hard and crabbed minds, and scarce can a man live honest amongst
feastings, and sports, or at such great meetings." For as he goes on,
[5074]"she walks along and with the ruffling of her clothes, makes men look
at her, her shoes creak, her paps tied up, her waist pulled in to make her
look small, she is straight girded, her hairs hang loose about her ears,
her upper garment sometimes falls, and sometimes tarries to show her naked
shoulders, and as if she would not be seen, she covers that in all haste,
which voluntarily she showed." And not at feasts, plays, pageants, and such
assemblies, [5075]but as Chrysostom objects, these tricks are put in
practice "at service time in churches, and at the communion itself." If
such dumb shows, signs, and more obscure significations of love can so
move, what shall they do that have full liberty to sing, dance, kiss, coll,
to use all manner of discourse and dalliance! What shall he do that is
beleaguered of all sides?

[5076] "Quem tot, tam roseae petunt puellae,
Quem cultae cupiunt nurus, amorque
Omnis undique et undecunque et usque,
Omnis ambit Amor, Venusque Hymenque."

"After whom so many rosy maids inquire,
Whom dainty dames and loving wights desire,
In every place, still, and at all times sue,
Whom gods and gentle goddesses do woo."

How shall he contain? The very tone of some of their voices, a pretty
pleasing speech, an affected tone they use, is able of itself to captivate
a young man; but when a good wit shall concur, art and eloquence,
fascinating speech, pleasant discourse, sweet gestures, the Sirens
themselves cannot so enchant. [5077]P. Jovius commends his Italian
countrywomen, to have an excellent faculty in this kind, above all other
nations, and amongst them the Florentine ladies: some prefer Roman and
Venetian courtesans, they have such pleasing tongues, and such [5078]
elegancy of speech, that they are able to overcome a saint, _Pro facie
multis vox sua lena fuit. Tanta gratia vocis famam conciliabat_, saith
Petronius [5079]in his fragment of pure impurities, I mean his _Satyricon,
tam dulcis sonus permulcebat aera, ut putares inter auras cantare Syrenum
concordiam_; she sang so sweetly that she charmed the air, and thou wouldst
have thought thou hadst heard a concert of Sirens. "O good God, when Lais
speaks, how sweet it is!" Philocolus exclaims in Aristenaetus, to hear a
fair young gentlewoman play upon th