“After whom so many rosy maids inquire,
        Whom dainty dames and loving wights desire,
        In every place, still, and at all times sue,
        Whom gods and gentle goddesses do woo.”

How shall he contain?  The very tone of some of their voices, a pretty pleasing speech, an affected tone they use, is able of itself to captivate a young man; but when a good wit shall concur, art and eloquence, fascinating speech, pleasant discourse, sweet gestures, the Sirens themselves cannot so enchant. [5077]P.  Jovius commends his Italian countrywomen, to have an excellent faculty in this kind, above all other nations, and amongst them the Florentine ladies:  some prefer Roman and Venetian courtesans, they have such pleasing tongues, and such [5078] elegancy of speech, that they are able to overcome a saint, Pro facie multis vox sua lena fuit.  Tanta gratia vocis famam conciliabat, saith Petronius [5079]in his fragment of pure impurities, I mean his Satyricon, tam dulcis sonus permulcebat aera, ut putares inter auras cantare Syrenum concordiam; she sang so sweetly that she charmed the air, and thou wouldst have thought thou hadst heard a concert of Sirens.  “O good God, when Lais speaks, how sweet it is!” Philocolus exclaims in Aristenaetus, to hear a fair young gentlewoman play upon the virginals, lute, viol, and sing to it, which as Gellius observes, lib. 1. cap. 11. are lascivientium delicicae, the chief delight of lovers, must needs be a great enticement.  Parthenis was so taken. [5080]_Mi vox ista avida haurit ab aure animam_:  O sister Harpedona (she laments) I am undone, [5081]"how sweetly he sings, I’ll speak a bold word, he is the properest man that ever I saw in my life:  O how sweetly he sings, I die for his sake, O that he would love me again!” If thou didst but hear her sing, saith [5082]Lucian, “thou wouldst forget father and mother, forsake all thy friends, and follow her.”  Helena is highly commended by [5083]Theocritus the poet for her sweet voice and music; none could play so well as she, and Daphnis in the same Edyllion,

       “Quam tibi os dulce est, et vox amabilis o Daphni,
        Jucundius est audire te canentem, quam mel lingere!”

       “How sweet a face hath Daphne, how lovely a voice! 
        Honey itself is not so pleasant in my choice.”

A sweet voice and music are powerful enticers.  Those Samian singing wenches, Aristonica, Onanthe and Agathocleia, regiis diadematibus insultarunt, insulted over kings themselves, as [5084]Plutarch contends. Centum luminibus cinctum caput Argus habebat, Argus had a hundred eyes, all so charmed by one silly pipe, that he lost his head.  Clitiphon complains in [5085]Tatius of Leucippe’s sweet tunes, “he heard her play by chance upon the lute, and sing a pretty song to it in commendations of a rose,” out of old Anacreon belike;