ABSTRACT
Heavily influenced by Robert Burton’s work on melancholy, which he acknowledges in the introduction, William Greenwood’s description of the passion of love aimed to offer an exploration of that emotion “too much regent in this brittle age” and proffers supposed cures and remedies to the love-struck. In the following extract, Greenwood details the supposed “remedies” to love, which depended on the cause of love in the ‘sufferer’. The best preservative and soveraignest receipt is, to fortifie the weaknesse of one's sex with strength of resolution, for the imagination of Love is strong, and works admirable effects on a willing subject. Give not power to an insulting Lover to triumph over one's weakness, or which is worse, to work on the opportunity of individual's lightnesse. Injuries, slanders, contempts, and disgraces are very forcible means to withdraw men's affections; for Lovers reviled or neglected, contemned or abused, turn love into hate.
