n, and so are
many others; out of whose assertions thus much in brief we may conclude,
that beauty is more beholden to art than nature, and stronger provocations
proceed from outward ornaments, than such as nature hath provided. It is
true that those fair sparkling eyes, white neck, coral lips, turgent paps,
rose-coloured cheeks, &c., of themselves are potent enticers; but when a
comely, artificial, well-composed look, pleasing gesture, an affected
carriage shall be added, it must needs be far more forcible than it was,
when those curious needleworks, variety of colours, purest dyes, jewels,
spangles, pendants, lawn, lace, tiffanies, fair and fine linen,
embroideries, calamistrations, ointments, etc. shall be added, they will
make the veriest dowdy otherwise, a goddess, when nature shall be furthered
by art. For it is not the eye of itself that enticeth to lust, but an
"adulterous eye," as Peter terms it, 2. ii. 14. a wanton, a rolling,
lascivious eye: a wandering eye, which Isaiah taxeth, iii. 16. Christ
himself, and the Virgin Mary, had most beautiful eyes, as amiable eyes as
any persons, saith [4970]Baradius, that ever lived, but withal so modest,
so chaste, that whosoever looked on them was freed from that passion of
burning lust, if we may believe [4971]Gerson and [4972]Bonaventure: there
was no such antidote against it, as the Virgin Mary's face; 'tis not the
eye, but carriage of it, as they use it, that causeth such effects. When
Pallas, Juno, Venus, were to win Paris' favour for the golden apple, as it
is elegantly described in that pleasant interlude of [4973]Apuleius, Juno
came with majesty upon the stage, Minerva gravity, but Venus _dulce
subridens, constitit amaene; et gratissimae, Graticae deam propitiantes_,
&c. came in smiling with her gracious graces and exquisite music, as if she
had danced, _et nonnunquam saltare solis oculis_, and which was the main
matter of all, she danced with her rolling eyes: they were the brokers and
harbingers of her suite. So she makes her brags in a modern poet,

[4974] "Soon could I make my brow to tyrannise,
And force the world do homage to mine eyes."

The eye is a secret orator, the first bawd, _Amoris porta_, and with
private looks, winking, glances and smiles, as so many dialogues they make
up the match many times, and understand one another's meanings, before they
come to speak a word. [4975]Euryalus and Lucretia were so mutually
enamoured by the eye, and prepa