above all things deâ—ire to have the person they Love alwaies â—n Memory But our Physitians conclude more rightly first that Feare is the Perturbation or distemperature of the Minde caused by the Apprehension of some evill either Reall or Apparant only as Aristotle also affirmes Rhetor. lib. 2. cap. 2. Secondly that Sadnesse is nothing else but a long continued Inveterate Feare as Galen is oâ— opinion Thirdly that Feare and Sadnesse are the Pathognomicall signes of all kinds of Melancholy necessarily attending this disease we now treat of as we have already demonstrated And lastly that seeing that Feare and Sadnesse are the Effects of an Imagination that is depraved and the Characters of Love Melancholy we may safely conclude that it is caused and hath its seat in the Braine as well as the Imagination But I shall rather hold with Mercurialis in this point whose opinion is that the Part Affected is sometimes taken for the seat of the Disease it selfe and sometimes also for the seat of the Cause of the Disease In the first Acception we maintaine that in Love Melancholy the Braine is the part Affected and the Heart the seat of the Cause only of the Disease as in â—ove both the Liver and the Genitals are â—ynt causes of it as Gordonius in his â—hapter de Amore maintaines And now to answer those Objections before alleadged out of Hippocrates and Galen we say first that it is questionable â—hether that book which is intituled â—e his quae ad Virgin spect be his or no â—â—d secondly that if this be granted that â—ext only proves that the Heart may bee â—e seat of the Cause only of Feare Sadnesse and Dotage And lastly wee answer Galen that there are two kindes of â—eare Naturall and Accidentall the first â— these accompanies a Man from his â—irth and is caused by the ill temperature of the Heart and of this kinde of Feare is Galen to be understood in that place The â—ther kind which is not Naturall ariseth â—â—om the Defect of the Braine when as â—â—e Imagination is depraved as we may â—ainly collect out of Hippocrates in his â—ook de morbo sacro where hee confutes â—he opinion of those men that think that the Heart is the seat of Wisdome Care and Sadnesse Notwithstanding that the Braine shares indeed in this Malady bâ— CommunicatioÌ„ not only from the Heart but also from the Stomacke especially iâ— young persons as Nemesius proves in hâ— book de natura Hominis cap. 20. CHAP. X. Whether Love-Melancholy be an Hereditary Disease or no. ARistotle is of opinion that hee that not like his Parents is in some sort Monster 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in such Cases Nature seemes to have come short of he end and hath begun to degenerate and that sometimes of necessity as in the bringing forth of women for the Propagation of the species and sometimes also through some Defect in the Matter oâ— lastly by reason of some Externall Causes amongst which the Genethliacall Astrologers place the Influence of the Starreâ— and Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the change of the Seaâ—â—ns and Nature of the Climat But the â—rabian Physitians attribute the greatest â—ower in these matters to the Imagination and indeavour to prove their Assertion by many forcible Arguments and also â—y particular instances borrowed out of â—liny lib. 7. cap. 12. Franciscus Vallesius â—lbertus and diverse other authentique authors This similitude and resemblance that required in Children consists in three â—ings that is either in the species Sexe or â—ccidents The first of these depends on the Specificall Difference the Formative facultie the second on the Complexion Temperature of the Seed the Menâ—ruall Blood and the Matrix according to Galen and the last beares a Proportion to be difference of the Formative faculty â—ot Specificall as the First but Individuall which residing in the Seed and being â—estrained by the Matter which hath the â—mpression fixt on it receaves from it the Vertue to produce Individuals semblable â—â— Properties Qualities and other Accidents to the Individuall from which they spring Now these Corporeall Qualities which are derived from the Parents to the Children are such onely as are in the parts Informed in such sort as that they have already contracted a Habitude So that those Properties and Qualities that depend of the Superior Faculties and which are more noble then the Formative as the Sensitive Imaginative Rationall cannot possibly bee Hereditary Otherwise a Learned Physitian should necessarily beget a Sonne as learned in his Faculty as himselfe without any study aâ— all Neither yet are those Diseases Hereditary which are not Habituall as Fevers Pleurisies Catarrhes and those Intemperatures which are not confirmed But those only are Hereditary that are Habituall in the Parents and by continuance of time confirmed whether they bee in the whole Body or onely in the Principall parts of the same And for this cause wee may observe that Cholerick Men begeâ— Cholerick Children and weake infirms men beget the like Children So contrariwise Fortes creantur fortibus Bonis Men of courage and of strong bodies beset stout and valiant Children so those â—hat have their Generative parts of a hot and dry Temperature beget Children of â—â—e same constitution and consequently Galen saies inclined to Lust And therefore when Helen had no other meanes to excuse her Adulterous practises she made â—se of this and cries out Qui fieri si sint vires in semine Amorum Et Jovis Ledae filia casta potes I Love's Powers in the Parent 's seed is plac't How can it be That ever she That 's borne of Iove Leda should bee chast Notwithstanding Fernelius in his first â—ook de Pathol. cap. 1. affirmes that Children doe not inherit those Diseases onely that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Habit but some other also for that we often finde Children to be subject to Agues Pleurisies Catarrhes and the like because their Mothers had the same Diseases when they travailed with them So that hence we may conclude that those Children that are begotten of such Parents as have been so besotted with Love as that they have at length become Melancholy withall are in danger of inheriting the same disease unlesse peradventure the Seed of one of the Parents corrected this fault in the other or else it bee prevented by good Education and Discipline And it is also probable that those that are Inclined to Love through the Intemperature either of the whole Body or else of the Principall parts and not by the depravation of the Imaginative facultie as the greatest part of Lovers are will beget Children subject to the same Discase CAP. XI The Different kindes of Love-Melancholy I Shall not here reckon up all the severall Loves Cupids or Veneres mentioned by Authors Hee that desires to see them may have recourse to Pausanias in Eliac and Boeot Plutarch in Erotic Tully de
or else â—o the Coldnesse of the constitution of the â—arties affected which must consequently â—roduce effects contrary to those of Heat Now Heat we know makes men hardy â—rong and lively in all their Actions whereas on the other side Cold renders them fearefull heavy and dull And hence â—t is that we find Eunuches old men and women to bee more fearefull then any other the manners and affections of the mind following still the Temperature of the body according to Galens opinion Yet I thinke with the learned Andreas Laurentius that it were no hard matter to reconcile these two great Doctors that seem to stand at such a distance â—n their opinions and this to be done only by joyning these two causes together which they have delivered distinctly and apart and saying that the Temperature of the Humour should be the Principall and Primary cause which yet must also be seconded by the black Tincture cast upon the spirits by the Melancholy vapour which being very cold not only refrigerates the braine but also the heart which is the seat of that couragious faculty which they call Irascible and abates the heat of it whence presently followes Feare The same Humour being also blacke makes the Animall spirits grosse darke and full of fumes which should be cleare pure subtile and lightsome Now the Spirits being the cheife and principall Organ of the soule if they be both cold and blacke together they must necessarily hinder it's noblest faculties and especially the fancy alwaies representing unto it black species and strange Phantasmes which also may be perceived plainly by the eyes notwithstanding their residence is within the braine as Laurentius proves it by the instance of those that are now ready to be taken with a suddaine violent Eruption of blood at the Nose Now concerning desire which is the efficient cause of Love-Melancholy I shall here relate you a pleasant story out of Plato in his Conviv where he brings in Diotimus discoursing to Socrates the manner how love was begotten which was thus On a time on Venus birth day the Gods met all together at a great Feast and among the rest came Porus the God of plenty and sonne of Counsell When supper was done there comes to the floore Penia poverty begging for some of the reliques of their feast Now Porus being well warm'd with Nectar went forth into Jupiters Garden where being overtaken with a deep sleep Penia comes and lyes downe by him and by this devise was got with child by him and so brought forth Love who still retaining the condition of his Mother is alwaies poore leane sordid goes bare-foot wandring about the world without any dwelling without covering sleeping in Porches and in the streets But taking also after his Father he oftimes brings to passe great and worthy matters is manly couragious eager cautelous alwaies contriving some strange stratagems crafty ingenious a great Philosopher Inchanter Sorcerer a subtile Sophister To omit the diverse waies of Allegorizing this Fable reckoned up by Plutarch Marsilius Ficinus Plotinus Picus Mirandula and many other of the Academicks my opinion is that by Penia or Poverty is represented unto us the Lover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love saies he is a kind of desire and desire a kind of want or poverty Porus is the person that is worthy to be beloved yet cares not to be so who notwithstanding in sleeping when as the eyes of his soule are brought asleep by the Poppy seed of Inconsideration and carelesnesse without any regard of the Imperfections of his Love he satisfies his pleasures CAP. VI. The Externall Causes of Love-Melancholy I Shall not spend much time in reckoning up the many severall opinions of the ancient Poets Philosophers and Phyâ—â—tians concerning the cause of this Malaâ—y in that the greatest part of them are raiâ—d from false Principles and meere Chiâ—era's Such was the opinion of Epicurus who as Plutarch relates affirmed that here were certaine species that flowed from the loved Object which moved and caused a kinde of Titillation over the whole body sliding and passing gently in the seed by a certaine disposition of Aâ—omes and so were the cause of love Plato thought it was engendred by an Enthusiasme or Divine Rapture But I shall rather conclude with Galen that the Efficient cause of this Malady is whatsoever can cause Love Melancholy This Efficient cause is of two kinds either Internall or Externall Evident Manifest and Procatarcticke which the same Author sometimes calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the apparant true Cause The evident causes of Love according to the doctrine of the Morall Philosophers Platonists are five to wit the five Senses which the Poets understood by their fiction of the five golden shafts of Cupid The first is the sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saies the Philosopher No maâ— was ever in love with one he never saw Cynthia prima suis miserum me cepit oâ— cellis Contactum nullis antè Cupidinibus Bright Cinthia's lovely eyes first set on finâ— My heart that ne're before felt Loves desire So that when we read in Philostratus that Paris and Helen were the first that ever were in love without having seen one another we are to understand that this love was extraordinary and out of some speciall grace granted them by the Immortall Gods for some secret ends of theirs Juvenall speakes of a blind man in Love as of a prodigy yet we read in Marius Equicola of a certaine great Lord named Ianfre Rudels that was in love with the Countesse of Tripoly before hee had ever seen her only at the report of those that came from those parts unto Bourdelois and he was so extreamely enamoured of her that he could not forbeare but presently puts forth to sea with a purpose to â—â—e Tripoly and prove whether or no â—ame had not beene too prodigall in the â—raise of this Ladies perfections But his â—oyage was so unfortunate that hee fell â—â—ck before he could arrive at his journeys and which the Lady hearing of she came â—â— person to visit and comfort him Some â—talian writers report that Petrarch was extreamely in love with his Laura before ever he saw her and that from this occasion the Italians ever since call this find of love Amore Petrarchevole To these objections we answer without laying false witnesse to the charge of these Historians that one swallow makes no summer And that all those Accidents which are Rare and singular acknowledge Fortune for their Authour whereas on the contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those things that are produced after one generall and constant course owne Nature not Chance for their Originall Touching the sense of hearing we must reckon up all those provocations that attend the reading of lascivious and dishonest bookes and which discourse of seed Generation and many secret diseases concerning the Impotency of men and Barrennesse of women which Physitians
Innocence Yet he still grants these Flames may sooner grow Jn Easterne sulphur then in Northerne snow And that chast thoughts in Italy are rare And that each Turtle proves a Phoenix there He envies no Climes Vertue as none's sin Yet knowes that some an easier Conquest win All may be chast for him yet 't is well knowne This Iewell is some Climats common stone Thus the wise Authour makes his Iustice sure Allowes all Rich but those that will be Poore MARTIN LLUELLIN Chr. Ch. On the Authours Love-Melancholy COme hither fond Idolater and see The confutation of that Deity Thy Dotage has created Heretofore Mens ready superstition did adore Palenesse and Fevers things to which they cou'd Say hurt us not could not say doe us good Gods only to beware of such as they Worship't Aloofe begging 'hem keepe away And blesse them with their absence Temples were But glorious prisons to detaine 'hem there Iust such a one is thine If you but please Read here thou 'lt find thy Idol's thy disease Thou fall'st downe to thy Rheume I le not stick To say the Lover is of 's God fall'n sick View then this Mirrour hereby thou maist know 'T is true ev'n ' cause 't does thee not single show Looke on thy Metamorphosis behold Thou that wast one art now grown Manifold Increas'd ' cause thou wouldst multiply new made Each silent minute whilst this shewes thee sad In a dull sleepy posture one might say Thou 'rt statue did not sighs some life betray I th' next thou start'st art sometimes pale and then A tell tale Blush colours thy cheeke agen Now a forc't smile anon a willing teare Breakes forth thy Doubtfull looks all seasons weare And all t is to deserve the love of your By you stil'd Lady Splay-footed Fourescore Or perhaps Older One more fit to be Bedfellow with an Incubus then thee Such women have been lov'd and sworne to be Goddesses Sure for their Antiquity But what 's all this Yet thou dost only find Thou 'rt sicke read on a Remed's behind But is there any Cure the most conceive Love no disease and they that doe believe T is one esteem't Incurable But O Art 's much improv'd and that made easy now Was once impossible Physitians can Heale not the body only but the Man See his soule right againe Hee 'l now no more Pule ' cause a woman's wayward as before Dart all your Beames faire Ladies for be sure The threatned wounds I can prevent and Cure This Booke 's both Charme and Medicine I can beare My Antidote about me every where Knowing it's Vertue 't may be my desire Sometimes to feele that I may quench the fire For though J burne a while I can the same Rise Phoenix like unhurt from mine owne flame W. HOLWAY Chr. Ch. On Love-Melancholy COme reade learn to languish teach thy Care This Fortitude in Love to love it's Feares Confesse a ling ' ring griefe which owes its birth To Celia's coy delayes and flattering mirth Who makes thee kisse o th' cheek her mouth being frâ—â— To flout fond lovers present Donary To breath into thine eare a doubtfull tone Thou know'st not wer 't Adieu or lye alone Ten Winters out who when thou ' point'st a Grove Not where t' allay i' th' shade but rescue Love From whisperings of a rivall Eare this Dame Eats paltry cooling hearbs to quench the Flame But nourish still these fopperies of youth Jf folly we may call what 's naturall truth Whose cause is Fate not wanton Eyes that can Bid Matrimoniall Banes 'twixt wife and man And like to Celia's sauce orewhelme thy lamps In Humorous Clouds and Melancholick Damps But such as cherish flames we often try The Sunne 's not set when bid i th' misty sky Droope downe thine Eyes be wan and pale i th' looke Thou gain'st thy Groanes and act'st part of this Book You lost your feaver then when to revive You still defer'd till this Preservative What though thou should'st most part o th' Book be faint And in the last page make thy testament This last page can recover make that rest Which thou bequeath'st to Heaven the bodies guest And give a man to th' world we cannot tell Indeed which were the greater miracle The Cure or first Production only see How Art surpasses Natures husbandry Come read and learne thy health this book 's no lesse Then knowing Galen or Hippocrates Who boast halfe-names i' th' Margent and there lye Not to instruct but yeild the victory T' applaude the Authours skill and this Redresse Of Physick Errours in our English presse Thus much i th' Change is gained here behold For Catalogues of Griefes as manifold As Grammar Dialect and such as prove The sole Disease the Cure of scorned love Cease then t' adore thy Celia's fading Looke And only fall in Love and Court this Booke SAM EVERARD Chr. Ch. To the Author on his Love-Melancholy Fâ—e l'me halfe Atheist now sure vertues are Only well temperd bodies kept with care For when I see this Passions seat i' th' heart And a receipt against all Cupids art Lov 's arrowes so to th' publike view displaid That wee can see which burnes which dulls a Maid And how what is the Poison he does give And then againe what 's the restorative Sure wee must hither come our armes t' unfold To look upright and like our Sexe bold Sweet Mistresse pray put on I am resolv'd To laugh being safe amongst these leaves involv'd Whilst J doe read and Meditate this book I dare the utmost Charmes of any Look Nay I could gaze eu'n on Castara's face And nere be blind nay Kisse her if she was Here yet nere perish for 't still be a man Not scorcht to ashes drier then her fanne With a too neer approach forsooth her beams That gilds as shee walks by the glittering streams If she would part Farewell when she is gone Methinks I now should live nere turn'd to stone If she should surfet on a Tart orort so And overcharg'd to bed at Midday goe J should nere light a candle as if t were night Pray her to rise that we might see the light When we were in the darke Jde hardly say After my shinnes were broke it was noon day Nor when some spittle hung upon her lip Should J avouch 't was Nectar and then sip Now I have read this book methinks one might Enjoy the spring both in the smell and sight Though she were i th' Exchange a buying knots Or with her Taylor there contriving plots For a new Gowne and had no time to dresse The Meadows with her looks and so farre blesse The Country as be present for to deck The ground with lilies dropping from her neck I 'de not mistake her cheeks for Gardens sweare There were no Roses in the world but there If I now fluent were as th' Innes of Court My. Musc should here run out to make her sport Nor would I write o' th' thorn that knew the charm
bed makes folkes the moâ—â— inclined to Lust so on the other side immoderate waking dries the Braine and causes Melancholy So that we may conclude with the learned Hippocrates in hiâ— Aphorismes that Somnus Vigilia â—traque si modum excesserint malum Thâ— excessive use either of sleep or waking iâ— hurtfull So likewise to sleep upon one back by the generall consent of all Physitians is a great provocation to venery and for this cause must be reckoned among the Manifest causes of Love-Melancholy Galen about the end of his books Dâ— Loc. Affect proves by many Reasons an Examples that the want of convenienâ— Evacuation of the seed is a great cause of â—elancholy especially in such persons as â—â—e at ease and feed high except by freâ—â—ent and violent Exercise or Labour â—ey consume the superfluity of Blood â—hich otherwise would be converted inâ— Seed Equidem novi quosdam saies he â—ibus hujusmodi erat natura qui prae puâ—e a libidinis usu abhorrentes torpidi â—rique facti sunt nonnulli etiam Melanâ—licorum instar praeter modum moesti ac â—midi cibi etiam tum cupiditate tum coâ—one vitiatâ Quidam uxoris mortem â—gens à concubitu quo anteà creberriâ—e fuerat usus abstinens cibi cupiditatem â—isit atque ne exiguum quidem cibum conqu repotuit Vbi verò seipsum cogendo â—s cibi ingerebat protinus ad vomitum â—citabatur Moestus etiam apparebat non â—ùm has ob causas sed etiam ut Melanâ—olici solent citra manifestam occasionem have knowne some saith he that being â—turally so modest as that they were aâ—amed to exercise the Act of Venery â—ive by this meanes become dull and â—eavy and some extreame fearefull too â—â—d sad as Melancholy men are wont to be having neither any appetite to meaâ— nor concocting what they have eaten And I knew one saith he that having buried his wife whom he dearely loved and for griefe abstaining from those pleasures which he had often enjoyed witâ— her while she lived quite lost his stomacke to his meat and could not digest any thing at all Or if by chance he forced himselfe to eate against his stomacke he presenthe vomited it up againe and was withaâ— very sad and that without any manifeâ—â— cause as Melancholy men are wont to be And a little lower in the same Chapter he tells a story of one that fell into the Priapisme for the same cause and foâ— want of useing exercise or sufficient labour for the spending of the Abundancâ— of blood The same he affirmes also tâ— happen usually to Women as likewise is confirmed by Hippocrates in his body De Morb. Mul. of which we shall speak more hereafter in the chapter of Vterinâ—â— Fury And yet Galen himselfe in the afore cited book imputes the like effects tâ— the immoderate evacuation of the seed Qui protinus Iuventute primâ immodicè â— permittunt Libidini id etiam evenit borum locorum vasa amplius patentia â—orem ad se sanguinis copiam alliciant coëundi cupiditas magis increscat â—ose that in their first puberty give themselves to the immoderate use of very in them those vessels that serve for â—eneration grow larger and attract the â—eater store of blood unto them so that this meanes the desire of copulation â—owes the stronger Among the Passions of the mind Ioy â—ay perhaps make them more inclinable Love but Feare and Sadnesse makes â—em the more Melancholy Si metus Maestitia perseveraverint Melancholia â— saith Hippocrates if their Feare and â—dnesse continue on them it turnes at â—ngth to Melancholy For these two â—ssions doe extreamely coole and dry up â—e whole body but especially the Heart â—enching and destroying the naturall â—eat and vitall spirits and withall cause â—cessive waking spoile digestion thickâ—â— the blood and make it Melancholy â—d for this cause as I conceive Diotimus in Plato's Phaedrus calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 squallidus But the Poets maintaine that Gâ— and Fortune are the most powerfull caâ—ses of Love understanding by Fortune I conceive those incounters and opportunities that a man shall often me withall and which every wise mâ— ought to avoid unlesse they meane to taken in the snare Me fortuna aliquid semper amare del Which gave occasion to the Achaeans Pausanias reports at Aegira to plaâ—â— Love and Fortune in one and the samâ— Temple And for gold we read that Dâ—naë was won to Iupiters love and Atâ—lanta suffered her selfe to be overcome by Hippomanes for love of the gold Apples he cast in her way as she ranne Secum habet ingenium qui cum licet acâ— pe dicti Cedimus invent is plus valet ille meis Hee 's truly wise that can his will commaâ— And Tempting pleasures offer'd can withstand CHAP. VII The Internall causes of Love Melancholy VVE have already sufficiently proved out of Galen that these â—â—ternall causes cannot produce their efâ—â—cts but only when they meet with such â—â—eake spirited persons as are not able to â—ist the assaults of Cupid For so the â—rned Sapho confessed the tendernesse â—her heart to be the only cause of her Aâ—orous fires Molle meum levibus cor est violabile telis Haec semper causa est cur ego semper Amem â—ach light dart wounds my tender Breast and this â—hat I am still in Love the reason is â—he disposition of the Body among other internall causes comes in the first placâ— to be considered for through the natural defect hereof we see that young boye under the age of fourteen and wencheâ— under twelve or thereabout as also deâ—crepit old folkes Eunuches and all those that are of a Cold Constitution are in nâ— danger of this disease This disposition oâ— the Body is called by Galen causa Antecedens sive Jnterior The Antecedent oâ— Internall cause and consists in the humours Spirits and Excrements of the Body all which causes Hippocrates comprehends under the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concurring causes The Abundance of Blood of a gooâ— temperature and full of spirits caused by the continuall Influence of the Heart by reason that it is the Materiall cause oâ— seed is likewise a True Antecedent causeâ— of Love as it is a passion of the Mind But the Melancholy Humour which is hot and dry by reason of the Adustion oâ— Choler of the blood or of the Natural Melancholy is the Principall cause oâ— Love-Melancholy or Madnesse And frâ—â— this reason Aristotle in his Problem saies that those that are Melancholy are â—ost subject to this malady 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which conclusion of â—is would be most Absurd if so be he meant here those that are Melancholy by â—eason of the aboundance of their naturall Melancholy which of it selfe is extreame cold and dry and by consequence cleane â—epugnant to the heat required in this diâ—ease Otherwise Old men who abound chiefly with this Humor should oftner all in Love then young and
Hands and as many Feet with all the other members in proportion doubled But conspiring as the Giants before had done against the Gods Iupiter caused them to be divided in the midst as wee use to cut Egges in two to sowse or divide them in the midst with haires and then gave order to Apollo to turne their faces toward that part where the Dissection was made â—o the end that seeing their shame they might become the more modest and temperate and having so done enjoyned him â—o heale up the wound agen But after this each one desiring to recover his other â—alfe they would runne one after the other and embrace desiring if it were possible to be reunited But when they found â—â— could not be they presently perished for hunger because they would not doe any thing the one without the other And when the one halfe failed and the other remained behinde that which was left sought for some other halfe whether it were the Female halfe or the Male yet thus they came to ruine still But at length Iupiter being moved to compassion toward them found out a meanes to help them by transposing their Genitalls which till then were behinde and placing them as now they are before and so contrived it that they should engender the Male and Female together for before they conceaved and engendred as Grashoppers doe by casting their seed on the ground And so by this meanes was Mutuall Love begotten as a Reconciler of their Ancient Nature desiring to maked Two One and a Remedy against Humane Frailty which seemes to be nothing else but a strong Desire to be reunited made one againe And it is not improbable that Aristotle also and after him as Iul. Scaliger thinks Theophrastus in his second Booke of Plants and first Chapter favours this opinion of Plato where hee saies that the Male was divided from the Female to the end he might the better apply himselfe to the study of knowledge other more noble Actions then that of Generation which thing could not bee done otherwise then by cutting of the privy Members belonging to the Female Sexe It seemes that Plato in his voyage that he made to Aegypt sucked this fabulous Opinion out of the misinterpretation of some passages that he had met withall iâ— the books of Moses of which it is thought he had a view for that Moses in Genesis seemes to say that Adam was at first created Male and Female and that afterward the woman was taken out of his body that so he might not be alone From hence the Rabbins Abraham Hieremias and Abraham Aben Esra would inferre that Adam was created in two Persons joyned together the one part being Male the other Female which were afterward separated by the Divine Power But this Opinion of theirs hath been already so strongly confuted by diverse Learned Men that have been very skilfull in the Hebrew tongue that it would bee great Presumption here in me to interpose See what Ludovicus Regius in his Commentaries on Plato's Phoedrus hath collected concerning this point But for my own part I am of opinion that the Ancient Heathen Divines as we may call them such as Plato of times couched the hidden Mysteries of their Religion under Figures Hieroglyphicks and Fables Yet Marsilius Ficinus following S. Augustine saies that Non omnia quae in figuris finguntur aliquid significare putanâ—da sunt c. We must not beleeve that all things whatsoever the Heathen feigned have some private Mysticall meaning in them for many things have been added only for orders sake and Cohaerence with those things that have been Significative Yet without any disparagement to Ficinus or his Interpretation I must be bold to affirme that Plato by this fabulous discourse would have us understand the Force of Love which he before had proved to bee the most Powerfull of all the Gods who as a Mediator and Vmpire betwixt two that are divided sets them at one againe by the tye of Marriage and by the Conformity of their Wils which in Lovers are united CAP. IX Whether in Love-Melancholy the Heart be the seat of the Disease or the Braine IF you aske those that are in Love what part they are most afflicted in they wil â—â—l answer uno ore their Heart so that we may conclude with Aristotle that the Heart is the true seat of Passionate Love Which we may also confirme by the Authority of Hippocrates in his book de Virg. Morb. where he saies that young Wenâ—hes are oppressed with Feare Sadnesse Griefe and Dotage because that the superfluity of Blood that ought to be excerâ—ed by certaine channels and convaiances â—ppointed by nature for that purpose but â—annot by reason of the obstructions of â—he same and is therefore retained in the wombe where increasing for want of its due course of evacuation it returnes baâ— upon the Heart and Diaphragme aâ— from hence is called Feare Sadnesse anâ— oftentimes Madnesse which are Symptomes as necessarily attending Melancholy as the Shadow doth the Body Besides it is most certaine that Feare Sadnesse without any Evident or Apparent cause are the certaine Symptomes of Melancholy Now these two Passions are in like manner the true signes of a cold Heart aâ— it may easily be proved both out of Galen and Aristotle And therefore those persons that are of a Fearefull nature anâ— commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excordes Hearâ— lesse And every man may out of his own particular experience finde that the Heaâ— as it were contracts it selfe during the time of Feare and Sadnesse but in Ioy â— Hope it seemes to dilate and enlarge â—â— selfe This also seemes to be the opinion of Avicen who affirmes Fen. lib. 3. tract 4. cap. 18. that in Melancholy constitutions the Heart communicates its temperature to the Braine by the Vapours and Humours that it sendeth up unto it aâ—â— by the Sympathy of the Organs Marfilius Ficinus and Franciscus Valleriola in the books before cited make two kinds of Dotage the first of which â—â—ey call Desipiscentia in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other Folly the one of these â—ising from the defect of the Braine and â—â—e other of the Heart The Braine is the â—â—use of Folly when it is surcharged either with Adust Choler Blood or Melancholy But when these Humours are remained in the Heart they then cause â—riefe and Distraction but not Folly unâ—â—sse the Braine also doe chance to suffer â—ith the Heart by Sympathy And these â—earned Authors are of opinion that Pasâ—onate Lovers are possest with Folly which is caused by the defect of the â—eart this Valleriola labours to prove â—y many reasons On the other side Guido Cavalcanti in â—e of his Canzonets commented on by Oine Corbo an Italian Physitian proves â—â—at the Braine is the seat of Love as well â—s of Memory for that in it resideth the â—mpression of the Object Loved whence also it is that Lovers
is inclined to this Folly either by his Naturall Constitution Temper of Body or else by reason of his Education Discipline Custome or the Like The Diagnostick signes of the Lover we have already delivered in the precedent Chapters It remaines now that we set downe those by which the Amorist is to be knowne seeing our Intention is to prescribe as well the meanes to prevent this Malady as the Remedies to cure it In the First place then we are to consider the constitution and Habit of the whole Body when so ever wee desire to know to what Diseases any one is subject For by this meanes Helen knew that Paris was fitter for Cupids service then for Mars Quòd bene te iactas fortia facta receÌ„sen A verbis facies dissidet ista tuis Aptamagis veneri quà m sunt tua Corpora Marti Bella gerant fortes tu Pari semper Ama. Thou brag'st well But this smooth cheek speaks thee farre More apt for Venus then for Mars his warre Let others fight and on their enemies prove Their ruder strength my Paris thou shalt love In the second place the Temperature of the Principall and secret parts is to be considered of which I shall speake more hereafter in the Chapter of Physiognoms only in this place giving you to understand that a hot and dry Temperature or â—se such a one as is only hot is the most â—nclined to Love We must also observe the parties Complexion for we see that â—ose that are of a sanguine Complexion â—re generally very Amorous Not that I would have a man alwaies weare a sad towning austere Countenance Habet tristis quoque Turba Cynaedos For under such a one there oft-times lies hid the strongest Inclination to lasciviousnesse â—n the next place we shall doe well to consider the age for commonly the younger people are more subject to this diâ—case then the elder especially while they have a harshnesse in their voyce which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latins Hircire And in wenches when their Brests begin to burgeon which the greeks all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latin Fratrare Sororiare Catullire At which time Aristotle warns all Fathers to have a strict eye over their Daughters and not to suffer them to converse with young men especially such aâ— are given much to Courtship Because that at this time they have an extreame raging desire over all their Body But old men on the contrary side are as much averse from venery unlesse they be naturally very leacherous For Enripides saies that Venus is displeased with old men And for this cause the Heathens at Plutarch reports accounted those Marriages that were celebrated in the moneth of May Disasterous and ominous as some superstitious Christians also doe at this day because that Venus hated this moneth as being consecrated to the honour of old age Lacydes King of the Argians was knowne to be in love by his over curious trimming and curling of his haire as was Pompey the great also by the nice scratching of his head with one finger Magnus quem metuunt omnes digito caput uno Scalpit Quid credas hunc sibi vedâ— virum He whom the world feares nicely with one naile His head doth scratch what thinke ye doth he aile Our Ladies have the same opinion of â—ose men that are very hairy that Aristoâ—â—e hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hairines saith â—â— is a signe of the abundance of Excrements And for this reason those men that â—e hairy are fuller of seed therefore â—re addicted to Venery then those that â—e smooth As it is also observed in the are who being extreame hairy as having â—ly among all other living creatures â—ire also on the ball of his feet is withall counted one of the most lustfull creatures that is On the contrary a woman cannot enâ—re a man that hath but little Beard not â—â— much for that they are commonly cold â—â—d impotent as that so much resembling â—unuches they are for the most part inâ—ined to basenesse cruelty and deceitfulnesse Such a one as Plato reports was Melitus Pitheus that was Socrates his â—lse accuser and in regard of that very thing excepted against by Socrates But this is then found most true when they are leane withall and have thin hoâ— Iow shriveled Cheekes For as the Physiognomists say these markes denote man to be of a filthy lustfull disposition and that by reason of the Imaginative Faculty being depraved but withall Envious Crafty and consequently a knave according to the doctrine of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their Extraction and Descent and things also very considerable as well foâ— that children may have the same Temperature both of the Principall parts as also of those that serve for Generation that their Parents have as also by reason of baâ— discipline ill example We might also adde to these the milk of the nurse which as Phavorinus affirmes is of very great force either in correcting or corrupting as well the manners of the mind as the Constitution of the Body for as much as those alwaies follow the Temperature oâ— the Body And of this opinion the Poâ—â— also seemes to be where he brings Dido reproaching Aeneas with his Education and thus upbraiding him with his cruelty Non tibi Diva parens generis nec Dardanus autor Perfide sed duris genuit te cautibus horrens Caucasus Hircanaeque admôrunt ubera Tigres No Goddesse brought thee forth nor canst thou be Deriv'd false man from Trojan Ancestry But thou from some hard unrelenting Rocke Descended art and Tigers gave thee suck Michael Scotus discoursing on this point reports that he had seen a child that had been nursed up by a sow who when he was now grown to some bignes would eat immoderately as Hogs doe and delighted very much to tumble and wallow up and downe in durty places And he teâ—s a story of another that had been brought up by a shee-goat who in his going skipped after the manner of Goats and would ever be pilling and eating the barke of Trees Hippocrates Ptolomy and Vegetius affirme that the Aire Climat and place of their Birth are of very great consideration in this particular Et Plaga Caeli non solùm ad robur Corporis sed etiam Animorum facit saith Vegetius The Climat conduceth much not only to the strength and perfect Temperature of the Body but of the mind also and its faculties And indeed we see commonly that the Germans are great Drinkers the Spaniards proud the English deceitfull the French unconstant the Athenians witty the Thracians dull the Sarmatians Chast but the Neopolitans Asians Africans and Aegyptians very lascivious and addicted to Venery And Ovid makes the Thracians also beare them company when he speakes thus of Tereus Digna quidem facies ast hunc innata libido Extimulat pronumque genus regionibus illis Jn Venerem flagrat vitio
on Fortune that is to say on no certaine Determinate cause or else on ouâ— owne wills over which the Starres have no more power then they have over the understanding on which the will depend But which is worse then this theâ—â— Iudiciary Astrologers attribute to thaâ— Starres the power of working miracles and a thousand such like superstitious folâ—ies And sometimes also under the preâ—ext of Iudiciary Astrology they impiously meddle with the black Art which caused Pope Sixtus Quintus to thunder out his Excommunication against Iudiciary Astrology and all those that professed any such Mathematicall Arts. Keeping my selfe therefore to the Doctrine of Catholique Church to the censure whereof I submit all my writings notwithstanding that Cardan confidently â—ffirmes that it is easier to know by Iudiciary Astrology the Passions and Affections of men then to foretell winds raine and haile because that the houre of a childs nativity may more certainely be knowne then that of the gathering together of so many vapours and their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or evaporation my opinion is that by judiciary Astrology it cannot beeÌ„ knowne whether or no such a one is subject to such and such Passions and therefore not to love or Erotique Melancholy For as Ptolomy saies Soli Divino Numinc â—fflati praedicunt Futura Particularia None can foretell Particular events but those only that have this gift by Divine Inspiration For otherwise why might not these Wizards as well foresee the unlawfull dealing and fowle play of their owne wives and Daughters which yet they are as ignorant of as the simplest and most unlettered man that is For which S. Thomas More wittily jeeres them in an Epigram of his Astra tibi Aethereo pandunt sese omnia vati Omnibus quae sunt Fata futura monent Omnibus ast uxor quòd se tua publieat id te Astra licèt videant omnia nulla monent The Starres to thee their Prophet doe reveale The Fates of all and nought from then conceale Yet though thy wifes false play the Starres All see There 's none of them so kind to tell it thee And for answer to all those instances before alleadged for the certainty of Astrologicall Predictions we say with the Poet Euripides that these kind of Fellowes are furnished with lies at all times and very seldome tell the truth being as the Epigrammatist stiles them the Sonnes of â—mpudence and Rashnesse and nursed up by Folly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. XXII Whether or no by Physiognomy and Chiromanyc a man may know one to be Jnclined to Love GAlen relying upon the Authority of Hippocrates affirmes that those men that take upon them to professe the Art of Physicke without the perfect knowledge of Physiognomy are as it were in perpetuall darknesse and commit many grosse Absurdities Errors For as much as Physiognomy is a part of Semioticall Medicine which the Naturalists divided into Metoposcopy Chiromancy and Particular Physiognomy Now of all these kinds the first is the most certaine because that the Face is as it were the Epitome Index and picture of the soule representing by its diverse Characters and extract of all the Titles of its Noblenesse And is therefore placed in the Frontispice of this Fabricke of our body to the end it may be knowne that there she keeps her Court and chiefest Residence Animi est omnis actio Imago Animi vultus est The Soule is the Original cause and Principle of all our motions and actions and the Face is the Image of the soule Indices oculi saith Tully quos Natura dedit ut Equo Leoni set as caudam Aures ad motus declarandos And therefore Alexanander Aphrodisaeus calls the eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the looking-glasses of the soule It seemes saith Plotinus that whatsoever is Faire and Beautifull is also Good for both these the Greeks expresse by one and the same name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if saith he the externall beauty of the Body depended on the Internall Forme And therefore the Ancient Greeks considering this accounted only those men that were of a Beautifull and comely Aspect to be worthy of the Crowne and Scepter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they prove this their opinion by the Examples of Priamus Achilles Saul Cyrus Darius Alexander Augustus Hecuba Andromache Esther and many others in whom the Beauty and Perfection of the Soule was attended on by that also of the Body because that the beauty of the Body depends on the goodnesse of the Constitution and Temperature according to Galen Now it is agreed on on all sides in our Schooles that a good and commendable complexion is of times the cause of the Laudable Actions of the Body and consequently of those also of the Mind Multaenim in Corpore existunt quae acuant mentem multa quae obtundant Saith Tully Tuscul 1. There are many things in the Body that conduce much to the sharpening of the Mind and understanding and there be also many things that dull it And therefore Hippocrates in his Epidemicks lib. 6. Sect. 5. is of opinion that it imports much to Wisedome to be Leane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For those that are over-fat saies Galen have their soule as it were buried in a heape of durt and therefore such men are commonly heavy and dull as a brute beast Homer also speaking of Thersites that notorious Buffoon whom Achilles slew with a boxe on the eare describes him to be ill-favoured of a ridiculous dwarfe-like stature with a sharpe litle head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimating unto us that such men are generally Mischievous Envious Impudent and vaine-glorious fellowes So Salust also notes Catiline for his Deformity and Basenesse of Conditions and the ill-favoured lookes of Iulian the Apostate was an Evident Argument of his Accursed Life On the contrary we see commonly that as Hippocrates observes those that drawle out their words and stammer in their speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of a good Nature And agen those that have little dry hollow eyes with a long thin wrinkled visage are lewd crafty slaunderous envious covetous treacherous sacrilegious rascally fellowes Especially if they are wont to looke very stedfastly on any thing and use to bite their lips when they are thinking of their businesse But above all if they have but little beard Poco barba men Colore Sotto'l ciel non è peggiore Saies the Italian He that has but litle beard on his face and lesse colour there cannot possibly bee found a worse complexion then his And such a one is that Villaine Melitus Pitheus the false accuser of Socrates described to be in Plato Yet notwithstanding all that I have said I would not have any man presently conclude from these signes on any mans complexion as if they were alwaies necessarily true For Alcibiades who was the most beautiful comeliest young maÌ„ in
his time was notwithstanding a very vitious and envious person And on the contrary the wise Socrates notwithstanding that he had a very ill favoured countenance and was also bald-headed hairy all over his body and flat-nosed yet was he pronounced by the Oracle of Apollo to be the Patterne of Fortitude Prudence and Temperance notwithstanding that he was often sought unto and tempted by women as Tully reports it of him in his booke De Fato Cùm Socrates videret uxores in se jurgantes ille eas deridebat quòd propter se foedissimum hominem simis narribus recalvà fronte pilosis humeris repandis cruribus discreparent Not but that he was Naturally inclined to Lust as Zopyrus that famous Physiognomist judged of him and as himselfe ingenuously consessed but that by Morall Philosophy he had corrected the bad Inclinations of his owne nature Now all Physiognomy is grounded as Aristotle saies on the Sympathy that is betwixt the Body and the Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Habit of the mind being altered causeth an alteration also in the Body and so the contrary For as the same Authour elsewhere concludes if the manners of the mind did not all depend on the Temperature of the Body in vaine should the Physitian attempt with all his Medicines and Helleborismes the cure of those that are sicke of Love or any the like Passions Not that I would have you thinke that these Physiognomicall signes doe alwaies necessarily discover the Passions and Affections of the mind but only for the most part and Probably Besides all Physiognomists affirme that we ought not peremptorily to conclude any thing from the disposition or Temperature of any one part alone but wee must compare diverse signes together so give judgement accordingly yet still with this Proviso that we extend not the Iurisdiction of this Science any farther then to those Passions that are Naturall to Men as Anger Lust c. and not to such things as are of Free Election as to be an Astrologer Physitian Lawyer or the like We conclude then that a man may know by Physiognomy not onely those that are actually possest with this Malady of Love or Erotique Melancholy but also those that are Inclined or subject unto it For if I see a man that is Hot Hairy high-coloured with a black thick curled head of haire great veines a big voice I dare be bold to say that that man hath a hot and dry Liver and his Generative parts are also of the same Temper that consequently he is inclined to lustfull desires But I shall be bold to affirme it more confidently if he be also Bald withall as was Socrates Galba Vitellius Otho Domitian and Iulius Caesar of whom it was once spoken thus by one at Rome Vrbani servate uxores nam Moechum calvum adducimus Citizens looke well to your Wiues for we have brought with us a Bald Whoremaster Or else if hee have litle Eares a great Nose thick weak thighes over-hanging Eye-browes or is flat-nosed as Socrates was Valescus de Tarenta the most famous Physitian of his Age observes the chapping of the Lips in Women to be a signe of their Inclination to this Malady for that it denotes the Intemperate Heat of the Matrix Quae appetit to use his own words semen tanquam Terra rorem And Levinus Lemnius affirmes the same of those persons that are Lame and Cripples which is the Opinion also of Athenaeus and Theocritus his Scholiast who affirmes this to be the reason which moved the Amazons to make their Children Cripples Notwithstanding Hippocrates an Author of greater credit then either of these gives us other more probable reasons for it Aristotle in his Lib. 2. de Gener. Animal cap. 7. will have the Eyes also to bee very considerable in these Predictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because saith he the Eye is the most Spermaticall part about the Head And indeed the Wiseman knew an Adulterous Woman by her eyes better and with more assurance then any man can by the Hand which cannot as Averroës faith denote the Disposition of the Body more particularly then any other of the Members and consequently neither our Affections nor Passions any otherwise then by the beating of the Arteries in the Wrist or else perhaps by the figure of the Hand according to which some wil undertake to guesse at the Temperature of the Liver Among which is Avicen and Rhasis who by the greatnesse of the Fingers pretend to give a guesse at that of the Liver and endeavour to confirme this their conjecture both by reasons and Experience For the Veines being derived from the Liver as from their Principium Radicationis Dispensationis for as Hippocrates lib. de Alimen affirmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Liver is the Root from whence all the Veines doe spring and being united and meeting together in the Hand they are the cause of that Mutuall and Reciprocall sympathy that there is betwixt these two parts And so by consequent the Temperature of the Liver will appeare more evidently in the Hand then in many other of the parts of the Body Besides the greatnesse of the Fingers is an Argument of the greater Quantity of Matter which is communicated by the Liver to the extreame parts of the Body and also of the greatnesse of the Liver it selfe Now those that have a great Liver are for the most part given to Gluttony and Gluttons we know are generally addicted to Venery and Lasciviousnesse But this Art of Chiromancy hath been so strangely infected with Superstition Deceit Cheating and if I durst say so with Magick also that the Canonists and of late yeares Pope Sixtus Quintus have beene constrained utterly to condemne it So that now no man professeth publikely this Cheating Art but Theeues Rogues and beggerly Rascals which are now every where knowne by the name of Bohemians Egyptians and Caramaras and first came into these parts of Europe about the yeare 1417 as G. Dupreau Albertus Krantz and Polydor Virgil report CAP. XXIII Whether or no by Magick a Man may know any one to be in Love THere have not been wanting some that out of those words of Plato in Convivio where hee saies that Love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Magician and Inchanter have beene bold impiously to maintaine that this disease of Love can neither be found out nor cured without the use of Magick But this opinion of theirs I shall hereafter in a more convenient place examin only telling you here that as there are some Stomacks of so ill a Complexion as that they corrupt the best Meats in stead of digesting them so are there some men of so malicious and virulent a disposition as that they will not stick to deprave and corrupt the meaning of the writings of the most Authentique Authors It is true indeed that there are two findes of Magick the one Naturall and the
Inconcoction and accending up into the Braine yet Physitians call it not by the name of the Night-mare or Incubus unlesse the Imagination also be hurt withall in like manner as in Melancholy which disease it often presageth or else the Falling sicknesse I could adde here that I my selfe have seene in the towne of Castelnadaruy in Lauraguex two young women that maintained confidently for a certaine truth that either the Divell or some witch or other lay with them every night as their husbands lay by their sides Both which by the helpe of God I cured and they now acknowledge the weaknesse of their Fancy and their owne Folly CHAP. XXVIII Whether the Love of Women be stronger and more dangerous then that of Men. IT is most certaine that as Galen saies a Hot complexion or such a one that is Hot and Dry is much more prone to dishonest and irregular Love then any other ComplexioÌ„ or Temperature whatsoever from whence we may also inferre that the Loves of these Complexions must necessarily be also the most violent and so by Consequence that Men must be oftner and more grievously tormented with this Malady then Women who are of a Temperature both lesse Hot and lesse Dry For as much as Nature had never brought forth a Woman but only for want of Heat and therfore Aristotle calls them the Defect and Imperfection of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Female seemes only to be the Issue of Natures Impotence But Chrysippus the Philosopher as Galen reports him neglecting these weake reasons affirmes the contrary and saies that Love is a Motion of the Minde that is irrefragable opposeth it selfe against the power and rule of Reason which is also approved both by Aristotle and also all the Schoole of Physick Whence we may conclude that without all doubt a Woman is in her Loves more Passionate and more furious in her follies then a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Hippocrates lib. de his quae ad Virg spect Women are Naturally of meaner Spirits and lesse courage then Men neither is their reason so strong as theirs and therefore are they lesse able to make resistance against so strong a Passion as Galen saies And hereto agrees that of the faire Hero in her Epistle to her deare Leander Vrimur igne pari sed sum tibi viribus Jmpar Fortius ingenium suspicor esse viris Vt corpus teneris sic mens infirma puellis Our flames are equall but your kinder Fate Hath lent your strength your Heats to temperate But in our weaker Sexe our Passions find A feeble Body beares a feebler Minde This opinion is confirmed also by daily experience which affords us Examples great store of Women that are ready to run Mad for Love but seldome any Men whom we never see brought to that Extremity unlesse they be some effeminate weake spirited fellowes that have been alwaies broughtup in Lascivious courses and in Ladies Laps And this is confirmed by the Poet also Parcior in nobis nec tam furiosa Libido Legitimum finem flamma virilis habet Lust in us Men doth not so often raigne Our Flames would still a lawfull end attaine This Assertion may also bee proved by a strong Naturall reason which may be collected out of Aristotle lib. 3 de Part. Animal cap. 4. lib. 1. de Gener. cap. 4. where he saies that Nature hath given streight Entrals or Guts without any turnings or windings at all to all gluttonous and ravenous Creatures as Birds of prey and the Wolfe but on the contrary shee hath variously and artificially interwoven the Bowels of those that it was expedient should bee sober and temperate as Men. Whence we collect that Quoniam eadem Natura quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in foeminis vasa spermatica propiora juxta cornuae Matricis posuit contrà verò in maribus eadem è longinquo extra ventrem reiecit ne facultates Animae principales Imaginatio Memoria Iudicium per Pudendorum Sympathiam vicinitatem perturbarentur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae propinqua communia sunt Affectionibus ea prima maximè vitiantur Foeminas hunc Amorem Brutum magis violentum habere Nec immeritò Consentaneum enim videtur Naturam aliquâ superadditâ voluptate dolores illos quos in puerperiis patitur iste sexus compensare So that although perhaps Men appeare outwardly to be the more prone to Lust of â—he two yet must we not therefore presently conclude women to be utterly free from the same desires although they cunningly dissemble them as much as possibly they can And therefore they may not unâ—tly be compared unto an Alembick that â—ands quietly upon its frame without any â—ew of Fire at all under it but if you but â—ift it up and look under it and could but â—s easily see into the hearts of these Women you shall there discover an equall Heat in both CAP. XXIX Of the Prevention of Love and Erotique Melancholy FOR the Prevention of any Disease it is necessary saith Galen in the first place to remove the Disposition of the Body which is nothing else but the Internall cause of the Disease and which cannot be rooted out except the Externall cause that nourishes and preserves it bee first taken away He then that undertakes the Cure or Prevention of Love-Melancholy must first saith Hippocrates have a perfect knowledge of the nature of this Disease that so he may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apply such remedies as shall bee proper both for the Disease Nature and Age of the Patient and also agree with the Seasons and Times of the yeare Otherwise he does but strike at the disease Andabatarum more Hoodwink'd And because that Love findes its passage through the Eye and so seazeth on the Braine If he intend to cashiere it utterly he must take heed that no tempting Objects present themselves unto it least happily it fall out here as it did heretofore to Menelaus who as Galen relates it when that Troy was now taken and he had fully resolved with his own hands to punish his Wives Adulteries he no sooner saw her but that presently hee let his Sword fall out of his hand and ran to her â—d threw himselfe into her Embraces â—nd so by the power of her Beauty his â—ary was suddenly changed into as Passiâ—nate a Love Thus Galen But the Schoâ—st upon Stesichorus reports the story otherwise and saies that it was not Meneâ—us himselfe but the Souldiers that hee â—nt to stone Helen However it were we â—e commonly that the Falling out of Loâ—rs kindles anew their Love â—mantium Irae Amoris redintegratio est And as a Candle that is almost out recovers its full light againe if it be but held downward a litle while in like manner Love that is almost extinguished if it bee â—nclined and bent never so litle to its Object it takes fire afresh Quà m facilè Jrati verbo placantur Amantes Although
a Lover rage chafe even now One faire word from his Mistris smooths his brow And if the party that is the cause of hâ—â— Disease be very beautifull the Preservatives that are used must then be the stronger For it is in this case as in the cleaving of Wood and the Beauty of the Party be loved as the Axe the Wood seemes iâ— like manner as it were to cleave asunder the Lovers Heart and the Sighes are aâ— the Noise that followes the Cleaven stroke But as by doubling the force of the blowes although the Wood is at length cleft yet by Reaction the Axe also hatâ— his edge turned and is spilt In like manner faire Ladies after that they have perhaps with the force of their Beauty made an entrance into the Hearts of their Lovers oftimes goe off with a crack in their Honour Some Authors of no meane note considering the admirable Effects that Beauty worketh have beene of Opinion that there was a certaine Transmission of Spirits from the body of the person beloved into that of the Lover which did by this meanes produce a Reciprocall and Mutuall Love And for this cause the Roman Ladies of old were wont to weare about their Neckes a kinde of Wanton Figure which they called Fascinum And perhaps in Imitation of them the Spanish Ladies doe at this day weare a piece of Corall or Ieat made in the forme of a Hand closed together with the Thumbe â—hrust out betwixt the Forefinger and the Middlefinger which they call Higo per no ser oiadas The Greekes call all such toies â—s these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were wont to make use of them to the end they might be secured from the malice of Envious Persons The Arabians speaking of the Cure of Love doe advise us to take Occasion to discourse of the party that is the cause of this disease in the hearing of the Patient and to reckon up all her Imperfections â—â—vices making them more greater then they are and to set forth her vertues also in the colours and shape of Vices Et mala sunt vicina bonis Errore sub illo Pro vitio Virtus crimina saepe tulit Ill beares the shape of Good Thus oft 't is seene That Vertue hath for Vice mistakeÌ„ been Quà m potes in peius dotes deflecte puellae Or else saies Avicen let the Physitian give this in charge to some Old woman who will be a great deale fitter to disparage and extenuate the good qualities of his Mistresse alwaies provided that the Patient himselfe be not Naturally a baminded Lascivious person for this wiâ—â— then enflame his desires the more For every one Naturally loves their Like But if she be very faire and that it cannot bâ— denied without the suspicion of apparant malice then must they endeavour to lessen her worth by comparing her with those he himselfe knowes to be fairer Vos quoque formosis vestras coÌ„ferte Puellas Incipiet Dominae quemque pudere suae And they must labour by probable Arguments to prove unto him that that which he judgeth to be comely and handsome iâ— her is in the judgement of those that are more quicksighted both foule and deformed As for example if she have a handsome nose of a reasonable size and some what sharp let them tell him then she is Scold Luxurious Wanton and a meere â—imbe of the Divell and that according to the judgement of Aristotle And then commend unto him the litle Nose with Catullus or the Hawkes-nose with the Persians or the great Nose with Alberâ—us for an Argument of a good nature So likewise if she have a gray sparkling Eye say then that she is a foole lustfull inconstant and prowd and then commend as much on the other side with Hestod Homer Pindarus Iuvenall and Catullus those that have black Eyes taking the same course in the rest of her good parts For the Conditions that are required by the Naturalists in an Absolute Beauty are so many as that there cannot be found in the whole world a person so accomplished with all the necessary circumstances of Beauty but that each part will afford sufficient matter for a Criticall Eye to finde fault with Which Zeuxis the famous Painter knowing right well and being desired by the Crotonians to represent unto them the beauty of Helen he would not undertake it unlesse they would suffer him first to see all the fairest women iâ— the Country naked that so he might talâ— from each of them that which he judgeâ— to be most excellent Besides this Iudgement of Beauty differs according to the variety of Fancie in the beholders Ovid would have on faire and litle Hector made choice of on that was browne and of a bigger size for so was Andromache Turpis Romano Belgicus ore color The Italian desire to have her thick well set and plumpe the German preferreâ— one that is strong the Spaniard loves a wench that is leane and the French one that is soft delicate and tender but the Indians a black one Hippocrates and after him Celsus commend a tall stature in young people but dispraise it in old And for this cause the Ancient Poets fained that Beauty was the daughter of Iris and Admiration because that as the Sun reflecting upon a watry Cloud deceaves our Eyes making us beleeve we see diverse various colours which are not there but only in Appearance In like manner is Beauty nothing else but a false flash of Raies which dazle our eyes when it appeares from among the cloudes of so great variety of Allurements Whence we may conclude that the rarest and most excellent Beauties that are are not such indeed as they seeme to be but onely appeare to be so through the sole defect of the beholders and through the weaknesse of their Eyes who commonly judge that woman to be Beautifull which is of a white complexion and soft and tender cleane contrary to the judgement of Galen who saies that those are the signes of a False and Counterfeit Beauty and that true and Native Beauty consists in the just composure and Symmetry of the Parts of the Body a due proportion of flesh the goodnesse of the Colour Now he that desires to know whether a body be Proportionable or no he must according to our Anatomists lay him all along and cause him to extend his armes and legs equally as farre as he is able and then taking the Navill for the Center and measuring him round about that part that either goes beyond the Circumference of this circle oâ— else reacheth it not is to bee accounted Improportionable Vitruvius saies that the length of the face from the end of the chinne to the top of the forehead is the tenth part of a mans height If the Body be will set and strong it is seven times as long as the Head eight or nine times as long if the body be slender and delicate The eye-browes joyned together make up the circle of
both the eyes and so is there a certaine proportion in all the rest of the parts of the Body as you may read in Equicola and le sieur de Veyries in his Genealogy of Love Yet notwithstanding the Indians love those that have thicke lips the Peruvians judge those the most beautifull that have great rolling eyes and the Mexicans those that have litle fore-heads If you cannot perswade the Lover and make him confesse that his Mistresse wants these Conditions that are required to an Absolute Beauty then must you endeavour to deprive her of that Moving beauty which is called a Good Grace and consists in the due Composure of the Members and parts of the whole Body or else of the beauty of the Mind without which according to Plato Plutarch and Galen that of the body is nothing worth And then you may prove to him both by examples and Authority of good writers that for the most part those women that are faire are also as Common as likewise those that are unhandsome and deformed are altogether as troublesome and not to be endured according to that of the Comicke Poet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man saith he marry an ugly deformed woman she must needs be quickly loathsome unto him and he cannot take any delight either to be in her Company or so much as to come into his own house But if he get himselfe a handsome wife his neigbours commonly will have as much to doe with her as himselfe So that Marriage seemes to bring along with it unavoideably one of these great inconveniences Rara est concordia Formae Atque Pudicitiae Beauty and chastity seldome meet in one person For beauty is as it were a kind of prey that hath continually a thousand in chase of it And it is as a silent Letter Commendatory also of itselfe Formosa facies muta Commendatio est Which seduceth and over-reacheth the judgement of the beholder leaving a strong impression behind it But it is withall as a Letter written upon the Sand soon defaced Florem decoris singulicarpunt dies Each day blots out some of it's beautifull Characters But for as much as in the opinion of all Physitians that have written of the cure of this Malady it is necessary to represent unto the party affected the foulenes of his errour and the greatnes of the offence if he persist obstinately therein I would have this great charge left to Divines who are farre fitter to performe it then Physitians are Yet it so fals out oftimes that these admonitions doe not worke any good at all upon them but rather incense them and make them the more headstrong and obstinate in their follies according to that of the Poet Euripides as he is cited by Galen Venus admonita relaxat nihil Sinamque cogas ampliùs intendere appetit Admonitus autem amor magis premit Love's deafe to Counsell And if you by force Attempt to stop you rather speed it's course But Plautus goes farther yet and saies that Amor mores hominum moros morosos efficit Minùs placet magis quod suadetur quod disuadetur placet Cum inopia cupias quando copia est tum non velis Ille qui appellit is compellit Jlle qui consuadet vetat Insanum est malum in hospitium devorti ad Cupidinem Love is litle better then meere Madnesse for they that are possest with it are so humorsome and Inconstant in their desires that they know not themselves what they would have what they are perswaded to that they cannot endure to heare of and what they are disswaded from that they make choice of What is denied them that they earnestly desire and when 't is offered them then they refuse it c. And the reason of this distemperature in the Mind of a Lover is saith Aristotle because that he is wholy governed by his Passions which stop and hinder all passage to his reason which only is able to set him againe in the right way to Vertue from which he is now gone astray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that lives saith he according to his PassioÌ„s wil never hearken to any man that shall reprove him or disswade him from it neither indeed if he should hearken to it would he be able to understand it So Tibullus sware many times and promised his friend that he would never look upon his Mistresse agen yet for all that he could not forbeare Iuravi quoties rediturum ad limina nunquam Cùm benè juravi pes tamen ipse redit Oft have I sworne I 'de never see her more Yet still my feet betray me to her doore The breaking of their oathes in these matters they make no account of at all presuming perhaps upon that false Opinion that the Heathens held concerning perjury in Lovers which they believed the Gods easily pardoned in them as being in that state like litle foolish children without the use either of Iudgement or Reason We must then as P. Aegineta and Avicen advise us watch for a fit oportunity to give them some gentle admonitions For in time saith Galen Passions may weare away but not alwaies whensoever a man pleaseth For it is here saith Chrysippus just as it is with those that runne in plaine ground who can stop themselves in the midst of their course whensoever they please because that the weight of their own bodies drives them on no farther But if they take their course downe some Precipice or steep hill they cannot then stop themselves from falling when they please the weight of their owne bodies still forcing them on farther So in like manner when as Reason is the cause of the motions of the mind it is an easy matter to rule and order them as we list But when either Lust or Anger Passions which are very intractable and unruly and may therefore be fitly resembled to the heavinesse of the body falling downe a Precipice joyne their forces together they cannot so easily be check't on the suddaine and at pleasure but must bee gently dealt withall and corrected by degrees We must then watch our opportunity for to fit our selyes with this and all other remedies For opportunity is the very soule and perfection of Physique 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must also endeavour if possibly we can to convert his Love either into late or Iealousy by perswading him that his Mistresse doth not love him so well â—s she makes him beleive she does and that all her entermaintments favours kisses dalliances and embraces are only Baites and Enticements to keep him in continuall slavery otherwise she would more easily and willingly yeild to satisfy his desires for that true Love is to wish all good to the party beloved that may cause either his contentment or profit and not their owne only and so likewise to be greived and
Philosopher Marsilius Ficinus by name should advise for the cure of this Malady to be Drunke now and then that so there may be new blood and spirits bred for to supply the defects of the blood and spirits that are Infected by this disease of Love and so by this meanes to cure one vice by a greater seems to me to be a doctrine not only Impious but also very dangerous too But for confutation of Ficinus I shall only put the reader in mind of the example of Lots incest and the cause thereof We advise then that the Patient drink water insteed of wine that so by litle and litle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hippocrates saies the habit and disposition of the body may be altered by degrees to a contrary state Or else which will be much better let them accustome themselves to fast often and feed on bread and water For as the Poet Achaus saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love takes not up his lodging in an Empty belly But contrarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venus delights in Fulnesse and variety of dainties Especially if the party affected be in good plight and high fed and of a sanguine or Cholerick complexion For in this case all his meats must be but very litle nutritive but rather Refrigerative and of a cooling quality And therefore ye must give him in his broaths and salads Purslane Sorrell Endive Succory and Lettuce which is so soveraigne a Remedy against this Malady that Venus desiring to forget all her unchast desires buried her deare Adonis under a bed of Lettuce Some Physitians preferre the Seed before the Leafe Or else we may use conserves of red Roses or Province Roses which are said to be very effectuall in these cases The same vertue doe they also attribute to Mints not so much because they coole as Aristotle Pliny Magnimus Arnaldus de Villa Nova and diverse others have thought being moved thereto because that perhaps they had observed out of Hippocrates that Mints doe take away all Venereall desires but rather for that they disperse and consume the seed if a man use to eate it often as the same Hippocrates lib. 2. de Diaeta affirmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which makes me suspect that that place of Aristotle is corrupted and that in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to coole it should be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to consume by dissolving or melting But the Poets doe fabulously referre this vertue that is found to be in Mints to a certaine Nymph forsooth called Mentha daughter to Cocytus one of the Infernall Rivers and beloved of Pluto who comming to the knowledge that Pluto was fallen in Love with Proserpine the daughter of Ceres the Goddesse of Plants and Corne shee made her boasts that shee her selfe farre surpassed Proserpine for beauty and withall threatned to raise rebellion against Pluto if he offered to bring her into his Subterranean Dominions But Ceres being informed hereof she obtained of Iupiter that this Nymph should be transformed into an Hearbe of that name with this Curse also upon her that she should ever be accounted an Enemy to Loves Mysteries Yet Avicen holds the contrary opinion to that of Hippocrates and Aristotle affirming that it is of a nature contrary to the Prevention and Cure of Love which is also the opinion of Paulus Aegineta Aetius Dioscorides and many others But these contrarieties of opinion in these learned Authors may as I conceive be easily reconciled if we say that according to the doctrine of Hippocrates and Aristotle Mints are contrary to the motions of Love when it is caused by Humid Repletion for in this case dry meats and Medicines are very hurtfull as we may collect out of Avicen cap. 28. 29. Lib. 3. Fen. 20. tr 1. But if the complexion of the party affected be Hot and full of Serosities and sharpe and salt Humours Mints are then very hurtfull according to the opinion of Aegineta Aëtius and Avicen They must also oftentimes use to eate Grapes Melons Cherries Plummes Apples Peares and such like fruit The Epigrammatist greatly commends among the rest the Stock-dove or rather the Woodquest and Ringdove Jnguina torquati tardant hebetantque Palumbi Non edat hanc volucrem qui cupit esse salax I would also have them eate the coursest browne bread or bread made of Rie Barley Millet or Spelt which Quercetanus in his Treasure of Health mistakes for a kind of Wheat without any beard because that Spelt corne is called Zea generally by all our Herbalists which is but a hungry kind of graine that yeelds somewhat more nourishment then Barley and a great deale lesse then Wheat They must also sometimes use to take Hempe-seed or Agnus Castus both which seeds Galen reckons among Aliments Rue Cummin or Corianderseed and let them have in their sauces Vineger juyce of Lemons Orenges Sorrell Verdejuyce and the like But they must be sure to take heed of all manner of Aromaticall things and all fried or salt meats because that Salt by reason of its Heat and Acrimony provokes to lust those that use to eate it in any great quantity And for this cause the Aegyptian Priests were wont to abstaine from all manner of Salt meats having found by experience that salt things doe cause a kind of Itching or Tickling in those parts that serve for Generation And therefore the Rhodians as Athenaeus hath observed called the Feasts of Cupid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Poets also with Plato have surnamed Venus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as to say Borne of Salt or of the Sea intimating unto us by this Poeticall fiction the generative vertue of Salt which is indeed very great And this is the reason that Fishes are more fruitfull and multiply faster then any other living creatures whatsoever And we see that vessells of salt commonly produce great store of Mice the Female conceaving without a Male meerely by licking of the salt if we may believe Aristotle In like manner we see that Sheapheards usually give salt to their sheepe goats and Huntsmen likewise to their doggs by giving them flesh powdered a long time in pickle for to raise and awaken in them their Generative Faculty when it is in a manner quite dulled and dead in them Which makes me apt to thinke that this word Salacitas which signifies an earnest desire and appetite to Carnall Copulation is derived from Sal signifying Salt and sometimes also Beauty or Gracefulnesse according to that of the Poet. Nec est in tanto corpore mica Salis. Our Patient must abstaine also from all meats that are very Nutritive Hot Flatulent and Melancholy as soft Egges Partridges Pigeons Sparrowes Quailes Hare and especially greene Geese by reason of some certaine secret properties that are attributed unto them by Magnimus and Arnaldus de Villa nova which I would have to be understood of the Liver only which is indeed very nourishing and
which the Romans as Athenaeus saith made more account of then of all the other parts of the flesh it being most certaine that the flesh of a Goose is very hard of digestion and abounds in Excrements all save only the wings as Galen affirmes in his lib. 3. de Alimentis He must also take heed that he doe not use to eate often Pine-nuts Pistachoes small Nuts Cives Artichokes Coleworts Rapes Carrots Parsnips green Ginger Eringoes Satyrion Onions Waternuts Rocket c. Nec minus Erucas aptum est vitare salaces Et quicquid Veneri corpora nostra parat Oysters also Chestnuts Ciche pease which Pliny for this reason calls venerea and all such like meats The Alterative Medicines that are of the like quality are farre more dangerous then Meats are as the seed of the Roman or Red Nettle Ash-keys the leaves of Wood-bine the true Scinkes which according to Rondeletius are Land Crocodiles Diasatyrion Triphera Saracenica Diazinziber and such like powders and Opiates as you may finde them reckond up by Avicen Nicholas Monardes Scrapion Mesue Andernacus Arnaldus Matthaeus Gradeus Rhasis and other Authenticke Authors Now as the use of any of these Medicaments above specified is very dangerous So doe I conceive that Idlenesse is much more And therefore we shall doe very well to take care that our Patient be alwaies in some serious Imployment or other according to his quality and condition Finem qui quaeris Amori Cedit Amor rebus res age tutus eris â—f from Loves power thou wouldst deliverd be Be still imployed and thou shalt soone be free Whether it be in Warlike Actions or Hunting Study or Husbandry And therefore the Poets feigne that Cupid could never prevaile against Vesta Pallas or Diana notwithstanding that he had triumphed over all the rest both Gods and Goddesses Intimating by this fiction that those that place their delight and are alwaies imployed either in the study of Learning Hunting or Husbandry are not subject to the power of Love And therefore let him be sure in the first place to avoide Idlenesse as being both the Cause and Fuell too of Loves flames Ergo ubi visus eris nostrâ medicabilis Arte Faec monitis sugias Ocia prima meis Haec ut ames faciunt quae fecêre tuertur Haec sunt Iucundi causa cibusque mali If thou would'st have me cure thy Malady Be sure that first all Idlenesse thou fly This makes thee Love and so still keep thee This Both Cause and Food of this sweet mischiefe is And as concerning the Exercise they must use Mercurialis would have it to be Moderate But I for my part should rather with Galen and Marsilius Ficinus prescribe it somewhat violent ad sudoreâ—usque till they sweat againe alwaies provided that the disease be not alread growne to Madnesse And of all kind oâ— Exercise I approve most of Hunting whereby Hippolytus is said to have preserved his chastity and Riding although that at the first indeed it seemes rather to provoke the body to venery as the Philosopher also observes in his Problems Sect. 4. Neverthelesse the frequent use of â—â— is very effectuall in this case as Hippocrates also assures us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those people that are great Riders are â—he least apt for Venery And this he â—roves by the example of the Scythians whom he affirmes by reason of their continuall and immoderate use of Horsemanâ—hip to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most Impotent and Eunuch-like men in the world Yet are there some kinds of Exercise and Recreations altogether as dangerous â—s the reading of Lascivious books Muâ—icke playing upon the Violl Lute or any other instruments But the most dangerous of all are Plaies Revels Masques and Dancing for that these exercises doe â—s well open the pores of the Heart as of the body So that if any Serpent in the meane time chance to whisper into his care any Lascivious wanton or idle discourse or if any Basiliske chance to cast forth some unchast looks and effeminate glances the heart is very easily surprised and impoysoned therewith especially if it have ever before been wounded with Cupids darts And what the Naturalist report of the nature of the Leopard maâ— not unfitly be applied to Love For as the beast by reason of his sweet savour drawes all other kinds of beasts after him but especially the Apes yet these of a the rest he is not able to catch because they suddenly take the top of some treâ— or other he therefore endeavours to crâ—â— cumvent them by craft and therefore he lies downe upon the ground and covering himselfe all over with boughes he counterfeits himselfe to be dead and that so cunningly that the Apes beleeve him to be so indeed Which they no sooneâ— perceave but that presently they leapâ— downe from the Trees and fall to dancing and frisking round about him very joy fully till at length the Leopard finding them now to have sufficiently wearied themselves with their sporting about him suddenly leaps out among them and seases upon as many of them as he caâ—â— well tell what to doe withall and so devoures them In like manner doth this little Divell Love daily at the first with those he intends to ruine inviting them with some slight pleasure or other as â—â—ncing revels plaies or the like from â—â—ese he leads them on perhaps to a highâ—â— degree of content which they shall â—â—de in ordinary conversation and familiâ—ity with their Loves from this they â—roceed to Passionate Love and this perhaps at length brings them to the injoyment of their desires But when that he â—â—th got them once within his power he â—en seazes on them with all violence â—orrupting their principall and most noâ—e faculties perverting their Iudgement and depraving their Imagination and thus under the Appearance of secure delights he involves them in a thousand â—all Miseries For the Pleasure that Loâ—ers enjoy may very fitly be compared to that kind of Hony which they call Mel Heracleoticum which by reason of the â—ast of Aconitum that is in it is more pleasant then any other ordinary Hony at the â—â—rst tast but when it comes to the point of digestion it causeth a giddinesse in the Head and a dimnenesse in the eyes and â—t the last leaves a very bitter tast in the mouth They must also carefully avoid all manner of lascivious discourse dalliance aâ— Kissing which notwithstanding that oâ— Ladies with Theocritus account to â— Vaine and of no force in this case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet doe they carry great dangâ—â— in them And therefore they may be likâ—ned to those Egyptian Theeves wâ—â— were wont to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is â— say Kissers because that under the faiâ— pretence of saluting and kissing thoâ— they met upon the way they would so upon them and rob them But the greatest danger of all is in the Contrectation touching of their handâ— breasts and other more secret
remedy and very necessary also in the cure of all Hypochondriacall Melancholy because that by this Fluxe the Spleen and Mesentery discharge themselves of all grosse and earthy Humours that cause obstructions in those parts And this course is commended unto us both by Hippocrates in his Aphorismes and Epidemicks also by Galen in his Tract de Mania and in his Comment upon the 25. Aphorisme of Hippocrates lib. 4. the words whereof are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The opening of the Haemorrhoids is the surest remedy both for the Cure and the Prevention of any Melancholy disease The Varices have almost the same vertue that the Haemoroids have if they chance to happen in this disease of Love-Melancholy by reason that the Melancholy Flatuosities are conveighed away from the Privy parts where they would otherwise provoke a desire to Venery and are derived to the Veines in the Thighs and other Varicall Veines according to the opinion both of Aristotle and all our Moderne Physitians But I must needs confesse for my own part that I have found the Varices to bee of very litle or no force at all in this case And therefore I should rather substitute instead thereof as Arnaldus also adviseth Couping-glasses applyed on the Legs or Thighs with sufficient scarification or else apply to the same parts one or two Potentiall Cauteries But if the Clitoris by reason of its length be the cause of this Furious Desire as it very often happens so to be it must then be taken shorter according to the manner prescribed by Moschio and Albucasis unto whom I must referre you because I desire to avoid Tediousnesse And in case these Remedies availe not and the disease still growes stronger in so much that it may be feared that without some speedy redresse the Patient will grow Wolfe-mad you must then open the Arme Veines and let them bleed till the party is ready to fall downe for faintnesse and losse of blood and you must also apply an Actuall Cautery if the party can endure it otherwise you must be content with a Potentiall Cautery applyed to the Forehead as both Aegineta Oribafius Avicen and other Authors of good note informe us in their severall Tracts de Lycanthropia Lycaone Lycano Alchatrab and Alcutubut into which disease this of Love-Melancholy doth many times degenerate as Avicen affirmes in his Chapter de Ilisco sive de Amore. CHAP. XXXIX Pharmaceuticall Remedies for the cure of Love or Erotique Melancholy AS the Scurfe Itch cannot well be cured unlesse the Blood be first purified and the salt Nitrous Humours which are immixed with the masse of the blood be purged by convenient Medicines orderly administred and not rashly and inconsiderately but gently and as wee are wont to say per Epicrasin purging out the bad Humours by degrees and supplying good Humours instead of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hippocrates All suddaine and violent Evacuation Repletion Heating or Cooling of the Body or any the like violent Motion in the body whatsoever is very dangerous For Nature abhorres whatsoever is too much but is pleased with a Mediocrity in all things Which Aphorisme although it seeme to be pronounced of all diseases in generall yet is it proved more particularly to be true in the Scab and Itch which alwaies are observed to grow worse by the rash and unadvised application of Oyntments and Purges So likewise must wee take the same course and order of proceeding in the cure of Love-Melancholy or Erotique Madnesse which disease requires a great deale of time for the curing of it as well for those reasons before alleaged in the 21. Chapter as also because that the Humour Peccant is the more head-strong and Intractable by reason of its extreame Drinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is Dry is very hard to bee removed or wrought upon And that this disease is not suddenly cured but requires some good space of time for the effecting of it Hippocrates also assures us in his booke de Natura Hominis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Melancholy saith hee being the most Viscous and clammie Humour that is in the body is therefore the hardest to be purged forth requireth the lōgest time to be removed Which seems also to be confirmed by the cure that Valleriola wrought upon the Merchant of Arles which he could not perfect under the space of six or seven Moneths But for our more orderly and Methodicall proceeding in the cure of this disease we will divide it into two Principall parts namely the Humectation or moystning of the Body or of the Peccant Humour and the Evacuation and purging of the same according as we are instructed by Avicen also in this case Canon curationis Melancholiae est ut pervenias ad ultimum in Humectatione cum hoc non sis diminutus in Evacuatione Cholerae Nigrae Now this Humectation must be performed by Meats Alterative Medicines Baths Topicall Plaisters And the Purgation is to be done with all convenient speed but very gently and with intermission for feare of over-heating the Humour And yet the Humour is many times so stubborne as that gentle and easie Medicines worke not at all upon it And therefore it was not unfitly compared by one to a troublesome Garrison of Souldiers that are billetted in some poore town or other where they may live as they please themselves no man daring to controwle them For though they entreat them never so kindly yet shall they very hardly be rid of them without much adoe But if they give them the least distast they will then stay there the longer if it be but to vexe and torment them the more We shall doe well then to begin our Purgation with a gentle Clyster for to evacuate the Excrements of the first Region of the Body and we must compose it of some mollifying and Refreshing Decoction adding thereto some Catholicon Diaprum Simp. or the like The next day we may give our patient a convenient quantity of Cassia with a litle Sena Orient well prepared or else a dramme of Confect Hamech or Diasenna or if he please he may take a gentler purge of Catholicon Tryphera Pers and Syrup Rosar to which you may adde a quantity of Rhubarbe and Agaric After this Minorative it will then be time to fall to the preparing of the Humour by Iuleps or Decoctions as for example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buglos Borag cum radic Cichor Endiv. Acetos Pimpinellae caeterach ana m. j. summit lupul. fumar Beton ana m. ss polypod querni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ss passull mund Corinth ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iij. Prunor. dulc par iij. semin melon Cucurb eucumer mundat ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. ss semin Agn. casti anisi ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. flor trium Cordial Thymi Epithymi ana p. i. fiat omnium decoctio lib. ij Colaturae adde sucor borrag lupuli poenor