Peter Aretine's Lucretia telleth as much and more of her self, "I counterfeited honesty, as if I had been virgo virginissima, more than a Vestal virgin, I looked like a wife, I was so demure and chaste, I did adde such gestures, tunes, speeches, signs and motions upon all occasions, that my spectators and auditors were stupified, enchanted, fastened all to their places, like so many stocks and stones." Many silly Gentlewomen are fetched over in like sort, by a company of guls and swaggering companions, that frequently bely noblemen's favours, riming Coribantiasmi, Thrasoncan Rhadomantes or Bombomachides, that have nothing in them but a few player's ends and complements, vain braggadocians, impudent intruders, that can discourse at table of Knights and Lords combats, like + Lucian's Leontiscus, of other mens' travels, brave adventures, and such common trivial news, ride, dance, sing old ballet tunes, and wear their clothes in fashion, with a good grace; a fine sweet gentleman, a proper man, who could not love him! She will have him though all her friends say no, though she beg with him. Some again are incensed by reading amorous toys, Amadis de Gaul, Palmerin de Oliva, the Knight of the sun, &c. or hearing such tales of lovers, descriptions of their persons, lascivious discourses, such as Astyanassa, Helena's waiting woman, by the report of Suidas, writ of old, de variis concubitus modis, and after her Philenis and Elephantine; or those light tracts of Aristides Milesius (mentioned by Plutarch) and found by the Persians, in Crassus army amongst the spoiles, Aretine's Dialogues, with ditties, Love songs, &c. must needs set them on fire, with such like pictures, as those of Aretine, or wanton objects of what kind soever; "no stronger engine then to hear or read of love toyes, fables and discourses (* one saith), and many by this means are quite mad." At Abdera in Thrace (Andromeda one of Euripides Tragedies being played) the spectators were so much moved with the object, and those pathetical love speeches of Perseus, amongst the rest, "O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men," &c. that every man almost a good while after spake pure Iambicks, and raved still on Perseus speech "O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men." As Car-mén, Boyes and Prentises, when a new song is published with us, go singing that new tune still in the streets; they continually acted that Tragical part of Peiscus, and in every man's mouth Parnodidascalo dial. Ital. Lat. interp. Jasper. Barthio. Germ. Fingebam honestatem plusquam virginis Vestalis, intuebar oculis uxoris, addebam gestus &C. Tom. 4. dial. merit. "Amatorius sermo vehemens vehementis cupiditatis incitatio est, Tatius 1. 1. De luxuria & delitiis compositi, Eneas Sylvius. Nulla machina validior quam lecto lascive historiæ; sæpe etiam hujusmodi fabulis ad furorem incenduntur. was was "O Cupid," in every street, "O Cupid," in every house almost, “O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men," pronouncing still like stage-players, "O Cupid" they were so possessed all with that rapture, and thought of that pathetical love speech, they could not a long time after forget, or drive it out of their minds, but "O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men,' was ever in their mouths. This belike made Aristotle Polit. lib. 7. cap. 18. forbid young men to see Comœdies, or to hear amorous tales. Hæc igitur Juvenes nequam facilesque puellæ Inspiciant let not yong folks meddle at all with such matters. And this made the Romanes as + Vitruvius relates, put Venus temple in the Suburbs, extra murum, ne adolescentes venereis insuescant, to avoid all occasions and objects. For what will not such an object do? Ismenius, as he walked in Sosthene's garden, being now in love, when he saw so many lascivious pictures, Thetis marriage, and I know not what, was almost beside himself. And to say truth, with a lascivious object who is not moved, to see others dally, kiss, dance ?. And much more when he shall come to be an actor himself. To kiss and to be kissed, which amongst other lascivious provocations, is as a burden in a song, and a most forcible battery, as infectious, Xenophon thinks, as the poyson of a spider; a great allurement, a fire it self, proæmium aut anticanium, the prologue of burning lust (as Apuleius adds), lust it self, Venus quintâ parte sui nectaris imbuit. A strong assault, that conquers Captains, and those all commanding forces, (Domasque ferro sed domaris osculo.) Aretine's Lucretia, when she would in kindness overcome a suiter of hers, and have her desire of him, "took him about the neck, and kissed him again and again," and to that, which she could not otherwise effect, she made him so speedily and willingly condescend. And 'tis a continual assault, hoc non deficit incipitque semper, * Martial. 1 4. mum ad Venerem, &c. cubiculo suo sic specula ginem coitus referrent. inficit. z Hor. deosculata sagum peto. + Lib. 1. c. 7, y Eustathius L. 1. Picturæ parant aniHoratius ad res venereas intemperantior traditur; nam dicitur habuisse disposita, ut quocunque respexisset imaSuetonius vit. ejus. Osculum ut phylangium • Heinsius. § Applico me illi proximiùs & spisse Petronius catalect, always always fresh, and ready to begin as at first, basium nullo fine terminatur, sed semper recens est, and hath a fiery touch with it. Tenta modò tangere corpus, Jam tua mellifluo membra calore fluent. Especially when they shall be lasciviously given, as he feel ingly said, • & me præssulùm deosculata Fotis, Catenatis lacertis, Obtorto valgitèr labello. + Valgiis suaviis, Dum semiulco suavio Anima tunc ægra & saucia The soul and all is moved; Jam pluribus osculis labra crepitabant, animarum quoque mixturam facientes, inter mutuos complexus animas anhelantes. Hæsimus calentes, Et transfudimus hinc & hinc labellis They breathe out their souls and spirits together with their kisses, saith Balthazar Castilio, "change hearts and spirits, and mingle affections as they do kisses, and it is rather a connexion of the mind than of the body." And although these kisses be delightsome and pleasant, Ambrosian kisses, Suaviolum dulci dulcius Ambrosià, such as Ganymedes gave Jupiter, Nectare suavius, sweeter than Nectar, Balsome, hony, Oscula merum amorem stillantia, Love dropping kisses; for The Gilliflower, the Rose is not so sweet, As sugred kisses be when Lovers meet; -Yet they leave an irksome impression, like that of aloes or gaul, • Catullus ad Lesbiam: da milri basia mille, deinde centum, &c. nius. Apuleius 1. 10. & Catalect. * Petronius. d Petro ! Pe Lu + Apuleius. tronius Proselios ad Circen. * Petronius. Animus conjungitur, & spiritus etiam noster per osculum effluit; alternatim se in utriusq; corpus infundentes commiscent; Animæ potius quam corporis connectio. + Catullus. cian. Tom. 4 Non dat basia, dat Nera nectar, dat rores anime suaveojentes, dat Nardym, Thymumq; Cinnamung & mel, &c. Secundus bas. 4. Bustathius lib. 4. Catulus. At first Ambrose itself was not sweeter, They are deceitful kisses, * Quid me mollibus implicas lacertis? They are destructive, and the more the worse: Et quæ me perdunt, oscula mille dabat, They are the bane of these miserable Lovers. There be honest kisses, I deny not, osculum charitatis, friendly kisses, modest kisses, Vestall-virgin kisses, officious and ceremonial kisses, &c. Osculi sensus, brachiorum amplexus, kissing and embracing are proper gifts of nature to a man; but these are too lascivious kisses, Implicuitque suos circum mea colla lacertos, &c. n too continuate, and too violent, " Brachia non hedere, non vincunt oscula conche; they cling like Ivy, close as an Oyster, bill as Dovés, meretricious kisses, biting of lips, cum additamento: Tam impresso ore (saith + Lucian) ut vix labia detrahant, inter deosculandum mordicantes, tum & os aperientes quoque & mammas attrectantes, &c. such kisses as she gave to Gyton, innumera oscula dedit non repugnanti puero, cervicem invadens, innumerable kisses, &c. More then kisses, or too homely kisses: as those that he spake of, Accepturus ab ipsa venere 7, suavia, &c. with such other obscenities that vain lovers use, which are abominable and pernitious. If, as Peter de Ledesmo cas. cons. holds, every kiss a man gives his wife after marriage, be mortale peccatum, a mortal sin, or that of P Hierome, Adulter est quisquis in uxorem suam ardentior est amator; or that of Thomas Secund. Secund. quæst. 154. artic. 4. contactus & osculum sit mortale peccatum, or that of Durand. Rational. lib. 1. cap. 10. absti- ' nere debent conjuges á complexu, toto tempore quo solennitas nuptiarum interdicitur, what shall become of all such immodest kisses and obscene actions, the fore-runners of brutish Just, if not lust itself! What shall become of them, that often abuse their own wives? But what have I to do with this? "Cum capita * Buchanan. Ovid. art. am. Eleg. 18. m Ovid. Liment solitis morsiunculis, & cum mammillarum pressiunculis. Lip. od. ant. lec. lib. 3.1 + Tom. 4. dial. meretr. Apuleius Miles. 6. Et unum blandientis linguæ admulsum longè mellitum : & post lib. 11. Arctius cam complexus cæpi suaviari jamque pariter patentis oris inhalitu cinnameo & occur. santis linguæ illisu nectareo, &c. P Lib. 1. advers. Jovin. cap. 30. cula qui sumpsit, si non & cetera sumpsit, &c. That That which I aim at, is to shew you the progress of this burning lust to epitomize therefore all this which I have hitherto said, with a familiar example out of that elegant Museus;. observe but with me those amorous proceedings of Leander and Hero: They began first to look one on another with a lascivious look, Obliquè intuens inde nutibus, Inde Nutibus mutuis inducens in errorem mentem puellæ. Virginis autem benè olens collum osculatus. With becks and nods he first began, To try the wenche's mind, With becks and nods and smiles again An answer he did find. And in the dark he took her by the hand, With Pitty me sweet heart or else I die, And with such words and gestures as there past, The same proceeding is elegantly described by Apollonius in his Argonauticks, between Jason and Medea, by Eustathius in the ten books of the loves of Ismenius and Ismene, Achilles Tatius betwixt his Clitophon and Leucippe, Chaucer's neat poeme, of Troilus and Cresseide; and in that notable tale in Petronius of a Souldier and a Gentlewoman of Ephesus, that was so famous all over Asia for her chastity, and that mourned for her husband: the Souldier wooed her with such Rhetorick as Lovers use to do, — placitone etiam pugnabis amori? &c. at last, frangi pertinaciam passa est, he got her good will, not only to satisfie his lust, but to hang her dead husband's body on the cross (which he watched in stead of the theeve's that was newly stoln away), whilest he wooed her in her Cabin. These are tales, you will say, but they have most significant Morals, and do well express those ordinary proceedings of doting Lovers. Corpus placuit-mariti sui tolli ex arca, atq; illi quæ vocabat cruci adfigi. Many |