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THE SECOND BOOKE 381
owne. In Rome the Fence-schooles are ever full of
Frenchmen, when few Romans come unto them.
Great Cato, as well as any else, was even cloied and
distasted with his wife so long as she was his owne, but
when another mans, then wished he for her, and would
faine have lickt his fingers at her. I have heretofore
put forth an old stalion to soile, who before did no
sooner see or smell a mare but was so lusty that no
man could rule him, nor no ground hold him ; ease and
facilitie to come to his owne when he list, hath presently
quailed his stomacke, and so cloyed him that he
is weary of them. But toward strange mares, and the
first that passeth by his pasture, there is no hoe with
him, but suddenly he returnes to his old wonted
neighings and furious heate. Our appetite doth contemne
and passe over what he hath in his free choice
and owne possession, to runne after and pursue what
he hath not.
Ttansuolat in medio pos ta, et fugientia captat. 1
It over flies what open lies,
Pursuing onely that which flics.
To forbid us anything is the ready way to make us
long for it.
nisi tu servare pucllam
Incipis, incipiet desmere esse meaf
If you begin not your wench to enshrine,
She "will begin to leave off to be mine.
And to leave it altogether to our will is but to breede
dislike and contempt in us. So that to want and to
have store breedeth one selfe same inconvenience.
Tibi quod super est, mihi quod desit,'dolet.*
You grieve because you have too much;
It grieves me that I have none such.
1 HOR. Ser. 1. i. Sat. ii. 107.
2 OVID. Amor. 1. ii. El. xix. 47.
² TER. Phor. act i. sc. 8.