Artificial allurements of love, causes and provocations to lust; Gestures, Cloaths, Dowre, &c.

Natural beauty is a stronger loadstone of it self, as you have heard, a great temptation, and pierceth to the very heart; forma verecundæ nocuit mihi visa puellæ; but much more when those artificial inticements and provocations of Gestures, Cloaths, Jewels, Pigments, Exornations, shall be annexed unto it; those other circumstances, opportunity of time and place shall concurr, which of themselves alone were all sufficient, each one in particular to produce this effect.

It is a question much controverted by some wise men, forma debeat plus arti an naturæ? Whether natural or artificial objects be more powerful? but not decided: for my part I am of opinion, that though beauty it self be a great motive, and give an excellent lustre in sordibus, in beggery, as a Jewel on a dunghil will shine and cast his rays, it cannot be suppressed, which Heliodorus fains of Chariclia, though she were in beggers weeds: yet as it is used, artificial is of more force, and much to be preferred.

Sic dentata sibi videtur Ægle, Emptis ossibus Indicoque cornu; Sic quæ nigrior est cadente moro, Cerussata sibi placet Lychoris.

So toothless Ægle seems a pretty one; Set out with new bought teeth of Indy bone: So foul Lychoris blacker then berry, Her self admires, now finer then cherry.

John Lerius the Burgundian cap. 8. hist. navigat. in Brasil. is altogether on my side. For whereas (saith he) at our coming to Brasil, we found both men and women naked as they were born, without any covering, so much as of their privities, and could not be perswaded, by our Frenchmen that lived a year with them, to wear any, Many will think that our so long commerce with naked women, must needs be a great provocation to lust; but he concludes otherwise, that their nakedness did much less entice them to lasciviousness, then our womens cloaths.

And I dare boldly affirm (saith he) that those glittering attires, counterfeit colors, headgears, curled hairs, plaited coats, cloaks, gowns, costly stomachers, guarded and loose garments, and all those other coutrements, wherewith our countrywomen counterfeit a beauty, and so curiously set out themselves, cause more inconvenience in this kind, then that Barbarian homeliness, although they be no whit inferior unto them in beauty. I could evince the truth of this by many other arguments, but I appeal (saith he) to my companions at that present, which were all of the same mind.

His country-man Montague in his Essayes, is of the same opinion, and are so many others; out of whose assertions thus much in brief we may conclude: that Beauty is more beholding to Art then Nature, and stronger provocations proceed from outward ornaments, then such as nature hath provided.

It is true that those fair sparkling eys, white neck, coral lips, turgent Paps, Rose-colored cheeks, &c. of themselves are potent enticers; but when a comely, artificial, well-composed look, pleasing gesture, an affected carriage shall be added, it must needs be far more forcible then it was, when those curious needle-works, variety of colours, purest dyes, Jewels, spangles, pendants, lawn, lace, tiffanies, fair and fine linnen, embroideries, calamistrations, oyntments, &c. shall be added, they will make the veriest dowdy otherwise, a Goddess, when nature shall be furthered by Art.

For it is not the eye of it self that enticeth to lust, but an adulterous eye, as Peter terms it, 2. 2. 14. a wanton, a rolling, lascivious eye: A wandring eye, which Isaiah taxeth, 3. 16. Christ himself, and the Virgin Mary had most beautiful eys, as amiable eys as any persons, saith Barradius, that ever lived, but withall so modest, so chaste, that whosoever looked on them, was freed from that passion of burning lust, if we may believe Gerson and Bonaventure: there was no such Antidote against it, as the Virgin Maries face; ’Tis not the eye, but carriage of it, as they use it, that causeth such effects.

When Pallas, Juno, Venus, were to win Paris favour for the golden apple, as it is elegantly described in that pleasant enterlude of Apuleius, Juno came with majesty upon the stage, Minerva gravely, but Venus, dulce subridens, constitit amœnè; & gratissimæ Gratiæ deam propitiantes, &c. came in smiling with her gratious graces and exquisite Musick, as if she had danced, & nonnunquam saltare solis oculis, and which was the main matter of all, she danced with her rolling eys: they were the Brokers and Habingers of her sute. So she makes her brags in a modern Poet,

Soon could I make my brow to tyrannize, And force the world do homage to mine eys.

The eye is a secret Orator, the first bawde, Amoris porta, and with private looks, winking, glances and smiles, as so many dialogues they make up the match many times, and understand one anothers meanings, before they come to speak a word. Eurialus and Lucretia were so mutually enamored by the eye, and prepared to give each other entertainment, before ever they had conference: he asked her good will with his eye; she did suffragari, and gave consent with a pleasant look.

That Thracian Rodope was so excellent at this dumb Rhetorick, that if she had but looked upon any one almost (saith Calisiris) she would have bewitched him, and he could not possibly escape it. For as Salvianus observes, the eys are the windows of our souls, by which as so many channels, all dishonest concupiscence gets into our hearts. They reveal our thoughts, and as they say, frons animi index, but the eye of the countenance,

Quid procacibus intuere ocellis? &c.

I may say the same of smiling, gate, nakedness of parts, plausible gestures, &c. To laugh is the proper passion of a man, an ordinary thing to smile; but those counterfeit, composed, affected, artificial and reciprocal, those counter-smiles are the dumb shews and prognosticks of greater matters, which they most part use, to inveagle and deceive; though many fond lovers again are so frequently mistaken, and led into a fools paradise.

For if they see but a fair maid laugh, or shew a pleasant countenance, use some gratious words or gestures, they apply it all to themselves, as done in their favour, sure she loves them, she is willing, coming, &c.

Stultus quando videt quod pulchra puella ridet, Tum fatuus credit se quod amare velit:

When a fool sees a fair maid for to smile, He thinks she loves him, ’tis but to beguile.

They make an art of it, as the Poet telleth us,

Quis credat? discunt etiam ridere puellæ, Quæritur atque illis hac quoque parte decor: