So thy white neck Nexra me poor soul Doth scorch, thy cheeks, thy wanton eys that roul: I should be quite burnt up forthwith to cinder. This fire strikes like lightning, which made those old Græcians paint Cupid in many of their Temples with Jupiter's thunderbolts in his hands; for it wounds, and cannot be perceived how, whence it came, where it pierced. Urimur, & cœcum, pectora vulnus habent," And can hardly be discerned at first. "Est mollis flamma medullas, Et tacitum insano vivit sub pectore vulnus." A gentle wound, an easie fire it was, But by and by it began to rage and burn amain; "Pectus insanum vapor, Amorque torret, intus savus vorat Abraham Hoffemannus lib. 1. amor conjugal. cap. 2. pag. 22. relates out of Plato, how that Empedocles the Philosopher was present at the cutting up of one that died for love," his heart was combust, his liver smoakie, his lungs dried up, insomuch that he verily believed his soul was either sod or rosted, through the vehemency of love's fire." Which belike made a modern writer of amorous Emblems express Love's fury by a pot hanging over the fire, and Cupid blowing the coals. As the heat consumes the water, "Sic sua consumit viscera cœcus amor," so doth Love dry up his radical moisture. Another compares Love to a melting torch, which stood too neer the fire. z Ovid. • Æneid. 4. b Seneca. Imagines deorum. * Cor totum combustum, jecur suffumigatum, pulmo arefactus, ut credum miseram illam animam bis elixam aut combustam, ob maximum ardorem quem pa. tiuntur ob ignem amoris. + Embl. Amat. 4. & 5. X 3 Sic "Sic quo quis propior suæ puellæ est, Hoc stultus propior suæ ruinæ est." The neerer he unto his mistriss is, The neerer he unto his ruine is. с So that to say truth, as Castilio describes it, "The beginning, middle, end of Love is nought else but sorrow, vexation, agony, torment, irksomness, wearisomness; so that to be squalid, ugly, miserable, solitary, discontent, dejected, to wish for death, to complain, rave, and to be peevish, are the certain signs, and ordinary actions of a love-sick person." This continual pain and torture makes them forget themselves, if they be far gone with it, in doubt, despair of obtaining, or eagerly hent, to neglect all ordinary business. -"+pendent opera interrupta, minæque Murorum ingentes, æquataque machina cœlo." Love sick Dido left her workes undone, so did Phædra, "Palladis telæ vacant, Et inter ipsas pensa labuntur manus." Faustus, in § Mantuan, took no pleasure in any thing he did, Pectore, sensus iners, & mens torpore sepulta, d And tis the humour of them all, to be careless of their persons, and their estates, as the shepheard in Theocritus, Et hæc barba inculta est, squalidique capilli, their beards flag, and they have no more care of pranking themselves or of any business, they care not, as they say, which end goes forward. Love sick "Oblitusque greges, Chærea when he came from Pamphila's house, and had not so good welcome as he did expect, was all amort, Parmeno meets him, quid tristis es? Why art thou so sad man? unde es? whence com'st, how do'st? but he sadly replies, Ego hercle nescio neque unde eam, neque quorsum eam, ita prorsus oblitus sum mei, I have so forgotten my self, I neither know where I am, nor whence I come, nor whether I will, what I do. P. "How so?" Ch. "I am in love." Prudens sciens. Grotius. Lib, 4. nam istius amoris neq; principia, neq: media aliud habent quid, quam molestias, dolores, cruciatus, defatigationes, adeo ut miserum esse mærore, gemitu, solitudine torqueri, mortem optare, semperq; debacchari, sint certa amantium signa & certæ actiones. + Virg. Æn. 4. + Seneca Hip. act. § Eclog. 1. Edyl. 14. Mant. Eclog. 2. f Ov. Met. 13. de Polyphemo: uritur oblitus pecorum, antrorumq; suorum; jamą; tibi formæ, &c. Ter. Eunuch. ¶ Qui quæso? Amo. vivus "* vivus vidensque pereo, nec quid agam scio," "He that erst had his thoughts free (as Philostratus.Lemnius, in an Epistle of his, describes this fiery passion)" and spent his time like an hard student, in those delightsome philosophicall precepts, he that with the Sun and Moon wandred all over the world, with Stars themselves ranged about, and left no secret or small mystery in Nature unsearched, since he was enamoured, can doe nothing now but think and meditate of love matters, day and night composeth himself how to please his Mistress; all his study, endeavour, is to approve himself to his Mistress, to win his Mistress' favour, to compass his desire, to be counted her servant." When Peter Abelhardus, that great Scholler of his age, "+Cui soli patuit scibile quicquid erat," was now in love with Helonissa, he had no mind to visit or frequent Schools and Schollers any more, Tadiosum mihi valde fuit (as the confesseth) ad scholas procedere, vel in iis morari, all his mind was on his new Mistress. Now to this end and purpose, if there be any hope of obtaining his suit, to prosecute his cause, he will spend himself, goods, fortunes for her, and though he lose and alienate all his friends, be threatned, be cast off, and disinherited; for as the Poet saith, Amori quis legem det? though he be utterly undone by it, disgraced, go a begging, yet for her sweet sake, to enjoy her, he will willingly beg, hazzard all he hath, goods, lands, shame, scandall, fame, and life it self. "Non recedam neque quiescam, noctu & interdiu, Prius profecto quam aut ipsam, aut mortem investigavero." Till she or death do make me mute. Parthenis in § Aristænetus was fully resolved to do as much. "I may have better matches I confess, but farewell shame, farewell honour, farewell honesty, farewell friends and fortunes, &c. O Harpedona keep my counsel, I will leave all for his sweet sake, I will have him, say no more, contra gentes, I am resolved, I will have him." **Gobrias the Captain, when he had espied Rhodanthe, the fair captive Maid, fell upon his knees before Mystilus the Generall, with tears, vows, and all the *Ter. Eunuch. Qui olim cogitabat que vellet, & pulcherrimis Philosophiæ præceptis operam insumpsit, qui universi circuitiones cœliq. naturam, &c. Hanc unam intendit operam, de sola cogitat, noctes & dies se componit ad hanc, & ad acerbam servitutem redactus animus, &c. +Pars Epitaphii ejus. Epist. prima. Boethius, 1. 3. Met. ult.. § Epist. lib. 6. Valeat pudor, valeat honestas, valeat honor. **Theodor. prodromus, lib. 3. Amor Mestyli genibus obvolutus, ubertimq; lachrimans, &c. Nihil ex tota præda præte r Rhodanthen virginem accipiam. X 4 Rhetorich Rhetorick he could, by the scars he had formerly received, the good service he had done, or what soever else was dear unto him, besought his Governour he might have the captive Virgin to be his wife, virtutis suæ spolium, as a reward of his worth and service; and moreover, he would forgive him the money which was owing, and all reckonings besides due unto him, "I ask no more, no part of booty, no portion, but Rhodanthe to be my wife." And when as he could not compass her by fair means, he fell to treachery, force and villany, and set his life at stake at last to accomplish his desire. 'Tis a common humour this, a general passion of all Lovers to be so affected, and which Emil told Aratine a Courtier in Castilio's discourse," surely Aratine, if thou werst nor so indeed, thou didst not love; ingenuously confess, for if thou hadst been throughly enamoured, thou wouldst have desired nothing more then to please thy Mistress. For that is the law of love, to will and nill the same." « * Tantum velle & nolle, velit nolit quod amica." Undoubtedly this may be pronounced of them all, they are very slaves, drudges for the time, mad men, fools, dizards, tatrabilarii, beside themselvs, and as blind as Beetles. Their i dotage is most eminent, Amare simul & sapere ipsi Jovi non datur, as Seneca holds, Jupiter himself cannot love and be wise both together; the very best of them, if once they be overtaken. with this passion, the most staid, discreet, grave, generous and wise, otherwise able to govern themselvs, in this commit many absurdities, many indecorums, unbefitting their gravity and per sons. " Quisquis amat servit, sequitur captivus amantem, Fert domitâ cervice jugum"Sampson, David, Solomon, Hercules, Socrates," &c. are justly taxed of indiscretion in this point; the middle sort are betwixt hawk and buzzard; and although they do perceive and acknowledge their own dotage, weakness, fury, yet they cannot withstand it; as well may witness those expostulations and confessions of Dido in Virgil. " a Phædra in Seneca. • Incipit effari mediâque in voce resistit. Potensque totâ mente dominatur deus. Myrrha in § Ovid. Illa quidem sentit, fœdoque repugnat amori, Lib. 2. Certe vix credam, & bona fide fateare Aratine, tenon amasse adeo vehementer; si enim vere amasses, nihil prius aut potius optasses, quam amatæ mulieri placere. Ea enim amoris lex est idem velle & nolle. * Stroza sil. Epig. + Quippe hæc omnia ex atra bile & amore proveniunt. Jason Immensus amor ipse stultitia est. Cardan. lib. 1. de sapientia. Virg. En. 4. Seneca Hippol. § Met. 10. Pratensis. Et Et secum quo mente feror, quid molior, inquit, She sees and knows her fault, and doth resist, And whether go I, what am I about? Pervigil igne Carpitur indomito, furiosaque vota retrectat, With raging lust she burns, and now recals And what to do she knows not at the last. Again, She will and will not, abhors; and yet as Medæa did, doth it, "Trahit invitam nova vis, aliudque cupido, Mens aliud suadet; video meliora, proboque, Deteriora sequor.". Reason pulls one way, burning lust another, She sees and knows what's good, but she doth neither, Quo me abstulistis?" The major part of Lovers are carried headlong like so many brute beasts, reason counsells one way, thy friends, fortunes, shame, disgrace, danger, and an ocean of cares that will certainly follow; yet this furious lust præcipitates, counterpoiseth, weighs down on the other; though it be their utter undoing, perpetuall infamy, loss, yet they will do it, and become at last insensati, void of sense; degenerate into dogs, hogs, asses, brutes; as Jupiter into a bull, Apuleius an Asse, Lycaon a wolf, Tereus a Lap-wing, Calisto a Bear, Elpenor and Grillus into Swine by Circe. For what else may we think those ingenious Poets to have shadowed in their witty fictions and poems but that a man once given over to his lust (as Fulgentius interprets that of Apuleius, Alciat of Tereus)" is no better then a beast," k 66 m Rex fueram, sic crista docet, sed sordida vita I was a King, my Crown a witness is, Their blindness is all out as great, as manifest as their weak- nary |