shop, a very obfuscate and obscure sight.
And good reason she hath for it: _Nocte latent mendae_, and many an amorous
gull is fetched over by that means. Gomesius _lib. 3. de sale gen. c. 22._
gives instance in a Florentine gentleman, that was so deceived with a wife,
she was so radiantly set out with rings and jewels, lawns, scarves, laces,
gold, spangles, and gaudy devices, that the young man took her to be a
goddess (for he never saw her but by torchlight); but after the wedding
solemnities, when as he viewed her the next morning without her tires, and
in a clear day, she was so deformed, a lean, yellow, shrivelled, &c., such
a beastly creature in his eyes, that he could not endure to look upon her.
Such matches are frequently made in Italy, where they have no other
opportunity to woo but when they go to church, or, as [5069]in Turkey, see
them at a distance, they must interchange few or no words, till such time
they come to be married, and then as Sardus _lib. 1. cap. 3. de morb.
gent._ and [5070]Bohemus relate of those old Lacedaemonians, "the bride is
brought into the chamber, with her hair girt about her, the bridegroom
comes in and unties the knot, and must not see her at all by daylight, till
such time as he is made a father by her." In those hotter countries these
are ordinary practices at this day; but in our northern parts, amongst
Germans, Danes, French, and Britons, the continent of Scandia and the rest,
we assume more liberty in such cases; we allow them, as Bohemus saith, to
kiss coming and going, _et modo absit lascivia, in cauponem ducere_, to
talk merrily, sport, play, sing, and dance so that it be modestly done, go
to the alehouse and tavern together. And 'tis not amiss, though [5071]
Chrysostom, Cyprian, Hierome, and some other of the fathers speak bitterly
against it: but that is the abuse which is commonly seen at some drunken
matches, dissolute meetings, or great unruly feasts. [5072]"A young,
pickedevanted, trim-bearded fellow," saith Hierome, "will come with a
company of compliments, and hold you up by the arm as you go, and wringing
your fingers, will so be enticed, or entice: one drinks to you, another
embraceth, a third kisseth, and all this while the fiddler plays or sings a
lascivious song; a fourth singles you out to dance, [5073]one speaks by
beck and signs, and that which he dares not say, signifies by passions;
amongst so many and so great provocations of pleasure, lust conquers the
most