Erōtomania or A treatise discoursing of the essence, causes, symptomes, prognosticks, and cure of love, or erotique melancholy. Written by Iames Ferrand Dr. of Physick

CAP. XIII. Whether or no a Physitian may by his Art finde out Love, without confession of the Patient.

THe Enemies of the Noble science t•• Physicke, which Democritus truly * 1.1 calls the sister and companion of Pru¦dence, doe peremptorily affirme, that it is not within the power of the Physiti¦ans skill, to discover whether any one in Love, or no, without the parties own confession: notwithstanding that the con¦trary is proved not only by Authors of ve¦ry * 1.2 good note, but even by daily experi¦ence. The first Authority I shall produce for confirmation hereof, shall be out o•• Soranus Ephesius, who in the life of Hip¦pocrates reports of him, how he by A•• discovered the Love of King Perdice who was enamoured of Phile, one of h••

Fathers Concubines, and by reason hereof was growne Hecticall. The like is re∣orded of Erasistratus the Physitian, who * 1.3 ••n like manner discovered the unlawfull ••esires of Antiochus, sonne to King Seleu∣••hus, who was desperately gone in love ••oward Stratonica his Mother in Law: and by the same Physitian was at length perfectly cured of his malady.

Neither is it necessary, that he should ••e a Physitian, that must make this disco∣very: for we know that Jonadab found * 1.4 out the love of Amnon to his sister Tha∣••ar: and Canace's Love was first discove∣red by her old nurse.

Prima malum nutrix animo praesensit a∣nili.

Galen, in that book of his, which he ••ntitles, Quomodò morbum simulantes sint Deprehendendi, boasts how that himselfe had found out the Love of a fellow that was servant to a Knight in Rome, that had purposely made his knees to swell, by rubbing them with the juyce of Thapsia, that so he might not be able to wait on

his Master into the Field, but might stay at home, and by this meanes have the fit∣ter opportunity to enjoy his Mistresse. And in his book de Praecog. he relates the manner, how he discovered the Love of Iustus his wife, who was enamoured of one Pylades: and that, meerely by feeling her pulse very hard, and observing with∣all her countenance, as he named him to her.

—Quis enim benè celat Amorem: Emicat indicio prodita flamma suo.

Anacreon the Poet makes great boasts of his owne skill in this particular, in his last Ode, after this manner.

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in english thus.

By markes, our Horses beare, We straight know whose they are. By his Tiare, a man May know the Parthian. And so, at first sight, I An Amorist descry. For in his Breast's a signe, By which I can divine.

For as soone as ever Cupid hath kindled this fire within their Hearts, they are con∣strained presently to lay open their Breasts, and cry out for helpe. The heate of these flames oftimes discovers it selfe in the Cheekes, where it presents the be∣holders eye with as many various colours, as the Rainebow weares.

—Benè quis celaverit Ignem? Lumine nam semper proditur ipse suo. Quod licet, ut possum, conor celare pudorē; Attamen apparet dissimulatus Amor.

Who's he, that can hide fire? whose brighter Raies, The more restrain'd, the more them∣selves betray.

Nor can Love be by any art supprest, Where each Blush tells the secrets of the Breast.

And for this cause Diotimus in Plato's Conviv, saies, that Love inherits this from his mother Penia, to be alwaies 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, naked, and without a covering. And for this cause the Poets also alwaies feigne him to be naked, because, as Erasmus in his Adagies observes, Love cannot be co∣vered. For, not the eyes alone, but even the tongue also, and the cheekes them∣selves by their Blushes will necessarily discover it. Yet notwithstanding all these manifest signes of Love, together with their frequent sighings, continuall com∣plaints, Importunate praises of their Mi∣stresses, and the like: the Lover still be∣leeves his desires are so closely carried, as that the quickest apprehension cannot dis∣cover them: whereas indeed they lye o∣pen, and exposed to every eye.

I shall willingly grant, that it is not so easy a matter to discover the Love of one that is but lightly touched with it. But if the party be but so farre entred in∣to

it, as that Melancholy, or Love-Mad∣nesse now begins to seize on him: I dare undertake to finde out such a ones disease, ••s easily, as any other violent Passion of ••he Mind what ever: so that I may but have liberty to observe the Actions and Gestures of the Party Affected; and that, ••y those Rules I have observed to have been delivered by Galen, concerning this Particular.

The meanes and order of Proceeding ••n this Discovery, I shall hereafter deli∣ver unto you: by which you shall be able to finde out this Malady, not only where ••t is already setled, but also where there is but a bare Inclination unto it only in the Constitution. And herein I shall be for∣ced to crave assistance from all faculties, and sometimes too, as Galen saies, we must be content to helpe our selves with bare conjectures: as he him selfe was once faine to doe, when he discovered the de∣ceit of a Knight in Rome, that feigned himselfe to be troubled with the colicke, that so he might avoid being present at a generall Assembly of the Citizens. Not∣withstanding, as he there observes, this

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discovery was not properly of Medicinall Cognition; but rather belonged to the power of Reason and Common Sense: which, although it be common to all, yet is it exact and Ripe in a very few. And therefore he concludes, that where this naturall faculty is sound, and joyned in commission, as it were, with Medicinall experience, that man shall be able to make any the like discoveries as these.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epist. ad Hippoc.
• * 1.2

  Avic. l. 3. fen. 1. Aët. tetrab. 4. c. de Amore.
• * 1.3

  Plut. in Demet. val. Max. l. 15. c. 7.
• * 1.4

  Lib. 2. Reg. c. 13.