[5806] “Ut flos in septis secretus nascitur hortis,
        Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus aratro,
        Quam mulcent aurae, firmat sol, educat imber, &c. 
        Sic virgo dum intacta manet, dum chara suis, sed
        Cum Castum amisit,” &c.------

Virginity is a fine picture, as [5807]Bonaventure calls it, a blessed thing in itself, and if you will believe a Papist, meritorious.  And although there be some inconveniences, irksomeness, solitariness, &c., incident to such persons, want of those comforts, quae, aegro assideat et curet aegrotum, fomentum paret, roget medieum, &c., embracing, dalliance, kissing, colling, &c., those furious motives and wanton pleasures a new-married wife most part enjoys; yet they are but toys in respect, easily to be endured, if conferred to those frequent encumbrances of marriage.  Solitariness may be otherwise avoided with mirth, music, good company, business, employment; in a word, [5808]_Gaudebit minus, et minus dolebit_; for their good nights, he shall have good days.  And methinks some time or other, amongst so many rich bachelors, a benefactor should be found to build a monastical college for old, decayed, deformed, or discontented maids to live together in, that have lost their first loves, or otherwise miscarried, or else are willing howsoever to lead a single life.  The rest I say are toys in respect, and sufficiently recompensed by those innumerable contents and incomparable privileges of virginity.  Think of these things, confer both lives, and consider last of all these commodious prerogatives a bachelor hath, how well he is esteemed, how heartily welcome to all his friends, quam mentitis obsequiis, as Tertullian observes, with what counterfeit courtesies they will adore him, follow him, present him with gifts, humatis donis; “it cannot be believed” (saith [5809]Ammianus) “with what humble service he shall be worshipped,” how loved and respected:  “If he want children, (and have means) he shall be often invited, attended on by princes, and have advocates to plead his cause for nothing,” as [5810] Plutarch adds.  Wilt thou then be reverenced, and had in estimation?

[5811]  ------“dominus tamen et domini rex
Si tu vis fieri, nullus tibi parvulus aula. 
Luserit Aeneas, nec filia dulcior illa? 
Jucundum et charum sterilis facit uxor amicum.”

Live a single man, marry not, and thou shalt soon perceive how those Haeredipetae (for so they were called of old) will seek after thee, bribe and flatter thee for thy favour, to be thine heir or executor:  Aruntius and Aterius, those famous parasites in this kind, as Tacitus and [5812]Seneca have recorded, shall not go beyond them.  Periplectomines, that good personate old man, delicium senis, well understood this in Plautus:  for when Pleusides exhorted him to marry that he might have children of his own, he readily replied in this sort,