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. XXXIII. The cure of Erotique Melancholy, and Love. Madnesse.

DIogenes going one day to the Oracle at Delphos, to aske counsell, what was the most soveraigne and speediest Re∣medy for the cure of his sonne, that was growne mad for Love: received this an∣swere, that he must enjoy Her, that was the cause of his Madnesse. The same coun∣sell did Ionadab give to Amnon, who doa∣ted on his sister Thamar; Hippocrates, to King Perdicca's sonne: and Erasistratus, to Antiochus, King Seleucus his sonne. This opinion is also set downe in expresse tearmes by Hippocrates, about the end of his booke De his quae ad Virgin. spect. thus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. My advise is, saith he, that all young wen∣ches, when once they begin to bee taken with this disease, should presently bee married out of hand. The same is the opi∣nion of Galen also, toward the end of those excellent bookes of his, which he compo∣sed in his old age, de Locis Affect, as also of Avicen, Haly Abbas, Gordonius, Ar∣naldus, Ʋalescus de Tarenta, Pereda, Lu∣cretius, Ficinus, Ovid, and many others.

But the enjoyment of their Desires doth not cure this disease alone; but even the very power, or Liberty to enjoy them, doth oftimes worke the same ef∣fect: according to that of the Poet.

Jlli, peccandi studium, permissa potestas Abstulit; at{que} ipsum talia velle subit.

And sometimes also a bare dreame doth the like: as may appeare by that story of a certaine young Aegyptian, that was ex∣treamely in love with one Theognis, rela∣ted by Plutarch. This young Inamorato prevailed so farre with this wench, that at the last she consented to satisfy his de∣sires,

upon condition that hee would give her a certaine summe of Money: which he very readily condescended unto. It for∣tuned in the meane time, that as this lusty youth one night lay asleep in his bed, hee dream't that he embrac'd in his armes his beloved Theognis: and his Fancy was so strong upon him, that hee conceived himselfe to enjoy her really, in the height of Amorous dalliance: and was indeed by this meanes cured of his Malady. Which the Damsell coming to have notice of, she demands her salary of him: and upon his refusall to pay it, she sues him in the court of Iustice, alleadging for the reason of this her proceeding, that she had performed the conditions on her part required, in that she had cured him of his disease. Which when the Iudge heard, he com∣manded the young man, that hee should bring into the Court the summe of mony agreed upon betwixt them, and there powre it out into a Bason: and withall decreed, that as the Aegyptian had con∣tented himselfe with a bare Imaginary Pleasure, conceived in the enjoyment of Her body: in like manner should she bee

satisfyed with the sound and colour of his gold. This sentence of the Iudge was ap∣proved of by all, save only the Damsell: who objected against it, that the dreame had quenched the Aegyptians desire: but on the contrary, the sound and colour of the gold had encreased Hers the more; and that therefore this sentence was un∣just.

And here before wee either approve, or reject this Remedy, we must distinguish this enjoyment into two kindes, either Lawfull, or Vnlawfull. Now there is no Physitian, that ever denyed to his Patient, for the cure of his Love-Madnesse, the en∣joyment of the person he loved, so it were in marriage lawfully concluded on of all sides: considering that, as the Poet saies.

Amoris vulnus, idem qui facit, sanat.

The wounds of Love, are cured only by that hand that made them.

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I, sweet, am Telephus: Thou, Achilles be. And let thy Beauty cure, that wounded me.

Avicen, in his chapter de Amore, saies, that this is the only, and last remedy that we must have recourse unto. Ampliùs cùm non invenitur cura, nisi regimen coniunctio∣nis inter eas, secundùm modum permissionis fidei & legis, fiat. Et nos quidem iam vidi∣mus, cuireddita est salus, & virtus, & rediit ad carnem suam, cùm iam pervenisset ad arefactionem, & pertransissetipsam, & telle∣rasset Aegritudines pravas, antiquas, & febres longas, propter debilitatem virtutis, factam propter nimietatem Ilisci. And he professes that himselfe hath seen some, that have been recovered by this meanes, when as through the extreamity of this Love-Melancholy, they have been grown leane and dry, and have had scarce any flesh left on their backes, and through weaknesse and faintnesse have beene brought into cruell Inveterate diseases, & Feavers of long continuance. But in case that Marriage cannot be accomplished be∣twixt the parties, by reason of any Impe∣diments on either part: I dare not bee so impious as to prescribe for the cure of our Patient, as Avicen, and Haly Abbas doe, Emptionem puellarum, & plurimum con∣cubitum

ipsarum: & earum renovationem, & delectationem cum ipsis. And yet I doe not marvaile at all, that these Mahometans should embrace this so wicked an opini∣on: considering that their Alcoran per∣mits them to have as many wives, and Concubines, as they are able to maintaine: as wee are assured by the relation of all those that have written of the customes, and manners of the Turkes, and other Ma∣hometans. Neither yet doe I wonder at Ovid, and Lucretius among the Poets, who made a vertue of Luxury, and Incon∣tinency. But this opinion is most vile, and execrable in the mouth of Christians, that would seeme to maintaine it: such as were Arnaldus de villa Nova, Magnimus, Va∣lescus de Tarenta, Pereda, Marsilius Fici∣nus, and some others. But I leave this que∣stion to be disputed by Divines, whe∣ther or no Fornication bee lawfull: and whether wee may doe Ill, that Good may come of it: And shall only for mine owne part believe, as the Morall Philoso∣phers teach us, that Vice is never cured by Vice, but by Vertue, as by it's contrary: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: For Con∣traries

are cured by Contraries; as I shall be able to prove unto you out of Aristotle: and shall shew you withall, that those per∣sons that take this lewd course to cure themselves of this Malady; instead of be∣ing cured, they rather grow farre worse, and much more inclined to Lust, and all unchast desires. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For by this meanes, saith he, the passages of the body are open∣ed & made more capacious, & the sperma∣ticall vessels are enlarged: and withall, the Remembrance of those sweet pleasures they have formerly enioyed, begets in them a strong desire to act them over a∣gaine. This doctrine Aristotle seemes to have derived from Hippocrates, who dis∣courseth of this point, almost in the very same tearms; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For, saith he, if a man doe exercise the Acts of Venery very frequent∣ly; his Veines by this meanes grow larger; and so attracting the greater store of seed, he is a great deale the more prone to Ʋe∣nery.

Galen also is of the same opinion; and proves it by that excellent and true Max∣ime of the divine Plato in Theaeteto; where he saies, that Jgnavia quidem exsolvit: pro∣prii autem officii exercitatio, robur anget. Idlenesse, and want of exercise, destroyes the strength: but labour, and often using of a mans strength, increases it. And this hee confirmes also by the instance of Womens breasts, which breed the greater quantity of milke in them, the oftner they are suck∣ed. But on the contrary side, saith he, Can∣tatoribus, & Athletis, qui iam inde ab ini∣tio nullam vitae partem Ʋeneris illecebris contaminaverunt, nullam admittentes Ʋe∣nereorum cogitationem, vel Imaginationem; iis Pudenda exilia, & rugosa, veluti seni∣bus, sieri consueverunt, nulla{que} libidine ten∣tantur. Which place, I hold to be very wel worhty the consideration of all those that have taken upon thē the vow of Chastity. Besides, if the contrary opinion of those Authours above named were true: it must needs then follow, that those persons that are married, should never feele the force of any of these unchast Heats of Lust: not∣withstanding experience proves the con∣trary.

And this hath moved even some of the Ancient Fathers to confesse, that it was a harder matter for a man to preserve his Chastity, then his Virginity.