which you haue hitherto professed and presently do hartely embrace Where is that malice which prosecuteth this mischiefe What persecution haue you in word or deede raised against the truth What sword haue you euer drawne against it or what volumes haue you written against sound doctrine with purposed opposition against your own conscience neither that of frailtie but of meere will and obstinacie If your humour be not able to alleadge such testimonies as it cannot in deed these thinges being matters of iudgement and will and not of fancie and consisting of euidencie to be knowen of others and not of imaginacie conceit of a fearful and distrustfull hart giue ouer I pray you these melancholicke priudices against your selfe and prepare your heart to receaue comfort which the word of promise ministreth vnto you For that sinne except onely all other are within compasse of grace and haue no power to shut vs from Gods fauour Be it that you haue sinned against your conscience yet certaine condemnation and casting of doth not necessarily ensue thereupon else should there be not a person on whome God should shewe mercie For we all sinne in that manner and the good we would our conscience bearing witnesse of our duetie and breach of that we are bounde to do we do not but the sinne which we would not do in respect of regeneration that we commit through our frailtie which groweth vp in strenghth by increases of God to perfefection and hath euermore in it not to discourage vs but to breede circumspection and to remember vs where our perfection and excellencie lieth euen without vs in that vnspotted lambe Christ Iesus For our willes are corrupted not onely in that they are seduced by corrupt iudgement which is the least part of their want but when contrarie to iudgement grounded either vppon nature or the plaine worde of trueth we make choyce of that we knowe is naught or preferre the greater euill before the lesse Otherwise should our nature obtaine in this life a greater perfection then our first parentes had in paradice whose freedome of will was peruerted to that which was against the knowen commaundement of God and giue any one faculty or practise of the minde be perfect all must needs be of like purenesse seeing equallie they were corrupted and equallie receaue restauration This perfection we are to hope for and attende the consummation of the rudimentes of righteousnesse which both in knowledge and vse are in part blind and impotent and in heauen are to receaue the absolute perfection and beautie fully agreeable to Gods good will and vprightnesse of his iustice If then you haue neither sinned against the holie Ghost which is plaine through manifold testimonies of vnfaigned faith euen at this time being full of sighes and groanes for your offences carefull to eschue what soeuer is repugnaunt to Gods will releeuinge with tender affection of Christian loue the necessities of others neither in the whole course of your life hauing bene of notorious marke of iniquitie much lesse a blasphemer of that holie name and a renouncer with contumelie of the holie profession assure your selfe that your present estate is no other but a storme of temptation and no marke of perdition from which the Lorde after triall of faith and patience will deliuer you and sende that calme peace and tranquillitie which in times past you haue enioyed and shall by his grace againe recouer to your euerlasting comfort Of temptations some touch our fayth and other some the fruites thereof Our faith as whether we beleeue or not The fruites either of profession of the truth when persecution or feare or fauour of men slaken our zeale and smother the outwarde shewe of those glorious graces of faith of the spirite or in the fruites of obedience sutable and kindly vnto our profession as those which concerne persons possessions or name wherein charitie towarde men is broken all these temptations though both affection do incline vnto them excepting incredulitie which bringeth foorth impenitencie and renunciation of the faith and will bring them to effect yet are they not of power to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ whose sacrifice is all sufficient and propitiatorie for all kindes of sinne that onely before mentioned excepted You say you beleeue not and therefore drawe vppon you the payne due to the vnfaithfull here beware deare brother and waigh with circumspectipn and due consideration of your state in so waightie a point as this is and although you haue not at this time the sense thereof in your imagination which is now disguised and blemished with melancholie conceits and corporall alteration of the instrument of the bodie yet do you beleeue and shall hereafter feele the sweete comfort thereof as you nowe aboundantly declare the fruites of so holy a roote patience meeknesse charity prayer newnesse of life and what soeuer good vertue springeth in the children of God therefrom For euen as in outwarde senses we do see sometimes and feele and heare when wee do not perceaue it so we may also haue faith and not alwayes haue the sensible perceauing thereof especiallie our bodies as yours presently is being oppressed with melancholie which alwayes vrgeth terror and distrust and deludeth vs with opinion of want of that whereof wee haue no lacke euen as in another extremitie other men are oft carried with an opinion and confidence of those thinges whereof they haue no part And if it be so with melancholickes as it is crediblie recorded in historie that some haue complained they haue bene headlesse so that as Aëtius reporteth Phylotymus the Phisitian was faine to put a cap of lead vpon a melancholickes heade that he might by feeling the waight conceaue otherwise and Artemidorus the Grammarian did imagine he wanted both a hand and a legge though he wanted neither you are to lay aside this fancie and to weigh the presence of the cause by the effectes which are most euident tokens of faith in you and not to rest vppon your deluded conceites which if you yeeld vnto will perswade you in the ende that you want both head and heart also after it hath dispossessed you in part of the right vse of both but you will say vnto me do not men otherwise doubt of this point but vpon melancholie Yes verely and especially such as most hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and are poore in spirit and broken in hart the rest of the world except some vengeance of God laye holde vppon them or some horrible fact gnawe their wounded conscience passing their time in a blinde securitie carelesse of God and emptie of all sense and hope of a better life or feare of that eternall destruction passe their dayes and finish their course as the calfe passeth to the shambles not knowing their ende to be slaughter by the butchers knife Such I saye as are most carefull to walke before their God in righteousnesse as they doubt and feare in euerie action
distinct in all partes The purest part which we call in comparison and in respect of the rest bloud is temperate in qualitie and moderate in substance exceeding all the other parts in quantitie if the bodie be of equall temper made for nourishment of the most temperate parts and ingendring of spirits The second is fleume next to bloud in quantitie of a waterie nature cold and moyst apt to be conuerted into the substance of purebloud if nature faile not in her workinge ordained for nourishment of moyster partes The thirde is melancholie of substance grosse and earthie cold and drie in regard of the other in quantity inferiour to fleume fit nourishment for such partes as are of like temper The fourth choler fierie hote and driest of qualitie thinne in substance least in quantitie and ordained for such parts as require subtiller nourishment and are tempered with greater portion of the fierie element These differences nature hath so distinguished that although in veine and place they remaine linked together yet in facultie and vertue they are diuerse the one from the other which as they fit the varietie of parts bloud the temperate and the rest such partes as haue like declining from temperate so by the maruelous working of nature these varieties of humours are entertained by nourishmentes inclining to like disposition although no nourishment can be vtterly voide of all these parts no not those that are counted most to encline to any one humour as beefe and veneson to melancholie honie and butter to choler and fish to fleume Hereof riseth then this humour melancholie euen from nourishments as all the humours do and although not of such excellent vse yet as necessarie for the maintenance of life and substance of the bodie as anie other neither do these humoures fall into mans nature onely but what soeuer liuing creature hath bloud can not be destitute of them as partes thereof more or lesse according to their diuerse complexion Thus then as man consisteth of partes requiring this diuersitie of foode necessarie it was and so ordained by God such humours might aunswer in like varietie and as humours are diuerse so likewise the matter whereof they should be wrought could not be of one sort and therefore all kinde of nature ordained for nourishment affoord this choyce some in greater scarsitie this or that to the end no state of body should complaine Here you may moue a question not impertinent to the matter in hande whether some bodies do not turne good nourishment of the purest sort into greater quantitie of melancholie then other some and whether that of nourishment which of it selfe would yeeldstore of the best iuyce by melancholicke or rather cold and drie disposition of the bodie can so be altered as to faile of that store wherewith by nature it is replenished and in steede thereof yeeld this grosse thicke cold earthie humour whereof I nowe discourse Againe whether these humours are in such natures as yeeld nourishment and so by separation only after any Anaxagorian manner appeare or rather are made as a stoole out of timber bread of corne wine of grape c. CHAP. III. VVhether good nourishment breedeth not store of melancholie by fault of the bodie whether it turneth not into melancholie and whether these humours are found in nourishments or rather are made out of them THESE questions are not voide of probabilitie on both sides which to the ende the truth may lye the more apparant I will not stick to declare vnto you It should seeme as the obiection importeth that which before hath bene attributed to the kind of nourishment should rather rise of the bodie nourished cōsidering how it altereth which it embraceth for nourishment as consider the earth it selfe the mother very nurse of all corruptible thinges howe out of the same soyle not halfe a foot betwixt the wholesome fruit and soueraigne medicine both spring vp together with deadly poison yea how in the self same creature what strange diuersitie of nature ariseth of the selfe same nourishment as in the pastinacamarina whose substance flesh is wholsome to eat yet the taile carrieth a most deadly weapon wherewith whatsoeuer is wounded perisheth without recouerie not by anie foraine tincture but by the nourishment altered in that part into such a pernicious disposition The same is also found in the flies Cantharides whose bodie exulcerateth all parts but especiallie the bladder and is not inferiour to the chiefe poisons contrarilie the wings help wherein the bodie hurted which may be no small reasons of of doubt whether the humors be found in nourishments or rather are made by a certaine disposition of the bodie as who would imagine bloud could euer be made of yron which notwithstanding the Ostridges alter in such sort as by no heate of fire it can be sooner molten then it is digested in the stomach of that fethered foule nowe nature digesteth nothing but to make vse of nourishment thereof else whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie passeth as it cometh and hath no welcomming but is refused as impertinent nature bestowing no handling therof more then a skilfull painter to counterfait the fashion of some excellent beautie would dip his pensill in the mire in steed of perfect colour To these probabilities may be added how some natures chaunge into a farre diuerse qualitie that which they haue receaued then it stood by nature as the family of Marsie in Italie Psillie in Lybia which was so tēpered that they did without hurt sucke the poyson of vipers and without perill did vsually hunt them and so by necessary consequence to be gathered that they did receaue nourishment by them What soeuer entreth into the stomach either is altered into familiaritie of nature or else hauing an actuall power not hindered altereth with repugnancie the nature which hath receaued it If it altereth it wholly then destroyeth it if in part then carieth it on the one part nourishing and alimentarie vertue and on the other a medicinable power so it should seeme these Psillie euen by vertue of nature made nourishment of that which to other is deadly poyson Whereupon it may be gathered that nourishments in some bodies haue not such power as I haue said before seeing they be made in certaine of poyson The same may be declared in duckes and hennes which feede vpon toads notwithstanding their flesh we feed of with health and strength to our bodies Quailes likewise feede of neesing powder seeds and feldfares of hemlocke the one much approching nigh vnto and the other famous by the Athenian executions for most infamous poison all which notwithstanding their flesh is not refused at the tables of the most delicate and daintiest hereby in apparance it seemeth that it skilleth not much what meat is receaued in respect of sustaining this or that complexion seeing that poysons may be made by vertue of concoction familiar nourishment yea which is more auailable to vphold this matter and straunge
thereto belongeth and calleth in question the immortalitie of the soule except you will say it is a facultie whereof the soule hath no part being common with brute beastes which carieth with it these absurdities First this facultie must needs haue her seate either in soule or bodie if it be not in soule then in bodie if in bodie then should the instrument possesse the facultie which is as one would attribute the facultie of the harmonie to the harp and the writing to the pen and not to the scriuener esteeming the skilfull harps and skilfull pens which are dead instruments and haue no being of motion in them selues Now middle subiect is there none whereto this facultie should fall except we will vainly and against reason and philosophie admit mo soules then one in our bodies Againe to place any facultie otherwise then of disposition and aptnesse in the bodie without the soule were to disturb the vniforme gouernment and that oeconomicall order wherby our nature is ruled in placing mo commanders then one So we see howe age and course of times affect the bodie not only by alteration of facultie as it should seeme but also by breeding new Nowe the order of life region and diet seeme to presse the matter further and as it were to turne the mind about with euerie blast of corporall chaunge We may obserue the nature of mariners occupied in the sea surges who haue their maners not much vnlike framed tempestuous and stormie likewise the villager who busieth him selfe about his plow and cattell only hath his wits of no higher conceit butchers acquainted with slaughter are accōpted therby to be of a more cruell disposition and therefore amongst vs are discharged from iuries of life death these experiences maintaine the quarel against the vnmoueable and vnchaungeable facultie of the soule whereof I haue before made mention Howe region and aire make demonstration of the same the comparison of the gentle and constant aire of Asia with the sharpe vnstable of Europe doth declare vnto vs wherby the Asians are milde and gentle vnfitte for warre and giuen to subiection the Europians naturally rough hardie stearne right martiall impes and harder to be subdued and raunged vnder obedience and of the same region such people as inhabite places barren open and dry and subiect to mutabilitie of weather are more fierce bolder sharp and obstinate in opinion then people of contrary habitation Neither hath diet lesse part in this case of affecting the soule then the rest for we see howe the chearfull fruite of the vine maketh the hart merie and giueth with moderation vsed an edge of wit and quicknesse to the spirits and those nourishmentes that are moyst grosse and not firmely compacted aggrauateth the vnderstanding and maketh the conceit blunt and disableth much the faculties of the minde which a thinner drier and more subtile foode doth entertaine To these obiectiōs may be added what alteration of minde diuersitie of complexion excesse of the foure humours choler fleume bloud and melancholie do procure not only to the affections as sanguine cheerefulnesse melancholicke sadnesse fleume heauinesse choler anger but to the wits and such faculties as approch nigher to the soueraigne partes of our nature the mind it selfe as choler procureth rashnesse and vnaduisednesse with mobilitie vnstablenesse of purpose melancholie contrarily pertinacie with aduised deliberatiō sanguine simplicitie and fleume flat foolishnesse and these are so farre as my memory serueth me all that is wonted to be obiected from the state of our bodies being in health against the perpetuall immoueable tranquillitie of our minds and immortall vnchaungeable and incorruptible faculties therof which all in the next Chapter I will satisfie with full aunswer nowe a fewe wordes touching the perturbarions and alterations through sicknesse and so will I ende this Chapter and in the next proceede to seuerall aunswers I my selfe haue obserued it diuerse times not onely perturbation of minde to arise by certaine diseases whereby it fancieth and reasoneth disorderly but some faculties euen amended by the same neither faculties of base action as for the eye to see clearer after an inflammation and conuulsions to be helped by agues and in feuers the hearing more quicke then before and the smelling more subtile and in phrenticke persons the strength doubled vpō them but also euen apprehension more perfect and memory amended and deliuerance of tale more free and eloquent without all comparison which are actions of the greatest organical practises of the mind in such sort that I haue knowen children languishing of the splene obstructed and altered in temper talke with grauitie and wisedome surpassing those tender yeares and their iudgement carying a maruelous imitation of the wisedome of the ancient hauing after a sorte attained that by disease which other haue by course of yeares whereupon I take it the prouerbe ariseth that they be of short life who are of wit so pregnant because their bodies do receaue by nature so speedie a ripenesse as thereby age is hastened through a certaine temper of their bodies either the whole or in some animall part which ripenesse as in other creatures it easily yeeldeth to rottennesse so in our nature that speedy maturitie hasteth to declination and sooner decayeth Thus for your full satisfying I haue called to minde such obiections as do chiefly giue checke vnto that which I haue propounded touching the passions which the body chargeth the soule with now shall you vnderstand the solution clearing of these doubts If you will descend into the consideration of the effectes of poisons in our natures as of henbane coriander hemlock night shade and such like they will giue greater euidence vnto that which these obiections import by which the mind seemeth greatly to be altered quite put beside the reasonable vse of her ingenerate faculties during the force of the poysons which being maistred or at least rebated by cōuenient remedies it recouereth those gifts whero fit was in daunger to suffer wracke before and if it be true which Plato affirmeth that cōmon wealths alter by change of musicke what stablenesse shall we account in the mind which is in this sort subiect to euery blast of chaunge CHAP. XII The aunswere to the former obiections and of the simple facultie of the soule and only organicall of spirite and bodie THESE doubtes before mentioned I will answere in such order as they were in the former chapter obiected beginning with those alterations which the soule seemeth to sustaine from the bodie while it enioyeth health and good state of all his partes of which sorte age yeares first inferre against vs. For the generall aunswere whereof as also for the rest we are to hold two pointes as vnfallible before mentioned the one is the simple faculty of the minde and the other the organicall vse only of the body and spirite which two groundes before I enter into the particular disciphiring of the obiections I will first establish
fellowe members whereby we are in heauinesse sit comfortlesse feare distrust doubt dispaire and lament when no cause requireth it but rather a behauiour beseeminge a heart vppon iust cause and sound reason most comfortable and chearfull This doth melancholie work not otherwise then the former humours giuing occasion and false matter of these passions and not by any disposition as of instrument thereunto Of all the other humours melancholie is fullest of varietie of passion both according to the diuersitie of place where it setleth as brayne splene mesaraicke vaines hart womb and stomach as also through the diuerse kindes as naturall vnnaturall naturall either of the splene or of the vaines faultie only by excesse of quantitie or thicknesse of substance vnnaturall by corruption and that either of bloud adust choler or melancholie naturall by excessiue distemper of heate turned in comparison of the naturall into a sharpe lye by force of adustion These diuerse sorts hauing diuerse matter cause mo straunge symptomes of fancie and affection to melancholike persons then their humour to such as are sanguine cholericke or flegmaticke which fleume of all the rest serueth least to stir vp any affection but breeding rather a kind of stupiditie and an impassionate hart then easily moued to embrace or refuse to sorowe or ioye anger or contentednesse except it be a salte fleume thē approcheth it to the natur of choler in like sort therof riseth anger frowardnes CHAP. XVII How melancholy procureth feare sadnes dispaire and such other passions NOw let vs consider what passions they are that melancholy driueth vs vnto and the reason how it doth so diuersly distract those that are oppressed therewith The perturbations of melancholy are for the most parte sadde and fearefull and such as rise of them as distrust doubt diffidence or dispaire sometimes furious and sometimes merry in apparaunce through a kinde of Sardoniā and false laughter as the humour is disposed that procureth these diuersities Those which are sad and pensiue rise of that melancholick humour which is the grossest part of the blood whether it be iuice or excrement not passing the naturall temper in heat whereof it partaketh and is called cold in comparison onely This for the most part is setled in the spleane and with his vapours anoyeth the harte and passing vp to the brayne counterfetteth terible obiectes to the fantasie and polluting both the substance and spirits of the brayne causeth it without externall occasiō to forge monstrous fictions and terrible to the conceite which the iudgement taking as they are presented by the disordered instrument deliuer ouer to the hart which hath no iudgement of discretion in it self but giuing credite to the mistaken report of the braine breaketh out into that inordinate passion against reason This commeth to passe because the instrument of discretion is depraued by these melancholick spirites and a darknes cloudes of melancholievapours rising from that pudle of the splene obscure the clearenes which our spirites are endued with and is requisite to the due discretion of outward obiectes This at the first is not so extreame neither doth it shew so apparauntly as in processe of time when the substance of the brayne hath plentifully drunke of that spleneticke fogge whereby his nature is become of the same quality and the pure and bright spirites so defiled and eclipsed that their indifferency alike to all sensible thinges is now drawen to a partiality and inclination as by melancholy they are inforced For where that naturall and internall light is darkened their fansies arise vayne false and voide of ground euen as in the externall sensible darkenes a false illusion will appeare vnto our imagination which the light being brought in is discerned to be an abuse of fancie now the internall darknes affecting more nigh by our nature then the outward is cause of greater feares and more molesteth vs with terror then that which taketh from vs the sight of sensible thinges especially arising not of absence of light only but by a presence of a substantiall obscurity which is possessed with an actuall power of operation this taking hold of the brayne by processe of time giueth it an habite of depraued conceite whereby it fancieth not according to truth but as the nature of that humour leadeth it altogether gastely and fearefull This causeth not only phantasticall apparitions wrought hy apprehēsion only of common sense but fantasie an other parte of internall sense compoundeth and forgeth disguised shapes which giue great terror vnto the heart and cause it with the liuely spirit to hide it selfe as well as it can by contraction in all partes from those counterfet goblins which the brayne dispossessed of right discerning fayneth vnto the heart Neither only is common sense and fantasie thus ouertaken with delusion but memory also receiueth a wound therewith which disableth it both to keepe in memory and to record those thinges whereof it tooke some custody before this passion and after therewith are defaced For as the common sense and fantasie which doe offer vnto the memory to lay vp deliuer but fables in stead of true report and those tragicall that dismay all the sensible frame of our bodies so eyther is the memory wholly distract by importunity of those doubtes and feares that it neglecteth the custody of other store or else it recordeth and apprehendeth only such as by this importunity is thrust therupon nothing but darkenes perill doubt frightes and whatsoeuer the harte of man most doth abhor And these the senses do so melancholikely deliuer to the mindes consideration which iudging of such thinges as they offered not hauing farther to do in the deeper examination that it applyeth those certayne ingenerate pointes of reason and wisedome to a deceitfull case though it be alwayes in the generall and if particularities be deliuered vp a right in them also most certaine and assured For those thinges which are sensible and are as it were the counterfettes of ourward creatures the reporte of them is committed by Gods ordinaunce to the instruments of the brayne furnished with his spirite which if it be as the thinges are in nature so doth the minde iudge and determine no farther submitting it selfe to examine the credite of these senses which the instrumentes being faultles and certaine other considerations required necessary agreeable vnto their integrity neuer faile in their busines but are the very first groundes of all this corporall action of life and wisedome that the minde for the most parte here outwardly practiseth If they be contrary so also doth the minde iudge and pursueth or shuneth for these sensible matters reposing trust in the corporall ministers whose misereport no more ought to discredite the minde or draw it into an accessary crime of error then the iudiciall sentence is to be blamed which pronounceth vpon the oth and credite of a iurie impanelled of such as are reported men of honesty credite and discretion though their verdict be not peraduenture
person becometh afterward sad heauy vncherful Thus you perceiue I think sufficiently how melancholick persons some laugh some weepe in the same melancholicke what causeth mirth what teares Before I proceede to the naturall actions chaunged and depraued by melancholy I cannot passe ouer an action which is verie vsuall to melancholicke folke and that is blushing with shunning of the looke and countenaunce of men which the Grecians call Dysopia and because it requireth a larger discourse then the ende of this Chapter will suffer I will treate of them in the next CHAP. XXIX The causes of blushing and bashfulnesse and why melancholicke persons are giuen thereunto THE affection that moueth blushinge is shame howsoeuer it riseth either vppon false conceit or deserued cause Shame is an affection of griefe mixed with anger against our selues rising of the conscience of some knowne or supposed to be knowne offence either in doing that which ought not to be done or omitting that which was requisite of vs to be done This description I will vnfold vnto you more at large that in shame euery one is grieued experience maketh plaine besides reason leadeth thereunto Euerie passion of the heart is with ioye or with griefe either sincere and simple or mixed as in ridiculous occasions in shame there is no absolute ioye nor comfort therefore there must needs be a displeasantnesse or else a mixt disposition of sorowe and cheare this there is not by reason shame casteth downe the countenance filleth the eye with sorow and as much as may be withdraweth the liuely and comfortable spirit into the center of the bodie not vnlike vnto feare and sadnesse It appeareth mixed with anger by reason euerie one feeleth a kinde of indignation within him selfe and offereth as it were a vehement inablinge of him selfe for the offence wee are angrie with our selues because the fault is ours and from vs riseth the cause of griefe as in absolute anger the cause is from other and vpon others we seeke the reuenge Where there is no conscience there can not be any sense of fault for that it is which layeth our actions to the rule and concludeth them good or bad so although the fault be committed in deede and yet no conscience made thereof it is taken for no offence neither can giue cause of this internall grief reuengement To these clauses I ad an offence knowne or so supposed for otherwise though a man be grieued and sorie therefore yet before it be knowne to others is he not ashamed This causeth that men make no doubt of doing that in secret which for shame they would not do openly yea in such thinges as of them selues are not dishonest nor disalowable Moreouer it riseth vpon offence committed in that thing which lay in our power as we tooke it to remedie or better to haue discharged our selues in doing or omitting Therefore no man is ashamed of an ague or of the goute or to haue broken his legges or anie such occasion as to haue bene spoyled or to die c. but onely in those thinges wherein we take our selues to haue our part and to rise vpon our owne default so are we both ashamed of the action and of all tokens thereof Nowe seing that all offence is neither in doing amisse or neglecting that should be done in either of both consisteth matter of shame The description of shame thus being declared I proceede to shewe howe it forceth rednesse into the eares and cheekes and causeth vs neither to beare other mens countenaunces and lookes nor with courage and boldnesse to beare vp our owne The griefe that nature conceaueth from our selues is not so straunge as that which is foraine and outward but farre more familiar and thence therefore in all partes more known Moreouer the cause is more transitorie and fading especially if the offence be small and of no great note Againe the griefe is not for anie depriuation of that whereof the vse is so necessarie as losse of friendes goodes perill pouertie do all import nor of anie singular pleasure wherein nature or will tooke their chiefe contentment These qualities of shame ioyned with anger procureth that rednesse in the face which we call blushing The tincture of redde ariseth on this sort the heart discontented with the opennesse of the offence maketh a retraction of bloud and spirit at the first as in feare and griefe and because it feeleth no greater hurt then of laughter or rebuke of worde or such like touch seeketh no farther escape then a small withdrawing of the spirite and bloud by the first entrance of the perturbation so that the necessitie being no more vrgent the bloud and spirit breake forth againe more vehemently and fill the partes about the face more then before and causeth the rednesse This is helped forwarde with that anger which is mixed with shame which forceth in some sorte these retracted spirites and bloud to reflowe with more strength as we see the bloud soone vp of a cholericke person The passion is not so vehement to close vp the spirits and to retaine anie longer time for the cause before alledged and although it were yet would the anger and inwarde reuengement make way to the bloud and spirites to geue that shamefast colour Thus you vnderstand what maner of perturbation causeth blushing what it is and how it breedeth the staine but you wil peraduenture say why do not all that are ashamed blush and why some more then other some This I suppose to be cause in blushing these pointes are to be considered for answer of this question the qualitie of the bloud and spirit the passage nature or substāce of the face which receiueth this reflux If the blud be grosse and thicke and the passages not so free then is the course of bloud slow the coūtenance little altered If the skin be ouer thick or ouer rare thē doth it not admit throgh the thicknes of the spirites or at the least maketh not that shew nor retaineth them through the rarenes and thinnes and by exoperation make no apparaunce of rednes this is the cause why many ashamed be not so ready to blush Besides this disposition of spirite humour and substance of the face the measure of the shame more or lesse helpeth and hindereth blushing For some there are affected more vehemently and othersome moderately othersome not a whit who blush not because they are not at all ashamed By that hath bin declared you may gather why the yonger sort and women easily blush euen through rarenes of their body and spirites ioyned with simplicitie which causeth doubt of offence and this is the cause why we commend blushers because it declareth a tender heart and easily moued with remorse of that which is done amisse a feare to offend and a care least it should cōmit ought worthy of blame Furthermore it sheweth a conscience quicke and tender and an vpright sentence of the minde agreable to this
what was the tryall God blessed the last dayes of Iob more thē the first euen so though the present afflictiō be grieuous vnto you and all hope faile in respect of your feeling yet the Lord when he hath proued you and found you his pure and sincere beloued sonne the like issue are you assured of with comforte in this life and eternall saluation in the life to come Thus leauing a more plentifull consolation vnto your godly friendes who dayly frequent you especially such as are preachers of the word and ministers of Gods grace I proceed to instruct you in that I iudge your body stādeth in neede of that howsoeuer hability faile in performāce of the offices of friendships on my part towards you my sincere affection and vnfayned loue vnto you may be at the least testified by my endeuour wherein if I be tedious partly it is of forgetfulnes of that consideration being ouercaried with desire to benefite you and partly bicause in your case I also comprehend the estate of many one at this day in like sort affected and afflicted who if they receiue any meanes of cōforte by this my trauaile they may be more beholding vnto my friēd M. pray for his release Thus my good M. you haue the testimonie of my good will in this part of counsell I confesse I am not so meet for it as your case requireth but so haue I discharged that office wherto the dutie of friendship bindeth me If my presence may supply the defect I will not faile you wherin anie part of mine abilitie may serue your wāts I will nowe proceede to the cure of your bodie whose disorder increaseth your heauinesse and ioyneth hand with this kind of temptation CHAP. XXXVII The cure of melancholy and howe melancholicke persons are to order them selues in actions of the mind sense and motion AS the ordinarie cure of all diseases helps of infirmities are to be begun with remouing of such causes as first procured the infirmitie except they be remoued of them selues through their nature neither stable nor permanent by succession of a contrarie cause of the same kinde euen so the first entry of restoring the melancholicke braine and heart to a better state of conceit and cheere is the remouing of such causes as first disturbed iudgement and affection or are therto apt with inducing of causes of contrarie operation The causes of all diseases are either breach of dutie and some errour cōmitted in the gouernment of our health or such accidentes as befall vs in this life against our wills and vnlooked for From the same also do arise the workes of melancholie whereof I intreate and you desire to be released Our diet consisteth not onely as it is commonly taken in meate and drinke but in whatsoeuer exercises of mind or bodie whether they be studies of the braine or affections of the hart or whether they be labours of the bodies or exercises only Besides vnto diet house habitation and apparel do belong which are causes of maintenance or ouerthrowe of health as they be affected To these also the order of rest and sleepe is to be added as a great meanes taken in due time and in conuenient moderation to preserue health or to cause sicknesse if otherwise it be taken immoderately too scant or disorderly Of the labours of the mind studies haue great force to procure melancholie if they be vehement and of difficult matters and high misteries therfore chiefly they are to be auoyded the mind to be set free from all such trauel that the spirits which before were partly wasted might be restored and partly employed vpon hard discourses may be released to the comfort of the hart and thinning of the bloud Besides such actions approching nigh vnto or being the verie inorganicall of the soule cause the mind to neglect the bodie whereby easily it becmometh afterward vnapt for the action and the humours skanted of the sweet influence thereof and spirit setle into a melancholie thicknesse and congele into that cold and drie humour which rayseth these terrours and discouragements Wherfore aboue all abandon working of your braine by any studie or conceit and giue your mind to libertie of recreation from such actions that drawe too much of the spirit and therby wrong the corporall mēbers of the bodie For in maintainance of health it is specially to be obserued that the employing of the parts either of mind or bodie with their spirite is to be carried with such indifferencie and discretion that the force which should be common to manie be not lauishly spent vpon any one Nowe studie of all actions both because it vseth litle help of the bodie in comparison of other and because the minde chieflie laboureth which draweth the whole bodie into sympathie wherby it is neglected as it were for a time and the most subtile purest spirits thereby are consumed is to be giuen ouer in the cure of this passion or if the affection can not be tempered wholly therefrom then such matter of studie is to be made choyse of as requireth no great contention but with a certaine mediocritie may vnbend that stresse of the minde through that ouer vehement action and withall carie a contentednesse thereto and ioy to the affection Nowe as all contention of the mind is to be intermitted so especially that whereto the melancholicke person most hath giuen him selfe before the passion is chieflie to be eschued for the recouerie of former estate and restoring the depraued conceit and fearefull affection For there if the affection of liking go withall both hart and braine do ouer prodigally spend their spirits and with them the subtilest partes of the naturall iuyce and humours of the bodie If of mislike and the thing be by forcible constraint layd on the distracting of the mind from the promptnes of the affection breedeth such an agonie in our nature that thereon riseth also great expeence of spirit and of the most rare and subtile humours of our bodies which are as it were the seate of our naturall heate the refiner of all our humours and the purifier of our spirites As that kind of studie wherein the melancholicke hath spent him selfe is to be auoyded or intermitted and one of a milder and softer kinde to be inferred in place thereof so much lesse anie straunge studie of difficultie and much trauell of the braine is to be taken in hand as it were to turne the minde into a contrarie bent For herein the straungenesse besides difficultie giueth cause of trauaile and toile vnto our nature so that both these extremities are to be eschued of you as most daungerous and hurtfull and the mind to be retired to such a tranquillitie as the naturall heate and spirits may haue free scope to attend vppon the corporall actions of preparing the bloud and thinning of the grosse iuice into a moderate substance as is according to good disposition of the bodie In studie I comprehend although
A TREATISE OF MELANCHOLIE CONTAINING THE CAVSES thereof reasons of the strange effects it worketh in our minds and bodies with the phisicke cure and spirituall consolation for such as haue thereto adioyned an afflicted conscience The difference betwixt it and melancholie with diuerse philosophicall discourses touching actions and affections of soule spirit and body the particulars whereof are to be seene before the booke By T. Bright Doctor of Phisicke ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier dwelling in the Black-Friers 1586. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL M. PETER OSBOVRNE c. OF all other practise of phisick that parte most cōmendeth the excellēcy of the noble facultie which not only releeueth the bodily infirmity but after a sort euen also correcteth the infirmities of the mind For the instrument of reason the braine being either not of well tempered substance or disordered in his parts all exercise of wisedome is hindred and where once vnderstanding lodged wit memorie quick conceit kept residence and the excellencie of man appeareth aboue all other creatures there vnconsiderate iudgement simplicitie foolishnes make their seat and as it were dispossessing reason of her watch tower subiecteth the nature of man vnto the annoyance of infinite calamities that force vpō vs in the course of this fraile life baseth it farre vnder the condition of brute beasts The heart the seate of affection and neither immoderate in temper nor in figure or quantitie otherwise disposed then is expedient for good action the seate of temperancie of iustice of fortitude and liberalitie dayly practice of phisicke sheweth how much it is disposed and framed to mediocritie of affection wherin vertue consisteth by such meanes as nature ministreth the phisitian hir great steward according to her will dispenseth where need requireth in so much that what reason bringeth to passe by perswasion and counsell that medicine and other helpes of that kinde seeme to worke by instinct of nature The dayly experience of phrensies madnesse lunasies and melancholy cured by this heauenly gift of God make manifest demonstration hereof The notable fruit successe of which art in that kinde hath caused some to iudge more basely of the soule then agreeth with pietie or nature haue accompted all maner affection thereof to be subiect to the phisicians hād not considering herein any thing diuine and aboue the ordinarie euents and naturall course of thinges but haue esteemed the vertues thē selues yea religion no other thing but as the body hath ben tempered and on the other side vice prophanenesse neglect of religion and honestie to haue bene nought else but a fault of humour For correcting the iudgemēt of such as so greatly mistake the matter and partly for the vse of many that may neede instruction and counsel in the state of melancholy affection of braine and hart wold haue both to satisfie their owne doubts and to answer the prophane obiections of others I haue taken this paines to confute the absurde errour of the one to satisfie the reasonable and modest inquiry of the other that seek to be enformed I haue layd open howe the bodie and corporall things affect the soule how the body is affected of it againe what the difference is betwixt natural melancholie and that heauy hande of God vpon the afflicted conscience tormented with remorse of sinne feare of his iudgement with a Christian resolutiō according to my skill for such as faint vnder that heauie burthen And that I might to the vttermost of my endeuor as other businesse wold permit me comfort thē in that estate most comfortles I haue added mine aduise of phisicke helpe what diet what medicine and what other remedie is meete for persons oppressed with melancholie feare that kind of heauinesse of hart I haue enterlaced my treatise besides with disputes of Philosophie that the learned sort of them and such as are of quicke conceit delited in discourse of reason in naturall things may find to passe their time with and knowe the grounds and reasons of their passions without which they might receaue more discomfort and greater cause of error This I haue deliuered in a simple phrase without any cost or port of words to a supposed frend M. not ignorant of good letters that the discourse might be more familiar then if it had caried other direction it otherwise would be Chaunge the letter and it is indifferent to whome soeuer standeth in need or shal make vse thereof I write it in our mother tong that the benefit how small soeuer it be might be more common as the practise of all auncient philosophers hath ben to write in their owne language their precepts whether concerning nature or touching maners of life to the end their countrey men might reape the benefite with more ease and seeke rather for sound iudgement of vnderstanding then for vaine ostentation of strange tongs which is also after a sort followed in translations so I tooke it meetest to impart these fewe poyntes of philosophie phisicke in English to the end our people as other natiōs do might acquaint them selues with some part of this kinde rather then with other friuolous discourses neither profitable to vse nor delectable to the vertuous and well disposed minde This my slender endeuour I dedicate to your name right worshipfull M. Osbourne to whom besides I am particularly beholdinge your good fauouring of vertue and learning in certaine of my acquaintance of the best marke hath moued me to geue this signification howe readie learning is to honor her fauorers she hath many daughters and they be all knit in loue betwixt thē there is neither enuie nor iealousie where one is honored and receiueth entertainment there all congratulate without detraction and euen as in a darke night one star breaking out of a thicke cloude though it be but small deliuereth a farre more cheerfull and comfortable light then if it shone with many in a cleere euening so this vertue hath the more grace beauty in you insomuch as almost all such planets haue a long time either bene whollie eclipsed or quite fallē out of their spheres to the great discōforte of such as trauaile in this kinde of night workes and busie thē selues at the lamps and are carefull to vpholde with perplexed studie the society of mankinde by learning and instruction There be a fewe that shine with you their honor grounded vpō vertue shal stād for euer the Muses and the Charites haue their names in perpetuall record and I a seruant of theirs in their names performe this duetie vnto you in this sorte as I haue declared Fare you well from litle S. Bartlemewes by Smithfield the 23 of May. 1586. A louer of your vertue T. Bright TO HIS MELANcholicke friend M. ALTHOVGH deare M. your letter full of heauines and vncomfortable plaintes hath in such sort affected me that as it faireth vvith a true harted friend your affliction dravveth me into
foode by certaine degrees and former apparations pertake of the same then seing the Mineralls feede the Vegetalls and the Vegetalls the Animalls let the experience of the Ostridge satisfie vs in this which reason misliketh not that euen a nutritiue iuice for some sorte of Animall may be foūd in yron and yet so that notwithstanding not all things are of like aptnes for such vse neither in generall as blood nor in particular as the more speciall food belonging to ech parte deriued from the blood And thus my friend M. to passe the tedious time with you you haue my opinion to this obiection As for the straunge nature of that kinde of people or famelie called Marsi and Psilli we may thus reasonably coniecture that either they had a nature of stronger temper then the ordinary sorte by which it was able to maister that poyson and all other or else by the custome of vsuall feeding on the flesh of aspes and vipers which they did vse they grewe into such familiarity with the poyson as the serpentes themselues which nature had with such poison so armed and this rather then that infamous refuge of propriety of substance which is asmuch to say as we knowe not This custome was also the only cause why the yong maid nourished with poyson faired with it as with other victuall for of purpose she was nourished from her infancie therwith that she might by frequēting the Kinges companie destroy him with infection which poyson being but an accidentary thing by custome is vanquished of a naturall essentiall vertue That poyson is but accidentall and not essentiall it appeareth by that in diuers kindes it is not in all of the same sorte nor alike in all partes of such natures as we count venemous as the wings of Cantharides and the bodies so contend in nature that the one helpeth where the other harmeth the weapon of Pastinaca and the fish the Scorpion and his stinge the vipers bitte and vipers flesh the base and foundation of Triacle the shrewmouse and her selfe dissected and applied to the wound which all argue the poyson not to be equallie mixed and therefore not essentiall againe in some places Scorpions are not hurtefull in some spiders in other some aspides the which if their nature did consist of poyson then could they not be otherwise neither receiue alteration by soile neither is this in animalls onelie but also in vegetalls as in Persea in Hemlockes in Napellus in the Vgh tree which in other some places carie with them certaine and assured perill and in other some are vtterly harmeles This custome being begunne in infancie made a greater familiaritie betwixt the damsells nature the poyson which as in ciuill manners it is more flexible in youth thē in processe of yeares so the disposition of nature fareth in like sort which most hartely embraceth that wherewith it is first acquainted but you wil say how could it haue first accesse and be entertayned of nature to whome it is so repugnant Thus we are to iudge in the case that they which first practised this straūge kinde of nourishing by litle and litle assayed nature and now and then gaue harte therunto by counterpoyson preseruatiues and so at the last being encouraged and farther strengthened it was able to ouercome that parte of the poyson which of it selfe was deadly and turne the other into familiar nourishment which by reason of acquaintāce through custome her nature brake which if it had ben all poyson then as it had bin whollie vnfit matter of nourishment so could shee not without daunger haue borne it one howre whereby it is manifest that with natures arte an apt matter of producing of nourishment must needes meete for her maintenance That which Cantharides offereth of doubt may be sufficiently resolued by that which hath bin said of Pastinaca The quailes feeding of Hēlock the other of neesing powder moue more difficult questions seing they make the poison holesome nourishment to themselues yeeld their bodies daintie dishes to our tables notwithstāding their poysoned foode Whereby it should seeme that poyson it self where a nature fitteth therewith may be matter of holesome nourishment for the satisfying of which obiection we are to consider euerie parte of that we take for nourishment is not alimentall but parte excrement and that the greatest parte as it appeareth by so manie alterations and purginges which the foode suffereth before it be receiued of the partes of the bodie for proper nourishment so therfore these birdes are not sustained with that which is poysonfull in their foode but alter it first and then passe it into superfluous excrement their substance being vtterly voide of the same and so becometh vnto vs holesome verie well but how is their nature able to vanquish that which is poyson seing it is not receiued of vs without present daunger Diuerse reasons thereof may be alleadged first it is not poison vnto them as we see some kindes of Aconites to kill dogges some Leopardes and some wolues and not offensiue to our creatures then that it may be by excessiue heate of the mawes of such birdes then cold poyson of Hemlock receiueth sufficient alteration to keepe of the perrill of poyson Whereto may also be added the reason of Galen that because the vaines passages of those birdes are straighte the poyson before it assaileth the hart in the way receiueth sufficient alteration especially Hemlock being so cold poyson and therefore slowe of passage in respect of it selfe and shutting vp and straightening of poores by which it passeth so to conclude this probleme we see the sentence standeth yet sure that nourishments are the matter of all humors and by consequence of Melācholie and although natures wonderfull arte appeareth in making as it may seeme in apparance one contrary to another yet doth it not so in deede but alwayes desireth conuenient matter to practise her naturall acte vpon and thus much to the obiections now to the questions themselues CHAP. V. Touching the questions propounded in the end of the second Chapter THvs much hath bene said to the obiectiōs now let vs declare at large to your fuller satisfying what I iudge most agreable to the truth in the questions and first whether some bodies do not turne good nourishment and of the purest sort into greater quantitie of melancholie then other some which question if we consider parted it may more clearly be decided that is first whether the same nourishment be not turned into more or lesse plentie of melancholie in other bodies then whether by anie qualitie of temper good and pure nourishment may yeeld an humour melancholicke To these questions first I aunswer affirmatiuely yet not impairing of the former truth set downe For all kinde of nourishment as it in part altereth the bodies so is it againe of them more altered then it altereth whereby melancholicke persons of the self same nourishment frame vnto them selues that which to them selues is agreeable
else could there be no nourishment without this altering vertue Why then say you it riseth not of the nourishment which was not melancholicke but of the nature nourished Not so for no nourishment is so pure that altogether it is voyd of melancholicke matter for then could it not be nourishment but notwithstanding it hath greater plentie of good nourishment then of grosse and melancholicke the similitude of nature refuseth the one and embraceth the other whereupon riseth this difference in nourishment the vitall being alone The second part of the former question receaueth the same answer with the first because no nourishment is so pure but it partaketh little or much with some part of melancholie For I do not take it that the part maketh the nourishment melancholicke which carieth no disposition thereunto but lusteth after that in the masse of victualles wherewith it hath greater familiaritie which to a melancholicke bodie is of an impurer disposition refusing that would serue more fitly for a better tempered complexion euen as we see oft by experiēce that the good complexion may be replenished with melancholicke bloud which appeareth by opening a vaine and yet the parties bodie nourished as the beautie of colour doth declare with that which is pure which melancholicke bloud rose of euill choice of diet rather then through fault of complexion nowe that part of nourishment that is pure cannot be altered in substance into another whereto it carrieth no proportion by mixture it may be defiled and become impure but neither can it be altered into that wherewith it hath no community more then grosse melancholicke and earthy nourishment can by any art of nature become aëry moderate and pure I meane the self same part of nourishment for so might all things in deede rise of euerie thing which would turne the excellent varietie of naturall things into vnitie As for Anaxagoras imagination of breeding things by separation onely this kind of diuerse matter which we require in nourishment ouerthroweth it neither are we to thinke generation of nourishment to be no other but as art worketh vpon her subiect for there is there no nature produced distinct in substance and essence but by an accidentall qualitie only produced by art And thus lest I be ouer tedious in this point you haue my answer to the questions and obiections before made concerning the nature of nourishing and preparation of humors and hitherto that hath bene sayd respecteth only melancholie as it is an humour in the bodie apt for nourishment of certaine partes more disposed to that then to any other portion of the bloud besides nowe touching the cause of increase and excesse of this humour CHAP. VI. Of the causes of the increase and excesse of melancholicke humour IT was declared that the quantitie of melancholie should be least in the iust tēper of bloud of all the other parts sauing choler which naturall proportion and rate when it exceedeth then is the bodie turned into a disposition melancholicke by humour although the cōplexion for a time hold entire which long can not endure more then the nature of that damsel which was nourished with poyson kept her ingenerated complexion but nature acquainting it selfe by moments and degrees with such kind of humour and hauing no choice of better is faine at length to embrace that which otherwise more gladly it would reiect The causes of excesse of this humour are diuerse and all except it be receaued from the parent spring from fault of diet and although chieflie meates and drinkes do yeeld matter to this humour yet besides the complexion inclining to such temper this matter is increased by perturbatiō of mind by temper of aire and kind of habitation and that humour which otherwise would yeeld a nutritiue iuyce of the best sort by this occasion is turned into these dregges of melancholie Here first I will declare vnto you such nourishments as are apt to engender those humours that in this present state you nowe stand in oppressed therewith knowing which they are that minister matter to this grosse iuyce you for your more speedie recouerie auoide them and with choice of better alter that which is amisse into a more cheerfull qualitie Nowe all nourishmentes that offende vs either do it by their owne nature or by some accidentarie cause befalling vnto them and likewise whatsoeuer becommeth vnto vs melancholicke But that you may more easilie vnderstand from whence all sorts of nourishments are taken I will set downe vnto you in a short viewe the kinds of them all and in euerie kind note vnto you that which of the owne nature is melancholicke You knowe all nourishmentes are either meate or drinke meates are taken either from vegetables or animalls the vegetables either minister vnto vs nourishment them selues or their fruit onely they are either of trees or herbs of trees the tender buds are eaten which because we do litle vse to feed of I passe ouer farther mention Of herbes we either feede of the root or such partes as rise therefrom and those roots are either round or long of neither sort do I remember anie greatly to be eschewed as melancholicke except rape rootes nauewes Such parts as rise from the root are vsed while they be tender and young or else sprung vp at the full of these kinds cole worts beete and cabages only ingender a melancholicke iuyce The fruites of vegetables are either of trees or herbes of fruits of trees quinces rawe medlers seruices dates oliues chesnuts and acornes are all melancholicke fruites of herbes are either graine or of other sort and those are either corne or pulse of corne sodden wheate is of a grosse and melancholicke nourishment and bread especiallie of the fine flower vnleauened of this sort are bag puddings or pan puddings made with flour fritters pancakes such as we call Banberie cakes and those great ones confected with butter egges c. vsed at weddings and howsoeuer it be prepared rie and bread made thereof carieth with it plentie of melancholie The pulses are wholy to be eschewed of such as are disposed to melancholie except white pease fruites of herbes of other sort then graine are purest from melancholicke excesse And thus of vegetables you vnderstand which you haue in this melancholicke respect to be auoyded The food which we take from the animals is either from them selues and from certaine of their wholesome excrements Such as yeeld them selues are either of the earth or of the water those of the earth haue great diuersitie of nourishment in their seuerall parts which are either spermaticall and those of white colour or sanguine of colour redde and bloudie The spermaticall partes may well be discharged of melancholicke iuyce as rather enclining to fleume Of the sanguine partes some are the brawnie parts which compasse the bones and are ordayned for voluntarie motion called muscles or else are of the inward partes and are of them selues destitute of motion The muscles which are subiect to
most motion as of the leggs yeeld more melancholie then partes which haue more rest Of the inwardes the milt is altogether melancholicke so the kidneyes the liuer the heart and with them all the carnels Bloud is melancholicke and whatsoeuer dish thereof is made Nowe all nourishments taken from the earth are either beastes or foule Of beasts these are of melancholike persons to be eschewed porke except it be yong and a litle corned with salt beefe ramme mutton goate bores flesh veneson neither is mutton of anie sort greatly commended of Galen Of foule some be water foule and some land The water foule are not of melancholicke persons to be tasted except the goosewings The land foule which are melancholicke are these feldfares thrushes sparowes martins turtles ringdoues quailes plouers peacockes c. and these haue you to eschew of nourishments of the earth Those of the water are fish either of the salt water and sea or of the fresh water Such as are of the sea are either of the monsters of the sea or such as more properly are to be called fish The mōsters are ceals purposes such like which all breed vnwholesome melancholicke nourishment The fish of the sea are either shell fish or destitute of such defence Of shell fish some are of harder shels as oysters periwincks muscles cockles such like of which ranke the oyster carieth with it least suspition of melancholy The softer shell or crustie are cray fish the crab the lobster the pūger such of the riuers like to these c. which all neede not to be excepted vnto you in order of your diet Such sea fish as carie no armor of shels are ether those that haunt the rocks or other parts of the sea The rocke fishes are most apt of all maner sea fish for melancholicke persons as the gilthead the whiting the sea perch c. Such as haunt other places are either keepers of the depth or aprochers nigh the sand shore Of such as keepe the depth either they haue the pooles or other places of the depth Of the poole fishes I remember not any greatly to be auoyded in choyce of your diet Of such as frequent other places of the depth these are melancholicke the dragon of the sea in forme like an eyle the cuckoe ling anie salt fish thornbacke and skate Of such as approch the shore I knowe none greatly to be auoyded Fresh water fish and of the riuer the lampray and the tench haue most plentie of melancholie And these are nourishments taken from the parts of the animals now their works are either excrements superfluities of their humors or other kinds of workes Of the first sort are milke from the beast and egges from the foule which the spawne of fish in a maner resembleth milke and what soeuer is made thereof is to be eschewed of melaneholie persons as cheese curdes c. the spaunes as roes of hearinges are to be eschued of you as nourishment of melancholie else I take none of that sort greatly to be feared in that respect Of other works of animals then excrements we feed only of honie which hath no melancholy dispositiō at al. Of drinks eschue red wine and what soeuer liquor beare ale or cider is not cleere well fined as also if it be tart and sower Hitherto haue you hearde of nourishmentes which of their owne nature are to be eschued nowe of those that by some accident and not of them selues are melancholicke as if they be too olde and verie leane or be long kept or ouer much salted whereby they become the drier and harder you are to refuse them Likewise if in the dressing of the nourishment it be ouermuch baked or rosted it is to be eschued To these belong salt fishe beefe and bacon and redde hearringes hard cheese and old Of drinkes newe wine beare or ale and on the contrarie part ouer stale and sower are to be eschued and of sauces those that be sharpe as veriuyce aliger or beareger vineger are chieflie to be auoided of melancholicke persons Thus do you vnderstand howe to vse your choice in meates and drinks and what to shunne as breeders of this thicke blacke and melancholicke humour Besides these the aire thicke and grosse is sit to entertaine this humor so that fumie marrish mislie and lowe habitations are hurtfull to persons disposed to melancholie likewise if it be dimme dark Wherfore the houses habitations of that sort are most vnmeete for such persons These hitherto are all such outward things melancholick whatsoeuer else breedeth melācholie is a disorderly behauiour of our owne parts in such actiōs as belonge to the gouernement of our health This behauiour is either in actions of motion or in order and manner of rest Our motion is either of mind or bodie Of actions of the minde ouer vehement studies and sadde passions do alter good nourishmentes into a melancholicke qualitie by wasting the pure Spirites and the subtillest parte of the blood and thereby leauing the rest grosse and thicke In like sorte do exercises either wholly intermitted or turned into an excessiue labour and wearying of the bodie the one causing the blood to be thicke through setling and the other by spending the bodie ouermuch drying it excessiuely Such also as giue themselues to inordinate sleepe therby further the encrease of melancholicke humours And these are all the causes whereby the matter of that humour is supplyed and the blood being of it selfe good is altered into that iuice whereof you complaine of abundance Now if to these you adde a nature of it selfe disposed thereto a splene not able either for feeblenes or obstruction to purge the blood of superfluitie of that iuyce then haue you all that may be said of the causes of this humour keeping within the compasse of nourishment CHAP. VII Of melancholicke excrementes THE melancholicke excrement is bredde of melancholie iuyce drawen of the milte out of the liuer by a braunch of the porte vayne wherewith being nourished it reiecteth the rest as meere excrementall and voydeth parte into the mouth of the stomach to prouoke appetite and hunger and passeth the other parte in some persones by hemerode vaynes into the siege It aboundeth there when it is hindered of such passage as nature requireth or else by feeblenes of the parte it is not able either to suck the melancholie from the blood or discharge it self into those passages which nature hath therto ordained This member of the whole bodie is the grossest and euill fauouredst to be held blacke of colour and euill sauorie of taste and giueth a manifest experience of natures desire alwayes to couet that whereto it is most like and so faireth the splene better with those muddy dreggs then it would with purer and finer blood which if it should be offered to other parts they would abstaine except great want forced them to take anie parte thereof These are the causes of
naturall melancholie both iuyce and excrement It remaineth next to shewe what that humour is which riseth of this or anie else corrupted called also by the name of melancholie CHAP. VIII VVhat burnt Choler is and the causes thereof THAT kinde of melancholie which is called Atra bilis riseth by excessiue heate of such partes where it is engendred or receiued wherby the humour is so adust as it becommeth of such an exulcerating and fretting qualitie that it wasteth those partes where it lighteth this most commonly riseth of the melancholie excrement before said and diuerse times of the other thicke parte of blood as also of Choler and salt fleame which take such heate partely by distemper of the bodie and partly by putrefaction that thereby a humor riseth breeding most terrible accidentes to the minde and painefull to the bodie which the melancholicke and grosse bloud doth more forcibly procure in that that anie heate the grosser the substance is wherein it is receaued the more fiercely it consumeth whereupon the seacole giueth more vehement heate then charcole and the cole then the flame and a cauterie of hote yron then a burning firebrand Otherwise choler being by nature of the hotest temper carieth with it more qualitie of heat then the other but by reason the substance of the humor is more subtle and rare the lesse it appeareth as the heat of a flame in comparison of the other more speedily passeth Hitherto haue I declared vnto you all the kinds of melancholy and causes of ech of them hereafter you shall vnderstand how they worke these fearefull effectes in the mind wherby the hart is made heauie the spirites dulled the cheerfull countenance altered into mourning and life it selfe which the nature of all thinges most desireth made tedious vnto persons thus afflicted CHAP. IX Howe melancholie worketh fearefull passions in the mind BEFORE I declare vnto you how this humor afflicteth the minde first it shall be necessarie for you to vnderstand what the familiaritie is betwixt mind and bodie howe it affecteth it and how it is affected of it againe You knowe God first created all things subiect to the course of times and corruption of the earth after that hee had distinguished the confused masse of things into the heauens the foure elements This earth he had endued with a fecunditie of infinite seeds of all things which he commaunded it as a mother to bring forth and as it is most agreable to their nature to entertaine with nourishment that which it had borne brought forth whereby when he had all the furniture of this inferiour world of these creatures some he fixed there still and maintaineth the seedes till the end of all things and that determinate time which he hath ordained for the emptying of those seedes of creatures which he first indued the earth withall Other some that is to say the animals he drewe wholly from the earth at the beginning and planted seede in them onely and food from other creatures as beasts and man in respect of his body the difference only this that likely it is mans body was made of purer mould as a most pretious tabernacle and temple wherin the image of God should afterward be inshrined and being formed as it were by Gods proper hand receaued a greater dignitie of beauty and proportion and stature erect therby to be put in mind whither to direct the religious seruice of his Creator This tabernacle thus wrought as the grosse part yeelded a masse for the proportion to be framed of so had it by the blessing of God before inspired a spirituall thing of greater excellencie then the redde earth which offered it self to the eye onely This is that which Philosophers call the spirit which spirit so prepareth that worke to the receauing of the soule that with more agrement the soule and bodie haue growne into acquaintance and is ordained of God as it were a true loue knot to couple heauen earth together yea a more diuine nature then the heauens with a base clod of earth which otherwise would neuer haue growen into societie and hath such indifferent affection vnto both that it is to both equally affected and communicateth the bodie and corporall things with the mind and spirituall and intelligible things after a sort with the bodie sauing sometimes by vehemencie of eithers actiō they seeme to be distracted and the minde to neglect the bodie and the bodie and bodilie actions common with other creatures to refuse as it were for a moment that communitie wherby it commeth to passe that in vehement contemplations men see not that which is before their eyes neither heare though noyse be at the ayre and sound nor feele which at other time such bent of the minde being remitted they should perceaue the sence of with pleasure or paine This spirit is the chiefe instrument and immediate whereby the soule bestoweth the exercises of her facultie in her bodie that passeth to and fro in a moment nothing in swiftnesse nimblenesse being comparable thereunto which when it is depraued by anie occasion either rising from the bodie or by other meanes then becometh it an instrument vnhansome for performance of such actiōs as require the vse therof and so the minde seemeth to be blame worthy wherein it is blamelesse and fault of certaine actions imputed thereunto wherein the bodie and this spirite are rather to be charged thinges corporall and earthly the one in substance and the other in respect of that mixture wherewith the Lord tempered the whole masse in the beginning And that you may haue greater assurance in reason of this corporall inclination of spirit consider how it is nourished and with more euidence it shal so appeare vnto you It is maintained by nourishments whether they be of the vegetable or animall kind which creatures affoord not only their corporall substance but a spirituall matter also wherewith euerie nourishment more or lesse is indued this spirit of theirs is as similitude of nature more nighly approcheth altered more speedely or with larger trauell of nature Of all things of ordinarie vse the most speedy alteration is of wine which in a moment repaireth our spirits and reuiueth vs againe being spent with heauinesse or any otherwise whatsoeuer our naturall spirites being diminished which bread and flesh doth in longer time being of slower passage and their spirites not so subtile or at least fettered as it were in a more grosse bodie and without this spirit no creature could giue vs sustentation For it is a knot to ioyne both our soules and bodies together so nothing of other nature can haue corporall coniunction with vs except their spirites with ours first growe into acquaintance which is more speedily done a great deale then the increase of the firme substance which you may euidently perceaue in that we are ready to faint for want of foode after a litle taken into the stomach of refreshing before any concoction can be halfe
reformed the strength returneth and the spirit reuiueth and sufficient contentment seemeth to be giuen to nature which notwithstanding not fully so satisfied prepareth farther the aliment of firme substance and spirits of purer sort for the continuall supply of those ingenerate for sence motion life nourishment Nowe although these spirites rise from earthly creatures yet are they more excellent then earth or the earthie parts of those natures from which they are drawne and rise from that diuine influence of life and are not of them selues earthie neither yet comparable in purenesse excellencie vnto that breath of life wherewith the Lord made Adam a liuing soule which proceeded not from any creature that he had before made as the life of beasts and trees but immediatly from him selfe representing in some part the character of his image So then these three we haue in our nature to consider distinct for the clearer vnderstanding of that I am to intreate of the bodie of earth the spirit from vertue of that spirit which did as it were hatch that great egge of Chaos the foule inspired from God a nature eternall and diuine not fettered with the bodie as certaine Philosophers haue taken it but handfasted therwith by that golden claspe of the spirit whereby one till the predestinate time be expired and the bodie become vnmeet for so pure a spouse ioyeth at and taketh liking of the other Nowe as it is not possible to passe from one extreme to an other but by a meane and no meane is there in the nature of man but spirit by this only the bodie affecteth the mind and the bodie and spirits affected partly by disorder and partly through outward occasions minister discontentment as it were to the mind and in the ende breake that bande of fellowship wherewith they were both linked together This affecting of the minde I vnderstand not to be any empairing of the nature thereof or decay of any facultie therein or shortning of immortality or any such infirmitie inflicted vpon the soule from the bodie for it is farre exempt from all such alteration but such a disposition and such discontentment as a false stringed lute giueth to the musician or a rough and euill fashioned pen to the cunning writer which only obscureth the shew of either art and nothing diminisheth of that facultie which with better instruments would fully content the eye with a faire hand satisfie the eare with most pleasant and delectable harmonie Otherwise the soule receaueth no hurt from the bodie it being spirituall and voyde of all passion of corporall thinges and the other grosse earthie and farre vnable to annoy a nature of such excellencie CHAP. X. How the bodie affecteth the soule IN this sorte then are you to conceiue me touching those actions which the bodie seemeth to offer violence to the soule in that no alteration of substance or nature can rise there from nor anie blemish of naturall facultie or decaye of such qualities as are essentiall vnto the soule otherwise might it in the end perish and destroy that immortall nature which can not by anie meanes decaie but by the same power which created it But thus onely doe as I may so call them passions force the soule eueÌ„ through the euill disposed instrument of the bodie they depraue the most excellent and most perfect actions whereto the soule is bent in the whole order of mans nature and by corruption of the Spirites which should be the sacred band of vnitie cause such mislike as the soule without that mediation disdaineth the bodies longer fellowship and betaketh it selfe to that contemplation whereto it is by nature inclyned and giueth ouer the grosse and mechanicall actions of the bodie whereto by order of creation it was allotted in the earthly tabernacle But you wil say vnto me experience seemeth to declare a further passion of the soule from the bodie then I mention for we see what issues bodelie thinges and the bodie it selfe driue our mindes vnto as some kinde of musicke to heauines other some to chearefulnes other some to compassion other some to rage other to modestie and other to wantonnes likewise of visible thinges certayne sturre vs to indignation and disdayne and other to contentednes and good liking In like manner certaine natures takeÌ„ inward moue vs to mirth as wyne and other to heauines some to rage furie and frensie and other some to dulnes heauines of spirite as certaine poysones in both kinds do manifest these passions vnto vs besides such as rise of our humours bredde in our owne bodies which may be reasons to one not well aduised so to mistake these effectes of corporall thinges as though the soule receiued farther impression not onely in affection but also in vnderstanding then I haue vnto you mentioned for satisfying of you in which doubtes you are diligently to consider what I shall declare concerning the seuerall actions of bodie soule and spirite and how each one of these performeth their actions which must be kept distinct for better vnderstanding of that I shall hereafter in this discourse lay open vnto you And first concerning the actions of the soule you remember how it was first made by inspiration from God himselfe a creature immortall proceeding from the eternall with whome there is no mortality The end of this creation was that being vnited to the bodely substance raised and furnished with corporall faculties from the earth commoÌ„ with other liuing creatures there might rise a creature of middle nature betwixt Angels beastes to glorifie his name This the soule doth by two kindes of actions the one kinde is such as it exerciseth seperated from the bodie which are contemplations of God in such measure as he is by naturall instinct opened vnto it with reuereÌ„t recognisaunce of such blessinges as by creation it is endued with Next vnto God whatsoeuer within compasse of her conceite is immortall without tediousnes or trauell and with spiritual ioye incoÌ„parable These actioÌ„s she is busied with in this life so long as she inhabiteth her earthly tabernacle neither in such perfection nor yet so freely as she doth seperated and the knot loosed betwixt her and the body being withdraweÌ„ by actions exercised with corporall instrument of baset sort These are the other kinde which the soule by the creators law is subiect vnto for the continuance of the creature and maintenance of the whole nature with dueties thereto belonging animall vitall naturall and whatsoeuer mixed requireth ioyntly â—ll three as this corporall praising of God for his goodnes and praying vnto him for necessities releeuing our brothers want and defending him from wrong with euerie ones seuerall vocation wherein his peculiar charge lyeth whether it be in peace or in warre at home or abroade with our countrymen or with straungers in our owne famelies or with our neighbours whether it be superiority of commaudement or duety of obedieÌ„ce which differ in degree as they be nigher or farther
partes of the body of which the humours are neither and so vtterly secluded of nature from any peculiar actiō to any vse of the body For that they are said to nourish it signifieth only a passiue disposition by which through our nourishing power they receiue the Character of our nature and are altered into the substance of the same they themselues giuing ouer their priuate actiō and submitting to the naturall concoctiue vertue which destroyeth all particularities of nourishment and bringeth them to that vniformity which our nature requireth Then while the body is in health the humors beare no sway of priuate action but it being once altered and they euill disposed and breaking from that regiment whereunto they should be subiect are so farre of from subiection to the disposition of our bodies and strength of our partes that they oppresse them and as it appeareth in simptomaticall euentes in sicknes dispise that gouernment wherto by natures law they stand bound Thus then I hold humours to be occasions of disorderly perturbations euen as they are meanes of deprauing the instrument of perturbation and turning it otherwise then nature hath disposed whose gouernment when it hath shaken of it affecteth vs two maner of wayes the one by the corporall substance whereby it annoyeth the corporall masse of bodies and complexion and breaketh out into soares Emposthumes or other such anoyances the other by a spirit which it possesseth either contrary altogether or diuerse at the least from ours wherewith many wayes it disturbeth the orderly actions weakneth the vigor of the same now both by substance and by spirite it altereth complexion where it preuaileth and thereby giueth greatest stroake to the organicall members Then seing all actions are performed both by spirite and corporall instrument and the humours exceeding the gouernment of nature and withdrawing themselues from subiection thereof affect vs both wayes spirite against spirite and corporall substance against his like we are to cōsider how by these two meanes our actions suffer through their disorder and where their operation taketh most place in working such phantastical perturbations wherewith we are deluded Of all partes of the body in ech perturbation two are cheifly affected first the brayne that both apprehendeth the offensiue or pleasaunt obiect iudgeth of the same in like sort and communicateth it with the harte which is the second part affected these being troubled carie with them all the rest of the partes into a simpathy they of all the rest being in respect of affection of most importance The humours then to worke these effectes which approch nigh to naturall perturbations grounded vpon iust occasion of necessity alter either brayne or hart if the brayne be altered and the obiect not rightly apprehended then is it deliuered otherwise then it standeth in nature and so the hart moued to a disorderly passion Againe though the brayne be without faulte and report delyuered to the hart sincerely yet that being distempered or altered in cōplexion by faulte of humour doth not aunswere in affection as the obiect requireth but more or lesse as the distemper misleadeth if both partes be ouercharged of humour the apprehension affection both are corrupted and misse of their right action and so all thinges mistaken ingender that confused spirite and those stormes of outragious loue hatred hope or feare wherewith bodies so passionate are here and there tossed with disquiet Now particularly the spirite of the humour being subtiler thinner and hoter then is meete maketh the apprehension quicker then it should be and the discretion more hasty then is meete for the vpright deliuery to the hart what to embrace or to refuse this causeth pronenes to anger when we are offended without cause commonly called teastines and frowardnes If the humour also with his spirite possesse the brayne then are these passions of longer continuance humour being of a more sollid nature then the spirite and so not easily dispersed which causeth fittes of such passiōs to be of longer continuance and thus the hart may be abused from the brayne not much vnlike as it falleth often out in communication of speach amongest vs a man of hasty disposition ready to aunswere and quick witted will make reply to that which should be said before the tale be halfe told whereby he faileth in his replication and aunswereth from the purpose which if he had bene first assured wherto to reply he should not haue missed This appeareth plaine in Cholericke persons or such as are disposed to anger such are offended where they haue no cause in truth but by mistaking and where they haue cause the vehemency of the apprehension and the suddēnes of the report from the brayne vnto the seate of perturbation inforceth double the passion especially when the hart is as flexible as the brayne is light then raungeth it into all extremity This commeth to passe not by any power of anger in the Cholerick humour but by reason the instrumentes are misordered either by vapour rising from that humour or the very substance of the same They are disordered in this sort through Choler The naturall spirit and complexiō of these partes become subtiler thinner and quicker proner to action then of their natures they should be through the heat which riseth of Choler and his spirit intermixed with ours by this mobility of vapour our spirit of a quieter and more stable disposition is either made more rare then is expedient for the vse of our bodies or else striuing as it were to subdue this bastard spirite and vnwelcome ghest can not giue that attendance vpon his proper duety which naturally it should and so the actions thereupon rise depraued and hauing wherwith it is encumbred within admitteth the cause of displeasure more easily which riseth abroad being an additiō to that which molesteth at home and these natures for the most parte are troubled with a Cholerick humour or fretting like to Choler about the mouth of the stomach which is of all the inward partes of quickest sense and feeling This causeth them especially fasting before the humour be mitigated and delayed with nourishment to be most prone to that angry passion The teasty waywardnes of sick persons such as are vexed with payne or feauer wherby the humors of the body become more fell maketh euident proofe hereof We see how small matters put them out of patience euery thing offendeth whereas in health the same occasions would litle or nothing moue The reason is because they measure all outward accidents by that they finde of discontentment within not that the humor that discontenteth is any instrument of passion or carieth with it faculty to be displeased but because it disquieteth the body and giueth discontentment to nature it is occasion why displeasures are made great and where there is no cause nature troubled within faireth as greatly displeased with that which outwardly should not displease the griefe within being added to an indifferēt thing without and drawing
according as the cause committed to them doth require The memory being thus fraight with perills past and embracing only through the braynes disorder that which is of discomforte causeth the fantasie out of such recordes to forge new matters of sadnes and feare whereof no occasion was at any time before nor like to be giuen hereafter to these fansies the hart answering with like melancholicke affection turneth all hope into feare assurance into distrust and dispaire ioye into discomforte and as the melancholie nature or bodie any waie corrupt defileth the pure and holesome nourishment conuerteth it into the same kinde of impuritie and as the fire of all kinde of matter giueth increase of heate whether it be wood stone metal or liquor so the body thus possessed with the vnchearefull and discomfortable darknes of melācholie obscureth the Sonne and Moone and all the comfortable planetts of our natures in such sort that if they appeare they appeare all darke and more then halfe eclipsed of this mist of blackenes rising from that hidious lake and in all thinges comfortable either curiously pryeth out and snatcheth at whatsoeuer of mislike may be drawen to the nourishment of it selfe or else neglecteth altogether that which is of other qualitie then foode and pasture of those monsters which nature neuer bred nor perfect since conceiued nor memorie vncorrupt would euer allow entertainement but are hatched out of this muddie humour by an vnnaturall temper bastard spirite to the disorder of the whole regiment of humane nature both in iudgement and affection Thus the hart a while being acquainted with nothing else but domestical terror feareth euery thing and the brayne simpathetically partaking with the hartes feare maketh doubt distrusteth suspecteth without cause alwayes standing in awe of grieuaunce wher with in time it be commeth so tender that the least touch as it were ones naile in an vlcer giueth discouragement thereto rubbing it vpon the gale exulcerate with sorow and feare neither only doubleth it sorrow vpon smal occasion but taketh it where none is offered euen as the Cholerick man feedeth his passiō with ridiculous causes of displeasure For first the generall being in al natures actions before the particular the heart by the braine solicited to passiō vsed to grief feare taketh the accustomed way of flight and auoydance abhorring fearing those thinges which of themselues are most amiable and gratefull at the first not being a duised whereto to apply the passion euen as one condemned to death with vndoubted expectation of execution fearing euerie knock at the prison doore hath horrour though the messenger of pardon with knock require to be admitted let in and euery messenger where daunger is feared though he come with cherefull countenance giueth cause of distrust when there may be assurance euen so the heart ouercome with inward heauines and skared with inward feares faireth as though whatsoeuer cause of affection and perturbation were minister of present griefe or messenger of future daunger by mistaking only and withdraweth it selfe and shroudeth it as secrete and closse as nature will suffer from that which if custome had not bent it another way vppon aduisement now banished through swiftnes and vehemēcy of passion it would haue with ioyful cheare embraced For euē as we se in outward sense the ey or the eare long and vehemently affected with colour or sound or the nose with strong sent retaine the verie colour sound and sent in the instrumentes though the thing be remoued that yeelded such qualities so the internall senses molested continually with this fearefull obiect of internall darknes esteemeth euery thing of that nature the true qualitie thereof being obscure by that which hath taken possession of thē before The brayne thus affected and the heart answering his passion thereafter driueth vs into those extremities of heauy moode which assaile and dispossesse of right vse of reason those who are melancholickly disposed much more if the heart be as melancholickly bent as the brayne then diuerse times doth it preuent the fancie with feare and as a man transported with passiō is vtterly bereft of aduisemēt causeth the senses both outward inward preposterously to conceiue as the heart vainely feareth This melancholy as the parts are diuerse actions vary so doth it as it is seated or passeth this or that way breed diuersity of passion as in the heart a trembling in the stomach a greedy appetite in the brayne false illusions and in the other partes as they are disposed so deprauing their actions it causeth much variety of effects which are not in the nature of the humor but as it disturbeth the actiue instrumentes no more then darknes causeth some to stūble other some to go out of their way wander other some to bringe to passe such purposes as light would bewray hinder alas they be disposed occupied which take thē to their busines in the dark not through any such effectuall operatiō of darkenes which is naught else but meere absence of light Neither doth so many straunge sortes of accidentes follow melācholie through diuersity of parts only but as the custome of life hath bene before the fancie heart some way vehemently occupied there through this humour all the faculties afore named are carried the same way as it were with the streame of a tide driuen with a boysterous wind which causeth that melancholicke men are not all of one nature passionate this way the one taking his dolorous passion from his loue another from his wealth the other frō his pleasures whereof his melancholie beareth him in hand the present losse or imminent daunger of that wherein affection in former times had surest footing on the other part which before a man most abhorred that nowe that humor vrgeth with most vehemencie Againe as it is mixed with other humours either keeping mediocrity or abounding so likewise breaketh it forth into such diuersities manie times into plaine contrarieties of conceit and perturbation Thus you vnderstand howe feares and sorowes rise without cause from naturall melancholie whether it be iuyce or excrement not through chiefe action as from worke of facultie but by abuse of instrument through occasion If the spleneticke excrement surcharge the bodie not being purged by helpe of the splene then are these perturbations farre more outragious and harde to be mitigated by counsell or perswasion and more do they enforce vs the partes being altered with corporall humour then with spirituall vapour and so are the passions longer in continuance and more extreeme in vehemencie For as the flame carrieth not such force of burning as the cole neither contayneth the heate so longe euen so the partes affected with the humour which carrieth both grossenesse of substance with continuall supplie of that dimme vapour settleth a more fixed passion of feare and heauinesse then that which riseth from the vapour onely partly of the owne accorde more easily vanishing and partly with
greater facillitie wasted by natures strife and resistance Nowe it followeth to declare howe the other vnnaturall melancholy annoyeth with passions abuseth vs with coūterfet cause of perturbation whereof there is no ground in truth but onely a vaine and fantasticall conceit CHAP. XVIII Of the vnnaturall melancholie rising dy adustion how it affecteth vs with diuerspassions BEsides the former kindes there are sortes of vnnaturall melancholie which I call so rather then the other bicause the other offendeth onely in qualitie or quantitie these are of another nature farre disagreeing from the other by an vnproper speech called melancholy They rise of the naturall humors or their excrements by excessiue distēper of heate burned as it were into ashes in comparison of humour by which the humour of like nature being mixed turneth it into a sharp lye sanguine cholericke or melancholicke according to the humour thus burned which we call by name of melancholie This sort raiseth the greatest tempest of perturbatiōs and most of all destroyeth the braine with all his faculties and disposition of action and maketh both it the hart cheere more vncomfortably and if it rise of the naturall melancholy beyond all likelihood of truth frame monst ous terrors of feare and heauinesse without cause If it rise of choler then rage playeth her part and furie ioyned with madnesse putteth all out of frame If bloud minister matter to this fire euery serious thing for a time is turned into a iest tragedies into comedies and lamentation into gigges and daunces thus the passion whereof the humour min streth occasion by this vnkindly heate aduaunceth it selfe into greater extremities For becomming more subtile by heate both in substance spirit it passeth more deeply into all the parts of the instrument it selfe and is a conueyance also to the humour of the same kind making away for naturall melancholie wherewith it is mixed into the verie inward secrets of those instruments wherof passions are affected euen hart and braine Thus affected you haue men when desperate furie is ioyned with feare which so terrifieth that to auoid the terrour they attempt sometimes to depriue thē selues of life so irksome it is vnto them through these tragicall conceits although waighing and considering death by it self without comparison and force of the passion none more feare it thē they These most seeke to auoyde the society of men and betake them to wildernesses and deserts finding matter of feare in euery thing they behold and best at ease when alone they may digest these fancies without new prouocations which they apprehende in humane societie If choller haue yeelded matter to this sharpe kind of melnncholie then rage reuenge and furie possesse both hart and head and the whole bodie is caried with that storme contrarie to persuasion of reason which hath no farther power ouer these affections then by way of counsell to giue other direction whereof the hart it selfe is destitute and taking these discomfortes of the credit of the senses according thereto it applieth it selfe working and disposing the ingenerate wisedome it is indued with vnto these particulars which the corporall instruments corruptly offer vnto it which ministreth doubt and question to some not well aduised in this point whether reason it selfe be not impaired by these corporall alterations and the immortall impatible mind hereby suffreth not violēce which is farre otherwise if we duly way the matter For the mad man of what kinde soeuer he be of as truly concludeth of that which fantasie ministreth of conceit as the wisest onely therein lieth the abuse and defect that the organicall parts which are ordained embassadours notaries vnto the mind in these cases falsifie the report and deliuer corrupt recordes This is to be helped as it shall be declared more at large hereafter by counsell only sincerely ministred which is free from the corruptions of those officers and deliuereth truth vnto the mind wherby it putteth in practise contrary to these importunate and furious sollicitors This furie is bred because choler thus adust getteth a greater egernesse of qualitie and molesting the inward parts and toyling the spirits ingendreth a greater inwarde disquiet and discontentment then cruder choler doth procure The third sort is of merie melācholie which riseth of the bloud ouer heated in such sort as I haue declared Of all the rest of humours bloud is most temperat and mild of disposition and comforteth the bodie as hath bene mentioned whose substaunce receauing that burning heat whereof riseth the third kind of this vnnaturall melancholie procureth it to be of a nature quicke and fresh and indueth it with a spirite of a nature somewhat more itching and as it were of a tickling qualitie then bloud it selfe For of it selfe being if it be pure and perfect nutsweete or milkesweete by this heate becommeth first suger or hony sweet which hath more force of affecting and obtayneth a more subtile and quicke spirit afterward by operation of heate this sweetnesse is conuerted into a mild saltnesse voyd of fretting which tickling and itching in these melancholicke bodies cause them rather to be giuen to a ridiculous and absurd meriment then a sound ioye of hart and comfortable gladnesse which forceth them into laughter somtimes that without ceasing to the tyring and wearying of their bodies no perswasion of reason is able to call them to more sobrietie We may see in boyling of milke what sweetnesse is procured vnto it thereby howe hony much boyled becometh salt bitter such is the force of heat in bloud that it turneth that milke sweet tast into hony sweet and that into a gentle itching brackishnes whereby the melancholicke bodies being as it were tickled render from their foolish fantasie and false liking of the hart many absurd and ridiculous gestures and speeches and as farre altered this way as the melancholick on the other side snatch at smal occasions or none at all ofttimes of answering this fond humor in outward lightnesse of gesture countenance Thus you heare in what sort the humoures seeme to affect the mind euerie one singled and keeping apart from his other fellowe humours which as they be tempered with the other naturall or compounded together with one or twaine of the like vnnaturall sortes of melancholie make many distinctions and differences of melancholie passions as some more sadde the other some more merie some quieter other some more prone to rage and furie and as the humors haue their courses as for the yeare bloud in the spring choller in sommer melancholie in autumne fleume in winter for the houre according to Soranus Ephesius opinion bloud from three of the clocke in the morning till nine of the same day choler from nine of the morning till three at after noone melancholie frō 3. at after noone till nine at night and fleume from nine at night til the third of the morning I say if a man obserue all these varieties by mixture and season
meet forced to the stoole they haue plaits ouerthwart as is to be seene in the inwardes of beasts which the drie excrement more hardly passeth ouer Againe such as are enclined to one excesse of humour are for the most part lesse prone to another especially if it hath any contrarie qualitie so melancholie exceeding through the cooling of the temper therewith lesse plenty of choller is engendred which choler nature serueth her selfe of for a naturall clyster of the intrailes and guts both to scoure them and with bitternesse to stir vp more readily the naturall excretion Of this humour then melancholicke persons possessing but small portion and the excrement of it selfe grosse dry stayeth longer in the passage then nature without annoyance may well beare and this is the cause why melancholicke persons are for the most part encumbred with costiuenesse especially if they be leane with all as hardly are they otherwise and want that natural basting of fat which some haue more then sufficient then is this hardnesse of stoole much more increased The nourishment thus deliuered of this excrement in the liuer is turned into bloud of white by farther processe of heat is made red In passing of this triall it yeldeth two excrements the one cholericke and the other melancholicke while it remaineth in the liuer and before it be yet passed into the vaines the cholericke is in her quantitie except the meates and drinkes of them selues do minister greater store of that matter else their bodies are vnapt for generatiō of that humour the melancholie is in great aboundance by reason of the inclination of the complexion thereunto want of pure refining in the liuer the aboundance wherof is such that it passeth downe from the splene with grosse and melancholie iuyce into the Hemerodes and deliuereth of pleurisies phrensies and madnesse wherto the melancholickes are subiect if their flowe be not too sparing This aboundance and thicknesse causeth their splene to swell which is sayd therefore to procure laughter because it draweth and sucketh the melancholicke excrement and purgeth that humour which hath ben before declared to breed so many fearful passiōs and breedeth stoppings whereby it defileth the whole supply of the humors The bloud now discharged of the liuer possessed of the vains yet leaueth another excremēt more liquid thinne then the rest this nature disburdeneth it selfe of by the vertue of the reins whose office is to suck out that thinne humour to distill it into the bladder frō whence after a while nature remēbred therof either by quantity heat or sharpnes deliuereth it quite out of the body This excrement is not plentifull in melancholicke persons but of colour white by reason of colde and litle stained for want of choler thicke of substance according to the bloud frō whence it is drawne The bloud thus purified and deliuered of so manie superfluous excrements in the ende passeth from the great into the small vaines and from the small into the priuate poores of euery member and by diuerse degrees at the length receaueth the similitude of our nature by the complexion of euerie part and is vnited in all respectes vnto our natural substance In this degree of natures worke sundrie superfluities arise partly common to all partes and partly priuate to certaine The common is sweat wherof melancholicke persons are spare through drinesse and sweat requiring heate working vpon a moisture which both faile in the melancholicks For want of sufficient heate they are not much annoyed that way neither doth the humours of their bodies grosse of substance deliuer ready matter therunto The other vniuersall kind is a kinde of insensible steme which breatheth cōtinually frō our bodies appeareth on a mans shirt though he haue not sweat soiled it This melancholick men haue more foule then the other estates of bodie and deliuer more plentie especiallie if their bodies be chafed with exercise for not hauing free passage otherwise for causes before mentioned it setleth about the skinne more aboundantly and vppon exercise which openeth the poores rarisieth the bodie maketh plaine an outward shewe The particular excrements especially worth noting are that voyde from our head stomach and chest From the head melancholicke men haue abundance by reason of the stomaches cruditie whose vapors it congeleth or gathereth into rhewme and distilleth it into the mouth From the stomach it riseth by the graine of the throte as you see moisture rise from the water pot by a clout in watering of millions cucumbers The longes voide not much although through want of heate it gathereth of crude excremēt in those parts thicker with lesse sense of heat then moderate These be the accidents which fall vnto melancholicke persons thus procured if any haue bene omitted either they be such as are of no moment to be knowne or the reason of them is easily rendred frō that which hath of the rest bene shewne neither was my purpose in precise manner to deliuer these points vnto you as they are to be taught in a schoole of Philosophy but only to giue you a tast of thē for better vnderstanding of your present state and discharge of that duetie of friendship which your request layeth vpon me in this melancholicke theme This far I haue proceeded in my discourse philosophically in laying the whole case of melancholie so far as my skill in nature extēdeth before you as the first part of your desire pretended hereafter as the order of your request prescribeth you shal haue mine opinion of that affection which riseth vpon horror and conscience of sinne with feare feelingof Gods reuenging hand against the same whether it be any part of melancholy or not whether melancholick persons are subiect most therunto what aduantage Satan taketh in this case by the frailtie of the bodie with such other doubts as your letter ministred vnto me in the end my counsell and comfort and what direction else my phisicke help wil afford for restoring you to the former estate of your body fallen in decay through this humour and to that tranquillitie of minde and those comfortes of Gods grace which before this temptation assayled you you ioyed in and was able to minister comfort vnto others afflicted with like distresse and so commit the successe of this my labour to the blessing of God and referre my louing indeuour to that friendly acceptatiō wherwith you are wont to value the slender offices of great good will vnto you CHAP. XXXII Of the affliction of conscience for sinne OF all kinds of miseries that befall vnto man none is so miserable as that which riseth of the sense of Gods wrath and reuenging hand against the guiltie soule of a sinner Other calamities afflict the body and one part only of our nature this the soule which carieth the whole into societie of the same miserie Such as are of the bodie although they approch nigher the quicke then pouertie or want of necessaries for
fancy ouertaken with gastly sumes of melācholy and the whole force of the spirite closed vp in the dungion of melancholy darkenes imagineth all darke blacke and full of feare their heartes are either ouertender and rare so easily admitte the passion or ouer closse of nature serue more easily to imprison the chearefull spirites the causes of comforte to the rest of the bodie whereby they are not in one respect only fainte harted and full of discourage but euerie smal occasion yea though none be they are driuen with tide of that humour to feare euē in the middest of security Here it first proceedeth frō the mindes apprehension there from the humour which deluding the organicall actions abuseth the minde and draweth it into erronious iudgement through false testimony of the outward reporte Here no medicine no purgation no cordiall no tryacle or balme are able to assure the afflicted soule and trembling heart now painting vnder the terrors of God there in melancholy the vayne opened neesing powder or bearefoote ministred cordialls of pearle Saphires and rubies with such like recomforte the heart throwne downe appaled with fātasticall feare In this affliction the perill is not of body and corporall actions or decay of seruile and temporall vses but of the whole nature soule and body cut of from the life of God and from the sweet influence of his fauour the fountaine of all happines and eternall felicity Finally if they be diligētly cōpared in cause in effect in quality in whatsoeuer respect these vnreuerent and prophane persons list to match them they shall appeare of diuerse nature neuer to be be coupled in one felowship as more particularly shal be shewed hereafter The cause here is the seuerity of Gods iudgement summoning the guilty consciēce the subiect is the sinnefull soule apprehending the terror thereof which is not momentary or for a season but for euer and euer the issue of this affliction is eternall punishment satisfactory to the iustice of the eternall God which is endlesse and whose seuerity admitteth no mediation neither that extended to one ioynte sinue or vaine but to all neither that of the body only but of the soule whose nature as it is impatible of all other thinges and of all other thinges in greatest peace assurance and tranquillitye so once shaken by the terrours of Gods wrath and blasted with that whirlewinde of his displeasure falleth and with it driueth the whole frame of our nature into extreame miserie and vtter confusion so farre they are abused who iudge these cases as naturall and such is the calamity of those whom the prophane ones of this world propound vnto themselues as matter of scoffe and derision laboring by al meanes to benumme the sense of that stinge which sinne euer carrieth in the tayle what pretence so euer it sheweth of right profit or pleasure in face of outward appearance to delude the foole simple in his wayes skillfull to do euill sottish in the pathes of righteousnes and vtterly ignorant of her rule and wherein nature giueth some sparke of light more distinctly to discerne euen there with corruption of affection like to stubburne vnbroaken horse shaketh of reason dispiseth her manage and layeth the noble ryder in the dust In respect of you my deare M. I know this discourse were superfluous who standeth in neede of salue to the sore and beareth not the least touch of this gale but because my purpose in this labour is not only to informe and to comforte you but also for the instruction of others beare with this and passe it ouer as not belonging vnto you but to the foole of whome Solomon speaketh that followeth wickednes like an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes for correction and as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that he is in daūger Touching your particular estate that you may iudge thereof more sincerely you are to esteeme of it as mixed of the melancholick humour and that terror of God which as it is vpon the wicked an entrance into their eternall destructiō so vnto you it is as I shall hereafter at large make proofe a fatherly frowning only for a time to correct that which in you is to be reformed and an admonition of farther circumspection in your wayes and course of life hereafter For the first pointe you may remember your swolne splene with windnes and hardenes vnder the left ribbes the hemeroydes not flowing according to their vsuall manner the blacknes and grossenes of that blood which hath ben taken from you vpon occasion your dreames ordinarily fearefull your solitarines and exceeding sadnes with almost all kinde of accidentes which accompanie melancholy For the other part whereof most you complaine the manner leadeth me to iudge thereof otherwise then naturall both because such is indeede the feare terror of God sent vpon man and no effect of any creature or cause besides as also because the obiect or mouing cause is in reason and cleare vnderstanding voide of all abuse of fancy such as of necessity inforceth these lamentable effects which your soule feeleth desireth the release of vpon you the crosse falleth more heauily in so much as you are vnder the disaduantage of the melancholicke complexion whose opportunity Sathan embraceth to vrge all terror against you to the fall But remember that he who hath redeemed vs passed vnder these feares hath sanctified them to his redeemed and according to his example who was heard in that which he feared when in the dayes of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strōg crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death so follow him in hope and patience who hath obtained the victory not for him selfe onely but for all such as in like temptation depend vpon him To the end my labour may giue you a more perfect direction in this heauy case what is naturall and what is according to the good pleasure of God in the other distresse aboue nature I will make particular distinction of both in the Chapter following to your clearer vnderstanding CHAP. XXXIIII The particular difference betwixt melancholy the distressed conscience in the same person VVHatsoeuer molestation riseth directly as a proper obiect of the mind that in that respect is not melancholicke but hath a farther ground then fancie and riseth from conscience condemning the guiltie soule of those ingrauen lawes of nature which no man is voide of be he neuer so laborous This is it that hath caused the prophane poëts to haue fained Hecates Eumenides and the infernall furies which although they be but fained persons yet the matter which is shewed vnder their maske is serious true and of wofull experience This taketh nothing of the body nor intermedleth with humour but giueth a direct wounde with those firie dartes which men so afflicted make their mone of Of this kinde Saule was possessed to whom the Lord sent an
vrgeth and alwayes carieth a passiō therwith aboue the harts affection euen the entry of those torments which cānot be cōceaued at full as our nature now stādeth nor deliuered by report Here in this passion the cause is not feare nor passionate griefe but a torment procuring these affections and euen as the punishment of bodily racking is not the passion of the hart but causeth it only so the hart fareth vnder this sore of the mind which here properlie fretteth and straineth the sinnes of the soule wherefrom the heart taketh his grieuous discouragement and fainteth vnder Gods iustice Hitherto you haue described that which your soule feeleth not to instruct you but that other may more truly iudge of the case and the distinction betwixt melancholy it may be more apparant CHAP. XXXV The affliction of mind to what persons it befalleth and by what meanes ALthough no man is by nature freed frō this affliction in so much as all men are sinners and being culpable of the breach of God lawes incurre the punishment of condemnation yet is the melancholicke person more then any subiect therunto not that the humor hath such power which hath before bin declared to stand far a loofe of such effect but by reason the melācholicke person is most doubtfull iclous of his estate not only of this life but also of the life to come this maketh him fall into debate with him selfe to be more then curious who finding his actions not fitting the naturall or written line of righteousnesse wāting that archpiller of faith assurance in Christ Iesus our hope partly thorough feare findeth the horror and partly if it please God so far to touch feeleth the verie anguish due vnto the sinner in that most miserable condition falleth into flat dispaire This commeth to passe when the curious melancholy carieth the minde into the senses of such misteries as exceed humayne capacity and is desirous to know more thē is reuealed in the word of truth or being ignorant of that which is reuealed thorough importunate inquirie of a sudden falleth into that gulfe of Gods secret counselles which swalloweth vp all conceit of man or angell and measuring the trueth of such depth of misteries by the shallow modill of his owne wit is caught deuoured of that which his presumptuous curiositie moued him to attempt to apprehend Of melancholy persons especially such as are most contemplatiue except they be well grounded in the word of God remoue not one haire therfrom in their speculations are this wayes most ouertaken receaue the punishment of ouer-bold attēpt of those holy things which the Lord hath reserued to his owne counsell while they neglect the declared truth propounded for rule of life and practise in written wordes reuealed not remembring the exhortation of Moyses to the children of Israell the secrets are the Lords but the reuealed will appertaineth to vs our children And this in mine opinion is one cause wherefore melancholicke personnes are more prone to fall into this pitte then such as are in their organicall members otherwise affected Nowe contemplations are more familiar with melancholicke persons then with other by reason they be not so apt for action consisting also of a temper still and slowe according to the nature of the melancholie humour which if it be attenuated with heate deliuereth a drie subtile and pearcing spirite more constant and stable then anie other humour which is a great helpe to this contemplation As the melancholicke is most subiect to the calamitie before mentioned and especially the contemplatiue so of them most of all such whose vocation consisteth in studie of hard pointes of learning and that philosophicall especially of Nature haue cause in this case to carie a lowe saile and sometime to strike and lay at the anker of the Scriptures of God lest by tempest of their presumption they be caried into that whirle poole whereout they be in daunger without the especiall grace of Gods mercie neuer to deliuer them selues Such except they be well ballaced with knowledge of the Scriptures and assurance of Gods spirite are neuer able to abide the ouglinesse of their sinnes when they shall be once vnfolden and the narrowe point of reprobration and clection propounded vnto their melancholicke braines and hearts and most miserale polluted soules vnacquainted with Gods couenaunt of mercie and that earnest of his fauour the comfortable spirit of his grace Of such as haue some knowledge in the worde and practise of obedience the want of the true apprehending of gods reuealed wil touching election and reprobation and the right method of learning conceauing the doctrine causeth some to stumble and fall at this stone For as a sworde taken at the wrong end is readie to wound the hand of the taker held by the handle is a fit weapon of defence euen so the doctrine of predestination being preposterously conceiued may through fault of the conceiuer procure hurt whereas of it selfe it is the most strong rocke of assurance in all stormes of tēptations that can befall vnto bodie or soule The one part of predestination is Gods immutable will the cause and rule of all iustice and vttermost of all reason in his workes the other part is the execution of that will according to mercie or iustice sauing or condemning with all the meanes thereto belonging Christ Iesus in those of whom the Lorde will shewe mercie and the iust desert of a sinner on whome he is determined to shewe the iustice of his wrath If this most comfortable doctrine and the firme ancher of our profession be not in all partes equally apprehended we may not onely misse the benefite therof through our owne fault but receiue wounde and daungerous hurte thereby For if the consideration be bent vpon Gods will and counsel only without respect of the means it is impossible but the frailty of mans nature must needes be distracted into diuerse perilous and desperate feares finding nothing in it selfe that may answere his iustice and withstand the fearefull sentence of condemnation if it stay in the meanes of his iustice only and haue not eye vpon his mercy in his sonne Christ then likewise ariseth an assurance of eternall destruction to the consciēce defiled and the guilty soule deformed with iniquity if the meanes of his mercy be regarded without farther respect of his eternall decree and immouable iustice then is there also no assurance of his mercy vnto miserable man who melteth like snow and vanisheth like a vapour before his iustice and doubting of the continuance of his fauour alwayes hangeth in suspence All these considerations thus seuerally falling into the melancholick person moue doubt and care and either breed a resolute desperatnes or a continuall distrust tossing hither and thither the soule not established by knowledge and faith in Gods eternall counsell the most wise iust and mercifull meanes of his execution which being perfectly knowne according to the word
of that kinde of frailty giue comforte vnto you in your case although in an other kinde yet in this respect not vnlike We haue experiēce how diuerse times the desease preuaileth ouer the sicke persons that actions faile and faculties seeme quite to be spent neither hand nor foote is able to do their duetie the eye is dimme the hearing dull the tast altered and the tounge distasteth all things eue of most pleasant relish and the weak and feeble pacient seemeth to attend the time of dissolution when yet notwithstanding there remaineth a secret power of nature and a forcible spark of life that ouercōmeth all these infirmities and consumeth them like drosse rendereth to the body a greater purity firmenes of health then before the sicknes it did enioy Euen so esteeme of the spirituall case and consider that your soule is sicke and not dead and faith is assailed but not ouercome only haue patience to attend the finishing of this secret worke which passeth all conceite and capacity of man and you shall see these burning feauers of temptations to be slaked and cooled by the mercy and grace of Christ and that sparke of faith which lieth now hidde and ouerwhelmed with heapes of temptation and seemeth to be vtterly quenched to breake forth againe and to consume these straunge causes of the desease of the soule and as nature after a perfect crise dischargeth her self either by stoole vomite sweat or bleeding or such like euacuations to the recouerie of former health so shall you feele all these doubtes and feares and terrors remoued and strength of faith restored with such supply as it shall be able to make euident proofe what secrete vertue laye hid and yet not idle in all this vncomfortable plight which offereth you temptation of dispaire Seing then that you are yet but vnder the conflict and not ouercome haue good cheare in the succession which as in Christ it is victorious ouer head so are we his parts members to looke for the same crowne of glory who both ouercome in him through him in our selues shall in the ende be possessed of the victory and receiuethe crowne of immortality As for that which your owne conceit corrupted by melancholy perswadeth you wherin Sathan is busie and omitteth no oportunity giue no credite thereunto but as it is so esteeme it a delusion which time will discouer and lay open as you your selfe shall hereafter most planly discerne I graunt you the temptation it selfe though your body were free from this infirmity is of the greatest kinde such as doth not skirmish only lightly vpon our soules but setteth the maine battaile against our most happy estate in so much as it forced our Sauiour to cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me But what then are we therefore to be discouraged no no here appeareth rather the aboundance of Gods grace and the mightie supporte of his power which euen in the middest of hel preserueth his and suffereth not so much as their garments to take any smell of the flame but euen from thēce is able to raise them to his celestiall kingdome place them which his sonne in the throne of glory And if you dewly consider the price of our redemption how prerious it was how it could not be obtayned without shedding of the most pretious heartblood of the sonne of God you must thinke the quarrell to be no other to the ende but a matter of blood of strife of sweate of feare of ielousie and whatsoeuer affection goeth with affecting a glorious triumph in all the mēbers of Christ both inwardly and outwardly in the spirite and in the body as our head himselfe could finde in dispensation though he sued vnto his father therefrom with aboundance of tears and thinke that it is Gods busines we are in hād with and that we are inabled of him and accōpt not these smal venies of Satā for deadly woūdes which are no thing other but practises and exercises of the spirituall courage and circumspection and introductions to that vse of the whole armour of God where against no force of the enemy shall preuaile though the attempt seeme to be full of perill terror But you say you feele small strength of faith no support of that hope which maketh not ashamed Beware least you iudge vniustly of the wayes of God esteeme that for small which is great and vile which in the sight of God is most pretious For herein the ennemy may take encouragement to your great disaduantage You feele not that taste thereof you sometimes felt and do you iudge therefore you are bereued vtterly thereof what consider the soule is now sick distestaeth much wholesome meate of consolation and loatheth many pleasaunt and fragraunt cuppes of comfort and counsell and yet the indeuours of Gods childre in this behalfe and the sweete waters of heauēly comfort are not therefore of themselues bitter or vnsauory so you are not to measure the absence of this grace by that you presently but by that in times past while the soule stoode free from this disease of tēptation trial you haue felt of comfort in the spirite through an acceptable measure of faith according to the dispensation of Gods grace and not according to our fancy but as he shal think meete to be ministred vnto vs. Neither is the tryall of faith only to be taken according as the soule feeleth it in it selfe but also and sometimes as in such temptations as these wherein you now trauaile onely by the course and trade of life which hath passed before and those fruites which are euident to the eye of others who can iudge more sincerely then the afflicted whose vnderstandinges are somewhat altered through Sathans terrors But againe you say the course of life past and your estate present hath nothing aunswered the holines of your vocation and that sinceritie the Lord requireth so that here also the comforte faileth you What then are you therefore reprobate No but it argueth want of faith not so but place for farther increase of faith and the fruits thereof Those whome the Lord hath chosen to be his worshipers and hath redeemed and consecrated holy to himselfe and prepared good workes for them to walke in they be his plantes and ingraffed oliue braūches in his sonne which take not their full perfection at once but accorglorie And if you duly consider the price of our redemption how pretious it was how it could not be obtained without shedding of the most pretious hart bloud of the Sonne of God you must thinke the quarrell to be no other to the ende but a matter of bloud of strife of sweate of feare of ielousie and whatsoeuer affection goeth with affecting a glorious triumph in all the members of Christ both inwardly and outwardly in the spirit and in the bodie as our head himselfe could finde no dispensation though he sued vnto his Father therfore with aboundance
is able with ease to worke our anoyance in all respects This giueth him knowledge of our mindes more perfectly who apprehendeth the same by the least shew and inclination of our affection wil. Not that he knoweth our harts entirely and perfectly which is proper to God only the framer of the hart but only through that triall and experience which not one onely particular man hath ministred vnto him but euen our whole race from Adam to this present this maketh him not to expect anie outward signification of speach or gesture to conceiue our intents and purposes but out of our vniuerfall corruption whereof he hath continuall proofe he hath layed vp matter of argument to discouer the vanity of our mindes and the secret thoughtes of our heart which after he hath found he suggesteth as he seeth occasion wherto we must incline instigation of sinne disobedience against God his holy commandemēts His temptatiōs are properly such as neither our natures seme to incline vnto but in a generality to all kinde of wickednes nor the world doth either allure vs or inforce vs especially the children of god who are partakers of his spirit finde them most straunge and such as they abhorre the very least conceite of them finde no parte of their nature to incline vnto them howsoeuer in other respectes they complaine of frailty Of this kinde are certaine blasphemies suggested of the Deuill and laying of violent handes of them selues or vpon others neither moued ther to by hate or malice or any occasion of reuenge of the same sort is the dispaire and distrust of gods mercy and grace besides many other as taking away the seede of the word out of the heart of the negligent hearers the suggesting of errors such like without our natures speciall inclination that way but rather contrarily affected And as he is a spirite an effectuall worker in other meanes so when he applieth his proper trauaile he attempteth the most daungerous assaults to our saluation and entereth so deep that knowing the iudgement is the fountaine of all vertuous action there he maketh traine and after a spirituall manner seeketh possession thereof to the vtter descouraging of all your actions that depend thereon knowing that it once being at his deuotion the corporall grosse actions bodely vices neede no great prouocation Other temptations rise of our owne rebellious heartes vnto the holy commandementes of God or frō the wordely allurements which as baites entice vs frō the way of obedience or else from terrors of life which scar vs with threate of perill if we embrace the way of piety and of holines and setteth before vs a greater awe of men then we haue of feare reuerence of God Now among these temptations falleth your present estate especially Sathan employeth his force to your iudgement and not against the strength of carnall iudgement only but against that which the Spirite of God hath taught and sealed vnto you in your conscience both suggesting vnto you those blasphemous conceites which your heart vtterly abhorreth the least thought and remembrāce of and raiseth that doubt of Gods fauour which now diuersly distracteth you Remember I pray you how the spirite of God calleth him the tempter the deceiuer of the world and the accuser of the faithfull the Dragon and old serpent a lyer and the father of lies by which epethites and descriptions you may consider his power his malice and his craft to deceaue and to abuse you neuer before acquainted with his practises as at this present you haue experience of and not take all that your minde conceiueth of any manner of impiety whatsoeuer to be from you but from Sathan who as he hath power to tempt and to trie to cast before you these stumbling blockes whereat he would haue you fall so hath he no power to fasten them vpō your minde and to giue them setteling your owne conscience bearing you witnes how much repugnant they are to your desires The rather are you to accompt thē as frō him because they be such as are altogether cōtrary to your former conuersation whereto you haue felt your nature incline before and such as haue no inforcement nor inticemēt from any creature but from him Wherefore though such kinde of thoughts doe assaile the hart that being guilty of so great sinne your cōsciēce might be so much the more defiled and the discouragement the greater yet aunswere them againe by the word of God which is the sworde of the spirite and wayte the happie ende of the conflict with patience and accompt not these small venies of Sathan for deadly wounds which are nothing else but practises exercises of your spirituall courage circumspection introductions to that vse of the whole armour of God where against no force of the enemie shall preuaile though the attempt seeme to be full of perill and terrour But you say you feele small strength of faith and no support of that hope which maketh not ashamed Beware least you iudge vniustly of the wayes of God and esteeme that for small which is great and vile which in the sight of God is most pretious For herein the enemie may take encouragement to your great disaduauntage You feele not that taste thereof you sometimes felt and do you iudge therefore you are bereued vtterlie thereof what consider the soule is nowe sicke and distasteth much wholesome meate of consolation and loatheth many pleasaunt and fragrant cuppes of comfort and counsell and yet the indeuours of Gods childrē in this behalfe and the sweete waters of heauēly comfort are not therefore of themselues bitter or vnsauory so you are not to measure the absence of this grace by that you presently but by that in times past while the soule stoode free from this disease of tēptation trial you haue felt of comfort in the spirite through an acceptable measure of faith according to the dispensation of Gods grace and not according to our fancy but as he shal think meete to be ministred vnto vs. Neither is the tryall of faith only to be taken according as the soule feeleth it in it selfe but also and sometimes as in such temptations as these wherein you now trauaile onely by the course and trade of life which hath passed before and those fruites which are euident to the eye of others who can iudge more sincerely then the afflicted whose vnderstandinges are somewhat altered through Sathans terrors But againe you say the course of life past and your estate present hath nothing aunswered the holines of your vocation and that sinceritie the Lord requireth so that here also the comforte faileth you What then are you therfore reprobate No but it argueth wāt of faith Not so but place for farther increase of faith and the fruits thereof Those whome the Lord hath chosen to be his worshipers and hath redeemed and consecrated holy to himselfe and prepared good workes for them to walke in
past you haue bene a patterne to others and there keepe the straightest hand where the lists of reason are most like to be broke through You haue had declared how the excessiue trauaile of animall actions or such as springe from the braine waist and spende that spirite which as it is in the world the only cheerer of all thinges dispenseth that life imparted of God to al other creatures so in mans nature is the only comfort of the terrestriall members which spirite being consumed or empaired leaueth the Massy patrs more heauie grosse and dull and farther of remoued from all prompt and laudable action of life this effect as it is wrought by that kinde of disorder in like manner a perturbation wheron reason sitteth not and holdeth not the raine is of the same aptnes to disturbe the goodly order disposed by iust proportion in our bodies putting the parts of that most consonāt pleasant harmony out of tune deliuer a note to the great discontentment of reason and much against the mindes will which intendeth far other then the corporall instrument effecteth If you will call to minde histories you may remember how some haue died of sorrow and othersome of ioy and some with feare some with ielousie and othersome with loue haue bin bereaued of their witts euen those most excellent in al the parts of reason and sound vnderstanding and therby haue made such perturbance of spirit in their braines that for credite of wisedome and in steade of reputation of discreite men they haue through these latter kindes of vnbridled affections worthely caried the name of fooles and men voide of all discreete consideration in the whole race of their life following This commeth to passe in some by troubling of spirite only which require not alone due quantity and temper but a calme setling and tranquillity moued indifferently as iust matter of perturbation shall giue occasion In othersome by lauish waste and predigall expence of the spirite in one passion which dispensed with iudgement would suffice the execution of many worthy actions besides Hereto may furthermore adde that as a member of the corporall body ouer vehemētly forced by straining is in perill of luxation sometimes thereby becommeth altogether disioynted and the parte looseth the freedome of flexible motion euen so the spirite ouerforcible strained to one vehement passion carieth the disposition of the parte therewith and in giuing ouer by too much yeelding to the violence of our passion stādeth as it were crooked that way and with an ouer reach of the raigning perturbation being past recouery inclineth wholly whereto it was forcibly driuen Wherefore the perturbations are discreetely so to be ruled as alwayes there do remaine sufficient power in reasons hande to restraine Of these some perturbations directly immediatly increase both passion and humour of which sorte are saddenes and feare Other some passing measure not so much of thēselues procure either as they doe feeble the melācholicke bodies as anger and ioy both by excessiue effusion of spirites and suddaine alteration from the heartes contraction to such dilatation as those affections procure In ioy if it breake forth into immoderat laughter then doth it more feeble the melancholickes and breath out there spirites and leaue a paine in their sides and bellies which partes are greatly trauailed in laughter For although it should seeme meete in respect of the thinning of the humor by flowing of spirite and blood into the outward partes from the inward center and alteration of the passion by the contrary affection yet the feeblenes of their bodies and skant of spirites their humors being vnapt for plentiful supplie respect not that consideration but require such an expulsion of one affection by the other that the bodie it selfe notwithstanding sustaine no detrement otherwise the combate would be so sore that nature not being able to beare the force of ech passion would be dissolued by violence of that contention So that as all matter of feare is to be abandonned excessiue ioy is also to be eschewed as a great feebler of melancholick persons chiefly if they be women or of tender and rare habite If the melancholie rise of any perturbation that especially is to be altered brought into a mediocrity wherof the passion take first beginning Among them feare and heauines are of most force and as they are procured according to the vehemency of the cause so the kinde of heauines and feare more or lesse encoūtereth reason and frighteth the melancholicke heart We both feare and are sadde for the losse of those things which with delight and pleasure in time past we enioyed and are tormented with despaire and griefe when in those thinges which we desire there is no hope to lay hold on Among the sundrie sortes of subiectes to these passions some are of necessity and some of pleasure Such as are of necessity either respect the natural maintenance of our bodies and liues or honest reputation amongest men The naturall maintenāce of life is of such force in this case that it moueth beyonde measure euen the wisest and most setled and admitteth no moderation If it be imbecillitie of body voide of paine it is borne more tolerable Reputation mē of vertuous and couragious disposition tender as their liues wherby they are in a manner in like case and sometimes more affected with hazard thereof then if life were in daunger The reason is because credite and estimation toucheth the whole person of the man and not either minde or body onely hath the least meanes being oncelost to be recouered againe and besides the disgrace in this life man being immortall in soule standeth in awe of the perpetual note of infamy which may remaine after his death This passion is most hardlie borne of the ambitious and proude man in respect of that opinion he entertaineth of his owne worthines next vnto him it setleth deep in the minde enlarged with the vertue called magnanimitie in respect his honor aunswereth not his merites The obiectes which are pleasant if they be naturall and not helonging to any one part but vnto the whole nature of which sorte is that loue which vpholdeth the propagation of kinde and is the onely glue to couple the ioynts of this great frame of the world together Here reason is often times failed of the passion and carried captiue submitteth where it should haue preeminēce rule If it be of other things which nature hath not so wedded together the losse is borne with more tolleration and where there is peril of want in them despaire toucheth more lightly In respect of their owne nature such is the condition of the thinges we desire in this world But because the diuerse qualities of men taketh them sometimes otherwise therfore that passion and those occasions most vrge as the partie is therwith most passionate some one way some an other as nature bendeth or education hath framed In these cases of griefe and
and are not altogether ignorant of the precepts of phisicians whereby this warning might seeme lesse to appertaine vnto you yet cōsidering your present infirmity and vpon what graines moments and points of time this practise standeth I counsell you all other except the directiō of diet that hath binbefore declared vse of those familiar things which euery one daily putts in practise without the aduise of the phisician whose present eye may behold euery necessity you vtterly abstaine and take my labour herein as a poynting of the finger to that which I iudge meet for you being in a place far distant wher necessity may cōpell you to vse what meanes of counsell you cā get not such as you would and vpon the view of these manifold meanes of bodely health consider how much more the Lords prouidēce is ready at all neede to cōfort our soules in so much as the one is far more excellent then the other Thus hauing giuen this warning I proceed to deliuer the naturall helps and ordinarie remedies we doe vse in this case wherein your bodely health now standeth Hetherto you vnderstād what outward causes are to be remoued and what to be brought in stead of them contrary in operation and breeders of a better tempered humour The next consideration according to the method of curing is to be had of such inward cause as resteth in the body and hath bene the effect of the outward annoyance that is here the melancholick humour and complexion of the bodie now degenerated thereby The humour requireth euacuation and emptying and because your body is not only melancholicke vnder the ribbes but the whole masse of your blood is chaunged therewith it shall be first necessarye to open a vaine that both thereby you may be disburthened in parte of that heauy load and nature hauing lesse of that kinde to deale withall may alter the remnant into a more milde and pleasant iuice thinne it in substance and temper it with naturall heate and moisture in quality Before any vaine be opened a clister is first to be receaued that may clense the entrailes and diminish some part of the humour seated in those parts it wold be made of marshmallowes holyhockes pelletory of the wale mercurie beetes aretch violet leaues polipody borrage buglosse chammomile hoppes dill and melilote annise seeds and fennell decocted in ale or beere and the decoction being made an ounce of Confectio hamech with a drame of Hiera pichra added thereto Hony wherein rosemarye flowers haue bene steeped and oyle of dill of ech an ownce and a halfe this or such like according to the discretion of the learned phisiciā The morning following the vaines are to be emptied the necessity of the passiō compared with the force and strength which moderateth all kinde of euacuatiō though the desease require large emp tying And because melandcholy blood is thicke and grosse therfore easily floweth not though the vaine be opened it shall helpe the bleeding to exercise your body a while before with such moderation that it be equally warmed and the spirite and blood stirred vp The Orifice would be somewhat large that no lett be to the issue the grossenes of the blood may haue the free passage yet so that it be no larger then is requisite for wasting of spirits wherof melācholy persons haue no store to spare In the body the middle vaine of the left arme is fittest to be opened which respecteth both head liuer and splene that betwixt the little finger and the next is of small vse In such as haue the addust melancholy seated in their brains the head vaine is more direct for reuulsion and those about the head it selfe for euacuating and deriuing The tokens of seating there only are with altered fancie and imagination the bodie else carying no melancholicke signes no sower belching after meate nor heate with windinesse which all rise of the melancholy humour stopping the mesaraicke vaines and so procuring that vnnaturall suffocating heate which many melancholick persons complaine of The quantitie which I would haue you spare let it be no lesse then nine or ten ownces except the present action of opening minister other consideration Nowe because you haue had in times past the benefite of bleeding hemorhods which now a long time are stopped at such seasons as they were wont to open or now when they giue any signe of fulnesse swelling or paine they would also be opened by applying a redde onion to the place or annointing it with the iuyce of garlicke or with bulles gall or rubbing it with a figge leafe or with horsleeches well purged and prepared and so applied the easiest way by opening the inwarde vaines of the ankle such like remedies as may prouoke the bloud his vsuall way and bring nature in minde of her wonted discharge of that humour which being stopped breedeth as Hipocrates saith and experience maketh proofe frensies melancholies pleurisies hard milts dropsies and contrarily opened flowing moderatly deliuereth from them all If this melancholy falleth vnto maidens or women their ordinarie course faile them the vaines of the hammes or ancles are to be cut and drinkes of opening rootes fenell persly butchers brome madder and such like with germander goolds herbe grace mugwort and nep are to be much vsed with sittinges and bathinges in mallowes chammomile and nep peniroyall bay leaues fetherfew and such like which haue vertue in that case decocted in water wherein so much honie hath bene dissolued as will giue it a tast of sweetnesse if greater force be required then a dramme of the troches of myrre in the former decoctiō are most forcible the opening of vaine before mentioned would be procured at the accustomed time at the full mone in the elder sort and the chaunge in the yonger The thicker the bloud is the more the melancholick may spare and the thinner the lesse Thus much I iudge necessarie for one kind of euacuation which although it letteth out good bloud withall as in all bleeding yet here lyeth the benefit that nature is partly disburthened and so more easilie gouerneth the rest and by vertue of her natural heate and spirit correcteth with smaller helpe that which therin is farther to be reformed the spirites haue free libertie and great scope is giuen to the harts dilating the action peculiar to a cheerfull disposition The other kinde of euacation is by purging which leaueth the bloud entrie only it cleanseth the bodie of that grosse and thicke settelinge and is more peculiar and directly singleth out the melancholie from the other humours and because this humour is thicke and hardly moueth and the passages veines of the body closer then whereby it may easily passe according to Hipocrates rule both bodie and humour are to receaue a preparation and the parts of the body to be loosened and enlarged the humor made more flowing and thinne both which may be brought to passe with one meanes
feele of discontentment This emptying of stoole vomit is so often to be repeated by such distāce of time as need requireth the strength of the melancholick will beare and the humor admitteth of preparation especially the spring fall craue this emptying at large CHAP. XLI The maner of strengthning melācholick persons after purging with correction of some of their accidents BEtwixt the spaces of purging regard is alwayes to be had of strengthening the stomach liuer and splene with some ointment and fomentatiō outwardly of a moderate astrictiue vertue and some inward medicine compounded of such simples as are accompted familiar and simpatheticall to those partes as of inward thinges to the stomach mintes betony wormewood suger roses maslites galāga mace cloues cinnamon amber ginger c of which potions powders and electuaries would be made and vsed for the stomach Of the same matter fomentations would also be made especially of Cammomill roses wormewood and agrimony Of compoundes conserue of wormewood of sage flowers of Enula campana of mintes are singuler comforters of the stomach and bowels the same vertue haue greene walenuts preserued embliske myrobolans and greene ginger lozēges of Aromaticum rosatum Dianisi The ointementes are to be made of red roses corrall masticke mintes cloues cinnamon gumme aloes with oyle of wormewood masticke quinces c and here the emplaister of a crust of bread described of montagnana greatly strengtheneth the stomake as also the stomach plaister of mesue For the liuer these are meetest strengtheners liuerwoorte maiden heare agrimony fumitory hoppes asparagus wormewood horehound germander saunders yuorie roses raysinges runcus odoratus Calamus aromaticus c of which stuffe potions powders electuaries are to be receiued inwardly and fomentations oyles ointments and plaisters to be applied outwardly Of compoundes conserue of fumitory conserue of wormewood conserue of maiden heare Dialacca Diacurcuma Diacostum open obstructions and leaue a strengthening vertue in the part of the splene hoppes doddar ceteracoke heath caper barkes tamariske acorus gumme lacca centaurie be peculiar comforters Of inward compoundes diacosthum diacalamentum diacappairis conserue of ceterach Of outward meanes oyle of capers oyle of spike and oyle of lillies compounded with maslich cloues cinnamon saffrone coftus and Calamus aromaticus are openers and comforters of the splene and of oyntmentes martiatum magnum of plaisters Diaphenicon c. These wholesome medicines after the purges haue satisfied the phisicians intention would be vsed and much applied both in respect of the parties disposition through the melancholicke humor and also by reason these doe sustaine the greatest force of purgations and preparations afore said and whose natures are easily dissolued and alwayes require a strengthening simple mixt with the rest though they be of contrary operation In the meane while of this preparation and purging both in respect of the fancy of the brayne and affection of the hearte and the complexion of both put out of frame by the humour these two are chiefely to be respected with cordialls and medicines appropriate Cordiall simplesare these borrage buglosse the iuice of pippins and parmaines balme Carduus benedictus scabions basill seede vincois horad beasar stone yuorie pearle saphyre iacint corall amber limon and citron pile cinnamon cloues wine suffran angellica marygooldes with a number of like nature the great prouidence of God being such that this noble part of the hearte hath moe helpes and comforts peculiar thereunto then any parte of our body besides The compoundes vsuall are these conserue of borrage and buglosse flowers of orāge flowers of gilly flowers and carnations diamagaritō calidum the electuary of pretious stones letificans Galeni mithridate dianthos c. Of the decoction of which hearbs afore mentioned epithemes may be made and quilts of the powder of them besprinckled with malmsey vineger Which forme of outward medicine made of simples agreeable to the stomach is good thereto also to be applied whose mouth doth greatly agree with the hearte and easily driueth into passion As the hearts affection is to be corrected by amending the instrumēt so the braines conceite requireth no lesse regard for which these medicines following are yeelded to our cōfort sage betony sweet mariorume rosemary chāmomil mirtle rue peony spite storax benoyne cloues muske amber greece Of compoundes cōserue of rosemary flowers of acorns of betony of stechas sage peony and primerose Dambra Diamoschum dulce and amarum Neither is the braine and heart only cheered cōforted by the inward receiuing of these simples only but whatsoeuer of them is of pleasant and fragraunt smell that agreeth with ech giueth recreation and increase to the spirits of both So that sweete smels are both in respect of hearte and braine most comfortable to the melancholicks Thus the melācholick body dieted prepared purged strengthened what is there more to be done of naturall meanes only this After all this course taken and diligently obserued so long as it shall seeme expediēt and necessary to the learned phisiciā for the health of this melācholick patient among whome I accompt you the subiect of this my coūsell nature must haue a time and respit giuen to try her owne strēgth according to the counsell of Ruphus and not to be tiered with medicine the diet notwithstāding being kept diligently which hath bin prescribed and all kinde of honest exercise and recreation practised procured If the melācholy be adust which it is not in you then breedeth it a kinde of fury and madnes and requireth a cooling perticular consideration whereof because it is very rare in respect of the other kinde entereth into the rancke of euident desease I minde not here to discourse being only willing thus far to satisfie your desire wherein your case such as are in like cōditiō with you require it If any accidentes befall you through this infirmity of hardnes of body you may vse the clister before mentioned without the purging medicines with three ownces of oyle and as much of hony or you may take an handefull of mallowes holylock violet leaues beete and fetherfew annise seedes or fennell seedes halfe an ounce beaten with an handfull of course where branne tied in a linnē cloth boyled in thinne whay to a pint of which being strained adde oyle and honie with halfe a spoonefull of salt and receiue it for a clister or drinke fasting a spoonefull or twayne of sweete sallet oyle in a draught of whaye or eate a quarter of an ownce of conserue of damaske roses with xxx graines of the purest salt peter and drinke it and especially let your broathes alwayes haue some soluble hearbes that may giue you that benefite as mallowes violettes mercurie aretch beetes and such like If your sleepe fayle you through vehemency of cogitation and feare let your hands and feete be washed with the decoction of dill chammomill lettice poppie mallowes and willowe leaues and annointe them with oyle of poppie seedes made by
it into like felowship of displeasure euen but for that it pleaseth not like as in a troubled sea a great vessell is more easily stirred with smal strength then in the calme hauen or quiet streame so our spirites and organicall instruments of passion the parte tossed with stormy weather of internall discontentment is with litle occasion disquieted yea with the shaking of a rush that hath no show of calming those domesticall stormes that arise more troublesome and boisterous to our nature then all the blustering windes in the Ocean sea For when our passion is once vp by such occasion the commō sense is also caried therewith and distinction of outward thinges hindered at the least if not taken away all things being wayed by that which nature findeth offēce at within euen as the tast altered in feauers by cholerick vapours maketh sweete thinges seeme bitter and vnpleasaunt which of themselues are most delectable to the tast and would greatly satisfie the same partie the bitter relish through that taint of choller once taken away And in this sort in my opinion ariseth the disorderly vnruly passion of choller both increased where some occasion is offered and procured by inward disposition of the bodie and spirit when there is no pretence or shewe of cause This is seene as plainly in mirth and ioye which riseth as well vpon inward harmonie of spirit humour and complexion as vpon glad tidings or externall benefite whereof we take reioycing A bodie of sanguine complexion as commonly we call it although complexion be another thing then condition of humors the spirits being in their iust temper in respect of qualitie and of such plenty as nature requireth not mixed or defiled by any straunge spirit or vapor the humours in quantity qualitie rated in geometricall and iust proportion the substance also of the bodie and all the members so qualified by mixture of elementes as all conspire together in due proportion breedeth an indifferencie to all passions Nowe if bloud abound and keepe his sincerity and the body receaue by it and the spirits rising from the same a comfort in the sensible partes without doubt then as anger without cause externall rose vpō inward displeasure so this spirit these humours and this temper may moue an inward ioy wherof no externall obiect may be accompted as iust occasion This is the cause that maketh some men prone to ioy and laughter at such thinges as other men are not drawne with into any passion and maketh them picke out and seeke for causes of laughter not onely to moue others to the like but to expresse their mery passiō which riseth by the iudgement of our senses imparted to the hart not regarding whether the cause be inward or outward that moueth which taketh comfort thereat as though the obiect were externall This especially commeth to passe if the bloud be such about the hart as his purenesse sincerenesse with sweetnesse that carieth moderation of temper doth so comfort and mollifie it that it easily aptly enlargeth it self thē such bloud or such vapor that hath this tickling qualitie causeth a delight conceiued in the braine and communicated with the hart procureth a comfortable gratulation and inward ioy of that whereof nature taketh pleasure For as we haue sights tastes smelles noyses pleasant obiectes without vs and on the contrary part as manie odious and hatefull which do force our senses so haue we also all these internall pleasaunt or vnpleasaunt as we haue of sensuall obiects internall so in like manner pleasure displeasure is communicated frō within of the braine to the heart of such things as we are not able directly to referre to this or that qualitie as we see it fareth with tasts oftentimes such mixtures may be in sauces that something may please vs we cannot expresse what raysed of the compositiō This chiefly falleth to our bodies when that which giueth this occasion carieth force of gentle and light spirits as wine and strong drinke and all aromaticall spices which haue a power to comfort the braine and hart and affect all our bodie throughout with celeritie and quicknesse before their spirits be spent in the passage then the braine giueth merie report the hart glad for it selfe and all the fellow members as it were daunceth for ioy and good liking which it receaueth of such internall prouocations Thē as we see wine giue occasion of mirth by his excellent spirit wherewith our spirit is delighted and greatly increased if it be drunke with moderation so such as are of merie dispositions enioy a naturall wine in their bodies especially harts braines which causeth them to laugh at the wagging of a feather and without iust matter of laughter without modest regard of circūstance to beare them selues light ridiculous this my friende M. I take to be the cause of merrie greekes who seeke rather to discharge them selues of the iocond affection stirred vp by their humour then require true outward occasion of solace and recreation Nowe as before I haue sayd that choler procureth anger not as cause but as occasion so likewise bloud thus tempered and replenished with these aromaticall and merie spirits giueth occasion only of this pleasantnesse and is no cause thereof the hart making iust claime to these affections as the only instrument vnder the soule chiefe author of these vnruly companions which instrument is so disposed that obeying the mind and those naturall rules whereby all things are esteemed good or bad true or false to be done or not to be done no otherwise then by a ciuill subiection ruled by counsell no constraint it repugneth oft times all the strong cōclusions whatsoeuer reason can make to the contrary Thus you vnderstād how a man may be angrie and merie without externall obiect or outward cause now let vs consider howe sadnesse and feare the points which most belong to this discourse and your present state may also arise without occasion of outward terror either presently molesting or fearing vs by likelihood or possibility of future danger As the nature of choler is subtile hote bitter and of a fretting and biting qualitie both it selfe and the vapors that passe from it and bloud temperate sweet and full of cheerefull and comfortable spirits answerable to those we haue ingenerate especially if they become aromaticall as I may terme them and of a fragrant nature by naturall temper or by meanes of diet so melancholie of qualitie grosse dull and of fewe comfortable spirits and plentifully replenished with such as darken all the clernesse of those sanguineous and ingrosse their subtilnesse defile their purenesse with the fogge of that slime and fennie substance and shut vp the hart as it were in a dungeon of obscurity causeth manie fearefull fancies by abusing the braine with vglie illusions locketh vp the gates of the hart whereout the spirits should breake forth vpon iust occasion to the comfort of all the family of their