he is a very dastard, a Coward, a block and a beast, that will not do as much, but they will sure, they will; for it is an ordinary thing for these enamorato’s of our times to say and do more, to stab their arms, carouse in blood, or as that Thessalian Thero, that bit off his own thumb, provocans rivalem ad hoc æmulandum, to make his corrival do as much. ’Tis frequent with them to challenge the field for their Lady and Mistress sake, to run a tilt,

That either bears (so furiously they meet) The other down under the horses feet,

and then up and to it again,

And with their axes both so sorely pour, That neither plate nor mail sustain’d the stour, But riveld wreak like rotten wood asunder, And fire did flash like lightning after thunder;

and in her quarrel, to fight so long till their head piece, bucklers be all broken, and swords hackt like so many saws, for they must not see her abused in any sort, ’tis blasphemy to speak against her, a dishonour without all good respect to name her. ’Tis common with these creatures, to drink healths upon their bare knees, though it were a mile to the bottome (no matter of what mixture) off it comes.

If she bid them they will go barefoot to Jerusalem, to the great Chams court, to the East Indies, to fetch her a bird to wear in her hat: and with Drake and Candish sail round about the world for her sweet sake, adversis ventis, serve twice seaven years as Iacob did for Rachel; do as much as Gesmunda the daughter of Tancredus prince of Salerna, did for Guisardus her true love, eat his heart when he died; or as Artemesia drank her husbands bones beaten to powder, and so bury him in her self, and endure more torments then Theseus or Paris. Et his colitur Venus magis quam thure, & victimis, with such sacrifice as these (as Aristænetus holds) Venus is well pleased.

Generally they undertake any pain, any labour, any toyl, for their Mistress sake, love and admire a servant, not to her alone, but to all her friends and followers, they hug and embrace them for her sake; her dog, picture, and every thing she wears, they adore it as a relique. If any man come from her, they feast him, reward him, will not be out of his company, do him all offices, still remembring, still talking of her:

Nam si abest quod ames, præsto simulachra tamen sunt Illius, & nomen dulce obversatur ad aures.

The very carrier that comes from him to her is a most welcome guest, and if he bring a letter, she will read it twenty times over, and as Lucretia did by Eurialus, kiss the letter a thousand times together, and then read it: And Chelidonia by Philonius, after many sweet kisses put the letter in her bosome,

And kiss again, and often look thereon, And stay the messenger that would be gone:

And ask many pretty questions, over and over again, as how he looked, what he did, and what he said? In a word,

Vult placere sese amicæ, vult mihi, vult pedissequæ, Vult famulis, vult etiam ancillis, & catulo meo.

He strives to please his Mistress, and her maid, Her servants, and her dog, and’s well apaid.

If he get any remnant of hers, a busk-point, a feather of her fan, a shoo-tye, a lace, a ring, a bracelet of hair,

Pignusque direptum lacertis; Aut digito malè pertinaci,

he wears it for a favour on his arm, in his hat, finger, or next his heart. Her picture he adores twice a day, and for two houres together, will not look off it; As Laodomia did by Protiselaus, when he went to war, Sit at home with his picture before her: a garter or a bracelet of hers is more precious then any Saints Relique, he lays it up in his casket, (O blessed Relique) and every day will kiss it: if in her presence, his eye is never off her, and drink he will where she drank, if it be possible, in that very place, &c.

If absent, he will walk in the walk, sit under that tree where she did use to sit, in that bowr, in that very seat,

—— & foribus miser oscula figit,

many years after sometimes, though she be far distant and dwell many miles off, he loves yet to walk that way still, to have his chamber window look that way: To walk by that rivers side (which though far away) runs by the house where she dwels, he loves the wind blows to that coast.

O quotes dixi Zephyris properantibus illuc, Felices pulchram visuri Amaryllida venti.

O happy western winds that blow that way, For you shall see my loves fair face to day,

he will send a message to her by the wind,

Vos auræ Alpinæ, placidis de montibus auræ, Hæc illi portate. ——

he desires to confer with some of her acquaintance, for his heart is still with her, to talk of her, admiring and commending her, lamenting, moaning, wishing himself any thing for her sake, to have opportunity to see her, O that he might but enjoy her presence! So did Philostratus to his mistress, O happy ground on which she treads, and happy were I if she would tread upon me. I think her countenance would make the rivers stand, and when she comes abroad, birds will sing and come about her.

Ridebunt valles, ridebunt obvia Tempe, In florem viridis protinus ibit humus.

The fields will laugh, the pleasant vallies burn, And all the grass will into flowers turn.

Omnis Ambrosiam spirabit aura.

When she is in the meadow, she is fairer then any flower, for that lasts but for a day, the river is pleasing, but it vanisheth on a sudden but thy flowre doth not fade, thy stream is greater then the Sea. If I look upon the Heaven, methinks I see the sun faln down to shine below, and thee to shine in his place, whom I desire. If I look upon the night, methinks I see two more glorious stars, Hesperus and thy self.

A little after he thus courts his Mistress, If thou goest forth of the city, the protecting Gods that keep the town, will run after to gaze upon thee: If thou sail upon the seas, as so many small boats, they will follow thee: what river would not run into the Sea.

Another, he sighs and sobs, swears he hath Cor scissum, an heart bruised to powder, dissolved and melted within him, or quite gone from him, to his mistress bosome belike, he is in an oven, a Salamander in the fire, so scorched with loves heat; He wisheth himself a saddle for her to sit on, a posie for her to smell to, and it would not grieve him to be hanged, if he might be strangled in her garters: he would willingly die to morrow, so that she might kill him with her own hands.

Ovid would be a Flea, a Gnat, a Ring, Catullus a Sparrow,

O si tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem, Et tristes animi levare curas.

Anacreon, a glass, a gown, a chain, any thing,

Sed speculum ego ipse fiam, Ut me tuum usque cernas, Et vestis ipse fiam, Ut me tuum usque gestes. Mutari & opto in undam, Lavem tuos ut artus, Nardus puella fiam, Ut ego teipsum inungam, Sim fascia in papillis, Tuo & monile collo, Fiamque calceus, me Saltem ut pede usque calces.

But I a looking-glass would be, Still to be lookt upon by thee, Or I, my Love, would be thy gown, By thee to be worn up and down; Or a pure Well full to the brims, That I might wash thy purer limbs: Or I’de be precious balm to ’noint, With choicest care each choicest joint; Or, if I might, I would be fain About thy neck thy happy chain: Or would it were my blessed hap To be the Lawn o’re thy fair pap. Or would I were thy shoo, to be Daily trod upon by thee.

O thrice happy man that shall enjoy her: as they that saw Hero in Musæus, and Salmacis to Hermaphroditus,

——Felices mater, &c. felix nutrix.—— Sed longè cunctis, longèque beatior ille, Quem fructu sponsi & socii dignabere lecti.

The same passion made her break out in the Comedy,

Næ illæ fortunatæ sunt quæ cum illo cubant,

happy are his bed-fellows; and as she said of Cyrus, Beata quæ illi uxor futura esset, blessed is that woman that shall be his wife, nay thrice happy she that shall enjoy him but a night,