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
his heels how ill soever they like him And here by the way wee are to observe with Galen that these externall causes have no power at all but upon unworthy and Ignoble spirits and such as are in a great disposition to evill And for this cause some Physitians will not have them called the Causes but the Occasions only of this disease to which notwithstanding it is not safe for any man voluntarily to expose himselfe For hee that wilfully runnes upon a danger shall fall in the same We will then reduce them all methodically into six heads to wit Aire Meats Exercise or Rest Waking or Sleeping Excretion or Retention and the Passions of the Minde Concerning the First Hippocrates saies that those that inhabit the more Northerne Countries as the Scythians and Sarmatians are very litle subject to this disease of Love and if so the contrary consequence then must necessarily hold good concerning those that are exposed to a hotter Aire as are the Aegyptians Arabians Moores and Spaniards this is confirmed by daily experience Hesiod affirmes that women are more prone to wantonnesse in summer and men in winter and proves this his opinion by the same reasons that are alleaged by Aristotle in his Problems for confirmation of the same assertion To which I will adde this generall position out of Hippocrates in his book de Aer loc aq where hee saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Inward Principall parts of the Body doe change their complexion and Temperature as the Seasons alter whence hee concludes that Astronomy is very necessary for all those that professe Physick But Aristotle goes farther yet where he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goodnesse of the Temperature which still depends much upon the Aire conduceth much to the clearenesse of the understanding Which gave occasion to Galen to write that Book of his where hee labours to prove that the Manners of the Minde follow the Temperature of the Body In which as also in his other writings he impiously disputeth at least erroneously concerning the Soule as also many other heathen Philosophers besides him have done The Astrologers for the most part are not content to allow with the Physitians that these effects are produced oftimes and indirectly by the manifest Qualities of the Aire caused by the Influence of the Coelestiall bodies but are bold to attribute this power to the Planets also saying that the Soule holds its judgement of Saturne Actions of Iupiter of Mars Courage and Magnanimity Senses of the Sun Life of the Moone and lastly of Venus who is Hot moderately moist and of Benevolent Influence Love I will not here stand to dispute whether or no the Stars have any power at all to work by their Influence either on our Minde or Body I shall handle this Question hereafter more at large I shall only in this place let you know that it is the opinion of the Iudiciary Astrologers that the Starres have power to work both on the Body and the Minde indirect â motione contingenter non directè necessariò that is Indirectly and by chance not directly and necessarily Iudicia quippe Astrologorum sunt media inter necessarium contingens as Aquinas speaking of Ptolomy hath resolved it The judgement that Astrologers give is of a middle nature betwixt Necessity and Possibility Otherwise it would utterly exclude the Freedome of the will which the Pagans themselves never denied in this point more moderate then some of our times who though they had no other guide then the dimme light of Nature have yet confessed that Sapiens dominabitur Astris 'T was in the power of a wise man to dispose his Fate And for this cause I reckon these Coelestiall Influences among the Externall Causes which are not at any time the Necessary causes of a disease but only when they are strongly united and meet with a Body disposed for the receaving of their vertue The same is our opinion concerning the manifest qualities of the Aire otherwise all Aegyptians Italians Spaniards and Africans should of necessity bee â—ascivious which Countries have yet brought forth very worthy and famous men that have farre surpassed for chastity both the Scythians Moscovites and Polonians Democriti sapientia monstrat Summos posse viros magna exempla daturos Vervecum in patriâ crassoque sub aëre nasci The wise Democritus may prove The dullest Climats sometimes have brought forth Examples of rare vertue great worth Now if the Aire have such great power â—over our bodies Meats and Drinks must needs have more And these are of two sorts that is either Hot Flatuous very Nutritive or else such as ingender Melancholy Humours as we may gather out of Galen towards the end of his last book de Loc. Aff. as we shall shew more at large in the Chapter of the Prevention of Love to the end that those that desire to keep themselves free from this folly or rather Madnesse may refraine from the use of them Among the Externall and manifest causes of Melancholy Idlenesse may be accounted one of the chiefest for as much as when a melancholy man is idle he is at leasure to entertain his own sad Thoughts the better and so by this meanes growes more Melancholy still For it is certaine that all the Actions of the Minde as Pensivenesse and too much Thinking doe dry up the Blood and make it Melancholy Besides this Idlenesse is commonly the Mother of unchast Love which for the most part takes its beginning and Birth among those that are Idle and have litle else to doe but spend their time in painting crisping and curling themselves and courting their Looking-glasses and cannot endure to thinke of any manner of labour or serious Imployment as sings the Comick Poet Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides this they employ their time in â—ancings wanton and dissolute Plaies sevels Scalpuntur ubi intima versu â—â—ch as will tickle their spleen and in diâ—erse other such like pleasures of which â—r effeminate Love-sick Gallants are for â—e most part the ingenious Artists and Devisers We read in Theocritus Philostratus Aristophanes and Virgil that a certaine â—ay with Apples was in great request among the Ancients Malo me Galataea petit lasciva puella Which play was used to be presented â—ow and then by Lovers to their Mistresâ—es as appeares by that place of the Lyrick Poët Frustis Pomis viduas venantur avaras And Lucian in his Toxaris reports that Chariclea desirous to win the love of her Dinias would use to send him witherâ— Posies and Apples halfe eaten Others â— sed Figs in stead of Apples Because that the Figtree as Plutarque observes is the Embleme of a Woman whose barke and leaves are rough and bitter but the frâ—â— thereof so pleasant and delightfull that hath alwaies been used as the Hieroglyphick of Sweetnesse Moreover as to sleep overmuch especially on a soft
the beliefe of that whereof themselves are already perswaded which is that they love nothing but what is absolutely perfect both for Goodnesse Beauty and Profit and they would willingly have these opinions of theirs confirmed also by all other mens judgements This is that which moved Candaules to bring Gyges into his bed-chamber and there to let him have a perfect view of the naked Beauties of his Wife Vnlesse you will rather say that the Reason that those that are in Love talke so much is to exercise their Perswasive Faculty that so by this means they may render themselves the more worthy of their Mistresses Love Non formosus erat sed erat facundus Vlisses Attamen Aequoreas torsit Amore Deds T was not Vlisses Forme but sweet Discourse â—at did to seeke his love the Sea-Nymphs force â—nd for this cause the Heathen of old â—ere wont to place the Image of Venus betwixt the Images of Mercury and Piâ—o the one being the God of Eloquence â—e other the Goddesse of Perswasion Which gave occasion to Lucian to feigne at Mercury as soone as ever he was â—t newly borne overcame at wrastling â—e God Cupid who before had triumâ—ed over all the other Gods both Coeleâ—all and Infernall By the signes we have already set owne and by his languishing countenance did Ionadab discover that Amnon â—â—ing Davids sonne was enamoured of me Princesse or great personage For â—hose that are in Love saith Cydippe in Oâ—id have alwaies a kind of languishing countenance and that too without any Apparant cause So likewise by those above named Symptomes joyned together with the palenesse of the Colour feeblenesse of the knees was a step mother mentioned by Apuleius discoverd to be in love with her sonne in Law Pâ—lor deformis Marcentes oculi lassagenuâ— quies turbida spiritus cruciatus tâ—rd tate vehementior which Apuleius seems to have learne of Avicen or some other oâ— the Ancient Physitians There is besides no order or equality at all in their Gesture Motions or Actions and they are perpetually sighing and complaining without any cause Sapho could not sit a her distaffe Paris could not sleepe Canace grew pale leane and froward and was still complaining without any evident cause and by these signes her nurâ—â— found that she was in Love Fugerat ore color maciesque obduxerat Artus Sumebant minimos ora coacta cibos Nec somni faciles non erat annua nobis Et gemitum nullo pressa dolore dabaâ— Prima malum nutrix animo praesensit anili c. In like manner did Erasistratus discover â—he Love of Antiochus to his Step-mother for so soon as ever she but entred into the Chamber his colour changed his â—eech was stopped his lookes were smiâ—ing and pleasant or else as Vigenerius â—ith very stedfastly bent upon their Object his face burned and hee was all in a weat his Pulse beat very disorderly and â—stly his heart failed him he grew pale amazed astonished often with other such â—â—ke Symptomes which as Sapho affirmes are wont to appeare in Melancholy Lovers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plutarch hath it in the â—fe of Demetrius Yet we finde these verâ—es of that Learned and Amorous Poëtesse â—apho cited thus in Dionysius Longinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which are translated into Latine both by Ovid Statius and also by Catullus in that manner Lingua sed torpet tonuis sub Artus Flamma dimanat sonnitu suopte Tinniunt Aures Gemina teguntur Lumina nocte My stam'ring tongue her speech forgets A gentle Heat each Ioynt besets All quicknesse from my Eyes is gone My Eares heare no sounds but their own By which Verses we may conclude that this Damsell was as skilfull and as well experienced in this Art as any either of our Greek Arabian or Latine Physitians for as much as there is not nay mention made of any Symptome or certaine signe of this Disease by them which she seems not acquainted with Galen Erasistratus and all our Modern Physitians adde to these the unequall and confused beating of the Pulse And Galen boasts that by these Signes joyned together he discovered the miserable doating of Iustus his wife upon Pylades I had found saies he Lib. de Cogn Cur. morb Anim. and cap. 6. de Praecogn ad Posthem That she had neither Fever nor any other Corporall Disease so that I presently conjectured that shee was in Love And â—hen because that at the naming of Pylades her colour changed her Pulse beat unequally and with diverse motions as it â—ses to doe when a Man resolves on any treat matter of Consequence I concluded that she was in Love with Pylades From which words of Galen there is a â—ice Question raysed by our Moderne Physitians whether or no there is a certaine distinct kinde of Pulse by which Love is discovered besides that Inequality which Galen elsewhere calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you may read at large discussed by Franâ—iscus Vallesius who with Avicen and the more Learned sort of Physitians mainâ—aines the Negative and that because that Rationall Love is an Affection of the Braine as likewise Irrationall and dishonest Love is of the Liver but neither of them of the Heart as wee have already demonstrated which suffers no whit at all in Love but only by Sympathy Yet I deny not but that by the Pulse it is possible to know a Passionate Lover by reason of the stirring of the Spirits for which cause Avicen saies that if one would know the name of such a ones Mistresse he must feele his Pulse and at the same instant name the Party whom hee suspects to be the cause of his Malady take some occasion or other to commend her Beauty sweetnesse of Behaviour Parentage Attire or Qualities of Mind for at the same time Pulsus diversificabitur in varietate magnâ fiet similis Intersecto you shall perceave saith he a strange alteration in the Motion of the Pulse and it will be very unequall and often interrupted Which is the opinion of Galen also in the afore cited places and of Paulus Aegineta ind his 3. booke and 37. Chapter Christophorus à Vega addes to these Signes here set downe another which in my opinion seemes to bee of litle or no moment and that is that those that are in Love will not eat Grapes because that this kinde of fruit filleth the Stomack and Belly with Winde and this Inflation oppressing the Midriffe and hindering the motion of the Heart disturbeth Respiration and suffers them not to sigh at their pleasure By the greater part of these Signes when I first began to practise in this Faculty at Agen the place of my birth in the yeare 1604. I discovered the foolish doatings of a young Schollar of that City who was desperatly gone in Love and made his complaint
hinder the operation of its cheifest Faculties It seemes to bee very necessary in the first place to take away the superfluity of Blood by opening the Liver Veine in the right arme And if the party be of a good Constitution Sanguine and well in flesh you may take the greater quantity from him because that their strength will bee able to beare the losse of the greater store of Blood And you may reiterate it two or three times in a yeare so long as there is any danger of this Disease remaining especially if you finde that this course would have been good to have been taken with the Patientat the first After the Liver Veine hath been opened I would advise to take some quantity of Blood accordingly as the Age and strength of the Patient would beare it from the Hamme Veine especially if the party be troubled with the Satyriasis and the Physitian find himselfe able enough to doe this Or in stead of this I would open the Saphena or Ankle Veine or else apply Couping glasses upon his thigh neere to the privy parts having first made sufficient Scarification But he must not come to these particular Evacuations unlesse the Veine in the Arme were first opened which in case of the Satyriasis or Vterine Fury I would have to bee done the first day For otherwise this would bee a meanes rather to attract and draw down more Blood to those parts which are both the cause and seat of the disease then to draw it away Some use Cauterismes on the Legs but I doe not approve of this course but rather take it to be vaine and of litle or no force at all The Scythians as Herodotus reports were wont to cut the Veines behind their Eares and so by this meanes made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impotent and weake and having brought downe themselves to this base dejected state they took upon them the habit of Women and spun with them too as Hippocrates relates for as the same Author affirmes lib. de Aëre Loc. Aqu. the cutting of those Veines or Arteries that joyne close to the Eares makes the persons so cut Impotent and unapt for Generation Notwithstanding Vesalius and some other Anatomists will have this defect to proceed rather from the cutting of the Nerves of the Sixth Conjugation which passing along by the eares are terminated in the Genitals and Spermaticall Vessels This remedy being so easie might also seeme very usefull for all those that have taken upon them the Vow of Perpetuall Chastity but that there seemes to bee some danger in it of hurting the Memory and Iudgement as may be collected out of Avicen and is confirmed also by the example of the Scythians before mentioned who by this Chirurgicall experiment made upon themselves became starke Fooles and Idiots CHAP. XXXII Medicinall Remedies for the Prevention of Love or Erotique Melancholy THE first Medicinall remedy shall be a Clyster composed of cooling and moystening Ingredients among which it will doe well to mixe Hemp seed Agnus Castus and the like And the next day after you shall give him a sufficient quantity of Cassia Catholicon Diaprum or Tryphera Persica with a litle Agnus Castus or else a very gentle Purge for wee must not in this case use any violent Purgation or which would make the body over Laxative as both Avicen and Aëtius are of opinion who to this purpose prescribes the Decoction of Betes Mallows or the hearbe Mercury For all violent Medicaments doe heat the Humours and inrage the Blood driving downe the Excrements toward the Inferiour parts and Spermaticall Vessels And for this reason Arnaldus de Villa Nova cap. de Regim Cast Vivent preferres Vomits in this case before Purging Then let the party take every morning a litle milke or else some broath or Iulip that may refresh the blood using also some Medicinall drinke which is of a contrary nature to the generation of seed especially if the party be of a moyst complexion for for such persons these kinde of Medicines are very good as Avicen saith This Medicine I commonly use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rad. Buglos borag cichor ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. fol. Endiv. acetos portul lupul. lactuc ana m. j. sem 4. frigid major minor ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. semin viticis papav albi ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ij passul Corinth flor Nenufar viol ana p. j. decoq. ad lib. j. in colat dissol sirup de pomis redolent viol Nenufar ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. misce fiat Iulep clarif aromat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. santal albi pro tribus aut 4. dosibus matutinis Sometimes also I adde hereto some few graines of Camphire or else I temper it with water of Lettice Purslane or water-Lillies and so give it him to drinke for some certaine Mornings especially the party affected be of a Hot and Cholerick constitution For as Dioscorides saith these hearbs are very powerfull and efficacious for the Prevention and cure of this Malady The Athenian Priests were wont to take Hemlocke for this purpose notwithstanding that it was the Ordinary poyson that the Areopagites used to put Malefactors to death withall as we may observe out of Plato And S. Basil who is reported to have been as well an excellent Physitian as a Divine affirmes that hee had seen women that have quite extinguished all their unchast Heats meerely by drinking of hemlock But we must take heed that we use not any Diureticall Medicines that for the reason before alleadged concerning Purgation Besides all such Medicaments are commonly Hot and Dry except they be qualified with a litle quantity of milke and water which may temper their Heat For Mercurialis affirmes that hee hath cured women of this Love-Madnesse by these remedies only Or else let them use this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lent palust p. 5. sem lact port â—apau albi ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. rosar nenuf anae â— 5. coquant in aqua cum q. s sacchari â—at sirup quo utatur singulis diebus Some â—ake and boyle in their broaths a litle Moâ—ell and Hemlocke but I am not of their Opinion And if there be any danger of Ventosity as there may very well be in such persons as are of a Melancholy constitution then you shall use Decoctions Iulips or Oyntments and the like rather then cooling Simples After that he hath taken these drinkes it would not be amisse to purge him with those Medicines above set downe or else with Rhubarbe sirupe of Roses or with the sirupe of Succory compounded with Rhubarbe But methinkes it is a very Ridiculous conceit of Arnaldus Villanovanus where he saies that there is no better way in the world to secure a man from this Disease then to carry about him a knife with a haft made of the wood of Agnus Castus It is also very good to bath the privy members in Vineger
the juyce of Morell Plantaine Hipwort House leeke or the like liquors especially if the party doe no marry But for my part I conceive that aâ— there is lesse danger in bathing ones self in cold water so perhaps there might nâ— lesse benefit issue there from considering that those wenches of Lions were heretofore cured of this disease only by leaping into the river Sosne as we have before related This bathing which must bee done with cold water in the summer and iâ— luke-warme in winter you may reiteratâ— oftentimes alwaies anoynting the reineâ— of the backe and the Groyne with Galen Refrigerating Oyntment or Mesues Roâ—satum or Camphoratum To which you may also adde the juyce of those cooling Hearbes before mentioned Yet must there be great heed taken as Aegineta saith least while we are so carefull of cooling the Privy parts and loynes the reines doe not suffer too much by it There is also great danger of stopping the course of their monethly Tearmes in Women and Virgins if so bee that these Stupefactive and cooling Medicaments bee used too frequently And therefore least that avoyding one inconvenience we fall into a greater we must take heed of giving women â—ay inward Medicines that have Vinegar â— theÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saih Hippocrates It â—ffends the Matrix and secret Parts causeing great paine and gripings in them And Avenzoar gives the reasons hereof unto whom I must referre the Reader for more particular satisfaction herein Aetius besides the annointing of the â—eynes Loynes and the parts adjoining adviseth to bath the forehead and Temples also with Oxyrhodeum especially if there be any danger of Madnesse Vterine Fury or Erotique Melancholy If it should seeme to bee somewhat dangerous for the patient to have these Oyntments Cere-cloathes or cooling Fomentations aplied unto him you shall doe well then to gird him about with a thin plate of lead to which both Galen Avicen Aegineta Andreas Laurentius and all our moderne Physitians attribute great vertue in this case But they must take heed that hee weare it not too long for feare it may offend the Reines Besides all these Remedies already set downe Arnaldus de Villa-Nova addes yet another the use whereof he commends to aâ—â— that desire to live chast and especiall Friers and other Religious persons which is to goe Barefoot There are yet some other Remedies that concerne particularly the cure of the disease in Women who are the most of aâ— subject unto it And these are commonly Clysters composed of very cold Hearbes mixt with a certain quantity of Camphirâ— Castorium or Rue Or else they may usâ— Vterine Clysters such as this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lent excortic p. ij flor salic rosar ana p. i. fol. olivae m. i. fiat decoct ad lib. i. in qua dissol trochisc de Camâ—phor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. misce fiat Clyster injiciatur iâ— sinum pudoris Or else this other out of Aëtius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nitri Cardamomi ana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. cum ceratis excipito fiat pessus quem pudendis subdito Vel certam quantitatem Diacordiâ— cum solani sucoo mixtam in sinum Veneriâ— indito There are also diverse other Remedies and Prescriptions in case of this disease which have been left us by women that have had some proportion of skill in Phyâ—â—cke such as was Cleopatra sister to Arâ—oë who in her Prologue to her booke desires to be called The Queen of Physitians Her advise to her daughter Theodota â—â— that if the disease be already growne to Madnesse or Vterine Fury that then she â—hould intra portulam Veneris radiculam â—mmittere panno involutam dicitque mirum dictu super pannum hunc exinde repetium Vermiculos quosdam inveniri And here I would desire the Reader to take notice by the way that my desire â—s to speake as modestly as possibly I can â—et must I withall observe the Precepts and Tearmes of Physicke which cannot so well stand oftentimes with the Civility and modesty of Language Amo Vereâ—undiam saith Tully sed magis amo libertatem loquendi I love Modesty but yet I love the Liberty of Speech more And yet am I not one of Zeno's sect cui placuit suo quamque rem nomine appellare who would have every thing called by its own name and maintained that nothing was Obscene nor unfit for the chastest eares to heare And indeed it may seeme to bee something a disputable businesse whether or no the names are obscene and dishonest when as the Parts themselves that are signified by them are not so but are Naturall usefull and necessary and of which also we oftentimes make publicke dissections and demonstrations and discourse openly of their substance number figure situation connexion Actions and use Perrot a French Physitian adviseth to take Camphire and distill it a douzen times assuring us that this remedy excel all other in vertue and efficacy And Arnaldus de villa nova saies that if a man take the right stone of a Wolfe and put iâ— under the right stone of the party affected he will in a short space forget all his unchast desires But this is not the only trifling devise that is to bee found in that booke of his de Venenis But if this should be true which yet I am very apt to suspect we must attribute this effect to some certaine Occult quality to which wee must also referre the vertue which both he and diverse other Physitians doe impute to the Carbuncle Saphire Emerauld and Iaspir stones for the preserving a main from Love-Melancholy if he weare any of these precious stones on the Ring-finger of his left hand CAP. XXXIII The cure of Erotique Melancholy and Love Madnesse DIogenes going one day to the Oracle at Delphos to aske counsell what was the most soveraigne and speediest Remedy for the cure of his sonne that was growne mad for Love received this answere that he must enjoy Her that was the cause of his Madnesse The same counsell did Ionadab give to Amnon who doated on his sister Thamar Hippocrates to King Perdicca's sonne and Erasistratus to Antiochus King Seleucus his sonne This opinion is also set downe in expresse tearmes by Hippocrates about the end of his booke De his quae ad Virgin spect thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My advise is saith he that all young wenches when once they begin to bee taken with this disease should presently bee married out of hand The same is the opinion of Galen also toward the end of those excellent bookes of his which he composed in his old age de Locis Affect as also of Avicen Haly Abbas Gordonius Arnaldus Valescus de Tarenta Pereda Lucretius Ficinus Ovid and many others But the enjoyment of their Desires doth not cure this disease alone but even the very power or Liberty to enjoy them doth oftimes worke the same effect according to that of the Poet. Jlli peccandi
Amorem in causâ esse deprehenderemus eorum animos ab Amore ad Balnea ad Compotationes ad gestationes ad Iudos ad fabulas adduximus And indeed Phaedra who was in love with Hippolytus found little help in Hunger as she her selfe confesseth in Euripides And although the Proverbe say that Sine Cerere Libero friget Venus yet doe our Poets assure us that Neptune himselfe together with all the whole Rabble of Gods and Goddesses of the Sea Rivers and Fountaines have been often wounded with Cupids darts Neither could our own forefathers escape his fury even in those times when they fed on nothing but Chestnuts and Acornes Glans aluit Veteres passim semper Amarunt To reconcile therefore these different opinions we say that if the Love-sicke person be so farre gone with Melancholy as that he is now become leane dry and his body very much impayred Fasting and Abstinence is then very dangerous for him And we must give him good meats and such as may moysten and strengthen his body againe But if he be yet in good plight and hath his flesh about him and is full of blood Abstinence in this case must needs be very good ad Seminis utpote causae primariae Amoris consumptionem that so the superfluity of seed which is indeed the Primary Cause of this disease may be consumed So that hence we may conclude that this Remedy is more proper and necessary for the Prevention then for the Cure of Love-Melancholy Galen in his lib. 4. de Plaecit Hip. Plat. acknowledging Time to be a soveraigne Remedy of all our Passions prescribes it for the Cure of Love-Melancholy also which workes its effects chiefly by employing the Imagination with various occurrents and diversities of Actions and so at length dismisseth and rooteth out this first foolish impression of Love how deepe so ever it were And Clemens Alexandrinus also alleadging Crates Thebanus for his Author saies that it is the last remedy of Love except Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Author saith he speaking of Crates Thebanus said well in another place that the best remedy for to extinguish the violent flames of Lust is Hunger or if this faile we must then see what Time may bring to passe but if neither of these succeed the last refuge must be a Halter For so will I have that passage in Clemens to be read and interpreted seeing that this clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is omitted in Clemens Alexandrinus is found not withstanding both in Diogenes Lacrtius in his life and also in the Anthology The verses are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which the learned Alciat hath thus translated into Latine Amorem Egena sedat superat Famos Sin Tempus Ast id si nequibit vincere Laqueus medelam gutturi nexus habet Many in this case use to whip and cudgell them thinking by torturing the flesh and externall parts to extinguish their inward flames And of this opinion is Gordonius who would have them whipped ad putorem usque till they stinke againe cap. 15. de Amore. But the Curtesan of whom Seneca speaks that put her sweet-heart into a Heat by beating him would have found an effect cleane contrary to her expectation had she but lived and not without some reason For it is very certaine that by cudgelling and beating the Back and Loynes the blood is heated and Flatuosities stirred up which filling the Fistular Nerve may erect it cause that disease which Physitians call Priapismus And indeed the wench that was in Love with Cornelius Gallus the more cruelly shee was beaten by her Father for it the more eager and violent was her Love as the Poet himselfe confesseth Increpitat ceditque Jgnes in pectore crescunt Vt solet accenso crescere flamma rogo Tunc me visceribus perterrita quaerit anhelis Emptum suppliciis quem put at esse suis Those stripes with which her Cruell father maimes Her tender limmes doe but encrease her flames Shee loves the more and by her suff'rings taught Calls him her owne whom she so deare hath bought This Remedy then in my opinion should rather be Prophylacticall for Prevention of the disease then Therapeuticall for the Cure of it when it is now setled And now seeing that neither any of these Remedies here mentioned nor thoseother reckoned up in the 21. Chapter of this booke are found sufficient for the cure of this disease of Love Melancholy we shall now in the last place have recourse to Chirurgicall and Pharmacouticall Remedies CAP. XXXVIII Chirurgicall Remedies for Love-Melancholy IF the Patient be in good plight of body fat and corpulent the first thing wee doe we must let him bleed in the Hepatica in the right arme such a proportionable quantity of blood as shal be thought convenient both for his disease complexion and strength of body as wee have already shewed in the Chapter of Prevention of Love-Melancholy Because that as the Schoole of Salernes hath it Exhilarat tristes iratos placat Amantes Ne sint Amentes Phlebotomia facit Phlebotomy makes those that are sad Merry appeaseth those that are Angry and keepes Lovers from running Mad. But if the disease bee growne to that ripenesse as that the party affected hath his Iudgement and Fancy perverted I would then advise to open the Median or Common veine which Rhasis Almansor call Vena Matrix seu Cardiaca as Valleriola also counselleth alwaies observing this rule that if the blood runne black grosse and very thick we may then take away a good quantity of it but if it be of a good colour thin and cleare wee must then presently stop the Veine according to the prescriptions of Galen Avicen and their Sectaries After this generall Evacuation of blood hath been performed for the correcting of the Intemperature of the Liver the spending of some part of the Melancholy blood I come next of all to the opening of the Saphena or Ankle Veine especially in Women who in this disease are commonly troubled also with the Suffocation of the Matrix or the Vterine Fury because that by this meanes there will bee the greater and more easy Revulsion of the Humours For it is Hippocrates his advise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revellenda ea sunt quae quò non oportet vergunt Besides those parts that are situate below the Kidneyes have greater Affinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Correspondence with the Veines of the Hamme or Ankle then they have with those of the Arme. Some Physitians will have some blood to be taken from the Veines in the Forehead either with an Instrument or else with Horseleeches But I should rather preferre the opening of the Salvatella in the left Arme which I have found by experience to have beene very good for the Cure of any disease proceeding from Melancholy Or else I would provoke the Fluxe of the Haemorrhoids as being a very sure