The stage is more beholding to love， than the life of man. For as to the stage， love is ever matter of comedies， and now and then of tragedies； but in life it doth much mischief； sometimes like a siren， sometimes like a fury. You may observe， that amongst all the great and worthy persons （whereof the memory remaineth， either ancient or recent） there is not one， that hath been transported to the mad degree of love： which shows that great spirits， 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 was indeed a voluptuous man， and inordinate； but the latter was an austere and wise man： and therefore it seems （though rarely） that love can find entrance， not only into an open heart， but also into a heart well fortified， if watch be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus， Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus； as if man， made for the contemplation of heaven， and all noble objects， should do nothing but kneel be- fore a little idol， and make himself a subject， though not of the mouth （as beasts are）， yet of the eye； which was given him for higher purposes.
It is a strange thing， to note the excess of this passion， and how it braves the nature， and value of things， by this； that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole， is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the phrase； for whereas it hath been well said， that the arch-flatterer， with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence， is a man`s self； certainly the lover is more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of him self， as the lover doth of the person loved； and therefore it was well said， That it is impossible to love， and to be wise. Neither doth this weakness appear to others only， and not to the party loved； but to the loved most of all， except the love be reciproque. For it is a true rule， that love is ever rewarded， either with the reciproque， or with an inward and secret contempt.
譯文
舞臺上的愛情比生活中的愛情要美好得多。因為在舞臺上，愛情只是喜劇和悲劇的素材。而在人生中，愛情卻常常招來不幸。它有時像那位誘惑人的魔女，有時又像那位復仇的女神。你可以看到，一切真正偉大的人物（無論是古人、今人，只要是其英名永銘於人類記憶中的），“沒有一個是因愛情而發狂的人：因為偉大的事業抑制了這種軟弱的感憎。只有羅馬的安東尼和克勞底亞是例外。前者本性就好色荒淫，然而後者卻是嚴肅多謀的人。所以愛情不僅會佔領開曠坦闊的胸懷，有時也能闖入壁壘森嚴的心靈——假如守禦不嚴的話。 埃皮克拉斯曾說過一句笑話：”人生不過是一座大戲臺。“似乎本應努力追求高尚事業的人類，卻只應像玩偶奴隸般地逢場作戲似的。雖然愛情的奴隸並不同於那班只顧吃喝的禽獸，但畢竟也只是眼目色相的奴隸——而上帝賜人以眼睛本來是更高尚的用途的。
過度的愛情追求，必然會降低人本身的價值。例如，只有在愛情中，才永遠需要那種浮誇謅媚的詞令。而在其他場合，同樣的詞令只能招人恥笑。古人有一句名言：“最大的奉承，人總是留給自己的.”。——只有對情人的奉承要算例外。因為甚至最驕傲的人，也甘願在情人面前自輕自賤。所以古人說得好：“就是神在愛情中也難保持聰明。”情人的這種弱點不僅在外人眼中是明顯的，就是在被追求者的眼中也會很明顯——除非她（他）也在追求他（她）。所以，愛情的代價就是如此，不能得到回愛，就會得到一種深藏於心的輕蔑，這是一條永真的定律。
