The Cid began his courtship by shooting his lady-love's pigeons, and putting her into a pet and a frenzy.

The Cid knew what he was about.

Stir no matter _what_ passions, provided they _be_ passions, and get your image well into your lady's head, and you may repeat, with like success, the wooing (which superficial people pronounce so unnatural) of crook-backed Richard and the Lady Anne.

Of course, there are limits.

I would not advise, for instance, a fat elderly gentleman, bald, carbuncled, dull of wit, and slow of speech, to hazard that particular method, lest he should find himself the worse of his experiment.