their part always at least provided for necessity, whereas on our part it
may fall out otherwise. For this reason it was, that Plato wisely made a
law that before marriage, to determine of the fitness of persons, the
judges should see the young men who pretended to it stripped stark naked,
and the women but to the girdle only. When they come to try us they do
not, perhaps, find us worthy of their choice:

"Experta latus, madidoque simillima loro
Inguina, nec lassa stare coacta manu,
Deserit imbelles thalamos."

["After using every endeavour to arouse him to action,
she quits the barren couch."--Martial, vii. 58.]

'Tis not enough that a man's will be good; weakness and insufficiency
lawfully break a marriage,

"Et quaerendum aliunde foret nervosius illud,
Quod posset zonam solvere virgineam:"

["And seeks a more vigorous lover to undo her virgin zone."
--Catullus, lxvii. 27.]

why not? and according to her own standard, an amorous intelligence,
more licentious and active,

"Si blando nequeat superesse labori."

["If his strength be unequal to the pleasant task."
--Virgil, Georg., iii. 127.]