and severity itself is overcome.  Hiperides the orator, when Phryne his client was accused at Athens for her lewdness, used no other defence in her cause, but tearing her upper garment, disclosed her naked breast to the judges, with which comeliness of her body and amiable gesture they were so moved and astonished, that they did acquit her forthwith, and let her go.  O noble piece of justice! mine author exclaims:  and who is he that would not rather lose his seat and robes, forfeit his office, than give sentence against the majesty of beauty?  Such prerogatives have fair persons, and they alone are free from danger.  Parthenopaeus was so lovely and fair, that when he fought in the Theban wars, if his face had been by chance bare, no enemy would offer to strike at or hurt him, such immunities hath beauty.  Beasts themselves are moved with it.  Sinalda was a woman of such excellent feature, [4843]and a queen, that when she was to be trodden on by wild horses for a punishment, “the wild beasts stood in admiration of her person,” (Saxo Grammaticus lib. 8.  Dan. hist.) “and would not hurt her.”  Wherefore did that royal virgin in [4844]Apuleius, when she fled from the thieves’ den, in a desert, make such an apostrophe to her ass on whom she rode; (for what knew she to the contrary, but that he was an ass?) Si me parentibus et proco formoso reddideris, quas, tibi gratias, quos honores habebo, quos cibos exhibebo? [4845]She would comb him, dress him, feed him, and trick him every day herself, and he should work no more, toil no more, but rest and play, &c.  And besides she would have a dainty picture drawn, in perpetual remembrance, a virgin riding upon an ass’s back with this motto, Asino vectore regia virgo fugiens captivitatem; why said she all this? why did she make such promises to a dumb beast? but that she perceived the poor ass to be taken with her beauty, for he did often obliquo collo pedes puellae decoros basiare, kiss her feet as she rode, et ad delicatulas voculas tentabat adhinnire, offer to give consent as much as in him was to her delicate speeches, and besides he had some feeling, as she conceived of her misery.  And why did Theogine’s horse in Heliodorus [4846]curvet, prance, and go so proudly, exultans alacriter et superbiens, &c., but that such as mine author supposeth, he was in love with his master? dixisses ipsum equum pulchrum intelligere pulchram domini fomam?  A fly lighted on [4847] Malthius’ cheek as he lay asleep; but why?  Not to hurt him, as a parasite of his, standing by, well perceived, non ut pungeret, sed ut oscularetur, but certainly to kiss him, as ravished with his divine looks.  Inanimate creatures, I suppose, have a touch of this.  When a drop of [4848]Psyche’s candle fell on Cupid’s shoulder, I think sure it was to kiss it.  When Venus ran to meet her rose-cheeked Adonis, as an elegant [4849]poet of our’s sets her out,

------“the bushes in the way
Some catch her neck, some kiss her face,
Some twine about her legs to make her stay,
And all did covet her for to embrace.”

Aer ipse amore inficitur, as Heliodorus holds, the air itself is in love:  for when Hero plaid upon her lute,