writ of old, de variis concubitus modis, and after her Philenis and Elephantine; or those light tracts of [5091]Aristides Milesius (mentioned by Plutarch) and found by the Persians in Crassus’ army amongst the spoils, Aretine’s dialogues, with ditties, love songs, &c., must needs set them on fire, with such like pictures, as those of Aretine, or wanton objects of what kind soever; “no stronger engine than to hear or read of love toys, fables and discourses” ([5092]one saith) “and many by this means are quite mad.”  At Abdera in Thrace (Andromeda one of Euripides’ tragedies being played) the spectators were so much moved with the object, and those pathetical love speeches of Perseus, amongst the rest, “O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men,” &c. that every man almost a good while after spake pure iambics, and raved still on Perseus’ speech, “O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men.”  As carmen, boys and apprentices, when a new song is published with us, go singing that new tune still in the streets, they continually acted that tragical part of Perseus, and in every man’s mouth was “O Cupid,” in every street, “O Cupid,” in every house almost, “O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men,” pronouncing still like stage-players, “O Cupid;” they were so possessed all with that rapture, and thought of that pathetical love speech, they could not a long time after forget, or drive it out of their minds, but “O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men,” was ever in their mouths.  This belike made Aristotle, Polit. lib. 7. cap. 18. forbid young men to see comedies, or to hear amorous tales.

[5093] “Haec igitur juvenes nequam facilesque puellae
Inspiciant”------

“let not young folks meddle at all with such matters.”  And this made the Romans, as [5094]Vitruvius relates, put Venus’ temple in the suburbs, extra murum, ne adolescentes venereis insuescant, to avoid all occasions and objects.  For what will not such an object do?  Ismenias, as he walked in Sosthene’s garden, being now in love, when he saw so many [5095]lascivious pictures, Thetis’ marriage, and I know not what, was almost beside himself.  And to say truth, with a lascivious object who is not moved, to see others dally, kiss, dance?  And much more when he shall come to be an actor himself.

To kiss and be kissed, which, amongst other lascivious provocations, is as a burden in a song, and a most forcible battery, as infectious, [5096] Xenophon thinks, as the poison of a spider; a great allurement, a fire itself, prooemium aut anticoenium, the prologue of burning lust (as Apuleius adds), lust itself, [5097]_Venus quinta parte sui nectaris imbuit_, a strong assault, that conquers captains, and those all commanding forces, ([5098]_Domasque ferro sed domaris osculo_). [5099]Aretine’s Lucretia, when she would in kindness overcome a suitor of hers, and have her desire of him, “took him about the neck, and kissed him again and again,” and to that, which she could not otherwise effect, she made him so speedily and willingly condescend.  And ’tis a continual assault,—­[5100]_hoc non deficit incipitque semper_, always fresh, and ready to [5101]begin as at first, basium nullo fine terminatur, sed semper recens est, and hath a fiery touch with it.