other kinsfolk.
Otherwise, if all were permitted to marry at will, how many horned
marriages should we not find? Is it to be presumed that a young man and
a girl of twelve or fifteen years can know what is good for them? If we
examined into the happiness of marriages on the whole, we should find
that at least as many love-matches have turned out ill as those that
were made under compulsion. Young people, who do not know what is good
for them, attach themselves heedlessly to the first that comes; then by
degrees they find out their error and fall into others that are still
greater. On the other hand, most of those who act under compulsion
proceed by the advice of people who have seen more and have more
judgment than the persons concerned, and so when these come to feel the
good that was before unknown to them, they rejoice in it and embrace it
with far more eagerness and affection."

"True, madam," said Hircan, "but you have forgotten that the girl was
of full age and marriageable, and that she was aware of her father's
injustice in letting her virginity grow musty rather than rub the rust
off his crown pieces. And do you not know that nature is a jade? She
loved and was loved; she found her happiness close to her hand, and she
may have remembered the proverb, 'She that will not when she may, when
she will she shall have nay.' All these things, added to her wooer's
despatch, gave her no time to resist. Further, you have heard that
immediately afterwards her face showed that some noteworthy change had
been wrought in her. She was perhaps annoyed at the shortness of the
time afforded her to decide whether the thing were good or bad, for no
great pressing was needed to make her try a second time."

"Now, for my part," said Longarine, "I can find no excuse for such
conduct, except that I approve the good faith shown by the youth who,
comporting himself like an honest man, would not forsake her, but took
her such as he had made her. In this respect, considering the corruption
and depravity of the youth of the present day, I deem him worthy of high
praise. I would not for all that seek to excuse his first fault, which,
in fact, amounted to rape in respect to the daughter, and subornation
with regard to the mother."

"No, no," said Dagoucin, "there was neither rape nor subornation.
Everything was done by mere consent, both on the part of the mothers,
who did not prevent it (though, indeed, they were deceived), and on that
o