If as Peter de Ledesmo cas. conf. holds, every kiss a man gives his wife after marriage, be mortale peccatum, a mortal sin, or that of Hierome, Adulter est quisquis in uxorem suam ardentior est amator, or that of Thomas Secund. Secund. quæst. 154. artic. 4. contactus & osculum sit mortale peccatum, or that of Durand. Rational. lib. 1. cap. 10. abstinere debent Conjuges a complexu, toto tempore quo solemnitas nuptiarum interdicitur, what shall become of all such immodest kisses and obscene actions, the fore-runners of brutish lust, if not lust it self! What shall become of them, that often abuse their own Wives? But what have I to do with this?

That which I aim at, is to shew you the progress of this burning lust: to epitomize therefore all this which I have hitherto said, with a familiar example out of that elegant Musæus; observe but with me those amorous proceedings of Leander and Hero: They began first to look one on the other with a lascivious look,

Obliquè intuens inde nutibus, —— Nutibus mutuis inducens in errorem mentem puellæ. Et illa è contra nutibus mutuis juvenis Leandri quod amorem non renuit, &c. Inde Adibat in tenebris tacitè quidem stringens Roseos puellæ digitos, ex imo suspirabat Vehementer —— Inde Virginis autem benè olens collum osculatus. Tale verbum ait amoris ictus stimulo, Preces audi & amoris miserere mei, &c. Sic fatus recusantis persuasit mentem puellæ.

With becks and nods he first began, To try the wenches mind, With becks and nods and smiles again An answer he did find. And in the dark he took her by the hand, And wrung it hard, and sighed grievously, And kiss’d her too, & woo’d her as he might, With Pitty me sweet heart or else I die, And with such words and gestures as there past, He won his Mistres favour at the last.

The same proceedings is elegantly described by Apollonius in his Argonauticks, betwixt Jason and Medea, by Eustathius in the ten books of the loves of Ismenius and Ismene, Achilles Tatius betwixt his Clitophon and Leucippe, Chaucers neat poeme, of Troilus and Cresseide; and in that notable tale in Petronius of a Souldier and a Gentlewoman of Ephesus, that was so famous all over Asia for her chastity, and that mourned for her husband: the Souldier wooed her with such Rhetorick as Lovers use to do, —— placitone etiam pugnabis amori? &c. at last, frangi pertinaciam passa est, he got her good will, not only to satisfie his lust, but to hang her dead husbands body on the cross (which he watched in stead of the theeves) that was newly stoln away, whilest he woo’d her in her Cabin. These are tales you will say, but they have most significant Morals, and do well express those ordinary proceedings of doting Lovers.

Many such allurements there are, Nods, Jests, Winks, Smiles, Wrastlings, Tokens, Favours, Symbols, Letters, Valentines, &c. For which cause belike, Godfridus lib. 2. de amor. would not have women learn to write. Many such provocations are used when they come in presence, they will and will not.

Malo me Galatea petit lasciva puella, Et fugit ad salices, & se cupit ante videri.

My Mistress with an apple wooes me, And hastily to covert goes To hide her self, but would be seen With all her heart before God knows.

Hero so tripped away from Leander as one displeased,

Yet as she went full often lookt behind, And many poor excuses did she find To linger by the way, ——

but if he chance to overtake her, she is most averse, nice and coy,

Denegat & pugnat, sed vult super omnia vinci.

She seems not won, but won she is at length, In such wars women use but half their strength.

Sometimes they lye open and are most tractable and coming, apt, yielding and willing to embrace, to take a green gown, with that Shepardess in Theocritus, Edyl. 27. to let their Coats, &c. to play and dally, at such seasons, and to some, as they spy their advantage; and then coy, close again, so nice, so surly, so demure, you had much better tame a colt, catch or ride a wild horse, then get her favour, or win her love, not a look, not a smile, not a kiss for a kingdome.

Aretines Lucretia was an excellent Artisan in this kind, as she tels her own tale, Though I was by nature and art most beautiful and fair, yet by these tricks I seem’d to be far more amiable then I was. For that which men earnestly seek and cannot attain, draws on their affection with a most furious desire.

I had a sutor lov’d me dearly (saith she) and the more he gave me, the more eagerly he woed me, the more I seem’d to neglect, to scorn him, and which I commonly gave others, I would not let him see me, converse with me, no not have a kiss.

To gull him the more, and fetch him over (for him onely I aimed at) I personated mine own servant to bring in a present from a Spanish Count, whilst he was in my company, as if he had been the Counts servant, which he did excellently well perform: Comes de monte Turco, my Lord and Master hath sent your Ladiship a small present, and part of his hunting, a piece of Venison, a Pheasant, a few Partridges, &c. (all which she bought with her own mony) commends his love and service to you, desiring you to accept of it in good part, and he means very shortly to come and see you.

Withall she shewed him rings, gloves, scarfs, coronets which others had sent her, when there was no such matter, but onely to circumvent him. By these means (as she concludes) I made the poor Gentleman so mad, that he was ready to spend himself, and venture his dearest bloud for my sake.

Philinna in Lucian practised all this long before, as it shall appear unto you by her discourse; for when Diphilus her sweet-heart came to see her (as his daily custome was) she frowned upon him, would not vouchsafe him her company, but kissed Lamprias his corrivall, at the same time before his face: but why was it? To make him (as she telleth her mother that chid her for it) more jealous; to whetten his love, to come with a greater appetite, and so know that her favour was not so easie to be had;