The Anatomy of Melancholy Part 69

"Equitabat h.o.m.o per sylvam frondosam, Ducebatque sec.u.m Meswinden formosam.

Quid stamus, cur non imus?"

"A fellow rid by the greenwood side, And fair Meswinde was his bride, Why stand we so, and do not go?"

This they sung, he chaft, till at length, impatient as he was, he prayed to St. Magnus, patron of the church, they might all three sing and dance till that time twelvemonth, and so [5532]they did without meat and drink, wearisomeness or giving over, till at year's end they ceased singing, and were absolved by Herebertus archbishop of Cologne. They will in all places be doing thus, young folks especially, reading love stories, talking of this or that young man, such a fair maid, singing, telling or hearing lascivious tales, scurrilous tunes, such objects are their sole delight, their continual meditation, and as Guastavinius adds, _Com. in 4. Sect. 27.

Prov. Arist._ _ob seminis abundantiam crebrae cogitationes, veneris frequens recordatio et pruriens voluptas_, &c. an earnest longing comes hence, _pruriens corpus, pruriens anima_, amorous conceits, tickling thoughts, sweet and pleasant hopes; hence it is, they can think, discourse willingly, or speak almost of no other subject. 'Tis their only desire, if it may be done by art, to see their husband's picture in a gla.s.s, they'll give anything to know when they shall be married, how many husbands they shall have, by cromnyomantia, a kind of divination with [5533]onions laid on the altar on Christmas eve, or by fasting on St. Anne's eve or night, to know who shall be their first husband, or by amphitormantia, by beans in a cake, &c., to burn the same. This love is the cause of all good conceits, [5534] neatness, exornations, plays, elegancies, delights, pleasant expressions, sweet motions, and gestures, joys, comforts, exultancies, and all the sweetness of our life, [5535]_qualis jam vita foret, aut quid jucundi sine aurea Venere_? [5536]_Emoriar c.u.m ista non amplius mihi cura fuerit_, let me live no longer than I may love, saith a mad merry fellow in Mimnermus. This love is that salt that seasoneth our harsh and dull labours, and gives a pleasant relish to our other unsavoury proceedings, [5537]_Absit amor, surgunt tenebrae, torpedo, veternum, pestis_, &c. All our feasts almost, masques, mummings, banquets, merry meetings, weddings, pleasing songs, fine tunes, poems, love stories, plays, comedies, Atellans, jigs, Fescennines, elegies, odes, &c. proceed hence. [5538]Danaus, the son of Belus, at his daughter's wedding at Argos, inst.i.tuted the first plays (some say) that ever were heard of symbols, emblems, impresses, devices, if we shall believe Jovius, Coutiles, Paradine, Camillus de Camillis, may be ascribed to it. Most of our arts and sciences, painting amongst the rest, was first invented, saith [5539]Patritius _ex amoris beneficio_, for love's sake. For when the daughter of [5540]Deburiades the Sycionian, was to take leave of her sweetheart now going to wars, _ut desiderio ejus minus tabesceret_, to comfort herself in his absence, she took his picture with coal upon a wall, as the candle gave the shadow, which her father admiring, perfected afterwards, and it was the first picture by report that ever was made. And long after, Sycion for painting, carving, statuary, music, and philosophy, was preferred before all the cities in Greece. [5541]Apollo was the first inventor of physic, divination, oracles; Minerva found out weaving, Vulcan curious ironwork, Mercury letters, but who prompted all this into their heads? Love, _Nunquam talia invenissent, nisi talia adama.s.sent_, they loved such things, or some party, for whose sake they were undertaken at first. 'Tis true, Vulcan made a most admirable brooch or necklace, which long after Axion and Temenus, Phegius' sons, for the singular worth of it, consecrated to Apollo at Delphos, but Pharyllus the tyrant stole it away, and presented it to Ariston's wife, on whom he miserably doted (Parthenius tells the story out of Phylarchus); but why did Vulcan make this excellent Ouch? to give Hermione Cadmus' wife, whom he dearly loved. All our tilts and tournaments, orders of the garter, golden fleece, &c.--_n.o.bilitas sub amore jacet_--owe their beginnings to love, and many of our histories. By this means, saith Jovius, they would express their loving minds to their mistress, and to the beholders. 'Tis the sole subject almost of poetry, all our invention tends to it, all our songs, whatever those old Anacreons: (and therefore Hesiod makes the Muses and Graces still follow Cupid, and as Plutarch holds, Menander and the rest of the poets were love's priests,) all our Greek and Latin epigrammatists, love writers. Antony Diogenes the most ancient, whose epitome we find in Phocius Bibliotheca, Longus Sophista, Eustathius, Achilles, Tatius, Aristaenetus, Heliodorus, Plato, Plutarch, Lucian, Parthenius, Theodorus, Prodromus, Ovid, Catullus, Tibullus, &c. Our new Ariostoes, Boyards, Authors of Arcadia, Urania, Faerie Queen, &c. Marullus, Leotichius, Angeria.n.u.s, Stroza, Secundus, Capella.n.u.s, &c. with the rest of those facete modern poets, have written in this kind, are but as so many symptoms of love. Their whole books are a synopsis or breviary of love, the portuous of love, legends of lovers' lives and deaths, and of their memorable adventures, nay more, _quod leguntur, quod laudantur amori debent_, as [5542]Nevisa.n.u.s the lawyer holds, "there never was any excellent poet that invented good fables, or made laudable verses, which was not in love himself;" had he not taken a quill from Cupid's wings, he could never have written so amorously as he did.

[5543] "Cynthia te vatem fecit lascive Properti, Ingenium Galli pulchra Lycoris habet.

Fama est arguti Nemesis formosa Tibulli, Lesbia dictavit docte Catulle tibi.

Non me Pelignus, nec spernet Mantua vatem, Si qua Corinna mihi, si quis Alexis erit."

"Wanton Propertius and witty Callus, Subtile Tibullus, and learned Catullus, It was Cynthia, Lesbia, Lychoris, That made you poets all; and if Alexis, Or Corinna chance my paramour to be, Virgil and Ovid shall not despise me."

[5544] "Non me carminibus vincet nec Thraceus Orpheus, Nec Linus."

Petrarch's Laura made him so famous, Astrophel's Stella, and Jovia.n.u.s Ponta.n.u.s' mistress was the cause of his roses, violets, lilies, _nequitiae, blanditiae, joci, decor, nardus, ver, corolla, thus, Mars, Pallas, Venus, Charis, croc.u.m, Laurus, unguentem, costum, lachrymae, myrrha, musae_, &c.

and the rest of his poems; why are Italians at this day generally so good poets and painters? Because every man of any fashion amongst them hath his mistress. The very rustics and hog-rubbers, Menalcas and Corydon, _qui faetant de stercore equino_, those fulsome knaves, if once they taste of this love-liquor, are inspired in an instant. Instead of those accurate emblems, curious impresses, gaudy masques, tilts, tournaments, &c., they have their wakes, Whitsun-ales, shepherd's feasts, meetings on holidays, country dances, roundelays, writing their names on [5545]trees, true lover's knots, pretty gifts.

"With tokens, hearts divided, and half rings, Shepherds in their loves are as coy as kings."

Choosing lords, ladies, kings, queens, and valentines, &c., they go by couples,

"Corydon's Phillis, Nysa and Mopsus, With dainty Dousibel and Sir Tophus."

Instead of odes, epigrams and elegies, &c., they have their ballads, country tunes, "O the broom, the bonny, bonny broom," ditties and songs, "Bess a belle, she doth excel,"--they must write likewise and indite all in rhyme.

[5546] "Thou honeysuckle of the hawthorn hedge, Vouchsafe in Cupid's cup my heart to pledge; My heart's dear blood, sweet Cis is thy carouse Worth all the ale in Gammer Gubbin's house.

I say no more, affairs call me away, My father's horse for provender doth stay.

Be thou the Lady Cressetlight to me.

Sir Trolly Lolly will I prove to thee.

Written in haste, farewell my cowslip sweet, Pray let's a Sunday at the alehouse meet."

Your most grim stoics and severe philosophers will melt away with this pa.s.sion, and if [5547]Atheneus belie them not, Aristippus, Apollodorus, Antiphanes, &c., have made love-songs and commentaries of their mistress'

praises, [5548]orators write epistles, princes give t.i.tles, honours, what not? [5549]Xerxes gave to Themistocles Lampsacus to find him wine, Magnesia for bread, and Myunte for the rest of his diet. The [5550]Persian kings allotted whole cities to like use, _haec civitas mulieri redimiculum praebeat, haec in collum, haec in crines_, one whole city served to dress her hair, another her neck, a third her hood. Ahasuerus would [5551]have given Esther half his empire, and [5552]Herod bid Herodias "ask what she would, she should have it." Caligula gave 100,000 sesterces to his courtesan at first word, to buy her pins, and yet when he was solicited by the senate to bestow something to repair the decayed walls of Rome for the commonwealth's good, he would give but 6000 sesterces at most.

[5553]Dionysius, that Sicilian tyrant, rejected all his privy councillors, and was so besotted on Mirrha his favourite and mistress, that he would bestow no office, or in the most weightiest business of the kingdom do aught without her especial advice, prefer, depose, send, entertain no man, though worthy and well deserving, but by her consent; and he again whom she commended, howsoever unfit, unworthy, was as highly approved. Kings and emperors, instead of poems, build cities; Adrian built Antinoa in Egypt, besides constellations, temples, altars, statues, images, &c., in the honour of his Antinous. Alexander bestowed infinite sums to set out his Hephestion to all eternity. [5554]Socrates professeth himself love's servant, ignorant in all arts and sciences, a doctor alone in love matters, _et quum alienarum rerum omnium scientiam diffiteretur_, saith [5555]Maximus Tyrius, _his sectator, hujus negotii professor_, &c., and this he spake openly, at home and abroad, at public feasts, in the academy, _in Pyraeo, Lycaeo, sub Platano_, &c., the very bloodhound of beauty, as he is styled by others. But I conclude there is no end of love's symptoms, 'tis a bottomless pit. Love is subject to no dimensions; not to be surveyed by any art or engine: and besides, I am of [5556]Haedus' mind, "no man can discourse of love matters, or judge of them aright, that hath not made trial in his own person," or as Aeneas Sylvius [5557]adds, "hath not a little doted, been mad or lovesick himself." I confess I am but a novice, a contemplator only, _Nescio quid sit amor nec amo_[5558]--I have a tincture; for why should I lie, dissemble or excuse it, yet _h.o.m.o sum_, &c., not altogether inexpert in this subject, _non sum praeceptor amandi_, and what I say, is merely reading, _ex altorum forsan ineptiis_, by mine own observation, and others' relation.

MEMB. IV.

_Prognostics of Love-Melancholy_.

What fires, torments, cares, jealousies, suspicions, fears, griefs, anxieties, accompany such as are in love, I have sufficiently said: the next question is, what will be the event of such miseries, what they foretell. Some are of opinion that this love cannot be cured, _Nullis amor est medicabilis herbis_, it accompanies them to the [5559]last, _Idem amor exitio est pecori pecorisque magistro_. "The same pa.s.sion consume both the sheep and the shepherd," and is so continuate, that by no persuasion almost it may be relieved. [5560]"Bid me not love," said Euryalus, "bid the mountains come down into the plains, bid the rivers run back to their fountains; I can as soon leave to love, as the sun leave his course;"

[5561] "Et prius aequoribus pisces, et montibus umbrae, Et volucres deerunt sylvis, et murmura ventis, Quam mihi discedent formosae Amaryllidis ignes."

"First seas shall want their fish, the mountains shade Woods singing birds, the wind's murmur shall fade, Than my fair Amaryllis' love allay'd."

Bid me not love, bid a deaf man hear, a blind man see, a dumb speak, lame run, counsel can do no good, a sick man cannot relish, no physic can ease me. _Non prosunt domino quae prosunt omnibus artes_. As Apollo confessed, and Jupiter himself could not be cured.

[5562] "Omnes humanos curat medicina dolores, Solus amor morbi non habet artificem."

"Physic can soon cure every disease, [5563] Excepting love that can it not appease."

But whether love may be cured or no, and by what means, shall be explained in his place; in the meantime, if it take his course, and be not otherwise eased or amended, it breaks out into outrageous often and prodigious events. _Amor et Liber violenti dii sunt_) as [5564]Tatius observes, _et eousque animum incendunt, ut pudoris oblivisci cogant_, love and Bacchus are so violent G.o.ds, so furiously rage in our minds, that they make us forget all honesty, shame, and common civility. For such men ordinarily, as are thoroughly possessed with this humour, become _insensati et insani_, for it is [5565]_amor insa.n.u.s_, as the poet calls it, beside themselves, and as I have proved, no better than beasts, irrational, stupid, headstrong, void of fear of G.o.d or men, they frequently forswear themselves, spend, steal, commit incests, rapes, adulteries, murders, depopulate towns, cities, countries, to satisfy their l.u.s.t.

[5566] "A devil 'tis, and mischief such doth work, As never yet did Pagan, Jew, or Turk."

The wars of Troy may be a sufficient witness; and as Appian, _lib. 5.

hist_, saith of Antony and Cleopatra, [5567]"Their love brought themselves and all Egypt into extreme and miserable calamities," "the end of her is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword," Prov. v. 4, 5. "Her feet go down to death, her steps lead on to h.e.l.l. She is more bitter than death," (Eccles. vii. 28.) "and the sinner shall be taken by her."

[5568]_Qui in amore praecipitavit, pejus perit, quam qui saxo salit_.

[5569]"He that runs headlong from the top of a rock is not in so bad a case as he that falls into this gulf of love." "For hence," saith [5570]

Platina, "comes repentance, dotage, they lose themselves, their wits, and make shipwreck of their fortunes altogether:" madness, to make away themselves and others, violent death. _Prognosticatio est talis_, saith Gordonius, [5571]_si non succurratur iis, aut in maniam cadunt, aut moriuntur_; the prognostication is, they will either run mad, or die. "For if this pa.s.sion continue," saith [5572]Aelian Montaltus, "it makes the blood hot, thick, and black; and if the inflammation get into the brain, with continual meditation and waking, it so dries it up, that madness follows, or else they make away themselves," [5573]_O Corydon, Corydon, quae te dementia cepit_? Now, as Arnoldus adds, it will speedily work these effects, if it be not presently helped; [5574]"They will pine away, run mad, and die upon a sudden;" _Facile incidunt in maniam_, saith Valescus, quickly mad, _nisi succurratur_, if good order be not taken,

[5575] "Ehou triste jugum quisquis amoris habet, Is prius se norit se periisse perit."

"Oh heavy yoke of love, which whoso bears, Is quite undone, and that at unawares."

So she confessed of herself in the poet,

[5576] ------"insaniam priusquam quis sentiat, Vix pili intervallo a furore absum."

"I shall be mad before it be perceived, A hair-breadth off scarce am I, now distracted."

As mad as Orlando for his Angelica, or Hercules for his Hylas,

"At ille ruebat quo pedes ducebant, furibundus, Nam illi saevus Deus intus jecur laniabat."

"He went he car'd not whither, mad he was, The cruel G.o.d so tortured him, alas!"

At the sight of Hero I cannot tell how many ran mad,

[5577] "Alius vulnus celans insanit pulchritudine puellae."

"And whilst he doth conceal his grief, Madness comes on him like a thief."

Go to Bedlam for examples. It is so well known in every village, how many have either died for love, or voluntary made away themselves, that I need not much labour to prove it: [5578]_Nec modus aut requies nisi mors reperitur amoris_: death is the common catastrophe to such persons.

[5579] "Mori mihi contingat, non enim alia Liberatio ab aeramnis fuerit ullo paeto istis."

"Would I were dead, for nought, G.o.d knows, But death can rid me of these woes."

As soon as Euryalus departed from Senes, Lucretia, his paramour, "never looked up, no jests could exhilarate her sad mind, no joys comfort her wounded and distressed soul, but a little after she fell sick and died."

But this is a gentle end, a natural death, such persons commonly make away themselves.

------"proprioque in sanguine laetus, Indignantem animam vacuas elludit in auras;"

so did Dido; _Sed moriamur ait, sic sic juvat ire per umbras_; [5580]

Pyramus and Thisbe, Medea, [5581]Coresus and Callirhoe, [5582]Theagines the philosopher, and many myriads besides, and so will ever do,