I took her for a wise
woman, and by-and-by she led me into a by-lane, and told me there I should
dwell. I replied again, I knew not the house; but I perceived, on a sudden,
by the naked queans, that I was now come into a bawdy-house, and then too
late I began to curse the treachery of this old jade." Such tricks you
shall have in many places, and amongst the rest it is ordinary in Venice,
and in the island of Zante, for a man to be bawd to his own wife. No sooner
shall you land or come on shore, but, as the Comical Poet hath it,

[5212] "Morem hunc meretrices habent,
Ad portum mittunt servulos, ancillulas,
Si qua peregrina navis in portum aderit,
Rogant cujatis sit, quod ei nomen siet,
Post illae extemplo sese adplicent."

These white devils have their panders, bawds, and factors in every place to
seek about, and bring in customers, to tempt and waylay novices, and silly
travellers. And when they have them once within their clutches, as Aegidius
Mascrius in his comment upon Valerius Flaccus describes them, [5213]"with
promises and pleasant discourse, with gifts, tokens, and taking their
opportunities, they lay nets which Lucretia cannot avoid, and baits that
Hippolitus himself would swallow; they make such strong assaults and
batteries, that the goddess of virginity cannot withstand them: give gifts
and bribes to move Penelope, and with threats able to terrify Susanna. How
many Proserpinas, with those catchpoles, doth Pluto take? These are the
sleepy rods with which their souls touched descend to hell; this the glue
or lime with which the wings of the mind once taken cannot fly away; the
devil's ministers to allure, entice," &c. Many young men and maids, without
all question, are inveigled by these Eumenides and their associates. But
these are trivial and well known. The most sly, dangerous, and cunning
bawds, are your knavish physicians, empirics, mass-priests, monks, [5214]
Jesuits, and friars. Though it be against Hippocrates' oath, some of them
will give a dram, promise to restore maidenheads, and do it without danger,
make an abortion if need be, keep down their paps, hinder conception,
procure lust, make them able with Satyrions, and now and then step in
themselves. No monastery so close, house so private, or prison so well
kept, but these honest men are admitted to censure and ask questions, to
feel their pulse beat at their bedside, and all under pretence of giving
physic. Now as