n in Rome _ad
caelibus_, to persuade them to marry; some countries compelled them to
marry of old, as [5917]Jews, Turks, Indians, Chinese, amongst the rest in
these days, who much wonder at our discipline to suffer so many idle
persons to live in monasteries, and often marvel how they can live honest.
[5918]In the isle of Maragnan, the governor and petty king there did wonder
at the Frenchmen, and admire how so many friars, and the rest of their
company could live without wives, they thought it a thing impossible, and
would not believe it. If these men should but survey our multitudes of
religious houses, observe our numbers of monasteries all over Europe, 18
nunneries in Padua, in Venice 34 cloisters of monks, 28 of nuns, &c. _ex
ungue leonem_, 'tis to this proportion, in all other provinces and cities,
what would they think, do they live honest? Let them dissemble as they
will, I am of Tertullian's mind, that few can continue but by compulsion.
[5919]"O chastity" (saith he) "thou art a rare goddess in the world, not so
easily got, seldom continuate: thou mayst now and then be compelled, either
for defect of nature, or if discipline persuade, decrees enforce:" or for
some such by-respects, sullenness, discontent, they have lost their first
loves, may not have whom they will themselves, want of means, rash vows,
&c. But can he willingly contain? I think not. Therefore, either out of
commiseration of human imbecility, in policy, or to prevent a far worse
inconvenience, for they hold some of them as necessary as meat and drink,
and because vigour of youth, the state and temper of most men's bodies do
so furiously desire it, they have heretofore in some nations liberally
admitted polygamy and stews, a hundred thousand courtesans in Grand Cairo
in Egypt, as [5920]Radzivilus observes, are tolerated, besides boys: how
many at Fez, Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, &c., and still in many other
provinces and cities of Europe they do as much, because they think young
men, churchmen, and servants amongst the rest, can hardly live honest. The
consideration of this belike made Vibius, the Spaniard, when his friend
[5921]Crassus, that rich Roman gallant, lay hid in the cave, _ut voluptatis
quam aetas illa desiderat copiam faceret_, to gratify him the more, send
two [5922]lusty lasses to accompany him all that while he was there
imprisoned, And Surenus, the Parthian general, when he warred against the
Romans, to carry about with him 200 c