This passion of love produces reverie in its first state, which exertion alleviates the pain of it, and by the assistance of hope converts it into pleasure. Then the lover seeks solitude, lest this agreeable reverie should be interrupted by external stimuli, as described by Virgil.
Tantum inter densas, umbrosa cacumina, fagos
Assiduè veniebat, ibi hæc incondita solus
Montibus et sylvis studio jactabat inani.
When the pain of love is so great, as not to be relieved by the exertions of reverie, as above described; as when it is misplaced on an object, of which the lover cannot possess himself; it may still be counteracted or conquered by the stoic philosophy, which strips all things of their ornaments, and inculcates "nil admirari." Of which lessons may be found in the meditations of Marcus Antoninus. The maniacal idea is said in some lovers to have been weakened by the action of other very energetic ideas; such as have been occasioned by the death of his favourite child, or by the burning of his house, or by his being shipwrecked. In those cases the violence of the new idea for a while expends so much sensorial power as to prevent the exertion of the maniacal one; and new catenations succeed. On this theory the lover's leap, so celebrated by poets, might effect a cure, if the patient escaped with life.
The third stage of this disease I suppose is irremediable; when a lover has previously been much encouraged, and at length meets with neglect or disdain; the maniacal idea is so painful as not to be for a moment relievable by the exertions of reverie, but is instantly followed by furious or melancholy insanity; and suicide, or revenge, have frequently been the consequence. As was lately exemplified in Mr. Hackman, who shot Miss Ray in the lobby of the playhouse. So the poet describes the passion of Dido,
—————Moriamur inultæ?—
At moriamur, ait,—sic, sic, juvat ire sub umbras!
The story of Medæa seems to have been contrived by Ovid, who was a good judge of the subject, to represent the savage madness occasioned by ill-requited love. Thus the poet,
Earth has no rage like love to hatred turn'd,