The extravagant shepherd, the anti-romance, or, The history of the shepherd Lysis translated out of French.

Fourth BOOK.

WHerein though in some things he exceed his predecessors, yet in some he shews himself more sober and more rational, as may appear by the discourse about the despair of Lovers, whom he finds in his books to have arriv'd at that madness, as to have hang'd and drown'd themselves. But this you must attribute to his good intervals. Clarimond's discourse, and his replies touch∣ing Poetry, and his own History, (which he is extremely carefull to have come abroad) are not ordinary.

The Golden Ass is a work of Apuleius; the argument of it stollen out of Lucian, only he hath added the fable of Psyche and some old wives tales. All the excuse I can make for this, is, that haply in his time Lucian's works were very rare, and he was in hope they would have been lost, that so no man might discover the cheat; otherwise certainly he would have acknowledg'd his Benefactor.

His explication of Dreams argues his wit and reading: But for what is said of the Muses, and particularly where he says Love stands Sentinel at his bolster, I can∣not but admire it. His Song. I can assure you, was set to a very excellent air, but

very mournful; the dames of Paris sing it to this day in memory of this famous Shepherd.

Lysis's song is follow'd with a notable abuse of the Poets; for they never cele∣brate the kindeness nor the cruelty of their Mistresses, but when some fancy comes into their mindes fit to express those qualities, rhiming it seems is such a rack. Ly∣sander calls Calista in his songs, sometimes Hippolita, sometimes Sylvia, which made the Gentlewoman very jealous of his constancy.

To think a Hermit a Magician, he might haply have had it from Tasso, who in his Jerusalem, makes the Christian Hermits all Magicians, and withal celebrates them for very devout and religious men.

His coming to Hircans wood, and his considerations there, betray a huge read∣ing, but his thoughts running still on magick, was that made him take Hircan for a Magician, and what he sayes to confirm him in that opinion, is founded on what the Poets say of the ancient Sorcereffes.

Armida was a Sorceress that in a minute of an hour, caus'd a great castle to be built, if you believe Tasso.

For his disguising himself like a Maid, and his perswasions that he was really one, and was taken for one, 'tis an humor so thread-bare in all Books of Shepherdry and Love-stories, that I need say more of it; only I shall note, that it is more probable in Lysis; for Hircan caus'd him to be trim'd, a thing those Authours thought not on, but putting on other cloathes, without any other circumstance they are presently what sex they please.

As for what is said of the Nymphs, 'tis to abuse those that are such admirers of Antiquity. If they had gone in Greece as people do now in France, we should have had the Nymphs dress'd after another mode. And for Fables, why may not we in∣vent as good ones as the Ancients? and why should it be thought ridiculous for us to see the Gods dress'd like us, more then the Greeks were to see them habited like them?

The crime this counterfeit Maid is accus'd of at Orontes's, brings upon the stage the many Trials they had, whereby to know whether a maid or wife had done any thing dishonorable: because in History we finde some whose innocency hath been try'd certain ways; as the vestal Turia, that being accus'd of unchastity, carried water in a five from Tiber to her Goddesses Temple, to justifie her innocency; therefore the Poets must invent so many ridiculous Fables for the same effect, as if it were nothing to set God a work on miracles at their pleasure, unless if one, for ex∣ample, be cast into the fire for tryal of his innocency, a Pantarb (which is a certain stone which frees from flames) does the work; as you may see in the story of Chariclea in Heliodorus. But the miracle you must conceive, is to be attributed to certain Magical Characters that were graven on the Stone, a very probable Foolery.

For Lysis's discourse to Charite, let us do the Poets no wrong, he hath it from them. Medusa turn'd all before her into stones, and Anaxarete was the Mistress of that Iphis that hang'd himself at her door. These are hard names, and Charite might take them for abuses.

Some have not thought there was so much grace in Carmelins speeches; but they are to know, that by Common-places, Lysis meant a sort of Pedantick books, where a man may Alphabetically finde somewhat on every thing. And the French Margarites is a book much like the Academy of Complements, only it hath this ex∣cellency withal, that it is good to learn bad French by.

The statue of Memnon, out of which proceeded an harmonious sound, when smitten by the rays of the Sun, goes near to give me a vomit, I can shew a dozen books of good account, that in the Epistles Dedicatory bring in this into compari∣son: but never was it better apply'd then by Lysis, when looking up towards the Sun, it made him sneeze.

For the stone Panthura, I shall note this, That it is a trivial learning to bring comparisons from stones, fishes, herbs, birds, and other as intertain things, which

we must take upon Mr. Pliny's credit. The Jesuits in their harangs to the people entertain them much with these similitudes, whereas a man would think, that it were more convincing, to draw them from somewhat familiar to them. The Author of the Abridgement of Long-studities, was a cheat, and fit to be Carmelins Master.

Fontenay is a true French name, and there have been Lacqueys called Gringalet and Champagn, and why may they not, according to their quality, affront the Callidorus's and the Aristander's of our Romances? The Greeks were not asham'd of their own names as we are, but qnoted them in their: Fables.

Charite is here called a Chambermaid, a word for the City dames, and meaner sort of Gentry, those of any quality have their Woman, or Waiting-Gentlewoman. But the word now a late hath been extended to the former.

Lysis takes it not well to be compar'd to Don-Quixot, for extravagant as he is, he thinks himself wiser then that Knight.

For his Love-letter, which in French is called Poulet, that is a Pullet, he is the first that ever gave the reason of it, and made the best application of it. Ronsard says, that Love is a Bird, that he hath laid Eggs in his bosom, and that when they are hatch'd, they'll prey on his heart, and when they have done flie away, if he do not lay Bird-lime or nets to catch them, &c. But to satisfie those that know not the reason of the Pullet, that expression rise from the folding of the Love-Letter, much like a bird.

The Fable of Hero and Leander is one of the ancientest we have, 'twas a sad thing this poor Lover was forc'd to swim an arm of the sea, almost two mile over, to enjoy his Mistress. I believe it took of some of his courage: if he had had Cla∣rimonds advice, 'tis likely he had not been drown'd.

As for the wayes which Lovers have found out to get their Letters delivered to their Mistresses, though the Romances might have furnish'd Lysis with choice, yet such a pregnant invention hath he, that he addes to all things.

Where he saies the fruits of the earth ought to be common, it seems he is almost perswaded that he hath already reduc'd the Golden-Age, wherein the Poets say, there were no inclosures, and men understood not those two words, Mine and Thine.

If in his swound he would not have Carmelin trouble himself for any water, but make use of his tears, he remembred our unfortunate Prince Edward, who, when his Murtherers had after much hard usage, gotten him to a River side, and were going to fetch some water to shave him, so to disguise him the more; Let alone that cold water, sayes he, here's warm comes out of my eyes. This indeed was a little Romantick: but Lysis's affliction is so much the further from restoring him to his wits, that it heightens his folly: as we shall see in the