty: even so if this natural motion be not restrained in the beginning, our sufferance will turn to our smart, and ourselves rest miserably subject to his authority: And albeit by small colds and slender frosts we hope to deface him, as by ieolousies and other inconveniences in his behaviour, yet in the end we shall prove (alas to late) those flattering defences to breed (with water sprinkled upon hot coals) but a renewing of the fire and flame of our love. And because you shall not think my counsel to concern only such as find not a reciprocal love in their Ladies, I wish my advise might warn all other in whom is pretence to enter under the yoke of love: because that if once they swallow down his traitorous baits, it shall be always impossible to discern truly the loyal mistress from her that hath no faith, and that as well by a blindness in their own passions, as that they shall see most women disguise themselves in so many sorts, that they shall find it hard to discern even their colours: So that I hold & maintain him to be most wise, who, notwithstanding he think to receive some reward and higher of his Lady, estraungeth himself even in the beginning, and not suffer his mind to enter into captivity: wherein albeit this pleasant use of her body be of such sweet savour, as it may take from you all taste of my council yet (besides the many lamentable passions in love wisely revealed by the Lady Chariclea) make you no reckoning of a vain loss of your time, a continual travail of your body, an infinite care of mind a devouring charge and consuming of your substance, and lastly, that to follow altogether the allurements of love you must fall from all other exercises of virtue and honest faculty: I account him happy, who possesseth in love. I hold him wise that moderates that vain felicity: But I esteem him most happy and wise, in whom though love breed a fancy, yet he forsake him afore he enter into his fury: And as certain ancient Philosophers held him most happy that never was borne, giving a second felicity to him that was formed impotent or deformed, so I lay him amongst the number of the happiest who eschewing all occasions forbeareth also the practice of love, and I will imitate the other, who although he have dipped his finger in that unsavoury broth, yet, fearing to be altogether scalded, draweth back to his honour and profit: And yet, he that dare adventure under the veil of such hope as lovers pretend, I could better allow the gentleman to practise that trade, than such who profess the modest attire of the long gown: not that I will derogate more the one than the other, esteeming them both of one degree, every one in his quality: only me think the estate of the Gentleman (which is to follow arms) is more tolerable in love, than our frockemen, whose profession lieth chiefly in study, altogether unfit for love: neither can the gentlemen so far transgress from any worthy enterprise, as the other, seeing in him love is oftentimes one special cause of courage, to attempt great things for the only service and remembrance of his Lady, in whose respect he laboureth in many worthy exercises altogether concerning arms, who seem to take their original motion (or at lest their greatest increase) in the opinion of our Ladies, in whose favour we arm ourselves for the jousts, torneyes, and other acts of high activity: so that it seems almost necessary that such sorts of youth be sprinkled with the dew of love, the better to prepare them to arms: the same (in mine opinion) being the cause why the poets anciently painted out Mars and Venus using their pleasures together, which hath been eft represented unto us by all the Romants either spanish or french: to such kind of people than I will not much defend the practice of love if they list: but touching the others I hold it as inconvenient for their trade, for the Merchant to confuse his traffic of foreign wares with the study of Physic: All of the contrary saith Phylopolo: For from what other cause proceed the effects of so many excellent wits both of ancient memory, and present experience, yea, shining amongst the other monuments of the world, as the Moon amid the stars, but that they were kindled and set on fire by this brand of love whose drawing violence as an adamant or loadstone, first enticed the pen of Petrarche, Savazar and Bevibo, and in our time and country, was the original bellows which gave the first wind to the amorous exercises of Consart, Bellay & Thart, whose singular perfection in their several phrase & method of style, hath drawn unto them a name of ymortalitie, & translated as it were the gift and disposition of poestye from italy (the late mother nurse of that faculty) to our country of france a chief maintainer now of that ancient and commendable exercise. And amongst all this society of most excellent wits, what other mean hath raised them to the tip or high ripeness of perfection, but only love, who without them albeit may seem to have been nothing, so by these proves, the candle of their estimation had quenched, if love had not ministered matter and given them value. So that I must ●aye to your charge, either malice or partiality, if you take from men of study the practice of love: it were a doubtful opinion, saith Monophylo to hold that those kind of men had sypped on the cup of love, seeing, if we may measure the dispositions of others, by our proper fancies, I think it would prove hard that a man entangled in his snares, could at pleasure discover the state of so high a conceit as the writings of the poets seem to disclose by figure: for as it is a true experience that they only command their senses most, whose affections be fréeest, so there are none in whom liberty of speech hath less power, or the wits furthest enstranged from their due office & function, then where love hath a sole sovereignty and government, the same being an argument of opinion to me, that the better to advance their glorious excellency in a subject exceeding all consideration of man, every one of those voluble writers did fashion and choose a woman friend, as in whose praise and memory, they raised so many excellent monuments in writing: if in such respect only (saith Phylopolo) as you presume these writers heaped such famous exercises, mée-thinkes their wrong was no less to the dignity of their learning, than their actions most intolerable in example, seeing they might have chosen many matters of much more worthiness, than to become vain worshippers of transitory idols, as though their judgements were so base, and their wits so vilely inclined, as without the subject of women, they could bring forth no substance of learning: ah quoth I, beware of hasty judgements, seeing we may easilier slander their doings, than know their pretence. For as we have reason to think that all these great loves which in their young and green years they disguised in themselves under the shadow of poeie, do promise more weighty exercises as they rise into more ripeness of age, so considering how all things have their time, and every time his proper season, it need not seem strange, if fashioning their rhymes according to the subject resembling their present youth, they suborned certain passions and pangs, and sauced their volumes with varieties of Venus' miseries, the better to serve as a looking glass for all the world, as for such as profess love to find necessary rules for their instruction, & to such as hate him, to abhor him more by their example, the same being so much the more convenient in them (as whose age is not prepared for other studies (as their endeavour brought forth a fruit of common commodity. This speech saith Glaphyro, is impertinent to our present purpose, and yet, to whosoever would demand a reason of their writings, I think the poets would answer, that it was the most high and excellent theme that could be devised, because love hath always carried such sovereign power, that the highest elements that ever were, yea even the ancient Gods themselves have vouchsafed to be led in triumph under his banner: And for my part, if they traveled in those exercises, as men in experienced in his authority, and but induced only to reveal the passions which he hiteth in himself, I esteem them so much the more worthy, as the matter was haughty and hard (I mean to speak so properly of love having made no proof of his nature) but if they have been limed with the feathers of his wings, & proved the burden of his power, it were not amiss, no less for the furtherance of their study, then to favour their health and quiet, that they resign their pretence, seeing it brings such danger in practices wherein they have this assured and infallible mean, if afore they lose the use of their senses, they persuade no possibility to attain to the end: yea, albeit there be power to possess, yet let them fix upon this as upon the north star, that the pleasant use (being the end and mark of all their pretence) is no other thing then an opinion of pleasure raised of an affection which is borne more to one woman than an other: and lastly that all women have affinity with the humours of their first mother Eve, who was not without her frail and sliding infirmities. I confess that in this mean or medicine is neither such facility nor constancy as may be devised, because who hath once imprinted an opinion of a woman in his conceit, may answer that he makes no value or estimation to use or possess, but only because of an affection which is extreme towards his mistress: yea, if causes be indifferently measured, you shall find no comparison between the pleasure we receive of a public woman to whom we bear but a vile and squirilous affection, in respect of the delight we feel in our peculiar friend: so that the best advise I can give to him that would beguile love, is to fashion at the first a desperate impossibility to possess, seeing that to warrant us from the passions, amongst which love reigns, we have a double medicine, the one, if in believing the suggestions of reason purely and simply we do supplant all affections leaving neither root nor rind in us, the other, if when passions kindle and prevail over us, we fight against our proper wills, maintaining a civil war in ourselves, under the leading of reason, accompanied notwithstanding with some contrary passion: the first was familiar with Socrares, who (by a deep and heavenly Philosophy) being armed with a continual contempt of all things, observed such constancy that neither prosperity could make him swell, nor adversity 'cause him to stoop: This remedy seems so much the stranger as our soul being composed of reason and passion, our passions oftentimes do carry away our reason: And therefore we must with diligence resort to the second medicine: when reason (environed with passions, and not able of her self to shift them of, takes aid of a contrary passion, which albeit of itself be not good, yet inclining in this hehalfe to reason, with serviceable duty as to her sovereign mistress, can not be called evil, because affections be not evil, but when against the order of nature, they seek to bear rule over reason: This was the medicine which the Philosopher Carneadus applied to our instructions, as advising us that amid the froth of our mortal delights, we should remember the miseries of the world, to the end that brydeling by that mean our unbridled pleasure, we may temper the one with the other: This was the wish of philip of Macedonia, who receiving in one day news of the birth of his mighty son, and report of two victories obtained to his use, craved that Fortune would mix his great felicity with some sharp accident, lest his flesh used her property: the wise Anaxagoras, notwithstanding nature stirred him to delight singularly in the life of his child, yet his extreme joy was so moderated with a continual fear of our common frailty, that his death was not grievous when he remembered he had begot him in the state of mortality.  
These two ways in deed are no less commendable for their excellency, then most convenient to defend men from such sorts of furies: And yet touching the first, although in other affections it may prevail by a continual use and meditation, yet I stand in doubt to assure it any place in love, for that he is a passion so subtle, that we see him no sooner enter into us, than we have advertisement of him: yea even Pallas the Goddess of wisdom fell one day upon a sudden into the nets of Venus & Cupid choice of place, we shall relief our grief and release the bonds of our first sorrows: it may be this policy is nothing pleasant to Monophylo, whose reasons yesterday contained matter of imputation against such as were defiled in thought only against their Ladies, but for my part, much less that I find cause of offence therein, seeing of the contrary, (and yet I am not far estranged from your opinion) I hold it the only and ready mean to love well and perfitly: For if this love as you say derive from a heavenly power, can you have a better mean to know her, whom destiny and providence have provided for you, then changing from one to another, to fall at last upon her in whom your senses do settle and your affections rest satisfied: This is a persuasion amongst the Genetliake Philosophers, that to know the estate of our providence and follow our influence, is required change of habits, names, and divers countries: and their to pitch our stay where we encounter our best contentment, and not to be obstinately bend to one place, wherein if we look to thrive we must reverse the revolution of the heavens, who seem to incline us an other way: And therefore seigneur Monophylo, it were an error in all men of high courage, so to encumber his mind with peculiar subjection, that he had rather move his own spoil in the daily pursuit of a woman not predestinate to him, then to search his choice severally elsewhere, whose favours he shall obtain at the first, because both lot and destiny will incline to his affection: This discourse of Phylopolo environed with miseries as to cover the opinion which he understood better by effect then by speech, setting all the company on a pleasant laughter, was suddenly answered by the Lady, who under a smooth anger told him he needed not add an oath to make her believe him, & much less that himself was without experience of his own remedy in whom she doubted not there was fulfilled a more perfit warrant and witness than in any of the company: which he denied, assuring her that he never embased himself so much as to become the servant of one mistress only, esteeming it an act of great unthankfulness to all the rest of that sex, for the respect of one only, to abandon the love of infinite others to whom perhaps is more desert and duty of obedience, then to her in whose regard we entangle our credit and consume our goods and time: all of the contrary (answered I) for singular love or affection simply and pefectly settle to one only, breeds in us a ready behaviour of general courtesy to the rest, where otherways in seeking to content all, we hazard the displeasure of all, for there is no other motion or original cause of courtesy, but of love according to the testimony of all the Romants and histories treating of such affairs, where you shall find the most perfect and loyal lovers to be they that most exercise courtesy towards all others induced only by a reverent respect to their only mistress, how many men do we see impotent in form, of metal lead heavy, of mind sluggishly inclined, & of manners loathsomely disposed, in whom neither learning, si●nce, use custom nor example of wise conversation, can work any honest allurement to honour, yet love, whose enticements are proper spurs to civility, hath so transnatured him as if he were cast in a new form, by which mean he becomes no less civil in life and manners, then before he excelled in dampish and lither disposition, the same agreeing with the common speech and persuasion of the people, that to fashion a young man is necessary to shroud him under the wings of some Lady, of whom he is amorous as a sufficient mean to draw him to honour and civility: for such is our common fault that being clad with the misty colours of Philastie and self love to ourselves, we cannot enter into our own errors, whereof as our Ladies do give us often knowledge, so their warnings become come commonly special instruments of our speedy change making their sleight corrections of far more authority with us than if we had been warned by any severe preacher in a pulpit: And albeit (love being once as deeply settled in the woman as in the man) it is not unlikely that she may be no less blinded in the manners of her friend, than himself, and that (with the folly of parents towards their children) for friendship sake she pass over necligentlye his imperfections, yet the desire we have to please the eye and judgement of our Ladies, is always a quick and clear lantorne to lead us to that behaviour of honour which we imagine would satisfy them: And even as a good Captain prepared to assault a town, reaposeth not altogether in his people (who notwithstanding are his chiefest stay and strength) but necessarily applieth the cannon & other engines of war, even so runneth the condition of the true lover, who pretending to batter the heart of his Lady, doth not only prepare love to vanquish and possess her (which is the principal of all) but leads her in many exercises of civility and honour, as worthy policies to prefer his enterbose the same being the persuasion of that ancient Poet in his art of love, who instructing him whom he would have to feign love, gives also strait charge to him that loves indeed to use his advise without other art but such as he learneth of love only, who may serve us sufficiently as a Mask or Visor to play such a part: These matters (saith Phylopolo) are no less strange to me in speech, than their sense of hard understanding, wherein if I should wade deeper, I should but heap confusion and rather speak by heart then by the book, as being altogether inexperienced that way: But because I govern not myself in these matters so much by the book, as by mine own contemplation (and my fancy is not without singular pleasure) I pray you tell me what other sign or mark of courtesy can you discern in these mad lovers than a most solitary and continual care, a distraughting of the wit, a distemper of the body, and lastly a general contempt of all other things except her to whom his thoughts are addressed according to the late instruction of Monophylo: So that seigneur pasquier, you can hardly establish honesty in your lover, who you see holds the world in contempt, and all things therein in hate, yea they are either so ravished in passion, or restrained from reason, that with the contempt of the world, I have seen them bear such hate even to themselves, that their Ladies have loathed their condition and been ashamed of their folly: and being sometimes rebuked by them for such frantic behaviour, what was the excuse of these poor fools, but that having no power of themselves, their only felicity depended upon the presence of their Ladies: surely such haggard Pigeons would hardly be made tame, and much less that their capacities stretched to learn any honest or civil behaviour, but rather as beasts void of natural judgement, they live without courage or countenance: for if in the presence of their Lady, any other hindered their access, or were impediments to have speech with them, o how wild are they in countenance, how unquiet in mind, yea, their whole estate so restless, as if they were tormented with some hurtful spirit: and if they fall into the absence of their mistress, you shall never see them settle in any company or place of what value or worthiness soever it be, but as vagabonds without warrant, or people fearing the fall of the firmament, they ruane here and there, as though they had no other place to hide them in, but in the eyes of their Ladies: But if either the power of love, (to whom they durst offer no disobedience) or the authority of their Ladies (in whom they lived) drew them to a certainty of abrade with what other exercise did they furnish the place and time, then either to behold the Moon, prune their stomach with fretting & jealous sighs, or at lest sit like saint Leonarde, resolved into weary silence, and so moving their own scorn, they blazed themselves in their proper colours: wherein seeing I am slipped thus far into the discourse and state of this matter, I can not but commend the short counsel of seigneur Pasquier, that to conform young men to honest civility, is necessary they make love, neither am I against Glaphyro, advising men of arms to do the like to prepare them the better to actions of virtue and honour: And for mine own part, I see no reason to restrain any degree, whether he be a round cap or a long gown, seeing that albeit study is their principal profession, yet the exercise of courtesy can not be inconvenient to them, if neither they turn their sweet time into spoil, nor their senses into subjection of the rage and folly of that imperious angel Cupid: by these observations they may easily attain to the civility requisite in all Gentlemen, and by this mean are they apt to be acceptable not only to Ladies, but also to all other people of any qualyty: and to exchange discretion for fancy, or to run so headlong in the humour of their will, that they lose not only the due knowledge of others, but even be blind in themselves, as we read of Solomon, Hercules, with many others of excellent wits so long as they stood free from this passion, but being once imbrued with it, their state declined, their condition changed, their fortune reversed, and lastly themselves so generally transformed, that (except the shape) they retained no resemblance of men if these had been men according to their name, or their wisdom exercised in due & worthy sort, they had rather governed love, then become thralls to his power, they might better have dissembled with him, than so vilely incline to him, & so might they have eschewed the popular obloquy raised to their confusion. But what such accidents are the true fruits of love, & to who so ever treads that desperate labyrinth, it is an ordinary destiny of a wise man to take the habit of a fool, of a careful man, to become negligent, of a valiant man to be so weak, as to stand in awe of a word of his mistress, of a provident man, to lose all policy, of a young man, to become withered, of a well spoken to stutte, from a good shape, to be clad with deformities, of a free man, to be miserably bound, of a patient man to become a murmurer or else to bear the burden of an Ass, of a religious man, to be an idolater, of a rich man honoured, to be made poor and scorned, of a liberal man inclined to charity, a disdainer of the honest necessity of others, of a quiet man according to christianity, a minister of revenge in the filthy cause of his minion, and lastly even to lose the knowledge of himself, God and the world: whereof the contrary, he who by wisdom can avoid the rage of passion, and apply himself to the honest means requisite to allure the hearts of Ladies, shall have a thousand advantages above the other overwhelmed with the burden of love: as first by his wisdom he shall not suffer himself to be over ruled with passions: his care shall not be turned into negligence, his courage into cowardness, his youth into age, his sweet speech into stammering, his liberty into thraldom, his patience into mumur, his faith into hypocrisy, his wealth into want, his devotion into devillishnesse, his sufferance into revenge, nor lastly, he shall be neither blind in himself, ignorant of God, nor unthankful to the world: he shall bring no stain to his sex, as being a man to suffer himself to be conquered by the fragility of a woman, whom God hath not created, but as an inferior companion to the man, and much less shall run into the babble of people, either for himself or his mistress, which the lover perplexed or environed with passions, can not eschew, although he think he walketh in the clouds: as for example, so soon as he entereth into speech of his mistress, how easily may we see the coals of affection kindle in his face, as both by change of colour, and also partiality of speech striving always to raise her worthiness, the same being one cause (I suppose) why the Poets figured love all naked, because he doth so easily discover himself to all: where of the contrary, he that under an artificial policy, with indifferent & familiar behaviour, can rather pretend then make love, speaks not without modesty of her whom above the rest he meaneth to court, yea if necessity so require, he is so curious over all causes of suspicion, that Argus himself can not descry in what respect he traveleth: And who doubts that a woman to whom her honour aught to be more dear than all the values of the world, esteemeth not better of such one, then either of a blab, to whose tongue silence is a pain, or a fantasite fleeter, who, with himself, forgets also the estimation of his mistress: wherein if these reasons suffice you not to prove the passioned lover to be less acceptable to his Lady, than he that but dallieth or dissembleth in love, let us I pray you consider the proper nature of a woman (I speak not generally) whether she applieth more frankly to the will of him with whom she stands in secret and dear value, or to him of whom she is most made of: for my part I hold with common experience, that he is best welcome, that best can govern her with sweet and pleasant devise, in whom is most show of thankfulness, who best can make court to her, who soon can find her humour and wisely feed it, in whom lastly is a most ready facility of trifling flatteries, with such other outward varieties of delight: for touching the inward respect, women (for the most part) hold little or no care of it, albeit they may pretend a desire of loyalty, which notwithstanding they esteem but as a superficial ceremony: Not, the more she seeth you plunged in passions for her, the less careful is she of your contentment, where if she find you grow cold in love, it is then that she entereth into the heat of her affection, being of nature like to a disease, whose cure comes by a contrary medicine: So that seeing women (even by their own confession) stand in condition contrary to our wills, and that by custom they take pleasure to entertain the true lover with blanched signs, were it not far better with the loss of liberty, to eschew also the scorn: And truly I can not (although to our proper shame) but accuse here the common weakness of men, as to incline so easily to the will of women, whose custom of dissembling dealing, deserveth a counterchange of like quality: And herein I wish my example might induce others to use the friears hypocrisy, and (with the women themselves) to prefer many sorts of courtesies, which being applied in their apt season and accompanied with such show of loyalty, that they think all is done in their favour, may happily incline them as we best wish them: it is hard for a woman to restrain her affection from him, who is civil in behaviour, secret in fact, modest in speech, wise in all chances, and professing to love that which his Lady liketh, with a disposition to conceal not only all things of general importance, but also to be circumspect even in the small favours which he receives of his mistress: These things are easy to be done of him whom I have figured unto you, and of hard compass to the other, by whose proper beastliness he moves his own scorn in the world, as to hunt after the fancy of a woman, whose felicity is his grief, for that he seeks so much to please her, yea (seeing him already bleared) she enforceth her policy to make him more blind, choking him with sugared words, with the subtlety of Silla or Circe's: which I beseech you (Madam) note not as evil in me, seeing custom hath made my opinion more than natural: and if in uttering my fancy, I bring offence to your presence and majesty of this place, I lay myself upon your authority, whose property is either to excuse or pardon: This discourse seemed waspish to one of the company, who feeling a new plaster applied to his old wound, could not but claw, though he rather smarted then itched, assuring him that spoke it, that were not the friendship he bore him, and reverence he reserved to the company, he would tell him, that either he had long disguised his nature, or for the present was become a corrupter of the common wealth, as to bring in such magical hypocrisy, that no woman was so honest as to defend herself from his peppered policies: But I pray you (Sir) saith he, take heed you fall not into the fortune of him who lost the liberty of his country, for that he fashioned such a subtle lover as you seem to desire: Admit that should happen (saith Charyclea) yet would I make myself party to his cause, not that I allow his opinion in the generality of women, although I can suffer his counsel to be exercised against such, who have a malicious glory to bob those poor souls, whose folly is rather to be punished, than their condition pitied: And in deed the world so swarms with numbers of that sort of women, that I am half persuaded to believe his report, although it tend to our great disadvantage, for now we have (besides our apron Ladies of the City) many popinjay prattlers elsewhere, who as they take it for a marvelous vaunt and brag of their beauty to have many suitors, so their property is (with the juggeler, that hath for every company change of Legerdemeane) sometime to entertain one with speech, to court an other with looks, to be familiar with the third by signs, to lure the fourth by a false train of cloaked honesty, feeding them all with one unsavoury hope, and him she makes her Ass, that bears her most affection: So that I stand not now to marvel, if many (made wise with your counsel seigneur Phylopolo) seek to disguise with women, seeing in themselves is bred the example, neither is the revenge unjust, if with the precedent of their own deceits, they encounter the like policies, and having satisfied the subtle desires of men, they slip forthwith into the slander of the world: yea Madam answereth Monophylo (the only protector of women) and many there be who wrongfully backbite women, boasting oftentimes to have the possession of their whole body, which they had never so much credit as to touch with their little finger, and that for a revenge of an honest and chaste repulse: an other sort there are also, who, to win the name of jolly Gentlemen, will not stick to say, they have and do govern her, of whom they never received word of light quality: And therefore I wish all women of this strait regard, that afore they departed with the thing which they can not call again, they consider with two minds, and behold with three or four eyes. For the first woman being seduced by hasty credulity, was the cause why our ancient father was deceived: and at this day, men are not without their revenge, and much less unfurnished of means to exercise it, as turning it to their great glory to disguise their behaviour, and all to deceive a simple and innocent woman with present imagination, that as soon as they have fashioned a woman in their mind, she is due to them as it were by obligation, and therefore they take small advise to commit their fancy to execution: But if she, for the more surety of her honour, will not condescend to their importunities, than they either give her the name of fine mistress dainty, or else to be so subtlely simple, that she had rather choose a little quidam of mean value, then admit into favour a gentleman of so lusty estate as he wéeneth in himself: O seigneur Phylopolo, what heresy is in these opinions, what blasphemy in their doings, seeing that as to the man is allowed a simple power to assail, so the law hath left to the woman an honest liberty to defend, and as the man hath only a tongue to require, so nature hath lent the woman two ears to hear, to the end that if he make it lawful to sue, she hath no authority to deny: But if you will have it so, that the woman (with the tree that inclines to every wind) abandon herself to every request, what prerogative (I pray you) allow you to such as are the first in date: what pre-eminence deserve they, who by a perfection in love, and long and loyal pursuit, have won the possession both of the body and mind of their mistress: could it stand either with reason or honesty to dispossess them of the thing so well deserved: here Charyclea using her authority told Glaphyro that if he intercepted not the quarrel, Monophylo was like to give the Canuesado to Phylopolo, and therefore as well to cut of their grudge, as satisfy the rest of the society, she willed him to renew his late discourse touching the remedy of a lover: whereupon Glaphyro, whose quiet hearing of their controversies, had brought him to a settled judgement of their arguments, although he made it hard to judge in so doubtful a cause, yet he told them generally that it were best not to love at all, but to give speedy remedy to him that were already entangled, was in the hand of God, of whom only counsel is to be taken. But seeing (saith he) you will needs have my medicine applied to your lover, I say (as before) let him retire with speed, lest his misery be incurable: For encountering the cause in the beginning, he easily may govern the effect, neither need he any medicine to restore him again to his nature: But if he be so far spent with passion, that his forces are to weak to help his desire out of that peril, then let him resort to a good and long diet, I mean an absence long and far from the place of his infection, and with (the policy of Galen to eschew the place) let him flee far, tarry long, and not return, till either change of air have purged his mind, or sufferance of time seasoned his disease: This medicine albeit in the beginning may carry a little taste, yet his effect is not lest pleasant and most sovereign of all other against the state of this danger: for if the presence of our Ladies kindle and feed the flame of our torment, it can not be but absence (as an antidote to purge a poison) brings health, or at lest mortifieth our passion: And albeit to some, absence is rather a bellows to renew the coals of affection, than a sufficient liquor to quench them, and that absence stayeth the course of all other sorrows, saving only the misery of many consumed lovers, whose reprobate state proves it without force against their condition: yea it may be that generally our first days grief of absence, may seem more intolerable than a whole year: yet singular experience makes no general authority, nor the misery of one proves no community of destiny: and by reason we find that there is no love so violent, nor sorrow so vehement, which give not place to time, who estraungeth all things from their present nature, only in this remedy must be observed a constant and continual patience: For if for one, two, three or four Months you absent yourself, and then fall into the presence of your Lady, it is as if you should cast seed into a ground, and not give it convenient time to ripe, to the end you might reap perfit fruit: seeing in this new presence are renewed such sparks of your old misery, that you are not only negligent in your late preservative of health. But (with the nature of hot embers sprinkled with drops of waters) you fall into a more violent heat then before: All Physicians fear much the second return of a sickness: And even as a sick man to whom the air is forbidden, adventuring afore his time, falls into a more dangerous fever, so if your diseased lover be not well confirmed when he encountereth, a second presence of his mistress, his policy of absence will profit him nothing, where if he be well purged and cleared of all passions (which time and discretion will bring to pass) then with no pain and less fear, he may safely encounter her, and yet not endure to much fellowship with her, seeing to a delicate stomach, a surfeit comes as soon with to much of a good meat, as to eat a very little, of that which is evil: So that even as a little sight is much dangerous, if he be not altogether cured of love, so notwithstanding he be thoroughly healed, yet to much familiar society can not but bring him great disquiet: seeing the eyes of our Ladies (I know not by what art) are far more hurtful to us then the mortal sight of the basilicque, by whom we die but of one death only, but with the eyes of our mistress, we are stricken ten thousand times a day without power, notwithstanding to die, considering that even the best parts in them, are to us more venomous than the bitings of a poisoned Serpent, and where they serve to them for a beauty and necessary sense, it seems (of the contrary) that nature hath not placed them there, but as instruments of our common destruction: I may resemble the mischief in them with the misery of Promotheus, whose liver did daily increase, notwithstanding jupiter's Eagle prayed daily upon it: yea it is worse than Sisyphus, whose penance is without ceasing, to turn and role a stone: and more horrible than the monster Hydra: So that let him be wise, who standeth of himself to vanquish these passions, seeing his trouble will be no less (if they be once rooted in him) to subdue them, then to that valiant Hercules, against the forces of the monster: And therefore let him stand specially upon his guard, that if he have discontynued the presence of his mistress some long time, he renew not eftsoons her company, but with precise distression, lest either the charm in her eyes, or enchantment of her tongue, set a new edge of those sorrows, which time had made dull.  
It may be seigneur pasquier, that my advise carrieth small credit with you, and less authority with Monophylo, as both the one and the other being without proof of such a medicine: But as all other things stand in awe of time, so doubt not but time also makes love wax old, according to the example of a fertile soil, which for want of due tillage, falls at last into sterility: even so, love being not entertained of his sinews, nor fed w●th that which should maintain him in his jollity, becomes no less cold in his heat, than the ground withrede in fruit: All things have their time, which time is the proper trump to sound every secret, and therefore a Lady cannot take sufficient counsel against the danger she entereth into, when she bequeathes her body to the mercy of a man, seeing (as the world saith) the value of a woman consists in the innocency of her honour, and her worthiness of no longer date than that treasure is kept undefiled: And not only (as you said erst seigneur Monophylo) for the disguisings of men, which is a right good consideration, but also in respect of others pretending for a time a better affection to them: for that as men, like men be frail and weak in their counsels, so their wills are full of variety, and the most wisest now a days not least infected with revolution or change: And seeing (Madam) your chief request runs that we proceed to mortify love altogether, I could not avoid the name of unthankful, if I should spare my counsel, to such who (perhaps) have nothing to do with him, I mean all honest Ladies, whom I warn eftsoons (albeit to my great disadvantage) that the thing which they aught most to fear, either towards their best beloved, or on the behalf of strangers, is not to loose the authority which they have won of them: For a woman (to resemble her properly) is as a tender glass, which in his fragility is pure, neat, and clean, and delightful to every one, so long as he stands in his integretie: But if it be once cracked or broken, it falls into the contempt of every one: even so a woman being corrupt in that, which she aught to keep as a precious treasure loseth (with the same) the estimation of herself, whose glory afore stood not in such high value, as now (to her grief) her flower withereth, and her plumes fall even into contempt with such, who erst being even slaves to her will, stand now in a state of sovereignty over her and hers: The histories discover at large the ancient division of man, who from his original, being formed with four feet, as many hands and two heads, was divided by the Gods, whereof the one part was made the male, and in the other moiety the female found her name. And (I have red in many authors worthy of faith, that the great God jupiter having applied to every of them their proper and particular qualities, amongst other memories worthy to be marked, he gave the charge of virginity to the maid, and the guard of chastity to the wife to serve them for assured pavises against the assaults of the world: Then what pain I pray you is due to her, who is negligent in a charge of such high importance: it may be you note this phrase inconvenient in me, as though I seem to shake the estate of our common commodity: but how so ever you attyrs your opinion, my indifferency appears in this, that I warn as well the man as the woman, although my speech brings prejudice to our sex: And therefore I wish you Ladies to season your stomachs with other diet, then with the peppered allurements of love, in whom if there be danger to the man in respect of his passions peculiar and proper to himself, he is double perilous to you, whose weak nature suffereth their sorrows as well as your own smart, besides the blemish of your renown, which as you aught to weigh even in the balance of your life, so if you loose it, you stop the river that feeds the fountain of your estimation: if these fears be insufficient to restrain you, eschew in time all enticing occasions, as both the dissembling looks, and deceitful ears of such as you aught so necessarily to fear. The honest shamefastness of women requireth to embase their eyes and bear their sight low, as not to desire any thing: And if upon a vain presumption, she raise herself into a self hope and promise' to conquer love, she shall no less suddenly slip into his snares, then lightly she suffered herself to be possessed with that overwening opinion: The Monks enclose themselves in their cloisters, to conquer the flesh, and the Hermittes lead a solitary life in Forests and groves: how then can a woman live in presumption to bridle her frailty standing even in the midst of worldly delights: she laughs, she speaks, she hath conversation with young men, she thinks she is not sought, because herself doth not desire, and yet she seeth not how she hatcheth under the wing of those familiarities her own destruction: far better were it for her, and more for her honest profit to eschew such society who seek but to ransack the castle wherein is kept the assurance of her honour: and above all, let her close her ears from him, who by corrupt gifts, sets a stolen to entangle her, as the fowler enchauntes the bird, or the Fisher by his worm, betrays the stelie Gudgeon: every hold inclining to summons, with long parley seems willing to consent to her spoil, and to admit the power of the enemies: neither seemeth any thing impossible to him that strives to conquer, and less easy to the woman to warrant herself amid the ambushes of our polletike youth: This counsel stands not inconvenient to my estate, and less expectation of higher for my travail, because I live bound in honest duty to all Ladies, whom as I dare assure generally (if they learn and follow my principles) of increase in honour with perpetuity of name, so the necessity of my counsel I commend only to such as have been prodigal of their liberty, unless they know an other line to lead them more directly than mine, who (in this small discourse) did not pretend to apply to the contentment of every one, (for so my burden would prove intellerable) but only to discover a short remedy which I have always esteemed most proper for the health of a lover, which is absence, with firm purpose never to tread the path of his mistress again: and this remedy is enforced rather, by an art and industry guiding us, than once procured by our proper nature or motion: But even as you (seigneur Monophylo and Pasquier) by your several discourses, have erst taught us, not the means to love, or by what art we should moderate our affections in love, but rather have laid open the subtle manners, by which that little thief seizeth of our hearts, when we least think to be his subjects: so I will here present you with: an other mean, not as by counsel, how we aught to escape love, but oftentimes how without thinking we are constrained to abandon him: it is disdain, I mean an almighty disdain, which hath power to put this love to mortal utterance, And this albeit be most certain and justified by many examples, yet as seigneur pasquier, laying open the parts of love, gave him divers natures, according to the diversity of passions: even so this disdain takes sundry effects, according to the quality of lovers, sometimes more and sometimes less, even as they are touched with violence: And if you will know whereof this disdain takes his beginning, I will not satisfy you with mine own experience, because I never made proof of it, but by reason, I will derive him from two heads and fountains: The first is, (and that of no mean importance) when after a long suit and service to our Ladies with many reverent obediences, we find them not only unthankful, but also (making a scorn of our service) they translate the merit of our martyrdom to an other, and so make our grief the instrument of their delight: which albeit at the fi●st we hardly receive into judgement, and as it were see and not see, yet their dealings entering into custom, and by little and little vanquishing our partiality, it is most assured, that such love changeth habit and takes the quality of a hate far above the nature of the former friendship, according to the witness of Reguier discovered by Boccace in one of his Novels: o dangerous disdain, o spite whose power hath brought many noble Gentlemen to such extremity of fury, that defile their hands with the blood of their Ladies, they have also at one instant been the unnatural homicides of themselves: For (with pasquiers rule) there is such a natural simpathya of humours amongst men, that even as we love such as like of us, so also our flesh and minds rise against them in whom is grudge against us or ours, as the glorious or proud man loving no other than himself: the same being the cause (as I think) why the ancient Lawyers allowed in their law of nations, this desire of revenge, as falling by nature into the minds of all men: and albeit by God's decree we are defended to use revenge, yet our nature holds her sweet course to vomit poison against such as hate us: And therefore no marvel if a woman having once charmed our affections, and after, by certain outward acts we prove their disguised nature towards us, that then we turn course, as being instructed by the precedent of their policies.  
This is the first kind of this disdain, whose power is far more violent than the other which proceeds of a certain imagination of the mind, or else by a light belief of false reports made of our Ladies, and this disdain albeit is nothing so mortal as the other, yet increasing by succession of time, his effects in the end prove nothing inferior to the first, and therefore in his beginning, he is called jealousy, which although in his prime age is nothing else then a renewing of love, yet as he ripeneth by little and little, and by degrees riseth to perfection, he changeth condition, and leaving the name of jealousy, usurps the nature of disdain in many persons, I say not in all, because for the most part, our affection is so great, and our weakness so general, that oftentimes we are constrained to digest it, as a weak stomach endueth a hard medicine, and all because there remaineth certain sparks of the love we bear to our mistress. There be also sundry other manners of disdain, as that which riseth of a continual repulse, with far sundry others, which I am content now to pass over, as having never tasted their condition or nature.  
Here Phylopolo, albeit he commended the means which Glaphyro preferred to dissolve love, yet (saith he) if that charge had happened to me, I would not have doubted to have applied more necessary medicines to such an evil, and with more ease have cured the cause, and with less danger governed the effect: he brings in a long absence, accompanied with a desire to steal out of this prison of love, and then a light disdain whose cause cometh many ways. But (in my fancy) he is far from the mark, and his reasons nothing incident to the necessary points of the present purpose: Asclepiades an ancient Physician, was not approved of many others of that faculty, because he affirmed in opinion & argument, that the art of physic, or mean to cure patients, might be wholly maintained without any potions or medicines compounded, but leaving all artificial helps, he referred all men to five infallible and most necessary cures, that is, temperate exercise, moderate vomit, reasonable sleep, convenient walking, and a good and long diet: which remedies in deed, were not impertinent to such as were in health and not infected with disease: But to him who laboured in a long and hot fever, I see not in what use they could serve: even so I can not find how this long diet and absence commended so much by seigneur Glaphyro, can work any necessary virtue in such, who are already stricken and touched (as it were) to the death: And touching the disdain which he allegeth, because his remedy in that is more casual and by chance then otherways, I will leave it to work in lovers, even as their nature can brook and bear: And for the means I have promised you I will use the common method of most Physicians, as delivering you a potion or drink, wherein is brewed the whole and absolute cure of this our diseased lover. Let him then drink of the flood of Lethe's, other ways called the lake of oblivion, of which the Lady Chariclea hath cunningly brought into our memory towards the end of her shipwreck. And if this mean either fail him, or he faint in the execution, then let him resort to the circle of the moon, where perhaps he shall encounter a great part of his senses, distraught since he first made invation upon the frontiers of Cupid: But if this way be either hard to find, or uneasy to hold, let him at last practise the counsel of the Physicians, and use a little Helbora, an herb altogether dedicated to such vain and fonde miseries: For if ever any sort of people were rob of their wits, it is the miserable corporation of lovers, whose blindness is such, that the sun seems dark to them in the plain day, and in the night, they judge the moon a thick cloud: whereinto to confess a simple truth, it is to be doubted, whether that misery proceed more of their own indiscretion, or is derived of the natural subtlety of women, who have such a drawing power over the hearts of men (this he spoke simply to urge the opinion of Chariclea and Monophylo her protector) that it seems the Devil hath incorporate himself in them, the better to delude men not of base or low condition, but even such as by long use have won the name of rich, wise and worthy monarch and kings of the earth: o what partiality show you here (saith Monophylo) that to give season to your unsavoury words, you forbear not (even without occasion) to forsake the limits of our argument: and yet you could not better discover our common beastliness, then by the discourse you have made and so inconveniently applied: seeing that by so much are we rude and weak in condition, by how much we suffer them to subdue us, and their wisdom the more assured and commendable, by how much they can warrant themselves from the wrongs which so castlye they lay upon us. But yet seigneur Phylopolo, it is nothing so, nor your opinion so generally true, but it may be disproved by many examples: For if some by women have fallen into the babble and rebuke of the world, yet we have Medea, Phyllis, Dido, with many other infortunate Ladies, who by the treason of their disloyal jason, Demophon, and Aeneas, are made (alas) sorrowful grounds of unworthy obloquy, both to their unhappy cotemporians or time fellows, and also their lamentable posterity, and therefore me thinks your wrong is without reason, which so partially you will say upon that sex of whom we depend in comfort, commodity and felicity: and without whom, as we could have had no original being, so were it not by them, we could have no present conversation nor life: in deed saith Phylopolo, they are a necessary evil: and therein replied Monophylo, are you no less overseen than in all the rest, and your error more hurtful: But you seigneur Glaphyro, notwithstanding the cavil of Phylopolo, I wish not to discontinue your discourse, the same being no less necessary to intercept his heresy, then most convenient to confirm the rest of the fellowship: But the Lady considering by the height of the sun, that their longer abode there, might bring offence to the rest of their company, whose custom (during this progress) was to observe good hours for their repast: told Monophylo what wrong he practised to himself, in urging Glaphyro in a matter (as she thought) of so small advantage to himself, seeing withal (saith she) that the time offereth you favour, as thereby to summon you to resolve our long controversy, whereunto as I prepared the beginning, so am I now to intercesse for love, of whom I take more pity, than he useth compassion to such as implore his mercy: And so breaking of so indifferently, I hope there is never one of us all who rests not satisfied, Glaphyro to have run over so much matter in so few words: we to have been edified by his acceptable speech, you (Monophylo) to see so short an issue of all, and lastly, the rest of the company, not to be offended with our long exercise and abode here: whereupon they descried at hand four young Gentlemen of the general troop, coming to warn them of dinner, who being informed of the estate of the arguments passed amongst them all that morning, grudged with their fortune to restrain them from such honourable fellowship, albeit if the exercise renewed at after dinner, they sued to be admitted, and also others more ancient of the band, who being also received, prepared themselves against the hour of appointment, but such was their sudden occasion, neither looked for afore it fell, nor welcome when it happened, that they were driven to change host, where, with the opportunity of a new place, they renewed eftsoons the matter of their late appointment, whose success I leave at large, as being suddenly estranged from their society by mine own occasion.  
FINIS.   

 

   

Imprinted at London by William Seres, dwelling at the West end of Paul's Church, at the Sign of the Hedgehog.  
Anno. 1572.