The Anatomy of Melancholy

SUBSECTION 3 Honourable objects of love

Beauty is the common object of all love: “as jet attracts a straw, so beauty attracts love.” Virtue and integrity are powerful inducements and shine as beautifully as the rest, especially when they are sincere and genuine, not painted over, but arise from true inward form and uncorrupted judgement. Then Venus’s two twins, Eros and Anteros, are most firmly and securely joined.

Otherwise people are often deceived by their flattering Gnathos, their dissembling chameleons, creatures of appearances, hypocrites who make a show of great love and learning, pretending to integrity, virtue, zeal and modesty through affected looks and counterfeit gestures. False declarations often steal people’s hearts and favour, deceiving them “with the appearance and shadow of virtue,” when “in reality,” indeed, there is no worth or integrity in them, no truth, but sheer hypocrisy, cunning, roguery and the like.

They are as true friends as the man Caelius Secundus met beside the highway; and in this opportunistic age it is hard to distinguish such companions or expose them. Such Gnathos generally attach themselves to great men. Through smooth flattery, friendliness and similar love potions, they worm their way so deeply into favour that they are taken for men of exceptional worth, wisdom and learning—demigods—and so work themselves into high positions, honours and offices. Yet these men often cause terrible confusion and as much turmoil in a commonwealth as Rehoboam’s counsellors, ruining themselves and others.

Tandler and some other authors debate whether love and hatred can be compelled by love potions or magical symbols; Cardan and Marbod by precious stones and amulets; astrologers by choosing favourable times, and so on, as I shall discuss elsewhere.

The true object of this honourable love is virtue, wisdom, integrity, real worth, “inward beauty”; and this love cannot deceive or be forced. “To be loved, be lovable.” Love itself is the most powerful love potion; virtue and wisdom are “grace that makes one pleasing,” the sole and only grace, unfeigned, open, honest, simple and unadorned,

“descending from heaven,” as our apostle says: a disposition infused by God, who has bestowed various gifts—intelligence, learning, languages—for which people become lovable and pleasing, Ephesians 4:11. Thus Saul received stature and a handsome presence, 1 Samuel 9:1. Joseph found favour in Pharaoh’s court, Genesis 39, for his appearance; and Daniel with the princes of the eunuchs, Daniel 19:19.

Christ found favour with God and men, Luke 2:52. There is always some special grace—good conversation, eloquence, intelligence or integrity—that acts as the “first mover,” a powerful lodestone drawing people’s favourable eyes, ears and affections towards its possessor. When Jesus spoke, “they were all astonished at his answers,” Luke 2:47, “and marvelled at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” An orator steals people’s hearts and, like another Orpheus, draws them to himself by speech alone, “wherever he wishes, from wherever he wishes.” A sweet voice inspires admiration; someone who can express himself well is called, in our ordinary phrase, a fine man, a divine spirit.