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 forward:  yet if there be any escape, and all be not as it should, as Diogenes struck the father when the son swore, because he taught him no better, if a maid or young man miscarry, I think their parents oftentimes, guardians, overseers, governors, neque vos (saith [5884]Chrysostom) a supplicio immunes evadetis, si non statim ad nuptias, &c. are in as much fault, and as severely to be punished as their children, in providing for them no sooner.

Now for such as have free liberty to bestow themselves, I could wish that good counsel of the comical old man were put in practice,