he river; as iron is drawn
to that which is touched with a loadstone, but draws not it again; so
Lycias draws Phaedrus." But how comes it to pass then, that the blind man
loves, that never saw? We read in the Lives of the Fathers, a story of a
child that was brought up in the wilderness, from his infancy, by an old
hermit: now come to man's estate, he saw by chance two comely women
wandering in the woods: he asked the old man what creatures they were, he
told him fairies; after a while talking _obiter_, the hermit demanded of
him, which was the pleasantest sight that ever he saw in his life? He
readily replied, the two [4963]fairies he spied in the wilderness. So that,
without doubt, there is some secret loadstone in a beautiful woman, a
magnetic power, a natural inbred affection, which moves our concupiscence,
and as he sings,

"Methinks I have a mistress yet to come,
And still I seek, I love, I know not whom."

'Tis true indeed of natural and chaste love, but not of this heroical
passion, or rather brutish burning lust of which we treat; we speak of
wandering, wanton, adulterous eyes, which, as [4964]he saith, "lie still in
wait as so many soldiers, and when they spy an innocent spectator fixed on
them, shoot him through, and presently bewitch him: especially when they
shall gaze and gloat, as wanton lovers do one upon another, and with a
pleasant eye-conflict participate each other's souls." Hence you may
perceive how easily and how quickly we may be taken in love; since at the
twinkling of an eye, Phaedrus' spirits may so perniciously infect Lycias'
blood. [4965]"Neither is it any wonder, if we but consider how many other
diseases closely, and as suddenly are caught by infection, plague, itch,
scabs, flux," &c. The spirits taken in, will not let him rest that hath
received them, but egg him on. [4966]_Idque petit corpus mens unde est
saucia amore_; and we may manifestly perceive a strange eduction of
spirits, by such as bleed at nose after they be dead, at the presence of
the murderer; but read more of this in Lemnius, _lib. 2. de occult. nat.
mir. cap. 7._ Valleriola _lib. 2. observ. cap. 7._ Valesius _controv._
Ficinus, Cardan, Libavius _de cruentis cadaveribus_, &c.

SUBSECT. III.--_Artificial allurements of Love, Causes and Provocations to
Lust; Gestures, Clothes, Dower, &c._

Natural beauty is a stronger loadstone of itself, as you have heard, a
great temptation, and pierceth to the very hea