Potentissimus affectus amor.

Love, the all-powerful emotion

Aspice ut invictus vires auriga leonis,
Expressus gemma pusio vincat amor:
Utque manu hac scuticam teneat, hac flectat habenas,
Utque sit in pueri plurimus ore decor.[1]
Dira lues procul esto, feram qui vincere talem,
Est potis, à nobis temperet an ne manus? [2]

Look - here’s Love the lad, carved on a gem. See how he rides triumphant in his chariot and subdues the lion’s might. How in one hand he holds a lash, with the other he guides the reins, and on his countenance rests the loveliness of youth. - Dread pestilence keep far away. Would one who has the power to conquer such a beast keep his hands from us?

Videre est, mirum quàm fit fortissimus auri-
ga parvulus puer Cupido (Amoris Deus, fi-
  Link to an image of this page  [b1v p18]lius Veneris qui à variis variè describitur)
adeoque ut etiam vires ferocissimi Leonis su-
peret audaculus. dextra flagellum tenet, sini-
straque loros & habenas dirigit, faciemque interim
monstrat blandam & amabilem. Sed absit lon-
gè & pereat huiusmodi lues: si enim bestiam
usque adeò feram, domare & vincere potest,
quanto facilius nos imbecillos homines su-
peraret? Res immoderata Cupido est, inquit
Ovidius lib. 4. de Ponto. Sed videndus est de
hac re omnino Crinitius lib. 16. ca. 4. de honesta
disciplina Quem obsecro non vincit Amor, vel
etiam sanctissimos viros? Quis Davide san-
ctior? quis Salomone sapientior? quis Sampso-
ne fortior? Amore tamen superati omnes.

Foedera.

Alliances.

Hanc citharam, à lembi quae formâ halieutica[1] fertur,
Vendicat & propriam Musa Latina sibi,
Accipe Dux: placat [=placeat] nostrum hoc tibi tempore munus,
  Link to an image of this page  [B6r p27]Quo nova cum sociis foedera inire paras.
Difficile est, nisi docto homini tot tendere chordas:
Unaque si fuerit non bene tenta fides,
Ruptave (quod facile est) perit omnis gratia conchae,
Illeque praecellens cantus, ineptus erit.
Sic Itali coëunt proceres in foedera: concors
Nil est quod timeas, si tibi constet amor.
At si aliquis desciscat (uti plerumque videmus)
In nihilum illa omnis solvitur harmonia.

This lute, which from its boat shape is called ‘halieutica’, my Latin Muse now claims for her own service. Receive it, O Duke. May this offering of mine be pleasing to you at this moment when you are preparing to enter into fresh agreements with your allies. It is difficult, except for a man of skill, to tune so many strings, and if one string is out of tune or broken, which so easily happens, all the music of the instrument is lost and its lovely song disjointed. In like manner the leaders of Italy are now forming alliances. There is nothing for you to fear if affection lasts for you and stays in concord. But if any one should slide away, which we often see, that harmony is all dissolved into nothing.