I will give] Though the lust of Shechem to Dinah was lewd, yet his love to her (for now treating of a marriage his affection deserveth a better name then before) was in this respect commendable, that he set an high price upon her person after her prostitution, which was his fault if not onely, yet in a degree of excesse above hers; and because he had rob’d her of that which he could neither give nor restore, he would now put a great mulct upon himselfe, that he might buy him a right in her for the future whom by his former abuse he unjustly as well as unchastly possessed. Compare this dealing with that of Amnon towards Thamar, 2 Sam. 13. and Shechem will seeme an honest man. Upon this offer of his some observe that it was the manner of the Easterne Countreys for men to buy their wives, as now it is the manner with us for fathers to buy husbands for their daughters, by giving both them and money or some other dowry with them in marriage; and in some Countreys (as Herodotus reporteth) the manner was to bring all marriageable maides into a publique view, and such as were beautifull were bought by those that would give most for them, and the money paid for them was given in marriage with those that were not so amiable as to be desired meerly for their owne sakes; so they made provision for a numerous increase, that none might be barren by perpetuall virginitie, whether by voluntary resolution, or upon necessitie. Now whereas this example of Shechem is made the ground of the observation of the custome of the East fore-mentioned, to which some adde the Law, Exod. 22. 16, 17. Deut. 22. 28, 29. they do none of them reach to a generall practice of that kind: And it is to be noted that in all these cases the money comes in as a satisfaction for wrong done, not as a bargaine upon free and equall proceeding.