SUBSECT. 3. Honest objects of Love.

Beauty is the common object of all love, as jet draws a straw, so doth beauty love: vertue and honesty are great motives, and give as fair a lustre as the rest, especially if they be sincere and right, not fucate, but proceeding from true form, and an incorrupt judgement; Those two Venus twins, Eros and Anteros, are then most firm and fast.

For many times otherwise men are deceived by their flattering Gnathoes, dissembling Camelions, outsides, hypocrites that make a shew of great love, learning, pretend honesty, vertue, zeal, modesty, with affected looks and counterfeit gestures: fained protestations often steal away the hearts and favours of men, and deceive them, specie virtutis & umbra, when as revera and indeed, there is no worth or honesty at all in them, no truth, but meer hypocrisie, subtilty, knavery, and the like.

As true friends they are, as he that Cælius Secundus met by the high way side; and hard it is in this temporising age to distinguish such companions, or to finde them out. Such Gnathoes as these for the most part belong to great men, and by this glozing flattery, affability, and such like philters, so dive and insinuate into their favours, that they are taken for men of excellent worth, wisdome, learning, demi-Gods, and so screw themselves into dignities, honours, offices: but these men cause harsh confusion often, and as many stirs as Rehoboams Councellors in a Common-wealth, overthrow themselves and others.

Tandlerus, and some authors make a doubt, whether Love and Hatred may be compelled by philters or characters; Cardan, and Marbodius by precious stones and amulets; Astrologers by election of times, &c, as I shall elsewhere discuss.

The true object of this honest love is vertue, wisdome, honesty, reall worth, Interna forma, and this love cannot deceive or be compelled, ut ameris amabilis esto, love it self is the most potent philtrum, vertue and wisdome, gratia gratum faciens, the sole and only grace, not counterfeit, but open, honest, simple, naked,

descending from heaven, as our apostle hath it; an infused habit from God, which hath given severall gifts, as wit, learning, tongues, for which they shall be amiable and gratious, Eph. 4. 11. as to Saul stature and a goodly presence, 1. Sam. 9. 1. Joseph found favor in Pharao’s court, Gen. 39. for his person; And Daniel with the Princes of the Eunuchs, Dan. 19. 19.

Christ was gratious with God and men, Luk. 2. 52. There is still some peculiar grace, as of good discourse, eloquence, wit, honesty, which is the primum mobile, first mover, and a most forcible loadstone to draw the favours and good wills of mens eyes, ears, and affections unto them. When Jesus spake they were all astonied at his answers, (Luk. 2. 47.) and wondred at his gratious words which proceeded from his mouth. An Orator steals away the hearts of men, and as another Orpheus, quo vult, unde vult, he puls them to him by speech alone: a sweet voice causeth admiration; and he that can utter himself in good words, in our ordinary phrase, is called a proper man, a divine spirit.

For which cause belike, our old Poets, Senatus populusq; poetarum, made Mercury the Gentleman-usher to the Graces, Captain of eloquence, and those Charites to be Jupiters and Eurymones daughters, descended from above.

Though they be otherwise deformed, crooked, ugly to behold, those good parts of the minde denominate them fair. Plato commends the beauty of Socrates: yet who was more grim of countenance, stern and gastly to look upon? So are and have been many great Philosophers, as Gregory Nazianzen observes, deformed most part in that which is to be seen with the eys, but most elegant in that which is not to be seen.

Sæpe sub attrita latitat sapientia veste. Æsop, Democritus, Aristotle, Politianus, Melancthon, Gesner, &c. whithered old men, Sileni Alcibiadis, very harsh and impolite to the eye; but who were so terse, polite, eloquent, generally learned, temperate and modest?

No man then living was so fair as Alcibiades, so lovely quoad superficiem, to the eye, as Boethius observes, but he had Corpus turpissimum interne, a most deformed soul. Honesty, vertue, fair conditions, are great entisers to such as are well given, and much avail to get the favour and good will of men.

Abdolominus in Curtius, a poor man (but which mine Author notes, the cause of this poverty was his honesty) for his modesty and continency from a private person (for they found him digging in his garden) was saluted King, and preferred before all the Magnificoes of his time, injecta ei vestis purpurâ auroq; distincta, a purple embroidered garment was put upon him, and they bade him wash himself, and as he was worthy, take upon him the stile and spirit of a King, continue his continency and the rest of his good parts:

Titus Pomponius Atticus, that noble Citizen of Rome, was so fair conditioned, of so sweet a carriage, that he was generally beloved of all good men, of Cæsar, Pompey, Anthony, Tully, of divers sects, &c. multas hæreditates (Cornelius Nepos writes) solâ bonitate consequutus.

Operæ pretium audire, &c. It is worthy of your attention, Livy cries, you that scorn all but riches, and give no esteem to vertue, except they be wealthy withall, Q. Cincinnatus had but four acres, and by the consent of the Senate was chosen Dictator of Rome.

Of such account were Cato, Fabricius, Aristides, Antonius, Probus, for their eminent worth: so Cæsar, Trajan, Alexander, admired for valour, Ephestion loved Alexander, but Parmenio the King: Titus delitiæ humani generis, and which Aurelius Victor hath of Vespasian the dilling of his time, as Edgar Etheling was in England, for his excellent virtues: their memory is yet fresh, sweet, and we love them many ages after, though they be dead: Suavem memoriam sui reliquit, saith Lipsius of his friend, living and dead they are all one.