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THE SECOND BOOKE 185
capable of it. We see horses take a kinde of acquaintance
one of another, so that often, traveling by the
highway or feeding together, we have much ado to
keep them asunder; wee see them bend and applie
their affections to some of their fellowes colours, as if it
were upon a certaine visage : and when they meet with
any such, with signes of joy and demonstration of good
will to joine and accost them, and to hate and shunne
some other formes and colours. Beasts as well as wee
have choice in their loves, and are very nice in chusing
of their mates. They are not altogether void of our
extreme and unappeasable jealousies. Lustfull desires
are either naturall and necessary as eating and drinking
; or else naturall and not necessary, as the acquaintance
of males and females; or else neither necessary
nor naturall: of this last kinde are almost all mens, for
they are all superfluous and artificialL It is wonderfull
to see with how little nature will be satisfied, and how
little she hath left for us to be desired. The preparations
in our kitchens doe nothing at all concerne her
lawes. The Storkes say that a man might very well
sustaine himselfe with one olive a day. The delicacy
of our wines is no part of her lesson, no more is the
surcharge and relisnmg which we adde unto our
letcherous appetites.
neque ilia
Magno piognatum deposcit consule cunnum.¹
These strange lustfull longings which the ignorance
of good, and a false opinion, have possest us with, are
in number so infinite that in a manner they expell all
those which are naturall, even as if there were so many
strangers in a city, that should either banish and expell
all the naturall inhabitants thereof, or utterly suppresse
their ancient power and authority, and absolutely
usurping the same, take possession of it. Brute beastes
are much more regulare than we, and with more
moderation containe themselves within the compasse
which nature hath prescribed them; but not so exactly
¹ HOR. 1. i. Sat, ii. 30.