WHen the Ilian flocks, laden with rich fleeces, were feasting themselves with the dainties of Ida's Pain­ted Meades, whose Prince­ly Shepheard Paris (for even such in time of yore disdained not the Sheep-hook, and to converse with old russet honesty) sat sheltring himself from the fiery lashes of heavens curle-pate wag­goner, under the courteous shade [Page 2] of a broad beech, warbling upon his seaven-fold Syrinx some amorous son­net, that spoke high the encomiums of some neighbouring shepheardesse, having the pretty Songsters of the woods bearing part in his Lyribliring melodie, whilst the conspiring armes of the trees danced to the Concord, and the complisant Nymph, Eccho, in the vaulted bowre approved, and imi­tated each of his aires, as greedily as if her deare Narcissus had lent breath to them.

On a suddaine the blew enamelled Portcullis of heaven flew open, and there issued out three Triumphant Chariots, the first drawne by an har­nassed teame of Peacocks, and deckt with boughes of Cedar; Herein sat Iuno, wife and sister to mighty Iove, Queene of Crownes and Mines, the Nuptiall Goddesse, and Protectresse of the Geniall bed. The second Chari­ot was drawne by Marius his Eagle, and Prometheus his Vulture, and stuck a­bout [Page 3] with wreaths of Oake, Palme, and Bayes; Herein sat prudent and Po­tent Pallas, the Issue of Ioves better part his braine, Empresse of Arts and Armes, Commandresse in chiefe in the Pierian greene, and the Pharsalian field. The last and lightest Chariot, (before which ran a Bevie of naked Nymphs and little Cupids, strewing Roses and Violets in the way, and sing­ing of wanton Ditties,) was beset with branches of myrtle, and hung thick with hearts transfixt with arrowes, o­thers flaming, Virgines girdles, Gar­lands, and worlds of such like Love-Trophies; it was drawn by a paire of milkie Doves, who bild and wantoni­zed as they went, as if they were ina­moured of eithers whitenesse, which ex­celled Winters finest downe, the neck of L [...]da's aged Swan, and what ever else knowes a name, but the hand of her whom they drew, which was Love­ly Venus, Crowned with her star, Queen of hearts, Soveraigne Mistris of [Page 4] Love and Beauty. Now alighted those three Deities from their shining Chariots, and came marching with awfull pace, (lackyed with Glory and Majestie) over the hony suckled plaines of Ida, by Cloris spread with verdant plush for them to tread upon. The ti­morous Stripling was extasied at their Angelick presence, as the Arcadian Fishermen were when they saw that brave Triton, the incomparable Prince Pyrocles riding (as on horseback) upon the mast of his mangled ship, (full of unmoved Majesty, as if he had been the Neptune of that Ocean, waving his sword about his Crowne, as though he would threaten the world in that ex­tremitie) and (as they their sweating Oares) he was about moving his heeles to carry him out of the dint of such glorious spirits; but that Monsieur Mercurie their winged Postillion, beckened to him with his Caduceus, and staid him with these words:

[Page 7] Mercurie retreated, having made Paris Guardian of the Ball, whose amo­rous eyes were now more clogg'd with change of Beauties, than King Mydas was once with gold. Now this, now that, now one by one he beheld; this seemed faire, that as faire, the other fairest; one was full of awfull Majesty, the other of audacitie tempered with meeknesse, the third of beauty waited upon by all the graces; whilst every winning feature did intangle his intricate fancy, as li­king all alike, he loved, confounded in his election, Iuno (with a sleeke fore­head) advanced forward, and thus be­came her owne Advocate.

[Page 13] Now did Saturnia retrograde, leaving Paris thoughts gilt with the refle­ction of Oare and Crownes, and the birth of Ioves braine tooke her place and spoke after this manner.

Now retreated Tritonia, leaving Pa­ris building castles in the aire, and e­recting Trophies in his thoughts, when faire Aphrodite approached [Page 22] with a world of winning majesty in her looks; and as the Elixar turneth all things into gold, so the Sunny beames of this illustrious Deities eyes, (whose every motion shot ten thousand Cupids into the hot Phrygi­ans soule) reflecting upon his, soon affected him with her passion, and made him ready to prostrate (with­out further cunctation) the Ball, with his glowing heart, at her feet. First she slipt downe her loose flower-em­broydered mantle, and inriched his gullon eyes with the wealth of her lovely breasts, those nectar running fountaines, as farre excelling those two Pallaces of pleasure which Iuno even now promised, as they did the humble colleges that were the mothers of the Capitoll; and before she opened the cherry of her lips, she emparadised him with a winning smile, such a one as if hell afforded the like, who would not post thither, esteeming the sul­phurous flames coole, in comparison [Page 23] of his desire of the fruition of such lovelinesse?

Having pleaded with his eye with such silent (though flexanimous) Ora­tory; she next charmed his eare, the other principall sense of inquisition, with such such like raptures,

These airy blandishments and rap­tures, made the hot Phrygian big with the desire of their accomplishment, and quite chased the glory of Crownes and Triumphant Charriots out of his head, and drown'd all their pleasures in the thoughts of the sweet fruition of his Queene of sport and Loveli­nesse, who did already swimme in his fancy, his thoughts dwelt no where but on her, whom like another soule, he longed to enjoy. As Phaëton at the first did fearefully admire even the Pallace of Phaebus, but anon fearelesse adventure even the presence of Phae­bus: So Paris who even now trembled at the Goddesses Port, was now bold enough to reject two of them; with­out the least conflict in himself which to make his Patronesse, with a fix­ed resolution, and a wandering eye, [Page 39] he spake in such a Dialect.

This disposall made the two reject­ed Goddesses his inexorable adversa­ries, and most Philomathies and Martialists his criticall censurers, he is onely cry'd up for a Minos of good judgement among Amorists and Beau­ties, one out of which number (between whom and her that bore away the Gol­den prize there is no difference but a Mole and a Name) one (who had she been in the number of the competi­tors the Apple must have been divi­ded between Erycina and her) whose least command is more obligatory with me than an act of Parliament, [Page 44] have enjoyned me to Apologize for him, and to say somewhat in applause of his preferring before the rest the faire Paphyan Queene, whom I im­plore to be President at the rites, and to inspire me whilst I plead hers and her Judges cause; and I wish that to delineate her deserts and omni­potence, I had a quill snatcht from the wing of her amifying Sonne, and dipt in the Nectar of her own Milk.

But I will not make Minda's large gates to my little City, nor dwell long upon a Proem, for to make too much preamble is tedious, and to make none at all, but blunt.

To unpassioned men, this Trojans judgement will not appeare like that of Aesops Cocke, that prefer'd the Barly kernell before the Jewell; or of Vlysses Qui vetulam praetulit immor­talitati; or of Mydas, who being elected Judge between Apollo President of the Muses, and Pan Captaine of the sheepish Squadrons, judg'd for plen­ty; [Page 45] or of the Asse in the fable, who prefer'd the Cucko's note before the Nightingales; but of a nobler, and more reasonable nature, as will con­cisely appeare by these few animadver­sions.

First, in respect of himselfe, com­mon policy prompted this Prince to this disposall, for he being made Umpire between three Deities wher­of he must make one his friend, and two his enemies, it was his wisdome to winne favour with the most Potent, which was indubitably Venus, if wee may take an estimate of power from the extent of dominions, and large­nesse of command and conquest; all which are so cleerely Cypria's as they leave no place for opposition, or ob­jection. Its true Iuno commands the World, but Venus monarchizes in the most unlimited manner of soveraignty over millions of worlds, if it will passe for sterling that every man is a Microcosme; and though some sonnes [Page 46] of Earth are so inthrall'd to sense as Sa­turnia swaies in some of these lesser worlds too, yet many are so refined from earth and ignorance, as they acknow­ledge no alleagance unto her, but he that submits not to the scepter of the Pa­phian Queene is a Rebell against nature, and but the shadow of a man; but such stubborne ones are as rare as a horse in the streets of Venice, or a beggar in Holland. Petronius indeed once blas­phemed and wrote Satyrs against our Goddesse, but he soone sung a Palino­dia, and spent his last breath in chan­ting of amorous Odes.

This is that powerfull Planet that makes not onely rationall but irratio­nall, not onely the animate, but in­animate creatures, and vegetables feel her influxious power. So that she commands the three soules that ani­mate the world, the vegetative, the sen­sitive, and the rationall, one whereof is infused into Plants, two into Beasts, all into Men. No creature (as Saint [Page 47] Hierome concludes) is to be found Quod non aliquid amat, no stock or stone that hath not some feeling of Love.

Even Flowers and Plants feele her influence, the faire Primrose (the first borne of the spring) if forsaken of the masculine flower, droopes and withers disconsolate, as if she kept her beauty onely for him. The Helio­trope was inamoured of Golden­hair'd Titan, and still at his presence unmaskes (as if he came to court her) and converts towards him; the Vine, the Elme, the Cabbage and the Olive dote upon and manacle one another in their armes; the Olive and the Mirtle intwine their roots and branches if they grow neer.

Palme trees are of both sexes, and expresse not a sympathy, but a Love passion.

Florentius tells us of a Palme that loved most fervently, and would not be comforted untill her Love applied it selfe unto her, you might see the two trees bend, and of their owne ac­cord stretch out their boughs to em­brace, and kisse each other. They marry one another, and when the wind brings the smell to them they are mar­velously affected: they will be sicke for love, ready to die and Pine away, which the Husbandman perceiving, strokes those Palmes that grow toge­together, [Page 49] and so stroaking again the Palme that is inamoured, they carry kisses from the one to the other, or weaving their Leaves or Boughes into a Love-net, they will prosper and flourish with a greater braverie. But the greatest Triumph of Love in these kind of Vegetalls was in the two Italian Palmes, the Male growing at Brundu­sium, the Female at Otranto, which con­tinued Barren, till they saw another (growing up higher) though many Stadiums asunder.

Dionea is that Omnipotent Power that puts motion into a Stone, and strikes fire from Ice, and makes cold water sensible of her heat: this is shee that made the amorous Brook Alpeus pursue the coy and flying River Are­thusa, from the Stymphalin Woods, (piercing earths hidden Bowells) through cold Emyranthus and Ellis, till they ran both in one Channell, and mingled Waves.

The nimble Birds are overtaken by Cupids nimbler wings, and annually e­lect their Valentines. What a perfect Harmonia of affection is there between the Turtle and his deare mate? whose continuall billing shames Diana, and her Icy-fouled traine. What a zea­lous adorer of our Goddesse is the wanton Sparrow, who empties him­selfe of all his Radicall moysture in her Rites, and at three yeares end, (when that Columne of life fails him) offers up his dry bones a Sacrifice to her. The Eagle of Sestos, and Peacocke of Leucadia were both betrayed to the Love of Virgins, and having zealously served them here, followed them to [Page 51] Elizium, as that wonder of a Dog did his Master Sabinus. Aristotle will have birds to sing ob futuram Venerem, for joy and hope of their stealthes to come.

The Idalian Archer makes the In­habitants of the flouds his Bulls too, and pierces the Armour of their glit­tering scales; he placed among his Tro­phies the sluggish Whales, the Triton of Epirus, the crook-backt Dolphin that was inamored of Hernias, and him (at Puteoli) that loved a childe and would carry him upon his backe as the Lord of his Affections, and after dyed for losse of him. Pisces ob amo­rem marcescunt, pallescunt, &c. Fishes pine away for love, and wax leane, if Gomesius Authority may be taken, and are Rampant too, some of them. Venus takes Diana's worke out of her hands, and wounds and intangles in her toyles the four-footed Citizens of the Forrest. Furor est insignis equarum. How insa­tiable [Page 52] is the Leacherous Goat? The Cowes runne and lough in the Val­ley, and the fiercer beasts make the trees quiver and be all Aspin, at their roaring not for their Prey, but absent Loves; Cupid is as familiar with Lions as Children with Cosset Lambes, and often-times gets on their backs, hol­ding them by the Maines, and riding them about like Horses, whilst they fawne upon him with their tailes.

[Page 53] Lest any thing should escape her, she catched that nimble wonder of volacity, the Winde its selfe Boreas, he that in his rage tosses the blew Bil­lowes, curling their monstrous heads, and teares up knotty Oakes, and makes the massie Ball to stagger (like a drunken man) when he flies through her hollow entrailes and crannies, she made this Fury turne all mildnesse, and convert himselfe into gentle brie­ses, to fanne Orythia's rosie faire haire, whom being denyed he bore away in a blast.

The Spirits of the Aire, and De­vills of Hell are subject to Love, else what meane the Stories of Incubus and Succubus, of Nymphs, Faunes, Satyres, Faires, and those lascivious Telchines, about whom the Platonists spent so many Pen-ploughed Reams of Paper?

Excellently said that well-worded Noble Italian, Baptista Guarini, in his Matchlesse Pastorall, Il Pastor [Page 54] fido, upon this Theame:

Pallas has but few Subjects, and these adore Venus too; nay, shee her selfe may be call'd (without Solaecisme) Ve­nus her hand-maid, for Valour is a Page to Love, not Love to Valour; for none in that Valiant are taken with this Love, but once wounded with Love, they become so, and un­dantedly undergoe all perrills for the beloved.

[Page 55] The valiantest Field-men have been no Niggards of their bloud in Loves quarrell, which sharpens their Swords aswell as their Spirits. What made Persius combate that immense Prodi­gie of Nature and the deep, Medusa, that drove the broad-spread waves be­fore his mighty breast, but the Love of Andromede? and having loosed her from her Gyves, (farre unworthy of so faire a Prisoner) and changed them for Hymens sweeter Bands, What made Phineus rashly turne the Nupti­all Feast into a Sanguinary Fray, and make the clashing of bruised Armour and groanes of his dying friends his Epithalamion Notes, but the Love he bore to the same illustrious Lady?

Arithmetick wants Numbers to reckon the Tilts and Turnaments, the Combates, Wounds, and Deaths, that such quarrells have caused, whilst the brave Aspects of lovely Dames did Tantara to the fight, and their favours wag in sight.

[Page 56] It's no newes to heare that Erycina takes Victory its selfe Prisoner, and makes the Victor Captive to his Cap­tive, as she did the redoubted Amphia­lus to the divinely divine Philoclea, Iu­piter to Calisto, & Hercules (the scourge of Monsters) to faire Omphale; to comply with whose humour, hee left off his Lions spoile, to weare ( Sar­danapalus-like) womens soft Robes, and with those hands with which he drew bloud, hee drew the slender thread, (which trembled to bee spun by such terrible fingers) and held a feeble Di­staffe with that arme which used to beare the knotty Club, and thresh Ty­rant Champions like a bunch of Hempe, or a Stock-fish. These were his Interludes between his Acts, and when his Ribs were well beaten, and grew crasie, then would he retreat in­to her Lap (the Bay of sweet Delight) as into Loves Port, to be new built for further engagement.

[Page 57] Cupid has made the whole body of Philosophy and Divinity too, to trem­ble at the twang of his bow, the grea­test Masters of Wit and Reason have coveted no higher subject to heighten their Fancies than great Loves Supre­macy, and the Encomiums of some Beauty. How did sweet-tongu'd Pe­trarch trudge up and down after Laura? How was Loves great Master Ovid e­namoured of bright Iulia, (the Iewell of his soule) and Celebrated her ex­cellencies and their stealths under the maske of Corinna? Did not Cytheris possesse Cornelius Gallus his soule, and Plautia Tibullus his? Did not smooth Propertius place his heaven in Cynthia's Love, who being ravished from him by injurious Atropos in the heat and hight of their best dayes, how did it cracke his Sinewes, shrinke his Veines, and make his very heart-strings jarre, and so enthrall'd him to Melancholy Don Saturne, as hee lockt himselfe up in her [Page 58] Tombe, who alive served in stead of a tenth Muse unto him: of which witti­ly the Epagrammatist:

Mercury, (whose Caduceus is said to asswage the rage of the Sea, in that contentions are appeased by the flexanimous power of Eloquence, and discreet Negotiation of Embassadors) he who was said to steale Apollo's Ar­row out of Quiver, Vulcans Tools out of his shop, and Iupiters Scepter, [Page 59] (shewing the bewitching force of his facundity) was not hee Love-strucke when hee saw Herse bearing to Trito­nia's fane her Sacrifice, in a crowned Basket, upon her shining haire? and how did hee bend his wits to sollicite her sister Aglauros to procure him ac­cesse?

Nay, Apollo himselfe, the Inventer of Poesie, Musick, and Physick, ela­ted for his Victory over the ugly Py­thon, found Cupids Shaft the most pre­valent, when he pursued the over-much loved, but over-much hating Daph­ne, over the uncouth Rocks, craggie Clifts, and untrod Mazes of the Woods.

Againe, the Celestiall heat was in­flamed by a Terrestriall, and he who u­sed to look indifferently upon all, cared to see none but Leucöe, for whom his looks waxed so pale, a colour su­table to his griefe. Afterwards being banished heaven for a year, for slaying [Page 60] the Cyclops that made the Lightning that slew his Sonne Phaëton, he turn­ed Herds-man, and kept the cattell of Aametus King of Thessaly, for the love he bore to his faire Daughter.

Afterwards he assumed those Weeds againe, to enjoy Issa, Daughter of Ma­carius Prince of Lesbos, so unmajesti­call is Majesty where Love hath a foo­ting. This is that ancient passion that vies Antiquity with any time, as Phae­drus contends, and was (according to Hesiod) begot by Terra and Chaos, be­fore the gods were borne.

Cupid is more than quarter Master among the gods; Thetide aequor, Vmbras Aeaco, Coelum Iove, &c. For proofe of this Antiquity of Loves Suprema­cy, History tells us that this Fire [Page 61] (which some think to be that that Pro­meth [...]us fetcht downe from heaven) burnt so hot in old Saturne, (the Fa­ther of the gods) as it made him wil­ling to goe out of himselfe, and become a horse to beget Chiron the Centaure on Philira, and ever since it hath ruled the three Provinces, (with their Rulers) that his Dominions were divided into, viz. Hell, Sea, and Heaven; excellent­ly expressed by that Poet Laureat (to whose Name, Wit and Art must bow, and are justified only by honouring it) in his Hue and Cry after Cupid in his Marriage Maske.

So that it was no Heresie in Orpheus to [Page 62] make a petty Pope of him, and give him the Keyes of heaven and hell, Cla­ves habet superorum & inferorum. Nor was his Herald Ovid out of the Sto­ry, when he thus blazed his Stile; ‘Regnat & in superos jus habet ille Deos.’

Love commanded Pitchy Pluto (that holds the inferior Province of the tri­parted world) to ravish Proserpina, from the sedgy Banks of Pergusa Lake. Love made the green Glassie god of Waves to bow his Trident to her Scepter.

This watry Proteus became for Arne a Bull, for Ephimedia the turbulent Ri­ver Enipus, for Bisalpida a Ramme, for Ceres and Medusa a Horse, for Melanthe a Dolphin, &c.

[Page 63] And lest Heaven should remaine freer than Earth, Sea, and Hell, Love struck great Iupiter, the scatterer of three-forked lightning, with the li­kings of Io, Semele, Latone, Alcuma, &c. And made him Metamorphose himselfe for Europa into a Bull, (and put himself to graze that he might lick her hands who fed him with flowers) for Danae into a storme of Gold, in which shape he stormed Acrisius his Tower, (and here he made Iuno, Gold, serve Venus, Love,) for Astrea into an Eagle, for Leda into a Swan, for An­tiope into a Satyr, for Aegina into a Flame, for Mnemosyne into a Shep­heard, for Dois into a Serpent, for Calisto into a Wood-Nymph or Nun, so much hee esteemed his pleasure a­bove his state: So as Lucians Iuno call'd him Ludus amoris, Cupids Whir­legig.

I need not here insert how Bacchus became a Grape for Erigone, or remem­ber [Page 64] the rest of the Gods stealths; it's sufficient to prove Aphrodite the po­tentest of them all, in that all vaile to her and her sonne, she to none. Wise­ly therefore did Paris to dispose of the Ball, so as hee made the Ruler of the triple world his friend with it.

Secondly, I applaud his judging for the Sea-born Queen, when I consider the quality of the gifts that the three goddesses were Mistresses of. The one could lade his head with Starry Crownes, the Badges of the gods, and ambition of men: but why should his great mind stoop to that Lure which even a Cynick could disdaine? Did not Diogenes preferre his Tub before the Luculent Throne of Alexander the Great, the whole worlds terror? which proud humility so pleased that migh­ty Hero, as hee thought that carelesse Snails condition better than all mens, but his owne, wherefore he broke out into such expressions, I could wish to [Page 65] be Diogenes rf I were not Alexander; but he and they that stand upon the pinacles of State, need not boast their slippery height, but remember they walke not upon a Helix that still enlar­geth, but upon Fortunes wheele, where­of having reached the top they must descend to the lower spokes, as did Da­rius the Potent, Osman the Proud, (whom a Ianizarie dispatched) Beliza­rius the valiant, Crasus the rich, Priamu [...] the faire, Nero the cruell, Seianus the haughty, cum multis aliis quae nunc, &c. More wretched in the evening of their lives than Irus, for miserum est fuisse fe­licem, Had I wist is an idle speech. Whether doe these Crowns and Scep­ters the worlds magnalia, but indeed the bals and rackets of Fortune, hurri [...] men? through how many restlesse nights and lesse restfull thoughts doe they chase these sweet bitter joyes? as the more we grasp the theevish sands, the faster they steale through our fin­gers: [Page 66] so is content the farther from them the more they seeke it in the fa­ding glories of the world, which like an Ignis fatuus first lead them through wild untrodden paths, then by vast ai­ery thoughts to that Precipice, whence they fall and are torne like Absyrtus.

Iuno could also have made him Ma­ster of inexhaustible mines of gold, the soul of the world, the price of lives and Lawes, the Terminus ad quem, to which most actions are byased: but why should a Prince make that his Ru­ler which Plato banisheth from his Common-wealth, as the mother and nurse of vice, and an envious spirit exciting to sacriledge and murder? This was too poore a bait to take No­bilitie, which was sleighted even by the Shepheards of Arcadia, a happy peo­ple, wanting little, because they desired not much. But this meanes Paris kept himselfe from the fever of avarice, for such is the sacred hunger of gold, that [Page 67] who so enjoyes most of it, seeks ( Vol­pone like) by sordid penury to accumu­late more. But is it not the height of folly to live poore all a mans life, to die rich?

The other Goddesse could have dec­ked his head with ever springing bayes, and fill'd his hand with triumphant Palme, the price of bloud and sweat. I confesse it was some unhappinesse that he looked upon these with so tran­sient, and carelesse an eye: eye said I? had it been in the power of his Opticks to have reached such objects, as Prow­esse (the metall) and Knowledge (the varnish of a man,) it would have remo­ved all hesitations and scruples from him, and made him have devoted him­selfe to the Lady of such treasure, and Lovelinesse:

But how could he be taken with this amability since it was not visible? since Aristotle (Natures great Secretary) affirmes, Nemo amore capitur, nisi qui fuerit ante forma specié (que) delectatus, no man loves but he who was first deligh­ted with the comlinesse and formositie of the object?

The true Idea of valour and wise­dom Paris could hardly forme in his mind, but he might easily throng his head with thoughts of tedious mar­ches, dangerfull attempts, sleep-break­ings, night-watchings, mortall wounds, and thousand other Gorgons heads that sense held out to deterre him; so that who could imagine he should aspire [Page 69] to that as a reward, of the perill and trouble whereof he had a full prospect, and but an eclipsed glimpse of the glo­ry? He saw but the thornes that hid the Roses, and even this glimpse was much clouded by the refulgence of the third Deity, the beames of whose eyes (those twinnes of light) so dazzled his, as he could looke at no other object, so fares it with a man that forces his eyes against the Sun. The eye and the eare be the Cardinall senses of inquisition; and though the eare is the conduit-pipe of Faith, which (as sacred Rolls report) comes by hearing, yet certaine it is that the eye takes in the perfecter no­tions, and presents the truest Idea's to the mind, and that one ocular witnesse is worth ten auricular.

Suppose a couple of Apples were profered to a child, the one as faire as any in Sun-burnt Autumns store, as beautuous as that which tempted Eve, but of no extraordinary operation, the [Page 70] other but of an indifferent rind, and somewhat withered with lying, but re­storative, and of an excellent vertue, would any one blame the child (seeing he cannot see the intrinsique worth of the other) for chusing that which gave a pleasant taste to the eye, before it was seized by the teeth? No more cause have we to chide with Paris for reje­cting of Pallas for Venus, since he could not discerne the worth and beauty of the one, (it being hid in the secret Ca­binet of her soule) but might of the other, since his eyes were full Masters of the rare object of her exquisite Phisnomy, and divine feature, with which sweet looks she caught all her beholders by the eye-lids; and being so rarely faire, he might well thinke her as rarely vertuous, for vultus index ani­mi, the frame and composition of the mind doth follow the frame and com­position of the body: so where the bo­dies furniture is beauty, the minds [Page 71] must needs be vertue, grace and beauty are so wonderfully annexed, so sweetly and gently allure our soules, that they confound our judgment, and cannot be distinguished, which made the ancient Poets put the three Graces still in Venus company, as attending upon her, and holding up her traine.

Neither is the reward that Venus could have bestowed on Paris to be set in the reere, but deserves to be ranked in the first file of desert; and if we con­sider Paris as Paris, and not as a Prince, hers of all the rest was most necessary for him, she could restore his rib to his side, which who so misseth, wants halfe of himselfe.

His fortune might play her selfe, and suffer one that had more yron than he, to take away all his gold, for fortune is like April in raine, or the Moone in the last Quarter, it will soone change; but Venus could throw into his armes a friend without change, a Play-fellow [Page 72] without strife, that after his thoughts had kept full Terme, and been drowned in the deep Idea's of State, could have brought him cheerfull and vacant in­tervalls, and proved the best Heleborum against Melancholy. Did he desire to extend his life beyond his life, and make the Ages to come his owne? she in requitall of his Princely embraces, could yeeld him reall fruits of his love, little living Pictures of himselfe, that should alwayes carry him about them, and transmit him to posterity, they to eternity. Thus might he swallow time its selfe, and outlive himselfe.

Euen Iuno afterwards thought this the most prevalent Argument, and therefore the chiefe motive she used to Aeolus to let loose his destructive breath upon Aeneas, and his fragments of Troy, as he was transporting of Ilium over the angry Sea to Italy, was, that she would give him Deïopeia for a Sa­lary.

And its more than probable that Iuno would have used this Argument to Paris, but that she knew she should have been outbidden by the Queen and Mo­nopolist [Page 74] of Beauty.

Thirdly, I cannot but subscribe to Paris his sentence, when I ruminate upon the penalties that either of the Deities could inflict upon him for re­jecting of them.

Iuno could damme up the rich streams of yellow Tagus (whose foame is Amber, and gravell Gold) from run­ning into his coffers, but no matter, for how could he know want that enjoyed Ioves daughters fair hair? and the fresh­est Corall (alas too meane a word) the rubies of her Lips, and her Sunny eyes (the staine of Diamonds) the two cen­ters of beauty, wherein all the lines of Love met? In tota rerum Natura, nihil forma divinius, nihil augustius, nihil pre­tiosus, saith Isocrates, In all Natures treasure there is nothing so divine and sacred, nothing so precious and Maje­sticall as Beauty, its Natures Crowne, Gold, and Glory; bonum si non summum de summis tamen non infrequenter trium­phans. [Page 75] Minerva might make her My­steries of Philosophy strangers to him, and unlock her secrets to more quick­silver'd spirits, who yet were below his envy; for how many Princes break their sleep with the Qui [...]iti [...] of Ens, or poring upon Aristotles intricate que­stions in the realitie of Numerus? And yet their governments miscarry not, they having the most refined wits, and mature judgements to be their Parti­cipes curarum, and band opinions with them for the safety of their Monar­chies. As for her other gift, Conquest, he desired rather (like a good Patriot) to have his Land deckt with Peace, and the child of Peace, good husbandry, than watred with his enemies bloud, or glutted with their fat, knowing that the shining title of a Conquerour did indeed little help to the happinesse of life. But what if he had been strong as Hercules, valiant as Hector, could his force have ransomed Troy from ruine? [Page 76] or nnderpropt the proud Palaces of Priamus? No, said his excellent Bro­ther that dyed laden with so many tro­phies of Honour:

Few Columnes are gilded with the Memorials of any victory obtained only by the Generals single Valour.

But Venus that had his heart in her hand could have made the torrent of his affections run in what channel she plea­sed, and doted upon some deformed Mopsa, some rotten trunke and rusty face, the spoile of Age and triumph of uglinesse, whom (when the scales were fallen from his eyes) he should have discovered to have been a Beldame foule as the beast that suckled him, then would her harsh haire (which once he [Page 77] thought finer than flax) appeare near allyed to Foxes Furre, her complexion Cousin germane to the swart Indian, or tawney Moore; her breath (which once he thought fragrant as the West wind) should then smell like an Obolet able to blast a flower, and her whole com­position prove the torment of his eyes, and this plague he could no way fly:

Or Venus in revenge might have trans­fixt his heart with a golden shaft, his Mistresses with a leaden one, to make her hate; her that might have carried life in her looks, death in her mouth, Iune in her eyes, Ianuary in her heart, and what a torment this would have [Page 78] proved, let the pale cheeks of Apollo and Petrarch testifie.

4. Another reason that induceth me to stand to his award, is, because he judged for the most innocent and blamelesse of the competitors, her whose life was not stained with so ma­ny spots as the others. Iuno had a black soule in her not faire body. No visor can maske her cruelty to Pious Aeneas, and his weather-beaten Navy (which the high hand of Providence had pluckt (as firebrands) out of Troyes flames) and to poore Io, whom her an­ger transformed to a heifer, and com­mitted to so rigorous a Guardian as boorish Argus, who bound her yvory necke with an unworthy halter, and fed her with bitter sallads, (who deserved Ambrosia) and watred her at the brook (which when she went to tast, she oft ran back, as afraid of her owne face) who merited Nectar, and allowed her the earth only (not alwayes green) for [Page 79] her bed, once not unworthy of the thunderer himselfe. No lesse cruell was Iuno to the divine Nonacrine Calisto (who once inflamed her old Letcher) in lading her whileome lovely skin with horrid rough haire, and conver­ting her limber fingers (once compacts of warme snow and soft yvory) into ugly Pawes, and making that mouth to grin (so that she was afraid of her owne voice) which was erst so praised of Iove.

None will excuse her malice against Semele, whom she sought by unworthy covert treachery to destroy, metamor­phising her selfe into her old Beldame Nurse Beroe of Epidaure. No hate so deadly and certaine, as that which is masked under the visor of love; for that like thunder hits before it speaks:

See her spight, who contending in a wanton quarrell with Iove which Sex had most pleasure in the act of Venery, he saying the Female, she the Mascu­line, Tiresias (who had twice changed his Sex) being elected Umpire, confir­med Ioves words, and affirmed that in coiture men had but three ounces of the vigour of Love, women nine; for which her deadly hate deprived him of both his eyes.

With what fury did she agitate the subversion of the house of Cadmus? did not she too excite the Furies to the ruine of Athamas and Ino, (for no other cause than for their pitty and piety in fostring their Nephew Bacchus, whose mother Semele her rage had already tragedized) descend by the horrid shades of deadly Eve, to Dis his dire [Page 81] Palace, and there commanded, promi­sed, and intreated all in one breath, and at last incensed Tisiphone to prepare for them bruised Hemlocke, the spurgings of dead mens eyes, mad doggs foame, Frogs bloud, the juice of Mandrakes, Adders eares, horned Poppey, Cy­presse boughs, Basilisks bloud, Infants fat, Scritchowles eggs, blacke Cats brain, Henbane, Nightshade, &c? with these and more such poisonous drugs, she so infuriated them, as the father Athamas dasht out the braines of his owne sonne Clearchus, and the mother Ino, (having snakes hissing about her head) precipitated her selfe, with her other child Malacertes, from a rock into the Ionian Sea; then Iuno (like an enemy to the humane race) turned all the fleshy hearted Theban Ladies that pi­tied them into Cadmean Fowles, or Sta­tues and Monuments of her revenge and envy.

I need not remember her turning [Page 82] of Hemus a King, and Rhodope a Queen, into Thracian Mountaines; the Pigmean Matron Gerannica into a Crane (who now bids battell to her owne subjects) Antigone the faire daughter of Laome­don into a Storke, who still claps her wings to her owne Plaudite. Certaine it is that none was more cruell, mali­cious, or jealous than she, none more revengefull in her jealousie, insomuch as she could not forbeare the Dedalian Statue, which angry Iove threatned to marry, but upon the reconciliation caused it to feed its owne destruction, fire.

Nor was Pallas altogether immacu­late, the pride of her haughty spirit would not let her acknowledge any equall, no not in the common Art of spinning, no not Arachne her selfe, Arachne that made the pretty Nymphs of Tmolus often forsake their Vines, and the sleek Pactolian Nymphs their prat­ling streames, to looke upon her rare [Page 83] warps, but her her cruelty made a contemptible Spider, who still intan­gles Art (like flies) in her cunning Network, which the subtilest hand is too grosse to imitate.

This Goddesse also gave somewhat too much way to Anger and fury when she sent a fury to torture poore Aglau­ros (one of the Cycropides) only for being a little long tongu'd, like the tyrannous Fairy that entailes the sides of Tell-tales to the print of her nailes.

But some grave streight-laced Ma­tron (who is constant to one, because her superannuated feature doth not please any other) may cavill that Ve­nus was not without her Mole, but was guilty of falsifying her Conjugall trust, she looked with one eye upon Adulterous Mars, with the other upon Horned Vulcan, whom she taught the note of Aprill, and made his blacke browes to bud.

But this Peccadillo is too light to [Page 84] weigh with the others grosse enormi­ties; this fault (if it deserves that name) falls under a capacity of Par­don, as proceeding from infirmity, but murder and malice from pre­sumption; she was so far from mur­dering any, as she would rather make more; she was so far from sending Fu­ries to torture any, as she was willing to prevent their tortures.

What Fury is more terrible than Love, the Queen of Passions, to whom all other are subject, she to none?

[Page 85] This powerfull Conquerour leading the King and God of Conquerours prisoner to Venus in a red Rose chaine, so that he whose sinewie necke never bowed in battell, he whose stronger strength the strong tempered steele did obey, became servile to her coynesse, she pittying the hell he burnt in for the heaven of her embrace, let him take her bed for his tent. This was only the fruit of a fleshy heart, and good Na­ture. Doe we not exclame against those who having abundant store of wealth, yet suffer the needy to perish at their doores for want? With as good reason may we chide with those La­dies, who being rich in Beauty (scorn­ing Art) suffer their Loyall Amorists to dye for love of them unpittyed. And why might not one Venus serve both Mars and Vulcan within heaven (both being twins in love to her) as well as one Virgo doe the Gemini without hea­ven? [Page 86] 5. But it cannot be with any fore­head denied, that Astrea her selfe prompted him to this disposall, be­cause therein he followed the will of the Donor, of this prize of beauty, which was the Motto it bore; Detur pulchriori, Give this to the fairest: Which if we expound literally to be meant of exterior beauty, doubtlesse to her it belonged, if we judge it meant of interior beauty of the mind, yet to her, because she was not spotted and contaminated with so many vices as the rest.

But some may object that Paris did violate the League and Law of Nati­ons, in robbing of Menelaus a Sove­raigne Prince of the best jewell of his life, his deare Helena.

This I may answer with that Pro­verbiall axiom, Fallere fallentem non est fraus, to deceive a deceiver is no deceit. His Aunt Hesione was detained Cap­tive in Salamis by Thelamon, under pre­tence [Page 87] that Hercules when he razed Troy, bestowed her on him, she not restored, being demanded by her brother Pri­amus his Legates, Paris by stealing of the Spartan Queen cry'd the Grecians quit.

Who ever blamed Dido and the Ty­rian Lords, for robbing avarous Pig­malion of his heaps of gold? as little cause have we to wrangle with Paris for this amorous stealth: For if we be angry with Corn-ingrossers, and mi­sers that hoord up a little worldly pelfe, why should we not as well blame them that ingrosse rich beauties, so much the more, by how much the trea­sure that they ingrosse is more divine and precious than their trifling riches?

But some may object, that Paris by this judgement made himselfe as his mother Hecuba dreamt he would prove, the firebrand of his Countrey; 'twas he that did devast and destroy Troy, sometimes strong in wealth and wals:

This brought seventy Kings and King­ly Peeres from Greece with twelve hun­dred fifty five War ships (whose gol­den Poops did gild and staine the blew ennamell of the deep) to block & coop him up for ten yeares ten moneths, and twice six dayes. This waked the Lyon War, and made eight hundred sixty thousand Greeks staine the Trojan wea­pons with their dearest bloud, and sent six hundred fifty six thousands of Tro­jans fighting men, (besides the slaugh­tered at the Sack) to engarrison, and [Page 89] take up their Quarters in the King­dome of perpetuall night; omitting more of little lesser fame, the noble bloud of forty Kings ran A Tilt, if we allow Hector, Troilus, and Paris that title. The free sword tooke liberty to act all that it pleased, and was as familiar with entrailes as the Augures; all hate had licence given it, all fury had loose reines, slaughter and death bestrid the streets, whilst the gore he shed flowed up, and stained his thighs, and carried downe whole heaps of limbs, and man­gled bodies, which the coles of their owne flaming houses roasted; no sex or age escaped, infants in the Porch of Life, the sicke, the aged that could not hope one day more from natures boun­ty, fell, some to fil up the number, some to make the prey, it was crime enough that they had lives. Pluto's co­vetous boat-swaine fainted, and asked a Fleet rather than a Boat to ferrie over those sad soules to the blacke world, [Page 90] whose bodies the mawes and Dennes of Beasts could scarce containe, the whole Earth became a Grave, and all to satisfie a hot Lust.

But if this had not happened, the world had lost that high Example of filiall duty and piety that Aeneas gave, in burthening his shoulders with his feeble and most aged Father Anchises, and (leading by the hand his sonne As­canius of the age of twelve yeares) bea­ring him through the wastfull flames, maugre the wrathfull foes into the fields of Phrygia.

Out of these ashes also sprung the worlds Phaenix, the Roman Nation, that gave Lawes to all the rest, and the Brit­tish that performed acts of more Palme than Fame has breath to blaze.

And we have no reason to call Paris the Viper that eat out the bowels of his Countrey, because this sad event of his judgement was hid from his eyes. If Nature had made every man a [Page 91] Prometheus to contemplate, or a Tire­sias to prognosticate the event of things before the action of them, or if we all had our Nativities calculated to our hands, and were fore-warned of, and so fore-armed against those Legions of perils that should encounter us in our lives warfare, there would be no need of the veneration of Fortune, or repai­ring to her fane to implore her Protean Deitie to be auspicious to us in the conduct of our affaires; for a disease when knowne is halfe cured, a wound discovered is recovered, and a danger that is expected is toothlesse and halfe pre­vented; but we are not all allyed to the Sybils, nor have we the gift of divi­nation shared amongst us, because we should have our minds intense upon heroicke atchievements, and still aemu­lari meliora, and leave the sequell to vertue, who never failes to elevate her patient sonnes above the reach of chance.

[Page 92] And as Ignorance is held to be the Mother of Devotion; so (in this point) its the cause of most mens industry: For if all carried their destinies inscri­bed on their foreheads, such as were condemned to hew their livings out of the Rocks, would never appeale to For­tune to divert her harsh sentence, but would sit downe in despaire, and sigh out with Tacitus; Fortunae saevienti submittendus est animus, or with Sene­ca,

The Median and Persian Fates are not like that pack of petty Tyrants that make Acts and Ordinances to day, and vote them void too morrow, no, their [Page 93] inalterable Order is out, that we should alwayes tug at the Oare, nor can our anxious care contrive a way to ransome us from these hatches, under which we must ever lye at dead Anchor; wherfore its better for us to subject our necks to the yron yoke of servitude (forged for us) with Sheepish patience, than like the wild Bull strangle our selves with strugling to breake that net from which we shall never unintangle our feet, and so by their sighs of desperation (as with bellowes) they augment the fury of the inraged wind, whereas if the love of Vertue could make them swell their sailes with breathings after the Cape of good Hope, they might perhaps arrive at the Port of Honour. E contra, if men were no greater strangers to their ends than to their beginnings, those that Fortune had selected for her minions, would expect still to be dand­led upon her knee, and that the Cornu­copia and redundancy of her best fa­vours should drop into their mouths, [Page 94] whilst they (like Marcus Lepidus) stretcht themselves upon Flora's green Carpet.

Therefore lest the ardour and brea­things after fame should be refrigera­ted in Cadets by their despaire of soa­ring above the gutter, though they should spread and try to flutter with their Estrich wings of faint hope, or in others by their presumption of be­ing borne up to Promotions hill on the shoulders of their smiling Fate, and there to find warme lodgings which they never swet for, prudent Nature lets no man know what the plot is that she intends in the severall Scenes of his life, till he comes to act the Epilogue, which (contrary to other Comedians) he usually desires to protract.

Some in their passage through this elementary world find their way strew­ed with Roses, and their paths spread with butter, others prick their feet with bryars and thornes, and stick fast in the muddy sloughs of trouble, and [Page 95] are compell'd like Haniball (upon the Alps) vel viam invenire, vel facere, to find or make way over the hedges and ditches of incombrance: And as a Pil­grim that steeres his unknowne course to some remote shrine, when he comes at a crosse way, is apt to take the fairest path; Semblably we, when we meet with any thing ambiguous, take our owne construction, which is ever such as the pulse of our affections beats af­ter, and we sooth up our selves that herein we deviate not from truth; for facile credimus quod volumus. Thus Aeacides demanding of the Oracle what event his War with Troy should have, he interpreted the Oracles answer, which was,

Thus, I Say thou art able to subdue the Tro­jans, whereas he should have construed this Amphiboly in this wise, I tell thee the Trojans are able to vanquish thee. And [Page 96] that other Prince who enquired whe­ther or no he should make a prospe­rous expedition against his enemies, and had this in a scroule,

Put the second comma where he would have had it meant, viz. next that verb Redibis, whereas he should have placed it next the Adverb nunquam, and thus falsly animated he ingaged, and brea­thed his last, in the Attempt.

Thus the Ilian Prince Paris having the 3 Goddesses standing before him, and pleading for the prize of beauty con­ferr'd it upon Venus, because he con­ceiv'd, she being the potentest of the three (in that she boasted her Trophies over the chief of the rest) was most able to doe him good or hurt, and that he should be so perfectly felicified in what she could confer upon him, as all the scruples of gall that the other two De­ities could cast into his sweet messe could not be able to imbitter it.