To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Forasmuch as examples, are the most fa∣miliar meanes to edifie and arme a diseased minde against the assaults of inuisible temp∣tations, I will lay downe some, which our mo∣derne Writers haue recorded for true. The
Passion of Loue hath beene so violent and vehement in some, that the wisest, as Salomon, haue turned to be Idolaters: and braue Mar∣tialists, as Hercules and others, haue become fooles or mad men. Saint Augustine Libr. 11. Trinitat. cap. 4. rehearseth a story of one in his time, that had such a strong and strange apprehension of his mistresse body imprinted in his braine, that he imagined himselfe re∣ally present with her, and committing of car∣nall copulation with her so sensibly, that his very seed did spend in the said imaginary act. vt ei se quasi misceri sentiens etiam genitalibus flueret, that I may vse his owne words.
For the cure of this beastlike and slouenly sinne, I will content my selfe with three fa∣mous examples.
There dwelt in Alexandria a dame of great beautie, and of greater learning, called Hip∣patia, which publikely read vnto Schollers. It came to passe, that one of her chiefest Schol∣lers became so inamoured of her, that the ardent desire of loue compelled him to dis∣couer vnto her his passion, entreating her to pittie his languishing state. Hippatia a very wise woman, and loath to cast away so worthy
a Scholler by a cruell disdaine, bethought her selfe of this subtill and sodaine remedie: she out of hand prouided her of a filthy, blou∣dy, and mattry smock: and after shee had in∣uited him to her chamber, fayning her selfe willing to giue him contentment, shee tooke vp her peticote, and shewed him her flowry contagious smocke, speaking vnto him after this manner: My friend, I pray thee see here how thy iudgement hath beene abused; see what thing thou louest so precious: examine more straightly, what motiue induced thee to loue such filthy trompery ouer-cast and disguised with a glozing beautie. At these words, the young man began to be ashamed, to repent himselfe, and thenceforth to be∣come more wise and sober.
It is reported of that great Scholler Rai∣mundus Iullius, that falling in loue with a faire Gentlewoman, he pressed her very earnestly to respect him. Shee to dispatch and to ease his passion, concluded to lye with him: but when shee came, shee presently shewed him her left dugge most vgly to behold by reason of a canker which had almost rotted it. At which hideous sight his courage sodainely
quailed, and cooled in such sort, that his lust∣ful loue was conuerted into a charitable loue to study for some extraordinary Physicke to help her.
A Lawyer of Tholouza for his further lear∣ning hauing trauailed into Italy, was at length insnared with loue at Venice. Whereupon he often passed by the doore of his mistresses house, and made many tokens of his good will towards her. Hee attempted by the assi∣stance of Bawdes to corrupt her with gifts, and in the end with much adoe found means himselfe to impart his loue vnto her. The Gentlewoman with bitter threatning repul∣sed him. All which could not cause him to desist from his idle exterprize, so vnbrideled was his affection, so violent his motion. But at the last perceiuing his purpose frustrate and hopelesse, he fell into a frantick humour, & one morning among the rest, in the Church of Saint Marke, casting himselfe through the Guard, endeuoured to murther the Duke▪ but this amourous foole, as God would haue it, was resisted and led into prison. The matter was examined very straightly, and at the last it was found that Loue had made him mad.
The wise Senate vpon graue deliberation dis∣missed him, committing his cure to that fa∣mous Physitian Pracastorius, who at that time dwelt in Venice. This learned man vndertaking his charge and cure, disguised a Courtizan like the Gallants mistresse to lye with him a whole night, and to yeeld him his amorous contentment, vntill he was weary. Then hee caused him to be well couered with clothes, till he fell into a sweat. His phantasie and lust being thus partly pleasured, hee proceeded to other remedies, to purge him of his me∣lancholicke humours, so that at length he re∣stored him to his former state. I write not this, to the intent it should serue for a precedent, (the same being diameter-wise repugnant to our Makers Commandement) but because our Physitians should counsell the youthfull amorous to marry, rather then to burne in vnlawfull desires: and the amorous marryed to content himselfe with the wife of his youth, giuing her due beneuolence, and satisfying his burning lust vpon her body, whom God had ioyned with him for that purpose: for surely, by this carnall copulation the vapo∣rous fumes of the seede are taken away from
the Patient, which doe infect his braine, and lead him into melancholy. By how much the more and longer they continue in the body, so much the more thoughts doe they engen∣der, which at last will turne to folly or mad∣nesse.