the stage be more behold to love than the life of man for as to the stage love  be ever matter of comedy and now and then of tragedy but in life it do much  mischief sometime like a siren sometime like a fury you may observe that among  all the great and worthy person whereof the memory remain either ancient or  recent there be not one that have be transport to the mad degree of love which  show that great spirit and great business do keep out this weak passion you  must except nevertheless Marcus Antonius the half partner of the empire of  Rome and Appius Claudius the decemvir and lawgiver whereof the former be  indeed a voluptuous man and inordinate but the latter be a austere and wise  man and therefore it seem though rare that love can find entrance not only  into a open heart but also into a heart well fortify if watch be not well keep  it be a poor say of Epicurus satis magnum alter one theatrum to be as if man  make for the contemplation of heaven and all noble object shall do nothing but  kneel before a little idol and make himself a subject though not of the mouth  as beast be yet of the eye which be give he for high purpose it be a strange  thing to note the excess of this passion and how it brave the nature and valve  of thing by this that the speak in a perpetual hyperbole be comely in nothing  but in love neither be it mere in the phrase for whereas it have be well say  that the arch flatterer with who all the petty flatterer have intelligence be  a man self certain the lover be more for there be never proud man think so  absurd well of himself as the lover do of the person love and therefore it be  well say that it be impossible to love and to be wise neither do this weakness  appear to other only and not to the party love but to the love most of all  except the love be reciproque for it be a true rule that love be ever reward  either with the reciproque or with a inward and secret contempt by how much  the more man ought to beware of this passion which lose not only other thing  but itself as for the other loss the poet relation do well figure they that he  that prefer Helena quit the gift of Juno and Pallas for whosoever esteem too  much of amorous affection quit both riches and wisdom this passion have his  flood in very time of weakness which be great prosperity and great adversity  though this latter have be less observe both which time kindle love and make  it more fervent and therefore show it to be the child of folly they do best  who if they can but admit love yet make it keep quarter and sever it whole  from their serious affair and action of life for if it check once with  business it trouble man fortune and make man that they can no way be true to  their own end I know not how but martial man be give to love I think it be but  as they be give to wine for peril common ask to be pay in pleasure there be in  man nature a secret inclination and motion towards love of other which if it  be not spend upon some one or a few do natural spread itself towards many and  make man become humane and charitable as it be see sometime in friar nuptial  love make mankind friendly love perfect it but wanton love corrupt and embases  it