sent may marry such a one as is unworthy of, and inferior to
her, and her father by law must be compelled to give her a competent
dowry." Mistake me not in the mean time, or think that I do apologise here
for any headstrong, unruly, wanton flirts. I do approve that of St. Ambrose
(_Comment. in Genesis xxiv. 51_), which he hath written touching Rebecca's
spousals, "A woman should give unto her parents the choice of her husband,
[5876]lest she be reputed to be malapert and wanton, if she take upon her
to make her own choice; [5877]for she should rather seem to be desired by a
man, than to desire a man herself." To those hard parents alone I retort
that of Curtius, (in the behalf of modester maids), that are too remiss and
careless of their due time and riper years. For if they tarry longer, to
say truth, they are past date, and nobody will respect them. A woman with
us in Italy (saith [5878]Aretine's Lucretia) twenty-four years of age, "is
old already, past the best, of no account." An old fellow, as Lycistrata
confesseth in [5879]Aristophanes, _etsi sit canus, cito puellam virginem
ducat uxorem_, and 'tis no news for an old fellow to marry a young wench:
but as he follows it, _mulieris brevis occasio est, etsi hoc non
apprehenderit, nemo vult ducere uxorem, expectans vero sedet_; who cares
for an old maid? she may set, &c. A virgin, as the poet holds, _lasciva et
petulans puella virgo_, is like a flower, a rose withered on a sudden.

[5880] "Quam modo nascentem rutilus conspexit Eous,
Hanc rediens sero vespere vidit anum."

"She that was erst a maid as fresh as May,
Is now an old crone, time so steals away."

Let them take time then while they may, make advantage of youth, and as he
prescribes,

[5881] "Collige virgo rosas dum flos novus et nova pubes,
Et memor esto aevum sic properare tuum."

"Fair maids, go gather roses in the prime,
And think that as a flower so goes on time."

Let's all love, _dum vires annique sinunt_, while we are in the flower of
years, fit for love matters, and while time serves: for

[5882] "Soles occidere et redire possunt,
Nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,
Nox est perpetuo una dormienda."

[5883] "Suns that set may rise again,
But if once we loss this light,
'Tis with us perpetual night."

_Volat irrevocabile tempus_, time past cannot be recalled. But we need no
such exhortation, we are all commonly too