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PRAXITELES;
a Native of Great Greece, and honoured with the Priviledge of a Roman Citizen, an excellent Statuary, whose Works were all Master-pieces: Among others there was Cupid's Statue, which the Thespians bought for 800 Golden Minae Atticae, and was brought to Rome by Julius Caesar: But the most Conside∣rable was the Statue of Venus, which half open∣ed her Lips, as if she smiled: The Industry of the Artist overcame the Stone it self; insomuch that the Hardness of the Marble exprest the most delicate Features of so beautiful a Body: There was a Mole upon the Goddess's Thigh, which was the more conspicuous, because the rest was of white Marble finely polished. Lucian in his Dialogue of the Lovers, does also discover unto us the Cause of this Mole:
The Sacristan, he or she that officiated there, for they say, 'twas a Woman, told us somewhat that amazed us; she said that a young Man of Noble Birth, but one whose Infamy buried his Name in Oblivion, being prompted by some evil Genius, fell in Love with this Statue; wherefore he spent all his time in the Temple to contemplate her, having his Eyes always fixed upon her..... His Passion continuing; all the Temple Walls and Trees round resounded nothing but his Love: It extoll'd Praxiteles above Jupiter, and gave all that it had for an Offering to the God∣dess: It was believed at first that his Devoti∣on lead him thither, but he being at length transported with Madness, hid himself one Night in the Temple, and some Mark of the Violence of his Passion was discovered next Day, but he seen no more; and whether it were that he fell down over the Rocks, or into the Sea, is uncertain.