ADVICE TO LOVERS OR Certain RULES of BEHAVIOUR Shewing them how to Demean themselves so as not to Miscarry in the Grand Affair of Love Wherein also The Pretty Tricks odd Humours and Fantastick Carriage of some Paramours Together with several Pleasant Passages relating to Amours and Courtship are Observ'd and Describ'd By W. R. Gent. LONDON Printed for Benjamin Shirley at his Shop under St. Dunstan's Dial. 1680. To the Reader A Tract though never so small without a Preface the Bookseller says looks like a Play without a Prologue The Similitude may pass for generally One's as much to the Design and Purpose of the Work as the Other Rather than want this he 'l scribble an impertinent one himself so that whatsoever the House is there must needs be a Porch to it thô of the Tuscan Order He 's as solicitous for a Preface as he 's diligent in scraping to an Author whose happy Labours have been blest with two Impressions or thanking a Gownman for the Sermon he never heard But to leave off Satyr and his petty underdesigns let 's fall to the Business of Amour Which has often made mighty Monarchs stoop to its Empire made grand Conquerors Statesmen and the Religious confess its Power Love's force excells that of Famine breaks thorow sacred Cloysters and praecipitates a Pious Ignatian into Incest It befools the Philosopher and draws in the Man that was resolv'd never to game Nooses the most of Men into the Curse of Noise Nonsence Penury Horns and Distraction Makes Mankind adore Shadows and the Varnish that lasts but a few Years to doat on Pride Folly and Impertinence His Holiness has acknowleg'd its Omnipotence having forc't him to bequeath his Keys to a Donna Olympia who infallibly govern'd Catholick Nations instructed erring Cardinals receiv'd with more than Machiavillian Policy all Embassies and distaft it over a great part of Europe Love made-the Cardinals play at Leap-Frog and Caesar Borgia that blessed Son of Infallibility express his Affection to a Bishop in his Pontificalibus at the Altar Made Nero believe a Transmutation of Sexes and the nimble Taylor pine away for the want of a Queen Bess 'T is no Fiction of the Poets that Cupid wanted Eys For Lovers are the blindest Creatures in Nature For what else makes a Lord humble himself to Cyndars and Oysters Great She 's admire the Architecture of a Brawny Coachman and the Countrey-Knight leave the chast Embraces of his Spouse for the poor allurements of a tatling leering Chamber-Maid Love or Lust for Philosophers make no great Distinction between them hurries Academics into the Arms of Bed-makers and She-Tapsters causes Physicians to mistake the Seat of the Pulse and Joan to be startled at the pleasant Strangeness of Carnal Application To regulate these kind of Enormities the following Sheets are design'd which upon Experiment have been found to be infinitely successful and I can assure you That the ensuing Recipe's taken according to the Author's Directions have handsomly cur'd what all the Herbs about Town could never yet effect They lead you handsomly to Enjoyment and make you happy without sighs and looking pale and silly I keep you from your Remedies and Lovers I am sure are hasty Creatures and would fain be at the Business Yours c. ADVICE to LOVERS OR The Art of Love LOVE is so Universal a Monarch and his Catholick Majesty hath so Large an Empire throughout the World that there are scarce any but are subject to his Dominion and have felt the Effects of his Tyrannick Power so that not to be wounded by his Dart fetter'd in his Chains nor melted in his Flames is to Live a Wonder But yet the Resisters of his Charms are not so Prodigious as the Yielders to them are Miserable and Unhappy neither do we stand so much astonisht and amaz'd at the Former as Pity and Commiserate the condition of the Latter For to be listed a Souldier under Cupid's Banner and not to understand his Martial Discipline is to be expos'd to the greatest Dangers whereas a Prudent Deportment in the Camp of Venus may secure from Perils and crown our Passion with much Happiness For either through the Wiles and Stratagems of the subtile Lover or the Simplicity and Innocence of the credulous Mistress either through the close Siege of the storming Man or the too easie surrender of the yeilding Woman or through other miscarriages of both Parties it mostly comes to pass that we hear of nothing but Infelicities in the Affairs of Love of Improsperous Addresses Neglects and Slights with shipwrack't Fames and Reputation Whereas a Prudent Behaviour in â—ll circumstances that attend Amours and a discreet Management of that Passion in all its Intrigues will prevent Mischiefs and yield those Pleasures that are the perpetual Concomitants of such Amorous Entercourses Now the Design of these few Lines is to Direct those thâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— baâ—k't for Love that they may not split upon those Shelves but may have a Prosperous Voyage to the Cyprian Island and pay their Adorations successfully to the Shrine of the Goddess Venus In the prosecution of which Discourse I shall make mine Address First To the Female Votaries of the Blind god And then Secondly to the Masculine Adorers of the same Deity The First PART SECT I. Of Ladies Behaviour in the Affairs of Love I Hope that Blessed Sex will not be Disoblig'd at my Sentiments if I presume to tell them That I am apt to think that they want Precepts concerning the Art of Love few of them being well instructed in the Intricacies of that Mysterious Passion For generally their Beauty is so Severe and their Charms so Barbarous that they for the most part make those Persons the Objects of their Rage and Cruelty who make them the Idols of their Adorations and Despise them most who most faithfully Honour them striking them Prostrate by a Darted Frown who voluntarily kneel as Religious Worshippers of their Admir'd Deity 's whose Vertues and Integrity deserve kinder Returns and may challenge the Gratitude of a more Noble Reward But if not so coy and shy then they basely yield to the slovenly Importunities of stupid Idiots who are fitter to be entertain'd with the circle of an Halter than caress'd with the clip of a kind Embrace who rather deserve to imprint a smack on the Rear behind than seal a Kiss on the Cheeks before Now to avoid these and many other Errours it may not seem Impertinent to lay down some Rules to Demean themselves by during the time they are Mistresses and the Objects of Love and Courtship as 1 How they should answer and stand affected to a sincere Paramour 2. How to Counter-work the Wiles and Stratagems of meer Pretenders To 3 shew whether they should Dissemble the whole Matter or in some fort acknowledge it or 4. Whether altogether avoid and shun Addresses II. Now the First thing a Lady is to be taught who is besieg'd by Lovers is to know a true Servant from the
formal Disguizes or Counterfeit Formalities of Hypocritical Pretenders And indeed to give a true Characteristick Note nay probable Conjectures of a feigned Kindness and to distinguish it from a real Affection is a thing not very Feasible For so great is the Subtlety and Craft of Dissembling Woers that they personate Grief and with Crocodile-Tears act a Sorrow when they are big with Jest and Pregnant with Scoffs and Laughter How gloomy their Aspect and full of clouds how Pale their Complexion how Mournful their Voice interrupted with sighs and repeated Groans How will these officious Ghosts like gastly Apparitions watch her steps and observe her motion and in the Church and Theater nay at every corner at once both infest and affright her with the horror of their Presence How will they Dun for Love by importunate style of Courting Letters and Wheedle out a Kindness by the winning and persuasive Rhetoric of obliging Present What Passionate Whinings and silent Dialogues weav'd by the Amorous Entercourse of Mutual Glances How will they dart and convey their Sentiments by an expressive Twinckle and discover their Thoughts by the silent speech of a Languishing Eye What shall I say of the pompous Festivity of splendid Treatments and the Diverting Magnificence of Masquerades All which are solemn Institutions Devoted to the Honour of their Admir'd Lady whose Slumbers in the Night are pleasantly soften'd with charms of Musick or her Repose disturb'd with the ruder Serenade of Ungrateful Sighs What Insinuations into the Favour of her chief Attendants that they may corrupt and bribe them into a close confederacy who must occasionally discover how cruelly they are scorch't in the insupportable Flames and Tormented in the Tophet of Burning Love how that they value neither Life nor Fortune but are ready to offer up both as a Sacrifice for the Favour and Mercy but of one Smile and that they design nothing but what is Honourable and Vertuous the utmost of whose Ambition is to converse with her whose Blessed Company is almost the only Heaven they wish for or desire the Fruition of whose Presence but one moment almost equals the Extasies and the Eternal Transports of the Beatifick Vision If she willingly Listens to such Discourse as this and the Language seems not a little pleasing then there is no Difficulty but what is already conquer'd then False Keys and Opiates and Ladders of Ropes are immediately produc't all things are represented Facile and Easie and appear with so good a Face and Aspect that to consummate all there is nothing wanting but her bare Consent Which if she Denies and is resolv'd to stand out against the Siege then they more vigorously attaque her reinforce their persuasions and raise such Importunate Batteries as will force and compel that Inexorable Fort of her self to surrender Some when they have Despair'd of Victory have turn'd the sweetness of their soft Courtship into the harshness and bitterness of threatning Language and have pointed their Panegyricks with the sting of Satyrs Others charm them with the Magick of Spells and Philters and by an entangling Potion have depriv'd them of that Liberty that Nature gave them These are the subtle Artifices that Suitors make use of to circumvent their Mistresses And how can those Innocent Professors of Honesty and Simplicity a void so many Snares in Ambuscado for them And therefore what wonder if an Harmless Virgin be entrap'd by Cupid when she perceives her self to have been so long ador'd by so Passionate a Young Gallant who scruples at no Dangers to purchase her Favour III. But that she may not miscarry in her Amours nor become a Prey to the most subtile Passion Let her be sure to observe this General Rule viz. Not too easily Believe more than is meet that she is Belov'd 'T is a common Infirmity of Women presently to apprehend all Discourses of Love though Dark and Mysterious and even at first Dash to acknowledg the most Extravagant Commendations or if by chance they do disown them yet they do it so faintly and coldly that seem rather to invite an Address than reject it and to add Fuel to the Flame rather than extinguish it In all offices therefore of Civility and Dialogues of Love Let her beware of thinking That any Man Admires her because he Discourses volubly of the Passion And if he be Immodest that talks with her Let a Blush discover her Dislike of his Language If he speaks Obscurely and Artificially of Love Then let her pretend not to understand him and when she hath turn'd his Expressions to another Sence by an Ingenuous Sagacity let her decline the subject But if the Thing be so Plain that she cannot Dissemble let her Divert it with a Jest and interpret all things candidly for by this means will she purchase the Reputation of Wisdom and Discretion and will not so easily be impos'd upon and deceiv'd But now suppose a Man be truly enamour'd and should be really Tormented with those Affections and be wounded with those Darts that are wont to perplex and stick in the Souls of Men What shall the Rhetorick of his Miseries avail nothing Will not Lasses at all be mov'd with solemn Protestations Sighs and Disquietudes of an Anxious Breast those usual Arguments of Devoted Affections Must they thus add an Artificial Cruelty to the Natural Barbarity and Unkindness of their Sex In answer to this I must confess 't is hard to give rules in this Particular in regard of Mens different Natures and Dispositions only let Young Ladies always remember That Men make greater Professions of Love than Women But it further may be demanded What Must a Young Lady make no Returns of Kindness Will not a spark glowing in the Breast of her Paramour kindle a Flame in her Bosom Must she Eccho back no Sighs and make no Reflection of Amorous Groans When her Courtier advances must she then retreat By doing thus she will wholly deprive her self of that Homage and Obsequiousness which Young Gallants are wont to pay to their Mistresses Must she be so Inhumane as not to give the least Countenance and Satisfaction to her Importunate Suitor What Not one Cheering Look Not one Amorous Glance of a sheep's eye No Gomfort and Refreshment from obliging Dimple No Courteous Pressure of Treading Toe or Private Invitation of Mystic Twitch Now by way of Reply to this Psay If she smile on any Let him enjoy that Sun-shine of her Face to whom she intends to resign up her Dear Self to Honour with the Espousals of her whole Person so that if sometimes she recreates him with the Pleasure of a Glance or gratifies him with the Blessing of a dropt Glove or caress him with other loosely scatter'd Expressions of Kindness we censure not her Civility But if she be Fleering and Gamesome and too Prodigal of her private Treads and Twinckles of her secret Squeezes and Twitches and other Love-Tokens when no Marriage Noose is e're intended Her Petulant
Forwardness creates a suspicion of Unlawful Desires and consequently eclipses the Lustre of her Fame But however let her be so Prudent in the Displays of her Civilities and in giving signs of her Favour as to take away even the least glympse of Dishonest Hopes IV. Wherefore another Caution to be observ'd by these Objects of Courtship is Not to have too great a Conceit of their Handsomness 'T is an Infirmity to some of the Sex to ascribe too much unto it who because they are Attended with Throngs of Admirers and are honour'd with the Ceremonies of Bare-heads and Bended-Knees are reverenc'd with supple Coopees and Congees and pelted with the Addresses of Battering Epistles they think these Foppish Observances to be the Effects of their Features and undeniable Proofs of their Charming Faces and therefore are Ambitious of a whole Legion of Suiters and by this means oftentimes take occasion to hop over and transgress the bounds of Modesty and degenerate into Impudence which they Lasciviously express in their Looks Words and Gesture and fancy they are observ'd and Lov'd for their Bonny Carriage But they are much deceiv'd For if there be any Mouths that water at them or any Bellies that wamble after them the Inclination proceeds not so much from an honest opinion of them or a vertuous Passion towards them as from the Dishonest hopes of Easiness of Enjoying them Let not a Mistress be so Light and Vain as to draw the eyes of all Men after her But let her be so virtuous in her Conversation so sweet in her Actions that every Beholder may be her Votary and then all Filthy Desires and Smutty Flames will die and vanish Whosoever is Bless'd with the Love of such a Person let him sit down satisfy'd with the least hint of her Favour and value the happiness but of one smile above a Monopoly of all the Felicities of the whole World V. But perhaps it may be said That this Doctrine of Love is somewhat severe in regard it prescribes such Lessons of Coyness which so confines the Speech Looks Gestures of Young Ladies as that it not only takes away all Hope from their Gallants but even drives them to the very Brink of Despair Men desire not those things that are impossible to be obtain'd And though some â—emales puff't up with the conceit of their imaginary Beauty in the first Encounters of Love are Satyrical in their Expressions yet a little Familiar Converse with the sweets of that Passion will soften their Rigours and dissolve their Expressions into Courteous Periods But if Ladies be so Morose and Gloomy as not to clear up sometimes into a pleasant Gayety either in Speech or Gesture they will not be ador'd by so many Votaries but will Discourage the Religion and Cool the Fervency of their Devour Admirers Now in answer to this I would not have Mistresses take away all Hope But only frustrate Dishonest Expectations which a true Gentleman will never cherish For if Beauty and Modesty Candour and Piety and a numerous cluster of other Perfections were the Incentives of his Passion and the only Magnetisms that drew him after Her then it must needs follow that his Affections are Vertuous And if an honourable Genealogy the Reputation of Valour Learning and Civility and a Graceful Mein in every Action attended with the Advantage of other Accomplishments are the Things that purchas'd the Ladies Favour then certainly the end of this Love must be of the same Nature and Complexion that is most worthy like the Means that first caus'd it VI. Mens Humours differ according to the variety of Female Tempers Some when they observe a comely seriousness either in a Ladies Motion or Conversation have such a veneration for her Phlegm as that they dare not offer up an obsequious Amour nor presume to discompose the Gravity of her Bum with the Merry Touch of an extended Hop-pole wherefore wheeling about to the Sanguine Lasses they fall down Adorers of their Inviting Briskness whose Aiery Frolicks enliven'd with the Charms of winning Language do Tempt their Affections and swell their Hopes even to strong Expectations of the sweets of Fruition Others to avoid the Snares of Tricks and Fallacies do affect those Ladies most who in the very glance of the eye in every word and action are so Transparent as that their most inward Conceptions are Plain and Legible Others fancy those most excellent whom they find most difficult and glory in the surrender of that Fort which to others hath been Impregnable and love to hover in Addresses and Flutter in Courtship about Reservedness and Austerity Thinking it Honourable to quell a Rebellious and melt an obdurate Soul with the Irresistable Power and Heat of Love These Persons too much confiding in their own Wisdom and supposing they cannot be deceiv'd or circumvented do oftentimes Doat on those Girles who by their subtil Wit conceal a thousand snares under an indifferent Aspect Nay sometimes have a Kindness and nivel after those who affect as a Grace a scornful Look Few words and a little Smile and that on purpose meerly to seem to slight an Admirer and despise the obsequionsness of an Officious Servant Lastly there are others so Curious who think none worthy of their Love unless compos'd of Beauty and Eloquence Civility and Prudence and have in them a general Muster or whole Randezvouz of all Perfections unless she be the Result of all those Elegancies the Painter borrow'd to consummate the Pourtraicture of his most Absolute Beauty Though a Young Lady be not admir'd by such Gallants as make their Addresses for some Dishonest Design yet she will have Servants to celebrate her Worth and to adore her Vertue The Second PART SECT II. How Young Gentlemen should behave themselves in the Business of Love so as to purchase the Favour and Affections of their Mistresses WHosoever undertakes the Task of Love and is resolv'd manfully to fight under Cupid's Banner so as to return Triumphant with the spoils of Hearts and Souls of Pillag'd Virgins must first study to please and to frame and accommodate himself to the Inclinations and Affections of them and so comply with the Beck of his Mistress as that all his Senses must be Vassals Devoted to her Service Nay his very Soul must be her Slave and Lacquey He must not be so constant to himself but if occasion shall serve must change himself into a thousand shapes These are the duties and offices of Lovers And indeed what greater Happiness can there be than for two Souls thus to be govern'd by one Will 'T is certain Suiters adapt their studies thoughts and endeavours to the Fancies and Humours of their Mistresses But if their officious obsequiousness is not visible enough They must make them so publick and manifest that the Lady cannot but understand them cannot pretend to be ignorant of them but yet it must be done so modestly that nothing may be diminish'd of her Esteem or Veneration My meaning is
If the Lover be so sheepish and Bashful that he is asham'd to speak yet let him not fear to write And if he be wise before he transact any such thing with a Woman let him be sure that he do not offend in it All Women desire to be ask't and intreated though they resolve to deny the Favour Now in trying whether he shall have a repulse or not let him do it either by Word or Letter so modestly and warily and withal so doubtfully that she may have room and scope if she please to pretend and dissemble that she understands nothing of Love in the case and so by this means if there be any danger he may excuse himself and say he did it for some other end namely for that enjoyment of that Communion and Familiarity which ought to be cherish't amongst Friends But he must not affirm it so religiously but that afterward he may deny it if what he does be receiv'd a Pledg and Testimony of his Kindness II. For those that are too Rash and Bold at the first Adventure do usually by their abrupt Blundering into the sacred presence of their Mistresses make their Prayers Ineffectual in regard their Impudence very much disobliges who pretend Love without the Ceremony and Preface of their officious Civility 'T is more Convenient therefore rather by Signs and Proofs than by Words and Letters to signifie their Passion One Sigh attended with respect and awful Fear is a more certain Token of Affection than Curiosity of Eloquence in a Flood of Words Besides the Eyes are the truest Nuncio's which will faithfully perform an Embassy from the heart For these will kindle a Flame in the Breast of her that is so much ador'd For the visive rays being darted into her eyes never rest till they arrive to her heart where mingling themselves with the blood and spirit do at length infect them which being a little warm and assimilated to the Agent receive the impression of the arriv'd Image And thus whilst the sparks of Beauty through the casement of the Eys do mutually light upon each others hearts the wisp of Love begins to blaze whose Vestal Flames will never die being nourish't by the Fewel of never-failing Hope So that we safely affirm That the Eyes oftentimes are the Authors and Dispensers of Love especially if they retain a Natural Majestick sweetness or a pleasant Blackness or a chearful caeruleousness or lastly have such piercing glances which dive and enter into the very Recesses of the Soul The Eys like expert Souldiers lie in ambush and if the composure of the other Parts be Uniform and Decorous they entice Spectators and inveigle them at a distance whom as they nearer approach they wound with their Darts and fascinate with their Charms and that chiefly when they mutually stare with Direct glances For in that pleasant encounter as distemper'd Opticks corrupt the sound one they mutually partake of each others Natures And thus you see how by this way a Lover may twinckle out his Inclinations and Desires and discover the Grumblings of his Gizzard to his Dear Lady But now if these Betrayers of Love are not artificially manag'd they will be apt to blabb by an untoward Goggle the Disorders and Perturbations of an enamour'd Soul to those from whom we would have them conceal'd Cupid will be likely enough to peep out of these crystal windows Let a Prudent Lover therefore as time and place shall require tye up his Looks and not suffer them to straggle and rove unseasonably What though a Prospect of her Beauties be a Refreshment and verdure to his Soul and Sight yet let him divert his Pigs-neys from the luxury of that Look which may in the least proclaim the Hanckerings of Love But is it not more Prudent to do all things openly and in the eys of the World Is it not better to Bill in open view and to Toy it in publick where there is witnesses of your Friskings than to smack it in the dark and to be jumbling in hugger-mugger behind the door For the Freeness and Publickness of these Actions will take away the suspicion of all Love seeing 't is not regarded whether they are seen or not whereas a sly Colt that loves to Lecher it in a corner will give occasion of Jealousie Besides by denying nothing but by publick professing of all the Jolly Lover hath the Liberty to Bow and Complement to meet and chatt with her without the least suspicion whereas these Privileges are deny'd to Privateers in Love It hath been observ'd That where there hath not been glowing the least spark of Love there hath broken out the whole Element of that Passion which was only kindled by a bare Report A common Bruit hath tickled so much the Fancy of some Women that they have been smitten by Hear-say Fame plays the part of an Amorous Courtier whose Rhetorick is more prevalent than the melting Expressions of the most Passionate Gallant and she hath been more prosperous in wooing and hath kindled more Love than their Personal Addresses so that Rumours are so far from cooling the Fervours and Heats of Love as that they Fan the Embers and blow them up into a great Combustion IV. But how many Gallants always keep the Love and Favour of their Mistresses Certainly by the same means they first obtain'd it namely 1. By Pleasing them 2. By being Obsequious to them And 3. By offering no occasion of offence 'T is hard to advise in this case in regard those that are troubled with the Simples and are not very Judicious do fall into a thousand Errours which although they seem Light and Trivial perhaps to others yet do much exasperate and vex the Women Those Men are most obnoxious to them who are possess'd with greater Ravings of Love than others who as often as they meet their Adored-She do break out into such Extremities of Grief and Sorrow as that they are always expressing it with the odd solemnities of wringed hands and shaken Noddles of wreath-Chops and Antick Grimaces who require such strange and difficult Things that they are render'd Contemptible and Odious even by their clinging Importunity Others unjustly Jealous are so severe against those they suspect that they will not allow their Ladies so much as to speak and look or leer upon them By which Madness and Folly they do not only incense the Women but make them twitter after those whom before they minded not That Fear that Firks nay Torments a man's Soul lest his Mistress should twine about the Limbs or mingle with the Embraces of another Man I say that Fear doth insinuate that his Person is more Vertuous and more Deserving than himself is And the more he doth Detract from another the less he 's Believ'd by his Mistress though he speaks Truth Nay she conceives a greater Opinion of his worth and thinks within her self that the Gentleman's charms are the more Attractive V. Let our Suiter therefore have a care that
he do not bespatter and Disparage his Rival 'T is an old Proverb If thine Enemy be in the water up to the middle Lend him your hand to help him out but if he stands up to the Chin set your Foot on his Head to thrust him in Some deal with their Rivals so who pretend Friendship till they have an opportunity mischievously to prevent them When they can handsomly Defeat them then neither Calumnies and Reproaches are spar'd nor Subtlety and Art are omitted whereby they may craftily Deceive them But I would not have our Gallant to deal in Stratagems nor so degenerously to Triumph over his Defeated Competitor If he would glory in the Frustration of his Counsels and in the overthrow of his Designs Let him endeavour to do it by the offices of Love and Atchievements of Valour by Obsequious Insinuations and by worth and merits by the contempt of those Follies and Dis-ingenuous Methods which Imprudent men fall into and do frequently use Some do Accost both in Discourse and Letter in Rhetorical Flourishes other Braggadochio's do nothing but Trumpet out their own worth and are always pratling their own Praises A Third sort does blabb that inconsiderately out which oftentimes proves Prejudicial to them as those Ridiculous God-heads who are always saying I could never find a Woman yet that Lov'd me whereas all the World knows that they are scarce good enough for the mannerly Dogs to hold up their Legs against and civilly to piss upon Many to render their Rivals Odious do usually draw them in such a character viz. That Fellow is the happiest Fool in the World For though he is not endow'd with the Charms of Beauty nor with the Gravity of Prudence nor Resolutions of Valour nor eurich'd or adorn'd with any other Excellency yet all the Women in the Countrey stick up their Tails and gad after him and are at Cuff and Kick for the Enjoyment of Him Thus whilst they spit their venom and envy his good Fortune and though he is in no wise taking yet the Women suspect some hidden Vertue to ly Dormant in him VI. But how may the Mysteries of Love be best conceal'd Answ By avoiding all Occasions which may Discover them The First of which is Affecting too great a Secresie so that Men will not Trust confide in or give credit to any Body and hereby think so closely to lock up all things whâ—reas 't is the ready way for the disclosing of them For seeing every Lover desires to have the inward Sentiments of his Soul to be declar'd to his Mistress he is therefore upon necessity forc'd to make broader signs than if he had committed the Business to a Faithful Friend and those Tokens that proceed from a Lover breed greater suspicions than those that are carry'd by a Messenger and because 't is natural curiously to pry into others Business wheresoever therefore is sprung the least Jealousie there will not be omitted the least opportunity of Enquiry which when once found out you cannot imagin how pleasant 't is to divulge and blab it But now these Inconveniences do not happen when the Passion is communicated to a True Friend who can counsel and assist and would prevent those Errours which a Blind Lover would blunder upon and can cover all things and foresee Futurities which a Doating Paramour hath no Prospect of and can participate of his Affections either of Grief or Pleasure Another Herald that proclaims Love is Female Ambition joyn'd with Cruelty For all Women do covet to be follow'd and as it were to have their Tayls tag'd with a long Train of Lovers altho like Cupid's Martyrs they are calcin'd into Ashes by Amorous Heats yet doth that Sex wish earnestly their Resurrection that they might again exspire in the midst of Flames And though Women love to have a Thump on the Breast with that Pleasant Dart yet do they insult and Triumph over the Miseries of their wretched Paramours They â—either altogether revive their Drooping Souls with Dawning Hopes nor wholly Damp their Spirits with Black Despair but hold in suspence and poyse their Passions and Desires which sometimes they Discourage by the invectives of a Threat and sometimes invite with the Flatteries of a Reward whose Behaviour sinally is so Tyrannical and severe that one obliging Nod and one Gracious Leer must be thought the sweetest Morsel of Happiness that was ever tasted There are some Women who if they can wheedle Men into an Opinion That they are Belov'd will by an unequal Division of their Favour stir up such Emulations in the Breasts of their Servants that they fhall to scuffling for the Title to an intire Inheritance of a Smile or Kindness When they have Lull'd them into that Persuasion then with their ambiguous Language do they shake their Hopes and stagger their Belief and wound them with the Pretences of Love to others Hence follow Quarrels Animosities and open Murder There are others that think it not sufficient to raise Tragedies among Rivals but after the Puling Lover hath us'd all the Arguments imaginable of Love Fidelity and Obsequiousness and after he hath been encourag'd by all the signs of Mutual Kindness I say after all this other are some who will accuse without any reason of Indifferency and coldness in the offices of Love will invent new Jealousies and Suspicions and thereupon are ready to kick them out of Doors And then the Miserable Creature is forc'd to begin afresh with new signs and as if now just entring upon his Slavish Servitude he hath his daily Perambulations about the Streets and if his Mistress chance to appear in publick he Tantonies after her wheresoe're she Figs and dare not shirk so much as one Glance to bestow or throw it any otherwayes And now Behold his Fresh Tears and New Face his New Religion and New Perjuries Now all these Tragical Affections are as obvious as the Sun and are more easily Discover'd by others than by the Authors of them and when once taken notice of are always the Objects of a thousand Eyes But now when Women perceive a Calamitous Lover so terrify'd by their Tyranny as that he begins to retreat and is almost ready to bewray his Breeches and to give up the Ghost for Fear then they begin to caress him with some Baits of Kindness and endeavour to revive him with the Cordial of pretended Love lest he should throw aside his Desires and so they be Depliv'd of the officiousness of an obsequious Servant FINIS