e fell to treachery, force and
villainy, and set his life at stake at last to accomplish his desire. 'Tis
a common humour this, a general passion of all lovers to be so affected,
and which Aemilia told Aratine, a courtier in Castilio's discourse, "surely
Aratine, if thou werst not so indeed, thou didst not love; ingenuously
confess, for if thou hadst been thoroughly enamoured, thou wouldst have
desired nothing more than to please thy mistress. For that is the law of
love, to will and nill the same."[5378]_Tantum velle et nolle, velit nolit
quod amica_?[5379]

Undoubtedly this may be pronounced of them all, they are very slaves,
drudges for the time, madmen, fools, dizzards, _atrabilarii_[5380], beside
themselves, and as blind as beetles. Their dotage [5381]is most eminent,
_Amore simul et sapere ipsi Jovi non datur_, as Seneca holds, Jupiter
himself cannot love and be wise both together; the very best of them, if
once they be overtaken with this passion, the most staid, discreet, grave,
generous and wise, otherwise able to govern themselves, in this commit many
absurdities, many indecorums, unbefitting their gravity and persons.

[5382] "Quisquis amat servit, sequitur captivus amantem,
Fert domita cervice jugum"------

Samson, David, Solomon, Hercules, Socrates, &c. are justly taxed of
indiscretion in this point; the middle sort are between hawk and buzzard;
and although they do perceive and acknowledge their own dotage, weakness,
fury, yet they cannot withstand it; as well may witness those
expostulations and confessions of Dido in Virgil.

[5383] "Incipit effari mediaque in voce resistit."

Phaedra in Seneca.

[5384] "Quod ratio poscit, vincit ac regnat furor,
Potensque tota mente dominatur deus."

Myrrha in [5385]. Ovid

"Illa quidem sentit, foedoque repugnat amori,
Et secum quo mente feror, quid molior, inquit,
Dii precor, et pietas," &c.

"She sees and knows her fault, and doth resist,
Against her filthy lust she doth contend.
And whither go I, what am I about?
And God forbid, yet doth it in the end."

Again,

------"Per vigil igne
Carpitur indomito, furiosaque vota retrectat,
Et modo desperat, modo vult tentare, pudetque
Et cupit, et quid agat, non invenit," &c.

"With raging lust she burns, and now recalls
Her vow, and then despairs, and when 'tis past,
Her former thou