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Juno in Lucian deorum, Tom. 3. dial. 3. complains to Jupiter of Ixion, he looked so attentively on her, and sometimes would sigh and weep in her company, and when I drank by chance, and gave Ganymede the cup, he would desire to drink still in the very cup that I drank of, and in the same place where I drank, and would kiss the cup, and then look steddily on me, and sometimes sigh, and then again smile.
If it be so they cannot come neer to dally, have not that opportunity, familiarity, or acquaintance to confer and talk together; yet if they be in presence, their eye will bewray them: Ubi amor ibi oculus, as the common saying is, where I look I like, and where I like I love; but they will lose themselves in her looks.
Alter in alterius jactantes lumina vultus, Quærebant taciti noster ubi esset amor.
They cannot look off whom they love, they will impregnare eam ipsis oculis, deflowre her with their eyes, be still gazing, staring, stealing faces, smiling, glancing at her, as Apollo on Leucothoe, the Moon on her Endymion, when she stood still in Caria, and at Latmos caused her Chariot to be stayed. They must all stand and admire, or if she go by, look after her as long as they can see her, she is animæ auriga, as Anacreon calls her, they cannot go by her door or window, but as an Adamant, she draws their eyes to it, though she be not there present, they must needs glance that way, and look back to it.
Aristænetus of Exithemus, Lucian in his Imagin. of himself, and Tatius of Clitophon say as much, Ille oculos de Leucippe nunquam dejiciebat, and many Lovers confess when they came in their Mistress presence, they could not hold off their eyes, but looked wistly and steddily on her, inconnivo aspectu, with much eagerness and greediness, as if they would look thorow, or should never have enough sight of her.
—— Fixis ardens obtutibus hæret;
So she will do by him, drink to him with her eyes, nay drink him up, devoure him, swallow him, as Martials Mamurra is remembred to have done:
Inspexit molles pueros, oculisque comedit, &c.
There is a pleasant story to this purpose in Navigat. Vertom. lib. 3. cap. 5. The Sultan of Sanas wife in Arabia, because Vertomannus was fair and white could not look off him, from Sun-rising to Sun-setting, she could not desist, she made him one day come into her chamber, & geminæ horæ spatio intuebatur, non à me nunquam aciem oculorum avertebat, me observans veluti Cupidinem quendam, for two hours space she still gazed on him.
A young man in Lucian fell in love with Venus picture, he came every morning to her Temple, and there continued all day long from Sun-rising to Sun-set, unwilling to go home at night, sitting over against the Goddess Picture, he did continually look upon her, and mutter to himself I know not what.
If so be they cannot see them whom they love, they will still be walking and waiting about their Mistress doors, taking all opportunity to see them, as in Longus Sophista, Daphnis and Cloe, two Lovers, were still hovering at one anothers gates, he sought all occasions to be in her company, to hunt in Summer, and catch Birds in the Frost about her Fathers house in the winter, that she might see him, and he her.
A Kings Palace was not so diligently attended, saith Aretines Lucretia, as my house was when I lay in Rome, the Porch and street was ever full of some, walking or riding, on set purpose to see me, their eye was still upon my window, as they passed by, they could not choose but look back to my house when they were past, and sometimes hem or cough, or take some impertinent occasion to speak aloud, that I might look out and observe them.
’Tis so in other places, ’tis common to every Lover, ’tis all his felicity to be with her, to talk with her, he is never well but in her company, and will walk seven or eight times a day through the street where she dwells, and make sleeveless errands to see her; plotting still where, when, and how to visit her,
Levesque sub nocte susurri, Composita repetuntur hora.
And when he is gone, he thinks every minute an hour, every hour as long as a day, ten days a whole year, till he see her again.
Tempora si numeres, benè quæ numeramus amantes.
And if thou be in love, thou wilt say so too, Et longum formosa vale, farewell Sweet-heart, vale charissima Argenis, &c. Farewell my dear Argenis, once more farewell, farewell. And though he is to meet her by compact, and that very shortly, perchance to morrow, yet loath to depart, he’l take his leave again, and again, and then come back again, look after, and shake his hand, wave his hat afar off. Now gone, he thinks it long till he see her again, and she him, the clocks are surely set back, the hour’s past,
Hospita Demophoon tua te Rodopeia Phillis, Ultra promissum tempus abesse queror.
She looks out at window still to see whether he come, and by report Phillis went nine times to the Sea side that day, to see if her Demophoon were approaching, and Troilus to the City gates, to look for his Creiseid. She is ill at ease, and sick till she see him again, peevish in the mean time, discontent, heavy, sad, and why comes he not? where is he? why breaks he promise? why tarries he so long? sure he is not well; sure he hath some mischance, sure he forgets himself and me, with infinite such.
And then confident again, up she gets, out she looks, listens and enquires, harkens, kens, every man afar off is sure he, every stirring in the street, now he is there, that’s he, malè auroræ, malè soli dicit, deieratque, &c. the longest day that ever was, so she raves, restless and impatient; for Amor non patitur moras, Love brooks no delayes: the time’s quickly gone that’s spent in her company, the miles short, the way pleasant, all weather is good whilst he goes to her house, heat or cold, though his teeth chatter in his head, he moves not, wet or dry, ’tis all one, wet to the skin, he feels it not, cares not at least for it, but will easily endure it and much more, because it is done with alacrity, and for his Mistress sweet sake: let the burden be never so heavy, Love makes it light.