parents, before the Gods were
born: _Ante deos omnes primum generavit amorem_. Some think it is the
self-same fire Prometheus fetched from heaven. Plutarch _amator. libello_,
will have Love to be the son of Iris and Favonius; but Socrates in that
pleasant dialogue of Plato, when it came to his turn to speak of love, (of
which subject Agatho the rhetorician, _magniloquus_ Agatho, that chanter
Agatho, had newly given occasion) in a poetical strain, telleth this tale:
when Venus was born, all the gods were invited to a banquet, and amongst
the rest, [4635]Porus the god of bounty and wealth; Penia or Poverty came a
begging to the door; Porus well whittled with nectar (for there was no wine
in those days) walking in Jupiter's garden, in a bower met with Penia, and
in his drink got her with child, of whom was born Love; and because he was
begotten on Venus's birthday, Venus still attends upon him. The moral of
this is in [4636]Ficinus. Another tale is there borrowed out of
Aristophanes: [4637]in the beginning of the world, men had four arms and
four feet, but for their pride, because they compared themselves with the
gods, were parted into halves, and now peradventure by love they hope to be
united again and made one. Otherwise thus, [4638]Vulcan met two lovers, and
bid them ask what they would and they should have it; but they made answer,
_O Vulcane faber Deorum_, &c. "O Vulcan the gods' great smith, we beseech
thee to work us anew in thy furnace, and of two make us one; which he
presently did, and ever since true lovers are either all one, or else
desire to be united." Many such tales you shall find in Leon Hebreus,
_dial. 3._ and their moral to them. The reason why Love was still painted
young, (as Phornutus [4639]and others will) [4640]"is because young men are
most apt to love; soft, fair, and fat, because such folks are soonest
taken: naked, because all true affection is simple and open: he smiles,
because merry and given to delights: hath a quiver, to show his power, none
can escape: is blind, because he sees not where he strikes, whom he hits,
&c." His power and sovereignty is expressed by the [4641]poets, in that he
is held to be a god, and a great commanding god, above Jupiter himself;
Magnus Daemon, as Plato calls him, the strongest and merriest of all the
gods according to Alcinous and [4642]Athenaeus. _Amor virorum rex, amor rex
et deum_, as Euripides, the god of gods and governor of men; for we must
all do homage