Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/89

Rh and self do, self have; you evermore have borne yourselves so pliable, submiss and lowly toward them, but you are but rightly served. But say there be some itching heat of love, or smart anger upon jealousy, in regard of a courtesan or married wife, whom the party is amorous of; then shall you see a flatterer ready at hand to display his cunning openly, and to speak his mind freely unto him, putting fire to fire and feeding his love; you shall have him to lay the law upon this lover, accusing and entering process against him in these terms: You have broken the laws of love; you have done and said many things not so kindly as beseemed a true lover, but rather dealt hardly with your love, and enough to lose her heart, and incur her hatred for ever:

Thus the flattering friends of Antonius, when he burned in love of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, would persuade and make him believe that she it was who was enamoured upon him, and by way of opprobrious imputation they would tell him to his face that he was proud, disdainful, hard-hearted, and void of all kind affection. This noble queen (would they say) forsaking so mighty and wealthy a kingdom, so many pleasant palaces, and stately houses of blessed abode, such means and opportunities of happiness, for the love of you pineth away, and consumeth herself, trudging after your camp to and fro, for to do your honour content and pleasure with the habit and title of your concubine.

neglecting her (good lady) and suffering her to perish for sorrow and heart's grief. Whereupon he being well enough pleased to hear himself thus charged with wrong-doing to her, and taking more pleasure in these accusations of theirs than if they had directly praised him, was so blind that he could not see how they that seemed thus to admonish him of his duty, perverted and corrupted him thereby so much the more. For this counterfeit liberty of plain dealing and plain speech may be very well likened to the wanton pinches and bitings of luxurious women who tickle and stir up the lust and pleasure of men by that which might seem to cause their pain. For like as pure wine, which otherwise of itself is a sure remedy against the poison of lemlock, if a man do mingle it with the juice of the said hemlock,