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. XXXVI. Empericall Remedies for the Cure of Love, and Erotique Melancholy.

THe Ancient Greeks in this case, had in great account the Copaean Lake, wherein Agamemnon is reported by Plu∣tarch to have bathed himselfe, when hee desired to quit the Love of the faire Chry∣seis. Dexicreon is said to have cured the Samian women of this disease, by some certaine Ceremonies, and Expiatory Sa∣crifices that he used. Others were wont to repaire to the Sepulchers of Rhadina, Le∣ontina, or Jole, and there offer up their de∣votions. But the most famous, and certaine Remedy of all, was the Leucadian Rocke, from the top whereof distracted Lovers would throw themselves downe head∣long into the sea. The first that ever ad∣ventured

to make experiment of it, is said to be Sapho.

Saltus{que} ingressa viriles, Non formidatâ temeraria Chalcide Sapho.

And this she did, because she could not obtaine the Love of hard-hearted Phao, as she complaines her selfe: and this pro∣voked her to this desperate Attempt.

But those Antiquaries, that have en∣quired more diligently into the truth hereof, affirme, that the first that ever took this Leape, was one Phocas; or, as some ra∣ther thinke, one Cephalus, who was ena∣moured of Pterela. Sapho, in Ovid, attri∣butes the glory of this discovery to Deu∣calion, who was extreamely transported with the Love of Pyrrha, whom after∣wards he married.

Hinc se Deucalion, Pyrrhae succensus a∣more, Misit; & illaeso corpore pressit aquas. Nec non versus Amor fugit lentissima Mersi Pectora: Deucalion ig ne levatus erat.

The faire Calyce also, so highly com∣mended by the Poet Stesichorus for her beauty, was so miserably enamoured of Evanthlus, that seeing her selfe refused by him, she adventured to runne that des∣perate course that Sapho had done before her.

But the harshnesse and unpleasantnesse of this Remedy, gave occasion to some o∣thers to substitute instead thereof Cupids fountaine in Cyzicus, the vertue whereof, as Mutianus reports, was such, as that it would utterly extinguish and allay the heats of doating Lovers. Of the like ver∣tue also was the river Selemnus, spoken of by Pausanias; who notwithstanding seems to give litle or no credit at all unto it. For if this were so, saith he, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: the water of this river would be far more pre∣tious then gold. Notwithstanding for my owne part, I find no such great Absurdity, or Improbability in the story of this Ri∣ver. For it is most certaine, that a Bath of cold water is a very soveraigne Remedy for the cure of the Vterine Fury, which is a Species of Love-Melancholy; and also of

the Dropsy: especially if the water be any whit Minerall, as it is probable the waters of those fountaines were. And this seems also to be very much confirmed by Mer∣curialis, who assures us that he hath cured diverse women of this disease of Love, meerely by making them drinke a good quantity of cold water, and bathing them in the like.

The Doricke Musicke is also reported to have been of so great force in appeasing and composing the perturbations of the Mind, as Galen saith, as that Agamemnon, the Generall of the Grecian forces in the Expedition against Troy, left no other Guardian of his Wives Chastity in his ab∣sence, save only a Musitian, that was ex∣cellently well skilled in the Doricke Tone; who by the power of his Harmony restrained Clytemnestra from all unchast and Illicite Loves, so long as he lived. But the Adulterous Aegistus, perceiving that so long as the Musitian lived, it was im∣possible for him to compasse his designes; he caused him to be murdered, and by this meanes at length obtained the love of the faire Clytemnestra, Boëthius tels a story of

Pythagoras, how that meeting a company of mad Youngsters, who being well hea∣ted with wine, were going about to offer violence to some that detained a sweet∣heart of theirs from them, threatning to set the house afire about their eares: Py∣thagoras presently caused the Musitian that played to them to change the Tone: and so by a heavy, grave, Spondaicall Mu∣sicke, hee presently appeased their fury, and made them give over their violence and insolent attempt.

Ovid makes mention of a certaine Oblivious, or Lethaean Love, to whom the ancient Romans dedicated a Temple, and built it on the the top of the Mountaine Eryx, neare unto which stood the Temple of Venus. And to this forgetfull God would all those, that desired to deliver themselves from their Amorous follies, tender their devotions.

Est illic Lethaeus Amor, qui pectora sanat, In{que} suas gelidam lampadas addit aquam. Illic & Iuvenes Votis oblivia poscunt: Et ••i qua est duro capta marita viro.

Instead of this Deity, the Greekes ac∣knowledged and offered sacrifice to Ʋe∣nus, surnamed Apostraphia: which I con∣ceive to bee the same with the Celestiall Venus, or Ʋrania: whom the Scythians also anciently worshipped at Ascalon, after that by cutting the veines or Arteries behind their Eares they had made them∣selves weake and Impotent, as is before delivered.

Terpsicles, as Athenaeus reports him, prescribes for the cure of Love, a Mullet, that hath been suffocated in a vessell of wine: And Pliny for the same purpose commends Chrysocolla, which the Arabi∣ans call Baurach: or else the drinking of wine that a Lizard hath been choaked in. The Ancients made great account also of the waxe of a mans left eare; and of Pige∣ons dung, steeped in oyle: as also of the Vrine of a Hee-goat, mixed with a quan∣tity of Indian Spikenard. Iohannes de Vi∣go, who was Surgeon to Pope Iulius the Second, counsells the party affected to take the Excrement of the person he is in love with, and burne it: affirming very confidently, that this is a most singular and

certaine remedy; if the Patient doe but smell it. But such Receits as these, come out of the shops of such kind of Physitians, as Aristophanes calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Some other there are, that in this case will have a wenches haire cut of; just as Farri∣ers use to doe with Mares, who cut of their Manes, when they desire to take horse.

In a word, there is not a Naturalist, that hath not invented some strange Medicine or other, for the cure of this disease. Al∣bertus Magnus, and Cardan, commend the Emerauld, Ruby, and Saphire in this case: some others as highly extoll the ver∣tue of the Diamond: and a third sort pre∣ferre the Topaz, and the Amethist. Pica∣trice commends the juyce of the Myrtle tree, the braine of Swallowes; and also the blood of the party beloved. Which expe∣riment we find in story that Marcus Au∣relius the Emperour proved upon his wife Faustina, who doated extreamely on a certaine Gladiator in Rome. To quench which unchast desires of her, the Empe∣rour was advised by the Chaldaeans, to cause the said Gladiator to bee murdered secretly, that his wife might not know it,

and that some of his blood should bee gi∣ven her to drink, the next night that him∣selfe intended to lye with her: which was performed accordingly, but with this bad successe. For that night was begotten An∣tonius Commodus, one of the most bloody and cruell Tyrants, that ever Rome brought forth: and such a one he was be∣sides, as spent his time wholly among Fencers, and such like companions, and was farre more like the Sword-player that was kill'd, then his owne father, the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius, who, as Ausonius saies of him,

Hoc solum Patriae, quòd genuit, nocuit.

Was never injurious to his Countrey in any thing, but only that he begot this Sonne.

Deianira, being Iealous that Hercules made too much of Iole, was perswaded by the deceitfull Centaure. Nessus, that she might utterly extinguish all his unlawfull desires towards her, or any other, if she would but follow his advise; which was, to send him a shirt, that had been dipped

inoyle, and the blood of the Centaure. But the Event miserably deceived her expectation: for instead of curing him of his Love-follies, it made him dye a most cruell death, and full of rage and Tor∣ment.