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

CHAP. II. The Symptomes of Love Melancholy.

THe diverse and violent perturbati∣ons which afflict the mind of a Pas∣sionate Lover, are the causes of greater mischiefes, then any other passion of the mind whatsoever. For although we read ••n Authors of good note of some that have * 1.1 ••ied with excessive joy, as Polycrita Naxensis, Diagoras Rhodius, Chilo the * 1.2 Lacedaemonian, Sophocles, and Dionysius the Sicilian Tyrant: Others perhaps of * 1.3 extreame sorrow, as P. Rutilius, M. Le∣pidus, and Ely the High-Priest: others of * 1.4

shame, as it is storied of Homer, that it kil led him, because he was not able to resolve the Fishermans riddle: And Macrina, the wife of Torquatus, through an earnest desire she had to see a one-eyed Aegyptian that was to passe by her doore, her husband being abroad; at which time Modesty permitted not women so much as to looke out at a window, or to be seen at their doores, du∣ring the time of their husbands absence. Yet notwithstanding, all these Passions in some cases, and to some men prove often∣times of good use, and very needfull: and for this cause are reckoned by Physitians among the sixe Non-naturall things. For, Anger, although sometimes it come with∣in a degree of Madnesse, Ira Furor brevis est, yet may it doe much good upon those that are of an idle, heavy, drowsy, dull, cold, pale constitution. So likewise Feare is a kind of Physick to Fooles, Rash, Fran∣tick, Madmen: Sadnesse to those that are of a Malapert, jeering humour: and Shame, to those that are Impudent, brazen-faced, and such as have lost their colour. But love seems not to be of any use at all, but is like

that kind of Passion which Avicen, as An∣••geas Alphagus reports him, calls Hea, in is Arabique tongue, which consists for he most part of many contrary motions, as by and sadnes, feare, and despaire, friend∣ship and hatred, &c.

Odi, & Amo: quare id faciam fortasse requi∣ris: * 1.5 Nescio; sed fieri sentio, & excrucior.

I love, and hate at once: yet cannot tell, Why two such Torments in one breast should dwell.

Luctantur, pectus{que} leve in contraria du∣cunt, * 1.6 Hàc Amor, hàc Odium; sed puto vin∣cet Amor.

Yet I grant that love is the ground and Principall cause of all our Affections, and the Abstract of all the Passions and per∣turbations of the mind. For when we de∣sire to enjoy what we affect, whether it be really good, or but so in appearance; this we call covetousnesse, and Concupis∣cence. And being not able to compasse our desires, this we call Griefe, and De∣spaire:

when we enjoy the thing we de∣sire, Love then takes upon it the name of Pleasure & Delight. When we think we are able to effect our desires, 'tis then Hope: and fearing to loose it, either who∣ly, or in part only; this we call Iealousie.

By reason of these perturbations of the mind, the bloud becomes adust, earthy, and Melancholy, as in all other violent passions, except joy, according to Galen: * 1.7 by which meanes diverse have fallen into strange and desperate diseases, growing Melancholy, Foolish, Mad, Cynicall, Wol∣vish: as the learned Avicen reports, in his cap. de Amore. Aretaeus the Physitian * 1.8 makes mention of a young Inamorato in his time, that was so besotted with this Fury, that he could not be cured by any meanes. Lucretius the famous Poet, by this meanes lost the use of his judgement: Iphis grew mad for Anaxaretes: a young * 1.9 Athenian did the like, for the love of a Marble statue: which had also happened not long since to a rich Merchant of Arles, had he not been cured of his Frensy by the learned Valleriola, as himselfe tells the story in his Observations, Sapho the

Poetesse was so desperately enamoured ••f Phaon, that she desperately cast her selfe headlong from off the Leucadian ••ock into the sea; as both Strabo and Suy∣das relate the story. For woemen are farre more subject to this passion, and more cru∣elly tormented with it, then men are. For from hence proceeds the Green sick∣nesse, (which is sometimes joyned with a gentle Fever, and is then by our modern writers called an Amorous Fever:) heart∣beating, swelling of the face, want of ap∣petite, greife, sighing, causeles teares, insa∣••iable hunger, extreame thirst, sownings, oppressions, suffocations, continuall watchings, Headach, Melancholy, Epilep∣sy, Ragings, Furor uterinus, Satyriasis; and diverse other desperate Symptomes, * 1.10 which for the most part admit neither cure, nor mitigation, by any other reme∣dies, but what Hippocrates prescribes for the cure of Love-Melancholy, toward the end of his booke de his quae spect. ad Virgin. and in his booke de Genit.

This hath given occasion to some to thinke, that Love was a kind of poyson ingendred within the body, and taken in

at the eyes: or else caused by those Medi∣caments, which they call Philters, recko¦ned by the Lawyer among the several kinds of poysons, l. 4. ff. ad l. Corn. de Sic & venef. The which deprave the judge¦ment, and corrupt the bloud; so that the party affected becomes of a pale and loathsome colour: as Theocritus sayes.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 My brest, that thou, false Love, hast pierc'd, retaines A heat within't, has empti'd all my veines.

Hippocrates seemes to attribute to passi∣onate love the power of transforming * 1.11 women into men; where he sayes, that in the citty Abdera, Phaethusa, being strick∣en with the love of Pytheus, and not be∣ing able to enjoy him for a long time; by reason of his absence; she became a Man, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and grew hairy all over her bo∣dy, had a mans voyce, and a long beard on her chin. The same he affirms in the Apho∣risme following to have befallen to Na∣mysia, wife to one Gorgippus: and addes

withall, that it was impossible for her to •••• recovered to her former womanhood ••aine, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I dare not beleive is to be a change of sexe, but of habit ••••ly, and complexion. For according to * 1.12 ••e same Authour, and Aristotle, the Male of the more full, massy and solid consti∣tution of body: on the other side the fe∣••••le is not so strong and nervous, but ••ore moyst, soft, and of the more delicate complexion. Notwithstanding Galen, ••chsius, Foesius, and many other Physiti∣••••s, and Interpreters of Hippocrates, (who, Macrobius saies, never yet deceived ••y,) sticke to the bare letter: so that in ••••eir opinions we may beleive the fabu∣••as stories of Iphis, Caeneus, and whatever * 1.13 ••riters have reported of Cossitius, Cassi∣••••, and many young women that at the * 1.14 ••ne of Puberty have been metamorpho∣•••• * 1.15 into men, at Smyrna, Argos, Naples, ••••ch, Vitry, Conimbria, Salernes, and in ••er places, as you may read at large the writings of Fulgosus, Amatus ••sitanus, Pareus, Pineus, and Schenkius his Observat. cap. 25.

The Peripateticks conceive not this

Transmutation of sexes to be so strange matter, relying on the authority of the Coryphaeus Aristotle, who in many place•• * 1.16 saies, that a woman is an imperfect ma•• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, differing in nothing from a man, but only in the Genitalls * 1.17 which according to Galen, are restrained and kept within meerely through defect of naturall heat. But nature hath not done this, through any errour or Impotency whatsoever these grosse Philosophers af∣firme to the contrary; but for the propaga∣tion of the species.

It may very easily then be, according to this doctrine of Aristotle, and of Galen that a woman, being enflamed with the violence of love, may put forth those her genitall parts, which are no other, then those of a man reversed, or turned inward as the same Doctour affirmes: whom not withstanding all our Modern Anatomists doe unanimously contradict: as you may see at large in the Anatomicall Quaestion * 1.18 of Andreas Laurentius.

The learned Ludovicus Mercatus, an Rodericus à Castro, are so perplexed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.19 the explication of those places of Hippo∣crates,

that one while they are fain to say, at these women were troubled with ••••e Procidence of the Matrix, which in appearance represented the Genitalls ••pper to the Male: Another while they ••irme for certaine, that in those women, ••at part which Manard calls Queue; ••lbucasis, Tentiginem; Moschio & Mer∣••tus, Symptoma turpitudinis; Aretaeus, ••ympham; Fallopius, Clitorida; Colum∣••••s, Amorem & dulcedinem Veneris; Avi∣••••, Albatram, i. e. virgam; was so great, ••••at it resembled a mans yard. Which ••••th also befallen diverse other women, ••ho unhappily abusing that part, were ••••r this reason called by the Latines, Fri∣••trices; by the Greekes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and by ••••e French, Ribauldes: in which number Suydas, and Muretus place the learned ••apho. And in the end, Mercatus very ••arnedly concludes, that he intends not •••• hinder any man from beleeving these ••ange Metamorphoses and transmutati∣••••s of sexe to be reall: considering the ••••equent examples alleadged by Histori∣••s, and by the above cited Physitian.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Arist. Eth. l. 1. c. 21.
• * 1.2

  Gal. 2. de Sympt. caus c. 4.
• * 1.3

  Val. max. l. 9. c. 12.
• * 1.4

  Plin. l. 7. c. 36.
• * 1.5

  Catul.
• * 1.6

  Ovid.
• * 1.7

  Cap. 86. art, med.
• * 1.8

  Lib. 1. Chr. Morb.
• * 1.9

  Girald. l. 9. de Poet. Hist.
• * 1.10

  Langius. Mercat.
• * 1.11

  L. 6. Epid. sect, 8.
• * 1.12

  Physiog. c. 4. & l. 4. Hist. Ani. cap. 11.
• * 1.13

  Plin. l. 7. c. 4. Auson.
• * 1.14

  Epig. 72.
• * 1.15

  Agel. l. 9. c. 4. Volat.
• * 1.16

  Lib. 1. de gener. c. 20. & lib. 2. c. 3.
• * 1.17

  Lib. 1. de sem. l. 14. de usu part.
• * 1.18

  Lib. 7. q. 8. Lib. 2. c. 10.
• * 1.19

  & 11. de virg. & vid. morb.