inclineth to peace blood to rise and thirst after the shedding of the blood of their enemies so contrariwise another sort of musicke pacifieth the minds of men and rendreth them quiet and peaceable The Arcadians by musicke as I sayd aboue were transformed and transported from sauagenesse to ciuilitie from fiercenesse to affabilitie from crueltie to humanitie And questionlesse as nothing is more opposit to a warlike heart which neuer ceaseth from killing than an effeminate heart which is wholy addicted to louing so if musicke can make warriers womanish it will consequently render them quiet tractable and peaceable Diuers other passions besides the related are moued by musicke as mercie and compassion and for this purpose many beggers with songs demaund their almes and specially the Germains where the man the wife and their children make a full begging quier according to the Italian prouerbe Cosi Vanno cattando Li Tudesci cantando Li Francesipiangendo Li Spagnioli biastemando Thus goe a begging The Germanes singing The French men weeping The Spaniards cursing That is the poore needie Spaniards will sometime curse if a man denie them almes There are also some stately maiesticall songs and consorts of musicke which with a certaine paused grauitie seeme to inuite a mans heart to magnanimitie for they release I know not what resemblance of action and gesture consorting with great personages Many more passions doubtlesse are stirred vp with musicke and Saint Augustine is of opinion that all for hee did perceiue Aug. lib. 10. conf cap. 33. Omnes affectus spiritus nostri pro sui diuersitate habere proprios modos in voce atque cantu quorum nescio qua occulta familiaritate excitentur But to knit vp this discourse there remaineth a question to be answered as difficult as any whatsoeuer in all naturall or morall philosophie viz. How musicke stirreth vp these passions and moueth so mightily these affections What hath the shaking or artificiall crispling of the aire which is in effect the substance of musicke to doe with rousing vp choler afflicting with melanlancholie iubilating the heart with pleasure eleuating the soule with deuotion alluring to lust inducing to peace exciting to compassion inuiting to magnanimitie It is not so great a meruaile that meat drinke exercise and aire set passions aloft for these are diuers waies qualified and consequently apt to stirre vp humors but what qualitie carie simple single sounds and voices to enable them to worke such wonders I had rather in this point read some learned discourse than deliuer mine opinion neuerthelesse in such an obstruse difficultie he that speaketh most apparently and probably saith the best and therefore I will set downe those formes or manners of motion which occurre to my mind and seeme likeliest The first is a certaine sympathie correspondence or proportion betwixt our soules and musick and no other cause can be yeelded Who can giue any other reason why the loadstone draweth yron but a sympathie of nature Why the Needle toucht but with such a stone should neuer leaue looking towards the North Pole who can render other reason than sympathie of nature If we make a suruey of all birds of the aire fishes of the sea beasts of the land we shall find euery sort affect a proper kind of food a lyon will eat no hay nor a bull beefe a horse eateth bread and a leopard abhorreth it a kite liueth vpon carrion and a hen cannot endure it if a man should beat his braine to find out the reason no better can be giuen than sympathie of nature So we may say that such is the nature of our soules as musicke hath a certaine proportionat sympathie with them as our tasts haue with such varieties of daintie cates our smelling such varietie of odours c. The second manner of this miracle in nature some assign and ascribe to Gods generall prouidence who when these sounds affect the eare produceth a certaine spirituall qualitie in the soule the which stirreth vp one or other passion according to the varietie of voices or consorts of instruments Neither this is to be meruailed at for the very same vpon necessitie we must put in the imagination the which not being able to dart the formes of fancies which are materiall into the vnderstanding which is spirituall therefore where nature wanteth Gods prouidence supplieth So corporall musicke being vnable to worke such extraordinarie effects in our soules God by his ordinarie naturall prouidence produceth them The like we may say of the creation of our soules for men being able to produce the bodie but vnable to create the soule man prepareth the matter and God createth the forme so in musicke men sound and heare God striketh vpon and stirreth vp the heart The third maner more sensible palpable is this that the very sound it selfe which according to the best philosophie is nothing else but a certaine artificiall shaking crispling or tickling of the ayre like as we see in the water crispled when it is calme and a sweet gale of wind ruffleth it a little or when wee cast a stone into a calme water we may perceiue diuers warbling naturall circles which passeth thorow the eares and by them vnto the heart and there beateth and tickleth it in such sort as it is moued with semblable passions For as the heart is most delicat and sensatiue so it perceiueth the least motions and impressions that may be and it seemeth that musicke in those celles playeth with the vitall and animate spirits the onely instruments and spurres of passions In like maner we perceiue by a little tickling of our sides or the soles of our feet how we are mooued to laughter yea and the very heart strings seeme in some sort to be mooued by this almost sencelesse motion And in confirmation hereof we may bring two apt coniectures The first is in our own hands or face the which if we smooth tickle presse downe nip heat or coole wee perceiue diuers sorts diuersities of sensations and feele our selues sundry wayes affected if such varieties we find in a thicke skin how much more in a tender heart farre more apter to feele than any member else of our bodie The second coniecture is the filing of iron and scraping of trenchers which many naturally yea and almost all men before they be accustomed vnto them abhorre to heare not only because they are vngratefull to the eare but also for that the aire so carued punisheth and fretteth the heart The last and best manner I take to be that as all other sences haue an admirable multiplicitie of obiects which delight them so hath the eare and as it is impossible to expound the varietie of delights or disgustes which we perceiue by them and receiue in them for who can distinguish the delights wee take in eating fish flesh fruit so many thousand sauces and commixtions of spices with fish flesh and fruit so in musicke diuers consorts stirre vp in the heart diuers sorts of
wee see it not worke that effect in the teacher which he would stirre vp in the hearer Againe vsually men are more moued with deeds than words reasonable persuations resemble words affectuall passions are compared to deeds Furthermore the passion passeth not onely thorow the eyes but also pierceth the eare and thereby the heart for a flexible and pliable voice accommodated in manner correspondent to the matter whereof a person intreateth conueyeth the passion most aptly pathetically and almost harmonically and euery accent exclamation admiration increpation indignation commiseration abhomination exanimation exultation fitly that is distinctly at time and place with gesture correspondent and flexibilitie of voice proportionat deliuered is either a flash of fire to incense a passion or a bason of water to quench a passion incensed A man therefore furnished himselfe with the passion or affection he wisheth in his auditors shewing it with voice and action although his reasons be not so potent hath no doubt a most potent meane to persuade what he list Wherefore Demosthenes as of all Oratours the prince for action so he defined that the principall part of Cicero in Brut. an Oration was action the second the same the third no other than action Isocrates otherwise called the father of eloquence for lacke of a good voice neuer pleaded publickely Cicero saith some were viri diserti that is very eloquent but for lack of action or rather vntowardnesse habiti sunt infantes they were accounted infants and I haue seene some preachers very meane schollers and in truth otherwise but sillie men yet for that they excelled in action all the world followed them For action is either a certaine visible eloquence or an eloquence of the bodie or a comely grace in deliuering conceits or an externall image of an internall mind or a shaddow of affections or three springs which flow from one fountaine called vox vultus vita voice countenance life that is the affection poureth forth it selfe by all meanes possible to discouer vnto the present beholders and auditors how the actor is affected and what affection such a case and cause requireth in them by mouth he telleth his mind in countenance he speaketh with a silent voice to the eyes with all the vniuersall life and bodie he seemeth to say Thus we moue because by the passion thus we are mooued and as it hath wrought in vs so it ought to worke in you Action then vniuersally is a naturall or artificiall moderation qualification modification or composition of the voice countenance and gesture of bodie proceeding from some passion and apt to stirre vp the like for it seemeth that the soule playeth vpon these three parts as a musition vpon three strings and according to his striking so they sound A number of precepts Oratours prescribe about these three parts and labour extreamly by art to perfit and accomplish the rude indigested motions of nature to them therefore I will leaue the minching of this matter in particularities and onely set downe certaine generalities First although art supplie the defects of nature yet if a man haue not a good naturall habilitie it is impossible by art to come to any perfection for this manner of motion The reason hereof is manifest because as in musick he that wanteth a tunable voice by nature although he otherwise excell in the art of musicke yet it were lesse paine to heare him say than sing And I haue knowne most exquisit musitians vnable to sing aptly fiue notes so in action he that wanteth a good voice a good nimble eye a proportionat bodie and other parts naturall may speak with reason but neuer almost aptly for persuasion indeed if the habilities of nature be not very vntoward art may correct many defects of nature as Demosthenes had a little lisping at first but by labour and diligence amended Isocrates impediments were incorrigible and therefore all his labour had been lost if he had emploied himselfe to acting Secondly he that will act well must of necessitie stir vp first that affect in himselfe he intendeth to imprint in the hearts of his hearers and the more vehement the passion is the more excellent action is like to ensue The reason is for as I said aboue the voice eyes and gestures sound without as the heart striketh within and therfore the vehementer passion venteth forth the liuelier action Yet here must one or two cautions be considered First in ire and indignation that the passion and action relish not of some priuat quarell or reuenge for then it leeseth all the force and grace of persuasion because the passion smelleth then of proper interest and vtilitie and consequently will be accounted inordinate and vitious Secondly in feare and sadnesse that they render not the actions vile and abiect for then the passion will rather be occasion or cause to smother and kill them than to reuiue and animate them Thirdly euery part of action ought to expresse the mind as grauely as prudently as solidly as may be The reason is because he that publickely intendeth to persuade must be esteemed a wise and a good man wisedome must make the auditors beleeue he erreth not vpon ignorance honestie must induce them to thinke hee will not lie therefore all his actions ought to be prudent and graue for if they be any way light or rash then presently he will be suspected either not to haue premeditated maturely his matter or not to regard what he saith or not to be so setled in vertue and knowledge as such an important matter requireth for leuitie and rashnesse at least argue imprudence inconsideration immortification and precipitation which all are capitall enemies to deepe consulation specially in matters which concerne persuasion to vertue or dissuasion from vice exhortation to goodnesse or dehortation from ilnesse Wherefore in action all leuitie must be auoided In voyce that the words be not pronounced too fast nor any light or scurilous word enter in In face that the eye range not abroad vagabond like nor be tossed or turned too lightly that the oratour make no faces writhing of mouth wrinkling of nose or too much shaking of head Ingesture no tickling with fingers quickly wresting of the bodie light going or much gestiâ—ulation Fourthly he ought to endeuour that euery part of action immitate as liuely as may be the nature of the passion Sextus Philosophus said our bodie was imago animi because the maners of the soule followed the temper of the body and therfore he that knew perfitly this could not be ignorant of that so the actions of the bodie shold be in a perfit persuader an image of the passion in the mind But how shal this be performed Two general rules at this present occurre vnto my memorie not very hard to be learned but exceeding profitable to be practised The first is that we looke vpon other men appassionat how they demeane themselues in passions and obserue what and how they speake in mirth sadnesse ire
and benefits vpon mâ— and this I perceiued not to bee a thing proper to men alone but also incident to beasts who loue and fawne vpon their benefactors When I lifted vp mine â—ies to thee and considered the meat I eat the drinke I dranke the cloathes I wore the aire I breathed the sences I vsed the life I enioied the wit wherewith I reasoned the will wherewith I affected all were thy dayly gifts hourely momently yea instantly by thy prouident hand vpheld and maintained I concluded with my selfe that of all benefactors thou was the best and therefore deserued to be loued most and for that euery instant I wholly in bodie and soule life and being depended vpon thee so in euery instant if it were possible I should consecrate my selfe intirely with a most gratefull remonstrance and recognition of thy benefits bestowed vpon me When yeares grew vpward and reason riper in reading antient prophane and sacred writers I found in them certaine worthie men highly commended and celebrated here a Salomon for wisedome a Dauid for valour a Hercules an Achilles an Alexander a Caesar a Scipio an Hanniball a Constantine in panigericall Orations in heroicall verses blazed abroad to all the world present and registred for record to all posteritie as Third motiue Excellencie valiant captaines prudent gouernours glorious Heroes mirrors and maiesties for their times in the world And it seemed to me that my heart was drawne to loue affect such personages for albeit I admired their eminencie aboue the rest yet I know not how but such an excellencie wrung out and enforced a reuerent affection in my breast for I esteemed them worthie of loue whom so many wise men thought worthie of admiration and reputed as worthies of the world Afterwards with the eies of my consideration I glanced O my God of infinit perfection vpon thee all these renowned Heroes resembled to my sight so many mirmicoleons or lions amoÌ„gst emmets who surpasse them a little in greatnes and force in comparison of lions indeed for might and Olyphants for immensitie nay lesse for what are all monarchs and mights compared to thee but folia quae vento rapiuntur Iob. 13. dried and withered leaues blowne abroad with dust in the wind with a blast of thy mouth they are blowne downe from their regall thrones withered with diseases dispersed in sepulchres consumed to dust and euery moment wheÌ„ it pleafeth thee annihilated reduced to nothing What hath their power to doe with thine omnipotencie their base excellencie with thy supreme maiestie their prudence policie stratagems with thine infinit wisedome and incomprehensible counsels Ah my God of boundlesse blessednesse as the highest pitch of their preheminence is vile vassalage compared to thee so thy loue should disdaine not onely to be equalled but also conferred with theirs The further I passed the more obiects alluring to loue 4. Motiue Beautie I discouered for beautie of bodies the glorie of nature the glimpse of the soule a beame of thy brightnesse I see so inticed mens senses inueagled their iudgements led captiue their affections and so rauished their minds that such hearts were more present in thoughts desires with such bodies where they liked and loued than with that bodie wherein they soiourned and liued And what was this beautie which so fed their appetites it could not be certainely any other thing than the apt proportion and iust correspondence of the parts and colours of visible bodies which first delighted the eye and then contented the mind not vnlike the harmony of proportionable voices and instruments which seed the eare and health which issueth from the iust proportion temper of the foure humors and some daintie tast which ensueth from the mixture of diuers delicat meats compounded in one This harmony of mortall bodies O my God the beauty of beauty hath disconsorted and consequently deformed many an immortall soule Thou neither hast bodie nor parts and therefore art thou not beautifull Why then didst thou say pulchritudo agri mecum est the beautie Psal 39. Isay 66. of the field is with me and in me If thou didst argument profoundly and conclude infallibly that thou wast not Psal 73. Luck 12. barren who imparted fecunditie to others questionlesse thou must by right reason be beautifull who deckes and adornes the poore lillies in the field with a more glorious mantle than euer couered the corps of sage Salomon for all his treasures wisdome Thou wantest grosle massie terrene corruptible parts wherein according to our materiall sensuall conceits beautie consisteth but thy beauty transcendeth this infinitly more than all the world the least graine of sand which lieth vpon the Ocean shoare For thy harmonie thy consort thy proportion springeth from the admirable vnion of all thy perfections all thy creatures produced and producible in thee are vnited the lambe and the lion fire and water whitenesse and blacknesse pleasure and sadnesse without strife or contention without hurt or iniurie in a diuine harmonie and most amiable beautie dwell reside and liue in thee Some philosophers said truly albeit not so plainely as all common people could perceiue them That thou wast a centre out of which issued innumerable lines they meant thy creatures the further they extended from thee the further they were disunited among themselues and the neerer they approched vnto thee more strictly they were linked together and at last all vnited and identified in thee their centre last end and rest Gardens and fields are beautifull pallaces cities prouinces kingdomes bodies of men and women the heauens the angels and in fine the whole vniuersall world framed in number weight and measure all parts keeping their places order limits proportion and naturall harmonie all these in particular in themselues and combined in one are inameled with a most gratious vagisnesse lustre and beautie all which proceeded from thee and resideth in thee and are comprised in a far more sublime and eminent degree in thee than in themselues or than an angell of gold containeth in value ten shillings of siluer for in themselues they are limited in essence and kept within the narrow bounds and bankes of naturall perfection but these little riuers ioined in thee find an illimitate and boundlesse sea wherein they haue neither bottome nor bound What shall I say of you three three sacred persons in Trinitie distinguished really and yet indistinct essentially doth not this distinction cause a difference and this admirable vnion an inexplicable consonance Are not your three persons hypostases or subsistences the infinit bounds lists and limits of an interminat immensiue and endlesse essence Are not these the borders of your beautie your attributes of bountie simplicitie vnitie veritie eternitie immensitie impassibilitie wisdome prouidence omnipotency charity iustice mercie clemencie benignitie magnificencie in some sort distinguished yet really the same perfection are your blessed intellectuall face those amiable colours that glorious beautie that maiestical countenance that
proportion that a man be sicke it is enough that one humour onely exceede that an harmony of Musicke be good all partes must keepe tune time and apt concordance that it be badde one iarring voyce will disconsort all in like manner that a man be honest and good is required that hee be endued with all Vertues to be nought or baâ—â—e it is sufficient he be a drunkard a theefe a whoremasâ—â—â— an vsurer or infected with any one vice c. Wherefore honest love supposing a man to be vertuous absolutely thereupon groundeth most effects of kindnesse and therefore the contrarieties thereof will not so aptly moove hatred as some other particular considerations for example wee determined that tolleration of wrongs mooveth a man to love the contrary of this will hardly stirre vp hatred for if wee grant that him we hate refused to suffer any wrongs for vs but avoyded them with mayne might we may well conclude he doth not greatly love vs but violently we should inferre therefore that hee deserved hatred and so I say of some others therefore for more perspicuity and that wee may find out more vrgent arguments to induce men to hatred the case is to be sifted a little more narrowly In hatred of enmitie we detest the person as stayned with evill sinne vice or wickednes for which we wish him iustly punished wherefore all these reasons which induce vs to conceive the greatnesse of his offence or the indignitie of the person or ill demeanour of his life towards God in himselfe or his neighbour all these aboundantly will excite hatred against him Sometimes occasion wil be offered to moove the passion of hatred against some particular person as to inveigh against a Traytour or publike enemie to the State or our selves otherwhiles against a whole State as Turkes Iewes Pagans Heretikes Rebelles against a Common-wealth or some Kingdome which warreth with vs and as these evilles are different so by divers meanes we must perswade our auditors or friends to hate them A private person may be brought into contempt and hatred by Motives gathered from these three Principles His Ingresse into this world His Progresse of life His Egresse or death His Ingresse § 1. 1 IF his Parents were base wicked or infected with any notorious vice if deformed in body or marked by any monstruositie of Nature 2 If the manner of his begetting was vnlawfull as Bastardy and herein be divers degrees of fornication adulterie incest sacrilege 3 If he were born at such a time as the influence of the heavens had some extraordinary action in the tempring of his body as dog daies or at what time his father was in prison for some demerit or in time of great plagues or diseases or commotion in the common-weale 4 If he were borne in a bad place as a wicked Country among vitious people if in a City treacherously inclined or hath bin branded with any notorious vice or persons infamous 5 If his mother in her childing died or was tormeÌ„ted in bringing him into the world with more vehement pangues then women commonly suffer or if before his birth his good father dyed as though God would not vouchsafe to let the wicked child behold his fathers face or presently after hee was borne wherein God shewed him a most speciall grace to take him away betime lest his wicked sonne had caried his grey hayres with sorow to his grave 6 If in the childish yeeres he accustomed to steale lie sweare or were addicted to any vice which shewed the first buddes of a blasted body and corrupted soule But some will obiect as I have heard divers what fault have I if my Parents bee vicious and base And what commendation is thine if thy parents bee vertuous and noble and yet who is hee that had not rather have beene borne of vertuous then vicious noble then ignoble Progenitors That is no fault but a staine this no vertue but an ornament men know full well that waters which runne thorow stinking soyles carrie an vnsavory smell and that winds and vapours drawne from infected places are plaguie messengers to many Countries in like manner Parents naturall propensions to wickednesse imprint for most part in their children a certaine resemblance wherefore as these externall respects be not invincible arguments to convince a vitious nature or a corrupted soule so when in the progresse of life we infallibly discover an exorbitant badde carriage and brutish demeanour then we may well inferre that the first staines and infections were ominous presages of future malice as if Nature had foreseene what an infamous guest was to lodge in that body and therefore prepared a lodging correspondent Adam had a Caine Abraham an Ismael Isaac an Esau Iacob a Dan David an Absolon and many godly Parents vngodly children which argueth manifestly that neither good nature in Parents for what bodies could bee more perfit then those of Adam and Heua wholy framed by Gods owne handes and consequently could have no defect nor vertuous example nor provident instructions can suffice to withdraw a man from wickednesse if his wicked will intendeth to follow it What have not many Bastards prooved well Yes but more have prooved ill and consequently wee may presume they will become rather vitious then vertuous for as the Cannon law well noteth such children are Ca. sigens d. 56 not brought vp with like care and vigilance of their Parents as other legitimate and commonly such spurious ympes follow the steppes of their bad parents His Progresse § 2. THe persons whome wee intend to moove to hatred That vice should most be amplified which the auditors most detest ought to be considered well before wee represent vnto them the filthinesse of the mans vice for which we intend to make him odious vnto them for such is the corruption of some companies as great sinnes with them are little accounted for example he that would disgrace a souldier in the Campe by vehemently exaggerating the mans fornication should little prevayle or a Merchant among Merchants for vsury in taking ten in the hundred or drunkennesse among the Dutch men and such like offences before such persons who eyther will boast of them or defend them or at least extenuate the deformity of them wherefore in every company that vice specially must bee noted which among these men is most detested as treachery and cowardlinesse among souldiers bloud and cruelty among Citizens all sortes of heynous offences among grave sober iudicious and vertuous hearers As in every vertue there is a lowe degree a meane Intension of vice and an excellent for there be beginners goers forward and perfite incipientes proficientes perfecti Likewise in every vertue there is a supreame excellency rare singular and admirable in temperance virginity in fortitude apert perilles of death in prudence present resolutions deepe councell in affaires of greatest importance as manage of States and governement of Kingdomes In iustice neyther to spare friend father
origen from the vnderstanding and the will so in every obiect of delight there is a certaine intensive goodnes perfection and there is an extensive as for example in a Cellar of wine there may be excellent good wine and varietie of excellent good wine and thereby our taste may be delighted with the perfection of wine and with the varieties of wine In like manner in all the obiects of delight we may find a certaine intension of goodnes and a certaine extension and both these well vnderstood and declared exceedingly increase pleasure delight for the intention filleth and satiateth the soule and the extension or varietie taketh away a certaine distastfull loathsomnesse which one kind of vniforme pleasure draweth with it The sixt Booke entreating of the defects or imperfections of mens soules THE Geographers describing the scituation of any country are not content to set downe the provinces citties and territories thereof but also they depaint in theyr Cardes and explicate in theyr Bookes the Countries and Cities adioyning that thereby men might know the borders and limits of both and not mistake the one for the other even so because our sensitive appetite hath the wit and will which border vpon it therefore I thought good to declare certayne of their imperfections which knowledge will not help vs alitle to discerne more exactly the nature of passions Besides good Physitians of the body expend not onely the present agew or humor that causeth sicknesse but also they search out the causes and of-springs of such maladies so I thinke it not amisse to shew the vniversall causes from whence inordinate passions proceede And first of all we will descend vnto the defects of our wits or vnderstandings 2 Defects of our Vnderstanding ALl the defects of our wit may be reduced to two Ignorance and Errour by Ignorance we know not things necessary by Errour we know them falsely Ignorance is a privation Errour a positive action all ignorance cannot be prevented many errours but all cannot be escaped from ignorance floweth vice and from errour heresie 1. Naturall ignorance ALl the sonnes of men are conceived and borne in sinne and ignorance Aristotle compareth our wits at the beginning to a smooth table wherein nothing is written but apt to receive all formes and figures and in this truely I must confesse one poynt of my ignorance that it seemeth to me that God endoweth bruite beasts with more sparkes of knowledge then reasonable men and they may be sayde even in their nativitie to have imprinted a certayne knowledge and naturall instinct to inquire and finde out things necessary to be theyr owne Physitians to flye that may hurt them and follow that may profit them Marke but a Lambe almost new yeaned how it will finde foorth the mothers dugge discerne and single her foorth in all the flocke waite vppon her so dilligentlie within eight dayes it seeth light but a childe may be many dayes borne and yet cannot finde out his mothers dugge except the Nurse move him vnto it neyther can it cure it selfe or demaund what it needeth otherwayes then by weeping II. Errours of the last end WHen a man beginneth to practize a little his facultie of Vnderstanding then you shall see how fitly he expelleth this chaos of infinite ignorance lyke an vnskilfull Physitian who to cure one disease causeth a worse so hee delivereth himselfe of ignorance by a multitude of errours quenching his thirst with a potion of poyson this wee may see more plainely by the infinite errours that men are subiect vnto by Nature For let vs consider the famous Philosophers of passed ages who lacking faith bragged of naturall knowledge Which of them knew but to what end man was created of God their dissenting sects and erroneous opinions Lactantius and Saint Austen relate how some thought mens last Lactandib 3. divina institut ca. 7. Aug. lib. 19. civiâ— ca. 1. sequentibus end was pleasure others naturall knowledge some in privation of payne some to live according to nature others the goods of the soule the body and fortune with infinite such like false assertions and this not about a trifle or May-game but the very mayne poynt whereat men should ayme at all their lives and whereunto they were bound to direct all their actions III. Errours in the meanes IF the ende was apparelled with such darkenesse how how could they bee but ignorant of the meanes necessary for the atchievement of such an ende and wee dayly proove what difficulty men feele in effecting yea in resolving themselves which action is good which is badde how many volumes have beene written of cases of Conscience and yet what good mans conscience is not vexte some times with seruples who can define the qualitie of his actions affected with such varietie of circumstances who can resolve himselfe howe farâ—e the lawe of Nature engraven in our heartes extendeth Howe often doth an erroneous conscience barke and byte when the Soule did not prevaricate the Lawe of God or passe the limittes of Reason This blindnesse of Minde without all question argueth great imperfection of the Soule and extreme Misery of man Wherefore one cryed Delicta quis intelligit Ab occultis meis munda me Domine and Psal 18. Iob. 9. 2â— another Verebar omnia opera mea IIII. Difficultie in Vnderstanding BVt what shall I say of the woonderfull difficultie all men suffer to come by the knowledge of any Trueth Veritas in profundo latet Veritie lyeth in the bottome In the West Indies those that follow by digging the Veynes of Gold runne vnder high mountaynes many miles descending through stony Rockes into the bowels of the earth yet they ever are winning ground they reape Oare they recompence their travell they labour with alacrity But in learning occurreth another sort of difficulty Trueth must be further fetcht greater sweate and industry must be vsed For what cause I pray you stand Schoole-masters armed dayly with whips and scourges with such sowre and bitter visages with thundring threatning words but by terror to enforce their vntoward and vnwilling Youth to overcome the difficulty they find in learning why at this present doe so many ignorant replenish the world discoursing so blockishly speaking so sottishly Quidam sunt tantae satuitatâ— vt non multuma pecorâ—bus disserant Angust ep 28. ad thereon answering so absurdly that scarce you would iudge them indued with reasonable soules but onely because they had rather be buried in that profound cave of ignorance than endevour to overcome the extreame difficulty they finde in learning What other reason can by yeelded why all ignorance and errours are not abolished and wholy extinguished seeing learned men have left to their posteritie so many thousand volumes that in some Libraries you should finde five sixe ten thousand corps of bookes all written for no other end than to purifie our wittes to consume the cloudes of errours and ignorance but the difficulty we find in
attayning vnto learning Whereupon grew those dissenting and contradicting Sectes of Peripatetikes Academikes Stoickes Epicures Thomists and Scotists Realles and Nominalles but by the disprooving of one anothers opinion which proceeded from the difficulty of vnderstanding and conceyving of Learning V. Ignorance and Errours about God YEt if men by sweate and labour by distilling their Braynes and spending their Spirits in studies at last could winne the victory of Errours and Ignorance then all paynes were sufficiently rewarded the interest would defray the expences of the Voyage But alas how many have wandered in a vast desart of learning amongst brambles and bryars not able to passe forward nor returne backeward who would thinke men could be ignorant of the Maiestye of God which all bruite and Interroga Iumenta et docebunt â—e Volatilia Coeli indicabunt tibi loquere terrâ— respondebit tibi narrabunt pisces Maris Quis ignorat quod manus Domini haec omnia fecerat Iob. 12 7. senselesse creatures confesse and yet such is and hath beene the palpable ignorance of the world that in place of God some worshipped Calves others Serpents other Crocodiles others Onions and Garlike I omit how many supposed very wise adored the Sunne Moone and Starres the Elements of earth fire and water for these errours might have carried some shew of wisedome in respect of the other absurdities How could men be more besotted than to imagine God by whom they lived mooved and were whose goodnesse sustayned them whose power vpheld them whose wisedome directed them to be a Crocodile or a Calfe or Commoâ—a quibus vtimur lucem qua â—rutmur spiritum quem ducimus a Deo nobis dari impartiri vâ—demus Cic. pro Rosâ— Amer. that Divinitie could inhabite such savage Beasts where was the imortall soule the Image of the Trinity the faculty of vnderstanding the power of apprehending iudging and discoursing Were all these drowned in darkenesse did no sparke of light or life shine over them O ignorance intollerable O blindnesse more grosse than not to see when the Sunne lodgeth in his Zenith VI. Ignorance and Errours about our Soules and bodies BVt some will say Gods Maiesty dazeled theyr eyes they were not able by the weake light of Nature to behold so super-excellent a glory well at least they might have knowne themselves for what was more neere them then their owne soules and bodies their five senses the operations of vnderstanding and affecting the Passions of the Minde and alterations of the body yet the Ignorance and Errours which both inchaunted them and inveigle vs are almost incredible I could propound above a hundreth questions about the Soule and the body which partly are disputed of by Divines partly by naturall and morall Philosophers partly by Physitians all which I am of opinion are so abstruse and hidden that they might be defended as Problemes and eyther parte of Contradiction alike impugned Some I will set downe that by them coniecture may be made of the rest Problemes concerning the substance of our Soules 1 WHether in mens bodies there reside more formes then one 2 Whether it can bee demonstrated by naturall reason that the Soule is immortall 3 How can the Soule extend it selfe thorow the whole body being a Spirit indivisible inextensed and able whole and entire to reside in one only and indivisible poynt 4 How are the Soule and Body Spirite and Flesh coupled together what chaynes what fetters imprison a spirituall Substance an immortal Spirit in so base stinking and corruptible a carâ—â—asse 5 How by punishing the flesh or hurting the body the Soule feeleth payne and is afflicted 6 Whether the hayres spirites blood choler fleugme skinne fatte nayles marrow be animated or no. 7 Whether the Bones and Teeth be sensitive or no. 8 How the Soule contayneth those three degrees of vegetative sensitive and reasonable 9 How these three degrees do differ 10 How the Soule of a Child being contained and dispersed in so little a body when it is borne afterward dilateth it selfe and spreadeth in the body of a man 11 When an Arme or a Legge is cut off by chance from the Body what becommeth of the Soule which informed that part 12 Why departeth the Soule from the Body in a vement Problemes concerning the faculties in generall Sicknesse it being immortall and independing of the Body able to live in ayre water or fire 13 How many faculties do spring from the Soule 14 How they spring in order one depending vpon an other or without any dependance 15 How do they differ from the Soule 16 Whether are they subiected in the Soule Body or the whole 17 What dependance hath our vnderstanding vpon Problemes concerning our vnderstanding the imagination 18 How a corporall imagination concurre to a spirituall conceit 19 What is apprehension and conceyving 20 What iudgement and affirming 21 What discourse and inferring 22 How these three differ what is their obiects 23 How apprehend wee so many things together without confusion 24 How are these three operations of our wit subordinated 25 How they erre 26 How they may be certified 27 What is a vitall acte of Vnderstanding 28 How the formes faculties habites and Soule it selfe concurre to such an acte about every one of these foure many questions may easily be propounded but hardly resolved 29 What is a Habite 30 How ingendred 31 How augmented 32 How diminished and corrupted 33 In what faculties of our Soules habites principally allodge 34 Whether the acte or habite be more perfite 35 How are habits distinguished in the same faculty 36 How the habites of our imagination and vnderstanding of our sensible appetite and will differ when they tend vnto sensible obiects 37 What is the vniversall obiect of our Vnderstanding every thing or onely the trueth of things 38 Whereupon commeth the difficulty we finde in Vnderstanding proceedeth it from the obiect or the weakenesse of the faculty or both 39 How doth Reason direct and correct Sense 40 Whether knowledge concurreth as an efficient cause to effect the operations of our will or no. 41 What is Arte what the Idaea in the Artificers minde by whose direction hee frameth his woorkes what is Prudence Wisedome the internall speech and words of the minde 42 What is the habite of principles 43 What the law of Nature and how engrafted in our Vnderstanding 44 What is Conscience 45 Whence-from proceedeth Remorce 46 What is evidence and certitude in Knowledge and how they differ 47 How Knowledge and perfit Science differ from credulity and opinion and whether feare be necessarily included in every opinion 48 If ever man had such a demonstration as Aristotle describeth in his first Booke of Posteriors 49 Whether a Demonstration once had can ever be lost or no. 50 Why can we not come by as firme knowledge in Logick Physicks or Metaphysicks as in Mathematicks 51 How wee vnderstand discourse and dispute in Dreames 52 Whether children discourse actually or no.
those vigilant virgins which attend with their Matth. 25. lamps lighted the comming of their heavenly spouse these be those carefull housholders which prevent infernall Matth. 24. 43. Luk. 12. 39. theeves lest they should rob their treasures these be those which live ever in peace and tranquillitie of Phil. 3. 20. minde who dwelling in earth converse in heaven The second reason and principall is ill education of the which we have spoken before yet I must say here with holy scripture that as it is impossible for the Ethiopean to change his skin so it is impossible for youth Iere. 13. 23. brought vp licentiously to change their ill maners for vse breedeth facilitie facilitie confirmeth nature nature strongly inclined can hardly be diverted from her common course but followeth her vitious determination It is a wonder to see how custome transporteth and changeth nature both in body and in soule the which may well be proved by the young Maide the Queene of India sent to Alexander the great the which being nourished from her youth with serpents poison had so changed her naturall constitution that if she had bitten any Aristot. ad Alexand. Vide Hieronimum Cagniolum de institutio principis § 7. man he presently died as Aristotle affirmeth that by experience he had proved even so as serpents poyson had changed her body so ill maners alter the soule and as her teeth poysoned that they bit so wicked men those soules with whom they talke Corrumpunt 1. Cor. 15. 33. bonos more 's colloquia prava and acuerunt linguas suas sicut serpentes nature therefore in tract of time Psal 139. 4. over-runne with so many weeds of wickednes abhorreth extreamely to supplant them loathing so long molestfull and continuall labor and therefore contenteth her selfe rather to eate the blacke beries of briers then the sweet cherries of vertue for this cause those children have a double bond to their parents schoolemaisters which distill even with milke into their mouths the sweet liquor of pietie vertue and good manners Quâ— semel est imbuta recens servaâ—it â—dorem testa diu â—laccâ—â— Of liquor first which earthen pot receives The smell it doth retaine for many dayes Whereunto agreeth that vulgare axiome of Philosophers Omnis habitus est difficilè separabilis à subiecte The third reason is present delectation for that we hope is future that pleasure worldlings perceive is present sensible delectation feedeth the corporall substance of sences and therefore we easily perceive it but vertue affecteth the soule not after so palpable and grosse manner therefore they despise it wherefore mens soules by inveterated customes vsed to sensuall and beastly delights either not beleeving or mistrusting or rather doubting of spirituall ioyes they neglect and for the most part care not for them contenting themselves with their present estate not looking any further and so as beasts they live and as beasts they dye according to that saying Home cum in honore esseâ— non intellexit Psal 48. 13. 21. comparatus est iumentis insipientibus similis factus est illis and so become sicut equus mulus in quibus non est Psal 31. 19. intellectus Finally the lacke of preservation hindereth our spirituall profite because I conceive our soules without prayer meditation the Sacraments of Christs church exercise of vertue and works of pietie not vnlike a dead body which for lack of a living soule dayly falleth away by putrifaction leeseth colour temperature and all sweetnesse and becommeth ghastly loathsome and stinking even so the soule without those balmes God hath prepared as preservatives it will be infected with vices and stincking with sinnes therefore those which neglect these benefits are not vnlike sicke men which know where medicines lie but will not seeke for them or receive them These foure causes I take to be the principall enimies Math. 11. 3â— of our spirituall life howbeit I doubt not that Christs yoke is sweete and his burthen easie if men would consider the meanes and accept those helps God hath bestowed vpon them But all meanes and helps which ordinarily we proove may be reiected by a wicked will Prov. 1. 24. Isa c. 5. 62. 2. Matth. 23. 37. and a hard indurated heart may resist the sweete calling of God Quia vocavi renuistis extendi manum meam non erat qui aspiceret By these Scriptures and many more we may easily Acts 7. 51. Mat. 11. 21. inferre that neither lacke of meanes nor lacke of grace hindereth vs from dooing well but our owne perverse and wicked will let vs but runne over two or three examples and we shall even touch with our fingers the certaintie of this veritie Consider but Adams fall how many meanes he had to do well and yet how basely he fell he first by Gods especiall grace was indued with so many internall gifts of vertues and knowledge that easily he might have observed that commandement the inferiour parts were subordinate by originall iustice to the superior so that passions could not assault him he had all beasts and the whole garden of Paradice with all the hearbs and trees at his pleasure therefore the precept was not so rigorous for what difficultie were it for a man to abstaine from one tree having the vse of thousands He knew most certainely how by eating into what a damnable estate he cast himselfe and all his posteritie wherefore the event might have taught him to prevent the cause but above all the perfit knowledge of the sinne he committed against God the extreme ingratitude disloyaltie and treacherie might have bridled his mouth from that poysoned Apple which brought present death of the soule and after a time a certaine death of the body But all these helps countervailed not his negligence in consideration and his ill will seduced with ambition Let vs take an other familiar example which dayly occurreth more common than commendable a woman married which breaketh her fidelitie promised to her husband marke but what helps she hath to restraine her from this sinne I omit the Sacraments of Christs Church the threatnings of death Gods iudgement and hell the enormious offence she committeth against God the abuse of his benefits the breach of his law the contempt of his grace the remorce of conscience the wounding of her soule and spoyling of the same all these and many more common helps graunted to all sinners I will speake nothing of albeit I thinke them sufficient to with-hold any ingenious heart from prevarication only let vs weigh those particular meanes she hath to abstaine and withdraw herselfe from this offence as the great iniurie she offereth her husband the breach of love betweene them the infamie wherevnto she for all her life shall be subiect the stayne of her kinred and friends for her fault redoundeth to their discredit as her good to their reputation the shamefastnesse wherewith God hath
and prints of obiects for vnderstanding even so the heart endued with most fiery spirites fitteth best for affecting Lastly for what other reason in feare and anger become men so pale and wanne but that the blood runneth to the heart to succour it I saw once in Genoa a Bandite condemned to death and going to Execution to tremble so extraordinarily that he needed two to support him all the way and for all that he shivered extreamely Besides whence-from proceedeth laughter dauncing singing and many such externall singes of ioy but as wee say from a merrie heart therefore ioy and feare dwell in the heart Howbeit I thinke this most true and especially in those passions which are about obiectes absent as love hatred hope flight ire and such like yet I cannot but confesse that when the obiectes are present and possessed by sense then the passions inhabite not onely the heart but also are stirred vp in every part of the body whereas any sensitive operation is exercised for if wee taste delicate meates smell muske or heare musicke we perceyve notonely that the heart is affected but that also the passion of ioy delighteth those partes of our sences the like wee prove in payne and griefe for which cause commonly wee say our teeth ake our fingers toes or legges payne vs Payne therefore and Pleasure beeing Passions of the Minde and evermore felt in that part of the bodie where Sense exerciseth her operations therefore as touching is dispersed thorow the whole bodie even so the Passions of pleasure and payne for in everie parte if it bee cherished it reioyceth if be hurte it payneth Yet supposing the Passions principally reside in the hearte as wee perceyve by the concourse of humours thereunto wee may demaund two curious questions The former is for what ende hath Nature given this alteration or flocking of humours to the hearte It seemeth questionlesse for some good ende for God and Nature worke not by chaunce or without respecting some benefite of the subiect To the which question it may bee answered First Why humors flocke to the heart in passions that the humours concurre to helpe dispose and enable the heart to worke such operations for as we prove by experience if a man sleepe with open eyes although his sight be marvellous excellent yet he seeth nothing because in sleepe the purer spirites are recalled into the inner partes of the body leaving the eyes destitute of spirits and abandoned of force which presently in waking returne againe euen so I conceive the heart prepared by nature to digest the blood sent from the liver yet for divers respectes not to have the temperature which all Passions require for love will have heate and sadnesse colde feare constringeth and pleasure dilateth the heart therefore which was to bee subiect to such diversities of Passions by Nature was deprived of all such contrary dispositions as the Philosophers say that Materia prima caret omni forma quia omnes formas recipere debet And although the hearte hath more excesse of heate than colde yet a little melancholly blood may quickly change the temperature and render it more apt for a melancholly Passion The second reason may be for that these humours affecting the heart cause payne or pleasure thereby inviting Nature to prosecute the good that pleaseth and to flie the evill that annoyeth as in the Common-wealth Vertue ought to be rewarded with preferment and vice to be corrected with punishment even so in this little common-wealth of our bodies actions conformable to Nature are repayde with pleasure and passions disconsorting nature punished with payne The other question concerneth the efficient cause of these humours what causeth their motions to the heart they themselves as it were flie vnto the heart or the parte where they soiourned sendeth or expelleth them from her and so for common refuge they runne to the heart or finally the heart draweth them vnto it This difficultye requireth an answere whereby many such like questions may bee resolved as for example when the meate in our stomackes is sufficiently disgested the chile which there remayneth prepared to be sent to the liver for a further concoction doth it ascend thither by it selfe as vapours to the head or doth the stomacke expell it or the liver drawe and sucke it To this demaund I answere that in mine opinion the partes from whence these humours come vse their expulsive vertue sending the spirites choler or blood to serve the heart in such necessity as the hand lifteth vp it selfe to defend the head howbeit I doubt not but the heart also affected a little with the passion draweth more humors so encreaseth Many more curious obiections here I omit which perhaps would delight the more subtil wits but hardly of many to be conceived What sort of persons be most passionate CHAP. X. OVt of the precedent Chapter we may gather how that the heart is the seate of our passions that spirites and humours concurre with them here we may deduce a conclusion most certayne and profitable that according to the disposition of the heart humours and body divers sortes of persons be subiect to divers sortes of passions and the same passion affecteth divers persons in divers manners for as we see fire applyed to drie wood to yron to flaxe and gunpowder worketh divers wayes for in wood it kindleth with some difficulty and with some difficulty is quenched but in flaxe soone it kindleth and quencheth in yron with great difficulty is it kindled and with as great extinguished but in gunpowder it is kindled in a moment and never can bee quenched till the powder be consumed Some men you shall see not so soone angrie nor yet soone pleased and such be commonly fleugmatike persons others you have soone angrie soone friended as those of a sanguine complexion and therefore commonly they are called good fellowes others be hardly offended and afterward with extreame difficulty reconciled as melancholy men others are all fiery and in a moment at every trifle they are inflamed and till their heartes be consumed almost with choller they never cease except they be revenged By this we may confirme that olde saying to be true Animi mores corporis temperaturam sequâ—ntur the manners of the soule followe the temperature of the body And as in maladies of the body every wise man feeleth best his owne griefe euen so in the diseases of the soule every one knoweth best his owne inclination neverthelesse as Physitions commonly affirme how there be certayne vniversall causes which incline our bodies to divers infirmities so there are certayne generall causes which move our soules to sundry passions First young men generally are arrogant prowde prodigall incontinent given to all sortes of pleasure Their pride proceedeth from lacke of experience for they will vaunt of their strength beautie and wittes because they have not yet tryed sufficiently how farre they reach how frayle they are therefore they make more account of them
Passions prevayle often so much with men that they languish away and die as it befell to the Marquesse of Santa Cruz in Spaine the Generall to the Kinges Navie against the Frenchmen who had taken the Azores and D. Diego di Padiglia the Governour of the Castle of Millan who receyving certayne wordes of disgrace from the King of Spaine they permitted themselves to be so ore-ruled with the melancoly Passion that they scarce could chawe their meate and swallowe it downe at least they never made good digestion and so with an vngracious death they ended their disgraced life Questionlesse this vehement sorte of Passions proceedeth from an high prowde and ambitious minde and without all doubt extraordinarie selfe-love the which although by Gods Lawe they are prohibited yet by the vayne humours of men such spirites are highly prized I remember that in Italy after the yeere one thousand five hundred eighty and eight I heard divers Italian Captaines greatly condemning the Duke of Medina Sidonia the King of Spaines Generall in his Navie against England because he dyed not of Melancholy for that his Fleete miscarried so basely and was foyled by the English Forces so easily What Maladies growe by cares and heavinesse many can testifie and fewe men there bee which are not subiect to some melancholy humour that often assaulteth them troubling their mindes and hurting their bodies the olde Physitians can witnesse this veritie confirmed by long experience and registred in verse as a Medicine to all Posteritie Si vis incolumem si te vis reddere sanum Schola salerna Curas tolle graves irasci crede prophanum If thou wilt live in health devoyde of griefe and payne Set carking cares aloofe and choler thinke prophane And Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sorrowes to men diseases bring And Salomon Tristitiam longè expelle à te Multos Eccles 30. 25 enim c. Expell sadnesse farre from thee For sadnesse hath killed many neither is there any profite in it Zeale that is envie emulation or indignation and anger shorten thy dayes and Thought that is superfluous care and sollicitude bring old Age before her time To conclude I am of opinion that Passions cause many Maladies and welnie all are increased by them for that all payne engendreth melancholy which for the most part nourisheth all diseases for many we reade of that were cured by mirth but never any by sorrow or heavinesse When Alfonsus King of Naples was abandoned of his Physitians as in a desperate case then he called for Quintus Curtius and tooke such delight to heare him reade that hee recovered his health agayne and presently reiected his Physitians as not able to cure by Physicke that he obtained by alittle delight This fact I cannot greatly commend for Physicians and Medicines were ordained by God and a wise man wil not despise them it may bee Quintus Curtius pacified the Kinges melancholy minde which no medicine could doe Yet there occurreth one poynt in this matter not to be omitted that Passions ingender Humors and Humors breede Passions how Passions cause Humors we have hitherto sufficiently declared but how Humors stirre vp Passions must now be delivered We reade in the Machabees how before they led the Elephants to fight in warres they accustomed to mingle iuyce of grapes and mulberies together to sharpen and incense them more to battell and it seemeth a thing frequented in many Nations to stirre vp beastes to fight by shewing them some redde colour for thereby they imagine that the sight of blood inflameth them to the shedding of blood as in Spaine they vse when they chace their wild Bulles and in Italy their Bufaloes The true cause why beastes are incensed with a redde colour Valesius an excellent Physitian rendreth for saith he the sight of redde things according to the common opinion of Galen and other Physitians stirreth and inflameth the blood therefore they prohibite those which are much given to bleeding to behold any redde colour And I my selfe in Italy have heard Physitians commaund that redde clothes coveringes and hangings should bee taken from before the patients which were labouring in a tertian Agew because they affirmed that red colours mooved and inflamed the blood Now if the blood of Elephants being incensed with a red colour had force to stirre in them the Passion of Ire in battell how much more may we say that if much hote blood abound in the body that subiect by the force of that Humor shall easily and often bee mooved to anger if temperate blood abound or be mingled with fleugme to mirth if melancholy exceede to griefe and heavinesse And in effect we proove in dreames and Physitians prognosticate by them what humor aboundeth for Choler causeth fighting blood and wounds Melancholy disgrace feares affrightments ill successe and such like these dreames are caused by the spirites which ascend into the imagination the which being purer or grosser hotter or colder more or lesse which diversitie dependeth vpon the humours of the bodie moove divers Passions according to their Nature And for this cause we may resolve another difficulty why some men are alwayes almost merry others for the most part melancholy others ever angry this diversity must come from the naturall constitution of the body wherein one or other humor doth predominate The selfe same cause may be alledged why sometimes wee feele our selves we know not why mooved to Miâ—th Melancholy or Anger insomuch that any little occasion were sufficient to incense that Passion for as these humors depend vpon the heavens ayre sleepe and waking meate and drinke exercise and rest according to the alterations of these externall causes one or other Humor doth more or lesse over-rule the body and so causeth alteration of Passions Out of this discourse and the 9. Chapter we may resolve some prettie curious Questions more talkt of and practised then well vnderstood The first is how can possibly a mans conceite worke strange effectes in his body As for example Hypocrates exhorteth Physitians if two kindes of meate were to be ministred to a Patient the one healthfull and the other a little hurtful or not so good as the other that they should preferre this being much desired before that not so well liked and generally both Philosophers and Physitians maintayne that the opinion of the Patient of the Physitians knowledge and goodnesse of the Phisicke importeth much for the curing of any maladie The reason is plaine for these and such like experiences for the Imagination herein though erroneously conceaving things better then indeede and really they are causeth a vehement Passion of Hope wherewith followeth an extraordinary Pleasure in the things which two Passions awake or rowze vp the puâ—er Spirits and vnite them together qualifying and resining them in the best maner which thus combined do most effectually co-operate with Nature strengthen her in the performance of any corporall action or vitall operation Secondly how S. Austens opinion may
Rhetoricians affirme that Rhetorike in an ill cause is a two edged sword in the hand of a furious man Yet I would not by this condemne the facultie of eloquence which I confesse if it be well vsed to be most profitable for the Church and common-weale but because at this present it is sophisticated by many who couer stincking matters with fragrant flowers and with a few sugred words temper the gall of their pernicious obiects therefore euery wise man ought rather to examine the Orators reasons than to follow his intent with a seduced affection The fift rule When men are possessed of a vehement passion deale not with them by reprehension or indignation especially in vehement manner except it be some person that is superior or in authoritie but rather by a mild and soft sort of persuasion The reason of this rule may well be gathered out of that wee haue hitherto deliuered for contrarie passions breed hatred and dissention wherefore hee that is passionat will hardly be persuaded by him whom hee conceiueth contrarie to him yea often those that at other times were good friendes in time of passions for some such opposition fall into endlesse contention for as we see when a house in the midst of the streete is vehementlie inflamed it were bootlesse to quench the flame with water but the best remedie and commonly practised is to pull downe the next houses that thereby the lacke of foement might diminish the flameâ—so him that rageth with anger hardly you shall appease by wrangling or chiding but either answere mildly for Mollis responsio mitigat iram a soft answere mittigateth anger or aunswere nothing withdrawing the matter of anger from sight the same in vehement lust or sadnes may bee practised as in the particular Treatises shall be deliuered This rule holdeth vniuersally in all those which be our equalles or at the least doe not much exceed vs in estate or wee them But if a superiour or a magistrat see his inferior or subiect vehemently caried in any passion he may threaten or reprehend him because one passion often cureth another so here the passion of feare may expell the passion of anger lust or what else soeuer tempteth either to the passionats euill or any disorder in the common-weale albeit if the passion tend not presently to some sinne or great offence better I hold it to deferre such reprehensions till the subiect be more capable of them The sixt rule No man ought to be employed to any office act or exercise contrarie to his naturall passions and inclination This rule concerneth all sorts of superiours in the imployments of their subiects all parents for the education of their children schoolemaisters for the training vp of their schollers The ground of this rule dependeth of long experience and reason For by experience we learne that men be oftentimes imployed to one trade and neuer can profit therein contrariwise when either they of themselues or others do change that course to another whereunto they were inclined they become very excellent men I knew one in Flaunders imployed of his friends to be a marchant against his inclination but he neuer scarce could abide to deale in marchandise and so at last therwith awearied left them and turned his course to studie wherein he excelled and became one of the rarest preachers there I my selfe heard him preach after very godly and learnedly a hundred such examples I could bring you Reason also prooueth the same most manifestly for three things are required of necessitie to attaine to the perfection of any science cunning or office Nature Art practise Nature affordeth capacitie of wit strength of bodie and inclination of mind the which inclination if it be lacking the subiect striueth against the streame and although by force and constraint nolens volens he follow such a trade against his mind he may peraduenture doe some thing with great difficultie the which labor if he had bestowed in that thing whereunto he was inclined he would haue become a most excellent man This rule may not be vnderstood so absolutely but that it admitteth some limitation for some contrarie inclination or passion proceedeth not from defect of nature or abilitie of mind but from an ill and vitious selfe-will or wilfulnesse and then it were good with sweetnesse and inticements to allure such a person to follow that science art or trade whereunto nature most inclineth him Another exception is if the impediments of Nature bee but small and the habiliments otherwise great then the one ought to ouerrule the other and after a little labour in ouercomming the impediment will follow a great facilitie in the atchieuement of the rest The seuenth rule serueth for great persons who commonly neuer resist their passions therefore if a man vnderstand once their inordinat affections he may be very well assured to haue gained much ground in preuailing with them And therefore wee see vsually that if men see such persons addicted to this or that affection to win their good wils they will foster vp such fancies if they be delighted in musicke they present them with instruments if in riding with horses if in hunting with dogs if in studie with literall labours c. for by thus feeding their fancies they win their friendship Finally there be generall hinderances common to all or most men to get vertue and learning and those ought by diligence and labor to be cut off for the sweet fruits of vertue spring from bitter rootes of mortification and the praise of learning proceedeth from industrie and labour therefore let no man persuade himselfe to attaine vnto any singular cunning except his labour be singular Many more rules might be here deliuered as that prowd men be pleased with praises honor and account discontented with comparisons with commending their equals in not yeelding them honour in disparaging their actions Milde modest humble meeke are beloued vniuersally because we thinke them vertuous who will honour or not contemne vs. If thou wouldest obtaine any fauour or inuite any man to pleasure it were good to take him at such times as he is merrily disposed as after meat If thou wilt induce him to pensiuenesse sorrow for his sinnes the feare of God or any sad passion take him at such times as melancholie most oppresseth him in darke and cloudie dayes in the morning in Winter or in fine at such seasons as that passion raigneth ouer him These and many more I could set downe but the order of method requireth they should bee allotted to particular Treatises Wherefore I will conclude this Chapter with this sentence That as hee is imprudent which hath strong passions and endeuoureth not to conceale them from others so he may be accounted vnpolliticke who knoweth another mans passions and cannot preuaile against them THE FOVRTH BOOKE Wherein is explaned how Passions may be discouered CHAP. I. AS by experience men may discouer the inclinations of dogs and horses and other beastes euen so by
thing to the purpose that wee perceiue better our desires of the soule without any corporall alteration of the body than either loue pleasure or hatred for this comment spoyleth the text because hardly we conceiue any actions of the soule but by these corporall alterations the which induce vs to name them according to Thomas his meaning neither is it true that we prooue by experience without the motions of the body more sensibly concupiscence than ioy or sadnesse and this assumption was admitted of Caietane without any probation Wherefore I thinke we may best say that of all passions wee prooue paine griefe sadnesse pleasure feare and delectation are most notoriously knowne yet because these vehement passions doe not affect vs so commonly but at certaine times and desires of those things we loue continue the longest and fall foorth oftenest therefore men called our sensitiue appetite Concupiscibilis coueting First of all then sadnesse most manifestly is knowne to vs because wee suffer often and feele most sensible paine then pleasure then feare the other are not so open but sometimes they may exceed and so more shew themselues as ire desperation c. Order of Passions in generation or production 2 DIuines and Philosophers commonly affirme that all other passions acknowledge loue to be their fountaine root and mother the reason I take to be for that al passions either prosecut some good or flie some euill those which flie euill as hatred feare sadnesse presuppose the loue of some good the which that euill depriueth as for example who hateth death but he which loueth life who feareth aduersity but he that loueth prosperitie who is pensiue in his sickenesse but hee that loueth health Loue then goeth before all those passions which eschew euil Amongst them which prosecute good loue likewise proceedeth for the passions of our minds are not vnlike the motions of our bodies For as things naturally mooued haue an appetite or naturall inclination to the place whereunto they are mooued mooue and rest therein as the water which runneth so fast downe the mountaines hath an instinct of Nature to be vnited with the Sea for which cause we see brookes and flouds runne with such a maine force to attaine thereunto when they come to the Sea presently they ioyne in friendship and liue in concord ioyning together as louing friends euen so we see in beastes the horse loueth water when hee is thirstie and therefore by desire hee seeketh out some riuer or fountaine when he hath found it he drinketh pleaseth himself therewith and so resteth contented This ordinarie course keepe passions but sometimes this subordination is changed for if a man bee wounded vpon a sodaine the present passion of griefe and ire inuade him and so per accidens in many other cases the foresaid order may be broken Order of Passions in Intention 3 IF we discourse of those Passions which reside in the sensitiue appetite it euer first intendeth pleasure and delight because therewith Nature is most contented from which intention followeth loue hatred ire and such like this passion beasts most desire yea children and sensuall persons wholy seeke after and direct almost their whole actions thereunto for pleasure is the polestare of all inordinat passions and if a man examine himselfe thorowly he shal find that riches glorie health learning and what else most men desire aime commonly at pleasure and delight of the body because these pleasures are easily perceiued and in them the soule seemeth to purchase a quiet rest Neuerthelesse vertuous men whose passiōs are ruled by reason leuel at a higher mark and subordinate pleasure to honestie and delight to vertue because as we say Glorie waiteth on Vertue as the shadow followeth the body euen so vnto good actions followeth a certaine pleasure and sweetnesse howbeit a good man giueth almes yet dooth he not giue it with intention men should commend him as hypocrites do and so be repayd with the pleasure of a good reputation but with the testimonie of a good conscience that hee doth it for the glorie of God Order of Passions in Dignitie 4 IF we compare our passions in dignitie or perfection then those wherewith we prosecute good are more excellent than those wherewith wee esteeme ill and among these loue holdeth the principall place and as a queene in dignitie preceadeth the rest because that loue vniteth the louer in affection with the obiect beloued loue is the root of other affections loue finally maketh vs friends with God and man All we haue said of passions residing in our sensitiue appetite the same we find in the reasonable passion of our will because the will hath such like acts specified of the same obiects directed to the same end for as a Rhetoritian will make an Epistle according to the rules of Grammer as well as a Grammarian euen so what our sensatiue appetite followeth or abhorreth the same our will may prosecute or detest THE FIFT BOOKE of the Passions of the Minde Wherein are deliuered the means to mooue Passions THe water which wee find in euery Citie by three wayes passeth into it either by fountaines or springs by riuers or conduits or by raine snow or halestones that is some water ariseth some passeth some descendeth so in like manner our imaginations or internall sences and consequently our Passions by three wayes are mooued by humours arising in our bodies by externall sences and secret passage of sensuall obiects by the descent or commaundement of reason How passions are stirred vp by humours was aboue deliuered here onely remaineth to declare how they are prouoked by sences and incited by the wit and will And first of all we will begin with the motions of sences as most knowne obuious and ordinarie How sences mooue Passions and specially our sight §. 1. GEnerally they loue and affect vanitie for what is that they loue or can loue in the world and worldly but vanitie that is neither before it is had contenteth nor when it is possessed fully pleaseth nor after it is departed satisfieth For such things are vaine which vanish away and are resolued into nothing They search after lies not onely because all worldly allurements yeeld no felicitie and contentation as they beare vs in hand but also for that in very deed and really they be lies shewing one thing in the rind and externall apparance and an other in the coare and internall essence for cousining arts falsifie and sophisticat nature causing copper seeme gold hypocrisie sanctitie and sences surfeits the soules solaces All sences no doubt are the first gates whereby passe and repasse all messages sent to passions but yet the scriptures in particular wonderfully exhort commaund and admonish vs to attend vnto the custodie and vigilance ouer our eyes Dauid who had once vnwarily glaunced awry and let goe the raines of his eyes at his passions importunity thought himselfe vnable without Gods speciall grace to guide direct and withdraw them from vanitie and therefore
had need of some short remembrance to pull their wits by the elbow and will them not to diue too deepe least they who by reason should best vnderstand their reasons I meane the meaner wits who for most part are generall auditors be depriued of that instruction and information the Oratour intendeth and they expected Thirdly we must obserue that in amplifications which are in effect nothing else but either exaggerations or cumulations of reasons diuers things are to be noted First in amplifications all conceits should relish a certaine greatnesse and carie with them some sort of excesse if we praise then the persons and things praised must be commended for some admirable excellencie if we exhort or dissuade then are to bee discouered a sea of great goodnesse or a multitude of mightie euils Secondly the reasons which we amplifie require great perspicuitie and apertnesse in deliuerie because the attention which otherwise should be imployed about the affection will wholy be consumed or drawne to the vnderstanding for it is impossible to attend much at one time both to speculation and affection Furthermore our speech being cursorie and specially framed for meane capacities will not be able to make any impression in auditors except our reasons be meruailous plaine euident Thirdly our reasons should be largely declared and yet with sharpe and short varietie interlaced resembling a volley of shot speedily deliuered but not without bullets to batter downe the walles of wilfull affections And for this cause we may vse pithie short descriptions compounded of some metaphor annexed with some proprietie which is most vsuall with orators as Cicero commendeth histories for saith he Histories are the witnesses 1. Dâ— Orat. of times the light of trueth the life of memorie the mistris of life the messenger of antiquitie c. so may we in like manner describe man to be a shadow of pleasure a glorious flower a fading rose an vnsatiable appetite â— circle of fancies a running riuer a mortall angell a reasonable beast a vitious monster declining from his nature c. Many similitudes or dissimilitudes examples contrarieties effects repugnant may easilie be inuented readily deliuered and in a moment vnderstood so that by this meanes profound conceit shall bee facilited and there with the auditors instructed delighted and moued Fourthly as passions are diuers so motiues to stirre them vp are various and therefore now method requireth that we descend to the immediat sparkes which must set the soule on fire and kindle the passions or like winds blow off the ashes that the coales may be reuiued for hetherto we haue talked a farre off and layd but the first foundations by these particular motiues which follow passions immediatly properly effectually are moued Motiues to Loue. O My God the soule of my soule and the life of all true loue these drie discourses of affections without any cordiall affection haue long deteined not a little distasted me Now that I come towards the borders of Loue giue me leaue O louing God to vent out and euaporat the affects of the heart and see if I can incense my soule to loue thee intirely and suisceratly and that all those motiues which stirre vp mine affections to loue thee may be meanes to inflame all their hearts which read this treatise penned by me But alas where shall I begin to parley of affections who am so stained with imperfections and corrupted with infections Come come you sacred cherubins you morning starres of neuer darkening light descend you Seraphins you burning lampes of loue and tell me what motiues mooue you to loue your God so vehemently and vncessantly I know you will answere that your loue is of another stampe than mine and therfore that your language cannot bee vnderstood in the land of mortall men Ah my God euer loued too litle shall I neuer be able neither to loue nor speake of loue inough shall I aduenture to weaue a web of such subtile golden threds in such a rotten rustie loome did not Isay excuse himselfe for speaking of thee because his lips were polluted and durst not attempt so mightie an enterprise till with a burning coale of loue his mouth was purified Did not Dauid thirst after thee like the thirstie Hart the fountaines of cleare water and yet he exclaimed Imperfectum meum viderunt oculi tuâ— Thou hast O Lord beheld mine imperfection Did not the Seraphins Esay 6. glowing with fiery affections vaile their feet with golden wings thereby shewing a reuerent shame of their imperfit loue as vnworthie of such a supreme maiestie And what gratious Lord shall I thinke speake or write of thy loue whose best knowledge is scarce comparable with their ignorance whose purest affections are but inordinat passions in respect of their feruent desires and inflamed charitie But alas to say nothing were to admite thee but with blind ignorance to speake not condignly were irreuerently to conuerse with thee What shall I then neither speake nor hold my peace O fountaine of loue such is the abysse of thy goodnesse that thou reputest that ynough when we doe all we can endue me therefore O bountifull God with thy grace that since I cannot speake so worthily of thee as thou deserues at least I may speake in such sort of thee as at an vnworthie sinners hands thou expects A long season O my God the warie waigher of all my wayes haue I ranged abroad and reuelled among thy creatures I cannot say I loued them for then why did they cloy me and anoy me neither can I auer that I hated them for they delighted me Alas they pleased me because they were sprinckled and bedewed with some drops of amabilitie which thou diddest let fall vpon them from the immensiue Ocean of thy bountie they molested me because I loued not them aright that is in thee and for thee but for themselues and my delight After I had prodigally spent my patrimonie by surfeiting in pleasure and therein obseruing neither law rule nor measure at last I returned to thee found all those motiues in thy maiestie in a farre more eminent degree vnited than I before in all the vast multitude of thy creatures had tried dispersed I loued my parents as The first motiue of Loue is parâ—ntage authors of my being and imparters of life and this without teacher by nature I was instructed When after I turned mine eyes to thee I perceiued there was but a small sparke of paternitie in my progenitours compared to thee Thou gaue them bodies being and life to bee parents thou preserued conserued and enabled them thou created my soule alone wherin they neither had part nor action thou formed my body when they neuer minded me thou hast kept me day and night when they neuer remembred me yea when both they and I were fast asleepe thy watchfull eye waked ouer both them and me In the progresse of my tender yeares I loued them who Beneuolence bestowed fauours
of these It is hard for me if not impossible O God the center of my soule to explicate the admirable proportion conveniencie and agreeablenes betwixt thy mercies and our miseries thy riches and our poverty thine habilities to perfit vs and our indignities to be perfited thy patience and longanimitie to support iniuries and our perversenes to commit offences Tell me O thou hart of man why thou livest in this life for most part disgusted distasted vnquiet ever loving never perfitly liking thirsting ever for a happy quiet rest and never attaining any quietnes to thy full contentment or rest Ah my God! one who knew this miserie and had felt the finger of thy mercy told the cause for being as vnable to settle himselfe as he had perceived the same in others at last was stirred vp to seeke to thee the center life and satietie of the soule Tuenim excitas vt laudare te delectet Quia fecisti nos Aug. lib. 1. confes cap. 1. ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te Thou excites vs O God with delight to praise thee Because thou hast made vs for thee and our heart is vnquiet vntill it rest in thee So that as the fire flieth to his Sphere the stone to his Center the river to the Sea as to their end and rest and are violently deteyned in all other places even so the heartes of men without thee their last end and eternall quietnesse are ever ranging warbling and never out of motion not vnlike the needle touched with the Load-stone which ever standeth quivering trembling vntil it enioy the full and direct aspect of his Northerne Pole O my God of infinite wisedome who canst speake as well with workes as words let it be lawfull for me symbollically to interpret the triangular figure of mans hart say that as the face of the body may be termed the portrait of affections and passions so the heart may be called the face and figure or resemblance of the soule and consequently of thee whose image lies drawne in the plane thereof limmed with thine owne pensil and immortal colours the heart then of man triangularly respecteth the blessed Trinitie every corner a Person and the solide substance your common Essence This heart then resembling thee touched with desire of thee cannot bee quiet but vnited and conioyned with affectuall love and amity with thee But come wit of man and shew thy sympathy in desire of thy God that by thee wee may discover the agreeablenesse hee hath with all reasonable Natures What is thine inclination and what thing with mayne and might doest thou wish and essentially crave Trueth what trueth All so that thy thirst can never bee served except all trueth thou see revealed And where is this Trueth to bee found passe over the vaste vniverse from the convexe superficies of the highest Heaven to the center of hell and thou shalt not get such a request satisfied passe and pierce thorow all these trueths and yet the immensive capacitie of thy desire will not completely bee filled For vntill the Sea of all Truth the graund origen of al verities flow into thee these little drops will rather cause a greater then quench thy former thirst Thy God then who is prima Veritas in essendo dicendo the first Veritie in being and speaking and infinite in both of all other obiects doth consort with this thy boundlesse comprehension best and in fine must be thy full satietie or else never looke to be satisfied Now that the Wit knoweth where his Rest resteth Come thou Will of man and tell vs what thou aymest at where dwelleth the purport of thy wishes where lyeth the proiect of thy desires In goodnesse and perfection for as the eye beholdeth light and all colours limmed with light so thou affects all goodnes and all things gilded with goodnesse And where is all this goodnesse to be gotten Ah! wee trie too palpably that all things covered with the cope of Heaven are as farre from fully contenting our willes as a bitte of meate to a man almost halfe dead of hunger Who ever yet in this life accounted himselfe persitly happie and thorowly satisfied in minde but those which sincerely and affectually loved thee Alas who is hee that seeth not how our affections goe rowling and ranging from one base creature to another seeking contentment ever hoping and never obtayning now in walking now in conversing now in beholding after in eating studying and a thousand such like inveagling baites which do nothing else but with a clawing and cloying varietie rid vs from a sensuall satietie for when one sense hath drunke vp all his pleasure and either feeleth not his thirst quenched or with too much his facultie or corporall instruments endammaged presently the soule seeketh an other baite to avoyd the former molestation with a new recreation and so wandreth and beggeth of every poore creature a scrap of comfort All this my sweete God the only obiect of complet contentation argueth that what is loved without thee although it agreeth in part with vs yet it iumpeth not right it consorteth not in forme and manner as our soules and wils requires Thou only who foulds in thy selfe all kind of goodnesse art the sole convenient and agreeable obiect of our wits wills loves and desires The 12. Motive to Love is Necessitie NEcessitie was the first inventor of Artes Pleasure added divers Vanity found out the rest Al corporall creatures issued from the hands of God with a serviceable harmonicall convenience consorting with the nature of man many for necessity some for delight others for ornaments Among the parts of a mans body some are necessary as the hart braine and liver some exceeding profitable yet not absolutely requisite as two hands two eyes two eares ten fingers ten toes some are for ornaments as the haire of a womans head and 1. Cor. 11. 15. the beard of a man an apt figure and personablenes of body pleasant colours and divers such like naturall complements Wherefore if pleasant artes delightfull creatures complementall ornaments be greatly loved and liked questionles necessary trades creatures and parts ought much more to be esteemed and affected because that every one first loveth himselfe and then all those meanes which in some sort concerne the being or conservation of himselfe among which those which are most necessary are necessaryly beloved If I consider my body O good God the only moulder of all creatures how it dependeth vpon thee in vpholding and propping vp continually the weake pillers thereof least continually they should fall I well know their feeblenes to be such and so extreame that no hand but thine Almighty is able to sustaine them What way can I walke what sense can I vse what worke can I worke what word can I speake what thought can I thinke what wish can I will if thou guide not my feet concurre not with my sense work not with my hands
the Gift in it selfe THe fuller Fountaine causeth a greater Spring the better Plant the more pretious Fruite the fatter Soile the more plentiful Harvest and the kinder Heart the greater Gifts Among speciall and intier friendes Gifts admitte not degrees of greater or lesser because such have all their goods and habilities one at the becke and least intimation of an other whereupon grew that solemne sentence Amicorum omnia sunt communia But this Circumstance holdeth among our common friends and generall wel-willers whose affections by little and little discover themselves vnto vs and this rule is not to be esteemed one of the worst that greatnesse of gifts argueth greatnesse of good will for although some few prodigall persons lavish forth their substances for a vaine proiect and estimation to be reputed liberall bountifull and despisers of Fortunes favours yet when evidently we are not certayne our Well-willer is such a braine-sick person right Reason teacheth vs to inferre out of the greater gift the greater good will and consequently to deserve a correspondence of a semblable affection Some gifts are so exceeding in value and so vnprizable that a man is never able perfitly to recompence them as for example yong Toby conferring with his old father what reward they should bestow vpon the Angell Raphael who had guided and protected him in Toby 12. all his iourney said thus vnto him What reward shall we give him or what thing worthie of his benefits he carried me and brought me back againe in health he received the money of Gabelus he procured me a Wife and delivered her of the Devill he comforted her parents he hindred the Fish from devouring me he hath caused you see the light of heaven and thus hath he replenished vs with all good things What condignely may we for all these bestow vpon him But I beseech you father to request him if perhaps he will vouchsafe to accept the one halfe of all these riches we have brought Thus the gratefull Toby acknowledged the Angels gifts greater then he could ever satisfie howbeit in recognition of his good will he offered halfe he had whereby with the greatnes of the remuneration he intended to declare vnto the Angell the greatnesse of his affection It is a common received principle as well among prophane philosophers as sacred writers that the gifts of God of nature and grace the gifts of parents of body and life the gifts of instructors in learning and manners are vnvaluable and inecompensable for as vertue learning body life soule grace farre surpasse in degree and perfection all other riches and treasures whatsoever so all men in respect of such persons must for ever hold themselves obliged and never out of debt because the vertue of gratitude is such that a man should ever recompense the benefit received like the earth which receiveth one graine of â—â—lieate and yeeldeth therefore twenty and more so benefits should ever be repayed with interest for if we returne lesse we remayne in debt if equall we seeme to exchange and rather follow the law of iustice and equalitie then of friendship and amitie therefore by gratitude we ever ought to exceed the gift in value which we receive wherein equalitie releeseth recompense and the excesse an emulous superioritie in good will Zuxis a famous Painter so prized his Pictures that he gave them all away and never would sell any because he thought them so pretious as no gold could countervayle them Some others I have knowne who esteemed no lesse their literall labours because they were of-springs of wit distilled from the purest spirits in their braines the which therewith they had aboundantly consumed and therefore not to be bought with any treasure besides bookes divulged are generall gifts and common communications of wisdom the which ought so much more to be esteemed how much wisdome surpasseth all worldly wealth bonum quo communius eo melius and every good the commoner the better for it were malitious perversitie to withhold from others a good thing profitable to many without our impeachment and hindrance wherefore I cannot but condemne that repining indignation of Alexander the great who vnderstanding that Aristotle his inâ—â—â—â—â—or had divulged publiquely his booke of Metaphysicks which he had taught him privatly wrote vnto him in anger that in so doing he had left him nothing peculiar whereby he might excell all others in knowledge and science as though it grieved him that any man should be wise except himselfe With how much more reason and charity desired Moses that all the people might prophetize Quis tribuat vt omnis populus prophetet â—â—â— 11. 29. det eis dominus spiritum suum 6. Circumstance If the gift tended to our great good or riddance from some great evill A Showre of rayne after a long drought is more worth then ten showers another time Money lent a Merchant falling bankerout to vphold his credit may be accounted so much money given Those loaves of bread and that sword Achimelech gave David in his flight from the face of Saul were questionles in his penurie 1. Reg. 22. ten times more gratefull and acceptable then in his abundance Therefore it is great prudence friendly policy to reserve gifts and helps for men till great wants because they prize a little more then then much another time And withall it deserveth consideration that in such cases not only the affection wherewith we bestow the benefit vpon him but also the good which ensueth and the evill which he eschueth and all such desiderable consequent effects are thought intended wished and to proceed from that favour we shew in such a case so opportunely and in such extremity 7. Circumstance If it be given with alacritie I Have received some gifts of friends given with such a promptnes alacritie shew of affection as in very truth it seemed vno me that the very manner of giving doubled the gift When the Angels came to Abraham in the vale of Mambre he invited them to dinner with Gen. 1â— such alacritie so civilly and affectuously as in very deed they had seemed to have vsed him discourteously if they had refused his importune courtesie 1 If you favour me 2 passe not your servant 3 I will bring a little water to wash your feet 4 and rest vnder the tree 5 I will bring you some bread 6 and you shal 〈◊〉 your harts 7 and then you shall depart 8 therfore you came this way the Angels accepted his invitation 9 and the good old man ranne presently and brought the tenderest and best calfe he had and caused one of his servants to kill him 10 Sara in as great haste moulded paste to make theÌ„ ember-cakes 11 when all was done Abraham stood served while they sat downe All these circumstances shew the great desier that Abraham had to entertaine those strangers I have seene some men so ready prompt to grant what was requested them that they would have moved
of infections of fits of agues theyr causes courses continuances whence-from proceedeth the indeficient regular and irregular beating of the pulse the substance scituation correspondence and vse of all partes of a mans body the conversion dispersion perfection and alteration of blood No man I thinke can be learned who may not plainely perceyve what an infinite matter I have propounded here of knowledge and yet how little even the wisest know This subiect would have bin more apparant if I had interlaced these questions with diversities of opinions and confirmed each one with the best grounds and arguments but this curious sort of discourse I leave to Schooles Onely I will inferre our extreme Ignorance that few or none of these difficulties which concerne vs so neere as our soules and bodies are throughly as yet in my iudgement declared even of the profoundest wits for I know not how their best resolutions leave still our Vnderstandings drye thirsting for a clearer and fresher Fountaine VII Ignorance and Errours in knowing base Creatures BYt no doubt God is of infinite Maiestie our soules immateriall spirits our bodies thereunto proportionated and therefore there may be some excuse pretended of this Ignorance the obiects are too noble our capacities too feeble the meanes to attayne vnto such knowledge too difficult our Soule dwelleth in the tabernacle of flesh blood it is drowned in humors and fatnes it is blinded with vapours mists it sees thorow carnall windowes and cloudy spectacles Well I admit this ignorant answere but at least if we cannot vnderstand those things which be above vs our selves and those which be equall with vs wee shall comprehend and fully conceyve all those Creatures beneath which serve and obey vs. But alas our Ignorance is not here finished for I know not whether I may better say men are ignorant of all things in generall or know nothing in particular for in trueth there is no Creature in the world that wee perfectly comprise and vnderstand I now leave the Heavens the Starres the Planets the Birds of the ayre the Fishes of the Sea the Beasts of the Land and wil take one of the least creatures which creepeth vpon the earth and thereby convince our Ignorance Basil epi. 168. quae est ad Eunomium as Saint Basil convinced the boasting presumption of Eunomius the heretike who vaunted that he knew GOD and his Divinity and that shall be a very Emmet so little in body so base in substance of so small account yet I say that no man how learned soever can satisfie those demaunds which may be propounded about this contemptible beast 1 Whether it breatheth or no. 2 If those little corps be vpheld with bones 3 If those small members be lincked together with sinewes or chayned with strings 4 If those sinewes be fortified with muscles 5 Whether downe the backe Nature extendeth a chayne plyable to turning or bending 6 Whether thorow the chain passeth a white marow 7 Whether the sinowy membranes impell the rest of the body 8 Whether it hath a Lyver or no. 9 Whether in the Lyver a receptacle of Choler 10 Whether a heart 11 Whether kidneis 12 Whether arteries 13 Whether veines 14 Whether skinnes 15 Whether a traverse or midriffe 16 Whether is it bare or hayrie 17 Whether single or cloven footed 18 How long liveth it 19 After what manner is it begotten 20 How long dwelleth it in the wombe 21 Why do not al creep but some fly some creepe All these questions are mooved by S. Basil and hee concludeth thus Si minutissimae formicae naturam nondum cognitione apprehendisti quomodo incomprehensibilis dei vim te imaginari gloriaris If thou canst not comprise by knowledge the nature of the least Emmet how gloriest thou to imagine the power of the incomprehensible God These questions onely concerne the body of an Emet but many more might be demaunded and ten times more about the sensitive soule yet these suffice to declare the weakenesse of our Vnderstanding Yea I will adde an other consideration of no smaller importance then the rest that although as wee see by dayly experience many men study night and day poring forth their braines and eies vpon their bookes yet I am of opinion that if we could see the opinions even of the best learned man in the world with as plaine perspicuitie as we discerne blacke from white wee should find in his vnderstanding more errours then truethes more falsities then verities more ignorances then sciences more that ought to be forgotten then is well learned finally more chaffe then corne I alwayes except matters of faith and religion The reasons which induce me to this opinion are these First I see such varieties of opinions even among the profoundest wittes that ever the worlde yeelded whose writings are extant about the selfe samething one contradicting and condemning another both bringing strong reasons to confirme their opinions one or both must needes erre the Trueth being one and indivisible Secondly I perceyve the same profound Scholers at one time defending with many reasons one opinion and after with as great boldnesse impugning the same retracting the former And why I pray you may they not erre the second time as well as the first for I warrant you they thought they had as great evidence assurance before as they presently possesse And why may they not as well reclayme agayne as they did before You will say secundae cogitationes be prudentiores and wise men recall their former errors And I pray you are not tertiae and quartae prudentissimae After a sleepe vpon the pillow many correct their dayly thoughts doth not one day teach another Wherefore I see no reason why wise men may not in their retractation as wel erre as in their former assent Thirdly the Scriptures seeme to insinuate little lesse Cunctae res difficiles non potest homo Eccles 1. eas explicare sermone All things are difficult neither can man declare them with speech and after speaking of God he saith mundū tradidit c. he delivered the world Idem cap. 3. to their disputation that man should not finde out the work which God had wrought from the beginning to the end VIII Curiositie in knowing things not necessarie AN other generall defect and imperfection proceeding from Nature corrupted and tending to corruption followeth all the Sonnes of Adam and that is a certaine naturall curiosity a diligent inquisition of other mens actions and an extreame negligence in our owne moale-hilles in other men seeme mountaynes and craggie rockes in our selves smooth rushes other mens faults be before our eyes but our owne behinde our backs It is a world to see with what rigor and partialitie men censure others actions with what smooth countenance they conceale their owne defects Let vs not looke any further but to David who never was angrie with himselfe for killing Vrias and abusing his wife but straitwayes after that Nathan had propounded
fields as Paradises of pleasure wherein was layd by the author of nature a reward for those who had not abused nature but grace being above nature affordeth vs more motives to vertue more helps to flie vice 11 What adamant heart can be so hardned with vice that the blood of Christ shall not breake why was he drawne vp the Crosse but to draw vs to vertue from vice Why cryed he longe à salute mea verba delictorum but because he crucified indeede our sinnes in his owne body which in vaine before without vertue of this passion had been washed with blood of goats and calves 12 The Sacraments of his Church those fountaines of grace those conduits of his passion those heavenly medicines those linckes and chaynes wherewith the members of Christes church are vnited in religion for what other effect were they instituted than for the watering of our soules to the encrease of vertue and the whole supplanting of vice 13 The internall gifts of God the armour of Faith Hope and Charitie with graces and favors wherewith the holy ghost endueth our soules fortifie vs against vice and habilitate exceedingly to vertue 14 The manifold inspirations of God the illustrations of his holy Angels which stand in battell aray to defend vs tend to no other end than to perswade vs to vertue and disswade vs from vice 15 Why hath God provided so many teachers and preachers but to be so many watchmen over the house of Israel to cry like Trumpets and blaze the sinnes of the house of Iacob lest by wallowing in wickednesse they reclaime no more to goodnesse 16 The holy scriptures were written with the finger of God as Registers of his eternall will letters of love to invite vs to vertue and threatnings of ire to dehort vs from vice therein by more sure authoritie he delivereth vnto vs whatsoever he had written more obscurely in the booke of Nature perswading directing counselling to goodnes pietie and religion disswading diverting threatning and terrifying from vice impietie and vngodlines wherefore one of the chiefest scopes for which the sacred Volume was sent from Heaven was to make vs decline from evill and do good dye to old Adam and live with Christ crucifie sinne and follow vertue 17 God by his infinite wisedome and charitie gave vs not only teachers in words but also actors in deeds not only them who filled our eares with godly perswasions but also them which represented vertue most lively to our eyes with good examples and holy actions so were the lives of Saintes in all ages as so many Orig. libr. 1. in Iob Grego ibid. Starres which gave vs light how to walke in the darkenesse of this life and so many spurres to pricke vs forward that we should not linger in so divine a voyage Their fervent charitie reprehendeth our tepiditie their diligence in Gods service our negligence their watching and praying our sluggishnes and indevotion 18 If there were a Kings sonne of most beautifull countenance and divine aspect resembling his father as much as a sonne could doe who would not iudge this Prince both inhumane and mad if he would cut mangle and disgrace his owne face with grieslie woundes and vgly formes What an iniurie were this against his father what an offence against all his parents Even such crueltie vse sinners to themselves and God because by sinning they deface and mangle that lively Image of the holy Trinitie drawne by God himselfe in the substance of theyr soules and so are iniurious not onely to themselves but also to their God their Father their King the holy and individed Trinitie 19 Who spoyleth Gods Temple is accounted irreligious who prophaneth his Church is thought sacriligious and who but he which hath lost all sparks of pietie dare adventure to attempt so heinous a crime Yet Vitious adventure and performe it they prophane their bodyes and soules they fell them to lust and wickednesse they expell the holy ghost from them they put him forth of his iust possession which he holdeth over them as a Father by vertue and after by wicked deserts enforce him as a iudge like prisoners to iayle them by iustice 20 Those which live in Christs true Catholike Church by communion of Saints enioy an other meane to doe well and that is the common prayers and supplications of the faithfull which beate continually at the gates of Gods mercy and doubtlesse returne not voyde agayne for many petitions God hardly can deny 21 A dioyne hereunto the supernaturall providence of God which feedeth the foule of the ayre and cloatheth the lillies of the field the which being so carefull of vnreasonable creatures what shall we thinke he doth to the faithfull questionlesse he neither will sleepe nor slumber that watcheth the house of Israel he will keepe his servants as the apple of his eye he will give them meate in due season he will finally sustaine their weakenesse erect them if they fall direct them if they erre succour them if they want refresh them in the heates of concupiscences mittigate the tempests of their temptations moderate the waves of wicked occasions 22 The horrible paines of Hell thundred in holy Writ the weeping and gnashing of teeth the woorme which will gnaw perpetually vpon the very heart of the soule with remorce of conscience those inextinguible flames of infernall fornaces that cruell hatred of griesly Divels and vgly hell-hounds those remedilesse paines and torments without hope of recoverie remission or mittigation and above all that privation and losse of the sight of the face of God prepared for all those that would serve him in sanctitie and holinesse of life all these evils certainely to be incurred I thinke might move sufficiently any wise man to looke about him what he doth whether he goeth what reckoning he must make for these be not May-games or Esops fables but sacred truths registred in Scriptures dayly put in execution hourely felt and of every wicked man to be prooved 23 If God had onely terrified vs from sinne with inexplicable paynes every discreete man might have had sufficient cause to abhorre it but besides having invited vs to vertue by promising ineffable ioyes who can now excuse vs what can we pretend With reward he pricks vs forward with torments he drawes vs backward he bridles our wantonnesse with one and spurres on our slouthfulnesse with the other 24 Vertue of it selfe even naked if neither reward had been promised nor punishment threatned might sufficiently have mooved vs to love her and follow her because she carrieth such a shew of honestie such internall beautie such a grace and excellencie that her possession may be thought a sufficient remuneration 25 The horrible punishments mentioned in Scriptures inflicted for sinne even in this life if we had grace might inforce vertue vpon vs for what cast Adam out of Paradise Sinne what wounded him in nature and spoyled him of grace Sinne what drowned the world Sinne what rained fire and
friends and secretly iniuried like enemies this dissimulation addeth an other vitious circumstance covering enmity with amity Secondly if along time the Iniury was thought vpon and premeditated then the continuation sheweth a more confirmed ill will against vs if at Christmasse Easter or such times as are religiously celebrated Thirdly if in place where wee ought to be loved and honored or reverenced there we be wronged dishonored disgraced as if a Bishop should be beaten in the Church or a Preacher threatned preaching in the pulpit a Iudge vpon the Bench a Councellour at the Councel table a King in his Throne Fourthly in every particular iniury the manner of offending and demonstrating internal exuperant ill wil may a hundred wayes be varied Who is able to recount the manners how enemies kill wound and iniury their Adversaries as the very cudgell wherewith a Cavalero is bastonated greatly aggravateth the offence and many would wish rather to bee deepely wounded with a sword then beaten in that fashion Caracalla the Emperour hearing that the Lawyer Papinian was beheaded with a hatchet was greatly offended wishing it Dio. in Caracal Herod li. 4 had been e effected with a sword for his more disgrace and ignominie Fiftly if the iniurie bee publike before a multiude then the greater number concurreth to blaze abroad the Infamy for commonly if with words or deeds we iniury one the cause will be supposed to have beene given by the person iniuried and so he must beare the blowes and also an vniversall discredite I say commonly for it seemeth difficill how the iniuried vpon a sudden can quit himselfe of the calumniations imposed vpon him though never so innocent because the iniurer in a trice may cogge out a world of lyes sweare and stare against him the which flatte denyall will not suffice to confute and to convince them by witnesse or evident reason vpon a sudden all wise men will confesse to be extreme hard Meanes to moove Hope § 13. HOpe is a Passion whereby we expect probably or certaynely any future good or any evil to happen conceaved as good For example the Souldyer expecteth and hopeth for riches when he lyeth before a Cittie to besiege it the blessed Saintes in Heaven live in a most certayne Hope of the glorious Resurrection of theyr bodyes the Dyvell in temptyng Gods Servants hopeth to prevayle Hope therefore beeyng grounded vpon perswasion specyally of obtayning therefore all those Motives which render the atchyevement more likely all those styrre and moove the Passion of Hope and the more forcibly they which perswade it most apparantly and presently This obiect is endlesse and hardly can be brought to any Methode for as the thyngs hoped for are without number so the Meanes and Motyves to induce men thereunto be infinite Howbeit these generall Preceptes may be observed First for that Hope expecteth the thing hoped for of an other or by a mans labour endevour or industry therefore wee must in stirring it have alwayes an eye to the groundes and foundations whereupon our Hope shall be built for as these fadge so Hope followeth if these bee small or frivolous Hope is vayne and ridiculous if they be strong and sound Hope will proove more certayne and prudent for wise men alwayes according to these groundes iudge of the event for example a man may well hope the Turkish Empyre cannot long continue because theyr manner of governement repugneth with stabilitie and continuation for how is it possible but that in every change of Emperour there should succeede civill warres among them seeing the new Emperour presently causeth all his brethren to bee slayne lest afterwards they should growe potent and trouble his Raigne I omitte that this bloody vnnaturall Tyranny which demaundeth dayly vengeaunce at Gods handes deserveth Division Rebellion and Destruction and onely inferre that they being certayne to dye in all humane Policie nay in naturall equity are enforced to make partes and while theyr Father lyveth provide Forces and Friends and after hee is dead to prevayle by Mayne and Might that theyr Brothers Creation be not theyr destruction Secondly among grave men few reasons and strong are more effectuall then a number but weaker because they bee able presently by the strength of theyr wittes to confute and overthrow them But a multitude of slender reasons among the common people strike a greater stroke for coniectures and probabilities worke as forcibly with them as deepe demonstrations Thirdly to gather these Motives into heads I hold it best in that hope which dependeth vpon the good will of another to performe to discourse over the Circumstances of actions Quis quid vbi quibus auxilijs cur quomâ—do quando And out of them picke some perswasions of obtayning a graunt For example if the granter be our friend or kinseman if of his nature liberall and bountifull c. Quid if the thing bee profitable to the giver or receyver without any harme or detriment vnto the giver Vbi if the giver or granter be in place where vsually he granteth such requests as entertayned of vs taking possession of great landes c. If we have potent Intercessours for vs and wise Agents to procure what we desire then this Circumstance of Quibus auxilijs will greatly further our purpose Cur If hee have many reasons to grant our suite and none to withstand it Quomodo If in the manner of granting hee winne himselfe great credit and reputation eyther because it argueth a bountifull minde or a compassion-full heart or a charitable conscience or most or all Fourthly it were not amisse to set downe all the obiections which any way may frustrate our Hope and briefely orderly and as evidently as may be refute them for thereby all cavilles and impediments shall be remooved Fiftly that which I have sayd of Hope by a contrary rule may be applyed vnto Desperation for the difficulty of obtayning that we desire being remonstrated to be inseperable either by the parties malice or inviticible meanes which must be vsed in the procuring of it that I say rendreth the thing desperate and consequently vnexpectable Meanes to move ioy and delight § 16. AS there is nothing in this life more potent then pleasure to move men to action and the attempting of great exploits so there is nothing more requisite to be knowne to any man that will be gratefull acceptable vnto men then how to move and excite them to pleasure True it is that ambitious men aspire after honours but why thirst they so after theÌ„ but because they take an extraordinary delight to be honored why do covetous cormogions distill the best substance of their braines to get riches but after they have gotten them to delight in the possession or fruition of them the same may be said of all inordinate passions which consist in the prosequution of some amiable or desiderable obiect And the reason is for ioy delight are a possession of some good thing wherin nature receiveth great contentation
and therefore a man in ioy participateth a certaine kind of felicitie for felicitie is nothing else but a complete contentation quietnes and rest of the minde and body wherefore the greater delight either really or apparently apporteth the greater contentation rest and quietnesse consequently the greater felicitie And as there is no man affecteth not extremely felicitie happinesse so there is no man extremely desireth not ioy delight They therefore that can move these passions feed them continue them must needs be most gratefull acceptable and beloved yea they may almost do what they list in any company for all meÌ„ love happines and the continuance thereof and those that can aptly stir vp this passion may be accounted authors of a terrestriall happinesse and felicitie Therefore I will alittle enlarge this discourse as most profitable if not necessary for most sorts of men First of all we must suppose that all those motives Motives to delight which stir vp love and affection consequently move desier and delight for love is like the quality of lenity or lightnes in fier which inclineth and bendeth it to motion desier is the motion passage or voyage delight the quietnes or rest of the soule in her obiect and therefore all those causes of love we have delivered in the matter of Love all those may serve for this subiect Secondly it is requisite a man consider the inclinations of those persons he would move to delight for quicquid recipitur per modum recipient is recipitur according to the disposition of the hearer are received the words of the speaker Some men are inclined to piety some to study some to one thing some to another every one willingly heaâ—eth delighteth to have commended that he professeth for in praising that we commend him and this reason is gathered out of a common experience that men for most part desier to be praised It is a world to see how blind selfe-love maketh women to dote of themselves and it seemeth ridiculous sometime to see how they are fed and delighted with the panigeries of parasites I have seene some old Ladies halfe rotten some others monstrously deformed to take an extraordinarie delight in themselves when others for flattery commended their beauty In this point also we may consider a secret motive to delight in that thing a man is delighted in as if one be delighted in Musick in hunting hauking c. some prety new devise in any of them would please the person exceedingly and therefore the parasites of Princes study dayly hourely how by deeds words they may feed this humor yea some of theÌ„ proceeded so far in dignifying their Kings and Monarks that they adored them as gods And the others no lesse sacrilegious in accepting them they blasphemous in ascribing were contented to have their mortall corruptible bodies and horribly infected sinfull soules worshipped as immortall spotlesse divine deities This act of new pleasing inventions proportionate to their passions inclinations whom we would move to delight cannot but greatly help vs in the way of perswasion if it be plausibly and artificially handled for otherwise if it be grossely managed it 〈◊〉 of flattery and affected folly 3. A firme hopâ— assurance of those things we desier love causeth delight spe gaudentes saith S. Paul reioycing in hope and that other spes alit agricolas hope nourisheth the Countrymen for the hope of gaine causeth the laboring Husbandman not to feele the scorching heate of summer nor the hoarie frosts of winter hope of glory allotteth the souldier to receive a certaine sweet messe in all dangerous incounters hope of lucre maketh the Merchant merry at midnight although he lye in the midst of the vast ocean sea tossed with billowes shaken with tempests and the surer the hope is the greater ioy ensueth as wheÌ„ the Merchant after his long voyage returneth with his Ship laden with merchandize and commeth with a pleasant gale within the sight of his exspected haven then his hope for the certainty of his future possession of his apported wealth being delivered from all danger is changed into ioy and present delight He therefore that will move delight in this matter of hope must exactly declare the certain grounds vndoubted securitie of obteyning the thing exspected according to the rules of exciting hope alleaged in the precedent Paragraffe 4. Because delight consisteth in the possession of some good thing reall or apparant therefore all those reasons which tend to the amplification or evident demonstration of the goodnes of the thing all those are fewell of delight and sparks of ioy For example a man hath bought a Mannour-house wherein he delighteth to please and delight him there is nothing more fit then to amplifie the goodnes thereof as for situation it standeth in a pleasant ayre free from fennes or standing waters no infection neere it the inhabitants in former times were of a very good complexion lived many yeares were strong wittie c. all which are good signes of a healthfull soyle the roomes and conveyances are very apt proportioned the walls and roofes firme durable the water sweet the walks gardeÌ„s other commodities so pleasant as they resemble a Paradice 5. It is admirable how the minching particularising of the obiect of delight increaseth and augmenteth delight wherefore the fantasticall and lascivious Poets though vainely and vitiously yet wittily and artificially depaint their lovers bodies from the head to the heeles in every part discovering one or other perfection excellency or amiablenesse apt to move and stir vp delight And herein also all Trades-men excell for to perswade their wares to be good and perfit they will presently open vnto you a number of circumstances or oppurtenances of goodnes or excellencie wherewith their merchandise is affected for as they have more insight and know more exactly the goodnes and defects of their wares then other men so they can vnfold best the particular reasons which move love delight And for this cause I would have all those who would move men to good life vertue to induce them thereunto by particularising of the pleasures delights incident thereunto as the quietnes of conscience the gratefulnes to God the honour reputation of all good men the reward in the world to come and every one of these the finer it is sifted the more pleasant it will appeare 6. It importeth much in moving delight to perswade the stabilitie and continuance thereof that it seeme not like a May-flower which is budded blossomed and blasted in a small time and the reason is for momentarie and cursorie delights are for their brevitie rather despiseable then commendable The continuance of delight may be grounded vpon the removing of all impediments which any way may impeach or diminish it 7. As there are two sorts of delight sensuall intellectuall sensuall which taketh his source from sense passions and intellectuall which draweth his