Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
Ver. 25. Lust not after her beauty.] Aureliae Orestillae praeter formam nihil unquam bonus laudavit. Aurelia Orestilla had beauty indeed, but nothing else that was praise worthy, saith the historian. a How much better Aspasia Milesia, of whom Aelian b reports that she was fair and modest. And the Lady Jane Gray, whose excellent beauty was adorned with all variety of virtues, as a clear sky with stars, as a princely diadem with jewels. Some women are like Helen without, Hecuba within; but it is a small praise to have a good face and a naughty nature - a beautiful countenance and a base life.
In thine heart.] See Trapp on " Mat 5:28 " See Trapp on " 1Co 7:34 "
Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.] Si nescis, oculi sunt in amore duces. Some c render it, Neque te capiat splendoribus suis; let her not take time with her glitterings, and gay habiliments, or head tires. Cyprian and Augustine say that superfluous attire is worse than whoredom, because whoredom only corrupts chastity, but this corrupts nature. Jerome saith, that if women adorn themselves so as to provoke men to lust after them, though no evil follow upon it, yet those women shall suffer eternal damnation, because they offered poison to others, though none would drink it.
a Salust.
b Kαλη και σοφη; AeIian, Var. Hist., lib. xii. cap. 1.
c Propers, Pagnin.