504. III. THAT DEFLORATION WITHOUT THE END OF MARRIAGE IS THE SHAMEFUL DEED OF A ROBBER. Some adulterers have a desire to deflower virgins, and thence also girls in their age of innocence. The virgins are enticed to such deeds by the persuasions of procuresses, by gifts from the men, or by the promise of marriage. After the defloration, these men abandon them and search for other virgins and yet others. Add to this, that they have pleasure not from past victims but only from continually new ones; and that this lust so greatly increases that it becomes the chief of the delights of their flesh. To these they add also the crime, that by various wiles they entice virgins who are about to be married or immediately after the marriage, to offer the first-fruits of marriage to them; thus filthily defiling the marriage. Moreover, I have heard that when their burning heat with its potency has failed, they glory in the number of virginities as in so many golden fleeces of Jason. [2] This shameless deed, which is stupration, commencing in the age of vigor and being afterwards confirmed by boastings, remains enrooted and thus inseated after death. The nature of this shameful deed is evident from what was said above, namely, that virginity is the crown of chastity, being the token of the conjugial love that is to be; and that the virgin gives up her soul and life to him to whom she gives up her virginity. Upon it also is founded conjugial friendship and the confidence thereof. After this door of conjugial love has been broken through, a woman deflowered by such men loses her modesty and becomes a harlot, and of this also that robber is the cause. [3] If, after having accomplished their satyriases and profanations of chastities, these robbers apply their mind to marriage, they dwell in their mind on nothing else than the virginity of their future partner, and after they have tasted it, they loathe both bed and bed-chamber, yea, they loathe the whole female sex except young girls. Being violators of marriage and despisers of the female sex, and thus spiritual robbers, it is plain that the Divine nemesis pursues such men.