s open a vast and philosophical
field to my discourse, by which many lovers become mad; let me leave my
more serious meditations, wander in these philosophical fields, and look
into those pleasant groves of the Muses, where with unspeakable variety of
flowers, we may make garlands to ourselves, not to adorn us only, but with
their pleasant smell and juice to nourish our souls, and fill our minds
desirous of knowledge," &c. After a harsh and unpleasing discourse of
melancholy, which hath hitherto molested your patience, and tired the
author, give him leave with [4428]Godefridus the lawyer, and Laurentius
(_cap. 5._) to recreate himself in this kind after his laborious studies,
"since so many grave divines and worthy men have without offence to
manners, to help themselves and others, voluntarily written of it."
Heliodorus, a bishop, penned a love story of Theagines and Chariclea, and
when some Catos of his time reprehended him for it, chose rather, saith
[4429]Nicephorus, to leave his bishopric than his book. Aeneas Sylvius, an
ancient divine, and past forty years of age, (as [4430]he confesseth
himself, after Pope Pius Secundus) indited that wanton history of Euryalus
and Lucretia. And how many superintendents of learning could I reckon up
that have written of light fantastical subjects? Beroaldus, Erasmus,
Alpheratius, twenty-four times printed in Spanish, &c. Give me leave then
to refresh my muse a little, and my weary readers, to expatiate in this
delightsome field, _hoc deliciarum campo_, as Fonseca terms it, to [4431]
season a surly discourse with a more pleasing aspersion of love matters:
_Edulcare vitam convenit_, as the poet invites us, _curas nugis_, &c., 'tis
good to sweeten our life with some pleasing toys to relish it, and as Pliny
tells us, _magna pars studiosorum amaenitates quaerimus_, most of our
students love such pleasant [4432]subjects. Though Macrobius teach us
otherwise, [4433]"that those old sages banished all such light tracts from
their studies, to nurse's cradles, to please only the ear;" yet out of
Apuleius I will oppose as honourable patrons, Solon, Plato, [4434]
Xenophon, Adrian, &c. that as highly approve of these treatises. On the
other side methinks they are not to be disliked, they are not so unfit. I
will not peremptorily say as one did [4435]_tam suavia dicam facinora, ut
male sit ei qui talibus non delectetur_, I will tell you such pretty
stories, that foul befall him that is not pleased w