The Anatomy of Melancholy Part 63

Till you equal with the store, all the gra.s.s, &c. So Venus did by her Adonis, the moon with Endymion, they are still dallying and culling, as so many doves, _Columbatimque labra conserentes labiis_, and that with alacrity and courage,

[5272] "Affligunt avide corpus, junguntque salivas Oris, et inspirant prensantes dentibus ora."

[5273]_Tam impresso ore ut vix inde labra detrahant, cervice reclinata_, "as Lamprias in Lucian kissed Thais, Philippus her [5274]Aristaenetus,"

_amore lymphato tam uriose adhaesit, ut vix labra solvere esset, totumque os mihi contrivit_; [5275]Aretine's Lucretia, by a suitor of hers was so saluted, and 'tis their ordinary fashion.

------"dentes illudunt saepe labellis, Atque premunt arete adfigentes oscula"------

They cannot, I say, contain themselves, they will be still not only joining hands, kissing, but embracing, treading on their toes, &c., diving into their bosoms, and that _libenter, et c.u.m delectatione_, as [5276]

Philostratus confesseth to his mistress; and Lamprias in Lucian, _Mammillas premens, per sinum clam dextra_, &c., feeling their paps, and that scarce honestly sometimes: as the old man in the [5277]Comedy well observed of his son, _Non ego te videbam manum huic puellae in sinum insere_? Did not I see thee put thy hand into her bosom? go to, with many such love tricks.

[5278]Juno in Lucian _deorum, tom. 3. dial. 3._ complains to Jupiter of Ixion, [5279]"he looked so attentively on her, and sometimes would sigh and weep in her company, and when I drank by chance, and gave Ganymede the cup, he would desire to drink still in the very cup that I drank of, and in the same place where I drank, and would kiss the cup, and then look steadily on me, and sometimes sigh, and then again smile." If it be so they cannot come near to dally, have not that opportunity, familiarity, or acquaintance to confer and talk together; yet if they be in presence, their eye will betray them: _Ubi amor ibi oculus_, as the common saying is, "where I look I like, and where I like I love;" but they will lose themselves in her looks.

"Alter in alterius jactantes lumina vultus, Quaerebant taciti noster ubi esset amor."

"They cannot look off whom they love," they will _impregnare eam, ipsis oculis_, deflower her with their eyes, be still gazing, staring, stealing faces, smiling, glancing at her, as [5280]Apollo on Leucothoe, the moon on her [5281]Endymion, when she stood still in Caria, and at Latmos caused her chariot to be stayed. They must all stand and admire, or if she go by, look after her as long as they can see her, she is _animae auriga_, as Anacreon calls her, they cannot go by her door or window, but, as an adamant, she draws their eyes to it; though she be not there present, they must needs glance that way, and look back to it. Aristenaetus of [5282] Exithemus, Lucian, in his Imagim. of himself, and Tatius of c.l.i.tophon, say as much, _Ille oculos de Leucippe [5283]nunquam dejiciebat_, and many lovers confess when they came in their mistress' presence, they could not hold off their eyes, but looked wistfully and steadily on her, _inconnivo aspectu_, with much eagerness and greediness, as if they would look through, or should never have enough sight of her. _Fixis ardens obtutibus haeret_; so she will do by him, drink to him with her eyes, nay, drink him up, devour him, swallow him, as Martial's Mamurra is remembered to have done: _Inspexit molles pueros, oculisque comedit_, &c. There is a pleasant story to this purpose in _Navigat. Vertom. lib. 3. cap. 5._ The sultan of Sana's wife in Arabia, because Vertomannus was fair and white, could not look off him, from sunrising to sunsetting; she could not desist; she made him one day come into her chamber, _et geminae, horae spatio intuebatur, non a me anquam aciem oculorum avertebat, me observans veluti Cupidinem quendam_, for two hours' s.p.a.ce she still gazed on him. A young man in [5284]Lucian fell in love with Venus' picture; he came every morning to her temple, and there continued all day long [5285]from sunrising to sunset, unwilling to go home at night, sitting over against the G.o.ddess's picture, he did continually look upon her, and mutter to himself I know not what. If so be they cannot see them whom they love, they will still be walking and waiting about their mistress's doors, taking all opportunity to see them, as in [5286]Longus Sophista, Daphnis and Chloe, two lovers, were still hovering at one another's gates, he sought all occasions to be in her company, to hunt in summer, and catch birds in the frost about her father's house in the winter, that she might see him, and he her. [5287]"A king's palace was not so diligently attended," saith Aretine's Lucretia, "as my house was when I lay in Rome; the porch and street was ever full of some, walking or riding, on set purpose to see me; their eye was still upon my window; as they pa.s.sed by, they could not choose but look back to my house when they were past, and sometimes hem or cough, or take some impertinent occasion to speak aloud, that I might look out and observe them." 'Tis so in other places, 'tis common to every lover, 'tis all his felicity to be with her, to talk with her; he is never well but in her company, and will walk [5288]

"seven or eight times a day through the street where she dwells, and make sleeveless errands to see her;" plotting still where, when, and how to visit her,

[5289] "Levesque sub nocte susurri, Composita repetuntur hora."

And when he is gone, he thinks every minute an hour, every hour as long as a day, ten days a whole year, till he see her again. [5290]_Tempora si numeres, bene quae numeramus amantes._ And if thou be in love, thou wilt say so too, _Et longum formosa, vale_, farewell sweetheart, _vale charissima Argenis_, &c. Farewell my dear Argenis, once more farewell, farewell. And though he is to meet her by compact, and that very shortly, perchance tomorrow, yet both to depart, he'll take his leave again, and again, and then come back again, look after, and shake his hand, wave his hat afar off. Now gone, he thinks it long till he see her again, and she him, the clocks are surely set back, the hour's past,

[5291] "Hospita Demophoon tua te Rodopheia Phillis, Ultra promissum tempus abesse queror."

She looks out at window still to see whether he come, [5292]and by report Phillis went nine times to the seaside that day, to see if her Demophoon were approaching, and [5293]Troilus to the city gates, to look for his Cresseid. She is ill at ease, and sick till she see him again, peevish in the meantime; discontent, heavy, sad, and why comes he not? where is he?

why breaks he promise? why tarries he so long? sure he is not well; sure he hath some mischance; sure he forgets himself and me; with infinite such.

And then, confident again, up she gets, out she looks, listens, and inquires, hearkens, kens; every man afar off is sure he, every stirring in the street, now he is there, that's he, _male aurorae, malae soli dicit, deiratque_, &c., the longest day that ever was, so she raves, restless and impatient; for _Amor non pat.i.tur moras_, love brooks no delays: the time's quickly gone that's spent in her company, the miles short, the way pleasant; all weather is good whilst he goes to her house, heat or cold; though his teeth chatter in his head, he moves not; wet or dry, 'tis all one; wet to the skin, he feels it not, cares not at least for it, but will easily endure it and much more, because it is done with alacrity, and for his mistress's sweet sake; let the burden be never so heavy, love makes it light. [5294]Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and it was quickly gone because he loved her. None so merry; if he may happily enjoy her company, he is in heaven for a time; and if he may not, dejected in an instant, solitary, silent, he departs weeping, lamenting, sighing, complaining.

But the symptoms of the mind in lovers are almost infinite, and so diverse, that no art can comprehend them; though they be merry sometimes, and rapt beyond themselves for joy: yet most part, love is a plague, a torture, a h.e.l.l, a bitter sweet pa.s.sion at last; [5295]_Amor melle et felle est faecundissimus, gustum dat dulcem et amarum_. 'Tis _suavis amaricies, dolentia delectabilis, hilare tormentum_;

[5296] "Et me melle beant suaviora, Et me felle necant amariora."

like a summer fly or sphinx's wings, or a rainbow of all colours,

"Quae ad solis radios conversae aureae erant, Adversus nubes ceruleae, quale jabar iridis,"

fair, foul, and full of variation, though most part irksome and bad. For in a word, the Spanish Inquisition is not comparable to it; "a torment" and [5297]"execution" as it is, as he calls it in the poet, an unquenchable fire, and what not? [5298]From it, saith Austin, arise "biting cares, perturbations, pa.s.sions, sorrows, fears, suspicions, discontents, contentions, discords, wars, treacheries, enmities, flattery, cozening, riot, impudence, cruelty, knavery," &c.

[5299] ------"dolor, querelae, Lamentatio, lachrymae perennes, Languor, anxietas, amaritudo; Aut si triste magis potest quid esse, Hos tu das comites Neaera vitae."

These be the companions of lovers, and the ordinary symptoms, as the poet repeats them.

[5300] "In amore haec insunt vitia, Suspiciones, inimicitiae, audaciae, Bellum, pax rursum," &c.

[5301] "Insomnia, aerumna, error, terror, et fuga, Excogitantia excors immodestia, Petulantia, cupiditas, et malevolentia; Inhaeret etiam aviditas, desidia, injuria, Inopia, contumelia et dispendium," &c.

"In love these vices are; suspicions.

Peace, war, and impudence, detractions.

Dreams, cares, and errors, terrors and affrights, Immodest pranks, devices, sleights and flights, Heart-burnings, wants, neglects, desire of wrong, Loss continual, expense and hurt among."

Every poet is full of such catalogues of love symptoms; but fear and sorrow may justly challenge the chief place. Though Hercules de Saxonia, _cap. 3.

Tract. de melanch._ will exclude fear from love melancholy, yet I am otherwise persuaded. [5302]_Res est solliciti plena timoris amor._ 'Tis full of fear, anxiety, doubt, care, peevishness, suspicion; it turns a man into a woman, which made Hesiod belike put Fear and Paleness Venus'

daughters,

------"Marti clypeos atque arma secanti Alma Venus peperit Pallorem, unaque Timorem:"

because fear and love are still linked together. Moreover they are apt to mistake, amplify, too credulous sometimes, too full of hope and confidence, and then again very jealous, unapt to believe or entertain any good news.

The comical poet hath prettily painted out this pa.s.sage amongst the rest in a [5303]dialogue betwixt Mitio and Aeschines, a gentle father and a lovesick son. "Be of good cheer, my son, thou shalt have her to wife. Ae.

Ah father, do you mock me now? M. I mock thee, why? Ae. That which I so earnestly desire, I more suspect and fear. M. Get you home, and send for her to be your wife. Ae. What now a wife, now father," &c. These doubts, anxieties, suspicions, are the least part of their torments; they break many times from pa.s.sions to actions, speak fair, and flatter, now most obsequious and willing, by and by they are averse, wrangle, fight, swear, quarrel, laugh, weep: and he that doth not so by fits, [5304]Lucian holds, is not thoroughly touched with this loadstone of love. So their actions and pa.s.sions are intermixed, but of all other pa.s.sions, sorrow hath the greatest share; [5305]love to many is bitterness itself; _rem amaram_ Plato calls it, a bitter potion, an agony, a plague.

"Eripite hanc pestem perniciemque mihi; Quae mihi subrepens imos ut torpor in artus, Expulit ex omni pectore laet.i.tias."

"O take away this plague, this mischief from me, Which, as a numbness over all my body, Expels my joys, and makes my soul so heavy."

Phaedria had a true touch of this, when he cried out,

[5306] "O Thais, utinam esset mihi Pars aequa amoris tec.u.m, ac paritor fieret ut Aut hoc tibi doleret itidem, ut mihi dolet."

"O Thais, would thou hadst of these my pains a part, Or as it doth me now, so it would make thee smart."

So had that young man, when he roared again for discontent,

[5307] "Jactor, crucior, agitor, stimulor, Versor in amoris rota miser, Exanimor, feror, distrahor, deripior, Ubi sum, ibi non sum; ubi non sum, ibi est animus."

"I am vext and toss'd, and rack'd on love's wheel: Where not, I am; but where am, do not feel."

The moon in [5308]Lucian made her moan to Venus, that she was almost dead for love, _pereo equidem amore_, and after a long tale, she broke off abruptly and wept, [5309]"O Venus, thou knowest my poor heart." Charmides, in [5310]Lucian, was so impatient, that he sobbed and sighed, and tore his hair, and said he would hang himself. "I am undone, O sister Tryphena, I cannot endure these love pangs; what shall I do?" _Vos O dii Averrunci solvite me his curis_, O ye G.o.ds, free me from these cares and miseries, out of the anguish of his soul, [5311]Theocles prays. Shall I say, most part of a lover's life is full of agony, anxiety, fear, and grief, complaints, sighs, suspicions, and cares, (heigh-ho, my heart is woe) full of silence and irksome solitariness?

"Frequenting shady bowers in discontent, To the air his fruitless clamours he will vent."

except at such times that he hath _lucida intervalla_, pleasant gales, or sudden alterations, as if his mistress smile upon him, give him a good look, a kiss, or that some comfortable message be brought him, his service is accepted, &c.

He is then too confident and rapt beyond himself, as if he had heard the nightingale in the spring before the cuckoo, or as [5312]Calisto was at Malebaeas' presence, _Quis unquam hac mortali vita, tam gloriosum corpus vidit? humanitatem transcendere videor._, &c. who ever saw so glorious a sight, what man ever enjoyed such delight? More content cannot be given of the G.o.ds, wished, had or hoped of any mortal man. There is no happiness in the world comparable to his, no content, no joy to this, no life to love, he is in paradise.

[5313] "Quis me uno vivit felicior? aut magis hac est Optandum vita dicere quis poterit?"

"Who lives so happy as myself? what bliss In this our life may be compar'd to this?"

He will not change fortune in that case with a prince,

[5314] "Donec gratus eram tibi, Persarum vigui rege beatior."

The Persian kings are not so jovial as he is, _O [5315]festus dies hominis_, O happy day; so Chaerea exclaims when he came from Pamphila his sweetheart well pleased,

"Nunc est profecto interfici c.u.m perpeti me possem, Ne hoc gaudium contaminet vita aliqua aegritudine."

"He could find in his heart to be killed instantly, lest if he live longer, some sorrow or sickness should contaminate his joys." A little after, he was so merrily set upon the same occasion, that he could not contain himself.

[5316] "O populares, ecquis me vivit hodie fortunatior?