(—–­neque enim est dea nescia nostri
     Quae dulcem curis miscet amaritiem.)
     [Footnote:  Catul.  Epig. lxvi.]

     (Nor is that Goddesse ignorant of me,
     Whose bitter-sweets with my cares mixed be.)

active, more fervent, and more sharpe.  But it is a rash and wavering fire, waving and divers:  the fire of an ague subject to fits and stints, and that hath but slender hold-fast of us.  In true friendship, it is a generall and universall heat, and equally tempered, a constant and setled heat, all pleasure and smoothnes, that hath no pricking or stinging in it, which the more it is in lustfull love, the more is it but a raging and mad desire in following that which flies us,

Come segue la lepre il cacciatore Alfreddo, al caldo, alia montagna, a lito, Ne pin l’estima poi che presa vede, E sol dietro a chi fugge affretta il piede. [Footnote:  Ariost. can. x. st. 7.]

     Ev’n as the huntsman doth the hare pursue,
     In cold, in heat, on mountaines, on the shore,
     But cares no more, when he her ta’en espies
     Speeding his pace only at that which flies.

As soone as it creepeth into the termes of friendship, that is to say, in the agreement of wits, it languisheth and vanisheth away:  enjoying doth lose it, as having a corporall end, and subject to satietie.  On the other side, friendship is enjoyed according as it is desired, it is neither bred, nourished, nor increaseth but in jovissance, as being spirituall, and the minde being refined by use custome.  Under this chiefe amitie, these fading affections have sometimes found place in me, lest I should speake of him, who in his verses speakes but too much of it.  So are these two passions entered into me in knowledge one of another, but in comparison never:  the first flying a high, and keeping a proud pitch, disdainfully beholding the other to passe her points farre under it.  Concerning marriage, besides that it is a covenant which hath nothing free but the entrance, the continuance being forced and constrained, depending else-where than from our will, and a match ordinarily concluded to other ends:  A thousand strange knots are therein commonly to be unknit, able to break the web, and trouble the whole course of a lively affection; whereas in friendship there is no commerce or busines depending on the same, but it selfe.  Seeing (to speake truly) that the ordinary sufficiency of women cannot answer this conference and communication, the nurse of this sacred bond:  nor seeme their mindes strong enough to endure the pulling of a knot so hard, so fast, and durable.  And truly, if without that, such a genuine and voluntarie acquaintance might be contracted, where not only mindes had this entire jovissance, [Footnote:  Enjoyment.] but also bodies, a share of the alliance, and where a man might wholly be engaged:  It is certaine, that friendship would thereby be more compleat and full:  But this sex