Many will condemn these men that are so enamoured, for fools; but some again commend them for it; many reject Paris judgement, and yet Lucian approves of it, admiring Paris for his choice; he would have done as much himself, and by good desert in his mind; Beauty is to be preferred before wealth or wisdom.

Athenæus Deipnosophist. lib. 13. cap. 7. holds it no such indignity for the Trojans and Greeks to contend ten years, to spend so much labour, loose so many mens lives for Helens sake, for so fair a Ladies sake,

Ob talem uxorem cui præstantissima forma, Nil mortale refert.

That one woman was worth a kingdom, a hundred thousand other women, a world it self. Well might Sterpsichores be blind for carping at so fair a creature, and a just punishment it was.

The same testimony gives Homer of the old men of Troy, that were spectators of that single combate betwixt Paris and Menelaus at the Seiangate: when Helena stood in their presence, they said all, the war was worthily prolonged and undertaken for her sake. The very gods themselves (as Homer and Isocrates record) fought more for Helena, then they did against the Gyants.

When Venus lost her son Cupid, she made proclamation by Mercury, that he that could bring tidings of him should have seven kisses; a noble reward some say, and much better then so many golden talents; seven such kisses to many men, were more pretious then seven Cities, or so many Provinces. One such kiss alone, would recover a man if he were a dying,

Suaviolum Stygia sic te de valle reducet, &c.

Great Alexander married Roxane, a poor mans child, only for her person. ’Twas well done of Alexander, & heroically done, I admire him for it. Orlando was mad for Angelica, and who doth not condole his mishap? Thisbe died for Piramus, Dido for Æneas; who doth not weep, as (before his conversion) Austin did in commiseration of her estate! she died for him, me thinks (as he said) I could die for her!

But this is not the matter in hand, what prerogative this Beauty hath, of what power and soveraignty it is, and how far such persons that so much admire, and dote upon it, are to be justified; no man doubts of these matters; the question is how and by what meanes Beauty produceth this effect?

By sight: the Eye betrayes the soul, and is both Active and Passive in this business; it wounds and is wounded, is an especiall cause and instrument, both in the subject and in the object. Asteares, it begins in the eyes, descends to the breast, it conveyes these beauteous rayes, as I have said unto the heart. Ut vidi ut perii. Mars videt hanc, visamque cupit.

Shechem saw Dinah the daughter of Lea, and defiled her, Gen. 34. 3. Jacob Rachel. 29. 17. for she was beautiful & fair: David spied Bershaba afar off, 2 Reg. 11. 2. the Elders Susanna, as that Orthomenian Strato saw fair Aristoclea the daughter of Theophanes, bathing her self at that Hercyne well in Lebadea; and were captivated in an instant. Viderunt oculi, rapuerunt pectora flammæ; Ammon fell sick for Thamars sake, 2 Sam. 13. 2.

The beauty of Esther was such, that she found favor not onely in the sight of Assuerus, but of all those that looked upon her. Gerson, Origen, and some others contended that Christ himself was the fairest of the sons of men, and Joseph next unto him, speciosus præ filiis hominum, and they will have it literally taken; his very person was such, that he found grace and favor of all those that looked upon him.

Joseph was so fair, that as the ordinary Gloss hath it, filiæ decurrerent per murum, & ad fenestras, they ran to the top of the walls, and to the windows to gaze on him, as we do commonly to see some great personage go by: and so Matthew Paris describes Matilda the Empress going through Cullen. P. Morales the Jesuite saith as much of the Virgin Mary.

Antony no sooner saw Cleopatra, but, saith Appian lib. 1. he was enamored on her. Theseus at the first sight of Helen was so besotted, that he esteemed himself the happiest man in the world if he might enjoy her, and to that purpose kneeled down, and made his patheticall prayers unto the gods.

Charicles by chance espying that curious picture of smiling Venus naked in her Temple, stood a great while gazing, as one amazed, at length he brake into that mad passionate speech, O fortunate God Mars, that wast bound in chains, and made ridiculous for her sake! He could not contain himself, but kissed her picture, I know not how oft, and heartily desired to be disgraced as Mars was. And what did he that his Betters had not done before him?

—— atque aliquis de diis non tristibus optat Sic fieri turpis ——

When Venus came first to heaven, her comeliness was such, that (as mine author saith) all the gods came flocking about, and saluted her, each of them went to Jupiter, and desired he might have her to be his wife. When fair Antiochus came in presence, as a candle in the dark his beauty shined, all mens eyes (as Xenophon describes the manner of it) were instantly fixed on him, and moved at the sight, insomuch that they could not conceal themselves, but in gesture or looks it was discerned and expressed.

Those other senses, hearing, touching may much penetrate and affect, but none so much, none so forcible as sight. Forma Briseis mediis in armis movit Achillem, Achilles was moved in the midst of a battle by fair Briseis. Ajax by Tecmessa; Judith captivated that great Captain Holofernes; Dalilah, Sampson; Rosamund, Henry the second; Roxolana, Solyman the Magnificent, &c.

Νικᾷ δὲ καὶ σίδηρον, Καὶ πῦρ καλή τις οὖσα.

A fair woman overcomes fire and sword.