reside in the inferior part of the Soul and cannot discourse they only consider their object and by a blind impetuosity they either draw near unto it or keep far from it they do not mark so much as the Circumstances which accompany it and not comparing the difficulties with their strengths they engage themselves indiscreetly in a war or shamefully run away their judgment is so ready as it is almost precipitate for after having listned to what the senses say they advise with their inclination and not expecting orders from Reason they bear away the whole man and enforce him to follow their motions Hence it comes that he oft-times repents him of his designs condemns what he formerly approved and cannot end what he had begun But of all Passions none is more unfortunate than Audacity for she betakes her self to powerful enemies and she grapples with Pain and Death Fighting is her ordinary exercise and she oft-times bathes her self in tears or bloud she is always encompassed with dangers and on what side soever she turns she sees nothing but ghastly images and fearful apparitions this mean while she borrows no aid nor takes no counsel save only of Hope and the same that hurries her into danger is she that counsels her she who sets her on work is she who puts weapons into her hands and who under vain promises engageth her in extream difficulties she also often sees the greatest part of her designs prove abortive and reaps nothing of all her useless endeavours but sorrow for having followed evil counsel oft-times she discourageth her self and seeing that her undertakings do exceed her strength she suffers her self to be astonished by Fear beat down by Despair and consumed by Sadness for these Passions do almost always succeed her and experience teacheth us that those who at the beginning of a fight have been more couragious than men have at the end thereof been found more fearful than Woman The fewel of Boldness soon takes fire but it is as soon extinguished and as the fury of waves turns into foam the violence of the Audacious turns into Fearfulness and for all the confidence they shewed in their designs all that remains unto them is Weaknesses as full of shame as of guilt 'T is true that Choler sometimes sides with Boldness and furnisheth it with new forces when the danger hath made it lose its own but this assistance is not always sure the souldier that engages himself in battel upon her weak succours is in as great danger of losing the victory as he who puts his hope in Despair and is no more assured of conquest than he that fights only because he cannot retire Desperate men have been seen to die with their weapons in their hands and if sometimes they have revenged their deaths they have not always preserv'd their lives Bold men have also often been seen who for being cholerick have not more luckily evaded the danger whereinto they had precipitated themselves Cholers forces are as well limited as are those of Boldness and unless the one and the otherâ— of them be guided by Prudence they oughtâ— not to expect any thing but dreadful consequences that which hath happened upon one occasion will not happen upon many others and the Heavens are not obliged to give the same success to all rash enterprizes Alexanders example ought not to serve for a rule to all Conquerors he lived not long enough to be certainly imitated the fortune which followed him in his youth would peradventure have forsaken him in his age his rashness would not always have been so fortunate and if he had begun his conquest in Europe he might not perhaps have carried them so far as Asia the birth of Rome would have staid the course of his victories and she that shut up Pyrrhus in his dominions would have driven him back into Macedonia For my part I am of Seneca's opinion believe that this Prince had more courage than wisdom and more rashness than courage in effect his fortune did oftner preserve him than his valour and if the Heavens had not made choice of him to punish the pride of the Persians he had been stopt in the first battel he would not take those advantages which the greatest Commanders do commonly make use of when their forces are not equal to those of their enemy he would not set upon Darius his army whilst favoured by the night but with a piece of rashness which deserved more blame than it hath received praises he would tarry till it were day and have thâ— Sun for witness of his victory he thoughâ— he should have stoln a victory if he shoulâ— have won it by night and though Parmenâ— advised him to prefer his Souldiers safetâ— before the glory of Arms he contemneâ— that advice and to shew that he owed aâ— his advantages to Fortune he rejected aâ— the Maxims of Prudence I do also firmlâ— believe that his confidence hath been thâ— undoing of as many Princes as have imitated him and that his guidance is more fatal to Conquerors than rocks and tempesâ— unto Mariners I know very well that Caesae adventur'd much and that he could not undertake the ruine of the Roman Common wealth without having conceived a greaâ— good opinion of his good Fortune whicâ— he was able to guide by Wrath and Virtue and we are bound to acknowledge that 〈◊〉 Victories were no less the workmanship oâ— his Wisdom than of his Fortune he sheweâ— no Audacity but upon such occasions wherâ— advice was useless and he boasted not oâ— his good Fortune but to conjure down thâ— tempests and put confidence in his Pilot Iâ— fine he made use of Hope in all his enterprizes he submitted it to Prudence and taught all Commanders that to be valiant a man must be more wise than rash The THIRD DISCOURSE Of the good use of Audacity or Boldness THough Passions be more faulty than iâ—â—ocent and that by reason of the irregularity of our nature they lean more to Vice than Virtue yet with a little help a man may make them virtuous their inclinations are good but their judgments precipitate they always seek for good and withstand evil but this is most commonly with a little too much ardency they imitate such Orators as defend a good Cause with bad Reasons or are like those unfortunate Innocents who when tortured and wanting perseverance confess faults which they never committed for in effect they become guilty through want of Patience and grow vicious by not being able to endure the absence of Good nor presence of Evil. Did not Hope pursue Honours which she cannot compass never would she bring the Ambitious to Despair and did not Boldness engage her self to fight against mischiefs which she cannoâ— overcome she would never be accused oâ— Rashness but the fault is not without remedy for if she will listen to Reason iâ— after having calmed the fury of her first motion she will suffer her self to be
yet all these troubles are the hunters pleasures and their passion to this Exercise makes them term that a pastime which Reason would term a punishment There is nothing of delight in war the very name thereof is odious were it not accompanied with injustice disorder and fear it would notwithstanding have horrors enough to astonish all men death makes her self be there seen in a thousand different shapes there is no exercise in war wherein the danger doth not exceed the glory and it never furnisheth souldiers with any actions which are not as bloudy as glorious yet those that love it make it their delight they esteem all the deformities thereof beauties and by an inclination which proceeds rather from their love than from their humour they find delight in dangers and taste the pleasantness of peace in the tumults of war This it is which made St. Augustine say That Lovers troubles are never troublesom and that they never find pain in serving what they love or if they do they cherish it But we shall never make an end if we would observe all the proprieties of Love I therefore pass on to the effects thereof which being so many pictures of Love will represent unto us its nature and will discover unto us what it is able to do The first of its miracles is that which we call Extasie for it frees the Soul from the Body which she inanimates that she may join to the Object which she loveth it parts us from our selves by a pleasing violence and what the holy Scripture attributes to the Spirit of God befals this miraculous division so as a lover is never at home with himself if you will find him you must seek him in the person that he adores He will have people know that contrary to the Laws of wisdom he is always without himself and that he hath forsaken all care of his own preservation since he became a slave to love The Saints draw their glory from this extasie and truth it self which speaks by their mouths obligeth them to confess that they live more in Jesus Christ than in themselves Now as a man must die to himself to live in another death accompanieth this life and as well sacred as prophane lovers cannot love unless they be bound to die 'T is true that this death is advantageous to them since it procures unto them a life wherewithal they are better pleased than with that which they have lost for they live again in those that they love by a miracle of love they like the Phenix take life again from their ashes and recover life in the very bosom of death He who doth not conceive this truth cannot understand those words by which S. Paul teacheth us that we are dead unto our selves and alive in Jesus Christ. This effect produceth another which is not much less admirable for as lovers have no other life than what they borrow from their love it infallibly falls out that they transform themselves thereinto and that ceasing to be what they were they begin to be that which they love they change condition as well as nature and by a wonder which would surpass all belief were it not usual they become like unto that which they cherish 'T is true that this power shines much more gloriously in divine than in prophane Love for though Kings abase themselves in loving their Subjects and that they forgo their greatness as soon as they engage themselves in friendship yet do they not raise those up into their Throne whom they love Jealousie which is inseparable from Royalty will not suffer them to give their Crown away to him who possesseth their heart But if they should arrive at this excess the Maxim would only be true in them and their Subjects could not change conditions by the force of their love for the love of greatness makes not a Soveraign nor is a man the more accommodated though he love riches the desire of health did never yet cure a sick man we have not found that the bare Passion to know hath made men wise But divine Love hath so much power as it raseth us up above our selves by a strange Metamorphosis it makes us be that which it makes us love It renders the guilty innocent it makes slaves children changeth Demons into Angels and that we may not diminish the virtue thereof whilst we think to heighten it let it suffice to say that of men it makes Gods It doth not therefore become us to complain of our misery and to accuse our Creator for not having equalled our condition to that of Angels for though those pure spirits have great advantages over us and that we hope for no other good than that which they possess yet are we happy enough since we are permitted to love God and that we are made to hope that our nature being by love transformed into his nature we shall lose what we have of mortal and perishable to acquire what is incorruptible and eternal This is the Consolation of divine Lovers and this is the only means how to aspire without blame to that happiness which Lucifer could not do but with impiety I cannot end this Discourse without justly reproaching those that whilst they may love God engage their affections on the earth or on earthly things and deprive themselves of that immense felicity which divine love promiseth them for in loving of the creatures they cannot share in their perfections without doing the like in their defaults after having laboured much they oft-times change an obscure and peaceable condition into a more glorious but a more dangerous one So there is always hazard in the love of the creatures and the advantage that may be drawn from thence is never so pure but that it is mingled with somewhat of misfortune For whatsoever passion we have for the creature we are not sure the creature hath the like for us yet this miraculous change which passeth for the principal effect of love is made in this mutual affection and in this correspondency of friendship But we run not these hazzards in consecrating our love to God his perfections are not accompanied with faults and we know it cannot be disadvantageous to us to make a change with him Our love is never without this acknowledgment since it is rather the effect than the cause of his and that we love not him till he hath first loved us He is so just as he never denies our affection the recompense which it deserves he is not like those misbelieving Mistresses who amongst the numbers of their Lovers prefer him who is best behaved before him that loveth best in the commerce which we hold with him we are sure that he that hath most charity shall have most glory and that in his Kingdom the most faithful lover shall be always the most honoured The SECOND DISCOURSE Of the Badness of Love SInce there is nothing so sacred but meets with some
guided by Wisdom she will alter her nature and of a simple Passion she will become a glorious Virtue Audacity and Fortitude consider the same object and their inclinations are so like as one may say that Fortitude is a rational Audacity and that Audacity is a natural Fortitude their enemies are common and they summon all their forces to fight with them they are agitated by the same motives and seek the same end For Fortitude according to her truest definition is a Science which teacheth us either to suffer or to beat back or to provoke injuries she constantly endures all the evils which Nature is subject to she will not be dispensed withal in general Rules and knowing that the necessity of death is a sentence pronounced against all men she never appeals from it with calmness of spirit she sees sickness approach the first remedy which she applies to cure them is to think that they arise from our constitution and that they make up a part of us contagion doth not astonish her be it either for that â—he looks upon it as a punishment of sin or that she considers it as an effect of Nature she accuseth not the stars of it and pretends not to be exempt from an evil which doth not pardon Princes with a noble neglect she beats back all such disasters as take all their strength from error and which do not offend our bodies but as they hurt our imagination she defends her self against Poverty by desiring only necessary things she despiseth Honours considering that they are oftner the recompense of Vice than of Virtue she laughs at Voluptuousness knowing that it is pleasing only in appearance and that under a specious name it hideth shameful and real pains she provokes sorrow to try her courage she seeks for calamity as an occasion to exercise her Virtue and if she had not tasted the disasters of life she would think her self ignorant of the better half of what she ought to know she hath rather a greediness than a desire after dangers and since the evil she undergoes contributes unto her glory she fore runs it thinking it a point of baseness to tarry expecting it In fine she hath overcome death in its most ghastly hue nor hath the cruelty of tyrants invented punishments over which Fortitude hath not triumphed Scoevola derided the flames and witnessed more constancy in seeing his hand burn than his enemies did in beholding it Regulus was an honour to the Rack whereon he died Socrates turn'd his Prison into a School his Executioners became his Disciples and the poyson which he swallowed made his innocence glorious Camillus suffer'd banishment calmly and Rome had remained captive had not this famons Exile restored unto her her liberty Cato slew himself and though he suffer'd himself to be overcome by impatience he may at least boast of having preserved his liberty But without making use of prophane examples where Virtue is always mingled with Vice we have no Martyr which hath not overcome some Tyrant in the severity of their sufferings given many proofs of their courage The Ignatii have provoked wild beasts and as if that Death had been a courtesie they sought after it with eagerness and endured it with pleasure the Laurences have vanquisht the flames and while their bodies distilled drop by drop upon the fire-brands their tongues reproached their Judges and gave praises to Jesus Christ the Clementâ— and Agathaes have wearied their Executioners their martyrdom endured thirty years the famousest Cities of the world have served for Theaters to their sufferings all the earth hath been water'd with their bloud and Heaven hath shewn a thousand miracles to prolong their lives and to make their Triumphs more famous But if Fortitude encouraged by Charity hath held out all these brunts and had the better of all these enemies Audacity may claim to a great share in the glory for it is she that maketh Martyrs and though Grace be more powerful than Nature yet doth she not despise the assistance thereof as the soul and body conspire together to practise Virtue Nature agrees with Grace to beat down sin Boldness is the ground work of all glorious actions and had not this noble Passion fill'd the heart of the first Christians Fortitude had not gotten such glorious victories they have so much of affinity between them as they cannot subsist asunder Fortitude languisheth without Audacity and Audacity without Fortitude is rash Virâ—â—e would be succor'd by Pasion Passiâ—â— guided by Virtue Audacity is the beginning of Fortitude and Fortitude is Auâ—â—cities perfection or to speak more â—early Audacity is an imperfect Virtue and Fortitude is an accomplisht Passion But to arrive at this perfection she must have three or four remarkable circumstances the first is that she be accompanied by Justice and Prudence for he that takes up arms to ruine his Countrey deserves not to be stiled Couragious his design dishonors his Passion and his Audacity becomes faulty for his not having chosen a lawful end Let Cataline take up arms let him encourage his souldiers to the battel by his examples let him be besmear'd with his own bloud mixt with that of his enemies let him die with his sword in his hand well advanced in the scuffle and let fury choler be seen in his visage even after death he shall never pass for a couragious man his Audacity was not discreet since trespassing against all the laws of Discretion he had undertaken so pernicious a design neither was it temperate since he won his souldiers good will only by satisfying their Avarice or Uncleanness of life it was not just because he had conspired against his Countrey and it was rather an obdurateness than a greatness of courage since to compass glory he committed Paricide The second is that the motive of Audacity be generous and that the daring man expose not his life upon a slight consideration for he very well knows his own worth and not born away with vain-glory he knows his life is precious he hath preserved it with much care and if he endanger it it must be for a subject that deserves it There is a great deal of difference between a valiant man and one that is desperate the latter seeks out death to free himself from misery but the other pursues it only to discharge his duty and content his inclination he will not then engage himself in danger to purchase a little honor he will not be guided by the example of the rash he values not those Maxims which are authorized by Folly and Indiscretion but he will go whithersoever the Trumpet summons him and will throw himself though single upon a Body of Horse if he have order so to do he will die a thousand times rather than forgo the station given him in charge and he will cover the place with his body which he is not able to defend with his sword The third is to try his own
After the authority of Scripture a man must be very rash to oppose this opinion which it seems all things conspire to make veritable yet may it be replied upon and the very self same reasons which it produceth for its defence may serve to condemn it for though Jealousie be a mixture of Love and Hatred it follows not that she must be most violent of all our Passions the very same whereof she is composed would not agree together were they not sweetned And as the Elements cannot make one and the same Body unless their qualities be moderated so cannot all these Passions form our jealousie unless they be tempered and it must necessarily ensue that Love weakens hatred that joy moderates Sorrow and that Hope sweetens Despair It hath been observed that two Passions taken together lose their force and that serving as an Antidote one against another they do no mischief or if they do any they cure it again So in Jealousie Love is the Antidote to Hatred the jealous man suffers little harm because he hath many Passions and he may boast that by a strange destiny he owes his welfare to the number of his Enemies But since after having worsted a Falshood a Truth must be established let us say that according to our principles this question is not hard to resolve for as we acknowledge but one passion which is Love and that all the rest are but effects of her producing we are bound to confess that they borrow all their efficacy from their Cause and that they have no other violence than what is hers Love is a Soveraign which imprints his qualities in his Subjects a Captain which imparts part of his Courage to his Souldiers and 't is a Primum Mobile which bears about all the other heavens by its Impetuosity insomuch as Morality ought only endeavour how to govern Love for when this Passion shall be handsomly ruled all other will imitate her And he knows well how to love or how to love well shall have no evil desires nor vain hopes to moderate The FIFTH DISCOURSE Whether there were any Passions in the state of Innocency and whether they were of the same nature as are ours T Is so long since we lost our Innocency as there remains nothing unto us but a weak Idaea thereof and did not Divine Justice punish the Fathers fault in the Children we should likewise have lost the Sorrow for it Every one describes the felicity of that state according to his Imagination methinks a man may say that as many as speak thereof guide themselves according to their inclinations and that they place there such pleasures as they are acquainted with and do most desire Some say the whole earth was one Paradise that of the Seasons whereof our years are composed there was only Autumn and the Spring that all Trees had the property of Orange trees and that they were at all times loaded with leaves flowers and fruit others perswade themselves that no wind blew there but the South-west and that the ground uncultivated prevented our need and brought forth all things I think that without maintaining these Opinions a man may say that in this happy condition bad was not mingled with good and that the qualities of the Elements were so well tempered as that man did thereby receive all contentment and felt no Displeasure He had no disorders to reform no enemies to fight withal nor mischiefs to eschew all creatures conspired towards his felicity the beasts bare respect unto his person and it may be that even those which remained in the Forrests were not wild as the Earth bare no Thorns and all the parts thereof were fruitful and pleasing so had not the Heavens any malign influences and that Constellation which dispenseth Life and Death in nature had no aspect which was not innocent and favourable If there be so little certainty touching the state of man there is no more assurance for what regards his person we argue according to our understandings and as in the first ages Idols were made of all particulars every one shapes out a felicity for Adam and gives him all the advantages that may be imagined Amongst so many Opinions or Errors I see nothing more consonant to reason then that which Saint Augustine writes concerning this for though he determine nothing in particular he resolves so well for the general as there is none that appeals from his Opinion Though we cannot describe saith he neither the beauty of the place where man made his residence nor the advantages of his mind and body we are bound â—o believe he found in his habitation whatsoever he could wish and that he felt nothing in his body which could incommodiate him His constitution was excellent his health was unalterable and if time could weaken it he prevented that mischief by making use of the tree of life which repairing his forces furnish'd him with new vigor He was immortal not by Nature but by Grace and he knew that â—in could not bereave him of Life without making him lose his Innocence His Soul was no less happily constituted than was his Body for besides that he was infused with all Sciences that he knew all the Secrets of Nature and that he was not ignorant of any thing which could contribute to his Felicity his Memory was happy his will had alwaies good Inclinations his Affections were regulated and though he were not insensible he was of so equal a temper as nothing could trouble his repose The Passions which by their violence do anticipate Reason waited his Directions and never shewed themselves till they had received Commandment from him In fine his Passions were no less natural than are ours but they were more tractable and as his Constitution made him capable of all our motions original Justice exempted him from all our Disorders I know not whether I fall foul on the opinion of Divines but forasmuch as a man may see in this darkness I think I injure not the Truth for if man as being composed of a Body was Mortal and as being honoured with original Grace Immortal methinks one may consequently infer that not being a pure Spirit he had Passions but that being sanctified in all the faculties of his Soul all his Passions were innocent To give all the force that is requisite to this Assertion we must inlarge its Principle and prove with Saint Augustine that man might die losing Original Justice and that Immortality was rather a Grace from Heaven than a property of his Nature for if he had been truly immortal he had needed no sustenance and if death had not been natural unto him he had needed no priviledge to have secured him from it since he did eat to preserve Life it follows he might lose it and since he was obliged to defend himself against old age by the means of a miraculous fruit it follows necessarily he might die and that his Life as well as ours needed remedies against
Death I confess that they being better than are ours he repaired his strength more advantageously and that by prolonging the course of his Life they kept the hour of his Death farther off I affirm likewise that they kept away corruption from his Body and that they kept him in so perfect a health as that it could not be altered but then they must likewise grant me that if man had not used these remedies his natural heat had consumed his Humidum Radicale and that old age succeeding this Disorder he must inevitably have died All these Maximes are to serve as Saint Augustine is obliged to confess that if the use of the tree of life were permitted unto us in the condition wherein we are death would no longer domineer in the world and that man sinful as he is would not cease to be immortal If then Adam were capable of death because he had a Body and if he were incapable thereof because he had Grace methinks by like proportion one may say he had Passions since his Soul was ingaged in a material Subject but that they were tractable for original Justice did repress their motions and that in this innocent condition he had only just fears and rational desires I verily conceive there may be some Passions the use whereof were interdicted him and that though he were capable thereof he was not therewithal agitated because they would have troubled his quiet I am easily perswaded that all evil being banished from off the earth sadness and despair were likewise exempted from hiâ— heart and that during so high a pitch oâ— felicity reason was not bound to excitâ— such Passions as only belong unto the miserable but assuredly I am confident hâ— made use of all others and that thinkinâ— upon the Laws that were imposed upon hiâ— by his Soveraign Lord he was sometimes flattered by hopes sometimes astonished by fear and by them both joined together kept within his duty I doubt not likewise but that in the unhappy conference which our unwise Mother had with the Devil in the shape of a Serpent she was seized upon by as many Passions as usually People are who consult upon any important affairs that the Devils promises did stir up her hope that God Almighties Threats did cause fear in her and that the loveliness of the forbidden fruit did irritate her desire I know not whether some other may imagine this Dialogue could pass without some dispute but I know very well that Saint Augustine with whom I believe a man cannot be mistaken doth argue thus upon this subject 〈◊〉 and that he believes so great a bickering was not made in the earthly Paradise without the Womans making use of all her Passions either to defend her self or to suffer her self to be overcome 'T is true this authentical man seems to be of another opinion in his Ninth Chapter of the City of God but he who shall well examine his Reasons will find that he endeavours not so much to exclude Passions from out the soul of Adam as their disorder judging aright that their disorder could not accord with original Justice Therefore I am perswaded that man had our agitations in the state of innocency and he feared punishment and hoped for reward that as he made use of his Senses inasmuch as they made up a part of his Body he also used his Passions inasmuch as they were a part of his Soul and that in brief they did not differ from ours in nature but in obedience The SIXTH DISCOURSE Whether there were any Passions in our Saviour Christ and wherein they differ'd from ours NOt to know that the Son of God was pleased to take upon him our nature with all the weakness thereof and that set aside ignorance and sin which could not correspond with the sanctity of his person he hath vouchsafed to bear our miseries conversing with men in the likelihood of a sinner were to be ignorant of all the principles of Christian Religion Hence it came that during his term of mortal Life it behoved him to preserve himself by nourishment to repair his strength by rest to suffer his Body to sleep and to use all means which Providence hath ordained for these natural maladies He was subject to the injuries of time to the unseasonableness of seasons Men have seen him benummed with Cold during the violence of winter and bedewed with Sweat during the heat of Summer the Elements spared him not and if they reverenced him as God they persecuted him as man The same Creatures which obeyed his Word warred against his Body the Waves which grew calm at his awaking had assaulted the ship wherein he was Hunger which he had overcome in the Deâ—arts assailed him in Towns And upon the Cross he tasted the Terrors of Death from which he had delivered Lazarus Then as â—assions are the most natural Weaknesses â—f man he would not exempt himself â—rom them and he would have them to be â—s well witnesses of his love unto us as asâ—rances of the truth of his Incarnation He â—ingled his tears with those of Magdalen â—ough by his power he might have remedied her evils he would out of compassion resent them Before the doing of a miracle he would undergo a weakness and weep over a dead man whom he went about to revive He suffered sadness often to seize upon his heart and by a strange wonder he accorded joy with sorrow in his all-blessed soul. In fine according to the incounters of his life he made use of Passions He taught us that there was nothing in man which he contemn'd since he had taken his infirmities upon him and that he loved well the nature of man since he did cherish even the defects thereof For to believe that his resentments were but imaginary is in my opinion to clash against the mystery of the Incarnation to give the lye to truth it self and to give Iesus Christ a bootless honor make us doubt all the assurances of his love Since he had a true body he could have no false Passions and since he was veritably man he ought to be veretably afflicted A man gannot gainsay this truth without weakening our belief If it be permitted to suffer the tears of the Son of God to pass for illusions one may make his sorrow pass for Imposturism and under the pretence of reverency a man may overthrow the ground-work of our souls welfare But we must have a care left whilst we establish the love of the Son of God we commit no outrage upon his Greatness or Omnipotency and that whilst we allow him Passions we free them from their Disorders for we must not believe that they were unruly as are ours nor that they required all those virtues to tame them as are necessary for us He was their absolute Master and they in their Birth Progress and Continuance depended upon his Will In their Birth because they never raised themselves but by order from him but
for what belongs unto the Soul He is the Father only of this noâ—le part which he hath enriched with his Merits but the other part which is engaged in the Body and which by an unfortunate necessity sees it self bound to aniâ—ate the disorders and to foment the â—assions thereof is not altogether delivered from the tyranny of sin she groaneth under the weight of her Iron and this glorious Captive is constrained to be wail the rigour of her servitude whilst her Sister enjoys the sweets of liberty For as Saint Augustine teacheth us Baptism takes not away Concupiscence but doth moderate it and notwithstanding any strength that it giveth unto our soul it leaves a kind of languishment whereof the soul cannot be cured till in glory 'T is true that this weakness or defection is not a sin and though it be the Spring-head from whence all the rest do derive it cannot make us blameable unless when by reason of our remissness we follow the motions thereof And it cannot be said with honour to our Soul that this disorder is in our Body and that the Soul is not affected therewithal save only out of pity or infected but by contagion for besides that original sin whereof this misgovernment is an effect abideth in her substance all the world knoweth that the body is capable of operating by its self and that necessarily the soul which animates it must be that which makes it revolt and that that which gives it life must give it irregular motions and desires 'T is she that raiseth the flesh against the Spirit and which as not being intirely possest by grace doth obey sin 'T is she that awakens Passions 't is she who through a strange infatuation or blindness affords them weapons wherewithal to hurt her self and who excites the sedition wherewithal to trouble her tranquility This is Saint Augustines Doctrine and if we had not so great a Doctor for our warranty all Philosophy would serve us for caution since according to the principles thereof we must believe that the body doth nothing without the soul and that even then when the body seems to undertake any thing maugre the soul it is effected by the succour which the body receiveth from the soul. Insomuch as she is the rise of the evil and without reason she complains of the bodies revolt since she is the chief therein and that of all the faults which she imputeth to the body the body is not the Author but only the Confederate Now as the Passions reside in that part of the soul which is infected by sin we must not wonder if they rebel since their Mother is disobedient And we must not once think they should be stifled by Grace since she suffers the very power which produceth them to remain in rebellion All that a man can wish for in her guidance is that she may moderate their aptness to rage that she suppress their violence and that she prevent their first motions This is one of her chief employments for when she hath obliged the Understanding to know God and the Will to love him she enlargeth her care to the inferior part of the Soul and endeavours to calm the Passions thereof She goes not about to destroy them because she very well knows it is a work reserved for glory but she employeth all her forces to regulate them as she makes good use of sin to humble her she wisely makes use of their revolt to exercise us She propounds unto them Objects of Innocency to make them be serviceable to her virtue and makes them as Saint Paul saies Ministers of Justice for Christian Humility is an enemy to the vanity of the Stoicks and knowing very well that we are not Angels but men she doth not in vain endeavour to destroy one part of us but she obligeth us to make advantage of our defaults and to manage our Passions so dexterously aâ— that they may obey Reason or that they wage not war against her save only so far aâ— she may obtain the victory I should injurâ— this Imagination if I should render it iâ— other words than doth Saint Augustine We consider not in a pious man whether he be offended or not we weigh not the measure of his sorrow but the Subject And we labour not so much to know whether he be afraid as to know why For if we be angry with a Sinner intending so to correct him if we afflict our selves with one that is in misery out of an intention of comforting him and if through fear we divert a man from the mischief he was about to do unto himself I do not believe there is any so severe Judg as will condemn so useful Passions and he must necessarily want judgment did he not defend so harmless Affections Their excess is then only blameable and Reason assisted by Grace ought to employ all her industry to moderate them But because concupiscence is the Spring-head from whence they derive Reason must endeavor to dry it up and use her uttermost means to obviate the wicked effects thereof by stifling the cause which produceth them The Enemy which we undertake is born with us he draws his forces from ours he grows greater as we do and weakens as we grow old We have this of obligation to old age that it taketh from the vigor of concupiscence by diminishing our bodily strength and that by leading us to death it likewise leadeth this Rebel insensibly thither We must notwithstanding leave all for age to do in a business which so much imports our salvation we ought sooner to begin a war which ends not but with our life and diminish our own forces thereby to weaken those of the enemy You are born saith Saint Augustine with concupiscence take heed lest by giving him seconds through your negligence you raise not new enemies against you remember you have entred the course of this life accompanied with her and that your honour is concerned in making her die before you who was born with you This victory is rather to be wished for than hoped for you will not find a Saint who hath destroyed this Monster but at the cost of their life for though they withstand concupiscence that they oppose the desires thereof and that they mind not her motions save how to hinder her yet in this combat they are sometimes conquered their advantages are not pure and their best successes are mingled with some disgraces To kill this enemy they must die and they are necessitated to wish their own death that they may hasten the like of this their enemy Perfection as Saint Augustine observes consists in having no concupiscence not to follow her is to fight against her Nevertheless by continuance of courage one may hope for victory but certainly it cannot be obtained but when death is happily consummated by life in the Kingdom of Glory Hence I infer that since Grace cannot extinguish Concupiscence she cannot ruine Passions
made him over-run the world commit spoiles throughout all Asia penetrate the Indies pass the Seas be angry with Nature which by the limits thereof did bound his conquests and force him to end his designes where the Sun finisheth his course Who is not affected with pity to see Pompey who drunk with love of a false greatness undertakes civil and foreign Wars Sometimes he passes into Spain to oppress Sertorius sometimes scoures the Seas to free them from Pyrats sometimes he flies into Asia to fight with Mithridates He ransacks all the Provinces of that great part of the world makes himself Enemies where he finds none After so many Fights and Victories 't is he alone that thinks himself not great enough and though men give him that name he thinks he deserves it not unless Iulius Caesar confess it Who hath not compassion for this man who was not so much the Slave as Martyr of Ambition For he prostituted his honour to get power he became slave to his Army that he might be Master of the Senate he vowed the destruction of his Countrey to revenge himself of his Son in Law Seeing no other State against which he could exercise his cruelty he employed it against the Republick and would merit the name of Patricide that he might obtain that of Soveraign He never had any motions save those that Ambition gave him If he pardoned his Enemies 't was but only out of vain-glory and if he bewailed the death of Cato and Pompey it was perhaps for that the honour of his Victory was lessened All his thoughts were ambitious When he saw the Image of Alexander he wept not save only for that he had not yet shed bloud enough Whatsoever offered it self to his Eyes awakened his Passions and Objects which would have taught others modesty inspired him with Pride and Insolency Briefly Caesar commanded over his Army and ambition commanded over Caesar she had such â—ower over him as the foretelling of his death did not make him change his Deâ—ign and doubtlesly he would have anâ—wered for himself to the Soothsayers as Agrippina answered for her Son to the Astrologers Let him kill me provided he may reign If servitude be so irksom in ambition 't is much more shameful in obscenity It must be confest That a man who is possest by this infamous Passion hath neither Reason nor Liberty and that being inslaved to Love he is no more Master of himself Did not Cleopatra govern Mark Anthony might not this Princess boast her self to have revenged Egypt upon Italy and to have subjected the Roman Empire by putting him under her Laws who governed it This unfortunate man lived only at the pleasure of this stranger he did nothing but by her motions and never did slave labour so much to win the good will of his Master as this effeminate Prince to win the like of his proud Mistress He gave all his Charges by her directions and the best part of the Roman Empire groaned under the government of a woman He durst not overcome in the batel of Actium and rather chose to forgo his Army than his Love He was the first Commander that abandoned his Souldiers and who would not make use of their courage to defeat his Enemy but what could one expect from a man who had no more any heart and who far enough from fighting could not so much as live if parted from Cleopatra In brief read the story of all the great ones and you will find their Passions have enflamed them and that in the height of their fortune they have made use of all the punishments that tyranny could invent to afflict those that she oppresseth Therefore ought all men to make use of Reason and Grace to shun the fury of these insolent Masters every one ought to resolve in his particular rather to lose his life than his liberty and to prefer a glorious death before a shameful servitude But without coming to these extreams in this Combat a will to overcome is sufficient to be victorious for God hath permitted that our good fortune depend upon our Will together with his Grace and that our Passions should have no further power over us than we shall give them since in effect experience teacheth us that they beat us not but by our own weapons and that they make us not their slaves but by our own consent The THIRD DISCOURSE That to govern Passions a man must moderate them THough Passions be ordained for the service of virtue and that there is not any one of them the use whereof may not be advantageous to us we must notwithstanding confess that we need dexterity to govern them and that in the state whereinto sin hath reduced our Nature they cannot be useful to us unless moderated that unhappy Forefather oâ— ours who made us to inherit his fault hath not left us so pure a being as he had wheâ— he received it from God The body and soul suffer pain and as they were both guilty so are they both punished The understanding hath its errors the will her irregular inclinations the memory her weakness The body which is the Channeâ— through which Original sin passeth into the soul hath its misery and though it be the less faulty yet is it the more unfortunate all that is in it is out of order the senses are seduced by Objects these help to abuse Imagination which excites disorders in the inferior part of the soul and raiseth Passions so as they are no longer in that obedience wherein Original Justice kept them and though they be subject to the Empire of Reason yet they so mutinie as they are not to be brought within the compass of their duty but by force or cunning They are born to obey the understanding but they easily forget their condition and the commerce which they hold with the senses is the cause why they oft-times prefer their advises at the commandments of the will They raise themselves up with such might as their natural motions are for the most part violent They are horses which have more of fury than of force They are seas which are oftner troubled than calm In fine they are parts of our selves which cannot serve the understanding till it hath allaied or tamed them This ought not to seem strange 〈…〉 that know what spoil sin hath 〈…〉 nature and the very Philosopher 〈…〉 fess that virtue is an art which 〈…〉 learn'd will not find it unjust that the Passions be not obedient unless governed by Reason To execute so great a design a man must imitate nature and art and consider what means they use to finish their work Nature which doth all by the Elements and who of these four bodies composeth all others never employs them till she hath tempered their qualities As they cannot suffer together and that their natural antipathy engages them to fight this wise Mother by allaing their aversions appeaseth their differences and never unites them 'till she hath
the liberty thereof the world doth yet bemoan this disaster the spoils of this shipwrack are yet seen and the States of Europe are but so many pieces which did compose the Body of that puissant Republique Ambition when confounded with virtue is guilty of more murders than Revenge and Choler though this passion pretend to be generous she is always stained with blood whatsoever delight she takes in pardoning her greatness is grounded upon the ruine of her enemies she is cause of more deaths than she procureth pardons and she is the loss of more innocents than safety of those that are guilty She astonisheth all the world when she is seen in the person of an Alexander And it seems Nature produced him to no other end than to teach us what ambition can do when assisted by fortune He ruined all Princes who would defend their own States he treated those as Enemies who refused to be his Subjects he could not permit an equal in any place through which he passed He complained of the Seas that stopt the current of his victories and wisht for a new world that he might conquer it If his vain-glory caused so many disorders his Choler committed no less ransack and if by the one he revenged himself of his Enemies he rid his hands of his Friends by the other the least suspitions encouraged these passions to revenge one indiscreet word provoked it an honest freedom set it a going and his Choler grew to be so nice as there was as much danger in doing well as in saying ill As he was possessed by all these violences so did he obey them he dipped his hands in the bloud of his Favourites he took upon him the office of a Hangman and that he might taste all the pleasures of revenge he himself would be the Minister thereof and with his own hands kill him who had saved his life But amongst all the cruelties whereunto his Choler oft did perswade him I know none more infamous than that which he exercised upon Innocent Calisthenes his condition was a Sanctuary to him and professing Phylosophy it seemed he ought not fear the fury of Alexander the very fault for which he was condemed was glorious and had it happened in the time of true Religion it would have passed for an eminent virtue for he defended the cause of his gods and was of opinion that Temples could not be built to his Prince without provoking the gods against him he guided himself so dexterously in so ticklish a business as that whilst he preserved the honour of Heaven he flattered Alexanders humour and by an admirable piece of cunning he accorded flattery with piety for if the reasons which Quintus Curtius alledgeth be true he represented unto the Macedonians that since men could not dispose of Crowns they ought not to dispose of Altars that since they made not Kings they ought not go about to make Gods and that when humane vanity would attribute unto it self that power she could not make use thereof till after the death of such as she would Deisie that to receive adoration from men one must keep far from any commerce with them lose his life to purchase a divinity That Alexander was yet necessary to them and that he ought not to mount into the Heavens till he had conquered all the Earth This short Oâ—aâ—ion was able to have obliged the most ambitious of mankind yet did it offend the vain-glory of this Prince and so far provoked his Choler as not many days after he caused this Philosopher to be put to death not allowing him liberty to defend himself This Murder drew upon him the hatred of all Greece and as Parmenio's death had exasperated all the Souldiers this of Calisthenes did much more all the Orators and these men who revenge themselves with their Tongue have spoke so oft of this excess as it is yet dishonour to him that did commit it All the praises that can be given to his gallant actions are darkned by the murder of Calisthenes And that I may make use of Seneca's eloquent words this irregular proceeding is Alexander's everlasting fault which neither his Fortune nor his Valour will ever be able to blot out For if a man shall say he defeated the Persians in three pitcht Battels another will say he slew Calisthenes If men put a valuation upon him for having overcome Darius the most puissant Monarch of the world they will blame him for having killed Calisthenes If men praise him for having carried the Bounds of his Empire to the utmost parts of the East they will add he was guilty of the death of Calisthenes If finally to end his Panegyrick a man shall say he hath stained the glory of as many Princes as preceded him another will reply his fault is greater than his valour and that all his actions of memory are sullied by Calisthenes his Blood This example ought to instruct and teach all Princes that if irregular Passions are maladies in private men they are Plagues and contagious diseases in publick Personages and that if well guided by Reason they may become glorious virtues they may by the tyranny of our senses degenerate into most infamous vices The THIRD DISCOURSE That there are no Passions which may not be changed into Virtues VVE have said in our former discourses that Passions are the seeds of Virtues that by having a care of husbanding them well their effects were very advantageous to us But proceeding on further my intention is in this discourse to teach Christians the secret how they may change them into Virtues and to take from them whatsoever they have of savage or monstrous This Metamorphosis is certainly very hard but not impossible and if we advise with nature she will furnish us with inventions for this wise Mother is continually working of strange alterations Her power never appears to be greater than when she alters the Elements or Metals and when she takes from them their former qualities that she may give them others more excellent and more noble But she observes therein an admirable method which well deserves consideration for though she be all-powerful and that holding the place of God she may act as a Soveraign and do what she pleaseth with the Elements or Metals yet doth she never use violence and she seemeth rather to accommodate her self to their interests than to her own inclinations she observeth their sympathies and worketh no alteration which is not agreeable unto them Thus we see she ratifies air to change it into fire and conduceth water to turn it into earth thus we observe she purifies silver to give it the tincture of Gold and labours whole ages to finish without violence this useful Metamorphosis Now as Morality is an imitation of Nature her chief care ought to be employed in observing the proprieties of our Passions and in converting them into virtues which are not contrary unto them for he that would go about to
their hatred they leave it as an inheritance to their Children they oblige them to eternal enmity and make imprecations against them if they be ever reconciled to their enemies In fine this Passion is immortal and as it resides in the bottom of the soul it accompanieth her whithersoever she goeth doth not forgo her no not when she is loosened from the Body This it is which the Poets who are the most excellent Painters of our affections would represent unto us in the persons of Eteocles and Polynices who continued their hatred after death and who went to end the combat in Hell which they begun on earth this Passion lived in their bodies deprived of Sense it passed by a secret contagion into their funeral Pile and waged war in the flames which were to consume them But I wonder not that this Passion is so opinionated since it is so daring and I think it not strange that it continues after death since it hath made men resolute to lose their lives for love of revenge and that it makes them find some contentment in death provided they see their enemies accompany them therein For Hatred ceases to be true when it becomes discreet and we may say a man is not wholly possessed therewithal when to spare his own bloud he dares not shed the bloud of his adversary When he hath given himself over to the tyranny thereof he thinks he can never purchase the pleasures of revenge at too dear a rate And propose whatever punishment you list unto him he is well-pleased therewithal provided his Passion may be satisfied Atreus wisheth to be overwhelmed under the ruine of his Palace provided it fall upon his brothers head and so cruel a death seems pleasing to him so as he be therein accompanied by Theistes In short Hatred is very puissant since all torments are endured to give it satisfaction and it useth strange tyranny upon such as it possesseth since there is no fault which they are not ready to commit in obedience to it If the proprieties of Hatred be thus strange the effects thereof are no less fatal For as Love is the cause of all generous and gallant actions Hatred is the rise of all base and tragical actions And those who are advised by so bad a Counsellor are capable of all the evil that can be imagined Murder and Paricide are the ordinary effects of this unnatural Passion 'T was this that made us see in the day-break of the world that a man might die in the flower of his age and that one brother was not secure in the company of another 'T was this that found out weapons to dispeople the world to ruinate Gods goodliest workmanship 'T was this that making man forget the sweetnes of his nature taught him to mingle poyson in drinks to shed humane bloud at Banquets to kill under pretence of hospitality 't was this that first instituted that fatal art which teacheth us how to murder with method how to kill men handsomly and which forceth us to approve of Paricide if it be done according to the laws of the world 'T was this in fine and not avarice which tore up the bosom of the earth and which sought within the bowels thereof for that cruel Metal wherewith it exerciseth its fury And to describe in a few words all the evils it is cause of it will suffice to say that Anger is her first Master-piece Envy her Counsellor Despair her Officer and that after having pronounced bloudy sentences as Judge it self puts them in execution as Hangman 'T is true that hatred never comes to these extremities till it grow unruly but this unruliness is almost natural thereunto and unless Reason and Grace labour jointly how to moderate this Passion it easily becomes excessive The fierceness thereof is oft-times augmented by resistance like an impetuous torrent it overthrows all the banks which oppose its fury and when it 's forbidden any thing it believes it may lawfully do all things therefore the remedy which is ordained for Love is no less necessary for Hatred and to heal an evil which becomes incurable by time early withstandings must be made lest gaining strength it grow furious and be the death of its Physitian for having been negligent in its cure The FIFTH DISCOURSE Of the bad use of Hatred THough the greatest part of effects produced by Hatred may pass for disorders and that after having described the nature thereof it may seem unprofitable to observe the ill use that may be made of it yet that I may not fail in the laws that I have prescribed unto my self I will employ all this discourse in discovering the injustice thereof and I will make it appear to all the world that of as many Aversions as molest our quiet there is hardly any one that is rational For as all creatures are the workmanship of God and bear in their Foreheads the Character of him that produced them they have qualities which render them lovely and goodness which is the principal object of Love is so natural unto them as it is not to be separated from the Essence to cease to be good they must cease to be and as long as they have a subsistance in nature we are obliged to confess that there remains some tincture of goodness in them which cannot be taken from them without an absolute annihilation Thus God gave them his approbation when they were first made he made their Panegyrick after they were created and to oblige us to make much of them he hath taught us by his own mouth that they were exceeding good so as the Belief of their goodness is an Article of Faith in our Religion whatsoever opposition they may have to our humors or our inclinations we ought to believe that they have nothing of evil in them and that their very qualities which hurt us have their imployments and their use Poysons are serviceable for Physick and there are certain maladies which are not to be cured but by prepared poyson Monsters which seem to be errors of nature or ordained by Providence which cannot do amiss they do not only contribute by their ugliness to heighten the beauty of other creatures but are presages which advertise us of our misfortunes and which invite us to bewail our sins the very Devils themselves have lost nothing of their natural Advantages and the malice of their Will hath not been able to destroy the goodness of their essence and though they are compleated in evil they cease not to possess all the good which purely appertains unto their nature they have yet that beauty which they did Idolatrize they enjoy all their lights which they received at the first moment of their creation they have yet that vigor which makes a part of their being and were they not restrained by the power of God they would form thunder raise storms spread abroad contagions confound all the Elements 't is true that these their advantages
is the more delicate and the more dangerous For this Philosopher pleads always for the Soul against the Body all his gallant Maximes tend only to re-establish Reason in her Empire and to give her absolute power over the Passions He cannot endure that a Subject should become a Soveraign and pride which enlivens all his Doctrine furnisheth him with strong reasons to oppose voluptuousness He will have the Soul to treat her Body as her slave that she grant unto it nothing but things necessary and abridge it of all superfluities He will have her nourish the Body to the end that it may be serviceable to her He will have her love it only as a faithful servant that she employ it to execute her designes But he wills likewise when Reason shall require it she abandon it to the flames expose it to savage beasts and that she oblige it to undergo deaths as cruel as shameful All these are bold cogitations we must confess they proceed from a generously minded man and that he makes good use of the vanity of the Soul to overcome the delights of the Body but by curing one evil he causeth a greater by closing up a slight wound he opens a deeper by chasing self-love from the Body he drives it into the Soul and to prevent a man from becoming a beast he endeavours to make him a Devil these who side with this Philosopher are enforced to confess this Truth and if they who hold his Maximes would examine themselves well they will confess that they rather puffe up than heighten Courage and that they inspire the soul with more of vanity than strength But the Doctrine of Jesus Christ produceth a clean contrary effect for it subdues the body without making the soul insolent it sets at one and the same time both upon Pride and voluptuousness and whilst it ordains mortification to submit the senses to Reason it commands abnegation to subject the will unto God Therefore if it be lawful for me to explain the intentions of Jesus Christ and to serve him as an interpreter I believe that the Hatred which he requires from us should pass from the Body to the soul and that to be perfect it should extend it self to all the disorders that sin hath wrought in us for nature hath lost her purity and the two parts whereof we are composed are become equally criminal the inclinations of the soul are not more innocent than are those of the body the one and the other of them have their weaknesses let Philosophers say what they please they are both corrupted the understanding is clouded by darknesses ignorance is natural thereunto it learns with difficulty forgets easily though truth be its object it forgoes truth for falshood and is enforced to acknowledg by the mouth of the wisest man in the world that there are some errors which is easilier perswaded unto than to some truths Memory is not more happy though she pass for a miracle of Nature that she keeps deposited all the species she is trusted withal that she boasts to represent them without confusion and to be the enlivened treasure of all wise men yet since our disobedience she is become unfaithful by reason of a contagion which hath infected all the faculties of the Soul â—â—e fails us at our needs and furnishes us rather with unuseful than with necessary things the Will as most absolute is also most criminal for though it have so strong inclinations for the Summum bonum as that sin hath not been able to eface it yet she indifferently betakes her self to all objects that delight her not listning to the advice of Reason she follows the errors of opinion and is guided by the report which the senses make which are ignorant and unfaithful messengers so as man is bound to make war as well against his Soul as his Body and to extend his hatred to both the parts which go to his composition since they are equally corrupted and to obey Jesus Christ he must fight against the darkness of his understanding the weakness of his memory the wickedness of his will the error of his imagination the perfidiousness of his senses and the rebellion of all the parts of his Body These evil qualities which spoil the workmanship of God are the true objects of our aversion 't is the evil we may hate with innocence and with Justice punish 't is the enemy we are obliged to fight with and to overcome for to comprehend in few words the intentions of Jesus Christ and the obligation of Christians we must hate in our selves all those sins which disorder hath placed there and which grace could not suffer there we must destroy in our selves all that grace will have destroy'd but very well knowing that in this combat the victory is doubtful we must humbly intreat the Son of God who prepares Crowns for the Victor to endue us with Charity to the end that thereby self-love may be diminished in us and the detestation of our selves augmented THE SECOND BOOK OF Desire and Eschewing The FIRST DISCOURSE Of the Nature Proprieties and Effects of Desire AS Good is the only Object of Love it never changeth form but it obligeth this Passion to undertake new Customes she depends so absolutely upon it as she changeth names and offices as oft as it changeth condition when it is present and discovers unto her all its Beauties she swims in pleasure when it runs any hazard she is seized on by fear when it is assaulted by enemies she takes up arms and grows cholerick to defend it when it is parted from her she is afflicted and suffers her self to be over-born with grief when it is absent she consumes her self in wishes and chargeth her desires to go find out an object the far distance whereof causeth all her anxieties for Desire is nothing els but the motion of the soul towards a good which she already loveth but doth not as yet possess she extends her self that she may arrive at it she endevors to forsake her body and to separate her self from her self that she may join her self to what she seeks after she forgets her own delights that she may not think of any thing save her beloved object she forceth her self to overcome Nature and Fortune and in spite of them to render present the absent good which she desires By this Definition it is easie to observe the proprieties of Desire the first whereof is restlesness which will not suffer the soul which hath conceived it to taste any true contentment for this soul is in a violent condition she fights with the body which she inanimates that she may unite her self to an object which she loveth Nature detains her in the one and Love carries her to the other she is divided between these two powerful Soveraigns and she feels a torment little less rigorous than death Thus have we seen men who to free themselves thereof have
the Roman power had purchased since her ambition gave place to her avarice Notwithstanding all this this Philosopher found a cure for his malady where it was thought he should have increas'd it he grew to know the vanity of riches in the midst of their triumph for reflecting upon all that he had seen and finding that thosâ— things were no less useless than deceitful he generously despised them this pomâ— saith he could endure but some few hours one afternoon hath seen the beginning and the end thereof and though the Chariot that carried all this treasure marcht but softly they were quickly gone what likelâ—hood is then that that which could not entertain us one whole day should possess uâ— all our life-time and that we should suffeâ— long punishment for a thing which is noâ— able to give a long contentment Thus diâ— this Philosopher learn Virtue where others reaped nothing but Vanity and as oft as any object presented it self before his eyes the appearance whereof might deceive him he would say What dost thou admire O my soul that which thou seest is a triumphant pomp where we see things but are not suffer'd to possess them and where whilst we are therewithal delighted they pass away and vanish If riches not being a real good cannot be the object of our hope whatsoever else the world promiseth us cannot satisfie it since they are not far enough off For this Passion looks far into what is to come she neglects present things and longs after what is absent and builds her felicity upon a happiness which is not as yet come It seems she would teach us that the world is not her resting place and that all those contentments which smooth our Senses and which charm our eyes or ears are not those which she seeks after She raiseth her self up to Heaven and pretending to Eternity she thinks not that absent which is closed up in the un-intermitted course of Time she by a generosity which cannot sufficiently be praised doth undervalue all those greatnesses of which imagination may form an Idea and aspires only to that supream happiness which eye hath not seen neither ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man Those then injure her who force her to fasten her self to all that we esteem good and to languish for Objects which have not any one of those conditions that hers ought to have For to boot that her object ought to be absent it must be difficult and such as may cause trouble to those that will seek after it This Epithete will cause an error to arise in most minds and men finding difficulties in the pursuit of such things as they wish for will imagine that they deserve to be hoped for the Covetous man who crosseth the Seas who goes to discover unknown Lands and to seek out new maladies under new Climates will perswade himself that riches are very well worth the wishing since they are so hard to come by the Ambitious man who enjoys not one hour of content and who finds a thousand real Hells in the imaginary Paradise which he frames unto himself will think that Honour is the only object of Hope But Philosophy pretends to fix difficulty to greatness she confounds the name of difficult with that of noble and generous she blames all those that labour after an infamous good and who forgetting the nobleness of their birth have desires only after such things as are despicable Hope is too couragious to value smoak or dirt and she pities all those mean Souls which take such might pains to compass riches or honours 'T is true they cause trouble enough to those who seek after them but they are not the more to be wished for for their difficulty the pain which they are accompanied with makes them not the more glorious they resemble the punishment of the guilty which cease not to be infamous though severe In fine all that the most part of men desire is not Hopes end because it is for the most part impossible For though this passion be bold yet is she wise she measures her strength and though she engage her self in glorious enterprizes she will have some assurance of success she aspires only to what she may obtain and she quits the pursuit as soon as she finds they surpass her power she loves to be esteemed Reserved rather than Rash and to confess her impotency rather than to shew her vanity Notwithstanding all those that hope exceed these bounds and bereaving this Passion of her natural wisdom they raise their desires beyond their merits and do oft-times labour after things equally unjust and impossible a slave in Irons promiseth himself liberty a guilty person under the Hangmans hand hopes yet for pardon a man that is banisht from the Court pretends yet to government and you shall hardly find any so miserable who do not indiscreetly feed themselves with some imaginary happiness they perswade themselves that the heavens will do miracles for their sakes and that they will change the order of the Universe to fulfil their desires But of all these mad mad men there are none more to be pitied than old men who seeing death already pourtray'd in their faces do yet promise unto themselves a long life they lose every day the use of some part of their body they see not but by art they hear not without difficulty they walk not without pain and in every thing that they do they have new proofs of their weakness yet they hope to live and because our forefathers lived many ages they believe that in having a care of themselves they may fence themselves against death and after so many sins that they have committed taste a favour which hath not been granted save to such as had not as yet lost all Innocence A man must renounce his judgment to conceive so irrational a thought and not know the grievances which do inseparably accompany old age for all sorts of death are mingled with some hope a Feaver leaves us after a certain number of Fits their heats lessen as they increased the Sea throws on shore those whom it had swallowed up and a storm hurles ships into the Haven and a Souldier struck with pity gives life to his conquer'd Enemy but he whom old age leads to death hath no more reason to hope he is incapable of pardon and Kings who prolong the lives of such as are condemn'd cannot do the like to old men their death is with less pain but it is more certain and as they ought not to fear death so they ought not to hope for life But we have sufficiently consider'd the outrages done unto Hope let us see the good offices that may be done unto her employing her according to her own inclinations and our need The THIRD DISCOURSE Of the good use of Hope CHristian Religion is wholly built upon Hope and as she neglects present happiness we must not wonder if she
expects till mischiefs come the other goes to seek them out the one is mild the other severe the one to speak properly suffers pains which she cannot shun the other endures torments which she easily might eschew But amongst all these differences they have this of common that they cannot subsist without Hope 't is the soul which gives them life and these two beaÌ„tiful virtues would not attract the eyes of men and Angels were they not encouraged by this Passion which regards futurity For vain-glory is not able to inspire us with the contempt of sorrow and the Sect of the Stoicks as proud as it is hath been able to make but few Philosophers generously suffer the violence of tortures and the Hang-mans cruelty but Christian Religion hath produced multitude of Martyrs who have overcome Flames and Savage Beasts and triumphed over Pagan Emperours Their Fortitude was grounded upon the virtue of Hope whilst men went about to corrupt them with promises to affright them with threats and to vanquish them with toâ—ments they raised up their spirits to heaven and considered the recompenses which God prepares for those that serve him faithfully 'T is doubtless out of this reason that the great Apostle hath given such glorious titles to hope that he employs all his divine eloquence to express the wonderful effects thereof for sometimes he calls it an Anchor which stops our Vessel in the Sea which makes us find tranquility in the midst of a storm and which fixeth our desires on heaven and not on earth sometimes he terms it a Buckler under the shelter whereof we beat down the blows which our enraged adversary makes against us sometimes he calls it our Glory and represents it unto us as an honorable title which blotting out our shame makes us hope that after having been Gods enemies we shall become his children and that in this acception we shall share in his inheritance By all these praises he teaches us that we have need of Hope in all manner of conditions and that we may usefully employ her in all the occurrences of our life that it is our security in storms our defence in combats and our glory in affronts But let us observe that she is not of this world that she forbids us the love thereof and that she promiseth unto us another more glorious and innocent to be the object of our desires Let us neglect such a good as is perishable that we may acquire that which is eternal let us remember that it is hard to have pretences at the same time both to heaven and earth and that we must set at naught the promises of the world if we will obtain those of Jesus Christ. The FOURTH DISCOURSE Of the Nature Proprieties and Effects of the good evil use of Despair OF all the Passions of man Despair is that which hath been most honour'd and most blam'd by Antiquity for she hath past for the last proof of courage in those famous men who have made use of sword or poyson to free themselves from the insolence of a victorious enemy Poets and Orators never appeared more eloquent than when they describe the death of Cato and they do so artificially disguise that furious action that did not faith perswade us that it is an execrable attempt we should take it for an Heroick action Seneca never praised Virtue so much as this crime he seems by the high Excomiums he gives it to perswade all men to Despair and to oblige all unfortunate people to commit Paricide he imagines that all the gods descended into Vtica to consider this spectacle that they would honour a Stoick Philosopher with their presence who not able to endure Caesars government though he had born with the like in Pompey plung'd his dagger into his breast tore his entrails and that he might taste death rent his soul from his body with his own hands But truly I do not wonder that Seneca would make a murder pass for a Sacrifice since he hath approved of Drunkenness and that he hath made it a Virtue that he might not be constrained to blame Cato who was accused thereof Others have absolutely condemn'd Despair and because some men giving themselves over unto fury have dipt their hands in their own bloud they have been of opinion that this Passion ought to be banisht from out our soul and that nothing could befal us in this life wherein it was lawful to follow the motions thereof Both these opinions are equally unjust and do violate the Sense of Nature for let the disaster be what it please which Fortune threatens us withal and whatsoever great mishap she prepareth for us we never may attempt against our own life our birth and our death depend only upon our Lord God and none but he who hath brought us into the world can take us out of it he hath left unto us the disposal of all the conditions of our life and hath only reserved to himself the beginning and the end we are born when he pleaseth and we die when he ordaineth it to hasten the hour of our death is to intrench upon his rights and he is so jealous of it as he oft-times doth miracles to teach us that it belongeth unto him But if Despair be forbidden us upon this occasion there are many others wherein it is permitted and I am of opinion that Nature did never more evidently shew her care over man than in enduing him with a Passion which may free him from all the evils for which Philosophy hath no remedy For though Good be a pleasing Object and that by its charm it powerfully attracts the Will yet it is sometimes environed with so many difficulties that the Will cannot come nigh it its beauty makes her languish she consumes away in Desire and Hope which eggeth her on obligeth her to do her utmost in vain the more she hath of Love the more she hath of Sorrow and the more excellent the good which she seeks after is the more miserable is she that which ought to cause her Happiness occasioneth her punishment and to speak it in few words she is unfortunate for that she cannot forbear loving an object which she cannot compass This torment would last as long as her Love did not Despair come in to her succour and by a natural wisdom oblige her to forgo the search of an impossibility and to stifle such Desires as seem only to afflict her As this Passion takes us off from the pursuit of a difficult good which surpasseth our power so are there a thousand occasions met withal in mans life wherein she may be advantageously made use of and there is no condition how great soever in the world which needs not her assistance For mens powers are limited and the greater part of their designs are impossible Hope and Boldness which animate them have more of heat than government led on by these blind guides they would
to abuse them and by irrational consequences which Philosophy cannot have taught them they conclude that they ought to be wicked because God is good and that we ought to offend him because he doth not punish his enemies had not these shameless sinners lost their judgment together with their Piety they would argue after another manner and say That since God is good man must be obedient that since he is prone to forgive man ought to have a care how to offend him and that since he loves the welfare of man man ought to love his Honour But certainly if they had not these just considerations Gods mercy should not maintain in them their foolish confidence for to boot that his Mercy agrees with his Justice and that the one doth not intrench upon the others rights he hath so temper'd his Promises with his Threats in the holy Scripture as they banish from out the soul of man both Despair and Presumption to assure those that despair he hath proposed Penitency unto them the gate whereof is open to all those that repent and to terrifie the presumptuous who through their delays despise his mercy he hath made the day of death uncertain and hath reduced them to a necessity of fearing a moment which as being unknown may surprize the whole world THE FOURTH TREATISE OF Audacity and Fear The FIRST DISCOURSE Of the Nature Proprieties and Effects of Audacity and Fear IF Virtues be the more to be valued by reason of the difficulties which accompany them if such as are most painful be most beautiful we must confess that among Passions Audacity ought to be esteemed the most glorious since it is the most difficult and that it undertakes to fight against whatsoever is most terrible in the world for though Hope be generous and that she be not pleased with what is good unless it be auster yet doth the beauty thereof invite her to seek after it and the charms thereof endue her with strength to overcome the difficulties which surround it but Audacity wants this assistance and considers an object which hath nothing in it of lovely she sets upon evil and coming in to the aid of Hope she denounceth war to her enemies and proposeth no other recompense in the combat but glory she is of the humour of Conquerors who leave all the booty to their Souldiers reserving only the honour to themselves For all those that describe her nature agree in this that she is a Passion of the Soul which goes in quest of dangers to grapple with them and overcome them she may therefore be termed a natural Fortitude and a disposition to that generous Virtue which triumphs in sorrow and in death as she undertakes nothing but what is difficult she is more severe than pleasing a certain severity may be seen in their countenances whom she inanimates which sufficiently shews that her delight lies in troubles and that she hath no other pastime than what she takes in overcoming Sorrows nothing comforts her but Glory nor doth any thing nourish her but Hope with this weak succour she assails all her enemies and gains almost as many victories as she fights battels But to afford this Discourse more light we must know that good and Evil are the two objects of all our Passions Love considers Good and employs Desire and Hope to obtain it sometimes the Good proves so hard to be come by that Love through Despair forgoes it thinking it a piece of wisdom to renounce a happiness which cannot be obtained Hatred detests Evil and to withstand an enemy which declares perpetual war with it she employs such Passions as hold of her Empire she makes use of Fear and of Eschewing to keep from it and sometimes she employs Boldness and Choler to fight with it and overcome it but as Despair would never forgo a difficult good did not Fear perswade that the difficulties which attend it cannot be overcome Audacity would never undertake to set upon a dreadful evil did not Hope promise her the victory so as these two Passions cease not to be of one mind though they have different objects though the one seek after what is good and the other provoke what is evil they both labour for the quiet of the mind and by several ways endeavour the same end The truth is the condition of the one is much more sweet than is that of the other for Hope hath only a respect to the good which she desires if sometimes she cast her eye upon the difficulties which surround it 't is rather out of necessity than inclination and if she hazard her self upon some danger 't is not so much out of glory as out of profit but boldness considers only what is evil and by a certain confidence which accompanies her in all her designs promiseth her self to overcome it by her own strength Hope doth easily engage her self and being as light as vain she undertakes all enterprizes which she judgeth to be glorious and feasible but she would thereby reap nothing but Confusion did not Audacity come in to her aid and by the greatness of that Courage which is natural to her happily execute that which her companion had rashly undertaken Hope resembles the Trumpets which sound the Charge but never enter into the scuffle Audacity contrariwise is of the nature of those Souldiers who are silent and keep all their forces to fight with the enemy Hope promiseth all things and gives nothing and abuseth men with fair words which are not always follow'd by good effects but Audacity promiseth nothing and performeth much she attempts even impossibilities to make good hopes promises and endeavours to overcome the difficulties which hinder the execution thereof In fine she is so generous that her designs though they be difficult cease not to be fortunate and she is so accustomed to overcome as the Poets to give some colour to her victories which she wins contrary to the Laws of war have feigned that she hath a Divinity which encourageth her and that her Deeds are rather Miraculous than Natural But to the end that these differing qualities may the more evidently appear I will add Examples to Reasons and make it known by certain remarkable Histories how much Daring is more considerable than Hope No Monarch was ever more powerful than Xerxes and his power never appeared more than when he framed the design of conquering Greece his Army was composed of two millions of men the field-room was too little to receive a Body of men the parts whereof were monstrous the earth groaned under the weight of the Engines which he caused to be carried about to battâ—r Towns which should resist him This dreadful number of Foot and Horse drained up rivers the hail of Arrows shot from so many hands darkned the Sun those who would flatter this Prince said that the Sea was not large enough to bear his shipping and that Greece was not great enough to quarter his Troops
earth there was no need to inhibit Vice nor to recommend Virtue but since corruption hath crept into Nature and that â—an out of too much love to himself beâ—an to hate his Neighbor it was necessary to â—ave recourse unto Laws and to reduce â—â—ose by Fear which were not to be gain'd by Love Gallowses were erected to frighten the guilty punishments were invented to make death the more terrible and that which was a tribute due to Nature was made the chastisement for sin All of innocence that remains in us is an effect of Fear all inclination to Good and aversion from Evil would be razed out of our Will did not this Passion by her threats detain them there and all Rights Divine and Humane would be violated did not she preserve the Innocent by punishing the guilty In fine she is the greatest occasioner of our quiet and though she be timorous all Politicians acknowledge her for the Mother of Security I know very well that the Stoicks have cry'd her down but what Passion hath ever been able to defend it self against their calumnies they will have us banish Love from off the earth because it makes some unclean and consider not that being the ligament of Society a man must cease to live if he were forbidden to love Religion is preserved only by Charity which is a kind of love and God would never have made men had he not meant to make them lovers of him The same Philosophers will stifle Desires because they cannot moderate them and are like to those who out of Despair kill themselves to cure a malady They condemn Hope and to perswade us â—hat they possess all things they will hope for nothing they are of the humour of that poor Athenian who was only rich in that â—e was foolish and who cared not to heap 〈◊〉 wealth because he thought all the Ships â—n the Haven belong'd to him They flatter â—hemselves with a vain Soveraignty which â—he Wise-man claims over the world and as â—hey think to have gotten wisdom they think that all her portion too belongs to â—hem They laugh at Fear and to their Reasons add Reproaches to make her contemptible or ridiculous they make her the enemy of our quiet and to hear them speak of this harmless Passion one would think they painted out a Monster to us so dreadful do they make her they say she is ingeâ—uous for our misery that by nature she is â—mpatient and that she will not tarry till the evil do happen that she may make us suffer â—t that she hath a malign foresight and which penetrates into the secrets of Futuriâ—y only to make us therein to meet with our torment that she contents not her self with present evils but that to oblige all the differences of Time to conspire mischief â—gainst us she calls to mind what is past she vexes her self with what is to come anâ— unites pains together which all the crueltâ— of Tyrants could not bring to a contracâ— They add that as she laboureth to forestaâ— our misfortunes she takes delight in increaâ— sing them and never representeth them unâ— to us but when she hath made them greateâ— than they are to astonish us that if shâ— threaten us with death 't is always with thaâ— which is most full of horrour that if shâ— make us apprehend a malady 't is alwayâ— the most cruel and that if she make us exâ—pect any displeasure 't is always the mosâ— angersom so as we find that she is morâ— insupportable than the evil which she foreâ— sees and that of all imaginable torments that which she makes us suffer is always the most rigorous that also there are not many that would not rather once die than always fear death and who do not prefer a violent punishment before a languishing apprehension I know not whether the Stoicks Fear be so fierce as they make it but I know very well that there is a more moderate sort of Fear and that this Passion in the purity of its nature doth more good than harm 't is true she seeks out evil but 't is that she may shunâ— it and she is so far from delighting to increase it that on the contrary she qualifies â—t by anticipating it and lessens the rigour â—hereof by giving us notice of its arrival Do not the Stoicks confefs with us that blows foreseen hurt not so much as do others and that the greatest part of our sufferings comes from being surprized by evil wherefore do they then blame foresight in Fear wherefore do they condemn that in this Passion which they approve of in Wisdom and wherefore do they make that pass for a fault which she hath in common with so noble a Virtue Nature gives us to understand that she hath not endued us with Fear to torment us since her pleasure is not that the evil which Fear considers be inevitable for those who have well ponder'd the humour of Fear confess that she is always accompanied by Hope and that she never foresees other than such great evils from which she may defend her self if they be common she is so noble-minded as she deigns not to busie her self about them but leaving them to Eschewing to be kept aloof from she remains quiet if they be inevitable and such as Wisdom it self knows not how to evade she troubles not her self with thinking how to withstand them and knowing that useless means are blameable she adviseth Sadness to beaâ— them but if they be of such a nature aâ— they may be overcome she advertiseth uâ— of them and though Audacity intrench ofâ— upon her rights she forbears to awaken her and to crave succour from her to beat back the enemy which presents it self Who will not judge by these conditions that Fear is a friend to our Quiet that she labours for our security that being far from procuring what may dislike us sâ—e takes notice of our misfortunes only to chase them away gives the alarm only that we may bear away the victory I confess there are evils which are so great so sudden as they put the soul into disorder hinder Fear from foreseeing or evading of them the first raise astonishment the second bring an agony upon us both the one the other of them throw us into Despair if they be not readily repuls'd but since there are mischiefs which Wisdom cannot divine and which Valour it self cannot overcome we must not wonder if there be some which surprize Fear and bear down a Passion after having triumph'd over two Virtues Mans power is limited and though no disaster happen which he may not make use of yet his natural weakness needs the assistance of Grace and she must inanimate Passion and Virtue to make them victorious But it may suffice us to know that Fear is not unprofitable and it remains that we consider what sins she may favour in her disorder and what Virtues she may be serviceable unto if well used
that the high enterprizes of Princes were no less the effects of this Passion than of Virtue he believed that all the disorders of our soul which contributed to Voluptuousness were not to be tamed but by Choler and that the concupiscible appetite would pervert Reason were it not withstood by the Irascible one would think to hear him speak that all great men are Cholerick that this Passion is not only the mark of a good Nature but of an excellent Courage and that a mans mind can conceive nothing of Generous if it be not a little irritated I believe with him that this resentment of our soul may be profitably employed in the service of Virtue when it is moderated by Reason and Grace but certainly it stands in more need of their guidance than do the rest and as it is extreamly violent so causeth it great disorders if it be not carefully suppress'd for let it have what inclination it pleaseth to Good it is too sudden to be regulated and though it seem to love Justice and Reason yet is yet too furious to be just or reasonable we should be undon were Choler as opinionated as it is sudden the earth would be but one desart if Passion were as lasting as it is hot Nature could not better shew her care she hath of our preservation than in giving narrow bounds to the wildest of our Passions and since the love she beareth us hath obliged her to make Monsters barren and to allot but short lives to the most furious Beasts she was bound to affix brevity to Choler and to allow a short term of time to so dangerous a Passion nor doth her short time of duration keep her from causing much mischief she employs to her utmost those moments which Nature hath given her and in a few hours commits many outrages for to boot that she troubles the minds of men that she changes their colour that she seems to play with their bloud making it sometimes withdraw it self to the Heart sometimes disperse it self over the Face that she sets the Eyes on fire and she fills the mouth with Threats and that she arms the Hands of as many as she meets withal she produceth much more strange effects in the world she hath since its birth changed the face thereof a thousand times there is no Province wherein she hath not committed some spoils nor is there any Kingdom which doth not bewail her violence those ruines which have formerly been the foundations of some goodly City are the remainders of Choler those Monarchies that whilome gave Laws to all the earth and which we know only by Story complain not so much of Fortune as of Choler those great Princes whose pride is reduced to ashes sigh in their graves and accuse only Choler for the loss of their Lives and ruine of their States some of them have been assassinated in their Beds others like Sacrifices offer'd up at the Altars some have unfortunately ended their days in the midst of their Armies when all their souldiers that environed them could not defend them from death others have lost their lives in their Thrones the Majesty that shines in the faces of Kings not being able to frighten their Murderers some have seen their own Children make attempts upon their persons others have seen their Bloud shed by the hands of their Slaves but not complaining of the Paricides they complain only of Choler and forgetting all their particular disasters they only condemn this Passion which is the plentiful and the unfortunate Spring-head thereof And certainly they have reason for their complaining since of all the disorders of our soul there is none more savage nor more irrational than this I know not why Aristotle imagined it was serviceable to reason and that it always moved as she did unless it be that it had a design to teach us that this Passion being more Ambitiouâ— than the rest would seem Rational in heâ— Excess and by an execrable attempt oblige Reason her Soveraign to defend heâ— Slaves injustice for she always seeks Excu ses for her faults though she shed humanâ— bloud though she offer up Innocents in sac crifice beat down whole Towns and burâ— their Inhabitants under their ruines shâ— will be thought to be Rational she some times knows well enough the vanity of heâ— resentments yet she without reason perseveres in them lest men should think she had no reason to begin Her injustice makes heâ— opinionated she grows hot upon design she will have her Excess to be an argumenâ— of her Injustice and all the world to imagine that she hath punished her enemieâ— justly because she hath punished them severely See then what she borrows of Reason and how much more insolent she is in other Passions which are blind in their unâ— ruliness and only offend their Soveraignâ— because they know not his Authority buâ— this Passion doth impudently abuse her and by a fearful tyranny employes her Soveraign to excuse her faults after having made use of her to commit them I therefore think Seneca had great reason to say that she is more faulty than the vices themselves and that she commits injustice whereof they are not guilty Avarice heapeth goods together and Choler dissipateth them the former only hurts her self and obligeth her heirs that are to succeed her but the latter hurts all the world and as if she were a publick contagion she puts divisions in Families divorceth Marriages and engageth Kingdoms in War Uncleanness seeks a shameful delight but such as only hurts the parties in fault Choler seeks an unjust one which is prejudicial to Innocents Envy as malicious as she is contents her self in wishing ill unto another she leaves the execution thereof to Fortune and remits to her the accomplishing of her desire but Choler is so impatient she cannot attend this blind Power but preventing the rigour thereof she takes delight in making men miserable In fine she is the cause of all evils and there is no fault committed wherein she hath not a hand there is nothing more obnoxious than Duels 't is Choler that entertains them there is nothing more cruel than Murder 't is Choler that adviseth to it there is nothing more fatal than war 't is Choler that causeth it when she reigns in a soul she stifles all other Passions and is so absolute in her tyranny as she turns Love into Hatred and Pity into Fury for there have been Lovers who in the height of their Choler have buried the same Dagger in their own bosoms which they had just before plunged in their Mistresses bosom committing two real murders to revenge one imaginary injury Avaritious men have been seen to betray their own inclinations to content their Choler throwing all their riches into the water or into the fire to obey the impetuosity thereof Ambitious have been known who have refused proffer'd Honours trampled Diadems under foot because Choler which wholly possess'd their
his Ambition by satisfying his Incontinence the more sins he commits the more pleasures he tastes A Tyrant rejoyceth in his Usurpation and if he reaps Glory by his Injustice he thinks himself more happy than a Lawful Prince A Cholerick man rejoyceth in Revenge though to obey his Passion he hath violated all the Laws of Charity he finds Contentment in his Crime and strangely blind the more faulty he is the more happy he thinks himself So that worldly joy is nothing else but wickedness unpunish'd or a glorious Sin Therefore when this passion becomes once faulty no less than a Miracle is required to restore it to its innocence For though such desires as rise up contrary to the Laws of God are unjust and that there are punishments ordained in his kingdom for the chastisement of irregular thoughts yet are these but begun offences and which have not as yet all their mischief though fond hopes be punishable and entertain our vanity yet are they not always follow'd by effects and oft-times by a fortunate Impotence they do not all the evil which they had promised unto themselves our boldness is fuller of inconsideration than of wickedness and an ill event makes it lose all its Fervour Our Sorrows and our Griefs are not obstinate they are healed by any the least help that is given them and as they are not well pleas'd with themselves they are easily changed to their contraries Our Fears are slitting the evil which caused them being once withdrawn they leave us at liberty and to conclude in a word there is no passion incurable but Joy But since it hath mingled it self with sin and that corrupting all the Faculties of Nature it takes delight in evil Morality hath no remedies more to cure it with 'T is a great disorder when a man glories in his sin and that as the Apostle sayes he draws his Glory from his own Confusion 'T is a deplorable mischief when together with Shame he hath lost Fear and that the punishments ordained by the Laws cannot hold him in to his duty but a strange irregularity is it when his sins have made him blind or that he knows them not save only to defend them but certainly when he takes delight in his sin when he grounds his Felicity upon Injustice and that he thinks himself Happy because he is Sinful this is the height of evil To punish this impiety it is that the Heavens dart forth Thunders The Earth grows barren for the punishment of this horrid disorder when war is kindled in a nation or that the Plague hath dispeopled Cities and turned Kingdoms into desolate places we ought to believe that these Judgments are the punishments of men who place their contentment in their offences and who violating all the Laws of Nature do unjustly mingle Joy with Sin Now because this mischief as great as it is ceaseth not to be common and that it is very hard to taste any innocent pleasure Iesus Christ adviseth us to forsake all the pleasure of the world and henceforth to ground our felicity in Heaven He bids us by the mouth of his Apostle not to open the doors of our hearts save to those pure consolations whereof the Holy Ghost is the Spring-head and arguing out of our own interests he obligeth us to seek only after that Joy which being founded on himself cannot be molested by the injuries of men nor the insolence of Fortune For if any think to place it in our Riches we are bound to fear the Loss thereof if we lodg it in reputation we shall apprehend Calumny and if like Beasts we put it in those infamous delights which slatter the Senses and corrupt the Mind we shall have as many subjects of fear as we shall see Chances that may bereave us of them Therefore following St. Augustines counsel which we cannot suspect since in the slower of his age he had tasted the delights of the world We should take care to lessen all sinful pleasures till such time as they may wholly end by our death and to increase all innocent pleasure till such time as they be perfectly consummated in Glory But you will peradventure say that our Senses are not capable of these holy delights and that Joy which is but a Passion of the Soul cannot raise it self up to such pure contentments that it must have some sensible thing to busie it self about and that whilst it is engaged in the body 't is an unjust thing to propound to it the felicity of Angels This exception is current only among such as think the passions of men to be no nobler than those of Beasts The affinity which they have with Reason makes them capable of all her Benefits when they are illuminated by her Lights they may be set on fire by her Flames When Grace sheddeth her influences into that part of the soul where they reside they labour after Eternity and forestalling the advantages of Glory they elevate the body and communicate unto it Spiritual feelings They make us say with the Prophet My body and my Soul rejoyce in the living God neglecting perishable delights they long after such only as are Eternal The FOURTH DISCOURSE Of the Nature Proprieties and Effects of Grief and Sorrow IF Nature could not extract good out of evil and did not her Providence turn our miseries into Felicities we might with Reason blame her for having made the most troublesome of our Passions the most Common For sadness seems to be Natural to us and Joy a Stranger All the parts of our body may taste Sorrow and Pain and but very few of them are Sensible of pleasure Pains come in throngs and assail us by Troops they agree to afflict us and though they be at discord among themselves they joyn in a confederacy to conspire our undoing but pleasures justle one another when they meet and as if they were jealous of good fortune the one of them destroys the other Our Body is the Stage whereon they fight the miseries thereof arise from their differences and man is never more unhappy than when he is divided by his Delights Griefs continue long and as if nature took pleasure in prolonging our punishment she indues us with strength to undergo them and makes us only so far Couragious or so far patient as may render us so much the more miserable Pleasures especially those of the Body endure but for a moment their death is never far off and when a man will make them of longer durance by art they occasion either torment or loathing But to make good all these reasons and to shew that Grief is more familiar to man than Pleasure we need only consider the deplorable condition of our life where for one vain contentment we meet with a thousand real sorrows For these come uncalled they present themselves of their own proper motion they are linkt one to another and like Hydra's heads they either never die
or after death spring up again But pleasures are sought for with pain and we are oft-times enforced to pay more for them than they are worth Sorrows are sometimes entirely pure and touch us to the quick as they make us incapable of consolation but pleasures are never without some mixture of Sorrow They are always dipt in bitterness and as we see no Roâ—es which are not environed with Prickles we taste no Delights which are not accompanied with Torments but that which makes the misery of our condition evidently appear is that we are much more sensible of Pain than of Pleasure for a slight Malady troubleth all our most solid contentments a Fever is able to make Conquerors forget their Victories and to blot out of their minds all the pomp of their Triumphs Yet is it the truest of all our Passions and if we believe Aristotle it makes the greatest alterations in our Souls the rest subsist only by our imagination and were it not for the intelligence we hold with this Faculty they would make no impression upon our Senses Desires and Hopes are but deceitful good things and he very well knew their nature who termed them the Dreams of Waking men Love and Hatred are the diversions of idle souls Fear is but a shadow and it is hard for the Effect to be true when the Cause is imaginary Boldness and Choler form Monsters to themselves that they may defeat them and we must not wonder if they so easily ingage themselves in the Combat since their enemies weakness assures them of the victory but grief is a real evil which sets upon the Soul and Body both at once and makes two wounds at one blow I know there are some sorrows that wound only the mind and exercise all their might upon the noblest part of man but if they be violent they work upon the body and by a secret contagion the pains of the Mistress become the diseases of the Slave the Chains that bind them together are so streight that all their good and bad estate is shared between them a contented Soul cures her body and a sick body afflicts its soul this noble Captive patiently endures all other incommodities which befall her and provided that her prison be exempted from pain she finds reasons enough to chear up her self with She despises the loss of Riches and bounding her Desires she finds contentment in Poverty she neglects Honour and knowing that it only depends upon Opinion she will not ground her happiness upon so frail a good she passeth by Pleasures and the shame which accompanies them lesseneth the sorrow which their loss brings her as she is not tied to these adventious goods she easily forgoes them and when Fortune hath robbed her of them she thinks her self more at Liberty and thinks her self not the poorer but when the body is assaulted and that it suffers either excessive heat or the injuries of the Season or the rage of Sickness she is constrained to sigh with it and the Cords which fasten them together make their miseries common she apprehends Death though she be Immortal she fears wounds though she be Invulnerable and she resents all the evils suffer'd by the prison which she gives life to though she be Spiritual The Stoicks Philosophy which valueth not a glorious enterprize unless it be impossible would have inderdicted the commerce between the Soul and the Body and in a strange madness hath endeavour'd to separate two parts whereof one and the same whole are compounded she forbad her Disciples the use of Tears and breaking the holiest of all Friendships she would have the Soul to be insensible of the Bodies sufferings and that whilst the Body was burning in the midst of flames the Soul should mount up to Heaven there to contemplate the Beauty of Virtue or the wonders of Nature This Barbarous Philosophy had some Admirers but she never had any true Disciples her Counsels made them despair all that would follow her Maxims suffer'd themselves to be miss-led by Vanity and could not fence themselves against Grief Since the Soul hath contracted so straight a society with the Body she must suffer with it and since she is shed abroad into all the parts thereof she must complain with the mouth weep with the eyes and sigh with the heart-Mercy was never forbidden but by tyrants and this Virtue will be praised as long as there be any that are miserable yet the evils which afflict her are strangers to her and those whom she assists are for the most part to her unknown wherefore then shall we blame the Soul if she have compassion on her own body Wherefore shall we accuse her of Abjectness if she share in the sorrows that assail it and which not being able to hurt her in her own substance set upon her in her Mansion-house and revenge themselves on her in that thing which of all the world she loves best For while she is in the body she seems to renounce her Nobility and that ceasing to be a pure spirit she interesses her self in all the Delights and all the Vexations of her Hoste his health causeth contentment in her and his sickness is grievous to her the most worthy part suffers in the less worthy and by a troublesom necessity the Soul is unhappy in the miseries of her body They say that Magick is so powerful that it hath found out a secret how to torment men in their absence and to make them feel in their own persons all the cruelties which she exerciseth upon their Images these miserable men burn with fire which toucheth nothing but their Picture they feel blows which they do not receive and the distance of place cannot free them from the fury of their enemies Love which is as powerful and not much less cruel than Magick doth this Miracle every day when it joyns two souls together it finds a way to make their sufferings common men cannot offend the one but the other resents it each of them suffers as well in the body which it loves as in that which it inanimates Since Love and Magick work these wonders we must not marvel if Nature having fastned the Soul to the Body do make the miseries common and if by one only wo she makes two Parties miserable the participation of each others Good and Bad is a consequence of their Marriage and the Heavens must do a miracle to give them a Dispensation from this necessity The joy of Martyrs was no meer effect of Reason when they tasted any pleasure amidst their Torments it must needs be Grace that sweetned the rigour thereof and he that in the fiery Furnace changed Flames into pleasing gales of Wind must have turned their Torments into Delights or if he did them not this favour he did them a greater and by making the Soul not sensible of the Bodies sufferings he taught the whole world that he was the Soveraign Lord of Nature