Academical discourses upon several choice and pleasant subjects / written by the learned and famous Loredano ; Englished by J.B.

The Plea for Weeping.

THat fair God, who for his being the most beneficial to the world, might

above all others excuse the Idolatry of blind Gentilisme becoming inamoured of a young Maiden, descended from the Throne of the Gods, to try whether that divinity, which had been able to obtaine the adoration of the Universe, could gain an amorous affection in the heart of a Virgin. He pursued, implored, temp∣ted; but she conspiring with nature, was transmuted into a Laurel, either to try∣umph over his power, or to shew that the resolutions of women many times do not participiate of the instability of the female Sex.

Miserable Apollo truly thou mightest rather have thought to have found, even amongst the Rocks, a heart that should have been molified at thy requests, then amongst hearts, a stone that would not relent for all thy prayers. How much he was astonished, every one may guess. A certain Poet writes that imediately that God was seen to weep, who otherwhile was ever wont to sing: And who knows? Perhaps he would t••y, since his Cruell Daphne already as woman, did not accept his singing, whether as a Tree she would Love his tears, which he poured on her, from those two weeping Foun∣taines of his Eyes.

This Fable Illusterous Academs gives an occasion to doubt, whether singing or weeping, are the most potent instruments in a fair face to captivate a heart, and from hence arises matter of contention betwixt these two: The fair 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the fair singer. Nor would the decision of their discord be so facile to end, had they not equally agred to refer it to your sentence, in whom they are confident to find toge∣ther, both the judgment of Paris and the integrity of Aristides.

The tears va••nt to be the more power∣ful, as having even Apollo's decision al∣ready in their favour, since after he saw his dearest converted into a Tree, he laid aside his Musick, and makes tryal of his tears, as if he thought them even so po∣tent, as to move the very trees therewith.

Consider Sirs, that thee tears are the of∣spring of the Eyes, the pretty sisters of the sight, taught and instructed, in those Schooles of animated brightness, where they profess no other Doctrine but to in∣amour. Let singing therefore yeild its pretences, which proceeding from the Mouth, is as much inferiour to weeping, both in power and efficacy, as the tears are superior in the sublimity of their

birth and nobleness of their Progeni∣tours.

Nature has consigned our tears to no others Custody but the heart, nor would she have their pomp and glory appear in any other place but in the Eyes, as if she esteem'd them worthy to have those Kings of the Members for their Guardians, and the fairest part of the body to be the Throne of their Majesty: The Eyes were created to be the Miracles of beauty, and the tears to be the Miracles of the Eyes; and who is not astonished to behold them powering forth such floods of water from their Sphears, or Element of Fire? These in our sorrows serve us for funeral pomps and mournings, and in our joyes they solemnize our excessive Contentment••, Dearest tears, which in all occasions de∣serve to be the Ornaments of the Face, Perhaps 'twas for this reason, that a Phy∣losopher fell so in Love with tears, that he spent all his time constantly in weep∣ing; you will never find any man, Sirs, so in Love with singing as to judge it worthy of his continual and vertuous employment. Consider therefore the ef∣ficaey of tears, which even makes Philo∣sophers enamoured with them.

They that call them by the simple name of Pearls, do not fully express their dig∣nity, and worth. Those are generated by the influence of the Sun, but at a far distance from the Sun; and these by the influence of two Suns, and within the very Spheare of those Suns themselves. Those are nourished in the water, and these in the mid'st of flames. Those are made fit by art to adorne the purity of a whiter neck, and these are reserved by nature to enrich the beauties of a Rosie cheek Then let us call them pretious, and if they be soft they may inform us thus much, that if one of those being dissolved by Cleopa∣tra, had power to force Mark Anthony to confess his heart was overcome, one of these liquified even by the hands of Na∣ture her self, with greater power shall constraine us to acknowledg that our af∣fections are vanquished.

Love the great God of War, does still invent new and various Stratagems to conquer and subdue our hearts and Souls. Sometimes he attempts to overthrow us, only with the sounds of precions metals, sometimes erects his bridg upon the base of our most instable hopes; sometimes assaults us with the sweetness of an in∣chanting

voice; and othertimes endea∣vours the Scalado upon the Cords of a well-tuned Instrument.

But in fine, all these potent and flatter∣ing stratagems, are nothing if compared to a fair weeping face. Many times there are such, who being stored with principles and resolutions of chastity, will repel all those assaults and tryals, though seconded and assisted with many tempting caresses and other provoking Artifices; but when he beseiges us with a sea of tears, ther's no humanity can resist him, none but such as glory in their Inhumanity; and we may well believe he will expugne that obdure soul of its strongest fortress when he comes rowling and shouring in with such torrents of over-flowing tears.

Smith's do use to besprinkle their Coales with water, which being after blown upon, do burn with the greater ardour: And Love, being a smith's son, does often use his Fathers policy: For when he is resolved to inflame a heart most, he first lets fall a soft showre of tears to moysten it, and after with deep sighs blows it into a most consuming flame.

Even the Sun, to make his Beams be∣come more hot and scorching, does seem

to unite them together, and dart them through a Cloud, which is no other than rarified water, which being condens'd, desolves and drops in tears from Heaven again.

There is nothing which communi∣cates more vigour and nourishment to plants than heat conjoyned with moi∣sture. If then it be true, what some have said, that Love is a plant, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 may truly believe that nothing else is a••le to ad∣vance its growth so much, as the Sun∣shines of two fair Eyes, mixed with the soft showres of their dist••lling tears.

The Globes of those 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Suns, being invironed with floods of tears, can be e∣steemed no other, than artificial 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which burne under the water, and are the more ardent by reason of the Antipe∣ristasis.

Excuse me, Sirs, if this conceit seem strange to you, that I should say, tears are the Milk, of the Eyes, and why must that be esteemed so unlikely, that those Eyes should flow with milk, which do so often bring forth Love? And if you do grant this Caprichio, give me leave to con∣clude, that there is nothing more proper to nourish affection than tears, since they

are milk, and Love is still a Child.

If any one should ask a Lover, they would return this answer, that the tears are no other, than the quintescence of the soul distilled through those Eyes, which pretend to teach us thereby, how liberal we should be of our Love to them, who do so prodigally wast their souls for us.

Others have said, that tears are extract∣ed from the purest blood in the heart, which may serve us for an argument, that if the blood of Caesar dead, had power to move the souls of the Romans to a Muti∣ny, much more will these living drops of the fair weepers Eyes, be able to stir up our Affections to Mutinies and Tumults. And if you say, that this might be tumul∣tuous, because a Tyrants, remember that beauty likewise is no other, than a Ty∣rant.

But to know, whether the power of tears be greater, than of singing, consider that these move by nature only, and sin∣ging all by Art.

I know you will not deny, but that a spring, which casts forth pure and mur∣muring streams out of its Rocky bosome, naturally, does flatter and delight our sen∣ces

more then those magnificent and state∣ly Romane fountains, though those arti∣ficial structures have no stone in them, which is not worth a treasure.

A pure and unsophisticated beauty, how much more it does charme and captivate our hearts, than such as are made hand∣some only by art; your selves may judg, who have so often yeilded to their com∣manding swetness. The Poets seigned Cupid always naked, to shew us that a natural beauty naked of all false cloathing artifice does soonést tempt, insna••e, and wound the soul, but if you reflect upon singing, you shall not find one note which is not artificial, nor hear one sigh but what is seign'd, somtimes it seems to languish in a whyning passion, and tell sad tales, then streight turns into joyful strains again. Dissembling all its passions, & cunningly changing it self into an hundred severall humors of mirth and sadness: and if it have any thing pleasing in it, it must be somthing only natural, and how can the soul possibly Love that singing, which glories in its bewitching fraud and vaunts that it obtains respect, and reverence only, by a sweet nothingness.

To express the power of singing, sayes one, it is an inchantment; but sirs, if you will know, how much weeping prevailes above it, remember that that Armida, who otherwhile triumphed over the Mar∣rial Squadrons by power of her inchant∣ments, was forced to make use of her tears, to add more Vigour to those very inchantments. So that the spirits and furies themselves are too weak to resist the charms of a beauteous weeper. Nor need we wonder at it, for theirs at most is but an infernal power, and the tears drop∣ping from a handsome Face, are no less than the showers even of a clouded heaven.

Musitians themselves confess that to add more vigour to their singing, they are necessitated to make use of frequent sighs, trembling, quavers, and soft lan∣guishing strains: and what else are these, but parts of sorrow, and weeping? These they make use of, because otherwise that musi••k would seem to have no life, or spirit in it that could not humor its pas∣sion with a deep sadness and sighing af∣fection.

Consider therefore the power of wee∣ping, from which even singing it self does borrow so much help.

That Ambi••ious Musitian gloried, that he had redeemed his dear Euridice from Hell, by the powerful sweetness of his voice; But let me rather say, that if he did obtain her, because he sung so ex∣cellently well, perhaps he lost her so sud∣denly again, because he did not weep, sufficiently?

And what can you imagine, the heavens desires or expects from us, unless it be Love. When it so often poures down shours of tears: Pythagoras believed that the Sphears were ever making a sweet har∣mony; But I see that we often returne thanks to heaven for its weeping, but never for its imaginary musick.

Poets have sometimes commended a beauty, hid under a mourning Cypress vayle, as if the resplendant Beams of such a beauty, being concentred together, should through that obscurity, thus united, have the more power to make a speedy con∣quest over the Soul. Now observe, Sirs, that a weeping beauty, is a beauty clad in its morning weeds, which should merit our affections the sooner, because it seems

to put on that sad habit, to perform the obsequies for your expired liberty.

By the Law of Nature we should give credit to their affections, which can bring good witness that they Love. Now what are such tears else but testimonies of a heart, that Loves sincerely, which come to Natures tribunal attending on the Soul, to demand a Reciprocall Corre∣spondence.

Aristotle says, that our tears are a kind of sweat, and if we justly merit wages for sweat and labour, who can deny the re∣ward of Love to those fair Eyes, which perhaps sweat and pant, lying under the burden of an amorous affection.

Tears have such efficacy to Enamour, that I believe, the offerings of Myrrhe, and Incense are grateful and pleasing to the gods, for no other Reason, but because they are Tears, though shed by senceless trees. Those lighted Candles which of∣ten shine upon a sacred Altar, where we implore the grace of Heaven; if you but marke it, do never burn without letting fall some drops like tears, perhaps to teach fair Eyes, that if the tears, even of inani∣mate lights, have power to move the heavens, the drops of two such bright, and

living torches, must needs have as much influence on Men.

We do not ordinarily ascribe any o∣ther Epithets to musick, than those of me∣lody and sweetness. But when we treat of tears, we use to call them by a more Viril name, womens arms or Weapons. Now do you guess Sirs, whether they be not potent, since they have obtained even the name of Weapons. And I believe it was for no other reason that the gods blinded Cupids Eyes; but only because if he could have added tears to the power, he hath already, there were no means left for any to resist his power and might.

Our infant age does most require the Love and tender affection of others, by reason of our own insufficiency: And yet natures Care, has provided us with no∣thing else, in that age, but only our tears.

And are they so potent in our infancy, that even a child, though bound by Na∣ture and reason to be under the Fathers Tuition, and Jurisdiction. Yet weeping tenderly does seem to claime, and often over swayes the parents will. Who will say then, that tears are not most power∣full

instruments, since they have so much strength though managed by a weak un∣skilful Child.

Tears are the Language of the Soul, and passions, taught us by natures self, that it might be the better under∣stood by every one. Tears are the Souls Ambassadours, which being sent to declare the state of its own affections, does often lye in waite, and catch the liberty of o∣thers. They require no other Audience but our Eyes, knowing those requests are most potent, which pass through them into the heart. They express their Mes∣sage without a Tongue, and are silent with wonderful efficacy. Consider then the power of those tears, which being dumb can yet perswade, so sweetly. Na∣ture it self, seems in this contest to yeild the palme of Victory to tears, since she has framed the Arches of the Eye-brows, over their Cisterns to declare that they are tri∣umphant.

Such are the Prerogatives of Tears, that they may be thought injured, when but compared to singing. Consider Sirs, that if at any time a disdainful passion, turns Gyant-like a rebel against that Heaven of beauty, they opening their Flood gates

can quickly drown'd them in the precious Deluge. Or if at any time a stubborn soul resolve to be reconciled again to the offended Diety of Love, these Advocates present the humble Petitions, which ne∣ver are rejected. If somtimes the thoughts reflect upon a wished for happiness, these officious associates, do strait way waite upon the grateful memory. If somtimes one do absent themselves from their dear Countrey, or from their dear beloved object, these alone are wont to be left be∣hind. I know not if I should say, toge∣ther as Companions with the soul, or as pledges for it. If sometimes the affecti∣on be Gasping, and dying; nay quite dead, in the breast of disdainful Lovers, nothing but these can bring it to life a∣gain, an extinguished affection being often raised into a flame again, by being only deplorated. Now what can be com∣pared or paralelled with these tears, which have the power and vertue even to revive the dead?

But Sirs, if you please briefly in one argument to comprehend the power of tears, consider that they have not been

afraid to appear and fall, in this House of Musick, and even con∣test with that musick it self for the Prehemi∣nence.

Notes

• The Academy being held that week in a Musitians House.