The sixt Chapter.
In what kind of confections that witchcraft, which is called Venificium, consisteth: of love cups, and the same confuted by poets.
AS touching this kind of witchcraft, the principall part thereof consisteth in certeine confections prepared by lewd people to procure love; which indeed are meere poisons, bereaving some of the benefit of the braine, and so of the sense and understanding of the mind. And from some it taketh awaie life, & that is more common than the other. These be called Philtra, or Pocula amatoria, or Venenosa pocula, or Hippomanes; which bad and blind physicians rather practise, than witches or conjurers, &c. But of what value these bables are, towards the end why they are provided, may appeere by the opinions of poets themselves, from whence was derived the estimation of that stuffe. And first you shall heare what Ovid saith, who wrote of the verie art of love, and that so cunninglie and feelinglie, that he is reputed the speciall doctor in that science:
Fallitur Æmonias si quis decurrit ad artes,Ovid. lib. 2. de arte amandi.
Dátq; quod à teneri fronte revellit equi.
Non facient ut vivat amor Medeides herbæ,/
Mistáq; cum magicis mersa venena sonis.91.
Phasias Æsonidem, Circe tenuisset Ulyssem,
Si modò servari carmine posset amor:
Nec data profuerint pallentia philtra puellis,
Philtra nocent animis, vímq; furoris habent./
Who so dooth run to Hæmon arts,122. Englished by Abraham Fleming.
I dub him for a dolt,
And giveth that which he dooth plucke
from forhead of a colt:
Medeas herbs will not procure
that love shall lasting live,
Nor steeped poison mixed with ma-
gicke charms the same can give.
The witch Medea had full fast
}
held Jason for hir owne,
So had the grand witch Circe too
Ulysses, if alone
With charms mainteind & kept might be
the love of twaine in one.
No slibbersawces given to maids,Philtra, slibbersawces to procure love.
}
to make them pale and wan,
Will helpe: such slibbersawces marre
the minds of maid and man,
And have in them a furious force
of phrensie now and than.
Viderit Aemoniæ si quis mala pabula terræ,Ovid. lib. de remedio amoris, 1.
Et magicas artes posse juvare putat.
If any thinke that evill herbsAb. Fleming.
in Hæmon land which be,
Or witchcraft able is to helpe,
let him make proofe and see.
These verses precedent doo shew, that Ovid knew that those/123 beggerlie sorceries might rather kill one, or make him starke mad, than doo him good towards the atteinement of his pleasure or love; and therefore he giveth this counsell to them that are amorous in such hot maner, that either they must enjoy their love, or else needs die; saieng:
Sit procul omne nefas, ut ameris amabilis esto:
Englished by Abraham Fleming.Farre off be all unlawfull meanes
thou amiable bee,
Loving I meane, that she with love
may quite the love of thee./