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SUBSECT. 4. Philters, Magicall, and Poeticall cures.
Where perswasions and other remedies will not take place, many fly to unlawfull means, Philters, Amulets, Magick spels, Ligatures, Characters, Charmes, which as a wound with the spear of Achilles, if so made and caused, must so be cured.
If forced by Spels and Philters, saith Paracelsus, it must be eased by Characters, Mag. lib. 2. cap. 28. and by Incantations. Fernelius Path. lib. 6. cap. 13. Skenkius lib. 4. observ. Med. hath some examples of such as have been so magically caused, and magically cured, and by witch-craft: so saith Baptista Codronchus, lib. 3. cap. 9. de mor. ven. Malleus malef. cap. 6.
’Tis not permitted to be done, I confess: yet often attempted: see more in Wierus lib. 3. cap. 18. de præstig. de remediis per Philtra. Delrio Tom. 2. lib. 2. quest. 3. sect. 3. disquisit. magic. Cardan lib. 16. cap. 90. reckons up many magneticall medicines, as, to piss through a ring, &c. Mizaldus cent. 3. 30. Baptista Porta, Jason Pratensis, Lobelius pag. 87. Matthiolus, &c. prescribe many absurd remedies.
Radix mandragoræ ebibitæ, Annuli ex ungulis Asini, Stercus amatæ sub cervical positum, illa nesciente, &c. quum odorem fœditatis sentit, amor solvitur.
Noctuæ ovum abstemios facit comestum, ex consilio Iarchæ Indorum gymnosophistæ apud Philostratum lib. 3. Sanguis amasiæ ebibitus omnem amoris sensum tollit: Faustinam Marci Aurelii uxorem, gladiatoris amore captam, ita penitus consilio Chaldæorum liberatam, refert Julius Capitolinus.
Some of our Astrologers will effect as much by Characteristicall Images, ex Sigillis Hermetis, Salomonis, Chaelis, &c. mulieris imago habentis crines sparsos, &c.
Our old Poets and Phantasticall writers have many fabulous remedies for such as are love-sick, as that of Protesilaus tombe in Philostratus, in his dialogue betwixt Phœnix and Vinitor: Vinitor upon occasion discoursing of the rare vertues of that shrine, telleth him that Protesilaus Altar and Tombe cures almost all manner of diseases, consumptions, dropsies, quartan agues, sore eyes: and amongst the rest, such as are love-sick, shall there be helped.
But the most famous is Leucata Petra, that renowned Rock in Greece, of which Strabo writes, Geog. lib. 10. not far from Saint Maures, saith Sands lib. 1. From which rock if any Lover flung himself down headlong, he was instantly cured. Venus after the death of Adonis when she could take no rest for love,
Cum vesana suas torreret flamma medullas,
came to the Temple of Apollo to know what she should do to bee eased of her pain: Apollo sent her to Leucata Petra, where she precipitated her self, and was forthwith freed, and when she would needs know of him a reason of it, he told her again, that he had often observed Jupiter when he was enamoured on Juno, thither go to ease and wash himself, and after him diverse others.
Cephalus for the love of Protela, Degoneus daughter, leapt down here, that Lesbian Sappho for Phaon, on whom she miserably doted.
Cupidinis œstro percita è summo præceps ruit,
hoping thus to ease her self, and to be freed of her love pangs.
Hic se Deucalion Pyrrhæ succensus amore Mersit, & illæso corpore pressit aquas. Nec mora, fugit amor, &c. ——
Hither Deucalion came, when Pyrrha’s love Tormented him, and leapt down to the sea, And had no harm at all, but by and by His love was gone and chased quite away.
This medicine Jos. Scaliger speaks of, Ausoniarum Lectionum lib. 18. Salmutz in Pancirol. de. 7. mundi mirac. and other writers. Pliny reports that amongst the Cyzeni, there is a Well consecrated to Cupid, of which if any lover tast, his passion is mitigated:
And Anthony Verdurius Imag. deorum, de Cupid. saith, that amongst the Ancients there was Amor Lethes, he took burning torches, and extinguished them in the river; his statua was to be seen in the Temple of Venus Elusina, of which Ovid makes mention, and saith, that all lovers of old went thither on pilgrimage, that would be rid of their love pangs.
Pausanias in Phocicis, writes of a Temple dedicated, Veneri in spelunca, to Venus in the vault, at Naupactus in Achaia (now Lepanto) in which your widowes that would have second husbands, made their supplications to the Goddesse; all manner of suits concerning Lovers were commenced, and their grievances helped.
The same Author in Achaicis, tells as much of the river Seneleus in Greece; if any Lover washed himself in it, by a secret vertue of that water, (by reason of the extream coldness belike) he was healed of Loves torments,
Amoris vulnus idem qui sanat facit.
which if it be so, that water as he holds, is omni auro pretiosior, better then any gold. Where none of all these remedies will take place, I know no other, but that all Lovers must make an head, and rebell, as they did in Ausonius, and crucifie Cupid till he grant their request, or satisfie their desires.