be expressed what courage the Spanish knights took, when the ladies were present, a few Spaniards overcame a multitude of Moors.”  They will undergo any danger whatsoever, as Sir Walter Manny in Edward the Third’s time, stuck full of ladies’ favours, fought like a dragon.  For soli amantes, as [5499]Plato holds, pro amicis mori appetunt, only lovers will die for their friends, and in their mistress’ quarrel.  And for that cause he would have women follow the camp, to be spectators and encouragers of noble actions:  upon such an occasion, the [5500]Squire of Dames himself, Sir Lancelot or Sir Tristram, Caesar, or Alexander, shall not be more resolute or go beyond them.

Not courage only doth love add, but as I said, subtlety, wit, and many pretty devices, [5501]_Namque dolos inspirat amor, fraudesque ministrat_, [5502]Jupiter in love with Leda, and not knowing how to compass his desire, turned himself into a swan, and got Venus to pursue him in the likeness of an eagle; which she doing, for shelter, he fled to Leda’s lap, et in ejus gremio se collocavit, Leda embraced him, and so fell fast asleep, sed dormientem Jupiter compressit, by which means Jupiter had his will.  Infinite such tricks love can devise, such fine feats in abundance, with wisdom and wariness, [5503]_quis fallere possit amantem_.  All manner of civility, decency, compliment and good behaviour, plus solis et leporis, polite graces and merry conceits.  Boccaccio hath a pleasant tale to this purpose, which he borrowed from the Greeks, and which Beroaldus hath turned into Latin, Bebelius in verse, of Cymon and Iphigenia.  This Cymon was a fool, a proper man of person, and the governor of Cyprus’ son. but a very ass, insomuch that his father being ashamed of him, sent him to a farmhouse he had in the country, to be brought up.  Where by chance, as his manner was, walking alone, he espied a gallant young gentlewoman, named Iphigenia, a burgomaster’s daughter of Cyprus, with her maid, by a brook side in a little thicket, fast asleep in her smock, where she had newly bathed herself:  “When [5504]Cymon saw her, he stood leaning on his staff, gaping on her immovable, and in amaze;” at last he fell so far in love with the glorious object, that he began to rouse himself up, to bethink what he was, would needs follow her to the city, and for her sake began to be civil, to learn to sing and dance, to play on instruments, and got all those gentlemanlike qualities and compliments in a short space, which his friends were most glad of.  In brief, he became, from an idiot and a clown, to be one of the most complete gentlemen in Cyprus, did many valorous exploits, and all for the love of mistress Iphigenia.  In a word, I may say thus much of them all, let them be never so clownish, rude and horrid, Grobians and sluts, if once they be in love they will be most neat and spruce; for, [5505]_Omnibus rebus, et nitidis nitoribus antevenit amor_, they will follow the fashion, begin to trick up, and to have