Apoph Rom. The second point of prudence in passions is to conceale as much as thou canst thy inclinations oâ— that passion thou knowest thy selfe most prone to follow and this for two causes first for credite secondarily for many inconueniences that may thereby ensue It impeacheth questionlesse greatly a graue mans credite a great mans authoritie and a ciuile mans good conuersation to be subiect to some one only inordinate passion for such a corrupt iudgement hath now so much preuailed with men yea and euer hath ben that they will contemne the whole for some one notable defect as for example if we see a picture of a man or woman drawne with exquisit colours great proportion and art yet if there be but one eye one arme yea or one finger out of square men will say the image is spoyled for that one defect yea the first thing almost we marke is the improportion or disquaring of that part How many prize almost nothing their geldings because they lacke their tailes eares mane or good colours Euen so we trie by dayly talke that commonly men descant vpon other mens doings they will say such a nobleman is resolute in warres goodly in person but subiect to choller too much addicted vnto his owne iudgement such a maÌ„ excelleth in learning yea but pride ouerruleth him such a Senatour iudgeth profoundly but is impatient in hearing of causes such a man raigneth in the Pulpit but blinded with couetousnesse such a man passeth in Musicke but is buried for the most part in the tauerne such a man giueth great almes but attendeth too much to good cheere and in fine there is no man so well qualified but alwayes the world will condemne him because they iudge him stained with some passion therefore great prudence wisemen account it for graue and great persons not to lay their passions open to the censure of the world Many inconueniences may follow if others know what passions men are subiect vnto for if thy enemies would bee reuenged of thee no fitter meanes they might sleightly vse than to procure some way whereby thy passions should be stirred and put in execution for by often ministring matter thy passions would easily subdue thee as a Spanish souldier and a Dutchman after many bragges of their valour and feats of armes aptly insinuated for sayd the Spanish souldier with one Spaniard a hundred buttes of wine I would kill a whole armie of Dutchmen because I would set my wine at night in such a place where I knew the Dutch troupes should lodge and then I know they would neuer leaue drinking while there remained any wit in their braines and so buried with drinke it were no great masterie to despatch them all Nay quoth the Dutchman without any man I would destroy a troupe of Spaniards onely by sending against them a multitude of women for they might easily make of them a massacre like Paris or an euensong of Sicilie at midnight in their beds These two knew well the inclinations of both Countries and consequenly perceiued the way how one might ouerthow the other yet although they were simple and souldierlike discourses for many things may be in common auoided which in particular may be hardly escaped neuerthelesse they knew how easie a thing it was by ministring matter to passions to cast a baite with a hooke to draw them into their owne ruine But some would be glad to know how a man might well conceale his passions so that the world should not iudge him passionatâ— I answere that this question yeeldeth some difficultie for hardly can a passionate man bridle so his affections that they appeare not But yet if he be neuer so passionat and would but follow a litle direction I thinke he might albeit not wholy yet in great part auoyd the infamie of a passionate person The way may be thus in great assemblies or at such times as most men marke our actions wordes and gestures then if a man haue an occasion of choler indignation lust pride feare or such like passion if he refraine but a little all those will at least suspect that he permitteth not his passions wholy to ouerrunne him For all historiographers which Basil in hom de legend lib. Gent. write of Alexander the great highly commend his continencie and especially moued with the carriage of himselfe when Darius wife and her daughters were taken prisoners and subiect to his power they being beautifull he in the prime of yeeres yet because he would but scarcely looke on them hee woon for euer the name of Continencie Besides it were good to dispraise in words before others that passion thou art most addicted vnto for by so doing thou shalt make men beleeue in deed that thou abhorrest much that â—ice questionlesse if the passion be not too pregnantly known such words will blemish a great part of mens conceits for according to the Italian Prouerbe Buone parole cattiui fatti Ingannano li sauij li matti That is Wordes good and workes ill Makes fooles and wisemen leese their skill I say not this because I would haue a man to doe one thing and speake another but that if he cannot but sometime of fragilitie slide it may bee a good way to recall him againe and not to fall so often if he speake in dispraise of his owne fault for men will be ashamed to commit often that they themselues dispraise eagerly and besides it repaireth anew his credit almost cracked with the former passion The third point may be Not to vex and trouble thy selfe too much wheÌ„ a passion seizeth vpoÌ„ thee but diuerting thy mind from it and restraining thy consent as well as thou canst from yeelding vnto it and in short time thou shalt see it vannish away as wee prooue in daily temptations of ire sadnesse loue lust and such like which fall and consume away euen by themselues either because the humour which was mooued returneth to his former seat or the impression made in the imagination deminisheth or the attention of the soule destracted with other matters faileth or some other passion expelleth it or the deuill ceaseth to tempt either I say all these or most of them mittigat consume and wholy subuert that passion which before so troubled vs and seemed insuperable The fourth poynt which ought principally to bee considered and well waighed of those whose passions are most vehement and inordinate is this that they which perceiue in themselues such disordered affections ought first to know the root of them to bee selfe-loue and the greater they find the boughs of their passions the greater and deeper root let them bee assured lieth hidden vnder the bottome of their soule for which cause such men must persuade themselues to haue great difficultie to vertue and extreame facilitie to vice that as they loue pleasures of the body exceedingly so they hate all that may hinder or oppose it selfe thereunto mightily That they bee blinded as battes in their owne
ever yet overslip oportunitie when Christians were at civill braules among themselves or that he perceived any little advantage ready to further his plots let Rhodes Cypers Buda and the best part of Hungarie witnesse his vigilant malice and malitious intent Whom hateth he more then Christians who hold him for an vsurper who of right should possesse and inherit all he hath Whose religion hath he extinguished in all those worthie kingdomes he now enioyeth but Christianity Whom calleth he dogs but Christians But the Persian as yet holdeth him play as potent as he thirstie of his blood as the Turke of Christians If that were not truly except miraculously God preserved Christianitie we should have seene all Europe over-runne But why may wee not suppose that at last they wyll come to some truce or cessation from warres for a long time as a wearied with so much warring and bloodshed or finally conclude a peace and what then is like to befall vs why rather were it not better now for all Christians to be at peace among themselves and assault and invade him vpon this side while we have the Persian to incounter with him on the other O blindnes O prowd ambition of Christian Princes who seeke rather to spoyle their brethren of their owne with iniury then they will warre against their common Adversary to recover their owne right Put case the Turkes breake over their bankes and make a generall inundation over all Europe what great harme might wee expect what harme God avert vs from prooving the Turkish tyranny what man is secure The greatnes of the evill feared of his lyfe in their Invasion who hath eyther strength wisedome wealth or nobilitie whereby he may seeme eyther to have opposed or hereafter oppose himselfe against them what Matrone what Virgin what Lady shall befree from theyr beastly violence who shal keepe lands or livings vnder the clowches of such ravinous Kytes and devouryng Cormorants whatsoever a man getteth with his sweate and industrie when hee dyeth the great Turkish Tyrant must inherit and what he deemeth or pleaseth shall be allowed the wife and children The Gallies shall then want no Slaves to leade a hellish thraldome when they have vanquished so many as they may vse in all drudgery and slavery at their pleasure the children who are warlike in their infancy perforce shal be taken from their parents sent into a farre country from thē there trained vp in martiall prowes and Turcisme and forget both father mother countrie and kindred and neither yeeld comfort ever to progenitors nor receive any comfort from them Many more such tyrannicall vexations barbarous cruelties I could recount but he that will not be moved with these I hold him neither a wise morall man nor any way touched with one sparke of christian zeale Meanes to move Ire § 7. IRe includeth in it a certaine hatred of enmitie and thereunto super-addeth a desier of revenge the first part hath the same motives as hatred and the desier of revenge may be revived quickned and increased by the exaggeration of the iniury receyved the greatnesse and enormitie whereof we have insinuated in the circumstances of bestowing benefits for as gifts and favours procede from kindnesses and good will so iniuries from hatred and malice and therefore the contraryes of bountifull geving will demonstrate the heynousnes of spitefull iniurying wherefore as we reduced them to foure heads so we will these to wit the giver gift receyver manner of giving the iniurer iniurie iniuried manner of iniurie The Iniurer § 8. THe iniurers basenesse augmenteth the iniurie as a buffer given a Prince by a Prince were not so heynous an iniury as if a base peasant had done it because as the greatnes of the Princes person ought more to be respected of a base man then of an equall Prince so by beating him his contempt is accounted the greater Secondly if the iniure◠be a wise grave and vertuous man the iniury by the persons dignity increaseth for example if a Bishop or a famous Doctor dispraise or iniuriously detract the good name of a Nobleman Gentleman or Cleargyman for commonly every one will esteeme it truer comming from such a mans mouth and it is like to make deeper impression in their minds because such circumspect persons are not accustomed without great cause and vrgent reasons so to traduce any man Thirdly if the iniury proceed from a publike Magistrate or officer of iustice whom it concerneth in equitie to procure and commaund that every man have right the iniury is greater as if the Iudge or Iustice of peace infame any person called before them vniustly the iniury is almost doubled for the innocent suffereth wrong of him who in iustice was bound rather to save his credit then so iniuriously to abuse him 4. If the iniurer were before our most speciall friend for that common grammaticall example that Amantiū irae a moris redintegratio sunt that lovers ire sets love afier and friends dissentions renue revive increase friendship This sentence I say must be seasoned with a graine of salt and first in voluptuous love and mercinarie friendship the rule holdeth for when such lovers live in dissension they want that pleasure they most desired and therefore as one who long time wanteth drinke or meate after bringeth more hunger and thirst and consequently liketh and loveth his meate and drinke better then he did before even so such want of wished delights causeth a more vehement desier and ioyfull possession thereof And yet this also must be vnderstoode when there is hope remayning of future fruition for otherwise love transporteth herselfe into mortall hatred as the spitefull malice of Putifers vnchast wife witnesseth in persecuting vntill death the chaste and innocent Ioseph In faithfull love among vertuous friends small trifling iniuries are oftentimes occasion of more fervent and vigilant love as a little 〈◊〉 in a beautifull face causeth the beautie better appeare so frivolous wrangles and friendly frownes cause the amiable vnion of friendship But in great offences and premeditated iniuries which admit no tergiversation nor amicable interpretation such of all others are most bitter and irreconcileable and therefore Aristotle well noted that discords Aristot 7. de Rep. ca. 7. among brethren friends were most vehement for who would not be moved with iust indignation there to finde hatred where he most affectually loved there to receive iniuries where he expected favours there finally to reape harmes where he iudged the offender in duty obliged to do good 5. If he have received any benefits at our hands and in lieu of reward recognition and gratitude repaye vs with iniuries ingratitude and for this circumstance we reade that God in the old Testament expostulating the dayly iniuries the stiff-neckt Iewes offered him he vsually reprehended their ingratitude with commemorating the continuall benefits he had bestowed vpon them as though such favours deserved better service 6. If the iniurer
origen from the vnderstanding and the will so in every obiect of delight there is a certaine intensive goodnes perfection and there is an extensive as for example in a Cellar of wine there may be excellent good wine and varietie of excellent good wine and thereby our taste may be delighted with the perfection of wine and with the varieties of wine In like manner in all the obiects of delight we may find a certaine intension of goodnes and a certaine extension and both these well vnderstood and declared exceedingly increase pleasure delight for the intention filleth and satiateth the soule and the extension or varietie taketh away a certaine distastfull loathsomnesse which one kind of vniforme pleasure draweth with it The sixt Booke entreating of the defects or imperfections of mens soules THE Geographers describing the scituation of any country are not content to set downe the provinces citties and territories thereof but also they depaint in theyr Cardes and explicate in theyr Bookes the Countries and Cities adioyning that thereby men might know the borders and limits of both and not mistake the one for the other even so because our sensitive appetite hath the wit and will which border vpon it therefore I thought good to declare certayne of their imperfections which knowledge will not help vs alitle to discerne more exactly the nature of passions Besides good Physitians of the body expend not onely the present agew or humor that causeth sicknesse but also they search out the causes and of-springs of such maladies so I thinke it not amisse to shew the vniversall causes from whence inordinate passions proceede And first of all we will descend vnto the defects of our wits or vnderstandings 2 Defects of our Vnderstanding ALl the defects of our wit may be reduced to two Ignorance and Errour by Ignorance we know not things necessary by Errour we know them falsely Ignorance is a privation Errour a positive action all ignorance cannot be prevented many errours but all cannot be escaped from ignorance floweth vice and from errour heresie 1. Naturall ignorance ALl the sonnes of men are conceived and borne in sinne and ignorance Aristotle compareth our wits at the beginning to a smooth table wherein nothing is written but apt to receive all formes and figures and in this truely I must confesse one poynt of my ignorance that it seemeth to me that God endoweth bruite beasts with more sparkes of knowledge then reasonable men and they may be sayde even in their nativitie to have imprinted a certayne knowledge and naturall instinct to inquire and finde out things necessary to be theyr owne Physitians to flye that may hurt them and follow that may profit them Marke but a Lambe almost new yeaned how it will finde foorth the mothers dugge discerne and single her foorth in all the flocke waite vppon her so dilligentlie within eight dayes it seeth light but a childe may be many dayes borne and yet cannot finde out his mothers dugge except the Nurse move him vnto it neyther can it cure it selfe or demaund what it needeth otherwayes then by weeping II. Errours of the last end WHen a man beginneth to practize a little his facultie of Vnderstanding then you shall see how fitly he expelleth this chaos of infinite ignorance lyke an vnskilfull Physitian who to cure one disease causeth a worse so hee delivereth himselfe of ignorance by a multitude of errours quenching his thirst with a potion of poyson this wee may see more plainely by the infinite errours that men are subiect vnto by Nature For let vs consider the famous Philosophers of passed ages who lacking faith bragged of naturall knowledge Which of them knew but to what end man was created of God their dissenting sects and erroneous opinions Lactantius and Saint Austen relate how some thought mens last Lactandib 3. divina institut ca. 7. Aug. lib. 19. civiâ— ca. 1. sequentibus end was pleasure others naturall knowledge some in privation of payne some to live according to nature others the goods of the soule the body and fortune with infinite such like false assertions and this not about a trifle or May-game but the very mayne poynt whereat men should ayme at all their lives and whereunto they were bound to direct all their actions III. Errours in the meanes IF the ende was apparelled with such darkenesse how how could they bee but ignorant of the meanes necessary for the atchievement of such an ende and wee dayly proove what difficulty men feele in effecting yea in resolving themselves which action is good which is badde how many volumes have beene written of cases of Conscience and yet what good mans conscience is not vexte some times with seruples who can define the qualitie of his actions affected with such varietie of circumstances who can resolve himselfe howe farâ—e the lawe of Nature engraven in our heartes extendeth Howe often doth an erroneous conscience barke and byte when the Soule did not prevaricate the Lawe of God or passe the limittes of Reason This blindnesse of Minde without all question argueth great imperfection of the Soule and extreme Misery of man Wherefore one cryed Delicta quis intelligit Ab occultis meis munda me Domine and Psal 18. Iob. 9. 2â— another Verebar omnia opera mea IIII. Difficultie in Vnderstanding BVt what shall I say of the woonderfull difficultie all men suffer to come by the knowledge of any Trueth Veritas in profundo latet Veritie lyeth in the bottome In the West Indies those that follow by digging the Veynes of Gold runne vnder high mountaynes many miles descending through stony Rockes into the bowels of the earth yet they ever are winning ground they reape Oare they recompence their travell they labour with alacrity But in learning occurreth another sort of difficulty Trueth must be further fetcht greater sweate and industry must be vsed For what cause I pray you stand Schoole-masters armed dayly with whips and scourges with such sowre and bitter visages with thundring threatning words but by terror to enforce their vntoward and vnwilling Youth to overcome the difficulty they find in learning why at this present doe so many ignorant replenish the world discoursing so blockishly speaking so sottishly Quidam sunt tantae satuitatâ— vt non multuma pecorâ—bus disserant Angust ep 28. ad thereon answering so absurdly that scarce you would iudge them indued with reasonable soules but onely because they had rather be buried in that profound cave of ignorance than endevour to overcome the extreame difficulty they finde in learning What other reason can by yeelded why all ignorance and errours are not abolished and wholy extinguished seeing learned men have left to their posteritie so many thousand volumes that in some Libraries you should finde five sixe ten thousand corps of bookes all written for no other end than to purifie our wittes to consume the cloudes of errours and ignorance but the difficulty we find in
to his divine providence an inclination facultie or power to conserve it self procure what it needeth to resist impugne whatsoever hindereth it of that appertaineth vnto his good and conservation So we see fire continually ascendeth vpward because the coldenesse of the water earth and ayre much impeacheth the vertue of his heate heavie substances descend to their centre for their preservation the hare flieth from the houndes the partridge hideth her selfe from the tallent of the hawke and in fine God hath enabled every thing to eschew his ennemy and enioy his friend Whereuppon grew that protrite distinction of a triple appetite naturall sensitive and reasonable the first we finde in elements and plants the second in beasts and men the third in men and angelles the first Philosophers call a naturall inclination the second a sensitive appetite the third a reasonable or voluntary affection neverthelesse the naturall inclinations of inanimate creatures and the sensitive appetites of living thinges dissent in some points because they with one motion eschew their contraries procure their owne good and obtaine that they need as for example the fire by the same motion ascendeth to heaven getteth his place and flieth from earth and water as contraries the boyling water set from the fire cooleth it selfe and withall expelleth the vnnaturall heate Men and beastes with one appetite prosecute the good they desire and with an other they slie the evill they abhorre as for example with one appetite a man desires good wine and with another detesteth ill wine An other difference besides there is because men and beasts in their appetites have a certaine pleasure and delectation paine or griefe the which affections can not be found in any inanimate creatures This delight or payne God imparted vnto vs that wee might thereby be stirred vp to attempt those actions which were necessary for vs or flie those inconveniences or harmes which might annoy vs for who would attend to eating or drincking to the act of generation if Nature had not ioyned thereunto some delectation A pregnant proofe of this may be seene in sicke men who having lost their appetites loathe nothing so much as meate Heere we may beginne to discover the coasts of Selfe-love for God having so bountifully granted vs meanes to provide for such thinges as were needefull and to avoyde such things as were harmefull adioyning pleasure to the one and paine to the other wherevppon ensued that having a reasonable soule the which like an Empresse was to governe the body direct the senses guide the passions as subiects and vassalles by the square of prudence and rule of reason the inferior partes were bound to yeeld homage and obey Then Selfe-love vpstarts and for the affinitie with sense for the causes alleadged in the precedent chapter will in no case obay reason but allured with the baite of pleasure and sensualitie proclaymeth warres and rebellion against prudence against the love of GOD in so much this tyrant prevaileth that if reason commaund a temperate dyet she will have exquisite and superfluous dishes if reason will be contented with a meane decent attire she will have gorgeous and above her state and condition In summe from this infected love sprung all the evils welnie that pester the world the which Saint Augustine Aug. lib. 22. deciv cap. 2â— With saint Augustine consenteth Plato 5. de legibus And Arist 9. Eth. c. 8. doth gather together yet leaveth out many Mordaces curâ— c. griping cares perturbations moanes feares madde ioyes dissensions strifes warres stratagems angers enmities falshood flatterie theft rapine and a number more which there he reckneth and I to avoyd tediousnes omit Yet by this may also be vnderstood that famous distinction more practized than knowen of many I meane of two loves the one that buildeth the citie of Ierusalem the other the citie of Babylon Aug super psal 64. that is the love of God buildeth the cittie of the predestinate Selfe-love the cittie of the reprobate that repaireth the ruines of Angelles this filleth the infeâ—â—all dennes with Divels for charitie and the love of God being the base and foundation of all goodnesse without which all vertues are dead and not availing to life everlasting rendreth a spirituall life animating the iust to serve God flie vice follow vertue with which vertues and good workes Gods church is replenished and Sathans synagogue emptied Contrariwise Selfe-love following inordinate affections inticeth the cittizens of Ierusalem to prosecute pleasures vnbridle their senses enioy the roses till they flourish not to let wither the Mayie flowres of their flesh haleth the poore soules from the libertie of Ierusalem to the captivitie of Babylon thereby casting the children of God into the thraldome of Sathan By this it appeareth howe God gave every man an inclination to love himselfe yet subordinated to reason and how by the pleasure of sensualitie it is growne to such a head that rather it ruleth reason than reason ruleth it Selfe-love then may bee defined an inordinate inclination of the soule affecting too much the pleasures of the body against the prescript of right reason this may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 olde Adam the law of the flesh sensualitie the enemie of God the spring of vice the roote of impietie the bane of godly conversation the obiect of mortification the sincke of sinne ever craving never concent tyrannizing over the greatest and overthrowing the least How the Passions may be well directed and made profitable CHAP. III. IT hath beene declared I thinke sufficiently howe most men inordinately followe the vnbrideled appetite of their sensual passions yet no doubt but they may by vertue be guided and many good men so moderate and mortifie them that they rather serve them for instruments of vertue than foments of vice and as an occasion of victory than a cause of foyle For Christ our Saviour in whom neyther sinne nor inordinate affection could fall no doubt was subiect to these passions Tristis est anima Matth. 26. Luke 22. Marke 14. mea sayth he vsque ad mortem My soule is sadde even vntill death And Coepit pavere toedere He beganne to bee afrayde and heavy Feare and heavynesse no doubt are passions of the mind yet because in Christ they were prevented with reason and guided by vertue neyther alluring him to sinne nor ingendring vitious Hieron ep 22. ad Eustoch quem sequuntur scolastici Psalme 4. Philip. 2. habites therefore of Divines they rather were called propassions than passions Moreover the Scriptures exhort vs to these passions Irascimini nolite peccare Be angry and sinne not Cum metu tremore salutem operamini with feare trembling worke your salvation And therefore it were blasphemous to say that absolutely all passions were ill for so the Scriptures should exhort vs to ill The reason also commonly allowed of Philosophers and Divines most pregnantly prooveth this veritie for if the motions of our willes be
men were patient And great men were valiant And red men were loyall All the world would be equall To this seemeth not vnlike an other olde saying of theirs From a white Spaniard A blacke Germaine And a red Italian Liberâ—nos Domine And we in English To a red man reade thy reed With a browne man breake thy bread At a pale man draw thy knife From a blacke man keepe thy wife The which we explicate after this sort The redde is wise The browne trustie The pale peevish The blacke lustie By which auncient Proverbes may be collected the verity of the assertion set downe that divers complexions are inclined to divers passions and in generall I take them to be very true and verified in the most part for that the same causes which concurre to the framing of such a constitution serve also to the stirring vp of such a passion as for example a little man having his heate so vnited and compacted together and not dispersed into so vast a carkasse as the great man therefore he by temperature possesseth more spirits and by them becommeth more nimble lively chollericke hastie and impatient Many more discourses I could deliver about this subiect but indeede it requireth a whole booke for I might declare what Passions they are subiect vnto whom Nature monstrously hath signed what affectious rule Rustickes possesse Cittizens tyrannize over Gentlemen which are most frequented in adversity and which in prosperity I might discourse over Flemmings Frenchmen Spaniardes Italians Polans Germanes Scottishmen Irishmen Welchmen and Englishmen explicating their nationall inclinations good or bad but every one of these exacteth a whole Chapter and perhaps some of them more prowd than wise would be offended with the trueth for this passion of Pride over-ruleth all the children of Adam for we see very few will confesse their owne faultes and then they thinke their reputation disgraced when they are singled from the rest and condemned of some vice therefore See Lerâ—nuâ— Lemâ—ius de complexion lui they must of force have it although they will not heare it Thus I will ende this matter referring the Reader to the next bookes where handling the passions in particular I shall have occasion more in particular to touch this vniversall subiect The manner how Passions are mooved CHAP. XI AS the motions of our Passions are hidde from our eyes so they are hard to bee perceived yet for the speculation of this matter I thinke it most necessary to declare the way and maner of them the which will give light not onely to all the Discourses following but also to all the Chapters preceding First then to our imagination commeth by sense or memorie some obiect to be knowne convenient or disconvenient to Nature the which beeing knowne for Ignoti nulla cupido in the imagination which resideth in the former part of the braine as we proove when we imagine any thing presently the purer spirites flocke from the brayne by certayne secret channels to the heart where they pitch at the doore signifying what an obiect was presented convenient or disconvenient for it The heart immediatly bendeth either to prosecute it or to eschewe it and the better to effect that affection draweth other humours to helpe him and so in pleasure concurre great store of pure spirites in payne and sadnesse much melancholy blood in ire blood and choller and not onely as I sayde the heart draweth but also the same soule that informeth the heart residing in other partes sendeth the humours vnto the heart to performe their service in such a woorthie place In like maner as when we feele hunger caused by the sucking of the liver and defect of nourishment in the stomacke the same soule which informeth the stomacke resideth in the hand eyes and mouth and in case of hunger subordinateth them all to serve the stomacke and satisfie the appetite thereof Even so in the hunger of the heart the splene the liver the blood spirites choller and melancholy attende and serve it most diligently By this manifestly appeareth that we insinnuated in the last Chapter howe the diversities of complexions wonderfully increase or diminish Passions for if the imagination bee very apprehensive it sendeth greater store of spirites to the heart and maketh greater impression likewise if the heart be very hote colde moyst tender cholericke sooner and more vehemently it is stirred to Passions thereunto proportionated finally if one abound more with one humour than another he sendeth more fewell to nourish the Passion and so it continueth the longer and the stronger ⸪ The second Booke wherein are declared foure effects of inordinate Passions ⸫ AFter the declaration of the foure causes of our Passions formall materiall efficient and finall the order of methode requireth wee shoulde entreate of their effectes and proprieties And heere I must speake specially of inordinate passions because although those which be ordinate participate in parte some of those effectes yet for that the inordinate principally cause them therefore I thought good to sette them downe as more necessary and that by them coniecture be made of the rest There be foure proprieties consequent to inordinate Passions blindenesse of vnderstanding perversion of will alteration of humours and by them maladies and diseases and troublesomnesse or disquietnesse of the soule The first proprietie I meane to handle in this Chapter the other in the three next following Passions blinde the Iudgement CHAP. 1. WIse men confesse and ignorant men prove that Passions blind their iudgements and reason for as Saint Basil saide Quemadmodum oculis turbatis Basil psal c. 23. 1. c. As when the eyes are troubled wee can not perceive exactly the obiects of our sight even so when the heart is troubled no man can come by the knowledge of trueth the which similitude Saint Chrysostome declareth more aptly Chrysost hom 1. in Iohan. Sicat oculorum acies c. As the facultie of our eyes being pure and bright it laboureth nothing to deprehend the least moaths but if an evill humour descende from the head or some darkenesse fall vpon the eyes a dimme cloude is cast before the pearles thereof which permitteth them not to see even grosse blockes So it befalleth to the soule when every inordinate affection is purged that might offend her shee seeth all thinges convenient most aptly but being troubled with many affections all that vertue shee leeseth neyther can shee behold any high thing To the authoritie of these Fathers experience agreeth for I never knewe any man troubled with a vehement passion of hatred ire or love who would not bring many reasons to confirme his purpose although after he had performed his pleasure and the tempestuous passion was past hee condemned himselfe and thought his fact vitious and his reasons frivolous The which experience teacheth vs that men for the most parte are not very good iudges in their owne causes specially for the Passion of Love which blindeth their iudgement for which
Nathan propounded to David his owne fault as another mans case how the rich man by force bereaved the poore man of his sheepe having so many of his owne because he knew that Davids iudgement in his owne cause might easily be corrupted the selfesame did the good woman Thecuites to David for the recalling of Absolon And indeede the Passions not vnfittely may bee compared to greene spectacles which make all thinges resemble the colour of greene even so he that loveth hateth or by any other passion is vehemently possessed iudgeth all things that occurre in favour of that passion to be good and agreeable with reason so there scarse can be found any man that hateth or is angry with an other but hee thinketh his hatred and ire to be most iust and reasonable for in very deede while the Passion is afloate the execution and performance thereof is conformable and very convenient vnto our beastly sensuall appetite and therefore all beastes stinged by such passions presently proceede vnto execution but men having vnited in the same sensitive soule reason and discourse are bound both by the lawe of Nature and commaundement of God divers times to represse and resist such vnreasonable and beastly motions Yet I know some subtill witte would gladly vnderstand how it commeth to passe that vehement passions so vndermine the iudgement and suborne it to give sentence in favour of them for why may not the passion beeing in the hearte and inferior parte of the soule permitte the higher portion the tribunall seate of Reason alone without trouble or molestation as we see by experience that fire being drie and hotte by nature although it heateth yet that hindereth not the drying so why may not the witte iudge aright howbeit the passion affecteth a wrong To this obiection three reasons may be rendered The first I have largely delivered in my third Booke of the Ioyes of heaven and in summe this is the substance Our soule being of a determinate power and activitie cannot attend exactly to twoo vehement and intensive operations together as for example wee cannot attend perfectly to sweete musicke perceive daintie smelles or taste delicate meate all three or twoo of them at one time either for lacke of spirites or in regarde of the limitted influence of the soule which cannot impart sufficient activitie to such intensive operations wherefore the soule being possessed of a vehement passion her force is so exhausted in that action that if shee will continue therein shee can not exactly consider the reasons which may disswade her from attending or following such affections the passion therefore which hindereth and stoppâ—th the eyes of the vnderstanding from the consideration of those meanes which might moove the mind to withdrawe it selfe from that action may well bee saide to blinde the witte as hee which shutteth another mans eyes maketh him blindefolde not by taking away the power of seeing but onely by hindering it from action The second reason is not onely a privation of consideration of those thinges which may extinguish the passion but also an inforcement or constraint onely to consider those motives or reasons which tend in favour of that passion for although the mayne parte of the soules activitie bee haled away with the passion yet there remaineth some sparks of light in the vnderstanding to perceive what is represented vnto it as when we heare sweete excellent musicke we may perceyve some dainety smelles howebeit not in that perfection wee might if our soules were not distracted with hearing even so some life is left to be imployed to vnderstanding albeit not so great because the soule is distracted with a Passion the which inforceth the witte onely to consider what may conduce to the continuation and preservation thereof the manner may thus bee declared for whatsoever we vnderstand passeth by the gates of our imagination the cosin germane to our sensitive appetite the gates of our imagination being prevented yea and welnie shutte vp with the consideration of that obiect which feedeth the passion and pleaseth the appetite the vnderstanding looking into the imagination findeth nothing almost but the mother and nurse of his passion for consideration where you may well see how the imagination putteth greene spectacles before the eyes of our witte to make it see nothing but greene that is serving for the consideration of the Passion Furthermore the imagination representeth to the vnderstanding not onely reasons that may favour the passion but also it sheweth them very intensively with more shew and apparance than they are indeede for as the Moone when she riseth or setteth seemeth greater vnto vs than indeede shee is because the vapours or clowdes are interposed betwixt our eyes and her even so the beauty and goodnesse of the obiect represented to our vnderstanding appeareth fayrer and goodlier than it is because a clowdy imagination interposeth a miste And here it falleth foorth as hee which is most studious is best learned and commonly he that is best learned is most studious so hee that once apprehendeth the pleasure of the passion ordinarily followeth it and the passion increaseth the imagination thereof and the stronger imagination rendreth the passion more vehement so that oftentimes they enter but with an inch and encrease an ell whereupon ensueth that a false imagination corrupteth the vnderstanding making it beleeve that thinges are better than they are in very deede And by this meanes the witte two wayes is troubled first in that the vehemency of the imagination causeth a vehement apprehension and iudgement of the witte secondarily the false representation breedeth a false conceite in the minde and by these wee prove the imagination and passions to prevaile so mightily that men in great payne or exceeding pleasure can scarce speake see heare or thinke of any thing which concerneth not their passion And for this same cause when wise men deale with any person wonderfully pensive commonly they endevour with reasons to diminish the cause of their griefe as if a woman hath lost her onely sonne in wars then to mittigate her sorrowe they will shewe her that death apprehendeth all men sooner or later it is a tribute must bee payde this worlde yeeldeth nothing but miserie happier are they that depart from it than those that enioy it his death was glorious for his Countrey for his Prince the which among valiant captaynes and noble mindes hath alwayes beene prized above tenne thousand lives if he had dyed an infarnous death for treason for rapine for iniustice then shee might have iustly lamented but in dying for iustice for obedience for vertue with glory she hath rather an exceeding occasion of ioy than a motive of griefe All which perswasions as you see tende to no other ende but to rectifie her iudgement and to represent vnto the vnderstanding those reasons which might rebate the passion of sorrowe concealed from it by the strong imagination of all those things which might encrease her griefe Besides the vehemencie of the
passion continueth the force of our imagination because whatsoever passeth by the gates of our senses presently entreth into the court of our imagination where the sensitive appetite doth entertaine it therefore seeing all passions cause some sence or feeling more or lesse in the body so long as they endure the imagination likewise representeth to the vnderstanding so long the obiect of the passion and as a deceitfull Counsellor corrupteth his Iudge The last reason which importeth more then both the other proceedeth from a naughty will for that the soule hauing rooted in it these two partes sensitive and reasonable the will perceiving that the soule reioyceth she also contenteth herselfe that the inferior appetite should enioy her pleasure or eschew her griefe with reason or against reason she careth not so she may be made partaker as the great Turke permitteth every one to live in his Religion so they pay him tribute And for this cause she commandeth the witte to employ all the power and force to finde out reasons and perswasions that all the appetite demaundeth standeth with reason and is lawfull the which collusion I take to be one of the rootes of all mischiefes that nowe cover the face of the world that is a wicked will commanding the wit to finde out reasons to pleade for Passions for this corrupteth yea wholy destroyeth the remorce of conscience the carefull gardian of the soule this maketh men obstinate in all enormious vices for when the witte is once perswaded and no further appellation can be admitted then the soule is confirmed almost in malice this maketh so many Atheists for vinum mulieres apostatare Eccles 19. faciunt sapientes wine and women make men leave Religion for as wine maketh men drunke and robbeth the vse of reason so inordinate love and affection make drunke the soule and deprive it of iudgement this in fine robbeth soules from God and carrieth them to the divell For if we examine exactly the groundes and origens of Apostasie from true fayth and the causes of heresies we shall finde them to be some one or other wicked vice of the will or vehement Passion which perverteth the iudgement specially when the Religion forbiddeth or punisheth those vices wherevnto the wicked will or Passions tend S. Augustine relateth diuers who denyed the tormentes of hell and their Eternitie thereby to flatter their vitious affections Aug. lib. 1. de â—â—â— cap. 18. with a pretended assurance of impunitie S. Chrysostome reporteth that the arch-heretike Paulus Samosetanus for Chrysost hom 7. in Iohan. the love of a woman forsooke his fayth and religion S. Gregorie the great imputeth it to avarice and covetousnesse that many fall from their faith or not admit a true faith for the Iew that thirsteth after Vsury will hardly admit Christianitie which shutteth from the Gregor lib 20. moral cap. 12. holy mount of Gods eternal blessednesse all those that lende their money to Vsurie as in the 14. Psalme is manifest Furthermore wee may aptly remonstrate how inordinate Passions cause and ingenerate in the soule all those vices which are opposite to prudence The first is Precipitation or Rashnesse which is nothing else but Precipitation an vncircumspect or vnripe resolution or determination in affaires or negotiations for the iudgement being blinded with the Passion considereth not exactly for the importance of the businesse those circumstances which may withdraw it from the prosecution of such a vitious action I remember that when I was in Italy there was a Scottish Gentleman of most rare and singular partes who was a Retainer to a Duke of that Countrey hee was a singular good Scholler and as good a Souldier it chanced one night the yong Prince either vpon some spleene or false suggestion or to trie the Scots valour mette him in a place where hee was wont to haunt resolving eyther to kill wound or beate him and for this effect conducted with him two of the best Fencers hee could finde the Scot had but one friende with him in fine a quarrell is pickt they all draw the Scot presently ranne one of the Fencers thorow and killed him in a trice with that hee bended his forces to the Prince who fearing least that which was befallen his Fencer might happen vpon himselfe he exclaimed out instantly that he was the Prince and therefore willed him to looke about him what he did the Scot perceyving well what he was fell downe vpon his knees demaunding pardon at his handes and gave the Prince his naked rapier who no sooner had receyved it but with the same sword he ranne him thorow to death the which barbarous fact as it was condemned of all men so it sheweth the Precipitation of his passionate irefull heart for if hee had considered the humble submission of his servant and loyaltie of his subiect and valour of his souldier if he had weighed the cowardlinesse of his fact the infamie that hee should thereby incurre hee would never have precipitated into so savage an offence But if with overmuch rashnesse a man contemne or despise any Lawe preferring his passionate iudgement before the prescript of lawe and reason then his headdinesse is termed Temeritie The second vice is Inconstancie which is a change Inconstancie or alteration of that purpose or resolution which a man had prudently determined before And this we may daily try in al incontinent persons who resolutely determine in the calme of their passions never to fal into their former filthinesse but presently when the Passion ariseth all the good resolutions are forgotten and that which an vnpassionate mind detested a passionate soule most effectually pursueth Not much vnlike that which David once writ of himselfe Ego dixi in abundantia Psalme 29. mea non movebor in aeternum I sayde once in my abundance or as the Calde text hath in my tranquillitie I will not be moved eternally Avertisti nanum tuum factus sum conturbatus Thou turnedst away thy hand and I was troubled as if he had sayde thou permittedst me to be troubled with a Passion and then my confident determination was changed The third vice against Prudence groweth vpon excesse of wicked consideration as precipitation inconstancie Astutia or craftinesse vpon the want or defect of circumspection For the Passion delighting or afflicting the minde causeth the iudgement to thinke invent devise all meanes possible eyther to enioy the Passion of delight or to avoyde the molestation of sadnesse and feare Wherefore Love is sayd to be Ingeniosissimus most wittie for the thought of such matters as concerneth love continually delighting the minde and rolling daily and hourely in the fancie suggesteth a worlde of conceites and inventions to finde out meanes and wayes to nourish preserve and increase the Passion insomuch as they which love vehemently are never well but eyther with them whom they love or solitary by themselves coyning some new practises to execute their inordinate love and
hold him for a simple man that cannot sound a drunkards soule euen to the bottome IIII. Discouery of Passions in gesture THis subiect is very ample and would require almost a whole booke but I will onely touch superficially some chiefe points The gestures of the body may bee reduced vnto these heads motions of the eyes pronuntiation managing of the hands and bodie manner of going A rowling eye quicke in mouing this way and that way argueth a quicke but a light wit a hote cholericke complexion with an vnconstant and impatient mind in a woman it is a signe of great immodesty and wantonnesse The reason hereof I take to be for that such quicknesse proceedeth from abundance of hote spirits which cause good apprehension but because they are not corrected by modesty and vertue it seemeth the subiect letteth them range according to their naturall inclination which tendeth to quicknesse and lightnesse Heauie dull eyes proceed from a dull mind and hard of conceit for the contrarie reason therefore wee see all old persons sicke men and flegmaticke slow in turning their eyes Eyes much giuen to winking descend from a soule subiect to feare because it argueth a weakenesse of spirits and a feeble disposition of the eyelids To stare fixly vpon one either commeth from blockishnesse as in rustickes impudencie as in malitious persons prudence when from those in authoritie incontinencie in women Who open their eyes and extend them much commonly be simple men but of a good nature Eyes inflamed and fierie are the natiue brood of choler and ire quiet and peaceable with a certaine secret grace and mirth are children of loue and friendship In Voice THere came a man to Demosthenes desiring his helpe to defend his cause and told him how one had beaten him Demosthenes answered him again saying I doe not beleeue this to bee true thou tellest Plutarâ— in Deâ—ost me for surely the other did neuer beat thee The plaintife then thrusting out his voice aloud said What hath he not beaten me Yes indeed quoth Demosthenes I beleeue it now for I heare the voice of a man that was beaten indeed whereby we may see how he coniectured by the lowdnesse of his voice the iust indignation of his mind For indeed men in ire and wrath shew by their pronuntiation the flame which lodgeth in their breasts Wherefore Cato gaue counsell That souldiers in the warre should terrifie their enemies with vehement voices and cries A small trembling voice proceedeth from feare and such an one commonly haue Plutarc in Ro. Apoph great Oratours or at least it were good they should haue in the beginning of their Orations for thereby they win a certaine compassion and louing affection of their auditors Much more might be said of this subiect but for that it concerneth specially physiognomie and naturall constitution of the organs and humours of the bodie therefore I will omit it Managing of the hands and bodie IN discoursing to vse no gestures argueth slownesse too much gesticulation commeth of lightnesse mediocritie proceedeth from wisedome and grauitie and if it be not too quicke it noteth magnanimitie Some men you haue alwaies fidling about their garments either prying for moaths binding of garters pulling vp their stockings that scarcely when they goe to bed they are apparelled this proceedeth from a childish mind and void of conceits and if you deale with men in companie it also sheweth a little contempt of those with whom you conuerse because it seemeth you little attend what they say Some cast their heads now hither now thither as wantonly as lightly which springeth from folly inconstancie Others scarce thinke they doe pray except they wrie and wrest their neckes which either commeth of hypocrisie superstition or foolishnesse Some gaze vpon themselues how proper bodies they beare how neat and proportioned legs sustaine them and in fine almost are inamored of themselues so they are pleased with their owne persons but this gesture displeaseth commonly and proceedeth from pride and vaine complacence in going To walke maiestically that is by extending thy legs foorth and drawing thy body backe with a slow and stately motion in all mens iudgment vsually issueth from a proud mind and therefore deserueth dispraise except in a Prince a Generall of an army or a Souldier in in the sight of his enemies because this manner of pasing sheweth an ostentation of the mind and that a man would set foorth himselfe aboue others which sort of vaunting few can tollerat because they can hardly suffer that men should so farre inhance themselues aboue others To trip to iet or any such light pase commeth of lightnesse and pride because such persons seeme to take delight that others should behold their singular sort of going Fast going becommeth not graue men for as philosophers hold a slow pase sheweth a magnanimous mind and if necessitie requireth not a light pase argueth a light mind because thereby wee know how the spirits are not sufficiently tempered brideled whereupon followeth lightnesse of bodie and inconstancie of mind V. Discouerie of passion in Praysing I Almost neuer knew man discontented to heare his owne praise and few there be who can tollerat to be dispraised wise men doubt with Antisthenes the Philosopher that when wicked men praise them they haue committed some errour and reioyce with Hector to be praised of vertuous men for their good indeuours It were wisedome not to praise any man exceedingly but especially before a multitude for that good men change their estates What Emperor in the beginning was better than Nero and who in the end more vitious Salomon surpassed all his predecessours in wisedome yet afterwardes fell into extreame follie Wherefore it were wisedome to vse superlatiues very rarely and say such a man is vertuous but not most vertuous So therefore praise good men that thou reserue a caueat for their errours Besides commonly proud men cannot abide their equalls should much be commended for the praise of the one obscureth the glory of the other as I haue obserued by experience they either openly or secretly will seeke to disgrace him and discouer some defects the which impeacheth more his credit than your coÌ„mendation aduanceth his reputation because that men be more prone to conceiue ill than good of others therefore one said wisely Calumniare semper aliquid haeret speake euill for euer some thing remaineth that is either a full persuasion or a sinister suspition Some men when they haue done any thing worthy of praise they either like hennes goe cackling in regard of their new layd egge that is blazing their owne works or indeuour by secret insinuation or grosse industrie that others should commend them as the Italian Poet did who hauing made an Epigram which much pleased his fancy shewed it to some of his friends praysing it about the Skies they presently demaunded who was the Author then he for very shame of pride would not tell them that it was his but with a
fliering countenaunce well gaue them to vnderstand that the verses and the laughter were coosin germaines and both issued from the same proud hart In those Nations I haue dealt with all this secret passion an itching humour of affecting praise especially raigneth among the Spaniards for if a man will not publiquely praise their doings they hold him to make little account of them to be vnciuile or perhaps their enemy â—â— this we may gather a very good rule to discouer passionâ—â—or if that you see one much to please himselfe with others praises and as it were to feed vpon the wind of mens words doubt not but selfe-loue and vanitie possesse the best tenement of his heart And this you may know if the person praised either openly confesse it vnderhand insinuat it or as it were with a smiling countenance silently approue it for as gold is tried by fire so a man by the mouth of a prayser VI. Discouerie of Passions in Apparrell EXtraordinary apparrell of the bodie declareth well the apparrell of the mind for some you haue so inconstant in their at tire that the varietie of their garments pregnantly proueth the sicklenesse of their heads for they are not much vnlike to Stage-players who adorne themselues gloriously like Gentlemen then like clownes after as women then like fooles because the fashion of their garments maketh them resemble these persons And truely the Frenchmen and Englishmen of all Nations are not without some good cause noted and condemned of this lightnesse the one for inuenting the other for imitating in other things we thinke them our inferiors herein we make them our maisters and some I haue heard very contemptuously say That scarcely a new forme of breeches appeared in the French kings kitchin but they were presently translated ouer into the Court of England This newfanglenesse proceedeth from an inconstant mind a proud heart and an effeminate affection Augustus Caesar had alwayes in hatred rich and gorgeous garments because he sayd they were Sueton. banners blasing our pride and neasts to breed leachery Wherefore Saint Gregory plainly prooueth that glorious Gregon in hom attire proceedeth from pride because that men or women will not vse their gallant garments but in such places where they may be seene and he that could sound the hearts of many vaine persons should find the root of this gay apparrell an vnchast heart and an arrogant mind Whereunto well alluded Diogenes being asked a question of a yoong man very neatly and finly appareled he sayd he would not answere him before he put off Laer. lib. 6. his apparell that he might know whether he was a man or a woman declaring by his effeminat attire his womanish wantonnesse As some offend in too much nicenesse so others in too much carlesnesse and slouenry not regarding in what manner and fashion they shew themselues abroad which in some may come of a certaine contempt they haue of themselues of pride and the world but this maner of mortification howbeit I will not condemne all those that vse it of hypocrisie yet I hold that for the most part it carrieth a smell thereof I know a man that some hold very godly and religious yet when hee was to appeare before a prince he would alwayes haue the barest cloke hee could get to the intent the king might account him godly mortified and a despiser of the world and perhaps Antisthenes went not farre awry when he saw Socrates in a torne coat shewing a hole thereof to the people Loe quoth he thorow this I see Socrates vanitie for mortification standeth well with modestie and decent attire Wherefore I take it vniuersally that vnseemely garments and neglect of apparell for the most part proceedeth from slouth or hypocrisie for true and sound Vertue requireth grauitie and decencie Much might be said here concerning the newfangle madnesse or lasciuious pride or vaine superfluities of womens pointing painting adorning and fantasticall disguising but I must say this vice in them to be remedilesse because it hath bene in euery age euer cried against and neuer amended and for my part I am halfe persuaded this sinne carrieth with it a finall impenitence which women neuer intend to change as long as they liue but to carry it to the graue for euery one will excuse her selfe because shee onely followeth the fashion and custome if others would change shee would bee contented to immitate but if you aske another she will say as much but none will begin and so their pride must be endlesse and therefore incorrigible in this world to be punished in another VII Discouerie of passion in Conuersation COmmonly by conuersation you may discouer mens affections for he that frequenteth good companie for most part is honest and he that vseth ill company can hardly be vertuous who euer saw a man very conuersant with drunkards to be sober who knew an indiuiduall companion of harlots chast I am not ignorant that a physitian may conuerse with sick men without infection and cure them but many physitians will scarce aduenture to deale with plaguie patients lest in curing others they kill themselues Vices are plagues and vicious persons infected therfore it were good to deale with them a farre off and not in such places where their vices are strongest as with glâ—â—ters in banquets drunkards in tauernes riotous persons in suspected houses lest thou discredit thy selfe and be infected with the others vice as a gentleman I knew who walking by Thames and seeing his boy in watring his gelding to passe too farre so that he was in danger of drowning presently leapt in thinking by swimming to deliuer them both the boy caught hold of his masters foot and puld him ouer head and eares and so they were drowned all three for companie Who talks much before his betters cannot but be condemned of arrogancie contempt and lacke of prudence To conuerse much with inferiours as it breedeth contempt so it argueth a base mind as though his conceits were no better than such persons deserued to be acquainted withall Except inferiors be indued with some excellent Continuus aspectus minus verendos magnes homines ipsa satietate facit Liu. lib. 35. Et maiestati maior ex longinquo reuerentia Taci 1. An. qualities wherefore noblemen or princes may conferre with inferiors or subiects if they be learned militarie men or wise polititians wherefore to keepe or win grauitie great prudence it were neuer to talke with those that be farre beneath vs in estate and condition but of serious matters for such men by sporting wil account better of themselues and in time despise their superiors for familiaritie aspireth to equalitie To enter into companie although of equals without some ciuile courtesie or affable speech commeth of rusticitie to depart without taking of leaue or salutation argueth inciuilitie and contempt Too much familiaritie with scoffing and gibing proceeds from lightnesse and rarely continueth without dissention because that men are not at
children should be cast out a doores range like vagabonds and goe a begging Nutantes transferantur filij eius mendicent eijctantur de habitationibus suis And yet not contented Let the vsurer sacke him of all his substance and strangers dispoile him of all his labours Scrutetur foenerator omnem substantiam eius deripiant alieni labores eius Yet more Let no man help him nor take commiseration vpon his infants Non sit illi adiutor nec sit qui misereatur pupillis eius all this is not inough but Let his children die and in one generation cause his name to be buried in obliuion Fiant nati eius in interitum in generatione vna deleatur nomen eius And many more such imprecations hee powreth forth against them which I for breuitie sake omit onely this will suffice that the hater cannot endure to see or suffer the person hated to prosper and enioy any good thing or any thing belongeth him I haue knowne some men so passionat that it was a most bitter corrosiue vnto their hearts to see the children of their enemies but well apparelled and it is held for a good point in policie and apt to moue compassion when the prince is offended with any person that hee appeare not before him in gorgious but mourning attire and so Saint Chrisostome recounteth that diuers noble women deposed all their pompe and Chrisost hom ad populi pride and after a most meane manner and with poore apparell presented themselues before the iudges to sue for their husbands in that lamentable commotion at Antioch and as much the scriptures insinuat that a man should doe to God as Baruch testifieth Anima quae tristis Baruch 2. est super magnitudinem mali incedit curua dat tibi gloriam domine The soule which is sorie for the mightinesse of her euill and goeth crooked O Lord glorifieth thee His meaning is the contrite heart and humble submission and abiect conceit a sinner hath of himselfe caused by true repentance exalt Gods greatnesse and extoll his maiestie the which his mortall enemies so greeue to haue offended Out of this discourse we may collect some practicall points very profitable and know a reason how men commonly carrie themselues towards appassionat persons First for that we say sight stirreth vp passions and not onely the persons we loue but also whatsoeuer releaseth any thing of them Therefore generally among friends which be absent and out of sight affections are colder and rarer for although true friends haue alwayes a secret cabinet in their memories to talke in their minds with them whom they loue although absent yet except the memorie be reuiued by some externall obiect obliuion entreth thoughts are more remisse friendship faileth Wherefore messages letters tokens friends kinsfolkes and such things as concerne vs are to bee sent to our friends to renouat and reuiue our former amitie Secondly if we would not exasperat our enemies it were expedient not onely we our selues but also all these things which any way belong vs appeare not in their sights yea and that is more we must take heed as much as in vs lieth that they vnderstand not any prosperitie or good befallen vnto vs because in all these sights hatred is stirred vp and reuiued anew which lay smothered before vnder the embers of forgetfulnesse and so with silence perhaps enmitie of it selfe will consume and pine away Thirdly to persuade any matter we intend or to stirre vp any passion in a multitude if we can aptly confirme our opinion or intention with any visible obiect no doubt but the persuasion would bee more forcible and the passion more potent Cato was determined to strike the Senat and Romanes with feare of the Carthaginian forces least they should obiect against him that Carthage was farre from them and therefore not so dangerous he presently shewed them greene figges at that instant brought from Carthage so they all conceiued that the countrey was not farre distant for otherwise the figges would haue bene dried or corrupted Galba intending to excite the principal men of Spaine Tacitus lib. 1. against Nero and to moue them the more to wage war against him placed of purpose before his tribunall a many of images of great personages executed or banished in Neroes time and fetched from exile a yong noble man out of the next Iland to stand by his seat while he spoke to his armie Licurgus brought two dogs the one sauage the other trained vp to let the people see the difference betwixt men well brought vp and badly and withall to let them vnderstand the great good of keeping good lawes The Macedonians being once ouercome in battel by their adiacent enemies thought the onely remedie that remained to inanimate their souldiours to battell was to carrie their yong king Philip the first in his cradle to the field thereby stirring vp the zeale of faithfull subiects to defend their innocent prince and this little wherstone so sharpned their swords that indeed they woon the battel The people of Tangia in America in their warres caried alwayes in their campe the corpes and bones of their auntient famous warriers thereby intending to encourage their souldiours with the worthie memorie and valour of their predecessours Agria a citie in Hungaria being besieged the yeere 1562 by Mahomet Bassa with an armie of 60000 Turkes and battered with 50 cannons in the citie were onely 2000 Hungarians who with incredible valour had repelled thirteene most terrible assaults and albeit they were most valiant yet to encrease their valour they expecting another fresh assault sware themselues that vpon perill of death no man should talke or speake of peace or yeelding nor giue other answere to these vnsatiable suckers of Christian blood but with cannons muskets and caliuers and in case the siege endured longer than their victuals lasted then rather to die of hunger than submit themselues vnto the Turkish slauerie And at last when the Bassa had offered them diuers faire and fauourable conditions if they would yeeld they with a visible signe to moue him to dispaire of his intent hanged ouer the wall a coffin couered with blacke betwixt two speares thereby representing vnto him that in that citie they would be buried and so preuailed Among the Iewes the arke of God as a visible signe was borne by the Leuits in the battell as with a present obiect to deliuer them from all feare of enemies thereby conceiuing the infallible assistauce and protection of God ouer them whose cause they handled and defended I haue seene some preachers bring a dead mans scull into the pulpit therewith the better to moue their auditors to contemne the transsitorie pleasures of this world to beat into them a terrour of death to the intent that for the rest of their dayes they might lead a better life Last of all it ought seriously to be considered that the presence of any visible obiect moueth much more
mother nor childe who offend and transgresse the Lawes In magnificence to dispend great treasures readily for the honour of God and generall good of the realme In mercy easily to pardon iniuries against our owne persons As I say in every vertue there are found these degrees and eminent perfections so in vices and offences there appeare varieties of excesses in the same sinne as in theft he that robbeth a rich man and taketh fourty shillings from him can not be compared to him that stealeth a kowe from a poore man wherewyth hee sustayned his wife and whole family wherefore the enormity of the sinne ought greatly to bee weyghed Agayne in vice some so farre exceede as they passe the common course of vitious persons and arrive at a certayne ferall or savage Savagenesse or feralâ—tie brutishnesse delighting in nothing but wickednesse as beastly pleasures violent extortions cruel butcheries and such like barbarous beastlinesse whereby they make shew to have lost all reason and humanity and onely follow the fury of every inordinate Passion Moreover it is to be considered that as every vice hath her intension or vehemency in malice and wickednesse so she hath an extension and various kinde of deformities for example theft hath vsury coosonage pilferings burglaries robberies murther hath woundings lamings man-slaughters wilfull-murthers so in intemperance gluttony c. In our present case these will mightily aggravate the persons wickednesse if we can proove him in sundry vices to have committed various excesses and in every vice not to have wanted variety Yet all the enormities a vitious wretch committeth in the progresse of his life may bee reduced to these iij. heads Irreligion towards God Iniustice towards men beastlinesse in himselfe First If towards God he hath beene irreligious an Atheist an heretike one that vpon every little hope of preferment or gayne would change and alter his Religion to this purpose I cannot here omitte an excellent History penned by Eusebius and Zozomenus of Constantius the father of Constantine the great who at what Euseb in lib. 1. vitae Constant. Sozomen lib. 1. cap. 6. time the inferior Magistrates in every Province by the decrees of the Emperours most severely persecuted Christians and with sundry sorts of exquisite torments bereaved them of their lives Constantius to trye his Courtiers constancie in Christian Religion put it freely in their election eyther to sacrifice vnto the Idols and remayne with him and keepe their former places and honours or if they would not to leave his company and depart from him presently they divided themselves into two parts some offered to sacrifice others refused by this the Emperour perceived his servants mindes and thereupon discovered the plot he had cast wherefore reprooving the former commending the latter expostulating with them their feare and timiditie highly exalting these for their zeale and sinceritie and finally iudging them vnworthie of the Emperours service as traytours to God expelled them from his Pallace for how quoth he will these be trustie to their Prince who are trecherous and perfidious to their God the others he appointed to be his guard to wayte vpon his body and to be keepers of his Kingdome averring that hee doubted not of their fidelity to him who had beene so faithfull and constant in professing and protesting their beleefe and religion Secondly If he conspired against the Prince or State molested the Magistrate iniuried the Innocent committed Murder Rapine Theft c. If he be of a bloody nature delighting in quarrels and brawls or in fine hath perpetrated any notorious offence whereby the Common-weale or present auditors are damnified either in reputation or any other way Thirdly If he be convinced by good reasons guilty in any one vice that is to be amplified after the best manner specially if there appeare in it any notable circumstance as oppression of Widowes Orphanes Women poore needy men honest devout or ecclesiasticall persons Fourthly If he hath iterated often the same sinne so that it is rooted in him and become connaturall and consequently we may despayre any emendation then the obstinacie of his perversity deserveth greater reprehension and detestation Fiftly If hee hath committed various offences the conglobation and annumeration of them one aptly falling in the necke of another cannot but stirre vp exceedingly the Auditors to abhorre him for this extensive variety representeth the person almost wholy covered with vice and iniquitie in whose heart as in a most filthy puddle lie stincking all sorts of filthy offences Sixtly If in himselfe he be addicted to lying swearing periuring cursing lust gluttony drunkennesse pride ambition envie detraction rayling reviling gaming c. Egresse § 3. ABout his Egresse the causes and manner of his death are to be considered as if he were culpably the cause or occasion of his owne death if his death were violent or any way extraordinary whereby it may be gathered that God extraordinarily rid the world of such a reprobate if in his sicknesse he repented not but rather despayred or presumed if he dyed like a Candle which leaveth the snuffe stinking after it that is all men that knew him reioyced that hee was gone spoke ill of him lamented of iniuries done them by him if he left children of ill behaviour after him These and many more such like considerations will sufficientâ—â— serve to sift out the rootes and groundes whereupon amplificative perswasions must be built Hatred of a communitie § 4. IN exciting Hatred of a Communitie Kingdome Province or any Society First wee may weigh their naturall dispositions and badde inclinations and specially those which most offend our present Auditors First As if they be our ancient enemies if by nature bloody crafty prowde insolent in governement impatient of Superiors or equalles if cosiners extortioners invaders vniustly of others dominions ayders or abetters of rebelles or our adversaries Secondly If their religion be Paganisme Iudaisme Heresie or Turcisme and in particular some of their principall and most palpable errors should be touched and if wee could discover any as for most part all abound poynt or poynts they maintayne against the law and principles of Nature then such a Position well declared and the absurdities evidently inferred cannot but worke great effects Thirdly If in their temporall Lawes they have enacted any tending to tyranny and oppression if to further vice and hinder vertue Fourthly If they hold pretend or endevour to bereave our State of any part of preeminence dignitie signiorie province or countrie thereunto belonging if they have abused or iniuried our State Prince or Subiectes any way in person goods or fame c. And in fine the number of spitefull iniuries offered cannot but stirrâ—â—p the spirit of spite against them Hatred of Abomination § 5. HAtred of Abomination as was sayd above consisteth in a detestation of evill for the love we beare the Person as Iacob so dolefully lamented Ioseph whom he supposed dead for the tender love hee bare his person And
and therefore a man in ioy participateth a certaine kind of felicitie for felicitie is nothing else but a complete contentation quietnes and rest of the minde and body wherefore the greater delight either really or apparently apporteth the greater contentation rest and quietnesse consequently the greater felicitie And as there is no man affecteth not extremely felicitie happinesse so there is no man extremely desireth not ioy delight They therefore that can move these passions feed them continue them must needs be most gratefull acceptable and beloved yea they may almost do what they list in any company for all meÌ„ love happines and the continuance thereof and those that can aptly stir vp this passion may be accounted authors of a terrestriall happinesse and felicitie Therefore I will alittle enlarge this discourse as most profitable if not necessary for most sorts of men First of all we must suppose that all those motives Motives to delight which stir vp love and affection consequently move desier and delight for love is like the quality of lenity or lightnes in fier which inclineth and bendeth it to motion desier is the motion passage or voyage delight the quietnes or rest of the soule in her obiect and therefore all those causes of love we have delivered in the matter of Love all those may serve for this subiect Secondly it is requisite a man consider the inclinations of those persons he would move to delight for quicquid recipitur per modum recipient is recipitur according to the disposition of the hearer are received the words of the speaker Some men are inclined to piety some to study some to one thing some to another every one willingly heaâ—eth delighteth to have commended that he professeth for in praising that we commend him and this reason is gathered out of a common experience that men for most part desier to be praised It is a world to see how blind selfe-love maketh women to dote of themselves and it seemeth ridiculous sometime to see how they are fed and delighted with the panigeries of parasites I have seene some old Ladies halfe rotten some others monstrously deformed to take an extraordinarie delight in themselves when others for flattery commended their beauty In this point also we may consider a secret motive to delight in that thing a man is delighted in as if one be delighted in Musick in hunting hauking c. some prety new devise in any of them would please the person exceedingly and therefore the parasites of Princes study dayly hourely how by deeds words they may feed this humor yea some of theÌ„ proceeded so far in dignifying their Kings and Monarks that they adored them as gods And the others no lesse sacrilegious in accepting them they blasphemous in ascribing were contented to have their mortall corruptible bodies and horribly infected sinfull soules worshipped as immortall spotlesse divine deities This act of new pleasing inventions proportionate to their passions inclinations whom we would move to delight cannot but greatly help vs in the way of perswasion if it be plausibly and artificially handled for otherwise if it be grossely managed it 〈◊〉 of flattery and affected folly 3. A firme hopâ— assurance of those things we desier love causeth delight spe gaudentes saith S. Paul reioycing in hope and that other spes alit agricolas hope nourisheth the Countrymen for the hope of gaine causeth the laboring Husbandman not to feele the scorching heate of summer nor the hoarie frosts of winter hope of glory allotteth the souldier to receive a certaine sweet messe in all dangerous incounters hope of lucre maketh the Merchant merry at midnight although he lye in the midst of the vast ocean sea tossed with billowes shaken with tempests and the surer the hope is the greater ioy ensueth as wheÌ„ the Merchant after his long voyage returneth with his Ship laden with merchandize and commeth with a pleasant gale within the sight of his exspected haven then his hope for the certainty of his future possession of his apported wealth being delivered from all danger is changed into ioy and present delight He therefore that will move delight in this matter of hope must exactly declare the certain grounds vndoubted securitie of obteyning the thing exspected according to the rules of exciting hope alleaged in the precedent Paragraffe 4. Because delight consisteth in the possession of some good thing reall or apparant therefore all those reasons which tend to the amplification or evident demonstration of the goodnes of the thing all those are fewell of delight and sparks of ioy For example a man hath bought a Mannour-house wherein he delighteth to please and delight him there is nothing more fit then to amplifie the goodnes thereof as for situation it standeth in a pleasant ayre free from fennes or standing waters no infection neere it the inhabitants in former times were of a very good complexion lived many yeares were strong wittie c. all which are good signes of a healthfull soyle the roomes and conveyances are very apt proportioned the walls and roofes firme durable the water sweet the walks gardeÌ„s other commodities so pleasant as they resemble a Paradice 5. It is admirable how the minching particularising of the obiect of delight increaseth and augmenteth delight wherefore the fantasticall and lascivious Poets though vainely and vitiously yet wittily and artificially depaint their lovers bodies from the head to the heeles in every part discovering one or other perfection excellency or amiablenesse apt to move and stir vp delight And herein also all Trades-men excell for to perswade their wares to be good and perfit they will presently open vnto you a number of circumstances or oppurtenances of goodnes or excellencie wherewith their merchandise is affected for as they have more insight and know more exactly the goodnes and defects of their wares then other men so they can vnfold best the particular reasons which move love delight And for this cause I would have all those who would move men to good life vertue to induce them thereunto by particularising of the pleasures delights incident thereunto as the quietnes of conscience the gratefulnes to God the honour reputation of all good men the reward in the world to come and every one of these the finer it is sifted the more pleasant it will appeare 6. It importeth much in moving delight to perswade the stabilitie and continuance thereof that it seeme not like a May-flower which is budded blossomed and blasted in a small time and the reason is for momentarie and cursorie delights are for their brevitie rather despiseable then commendable The continuance of delight may be grounded vpon the removing of all impediments which any way may impeach or diminish it 7. As there are two sorts of delight sensuall intellectuall sensuall which taketh his source from sense passions and intellectuall which draweth his
base and drudging life Besides if all creatures by the instinct of Nature endevor so much to win theyr full and compleat perfection why should we degenerate so farre from our owne nature as not to accomplish that we lacke marke but the seede cast into the ground how it laboureth to die after to live how it fixeth his rootes pierceth the ground to enioy the Sunne and ayre erecteth the stem springs the huskes issues the eare yeelds with the wind and never giveth over till the corne bee brought to a full maturity we see how new wines beere and all liquors worke by boyling the rawer parts expelling the dregs reducing themselves to a due temper proportionated mixture and perfection if these insensible creatures so industriously labor to come to theyr end shal not we endevour to atchieve our end and felicity If they according to theyr small ability imploy theyr naturall talentes why should not wee endued with so many graces procure our owne good and perfection Why standeth God at Apoc. 3. 20. the doores of our heart beating but to enter in Why doe Gods servants crye out vpon our negligence but Iere. 25. 34. to bring vs to diligence Why doth God punish many in the prime of theyr yeeres in the fatte of theyr fortune in the glory of theyr prosperitye but to advertise vs by theyr examples of the inconstancy of this world and that wee might learne to bee wise by theyr losses to be vigilant and carefull by their carelesnesse Some more Impediments I could deliver as the many occasions offred dayly to do ill the great readinesse of matter and favourers thereof the insatiable desire possesseth our heartes of inordinate pleasures the admirable diligence in procuring temporall treasures the extreame delight all men conceyve in theyr owne actions the great account and estimation they do make of them how soone they despise or abase the enterprises of others how perverse and obstinate they live in their own opinions I could I say make long discourses vpon these particular obiects but that they may all be reduced to selfe-love inordinate Passions the world and the divell of which we have intreated largely before onely I will here adioyne the reason and cause of all this Treatise why we having so many meanes so forcible so divine Mat. 7. 15. 20. 16. 1. Pet. 4. 18. so continuall so supernaturall to serve God to follow Vertue to fly sinne and scarce halfe so many impediments leading vs to vice and vngodlinesse yet for one that doth well thousands doe ill and for one that goes to Heaven almost a million goes to hell and that the difficulty may seeme more apparant adde another consideration questionlesse all vniversall effectes proceede from vniversall causes as we see all men die therefore we gather that all have a Nature corruptible all men are subiect to Passions preventing and dissenting from reason therefore we inferre that Nature is corrupted even so since most men doe ill and few good and after this tenour in all Countries and Nations therefore we must finde out some generall cause Some will say that this proceedeth from originall sinne whereby our nature remayned corrupted and therefore prone to evill slow to good this reason indeede toucheth some remote cause but yet it doth not fully satisfie first because we have set downe all the internall effects and impious of-springs of originall sinne and yet they can not amount or countervaile the number of those helps we have to do good Besides it ought to be declared how originall sinne hath so infected nature that it is so feeble to vertue and so strong to vice for all the wounds which internally moove vs to sinne reside either in the wit will or sensitive appetite the which we have conferred with those stayes both God and good nature hath bestowed vpon vs to do well Furthermore by the passion of Christ his merits grace originall sinne is forgiven vs who by baptisme have put Gala. 3. 27. Ephes 5. 6. Tit. 3. 5. Eze 33. 12. Ioel. 2. 25. Ephes â— 5. Eze. 36. 26. Psal 33. 8. Psal 90. 13. on Christ he hath restored vnto vs his former favours adopted vs for children changed hearts of stone into hearts of flesh fortified our soules against vice enabled our faculties against sinne protected and guarded vs about with Angels for our defence against Sathan that our feet should not be stayed in the way of vertue by blocks stones our ghostly enemies cast in the narrow way that leadeth to heaven to hinder our voyage or frustrate our designements Therefore to conclude this matter I resolve my selfe that we have more meanes to do good then occasions to do ill and them also of their nature to be more forcible and potent neverthelesse for foure reasons more men are wicked then vertuous first for lack of prudent meditations secondly for ill education thirdly for palpable present delectation lastly for defect of due prefervation I meane first that men miscarrie so often in this peregrination for lack of good consideration because most of those meanes God hath vouchsafed to bestow vpon vs require a certaine meditation and ponderation for they be like hot coales the which you may take in your hands and presently cast away without burning because all actions welnie require time or space for their operations but if you hold them a while you shall feele their effects So it falleth forth in the mysteries of our faith he that meditateth burneth he that perfunctorily runneth over them scarse feeleth their heate In meditatione mea sayth David exardescit ignis in my Psal 38. 3. prayer fire is kindled because meditation bloweth the coales by consideration whereunto followeth the flame of love and affection for otherwise what profit can we take of the inconstancie of our lives and certaintie of our deaths of the severe and infallible iudgement of God the inexplicable paynes of hell the ineffable ioyes of heaven if we never consider them What availeth vs to have the scriptures that God punished in this life so many with extraordinary deaths that by sinnes we are spoyled of grace wounded in nature disenabled to goodnes incited to ilnes if we never ruminate them in our minds or ponder them in our considerations Questionlesse it were to swallow meate without chewing which rather endammageth health then restoreth the lost forces Wherefore I like well those wise godly men which every day allot themselves a certaine time stinting their howers for meditation propounding before the eyes of their consideration now one mysterie now an other now the passions of Christ then the pangs of death now the strict iudgements and punishments of God then the eternall delights layd vp for vs in his heavenly Paradice these therefore like fruitfull Psal 1. â— trees planted by the river sides render their fruites in due season these arme themselves in the morning to resist all encounters which may occurre the day time these be
indued women to retayne them from these shamefull actions the basenesse and brevitie of that pleasure she pretends vnvailable to that cost she bestoweth yet for all this losse she will hazard it she neither regardeth the good she leeseth nor the harmes she incurreth nor the little trifle she winneth transgresseth the law of nature the law of God the law of christianitie the law of friendship onely for lacke of prudent and mature consideration married to a wicked Wili and perverse affection That which I have sayde of this lewd Woman the same might be sayde of all sinners because the meanes to do well are so many and the dommages so great that every sinne consummate carrieth with it that I could make a whole booke of them and perhaps in time I will do it In the meane season gentle Reader whensoever occurreth any occasion apt to induce thy Will to offende God runne not too fast after it ponder a little crave helpe from above consider thy helpes expende thy harmes and presently thou shalt see that all tentations of this worlde will become like to the huge Statue that Nabuchodonozor beheld with the head of golde the breast of silver the belly of brasse the legges of yron Daniel c. 3. the feete of yron and earth for all pleasures are golden in the entraunce but still decrease to terrestriall and earthly substaunces towardes the ende they become lothsome and are accounted vilde the little stone without any humane hands cut from the mountayne will deiect and cast prostrate on the ground this huge masse of mettall I meane the grace of Christ all the multitude of tentations and suggestions of the Divell and then thou mayest raigne over them by grace in this life and glory in the end Amen FINIS A Succinct Philosophicall declaration of the nature of Clymactericall yeeres occasioned by the death of Queene Elizabeth ⸪ Written by T W LONDON Printed for Thomas Thorpe and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Crane by Walter Burre 1604. A Succinct Philosophicall declaration of the nature of Clymactericall yeeres occasioned by the death of Queene Elizabeth ⸪ AFter the death of Queene ELIZABETH who died in the 70. yeere of her age which was the Clymactericall period of her life diuerse pregnant wits and curious Philosophers were assembled by chance togither among sundry other learned Discourses one demaunded of me what were these Clymactericall yeeres their nature and effects For quoth hee I haue heard many Philosophors and Phisitians talke of them but as yet I neuer throughly could pierce or penitrate them I aunswered him that the Treatise thereof required longer time then that place and present occasions afforded but that afterwards at more ley sure hee should vnderstand them if hee were desirous to learne The Gentleman importuned me so much as at last hee drew me to write this Discourse which followeth for that it seemeth not altogether impertinent to this explanation of Passions I thinke it not vnfit to be inserted in the last Booke of the Passions of the Minde because the same temper of body and propension to death which is the base of Clymactericall yeres the very same conferres much either to mooue Passions or hinder the opperations of the soule as in the progresse of this discourse shal plainly appeare Clymax in Greeke signifieth a Staire or a Ladder and metaphorically is applyed to the yeeres of a man or womans life as if the whole course of our dayes were a certaine Ladder compounded of so many steppes True it is that as the constitutions of mens bodies are for the most parte of two sortes the one is firme and strong the other more weake and feeble so the Phisitians by long experience haue obserued that the fatall ends of them who be of a lustie constitution finish for most part in some score of yeeres and so they number such persons periods by twentie 40. 60. 80. 100. 120. And to Other count them by tens this purpose sayde Moses * whose eyes were neither darkned nor any tooth loosed * Centum viginti Deut. 31. 2. annorum sum hodie non possum vltra egredi ingridi I am now an hundred and twenty yeeres old I can no more goe out and come in that is no longer liue and so it fell out for that * same yeere Deut. 34. 7. he died And GOD himselfe said of man * Erunt Genes 6. 4. dies illius centum viginti anni The dayes of man shall be an hundred and 20. yeeres The next Clymactericall yeere in them of solide and virile constitution is an 100 and so the Scriptures report Numerus dierum vitae hominum vt Eccles 18. 8 multum centum anni The number of the dayes of the life of men at most is an 100 yeeres Another kinde of men whose complexion is weaker haue a lesser kinde of measure as they haue shorter life and yet these also be of two sorts some stronger some weaker the first Clymactericall yeeres are nine eighteene tweentie seauen thirty six forty fiue fifty foure sixty three seauenty two eighty one the seconds are seauen foureteene twenty one twenty eight thirty fiue forty twoo forty nine fifty six sixty three seauenty Of these two ages spake Dauid when hee sayde Dies annorum Psalme 89. 10. nostrorum in ipsis septuaginta anni Si autem in potentatibus octoginta anni amplius corum labor dolor The dayes of our yeeres are seauentie yeeres and if in Potentates they be eightie the labour and griefe is greater The most daungerous of all these passages or steps are the forty nine compounded vpon seuen times seauen and sixty three standing vppon nine times seauen and next to these is seauenty which containeth tenne times seauen they number them also by nine and so make eighty one the most perillous as comprehending nine times nine These obseruations then of Phisitians presupposed as true for men that are wise vertuous and experimented in their faculties ought to be belieued for wisdome and experience protect them from errour and honestie from lying and deceite it were good to examine and search out the cause of these notable alterations and daungers of death in the Clymactericall yeeres for those humors which alter the bodie and dispose it to sicknesse and death the same bend the soule to take inordinate affections and passions I haue heard some Phisitians resolue this doubt into the influence of heauens to wit that so manie courses of the Sunne Moone and Planets from the time of a mans Natiuitie worke such effects so that some men let them liue neuer so orderly after so manie circular motions of the Sunne and Moone haue warbled ouer their heads vppon necessitie they must fall into one sicknesse or another and so die Some others ground this varietie and daungerous diuersitie vppon the singular prouidence of God who hath created all thinges In numero pondere mensura and therefore hath