to spend himself, and venture his dearest blood for
my sake.” Philinna, in [5129]Lucian, practised
all this long before, as it shall appear unto you
by her discourse; for when Diphilus her sweetheart
came to see her (as his daily custom was) she frowned
upon him, would not vouchsafe him her company, but
kissed Lamprius his co-rival, at the same time [5130]before
his face: but why was it? To make him (as
she telleth her mother that chid her for it) more jealous;
to whet his love, to come with a greater appetite,
and to know that her favour was not so easy to be
had. Many other tricks she used besides this (as
she there confesseth), for she would fall out with,
and anger him of set purpose, pick quarrels upon no
occasion, because she would be reconciled to him again.
Amantium irae amoris redintegratio, as the old
saying is, the falling out of lovers is the renewing
of love; and according to that of Aristenaetis, jucundiores
amorum post injurias deliciae, love is increased
by injuries, as the sunbeams are more gracious after
a cloud. And surely this aphorism is most true;
for as Ampelis informs Crisis in the said Lucian,
[5131]"If a lover be not jealous, angry, waspish, apt
to fall out, sigh and swear, he is no true lover.”
To kiss and coll, hang about her neck, protest, swear
and wish, are but ordinary symptoms, incipientis
adhuc et crescentis amoris signa; but if he be
jealous, angry, apt to mistake, &c., bene speres
licet, sweet sister he is thine own; yet if you
let him alone, humour him, please him, &c., and that
he perceive once he hath you sure, without any co-rival,
his love will languish, and he will not care so much
for you. Hitherto (saith she) can I speak out
of experience; Demophantus a rich fellow was a suitor
of mine, I seemed to neglect him, and gave better
entertainment to Calliades the painter before his
face, principio abiit, verbis me insectatus,
at first he went away all in a chafe, cursing and
swearing, but at last he came submitting himself,
vowing and protesting he loved me most dearly, I should
have all he had, and that he would kill himself for
my sake. Therefore I advise thee (dear sister
Crisis) and all maids, not to use your suitors over
kindly; insolentes enim sunt hoc cum sentiunt,
’twill make them proud and insolent; but now
and then reject them, estrange thyself, et si me
audies semel atque iterum exclude, shut him out
of doors once or twice, let him dance attendance;
follow my counsel, and by this means [5132]you shall
make him mad, come off roundly, stand to any conditions,
and do whatsoever you will have him. These are
the ordinary practices; yet in the said Lucian, Melissa
methinks had a trick beyond all this; for when her
suitor came coldly on, to stir him up, she writ one
of his co-rival’s names and her own in a paper,
Melissa amat Hermotimum, Hermotimus Mellissam,
causing it to be stuck upon a post, for all gazers
to behold, and lost it in the way where he used to


