The lover: or, Nuptiall love. VVritten, by Robert Crofts, to please himselfe.

SECT. XI. Remedies against an over-sottish and doting Love.

HAving formerly viewed, and see∣ing the excellency of Lawfull Love, and the many sweet and blessed effects springing from thence. Let us take heed that wee doe not (as many men in the world have done) plunge our selves be∣yond the bound-markes of Reason and discretion, into an over-sottish and do∣ting affection.

Many (other wise famous and wise) men, as Sampson, David, Solomon, Her∣cules, Socrates, and many others. Have not uniustly bin taxed of folly and in∣discretion in this matter.

And the Poets faine, that Iupiter him∣selfe was turned into a Golden showre, A Bull, A Swan, A Satyre, A Shepherd, and

cōmitted many grosse dotages for Love.

For Remedies whereof, and to the in∣tent that wee may bee contented if wee cannot enjoy our wishes. And that if wee doe Enjoy our Love and desires, the same may not hinder us from seeking and en∣joying Divine beauty and pleasures, which are infinitly better. Let us also view the vanity and insufficiency of this Externall Lovelinesse and beauty which is the object of our Love in this kind.

It is altogether vaine and uncertaine; Sicknesse, care, griefe; The scratch of a Pin; The Sunne, or any thing may deface it. It ofttimes prooves dangerous, makes us forget God, bereaves us of grace, and of divine pleasures. And is many times an occasion of unlawfull Lusts, and the mi∣series thereof.

And many men by reason heereof, in spight of friends, parents, credite and fortunes, have bin wilfully and foolishly carried away to shame, disgrace & misery.

So that immoderate ouer-sottish Love, is no more a vertuous habit, but a vehe∣ment passion and perturbation of the mind. A Monster of nature, a destroyer of wit and Art.

This externall Lovelinesse and beauty, sometimes bereaves us of all manlinesse of Spirit, dejects our otherwise Nobler thoughts to vanities and toyes. Insomuch that heereby wee are sometimes ready to become foolish, doting, weake, brain∣sicke, Inamoratoes, and sometimes to fall in Love even with painted vanityes, meere out-side Creatures, Things Empty of vertue and grace, And composed of Pride, Vanity and wickednesse.

If wee Love such as have no other beauties but their bodies, what doe wee but love as irrationall creatures doe; Reason tell us, wee love that which a Pin may alter. That which is subject to a∣bove 300 severall diseases, That which is all loathsome within, And that which shall bee nothing heereafter but putrifi∣ed and Rotten Corruption.

And yet many of us forsooth, are no wiser then to fall in Love with such creatures of meere vanity and corrupti∣on, quite depriving our selves of Reason, comparing their eyes to Starres, thin∣king them the onely wonders of the world, and telling them they are like Angels, divine creatures, And what is

most excellent, and so even Idolatrize to these creatures of earth and vanity.

You Courtiers and others, who thinke it a trimme peece of glory to get a Mi∣stresse, and a Ladyes favour forsooth, you who esteeme and call your Minnions, Goddesses and divine creatures; And would like Adam give Paradise if you had it for an Apple, and venture heaven to satisfie your base and vnlawfull Lusts, you that adore these Victimes, and think your selves most happy when you can tempt the Pudicity of these female crea∣tures and overcome them to your Lusts, what doe you but act the Devils Strata∣gems which he teaches you, what doe you enjoy and adore but a Crust of Play∣ster full of corruption, a peece of flesh that must Rot and turne to Putrifaction.

What a thing is this; A peece of Clay quickened with life adores a Snowy dunghill. There shall come a time when the Crust of your pleasures shall bee bro∣ken, and you shall see what misery lyes within; thinke what faces you shall make at the day of Iudgement, unlesse you re∣pent and amend.

Where is now the faire Hellena, Cleo∣patra,

Arethusa, Hero, Lucretia, Roxane, Panthea, Leucippe, Ariadne, Po∣lixena, Lesbia, Rosamond; And the rest of those admired Pieces whom the world hath seemed to adore, where is now their Beauty and glory. They are dead, and become a sinke of Corruption, and so gastly, as wee should be afraid to see them. Thinke now you proud Dames, what mettle you are made of, and let it give a checke to your Pride.

Flatter not your selves before your glasse, you Mistresses and Madames of the world, I meane you, who are Emptie of Vertue and Grace, and full of Pride and wickednesse: You, that take a pride to charme Spirits, and bereave them of rea∣son and grace; You, that study each day new lessons of Vanity, Pride, and nice∣nesse, to wound hearts, whereby you un∣doe Soules: your body is just of the same temper with the shadow which you see in your Glasse. You are indeed nothing.

And if you will, that I say you are something; You are a meere dunghill covered with Snow; A sinke of Infec∣tion, environed with Flowers; A rich

Coffer, full of loathsomnesse; You are the frailest and most changeable things in the world. I dare hardly eye you any longer, for feare while I looke upon you, you vanish from mine eyes, since you are ready to change and to dye every houre.

Me thinkes I could even laugh at your Vanities, and mock at those that admire you so. I could willingly turne back and teare those Love-discourses out of my Booke in contempt of your Vanities, were it not for their sakes, who are in∣deed True-lovers.

But for such Lovers sakes, truely; who are not possest with this over-sottish and doting affection on the one side; Nor with a stupid, blockish, or peevish Love on the other side: Such as are indeed ver∣tuous, discreet, modest, Loving, constant, of sweet and gracious Conditions; I could wish, that I were able to invent such sweet and pleasant Love-straines as might continually fill there hearts, with as much Ioy and delight in each other, as can be thought of.

Let us then endeavour to be such true Lovers; and to all such (as to our selves) Let us wish all joy and happinesse.