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. XXXV. Of Philters, and Poëticall Cures of Love.

BEfore we descend to the cure of Love-Melancholy, it is necessary that we examine, whether, or no, this disease may be caused by Philters, and in like manner also cured by Poeticall remedies, or any other thing that is of a Nature con∣trary to these Philters. Those that endea∣vour to maintaine the power of Philters, or Love potions, alleadge for them∣selves, that if it be in the power of a Sor∣cerer or Magician to cause Hate; they may then as easily produce the contrary

Passion, which is, Love; and that, by the use of certaine Characters, Charmes, Poy∣sons, Meats, or Medicines, which may stirre up the Humours, heate the blood, or by some other meanes provoke them to Lust. And this their Assertion they labour to prove out of that place of the Prophet Nahum, where there is a woe pronoun∣ced against the bloody City &c.

Be∣cause of the multitude of the Whoredoms of the well favoured Harlot the Mistresse of Witchcrafts, that selleth Nations through her Whoredoms, and Families through her witchcrafts.

Where by Witchcrafts, they say, is meant Philters, which they used to make, by burning the stones of Olives: as may be collected out of the book of Baruch. And this is the reason, as they conceave, that Plato, in Convivio, saies, that Love is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a great Magitian and a Sorce∣rer.

The Heathen of old time attributed so great power and vertue, to these Philters, and Love Potions; as that they belee∣ved it to be impossible, but that whosoe∣ver dranke them, should forthwith yeeld

themselves up to the pleasure of those that gave it them.

Hic Thessala vendit Philtra, quibus valeant mentem vexare mariti, Et soleâ pulsare nates, &c.

Plutarch in his discourse of Marriage seemes very confidently to beleeve, that there is such a Vertue in Philters: but yet he absolutely rejects them, & holds them very dangerous to be used. And he proves it by the example of Poysoned Baites, that men use sometimes to fish withall. For as these poysoned Baites doe indeed sud∣denly, and very certainly catch all those Fishes, that doe but tast of them: yet are the Fishes to taken the more dan∣gerous and unfit to be eaten. In like man∣ner fares it with those women that use Love Potions, Charmes, and Sorceries, to inveagle those they doat on: for, notwith∣standing that by this meanes they are in∣deed certaine to enjoy them, yet it is but in a kinde of Forced and Inraged manner, without any true cōtentment at all. Circe,

saith he, was both of this Sexe, & Nature yet receaved she but small content from those that she had by her Philters & Ma∣gicall Spells transformed into Beasts. On the other side, she doated on Vlisses, who knew well enough how to love with dis∣cretion, notwithstanding all her power∣full Charmes.

You shall meet with diverse of these kindes of fooleries, in Tibullus, Properti∣us, Horace, Theocritus, and in Ʋirgil also; who hath this that followes.

Limus ut hic durescit; & haec ut Cerali∣quescit, Vno & eodem igne; sic nostro Daphnis A∣more.

Apuleius in the third book of his Meta∣morphosis, relates a pretty passage that be∣fell his Hostesse Pamphile: who sending Fotis her Waiting-maid for some of the haire of a certaine young fellow, whom she was desperatly in love withall; inten∣ding to try an experiment of her skill in Sorcery upon him, to force him to her will: the Maid, as it seemes, missing of her

purpose, and not daring to returne home to her Mistresse empty-handed, espies by chance where some were shaving the haire of certaine bladders that they had made of Goat-skinnes for to swimme withall. And so taking with her some of this Haire, she returnes home, and concea∣ling the truth of the businesse, delivers it to her Mistresse for the true Haire she sent her for. At length when Pamphile had fi∣nished all her Magicall Ceremonies, and now began every minute to expect her Lovers approach: on a suddaine, cleane contrary to her expectation, there comes leaping into her Chamber those Bladders of Goat-skinnes before mentioned, of whose haire Fotis had brought to her Mi∣stresle, which came very readily to satisfy her desires, in obedience to the power of her Spells.

Ioubertus, and Liebault report, that the women in many places, when they are newly delivered of a daughter, desire the women that are present, to save the Na∣vill string of the Child: hoping by this meanes to gaine them store of Suitors, when they are once ripe for Marriage. For

they very confidently beleeve, that if a li••¦tle quantity of the Navill string, being fir•••• dried and made into a powder, be give•• to a young man in his drinke; hee cannot choose but instantly fall in love with the Wench that gives it. The ground of this custome, or rather Popular Errour, you may read in the above-named Physitians.

And the Sorceresse Medea thought that Venus made the same use of the Bird called by the Greekes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which, as No∣el le Conte in his Mythologies, and Vige∣nerius upon Philostratus conceave, is the same that the Latines call Motacilla, in English a Wagtaile; which is accounted of great power to cause Love: and there∣fore Pindarus calls it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Ra∣ging, or Mad Bird. But in my opinion, these Authors are very much deceaved in this: for the Bird 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is described by Ari∣stotle, to have two Clawes on each foot before, and as many behind; quite contra∣ry to the nature of all other Birds whatso∣ever. This Bird is called by P. Bellonius, Turcot, or Tercot: and by the Latines, Torquilla, a Wryneck, or Hickway: Gaza, and Pacius translate it, Turbo. But the

Wagtaile is called in Greeke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. e. Culicilega avis.

These Philters, for the most part, were mixt with some poysonous Ingredients; which many times caused the death of the party that took them. Such were those that were given to Lucullus, and to Le∣ander, sonne in law to Aretaphile; of whom Plutarch makes mention: and to Lucretius, as Eusebius reports: to Frideri∣cus, Duke of Bavaria, and King of the Ro∣mans; as it is related by Cuspinian. To which we may adde that, for which Tem∣nia, an Athenian Matrone, was justly con∣demned to death by the Athenians, who notwithstanding had a litle before (as A∣ristotle relates it) pardoned another wo∣man, who was convicted of the same crime; the Areopagites thinking the greife, that she must needs conceave, for having been the murtheresse of her own deare Husband, to be a punishment more cruell then Death it selfe: which is the punishment assigned for this fact by the Civill Law, l. etiam. ff. ad l. Corn. de sic. & Ʋenef.

I might here adde that which was given

to Lancelot, King of Naples, by one of his owne Physitians, that owed him a spite, for having basely forced his daughter: of which, both the King, and the Innocent Damsell also died, in a most cruell & mi∣serable manner: as you may read the sto∣ry at large in Nauclerus, M. Montaigne, & G. Dupreau, in the yeare 1440.

Those Philters which did not kill those that tooke them; did notwithstanding ut∣terly destroy their Iudgement. And of this last kinde was that which Ciree gave to Vlisses Souldiers: and that which Coeso∣nia gave to the Emperour Caligula her Husband: according to the Satyrist.

Tamen hoc tolerabile: si non Et furere incipias; ut avunculus ille Nero∣nis, Cui totam tremuli frontem Coesonia pulli Infudit.

This Philter, here spoken of by Iuvenai, was a certaine piece of flesh that is found growing on the forehead of a Colt newly foaled, and is about the bignesse of a Fig, being of a black colour, and almost round:

as both Pliny and Aristotle affirme. Not∣withstanding Aristotle in another place gives the same name to a certaine liquor, that drops from a Mare when shee takes Horse, being somewhat like unto the Seed of the Mare, but more liquid and thin. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: And some, saith he, call this liquor, Hippomanes: but some others will have that to be the true Hip∣pomanes, which growes on the Colts fore∣head. Tibullus the Poet seemes to bee of the other opinion, where he saies:

Vbi indomitis gregibus Venus afflat a∣mores: Hippomanes rabidae stillat ab inguine Equae.

Notwithstanding Aloysius Anguillara, Cratenas, Dodoneus, and Veckerus, are of opinion, that Theocritus, by Hippomanes, meanes the Hearbe Stramonia, called by the Arabians, Nux Methel: and by the French, Pomme de Peru: in English, the Thorne-apple. And Rodericus à Castro will have it to be a certaine litle plant growing in Arcadie, called in French, Faug ere.

Porphyrius in his booke de Sacrificiis, notwithstanding that he was himselfe a Notorious Magician, as S. Augustine wit∣nesseth of him, lib. 10. de Civit. Dei, cap. 9. confesses the Divell to be the Author, as of these Philters, so of all other deceits, cousenage, and lies. And therefore I dare not assent unto Iosephus, and some others after him, who are bold to affirme, that Moses, when hee had brought the chil∣dren of Israel out of the Land of Egypt, & the peoples desires were still toward the place from whence they came, composed by his great learning and Art, certaine Rings, that had the power to cause forget∣fulnesse of Love, in the parties that wore them.

However, we deny not but that there may be Medicines, Meats, and Poysons, of a power provoking to Lust: of which kinde you shall meet with diverse Cata∣logues in Avicen, Aëtius, Aegineta, Ori∣basius, and all our Moderne Physitians, that have treated of Sterility, and Impotency, both in Women and Men. But wee abso∣lutely deny that there is any such power in any of them, as to make Iohn love Jone,

rather then Iulian: much lesse to make a∣ny one besotted with Love.

Non facient, ut vivat Amor, Medeïdes herbae, Mixta{que} cum Magicit Marsa venena sonis.

Phasias Aesonidē, Circe tenuisset Vlissem, Si modo servari carmïne posset Amor.

No hearbs, nor powerfull Spells can Love constraine:

Medea here tries all her Charmes in vain. For if they could; she then had Iasons will Control'd: Vlisses had been Circe's still.

Thus she, that boasted she could with her Charmes transforme Men into diverse formes and shapes, had no power at all o∣ver Vlisses.

Non hic herba valet, non hic Nocturna Ci∣taeis: Non per Medeae gramina cocta Manus.

The true and most powerfull Philters cō∣sist in the beauty, comely grace, and cour∣teous

behaviour of a Man or Woman: all which the Greeks expressed by a generall Name, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: & these work the more powerfully, where they meet in those persons, betwixt whom there is a mutuall Sympathy: especially if they live an easie and dainty life.

Male quaeritur herbis: Moribus, & formâ conciliandus Amor.

Of this opinion also was Olympia, wife to King Philip of Macedon, and mother to Alexander the Great: of whom it is sto∣ried, that when one told her that a certain Damsell about the Court, had by the force of some Charmes or Enchantments that she had used, caused her husband the King to fall in love with her: she no soo∣ner saw the beauty of the Damsell, but that presently she cries out; Ʋaleant Ca∣lumniae: tu in te Philtta habes. Away with these false and slanderous accusations; I must acquit thee of them; Thy Beauty is all the Philters thou usest.

Si possent Homines delinimentis capi:

Omnes haberent nunc amatores Anus. Aetas, & Corpus tenerum, & morigeratio: Haec sunt venena formosarum mulierum. Mala aetas nulla delinimenta invenit.

If Love by enchantments could comman∣ded be, Each old Witch then would please her Lovers eye. Beauty, Youth, Vertue, these are Loves best spells. Cupid nere sports, where Age, and Foule∣nesse dwels.

The Pagans were wont to preserve themselves against the power of these Philters, by certaine remedies of the same stampe, which they call Homericall. Not, because this Poet was the first Founder and Inventor of them, as some have thought: But they were rather called by this name, because that, as they conceived, they deserved all Admiration and praise, as did all the Actions and workes of this Divine Poet: who, as it is reported of him, by repeating certaine words over sicke persons, cured diverse diseases: and in like manner by saying certaine verses over one

that was troubled with an issue of blood, instantly stopt it: as it is also reported of the sonnes of Autolycus, who stopped Ʋ∣lisses blood, when he had received a great wound in his thigh on the Mountaint Parnassus, only by some Charme or spell they used.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

These Poeticall, or Homericall Reme∣dies, consisted in certaine Charmes, Cha∣racters, Amulets, or such like Periapses, which no Christian Physitian ought to use: notwithstanding that the common people doe to this day too superstitiously believe, and put in practise many of these Paganish devises.

In conclusion then we affirme, that the most powerfull and soveraigne remedy against Philters, are Prayers, reading of good bookes, and other serious exercises.

Ergo quisquis opem Medicâ tibi poscis ab Arte, Deme Veneficiis, Carminibus{que} fidem.

If therefore for thy griefes thou seek'sta Cure,

All faith in Charmes and Spells thou must abjure.