im now
that so dotes meditate on this; let him see the event and success of
others, Samson, Hercules, Holofernes, &c. Those infinite mischiefs attend
it: if she be another man's wife he loves, 'tis abominable in the sight of
God and men; adultery is expressly forbidden in God's commandment, a mortal
sin, able to endanger his soul: if he be such a one that fears God, or have
any religion, he will eschew it, and abhor the loathsomeness of his own
fact. If he love an honest maid, 'tis to abuse or marry her; if to abuse,
'tis fornication, a foul fact (though some make light of it), and almost
equal to adultery itself. If to marry, let him seriously consider what he
takes in hand, look before ye leap, as the proverb is, or settle his
affections, and examine first the party, and condition of his estate and
hers, whether it be a fit match, for fortunes, years, parentage, and such
other circumstances, _an sit sitae Veneris_. Whether it be likely to
proceed: if not, let him wisely stave himself off at the first, curb in his
inordinate passion, and moderate his desire, by thinking of some other
subject, divert his cogitations. Or if it be not for his good, as Aeneas,
forewarned by Mercury in a dream, left Dido's love, and in all haste got
him to sea,

[5707] "Mnestea, Surgestumque vocat fortemque Cloanthem,
Classem aptent taciti jubet"------

and although she did oppose with vows, tears, prayers, and imprecation.

[5708] ------"nullis ille movetur
Fletibus, aut illas voces tractabilis audit;"

Let thy Mercury-reason rule thee against all allurements, seeming delights,
pleasing inward or outward provocations. Thou mayst do this if thou wilt,
_pater non deperit filiam, nec frater sororem_, a father dotes not on his
own daughter, a brother on a sister; and why? because it is unnatural,
unlawful, unfit. If he be sickly, soft, deformed, let him think of his
deformities, vices, infirmities; if in debt, let him ruminate how to pay
his debts: if he be in any danger, let him seek to avoid it: if he have any
lawsuit, or other business, he may do well to let his love-matters alone
and follow it, labour in his vocation whatever it is. But if he cannot so
ease himself, yet let him wisely premeditate of both their estates; if they
be unequal in years, she young and he old, what an unfit match must it
needs be, an uneven yoke, how absurd and indecent a thing is it! as Lycinus
in [5709]Lucian told Timolaus, for an old bald cr