saith) "and many by this means are quite mad." At
Abdera in Thrace (Andromeda one of Euripides' tragedies being played) the
spectators were so much moved with the object, and those pathetical love
speeches of Perseus, amongst the rest, "O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men,"
&c. that every man almost a good while after spake pure iambics, and raved
still on Perseus' speech, "O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men." As carmen,
boys and apprentices, when a new song is published with us, go singing that
new tune still in the streets, they continually acted that tragical part of
Perseus, and in every man's mouth was "O Cupid," in every street, "O
Cupid," in every house almost, "O Cupid, Prince of Gods and men,"
pronouncing still like stage-players, "O Cupid;" they were so possessed all
with that rapture, and thought of that pathetical love speech, they could
not a long time after forget, or drive it out of their minds, but "O Cupid,
Prince of Gods and men," was ever in their mouths. This belike made
Aristotle, _Polit. lib. 7. cap. 18._ forbid young men to see comedies, or
to hear amorous tales.

[5093] "Haec igitur juvenes nequam facilesque puellae
Inspiciant"------

"let not young folks meddle at all with such matters." And this made the
Romans, as [5094]Vitruvius relates, put Venus' temple in the suburbs,
_extra murum, ne adolescentes venereis insuescant_, to avoid all occasions
and objects. For what will not such an object do? Ismenias, as he walked in
Sosthene's garden, being now in love, when he saw so many [5095]lascivious
pictures, Thetis' marriage, and I know not what, was almost beside himself.
And to say truth, with a lascivious object who is not moved, to see others
dally, kiss, dance? And much more when he shall come to be an actor
himself.

To kiss and be kissed, which, amongst other lascivious provocations, is as
a burden in a song, and a most forcible battery, as infectious, [5096]
Xenophon thinks, as the poison of a spider; a great allurement, a fire
itself, _prooemium aut anticoenium_, the prologue of burning lust (as
Apuleius adds), lust itself, [5097]_Venus quinta parte sui nectaris
imbuit_, a strong assault, that conquers captains, and those all commanding
forces, ([5098]_Domasque ferro sed domaris osculo_). [5099]Aretine's
Lucretia, when she would in kindness overcome a suitor of hers, and have
her desire of him, "took him about the neck, and kissed him again and
again," and to that, which she could not