llied, thy wife's friends will eat thee out of house and home,
_dives ruinam aedibus inducit_, she will be so proud, so high-minded, so
imperious. For--_nihil est magis intolerabile dite_, "there's nothing so
intolerable," thou shalt be as the tassel of a goshawk, [5799]"she will
ride upon thee, domineer as she list," wear the breeches in her
oligarchical government, and beggar thee besides. _Uxores divites
servitutem exigunt_ (as Seneca hits them, _declam. lib. 2. declam.
6._)--_Dotem accepi imperium perdidi_. They will have sovereignty, _pro
conjuge dominam arcessis_, they will have attendance, they will do what
they list. [5800]In taking a dowry thou losest thy liberty, _dos intrat,
libertas exit_, hazardest thine estate.

"Hae sunt atque aliae multae in magnis dotibus
Incommoditates, sumptusque intolerabiles," &c.

"with many such inconveniences:" say the best, she is a commanding servant;
thou hadst better have taken a good housewife maid in her smock. Since then
there is such hazard, if thou be wise keep thyself as thou art, 'tis good
to match, much better to be free.

[5801] "--procreare liberos lepidissimum.
Hercle vero liberum esse, id multo est lepidius."

[5802]Art thou young? then match not yet; if old, match not at all.

"Vis juvenis nubere? nondum venit tempus.
Ingravescente aetate jam tempus praeteriit."

And therefore, with that philosopher, still make answer to thy friends that
importune thee to marry, _adhuc intempestivum_, 'tis yet unseasonable, and
ever will be.

Consider withal how free, how happy, how secure, how heavenly, in respect,
a single man is, [5803]as he said in the comedy, _Et isti quod fortunatum
esse autumant, uxorem nunquam habui_, and that which all my neighbours
admire and applaud me for, account so great a happiness, I never had a
wife; consider how contentedly, quietly, neatly, plentifully, sweetly, and
how merrily he lives! he hath no man to care for but himself, none to
please, no charge, none to control him, is tied to no residence, no cure to
serve, may go and come, when, whither, live where he will, his own master,
and do what he list himself. Consider the excellency of virgins, [5804]
_Virgo coelum meruit_, marriage replenisheth the earth, but virginity
Paradise; Elias, Eliseus, John Baptist, were bachelors: virginity is a
precious jewel, a fair garland, a never-fading flower; [5805]for why was
Daphne turned to a green bay-tree, bu