[to-the-fishies]

“We are so much accustomed nowadays to take it for granted that romantic love between the sexes is one of the most important and sacred things in life, that it is hard to believe that, before the twelfth century, such an idea never entered anybody’s head - and, if it had, it would have been considered not only immoral but also ridiculous.  That human beings did in fact fall in love, with very disturbing effects, was of course a fact that nobody in any age could possibly overlook; but it had never been customary to admire them for it.  On the contrary, passion, as distinct from a decent conjugal affection, had always been held to be a bad thing, both in men and in women - but especially in men, since it overthrew their sovereign reason, made them behave like lunatics, and (still worse) caused them to submit to the caprices of the inferior sex.  On this point, pagan and Christian were agreed.”

- Letters to a Diminished Church, “The Writing and Reading of Allegory”