“Love’s feeling is more soft and sensible, Than are the tender horns of cockled snails; Love’s tongue proves dainty Bacchus gross in taste.” On these words the best comment are two couplets from Whitney (p. 133), to the sentiment, _Prudentes vino abstinent_,—“The wise abstain from wine.” [Illustration: _Whitney, 1586._] Loe here the vine dothe claſpe, to prudent Pallas tree, The league is nought, for virgines wiſe, doe Bacchus frendſhip flee. Alciat. _Quid me vexatis rami? Sum Palladis arbor, Auferte hinc botros, virgo fugit Bromium_. _Engliſhed ſo._ Why vexe yee mee yee boughes? ſince I am Pallas tree: Remoue awaie your cluſters hence, the virgin wine doth flee. Not less degrading and brutalising than the goblets of Bacchus are the poisoned cups of the goddess Circe. Her fearful power and enchantments form episodes in the 10th book of the _Odyssey_, in the 7th of the _Æneid_, and in the 14th of the _Metamorphoses_. So suitable a theme for their art is not neglected by the Emblem writers. Alciat adopts it as a warning against meretricious allurements (edition 1581, p. 184),— ANDREAE ALCIATI Cauendum à meretricibus. _EMBLEMA LXXVI._ [Illustration: _Alciat, 1581._] SOLE _ſatæ Circes tam magna potentia fertur, Verterit vt multos in noua monſtra viros. Teſtis equûm domitor Picus, tum Scylla biformis, Atque Ithaci poſtquàm vina bibere sues. Indicat illustri meretricem nomine Circe, Et rationem animi perdere, quiſquis amat._ Adopting another motto, _Homines voluptatibus transformantur_,—“Men are transformed by pleasures,”—Whitney (p. 82) yet gives expression to Alciat’s idea,— “See here VLISSES men, transformed straunge to heare: Some had the shape of Goates, and Hogges, some Apes, and Asses weare. Who, when they might haue had their former shape againe, They did refuse, and rather wish’d, still brutishe to remaine. Which showes those foolishe sorte, whome wicked loue dothe thrall, Like brutishe beastes do passe theire time, and haue no sence at all. And thoughe that wisedome woulde, they shoulde againe retire, Yet, they had rather CIRCES serue, and burne in theire desire. Then, loue the onelie crosse, that clogges the worlde with care, Oh stoppe your eares, and shutte your eies, of CIRCES cuppes beware.” The striking lines from Horace (_Epist._ i. 2) are added,— “_Sirenum voces, & Circes pocula nosti: Quæ si cum sociis stultus, cupidusq’ bibisset, Sub domina meretrice fuisset turpis, & excors, Vixisset canis immundus, vel amica luto sus._” [Sidenote: _i.e._]