troubled with heaviness and headache; and some in
the same case by intermission of it.” Not
use of it hurts many, Arculanus, c. 6. in 9.
Rhasis, et Magninus, part. 3. cap. 5, think, because
it [1481]"sends up poisoned vapours to the brain and
heart.” And so doth Galen himself hold,
“That if this natural seed be over-long kept
(in some parties) it turns to poison.”
Hieronymus Mercurialis, in his chapter of melancholy,
cites it for an especial cause of this malady, [1482]priapismus,
satyriasis, &c. Haliabbas, 5. Theor. c.
36, reckons up this and many other diseases.
Villanovanus Breviar. l. 1. c. 18, saith, “He
knew [1483]many monks and widows grievously troubled
with melancholy, and that from this sole cause.”
[1484]Ludovicus Mercatus, l. 2. de mulierum affect.
cap. 4, and Rodericus a Castro, de morbis mulier.
l. 2. c. 3, treat largely of this subject, and
will have it produce a peculiar kind of melancholy
in stale maids, nuns, and widows, Ob suppressionem
mensium et venerem omissam, timidae, moestae anxiae,
verecundae, suspicioscae, languentes, consilii inopes,
cum summa vitae et rerum meliorum desperatione,
&c., they are melancholy in the highest degree, and
all for want of husbands. Aelianus Montaltus,
cap. 37. de melanchol., confirms as much out
of Galen; so doth Wierus, Christophorus a Vega de
art. med. lib. 3. c. 14, relates many such examples
of men and women, that he had seen so melancholy.
Felix Plater in the first book of his Observations,
[1485]"tells a story of an ancient gentleman in Alsatia,
that married a young wife, and was not able to pay
his debts in that kind for a long time together, by
reason of his several infirmities: but she, because
of this inhibition of Venus, fell into a horrible fury,
and desired every one that came to see her, by words,
looks, and gestures, to have to do with her,”
&c. [1486]Bernardus Paternus, a physician, saith, “He
knew a good honest godly priest, that because he would
neither willingly marry, nor make use of the stews,
fell into grievous melancholy fits.” Hildesheim,
spicel. 2, hath such another example of an Italian
melancholy priest, in a consultation had Anno
1580. Jason Pratensis gives instance in a married
man, that from his wife’s death abstaining, [1487]"after
marriage, became exceedingly melancholy,” Rodericus
a Fonseca in a young man so misaffected, Tom. 2.
consult. 85. To these you may add, if you please,
that conceited tale of a Jew, so visited in like sort,
and so cured, out of Poggius Florentinus.
Intemperate Venus is all but as bad in the other extreme. Galen, l. 6. de mortis popular. sect. 5. text. 26, reckons up melancholy amongst those diseases which are [1488]"exasperated by venery:” so doth Avicenna, 2, 3, c. 11. Oribasius, loc. citat. Ficinus, lib. 2. de sanitate tuenda. Marsilius Cognatus, Montaltus, cap. 27. Guianerius, Tract. 3. cap. 2. Magninus, cap. 5. part.