In praise of mistresses and lovers

 

From King Lear (I.2.6-15).  Edmund reflecting on his nature as a bastard:

“Why bastard? wherefore base?

When my dimensions are as well compact,

My mind as generous, and my shape as true

As honest madam’s issue? Why brand they us

With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?

Who, in the lusty stealth of nature take

More composition and fierce quality

Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,

Go to th’creating a whole tribe of fops,

Got ‘tween asleep and awake….”

This really captures the essence of why men have mistresses – the excitement, passion, thrill….compared to making love to a tired, worn wife between sleeping and waking.