evil can do any such
thing (Crato _epist. 2. lib. med._), and many divines, there is no other
fascination than that which comes by the eyes, of which I have formerly
spoken, and if you desire to be better informed, read Camerarius, _oper
subcis. cent. 2. c. 5._ It was given out of old, that a Thessalian wench
had bewitched King Philip to dote upon her, and by philters enforced his
love; but when Olympia, the Queen, saw the maid of an excellent beauty,
well brought up, and qualified--these, quoth she, were the philters which
inveigled King Philip; those the true charms, as Henry to Rosamond,

[5222] "One accent from thy lips the blood more warms,
Than all their philters, exorcisms, and charms."

With this alone Lucretia brags [5223]in Aretine, she could do more than all
philosophers, astrologers, alchemists, necromancers, witches, and the rest
of the crew. As for herbs and philters, I could never skill of them, "The
sole philter that ever I used was kissing and embracing, by which alone I
made men rave like beasts stupefied, and compelled them to worship me like
an idol." In our times it is a common thing, saith Erastus, in his book _de
Lamiis_, for witches to take upon them the making of these philters,
[5224]"to force men and women to love and hate whom they will, to cause
tempests, diseases," &c., by charms, spells, characters, knots.--[5225]_hic
Thessala vendit Philtra_. St. Hierome proves that they can do it (as in
Hilarius' life, _epist. lib. 3_); he hath a story of a young man, that with
a philter made a maid mad for the love of him, which maid was after cured
by Hilarion. Such instances I find in John Nider, _Formicar. lib. 5. cap.
5._ Plutarch records of Lucullus that he died of a philter; and that
Cleopatra used philters to inveigle Antony, amongst other allurements.
Eusebius reports as much of Lucretia the poet. Panormitan, _lib. 4. de
gest. Aphonsi_, hath a story of one Stephan, a Neapolitan knight, that by a
philter was forced to run mad for love. But of all others, that which
[5226]Petrarch, _epist. famil. lib. 1. ep. 5_, relates of Charles the Great
(Charlemagne) is most memorable. He foolishly doted upon a woman of mean
favour and condition, many years together, wholly delighting in her
company, to the great grief and indignation of his friends and followers.
When she was dead, he did embrace her corpse, as Apollo did the bay-tree
for his Daphne, and caused her coffin (richly embalmed and decked wi