The neerer he unto his mistriss is, The neerer he unto his ruine is.

So that to say truth, as Castilio describes it, The beginning, middle, end of Love is naught else but sorrow, vexation, agony, torment, irksomness, wearisomness, so that to be squalid, ugly, miserable, solitary, discontent, dejected, to wish for death, to complain, rave, and to be peevish, are the certain signs, and ordinary actions of a love-sick person. This continual pain and torture makes them forget themselves, if they be far gone with it, in doubt, despair of obtaining, or eagerly bent, to neglect all ordinary business.

—— pendent opera interrupta, minæque Murorum ingentes, æquataque machina cœlo.

Love-sick Dido left her works undone, so did Phædra,

—— Palladis telæ vacant, Et inter ipsas pensa labuntur manus.

Faustus in Mantuan, took no pleasure in any thing he did,

Nulla quies mihi dulcis erat, nullus labor ægro Pectore, sensus iners, & mens torpore sepulta, Carminis exciderat studium. ——

And tis the humour of them all, to be careless of their persons, and their estates, as the shepherd in Theocritus, Et hæc barba inculta est, squalidique capilli, their beards flag, and they have no more care of pranking themselves or of any business; they care not as they say, which end goes forward.

Oblitusque greges, & rura domestica totus Uritur, & noctes in luctum expendit amaras.

Forgetting flocks of sheep and country farms, The silly shepherd always mourns and burns.

Love-sick Chærea when he came from Pamphila’s house, and had not so good welcome as he did expect, was all amort, Parmeno meets him, quid tristis es? Why art thou so sad man? unde es? whence com’st, how do’st? but he sadly replies, Ego hercle nescio neque unde eam, neque quorsum eam, ita prorsus oblitus sum mei, I have so forgotten my self, I neither know where I am, nor whence I come, nor whether I will, what I do. P. How so? Ch. I am in love. Prudens sciens.

—— vivus vidensque pereo, nec quid agam scio.

He that erst had his thoughts free (as Philostratus Lemnius in an Epistle of his, describes this fiery passion) and spent his time like an hard student, in those delightsome philosophicall precepts, he that with the Sun and Moon wandred all over the world, with Stars themselves ranged about, and left no secret or small mystery in Nature unsearched, since he was enamoured, can doe nothing now but think and meditate of love matters, day and night composeth himself how to please his Mistress; all his study, endeavour, is to approve himself to his Mistress, to win his Mistress favour, to compass his desire, to be counted her servant.

When Peter Abelhardus that great Scholler of his age,

Cui soli patuit scibile quicquid erat,

was now in love with Helonissa; he had no mind to visit or frequent Schools and Schollers any more. Tædiosum mihi valde fuit (as he confesseth) ad scholas procedere, vel in iis morari, all his mind was on his new Mistress.

Now to this end and purpose, if there be any hope of obtaining his suit, to prosecute his cause, he will spend himself, goods, fortunes for her, and though he lose and alienate all his friends, be threatned, be cast off, and disinherited; for as the Poet saith, Amori quis legem det? though he be utterly undone by it, disgraced, go a begging, yet for her sweet sake, to enjoy her, he will willingly beg, hazzard all he hath, goods, lands, shame, scandall, fame, and life it self.

Non recedam neque quiescam, noctu & interdiu, Prius profecto quam aut ipsam, aut mortem investigavero.

Ile never rest or cease my suit, Till she or death do make me mute.

Parthenis in Aristænetus was fully resolved to do as much. I may have better matches I confess, but farewell shame, farewell honour, farewell honesty, farewell friends and fortunes, &c. O Harpedona keep my counsel, I will leave all for his sweet sake, I will have him, say no more, contra gentes, I am resolved, I will have him.

Gobrias the Captain, when he had espied Rhodanthe, the fair captive Maid, fell upon his knees before Mystilus the Generall, with tears, vows, and all the Rhetorick he could, by the scars he had formerly received, the good service he had done, or whatsoever else was dear unto him, besought his Governour he might have the captive Virgin to be his wife, virtutis suæ spolium, as a reward of his worth and service; and moreover, he would forgive him the mony which was owing, and all reckonings besides due unto him. I ask no more, no part of booty, no portion, but Rhodanthe to be my wife. And when as he could not compass her by fair means, he fell to treachery, force and villany, and set his life at stake at last, to accomplish his desire.

’Tis a common humour this, a generall passion of all Lovers to be so affected, and which Æmilia told Aratine a Courtier in Castilio’s discourse, surely Aratine, if thou werst not so indeed, thou didst not love; ingenuously confess, for if thou hadst been throughly enamoured, thou wouldst have desired nothing more then to please thy Mistress. For that is the law of love, to will and nill the same,

Tantum velle & nolle, velit nolit quod amica.

Undoubtedly this may be pronounced of them all, they are very slaves, drudges for the time, mad men, fools, dizards, atrabilarii, beside themselvs, and as blind as Beetles. Their dotage is most eminent, Amare simul & sapere ipsi Iovi non datur, as Seneca holds, Jupiter himself cannot love and be wise both together; the very best of them, if once they be overtaken with this passion, the most staid, discreet, grave, generous and wise, otherwise able to govern themselvs, in this commit many absurdities, many indecorums, unbefitting their gravity and persons.