me cernere coram,
Cor mihi captivum quae tenet hocce, deam."

"If all my mischiefs were recompensed
And God would give we what I requested,
I would my mistress' presence only seek,
Which doth mine heart in prison captive keep."

But who can reckon upon the dotage, madness, servitude and blindness, the
foolish phantasms and vanities of lovers, their torments, wishes, idle
attempts?

Yet for all this, amongst so many irksome, absurd, troublesome symptoms,
inconveniences, fantastical fits and passions which are usually incident to
such persons, there be some good and graceful qualities in lovers, which
this affection causeth. "As it makes wise men fools, so many times it makes
fools become wise; [5486]it makes base fellows become generous, cowards
courageous," as Cardan notes out of Plutarch; "covetous, liberal and
magnificent; clowns, civil; cruel, gentle; wicked, profane persons, to
become religious; slovens, neat; churls, merciful; and dumb dogs, eloquent;
your lazy drones, quick and nimble." _Feras mentes domat cupido_, that
fierce, cruel and rude Cyclops Polyphemus sighed, and shed many a salt tear
for Galatea's sake. No passion causeth greater alterations, or more
vehement of joy or discontent. Plutarch. _Sympos. lib. 5. quaest. 1_,
[5487] saith, "that the soul of a man in love is full of perfumes and sweet
odours, and all manner of pleasing tones and tunes, insomuch that it is
hard to say (as he adds) whether love do mortal men more harm than good."
It adds spirits and makes them, otherwise soft and silly, generous and
courageous, [5488]_Audacem faciebat amor_. Ariadne's love made Theseus so
adventurous, and Medea's beauty Jason so victorious; _expectorat amor
timorem_. [5489]Plato is of opinion that the love of Venus made Mars so
valorous. "A young man will be much abashed to commit any foul offence that
shall come to the hearing or sight of his mistress." As [5490]he that
desired of his enemy now dying, to lay him with his face upward, _ne
amasius videret eum a tergo vulneratum_, lest his sweetheart should say he
was a coward. "And if it were [5491]possible to have an army consist of
lovers, such as love, or are beloved, they would be extraordinary valiant
and wise in their government, modesty would detain them from doing amiss,
emulation incite them to do that which is good and honest, and a few of
them would overcome a great company of others." There is no man so
pusilla