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28 Erasmus
young, and making sport for other people,
than either Homer’s Jupiter, with his crooked
Councels, terrible to every one; or old Pan with
his Hubbubs; or smutty Vulcan half-cover’d
with Cinders ; or even Pallas her self, so dreadful
with her Gorgon’s Head and Spear and a
Countenance like Bul-beef? Why is Cupid
always Pourtrai’d like a Boy, but because he
is a very Wagg, and can neither do nor so much
as think of any thing sober? Why Venus ever
in her prime, but because of her affinity with me?
Witness that colour of her Hair, so resembling
my Father, from whence she is call’d 1the
golden Venus; and lastly, ever laughing, if ye
give any credit to the Poets, or their followers
the Statuaries. What Deity did the Romans
ever more religiously adore than that of Flora,
the foundress of all pleasure? Nay, if ye should
but diligently search the lives of the most
sowre and morose of the Gods out of Homer and
the rest of the Poets, you would find ’em all but
so many pieces of Folly. And to what purpose
should I run over any of the other gods’ tricks
when ye know enough of Jupiter’s loose Loves?
1 Venus aurea.