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 crook-nosed knave to marry a young wench; how odious a thing it is to see an old lecher!  What should a bald fellow do with a comb, a dumb doter with a pipe, a blind man with a looking-glass, and thou with such a wife?  How absurd it is for a young man to marry an old wife for a piece of good.  But put case she be equal in years, birth, fortunes, and other qualities correspondent, he doth desire to be coupled in marriage, which is an honourable estate, but for what respects?  Her beauty belike, and comeliness of person, that is commonly the main object, she is a most absolute form, in his eye at least, Cui formam Paphia, et Charites tribuere decoram; but do other men affirm as much? or is it an error in his judgment.