To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
FIrst then must wee shew yee, what kinde of Louers they ought to bee, of whom you should make choyce: and therefore (sweet Sisters) bee carefull of this first precept, that yee chuse not a man ei∣ther too yong, or ouer-wearied with yeares: for no age can bee more suc∣cessefull in louing, than when a man is in the state of firme strength & abi∣litie: which being alreadie spent and gone in old men, makes them vnapt or incapable of those sweet pastimes
the case of Loue requires.
Think with your selues what a hell it is, to loue where the like cannot be returned againe. Whereas the able gallant Youth, being in the first flow∣er of his manly age, hath a most deli∣cate aspect or countenance, declares a more firme & potent constitution, and is able to endure watchings or o∣ther weightie burdens, in better sort than those of weaker disposition can.
But learne with me (I beseech ye) to know, how many discommodities attend vpon such men, as being ouer yong, are likewise vnapt for loue.
They are not expert, & euery smal occasion seemes in their mindes to make a verie great shadow, being al∣waies hasty, & subiect to no patience.
They are sudden, rash & indiscreet, knowing little, & therefore improui∣dent, suspitious in all things, & easily caried away with any disdainful con∣ceit. Sildome shal ye see thē without some folowing friend, to whom they
wil discourse a whole historie of their amorous passions, taking delight in counterfeiting and defending appa∣rances of truth, and making open vaunts of approoued falshoods.
Here hence insues it, that these re∣ports passing from one to another, whatsoeuer is spoken of vs women, bee it neuer so false, as quickly will some be found to beleeue it.
Thus by the meanes of these indis∣creet yong heads, before wee can scant know the name of him we pur∣pose to loue, wee are made common reports and pratlings of the people.
And sometimes it happeneth, that when all sinister language is silent of vs, then our owne fortune resembles the yong Liones following the Hart, who iested & dallied verie long with her yet in the end cast her off: rather than which inconuenience should happen to me, I would make electi∣on of an elder Louer, than one so
ouer yong and voyd of reason.
The Louer more seene in yeares, will be wise, discreet, readie to know and accomplish whatsoeuer, accord∣ing to time, place, and all offered oc∣casions: whereas the yong gadding head, not obseruing those necessarie rules, can neuer know how to fit him selfe with these needfull furnitures.
Note well the discreet Louer, and yee shall see him silent, secret, pati∣ent, modest & aduised: but the yong Fantasticke will go vp and downe all day before your doore; where, thogh he be alone, yet euerie passenger shal be a witnesse of his inward affection.
The elder Fauour it, except there∣too induced by some mightie occa∣sion, will neuer giue ouer his enter∣prise, his Loue is his hearts Heauen: but if he cease to loue, yet neuer will he become an enemie, hate, or seeme molestuous vnto ye, either by word or deed.
The yong wanderer, like one that newly comes into a publique market place, walkes along euerie side, and admireth all things, desiring to inioy each thing hee beholdeth: but with the least looke he is presently chaun∣ged: and no greater miserie can hap∣pen to her that truly loueth, than to affect the man, whose heart and soule are not solemnly dedicated and linkt together, to desire or couet more than one onely Loue.
But that which is worst of all, these young amorous Gallants, for euerie smal occasion giue ouer their affecti∣on, conuerting their behauiour and all else towards vs, as if we were their verie greatest enemies.
Vnhappie then are we, that by lo∣uing such yong straglers, proud min∣ded, and voyd of counsell, must liue continually in feares, compassed in with worlds of endlesse molestati∣ons.
In a soft and gentle molde, anie print or forme we like, may easily be effected: euen so in this first estate of greene & delicate youth, sooner (be∣leeue me) may loue be extinguished, than rightly enkindled.
This makes euerie one timorous to deale with so sweete a solace: re∣membring the beautifull Rose, that it both springs & dies in one Summer; and haile stones fallen in the morn∣ing are no where to bee found the same day at night.
Hereby ye may perceiue, faire vir∣gins, that men ouer aged, are not the aptest for loue: likewise these yong∣er sort to bee verie daungerous, and therefore not to be dealt withall; but such as florish in a mature and setled middle age, may perfourme, what the too olde are vnable for, and know that, which those young and greene wits are vtterly vnexpert and ignorant in.
An apple being well knit together and mellowed, is more sweete and pleasing than when it is greene; yet that apple beeing ouer-ripe and too much mellowed, becomes wrinck∣led, saplesse, and wel neere sauour∣lesse: euen such is the loue of men ouer young and ouer olde; the one sowre and sharpe, the other dry and senselesse.
Heere too I must now adde, that in loue are infinite pleasures, no lesse de∣lightsome, than to be admired; as in the marriage bed, where is all kinde conference, discouering of greefes, recounting afflictions passed, clear∣ing all suspitions, correcting with sweet accusations one another: thus out-wearing the slow-paced howers, one while with true-loues teares, an∣other while with intyre reioycing.
To the faithfull Louer, nothing is more pleasing, than to feele on her cheekes, or in her bosome, the teares
of him she loueth, sweetly trickling downe: what honnie of Hybla, what cinamon of Arabia, or what Nec∣tar prepared for the gods themselues to drinke, can be imagined so sweet, (faire Glories of Vertue) as one little teare of him whom you intirely loue? A thing inestimable, a delight admi∣rable, nothing so precious, where∣with may not be valued al the pearles of India, the gold of the Persians, or Emperie of the Latines; no, not with the verie least teare (sweete Sister) of thy affected Louer.
Oh happie Maiden, oh fortunate Louer, that seest shining in thy soules eyes, loue, faith, pittie, and all other sweetnes, religiously combyned fast together. So that by these, and infi∣nite other heauenly pleasures, which though auaileable▪ yet heere I let passe for breuities sake, and some o∣ther serious respects: affirming this, Greene Youth is not for ye, old Age
is as vnnecessary, only the meane be∣tweene both, the sound setled spirite, is aboue all other to be preferred.