SUSECT. 2. Pleasant objects of Love.

Pleasant Objects are infinite, whether they be such as have life, or be without life: Inanimate are Countries, Provinces, Towers, Towns, Cities, as he said, Pulcherrimam insulam videmus, etiam cum non videmus, we see a fair Island by description, when we see it not. The Sun never saw a fairer City, Thessala Tempe, Orchards, Gardens, pleasant walks, Groves, Fountains, &c. The heaven it self is said to be fair or foul: fair buildings, fair pictures, all artificiall, elaborate and curious works, clothes, give an admirable lustre: we admire, and gaze upon them, ut pueri Junonis avem, as children do on a Peacock: A fair Dog, a fair Horse and Hawk, &c.

Thessalus amat equum pullinum, buculum Ægyptius, Lacedæmonius Catulum, &c. such things we love, are most gracious in our sight, acceptable unto us, and whatsoever else may cause this passion, if it be superfluous or immoderately loved, as Guianerius observes.

These things in themselves are pleasing and good, singular ornaments, necessary, comely, and fit to be had; but when we fix an immoderate eye, and dote on them overmuch, this pleasure may turn to pain, bring much sorrow, and discontent unto us, work our finall overthrow, and cause melancholy in the end.

Many are carried away with those bewitching sports of gaming, hawking, hunting, and such vain pleasures, as I have said: some with immoderate desire of fame, to be crowned in the Olympicks, knighted in the field, &c. and by these means ruinate themselves.

The lascivious dotes on his fair mistress, the Glutton on his dishes, which are infinitely varied to please the palate, the Epicure on his severall pleasures, the superstitious on his Idoll, and fats himself with future joys, as Turks feed themselves with an imaginary perswasion of a sensuall Paradise: so severall pleasant objects, diversly affect divers men.

But the fairest objects and entisings proceed from men themselves, which most frequently captivate, allure, and make them dote beyond all measure upon one another, and that for many respects: First, as some suppose, by that secret force of stars, (quod me tibi temperat astrum?) They do singularly dote on such a man, hate such again, and can give no reason for it. Non amo te Sabidi, &c.

Alexander admired Ephestion, Adrian, Antinous, Nero Sporus, &c. The Physitians refer this to their temperament, Astrologers to trine and sextile Aspects, or opposite of their severall Ascendents, Lords of their genitures, love and hatred of Planets; Cicogna, to concord and discord of Spirits; but most to outward Graces.

A merry companion is welcome and acceptable to all men, and therefore saith Gomesius, Princes and great men entertain Jesters, and Players commonly in their Courts.

But Pares cum paribus facillime congregantur, ’tis that similitude of manners, which ties most men in an inseparable link, as if they be addicted to the same studies or disports, they delight in one anothers companies, birds of a feather will gather together: if they be of divers inclinations, or opposite in manners, they can seldome agree.

Secondly, affability, custome and familiarity, may convert nature many times, though they be different in manners, as if they be Country-men, fellow-students, colleagues, or have been fellow-souldiers, brethren in affliction, (acerba calamitatum societas, diversi etiam ingenii homines conjungit) affinity, or some such accidentall occasion, though they cannot agree amongst themselves, they will stick together like burrs, and hold against a third:

so after some discontinuance, or death, enmity ceaseth; or in a forrain place.

Pascitur in vivis livor, post fata quiescit: Et cecidere odia, & tristes mors obruit iras.

A third cause of love and hate, may be mutuall offices, acceptum beneficium, commend him, use him kindly, take his part in a quarrell, relieve him in his misery, thou winnest him for ever; do the opposite, and be sure of a perpetuall enemy.

Praise and dispraise of each other, do as much, though unknown, as Schoppius by Scaliger and Casaubonus: mulus mulum scabit; who but Scaliger with him? what Encomions, Epithetes, Elegiums? Antistes sapientiæ, perpetuus dictator, literarum ornamentum, Europæ miraculum, noble Scaliger, incredibilis ingenii præstantia, &c. diis potius quam hominibus per omnia comparandus, scripta ejus aurea ancylia de cælo delapsa poplitibus veneramur flexis, &c.

but when they began to vary, none so absurd as Scaliger, so vile and base, as his books de Burdonum familia and other Satyricall invectives may witness. Ovid. in Ibin, Archilocus himself was not so bitter.

Another great tye or cause of love, is consanguinity; Parents are dear to their children, children to their parents, brothers and sisters, cosens of all sorts, as an hen and chickens, all of a knot: every Crow thinks her own bird fairest. Many memorable examples are in this kinde, and ’tis portenti simile, if they do not: a mother cannot forget her child; Salomon so found out the true owner: love of parents may not be concealed, ’tis naturall, descends, and they that are inhumane in this kinde, are unworthy of that air they breath, and of the four elements;

yet many unnaturall examples we have in this rank, of hard-hearted parents, disobedient children, of disagreeing brothers, nothing so common. The love of kinsmen is grown cold, many kinsmen, (as the saying is) few friends; if thine estate be good, and thou able, par pari referre, to requite their kindness, there will be mutuall correspondence, otherwise thou art a burden, most odious to them above all others.

The last object that tyes man and man, is comeliness of person, and beauty alone, as men love women with a wanton eye: which κατ’ ἐξοχὴν is termed Heroicall, or Love Melancholy. Other loves (saith Picolomineus) are so called with some contraction, as the love of wine, gold, &c. but this of women is predominant in an higher strain, whose part affected is the liver, and this love deserves a longer explication, and shall be dilated apart in the next Section.