hath practise of senses separated frō the bodie Cap. 19. pag. 116. The accidentes which befall melancholie persons Cap. 20. pag. 123. How melācholy altereth the qualities of the bodie Cap. 21. pag. 125. How melancholy altereth those actions which rise out of the braine Cap. 22. pag. 129. How affections be altered Cap. 23. pag. 132. The causes of teares and theire saltnes Cap. 24. pag. 135. Why teares endure not all the time of the cause and why in weeping commonly the finger is put in the eye Cap. 25. pag. 148. Of the partes of weeping why the countenance is cast downe the forehead lowreth the nose droppeth the lippe trembleth c. Cap. 26. pag. 123 The causes of sobbing and sighing and how weeping easeth the hearte Cap. 27. pag. 157. How melancholye causeth both weeping and laughing with the reasons how Cap. 28. pag. 161. The causes of blushing and bashfulnes and why melancholy persons are giuē thereunto Cap. 29. pag. 166. Of the naturall actions altered by melancholy Cap. 30. pag. 173. How melancholie altereth the naturall workes of the bodie iuice and excrement Cap. 31. pag. 178. Of the affliction of conscience for sinne Cap. 32. pag. 184. Whether the afflicted conscience be of melancholie Cap. 33. pag. 187. The particular difference betwixt melancholie and the afflicted conscience in the same person Cap. 34. pag. 193. The affliction of minde to what persons it befalleth and by what meanes Cap. 35. pag. 198. A consolation to the afflicted conscience Cap. 36. pag. 207. The cure of melancholie how melancholicke persons are to order them selues in actions of mind sense and motion Cap. 37. pag. 242. How melancholicke persons are to order thē selues in their affections Cap. 38. pag. 249. How melancholicke persons are to order them selues in the rest of their diet and what choyce they are to make of ayer meate and drinke house and apparell Cap. 39. pa. 257. The cure by medicine meete for melancholicke persons Cap. 40. pag. 265. The maner of strengthening melancholicke persons after purging with correction of some of their accidents Cap. 41. pag. 277. A TREATISE OF MELANCHOLIE CHAP. 1. Howe diuerslie the word Melancholie is taken BEFORE I enter to define the nature of melancholie what it is for the cleare vnderstāding of that wherein my purpose is to instruct you it shall be necessarie to lay forth diuerse maners of takinge the name of melancholie and whereto the name being one is applied diuerslie It signifieth in all either a certayne fearefull disposition of the mind altered from reason or else an humour of the body cōmonly taken to be the only cause of reason by feare in such sort depraued This humour is of two sorts naturall or vnnaturall naturall is either the grosser part of the bloud ordained for nourishment which either by abundance or immoderate hotenesse passing measure surchargeth the bodie and yeeldeth vp to the braine certaine vapors whereby the vnderstanding is obscured or else is an excrement ordained to be auoyded out of the bodie through so manie alterations of naturall heate and varietie of concoction hauing not a drop of nourishing iuyce remaining whereby the bodie either in power or substance may be relieued This excrement if it keepeth the bounds of his owne nature breedeth lesse perturbance either to bodie or minde if it corrupt and degenerate farther from it selfe and the qualitie of the bodie then are all passions more vehement so outragiously oppresse and trouble the quiet seate of the mind that all organicall actions therof are mixed with melancholie madnesse and reason turned to a vaine feare or plaine desperation the braine being altered in his complexion and as it were transported into an instrument of an other make then it was first ordained these two according to the diuersitie of setling do ingender diuersitie of passions according therunto do diuerslie affect the vnderstanding do alter the affection especially if by corruption of nature or euill custome of manners the partie be ouer passionate The vnnaturall is an humour rising of melancholie before mentioned or else from bloud or choler whollie chaunged into an other nature by an vnkindly he ate which turneth these humours which before were raunged vnder natures gouernment and kept in order into a qualitie whollie repugnant whose substance and vapor giueth such annoyance to all the partes that as it passeth or is seated maketh strange alterations in our actions whether they be animal or voluntarie or naturall not depending vpon our will and these are all which the name of melancholie doth signifie now the definition and what it is As the thinges be diuerse so it also followeth the suite and is likewise diuerse either of the humour or of the passion and the humour being either a nutritiue iuyce or an excrement vnprofitable thereunto I define the humor no otherwise then that part of that bloud which naturally of the rest is most grosse and the excrement the superfluitie of the same which if it putrifieth bestoweth still the name of a farre diuerse thing both in temper nature called blacke choller The melancholie passion is a doting of reason through vaine feare procured by fault of the melancholie humour Thus brieflie clearly do you vnderstand what the nature of melancholie is and whereto the name is vsually applied of which when I shall haue at the full to your contentment entreated then will I satisfie the other part of your demaund and lay open the consent and difference betwixt the conscience oppressed with sence of sinne and this naturall kinde before mētioned and minister vnto you such heauenlie comfort and counsell as my slender skill will affoord and such phisicke helpe as your present neede requireth CHAP. II. The causes of naturall melancholie and of the excesse thereof AS all naturall humours rise of nourishment so melancholie being a part of bloud from thence it springeth also Whatsoeuer we receaue into the bodie for sustentation of this fraile life consisteth of diuersitie of partes being it selfe compounded although to the outward viewe it seemeth to appeare vniforme as bread flesh fish milke wine beare c. which shewe of vniformitie being taken away by the naturall furnace which preserueth the liuely heate of euerie liuing thing that outward resemblance vanisheth and the diuersitie manifesteth it selfe as we see gold or siluer before it be proued with fire appeareth no other then all alike but afterward is discouered by the burning crucible to be much otherwise so fareth it with nourishments whose diuerse partes are layd open by so manifold concoctions and cleansings and straininges as are continually without intermission practized of nature in euerie mans bodie no gold finer more busie at the mine or artificiall Chymist halfe so industrious in his laboratorie as this naturall Chymist is in such preparations of all nourishment be it meat or drinke of what sort soeuer By this meanes the bloud which seemeth in all parts like it selfe no egge liker one to another is preserued
sort taking more part of liking is the affection which moueth vs to laugh this we cal merinesse wherwith we with some discontentment take pleasure at that which is done or sayd ridiculously of which sort are deeds or wordes vnseemely or vnmeet and yet moue no compassiō as when a man scaldeth his mouth with his pottage or an hote pie we are discōtented with the hurt yet ioye at the euent vnexpected of the partie and that we haue escaped it frō whence commeth laughter which because it exceedeth the mislike of the thing that hurteth bursteth out into vehemency on that side and procureth that merie gesture If on the other side the thing besuch as the mislike excedeth the ioy we haue of our freedome from that euill then riseth pity and compassion and these perturbations take their beginninges of the primitiues vnequally mixed whereby one of them doth after a sorte obscure the other The other are such as haue equall mixture and those are enuie and ielosie If the thing we loue be such as we haue not part of then springeth an hate or mislike of the partie who enioyeth that we want and like of and so breedeth enuy a griefe for the prosperity of another or good successe whatsoeuer wherein we haue no part If it be such benefit as we enioy and are grieued it should be communicated with other and wherein we refuse a partener that is called ielousie and is seene manifest in such as at amorously affected or of aspiring natures and these are compounded of the primitiues alone like or mislike loue or hate Those which are mixed of primitiues or deriuatiues are of two sortes according as the primitiues that is to say mixed of loue or hate Nowe loue mixed with hope breedeth trust with loue and feare distrust Hate or mislike compounded with hope breedeth anger whereby we are displeased with that misliketh vs and by hope of being satisfied of that that offered the dislike are driuen to anger the affection of reuenge If it be any thing wherein we haue displeased our selues with it is called shame if it be compounded with feare it is called bashfulnesse if the mislike be taken from another the composition is of hate and anger and thereof springeth malice Thus haue you the perturbations compounded of primitiue passions with their deriuatiues Of deriuatiues betwixt them selues arise dispaire and confident assurance Dispaire is compounded of heauinesse griefe and feare the other of ioy and hope thus haue you after my minde the perturbations raunged into their seuerall classes to the ende the affinitie of cause and effect if any be betwixt them and the humours may more easily appeare if none be as in deed there is none then the contrarie truth may with greater euidence approue it selfe vnto your iudgement For loue or liking hate or mislike being but two primitiue passions howe may we with reason referre them to the humours which are foure and if the perturbations should rise of humour then should they aunswer ech other neither mo nor fewer and as the one is compound primitiue and deriuatiue so should the humours be at the instant of those passions which is impossible or if they be not at the instant mixed but before the hart should not lye indifferent to all passions and the mixture being once made by what meanes should they be againe vnmixed Againe if they rise of humour then should those parts wherein humours most abound be instruments of passions and so the gall of anger and the splene of sadnesse and not the hart which is the seate of all those affectiōs which we call perturbations from which both of those partes are parted by the midriffe But you will say these affections rise of the temper of the hart and that temper of the humour Not so for either the affections rise of the frame alone of the hart or else at the least ioyned with the temper nowe the humours haue so small force in making temper and framing the complexion that them selues are all therof framed the spirits applying the temper of the organical parts to that businesse Touching the frame of the hart such as haue bin most couragious haue it of substance firme compact and of qualitie moderate the poores neither ouerlarge nor narowe in which points the temper and complexion hath no vse but the frame alone Againe these passions being wrought of the heart by a certaine enlarging of it selfe if it be pleased and closing if it be contrarily affected which be actions not of complexion but of frame shape make sufficient proofe against the complexion in this parte which only beareth it self affected to that which it toucheth altering it if it be of victualls into humours and the humours into the substance of the body which it indueth with the same complexion Againe it fareth oft times that this or that humour aboundeth by disordered diet yet the complexion all one neither purgations of humour alter complexion a fixed thing ingenerate by nature not ouerthrown but by some venimous qualitie direct opposit against it or long custome of other disorder whereby nature is supplanted in time growing in acquaintāce with which first is misliked is ouermatched with a counterfet nature gotten by vse of that otherwise is vnnaturall These points might be more at large layed open if it were necessarie or they did not withdraw from the purpose I haue in hand to rest more vppon them But how then cometh it to passe that melancholicke persons are more sad then other cholericke more angrie c. if these humoures beare no sway herein For answer of which question you are to vnderstand that both ioye and sadnesse are of two sorts as also the rest springing from them the one is naturall rising vpon an outward accasion if the bodie be well tempered and faultles in his instruments and the obiect made no greater nor lesse then it is in deed and the hart aunswer proportionally therunto the other is vnnaturall and disordered rising either of no outward occasion but from inward delusion or else such as are by fault of the report of the senses or euil disposition of the hart otherwise taken then the obiect requireth In this second kind the humours seeme to haue greatest rule which whether they haue so as causes or not in what respect they entermeddle I wil now make plaine vnto you Of the first sort of perturbations naturall and rising vppon euident occasion I neede stand lesse vpon seing as the hart is by outward causes moued so is it neither more affected of this humour then of that neither can there be any such sudden separation of humours be wrought in the bodie whereby through anger choler should disioyne him selfe from his fellow humours and possesse the hart or melancholie in causes of griefe sorowe or feare especially an humour of grosse earthy partes as it were the very lies of the rest of the bloud Againe it were verie contrarie to reason to
it into like felowship of displeasure euen but for that it pleaseth not like as in a troubled sea a great vessell is more easily stirred with smal strength then in the calme hauen or quiet streame so our spirites and organicall instruments of passion the parte tossed with stormy weather of internall discontentment is with litle occasion disquieted yea with the shaking of a rush that hath no show of calming those domesticall stormes that arise more troublesome and boisterous to our nature then all the blustering windes in the Ocean sea For when our passion is once vp by such occasion the commō sense is also caried therewith and distinction of outward thinges hindered at the least if not taken away all things being wayed by that which nature findeth offēce at within euen as the tast altered in feauers by cholerick vapours maketh sweete thinges seeme bitter and vnpleasaunt which of themselues are most delectable to the tast and would greatly satisfie the same partie the bitter relish through that taint of choller once taken away And in this sort in my opinion ariseth the disorderly vnruly passion of choller both increased where some occasion is offered and procured by inward disposition of the bodie and spirit when there is no pretence or shewe of cause This is seene as plainly in mirth and ioye which riseth as well vpon inward harmonie of spirit humour and complexion as vpon glad tidings or externall benefite whereof we take reioycing A bodie of sanguine complexion as commonly we call it although complexion be another thing then condition of humors the spirits being in their iust temper in respect of qualitie and of such plenty as nature requireth not mixed or defiled by any straunge spirit or vapor the humours in quantity qualitie rated in geometricall and iust proportion the substance also of the bodie and all the members so qualified by mixture of elementes as all conspire together in due proportion breedeth an indifferencie to all passions Nowe if bloud abound and keepe his sincerity and the body receaue by it and the spirits rising from the same a comfort in the sensible partes without doubt then as anger without cause externall rose vpō inward displeasure so this spirit these humours and this temper may moue an inward ioy wherof no externall obiect may be accompted as iust occasion This is the cause that maketh some men prone to ioy and laughter at such thinges as other men are not drawne with into any passion and maketh them picke out and seeke for causes of laughter not onely to moue others to the like but to expresse their mery passiō which riseth by the iudgement of our senses imparted to the hart not regarding whether the cause be inward or outward that moueth which taketh comfort thereat as though the obiect were externall This especially commeth to passe if the bloud be such about the hart as his purenesse sincerenesse with sweetnesse that carieth moderation of temper doth so comfort and mollifie it that it easily aptly enlargeth it self thē such bloud or such vapor that hath this tickling qualitie causeth a delight conceiued in the braine and communicated with the hart procureth a comfortable gratulation and inward ioy of that whereof nature taketh pleasure For as we haue sights tastes smelles noyses pleasant obiectes without vs and on the contrary part as manie odious and hatefull which do force our senses so haue we also all these internall pleasaunt or vnpleasaunt as we haue of sensuall obiects internall so in like manner pleasure displeasure is communicated frō within of the braine to the heart of such things as we are not able directly to referre to this or that qualitie as we see it fareth with tasts oftentimes such mixtures may be in sauces that something may please vs we cannot expresse what raysed of the compositiō This chiefly falleth to our bodies when that which giueth this occasion carieth force of gentle and light spirits as wine and strong drinke and all aromaticall spices which haue a power to comfort the braine and hart and affect all our bodie throughout with celeritie and quicknesse before their spirits be spent in the passage then the braine giueth merie report the hart glad for it selfe and all the fellow members as it were daunceth for ioy and good liking which it receaueth of such internall prouocations Thē as we see wine giue occasion of mirth by his excellent spirit wherewith our spirit is delighted and greatly increased if it be drunke with moderation so such as are of merie dispositions enioy a naturall wine in their bodies especially harts braines which causeth them to laugh at the wagging of a feather and without iust matter of laughter without modest regard of circūstance to beare them selues light ridiculous this my friende M. I take to be the cause of merrie greekes who seeke rather to discharge them selues of the iocond affection stirred vp by their humour then require true outward occasion of solace and recreation Nowe as before I haue sayd that choler procureth anger not as cause but as occasion so likewise bloud thus tempered and replenished with these aromaticall and merie spirits giueth occasion only of this pleasantnesse and is no cause thereof the hart making iust claime to these affections as the only instrument vnder the soule chiefe author of these vnruly companions which instrument is so disposed that obeying the mind and those naturall rules whereby all things are esteemed good or bad true or false to be done or not to be done no otherwise then by a ciuill subiection ruled by counsell no constraint it repugneth oft times all the strong cōclusions whatsoeuer reason can make to the contrary Thus you vnderstād how a man may be angrie and merie without externall obiect or outward cause now let vs consider howe sadnesse and feare the points which most belong to this discourse and your present state may also arise without occasion of outward terror either presently molesting or fearing vs by likelihood or possibility of future danger As the nature of choler is subtile hote bitter and of a fretting and biting qualitie both it selfe and the vapors that passe from it and bloud temperate sweet and full of cheerefull and comfortable spirits answerable to those we haue ingenerate especially if they become aromaticall as I may terme them and of a fragrant nature by naturall temper or by meanes of diet so melancholie of qualitie grosse dull and of fewe comfortable spirits and plentifully replenished with such as darken all the clernesse of those sanguineous and ingrosse their subtilnesse defile their purenesse with the fogge of that slime and fennie substance and shut vp the hart as it were in a dungeon of obscurity causeth manie fearefull fancies by abusing the braine with vglie illusions locketh vp the gates of the hart whereout the spirits should breake forth vpon iust occasion to the comfort of all the family of their
with teares This causeth the nose to runne and the mouth to slauer euen the sudden breach of these waters faster seeking vent then agreeth with natures ordinarie auoydaunce They are salt of tast through that heate of the eye which turneth easily that excrement into saltnesse besides the mixture of the salt humiditie which is alwayes about it For the eye of any one being touched with the tong giueth a manifest release of saltnesse which riseth of that moyst excrement altered into such tast by the eyes heate That the eyes be exceeding in heate besides manifest experience of of touch the plenty of spirit which they ordinarily possesse the store of arteries and vaines the plenty of fat round about the celeritie of motion do argue sufficiently the same Neither is that ordinarie passage of humidity frō the brain whereby their heate may be tempered lest they become thereby sore and withered the least argument of their hote temper which is not afforfoorded to any part of the bodie the hart onely excepted Lastly the aptnesse to be offended with heate and readie offence taken that way sufficiently declareth whereto their nature bendeth CHAP. XXV VVhy and howe one weepeth for ioy and laugheth for griefe why teares and weeping indure not all the time of the cause and why the finger is put in the eye IN the former chapter mention was made of weeping for ioy here you may demaund a reason why a ioyfull passion yeeldeth forth so sorowfull an action neither do they that weepe faine as a man will counterfet laughter for tears cannot be counterfetted because they rise not of any action or facultie voluntarie but naturall the weeping caused of ioy is as hartie as that which riseth vpon conceit of sorowe We do see in the works of nature contrary effects wrought by the same cause so the same effect ensueth vpon contrary causes through the diuerse maner of the working You see how the Sunne altereth the whitenesse of a mans skinne into blacknesse and how it maketh cloth white it softeneth waxe and hardeneth clay Againe we see howe the cold withereth the herbe as doth the heate and causeth the earth to be warme that the fountains smoke againe as doth the Sunne and is as requisite with vs in his season for the fertilitie of the earth as the reflexion of the Sunne beames What maruell then if contraries in passions bring forth like effects as to weepe laugh both for ioy sorow For as it is oft seene that a man weepeth for ioy so is not straunge to see one laugh for griefe whereof examples are dayly as if a man taketh vp that which is burning hote hauing thought it had bin cold he will laugh at the hurt he feeleth likewise if one assay to handle another mans wound the woūded will declare the discontentment with laughter euen as a mā that is tickled will laugh though he take no pleasure in tickling but rather mislike discontentmēt With such kind of laughter did Democritus grieue at the vanities of this life which also moued Heraclitus to weep And sometimes in vrgent distresse the anguish and vexation of mind is declared with this kind of Sardoniā laughter as if the hart toke pleasure wherat it is grieued This is cleare needeth no lōger discours the reason is not so euident which I will nowe make plaine vnto you As you heard before how teares in sorowe do issue out of the eyes by compressiō that internal fulnesse of spirits heat which forceth out these teares so ioy gladnes being an enlargement of the hart braine all the internal parts especially of the spirits which do as it were issue out to welcome the ioyfull obiect partly thaough the enlargement of the passages partly through the accesse of spirits to the outward parts the moysture before mentioned is forced out of the eyes distilleth into drops of teares especially if cōmiseration cōpassiō be mixed therw t such was Iosephs weping ouer his brethrē framed of ioy of their presence and compassion of their estate and so did Ionathan weepe ouer Dauid and Dauid ioying at Ionathans kindenesse with commisseration of his teares exceeded him in weeping This most commonly falleth out when he whom we loue hath escaped daunger or we thinke through ouer longe absence somewhat vnprosperous might or hath befallen him Nowe the consideration of the present safety mingled with remembrance of perill or want for the present breaketh out into teares which are easily to be voyded both through compression as hath bin before shewed and by forcible expulsion I see you desire farther as well why griefe procureth laughter as strange an effect from the cause as teares are from ioy comfort Before I lay this open vnto you ye are to knowe what partes are first affected with laughter and how they drawe others into the same fellowship of action The parts which first are affected in laughter are the hart and the midriffe wherto the hart by his call and skinne is more straightly fastened then in beasts the obiect of laughter being a ridiculous thing mixed of pleasure and displeasure else were it not ridiculous causeth the hart to moue with great celerity his contrary motions of opening and shutting which being so repugnaunt cause a maruelous agitation in the part by this agitation and straight coupling of the heart to the midriffe which draweth by consent other parts into like motion the laughter is deliuered by interrupted expiration by reason the midriffe in his contraction is not suffered quietly to finish it but is by the harts trouble restrained slowed in his fall Thus knowing the cause of laughter and the instruments of the gesture I shall more easily manifest vnto you why a man may sometimes laugh for griefe and discontentment as well as weep for ioy Of all the muscles in the bodie the midriffe is the most noble and of greatest vse whose action is in continual motion and neuer ceaseth not so much as in sleep when all the rest take their ease for the necessitie of breathing with this muscle do accord diuerse others especially those of the neather iaw and cheekes and lippes taking their nerues frō the fourth couple increased by the sixt which rise from the pith of the chine in the necke So then the midriffe being affected with any kinde of extraordinarie motion as it is in grief easily draweth the cheekes and lippes into like motiō But how is the midriffe affected in griefe euen much like as it is in laughter that is to say hindred in his free falling by the contraction of the hart which in griefe calleth in his spirits closeth it selfe filleth the neighbour parts with more store of bloud then is ordinarie which being so replenished the midriffe is drawne with the call of the hart and hath not his owne libertie in his contraction by which meanes the expiration is deliuered by fits and not wholly as in ordinary breathing the midriffe
meet forced to the stoole they haue plaits ouerthwart as is to be seene in the inwardes of beasts which the drie excrement more hardly passeth ouer Againe such as are enclined to one excesse of humour are for the most part lesse prone to another especially if it hath any contrarie qualitie so melancholie exceeding through the cooling of the temper therewith lesse plenty of choller is engendred which choler nature serueth her selfe of for a naturall clyster of the intrailes and guts both to scoure them and with bitternesse to stir vp more readily the naturall excretion Of this humour then melancholicke persons possessing but small portion and the excrement of it selfe grosse dry stayeth longer in the passage then nature without annoyance may well beare and this is the cause why melancholicke persons are for the most part encumbred with costiuenesse especially if they be leane with all as hardly are they otherwise and want that natural basting of fat which some haue more then sufficient then is this hardnesse of stoole much more increased The nourishment thus deliuered of this excrement in the liuer is turned into bloud of white by farther processe of heat is made red In passing of this triall it yeldeth two excrements the one cholericke and the other melancholicke while it remaineth in the liuer and before it be yet passed into the vaines the cholericke is in her quantitie except the meates and drinkes of them selues do minister greater store of that matter else their bodies are vnapt for generatiō of that humour the melancholie is in great aboundance by reason of the inclination of the complexion thereunto want of pure refining in the liuer the aboundance wherof is such that it passeth downe from the splene with grosse and melancholie iuyce into the Hemerodes and deliuereth of pleurisies phrensies and madnesse wherto the melancholickes are subiect if their flowe be not too sparing This aboundance and thicknesse causeth their splene to swell which is sayd therefore to procure laughter because it draweth and sucketh the melancholicke excrement and purgeth that humour which hath ben before declared to breed so many fearful passiōs and breedeth stoppings whereby it defileth the whole supply of the humors The bloud now discharged of the liuer possessed of the vains yet leaueth another excremēt more liquid thinne then the rest this nature disburdeneth it selfe of by the vertue of the reins whose office is to suck out that thinne humour to distill it into the bladder frō whence after a while nature remēbred therof either by quantity heat or sharpnes deliuereth it quite out of the body This excrement is not plentifull in melancholicke persons but of colour white by reason of colde and litle stained for want of choler thicke of substance according to the bloud frō whence it is drawne The bloud thus purified and deliuered of so manie superfluous excrements in the ende passeth from the great into the small vaines and from the small into the priuate poores of euery member and by diuerse degrees at the length receaueth the similitude of our nature by the complexion of euerie part and is vnited in all respectes vnto our natural substance In this degree of natures worke sundrie superfluities arise partly common to all partes and partly priuate to certaine The common is sweat wherof melancholicke persons are spare through drinesse and sweat requiring heate working vpon a moisture which both faile in the melancholicks For want of sufficient heate they are not much annoyed that way neither doth the humours of their bodies grosse of substance deliuer ready matter therunto The other vniuersall kind is a kinde of insensible steme which breatheth cōtinually frō our bodies appeareth on a mans shirt though he haue not sweat soiled it This melancholick men haue more foule then the other estates of bodie and deliuer more plentie especiallie if their bodies be chafed with exercise for not hauing free passage otherwise for causes before mentioned it setleth about the skinne more aboundantly and vppon exercise which openeth the poores rarisieth the bodie maketh plaine an outward shewe The particular excrements especially worth noting are that voyde from our head stomach and chest From the head melancholicke men haue abundance by reason of the stomaches cruditie whose vapors it congeleth or gathereth into rhewme and distilleth it into the mouth From the stomach it riseth by the graine of the throte as you see moisture rise from the water pot by a clout in watering of millions cucumbers The longes voide not much although through want of heate it gathereth of crude excremēt in those parts thicker with lesse sense of heat then moderate These be the accidents which fall vnto melancholicke persons thus procured if any haue bene omitted either they be such as are of no moment to be knowne or the reason of them is easily rendred frō that which hath of the rest bene shewne neither was my purpose in precise manner to deliuer these points vnto you as they are to be taught in a schoole of Philosophy but only to giue you a tast of thē for better vnderstanding of your present state and discharge of that duetie of friendship which your request layeth vpon me in this melancholicke theme This far I haue proceeded in my discourse philosophically in laying the whole case of melancholie so far as my skill in nature extēdeth before you as the first part of your desire pretended hereafter as the order of your request prescribeth you shal haue mine opinion of that affection which riseth vpon horror and conscience of sinne with feare feelingof Gods reuenging hand against the same whether it be any part of melancholy or not whether melancholick persons are subiect most therunto what aduantage Satan taketh in this case by the frailtie of the bodie with such other doubts as your letter ministred vnto me in the end my counsell and comfort and what direction else my phisicke help wil afford for restoring you to the former estate of your body fallen in decay through this humour and to that tranquillitie of minde and those comfortes of Gods grace which before this temptation assayled you you ioyed in and was able to minister comfort vnto others afflicted with like distresse and so commit the successe of this my labour to the blessing of God and referre my louing indeuour to that friendly acceptatiō wherwith you are wont to value the slender offices of great good will vnto you CHAP. XXXII Of the affliction of conscience for sinne OF all kinds of miseries that befall vnto man none is so miserable as that which riseth of the sense of Gods wrath and reuenging hand against the guiltie soule of a sinner Other calamities afflict the body and one part only of our nature this the soule which carieth the whole into societie of the same miserie Such as are of the bodie although they approch nigher the quicke then pouertie or want of necessaries for
fancy ouertaken with gastly sumes of melācholy and the whole force of the spirite closed vp in the dungion of melancholy darkenes imagineth all darke blacke and full of feare their heartes are either ouertender and rare so easily admitte the passion or ouer closse of nature serue more easily to imprison the chearefull spirites the causes of comforte to the rest of the bodie whereby they are not in one respect only fainte harted and full of discourage but euerie smal occasion yea though none be they are driuen with tide of that humour to feare euē in the middest of security Here it first proceedeth frō the mindes apprehension there from the humour which deluding the organicall actions abuseth the minde and draweth it into erronious iudgement through false testimony of the outward reporte Here no medicine no purgation no cordiall no tryacle or balme are able to assure the afflicted soule and trembling heart now painting vnder the terrors of God there in melancholy the vayne opened neesing powder or bearefoote ministred cordialls of pearle Saphires and rubies with such like recomforte the heart throwne downe appaled with fātasticall feare In this affliction the perill is not of body and corporall actions or decay of seruile and temporall vses but of the whole nature soule and body cut of from the life of God and from the sweet influence of his fauour the fountaine of all happines and eternall felicity Finally if they be diligētly cōpared in cause in effect in quality in whatsoeuer respect these vnreuerent and prophane persons list to match them they shall appeare of diuerse nature neuer to be be coupled in one felowship as more particularly shal be shewed hereafter The cause here is the seuerity of Gods iudgement summoning the guilty consciēce the subiect is the sinnefull soule apprehending the terror thereof which is not momentary or for a season but for euer and euer the issue of this affliction is eternall punishment satisfactory to the iustice of the eternall God which is endlesse and whose seuerity admitteth no mediation neither that extended to one ioynte sinue or vaine but to all neither that of the body only but of the soule whose nature as it is impatible of all other thinges and of all other thinges in greatest peace assurance and tranquillitye so once shaken by the terrours of Gods wrath and blasted with that whirlewinde of his displeasure falleth and with it driueth the whole frame of our nature into extreame miserie and vtter confusion so farre they are abused who iudge these cases as naturall and such is the calamity of those whom the prophane ones of this world propound vnto themselues as matter of scoffe and derision laboring by al meanes to benumme the sense of that stinge which sinne euer carrieth in the tayle what pretence so euer it sheweth of right profit or pleasure in face of outward appearance to delude the foole simple in his wayes skillfull to do euill sottish in the pathes of righteousnes and vtterly ignorant of her rule and wherein nature giueth some sparke of light more distinctly to discerne euen there with corruption of affection like to stubburne vnbroaken horse shaketh of reason dispiseth her manage and layeth the noble ryder in the dust In respect of you my deare M. I know this discourse were superfluous who standeth in neede of salue to the sore and beareth not the least touch of this gale but because my purpose in this labour is not only to informe and to comforte you but also for the instruction of others beare with this and passe it ouer as not belonging vnto you but to the foole of whome Solomon speaketh that followeth wickednes like an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes for correction and as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that he is in daūger Touching your particular estate that you may iudge thereof more sincerely you are to esteeme of it as mixed of the melancholick humour and that terror of God which as it is vpon the wicked an entrance into their eternall destructiō so vnto you it is as I shall hereafter at large make proofe a fatherly frowning only for a time to correct that which in you is to be reformed and an admonition of farther circumspection in your wayes and course of life hereafter For the first pointe you may remember your swolne splene with windnes and hardenes vnder the left ribbes the hemeroydes not flowing according to their vsuall manner the blacknes and grossenes of that blood which hath ben taken from you vpon occasion your dreames ordinarily fearefull your solitarines and exceeding sadnes with almost all kinde of accidentes which accompanie melancholy For the other part whereof most you complaine the manner leadeth me to iudge thereof otherwise then naturall both because such is indeede the feare terror of God sent vpon man and no effect of any creature or cause besides as also because the obiect or mouing cause is in reason and cleare vnderstanding voide of all abuse of fancy such as of necessity inforceth these lamentable effects which your soule feeleth desireth the release of vpon you the crosse falleth more heauily in so much as you are vnder the disaduantage of the melancholicke complexion whose opportunity Sathan embraceth to vrge all terror against you to the fall But remember that he who hath redeemed vs passed vnder these feares hath sanctified them to his redeemed and according to his example who was heard in that which he feared when in the dayes of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strōg crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death so follow him in hope and patience who hath obtained the victory not for him selfe onely but for all such as in like temptation depend vpon him To the end my labour may giue you a more perfect direction in this heauy case what is naturall and what is according to the good pleasure of God in the other distresse aboue nature I will make particular distinction of both in the Chapter following to your clearer vnderstanding CHAP. XXXIIII The particular difference betwixt melancholy the distressed conscience in the same person VVHatsoeuer molestation riseth directly as a proper obiect of the mind that in that respect is not melancholicke but hath a farther ground then fancie and riseth from conscience condemning the guiltie soule of those ingrauen lawes of nature which no man is voide of be he neuer so laborous This is it that hath caused the prophane poëts to haue fained Hecates Eumenides and the infernall furies which although they be but fained persons yet the matter which is shewed vnder their maske is serious true and of wofull experience This taketh nothing of the body nor intermedleth with humour but giueth a direct wounde with those firie dartes which men so afflicted make their mone of Of this kinde Saule was possessed to whom the Lord sent an
vrgeth and alwayes carieth a passiō therwith aboue the harts affection euen the entry of those torments which cānot be cōceaued at full as our nature now stādeth nor deliuered by report Here in this passion the cause is not feare nor passionate griefe but a torment procuring these affections and euen as the punishment of bodily racking is not the passion of the hart but causeth it only so the hart fareth vnder this sore of the mind which here properlie fretteth and straineth the sinnes of the soule wherefrom the heart taketh his grieuous discouragement and fainteth vnder Gods iustice Hitherto you haue described that which your soule feeleth not to instruct you but that other may more truly iudge of the case and the distinction betwixt melancholy it may be more apparant CHAP. XXXV The affliction of mind to what persons it befalleth and by what meanes ALthough no man is by nature freed frō this affliction in so much as all men are sinners and being culpable of the breach of God lawes incurre the punishment of condemnation yet is the melancholicke person more then any subiect therunto not that the humor hath such power which hath before bin declared to stand far a loofe of such effect but by reason the melācholicke person is most doubtfull iclous of his estate not only of this life but also of the life to come this maketh him fall into debate with him selfe to be more then curious who finding his actions not fitting the naturall or written line of righteousnesse wāting that archpiller of faith assurance in Christ Iesus our hope partly thorough feare findeth the horror and partly if it please God so far to touch feeleth the verie anguish due vnto the sinner in that most miserable condition falleth into flat dispaire This commeth to passe when the curious melancholy carieth the minde into the senses of such misteries as exceed humayne capacity and is desirous to know more thē is reuealed in the word of truth or being ignorant of that which is reuealed thorough importunate inquirie of a sudden falleth into that gulfe of Gods secret counselles which swalloweth vp all conceit of man or angell and measuring the trueth of such depth of misteries by the shallow modill of his owne wit is caught deuoured of that which his presumptuous curiositie moued him to attempt to apprehend Of melancholy persons especially such as are most contemplatiue except they be well grounded in the word of God remoue not one haire therfrom in their speculations are this wayes most ouertaken receaue the punishment of ouer-bold attēpt of those holy things which the Lord hath reserued to his owne counsell while they neglect the declared truth propounded for rule of life and practise in written wordes reuealed not remembring the exhortation of Moyses to the children of Israell the secrets are the Lords but the reuealed will appertaineth to vs our children And this in mine opinion is one cause wherefore melancholicke personnes are more prone to fall into this pitte then such as are in their organicall members otherwise affected Nowe contemplations are more familiar with melancholicke persons then with other by reason they be not so apt for action consisting also of a temper still and slowe according to the nature of the melancholie humour which if it be attenuated with heate deliuereth a drie subtile and pearcing spirite more constant and stable then anie other humour which is a great helpe to this contemplation As the melancholicke is most subiect to the calamitie before mentioned and especially the contemplatiue so of them most of all such whose vocation consisteth in studie of hard pointes of learning and that philosophicall especially of Nature haue cause in this case to carie a lowe saile and sometime to strike and lay at the anker of the Scriptures of God lest by tempest of their presumption they be caried into that whirle poole whereout they be in daunger without the especiall grace of Gods mercie neuer to deliuer them selues Such except they be well ballaced with knowledge of the Scriptures and assurance of Gods spirite are neuer able to abide the ouglinesse of their sinnes when they shall be once vnfolden and the narrowe point of reprobration and clection propounded vnto their melancholicke braines and hearts and most miserale polluted soules vnacquainted with Gods couenaunt of mercie and that earnest of his fauour the comfortable spirit of his grace Of such as haue some knowledge in the worde and practise of obedience the want of the true apprehending of gods reuealed wil touching election and reprobation and the right method of learning conceauing the doctrine causeth some to stumble and fall at this stone For as a sworde taken at the wrong end is readie to wound the hand of the taker held by the handle is a fit weapon of defence euen so the doctrine of predestination being preposterously conceiued may through fault of the conceiuer procure hurt whereas of it selfe it is the most strong rocke of assurance in all stormes of tēptations that can befall vnto bodie or soule The one part of predestination is Gods immutable will the cause and rule of all iustice and vttermost of all reason in his workes the other part is the execution of that will according to mercie or iustice sauing or condemning with all the meanes thereto belonging Christ Iesus in those of whom the Lorde will shewe mercie and the iust desert of a sinner on whome he is determined to shewe the iustice of his wrath If this most comfortable doctrine and the firme ancher of our profession be not in all partes equally apprehended we may not onely misse the benefite therof through our owne fault but receiue wounde and daungerous hurte thereby For if the consideration be bent vpon Gods will and counsel only without respect of the means it is impossible but the frailty of mans nature must needes be distracted into diuerse perilous and desperate feares finding nothing in it selfe that may answere his iustice and withstand the fearefull sentence of condemnation if it stay in the meanes of his iustice only and haue not eye vpon his mercy in his sonne Christ then likewise ariseth an assurance of eternall destruction to the consciēce defiled and the guilty soule deformed with iniquity if the meanes of his mercy be regarded without farther respect of his eternall decree and immouable iustice then is there also no assurance of his mercy vnto miserable man who melteth like snow and vanisheth like a vapour before his iustice and doubting of the continuance of his fauour alwayes hangeth in suspence All these considerations thus seuerally falling into the melancholick person moue doubt and care and either breed a resolute desperatnes or a continuall distrust tossing hither and thither the soule not established by knowledge and faith in Gods eternall counsell the most wise iust and mercifull meanes of his execution which being perfectly knowne according to the word
consider that as in warfare the seruice is not alwayes alike neither keepeth the souldier the same degree but is aduaunced of the generall as he seeth cause euen so if the Lorde nowe bestowe you in a straunge peece of seruice in his spirituall warre and place you in the forefront whome he hath hitherto tendered as your condition required you must be contented and quite your selfe like a man and knowe that the wisedome of the heauenly captaine is such and his tender affection so great towarde his followers that in the middest of perill not one haire of them shall miscarrie whom he leadeth Then to conclude this point seing your case is onely a tēptation and no temptation is of it selfe except that one a signe of reprobation cast of these discouragementes and learne howe to behaue your selfe herein that you may passe through with credit of your vocation and honour vnto God ioy comfort to your faithful friends in the Lord Iesus You haue read your selfe may partly perceaue by my former discourse howe melancholie perswadeth of miserie where there is no cause some haue imagined them selues to haue wanted their heads some their armes other some haue thought themselues dead men and other some one member of their bodies as bigge as three which as it perswadeth in corporal things that which is not so no lesse doth it in spirituall things especially being like a weapō taken into Sathans hand and vsed to all aduantages of our hurt and destruction This maketh all more grieuous is called of Serapio the very seate of the deuill being an apt instrument for him both to weaken our bodies with and to terrifie our minds with vaine fantasticall feares and to disturbe the whole tranquillity of our nature Wherefore ascribe I pray you these troubles of your mind to no other but to the frailty of your bodie I meane this excesse of distrust feare otherwise the temptation may be without it and giue no way to Sathans practise in yeelding your iudgement and affection to his suggestion but resist as against a sicknesse and as nature doth with her spirit against bodily disease so take courage and call together the wisdome and knowledge God hath giuen you and nowe put it in vse against this subtle and forcible enemie And through Gods blessing by due vse of such naturall means as I shall hereafter declare vnto you both mind and bodie shall againe be restored to the former integritie and you haue greater cause then euer to prayse God for his mercie and goodnesse towardes you Hitherto nothing hath befallen you that diuerse of Gods children haue not passed through before you although the battaile hath bene sharp bloudy euen as our Maister hath sweat dropps of bloud in the like combat remember the victorie is the more glorious and the conquest so much the more honorable sure as we haue experience in the person of Iesus our Sauiour which found no other way to his kingdome and hath left vnto vs an example of like patience constancie hope and whatsoeuer vertue else is requisite to this battaile of the spirit and doth furnish vs in all partes with spirituall armour He girdeth vs with truth and buckleth on vs the brestplate of righteousnesse he shoeth our feet with the preparation of the Gospell of peace he deliuereth into the left hand the shield of faith wherby we may quench the firie dartes of the deuill into the right the sword of the spirite the word of God and couereth our heads with the helmet of saluation If we shall cowardly cast our armor and weapon from vs and betake vs to flight besides there is no place of safetie we shall dishonour our captaine giue ouer our selues to the pleasure and crueltie of our enemie and finally perish for euer Wherefore trie the strength of this armour and the sharpnesse of this sword nowe occasion is offered march on with those shoes of peace which is the ende of warre and wherof they are the pledge and assurance hold out that shield of faith and although it be battered on all sides yet forsake it not for the temper is such as no fierie darte of the wicked can pierce it and bestowe that sword of Gods word the word of consolation of ioy of assurance of spirituall and heauenly wisedome whereby the iudgement is perfected the hart established and the whole man of God made absolute Forsake not that breastplate of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and that frute of our sanctification whereby we are in his Sonne acceptable vnto God with the helmet of saluation couer your head that all the good meanes of God being to the full employed you may fecle the power of this heauenly furniture to your present encouragement herafter to your euerlasting saluation Let not your sinnes dismay you for Christ came not to saue the righteous he supplieth all our wantes and hath aboundance to discharge our debtes In him is God well pleased with vs as him selfe hath pronounced so that being discharged in him let vs giue ouer all feare with boldnes approch vnto the throne of grace that we may receaue the mercie promised vnto vs for if we be righteouse then is Christ vnrighteous and suffered for him selfe and not for vs but he was iust pure a lambe without spot or blemish slaine for the attonemēt that we might thereby liue broaken that we might be healed and humbled for our aduancement Wherefore lay the burthen vpon him who hath sayd come vnto me all ye that are heauy loden and he shall ease your wearied shoulders thereof and geue you refreshing If ther were no sinne wheron should Gods mercie be shewen and whereto tendeth the promise of the Gospell But you say you are a great sinner what then is not the mercie of God greater is there anie ende of his compassion If sinne do abound who shall stint the grace of God that it should not also ouerflow Dauid was a great sinner so was both Peter and Paule yet were they not refused but receaued mercie And if the grace of God were so great that our sinnes could not withholde his mercie when we were straungers from his couenant aliens from the common wealth of Israell and led with that spirit of errour and darknesse like the nations that knowe not God much more being reconciled stand we sure and vnremoueable in his fauour though the cloudes do somtimes ouercast the bright beames therof our owne imbecillitie comprehendeth it not Remember the tryall of Iob who would haue taken him for other then one forsaken of the Lord what were his thoughts let the day perish wherin I was borne Why died I not in the birth wherefore is light giuen vnto him that is in misery and life vnto them that haue heauy harts And in an other place oh that I were as in times past when God preserued me whē his light shined vpon my head c. But
A TREATISE OF MELANCHOLIE CONTAINING THE CAVSES thereof reasons of the strange effects it worketh in our minds and bodies with the phisicke cure and spirituall consolation for such as haue thereto adioyned an afflicted conscience The difference betwixt it and melancholie with diuerse philosophicall discourses touching actions and affections of soule spirit and body the particulars whereof are to be seene before the booke By T. Bright Doctor of Phisicke ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier dwelling in the Black-Friers 1586. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL M. PETER OSBOVRNE c. OF all other practise of phisick that parte most cōmendeth the excellēcy of the noble facultie which not only releeueth the bodily infirmity but after a sort euen also correcteth the infirmities of the mind For the instrument of reason the braine being either not of well tempered substance or disordered in his parts all exercise of wisedome is hindred and where once vnderstanding lodged wit memorie quick conceit kept residence and the excellencie of man appeareth aboue all other creatures there vnconsiderate iudgement simplicitie foolishnes make their seat and as it were dispossessing reason of her watch tower subiecteth the nature of man vnto the annoyance of infinite calamities that force vpō vs in the course of this fraile life baseth it farre vnder the condition of brute beasts The heart the seate of affection and neither immoderate in temper nor in figure or quantitie otherwise disposed then is expedient for good action the seate of temperancie of iustice of fortitude and liberalitie dayly practice of phisicke sheweth how much it is disposed and framed to mediocritie of affection wherin vertue consisteth by such meanes as nature ministreth the phisitian hir great steward according to her will dispenseth where need requireth in so much that what reason bringeth to passe by perswasion and counsell that medicine and other helpes of that kinde seeme to worke by instinct of nature The dayly experience of phrensies madnesse lunasies and melancholy cured by this heauenly gift of God make manifest demonstration hereof The notable fruit successe of which art in that kinde hath caused some to iudge more basely of the soule then agreeth with pietie or nature haue accompted all maner affection thereof to be subiect to the phisicians hād not considering herein any thing diuine and aboue the ordinarie euents and naturall course of thinges but haue esteemed the vertues thē selues yea religion no other thing but as the body hath ben tempered and on the other side vice prophanenesse neglect of religion and honestie to haue bene nought else but a fault of humour For correcting the iudgemēt of such as so greatly mistake the matter and partly for the vse of many that may neede instruction and counsel in the state of melancholy affection of braine and hart wold haue both to satisfie their owne doubts and to answer the prophane obiections of others I haue taken this paines to confute the absurde errour of the one to satisfie the reasonable and modest inquiry of the other that seek to be enformed I haue layd open howe the bodie and corporall things affect the soule how the body is affected of it againe what the difference is betwixt natural melancholie and that heauy hande of God vpon the afflicted conscience tormented with remorse of sinne feare of his iudgement with a Christian resolutiō according to my skill for such as faint vnder that heauie burthen And that I might to the vttermost of my endeuor as other businesse wold permit me comfort thē in that estate most comfortles I haue added mine aduise of phisicke helpe what diet what medicine and what other remedie is meete for persons oppressed with melancholie feare that kind of heauinesse of hart I haue enterlaced my treatise besides with disputes of Philosophie that the learned sort of them and such as are of quicke conceit delited in discourse of reason in naturall things may find to passe their time with and knowe the grounds and reasons of their passions without which they might receaue more discomfort and greater cause of error This I haue deliuered in a simple phrase without any cost or port of words to a supposed frend M. not ignorant of good letters that the discourse might be more familiar then if it had caried other direction it otherwise would be Chaunge the letter and it is indifferent to whome soeuer standeth in need or shal make vse thereof I write it in our mother tong that the benefit how small soeuer it be might be more common as the practise of all auncient philosophers hath ben to write in their owne language their precepts whether concerning nature or touching maners of life to the end their countrey men might reape the benefite with more ease and seeke rather for sound iudgement of vnderstanding then for vaine ostentation of strange tongs which is also after a sort followed in translations so I tooke it meetest to impart these fewe poyntes of philosophie phisicke in English to the end our people as other natiōs do might acquaint them selues with some part of this kinde rather then with other friuolous discourses neither profitable to vse nor delectable to the vertuous and well disposed minde This my slender endeuour I dedicate to your name right worshipfull M. Osbourne to whom besides I am particularly beholdinge your good fauouring of vertue and learning in certaine of my acquaintance of the best marke hath moued me to geue this signification howe readie learning is to honor her fauorers she hath many daughters and they be all knit in loue betwixt thē there is neither enuie nor iealousie where one is honored and receiueth entertainment there all congratulate without detraction and euen as in a darke night one star breaking out of a thicke cloude though it be but small deliuereth a farre more cheerfull and comfortable light then if it shone with many in a cleere euening so this vertue hath the more grace beauty in you insomuch as almost all such planets haue a long time either bene whollie eclipsed or quite fallē out of their spheres to the great discōforte of such as trauaile in this kinde of night workes and busie thē selues at the lamps and are carefull to vpholde with perplexed studie the society of mankinde by learning and instruction There be a fewe that shine with you their honor grounded vpō vertue shal stād for euer the Muses and the Charites haue their names in perpetuall record and I a seruant of theirs in their names performe this duetie vnto you in this sorte as I haue declared Fare you well from litle S. Bartlemewes by Smithfield the 23 of May. 1586. A louer of your vertue T. Bright TO HIS MELANcholicke friend M. ALTHOVGH deare M. your letter full of heauines and vncomfortable plaintes hath in such sort affected me that as it faireth vvith a true harted friend your affliction dravveth me into
to consider of it hath bene known and is recorded in credible historie that some haue bene brought vp from their youth and alwayes haue bene sustained and fed with poyson which being so the nourishments of the bodie not onely receaue preparation by naturall concoction by which they become that in deede effect which before they were in power possibilitie but seeme to be made out of whatsoeuer is receaued where it findeth a nature of sufficient strength to frame it and not as it was wont to be sayd Mercurie is not made of euery tree so nature maketh euerie thing of any thing not by Anaxagoras art for then should breade containe really corporally and substantially flesh bloud and bone but by a power and vertue whereof the matter hath no part more then the gold for the framing of a iewell partaketh of the gold smithes cunning CHAP. IIII. The answer to the former obiections THESE shewes and semblances of truthes may seeme to ouerthrowe that which hath bene set downe as the ground and matter of humours lay it rather in the nature of the thing nourished to transforme and assimulate whatsoeuer it hath receaued though it be of neuer so straunge a qualitie but as I haue set downe these obiections to the end that trueth being compared with vntruth may the better appeare by reason of comparison so marke for your fuller satisfying in this point howe yet nothing is hereby lost but sufficiently it maintaineth it selfe and by strength of reason the only pillar of humane truthes it is vpholden It was declared before how nourishments as of all other humours so of melancholie they affoord the matter to the which nature applying her proper temper as an instrument and practizing that skill which she hath learned of God worketh out both humours and substance for preseruation and nourishment of our bodies nowe that the earth within small distance affoordeth nourishment both to henbane lettis to hemlocke and the mallow to poison and wholsome herbs that the same floure nourisheth the spider and yeldeth honie to the bee that the pastinacamarina carieth the instrument of death in her tayle and wholsome foode in her substance and all what hath bene before obiected from Cantharides the Ostridges Psilli and Marsi neesing powder hemlocke and toades whereof wholesome birds do aduenture for nourishment and from that virgine fed and sustained with poison sent vnto Alexander to infect him with hir companie all I say that may out of these particulars encounter the former truthes being considered and wayed adde this thereunto taking away nothing that to the disposition of the matter it is also necessarie an outward skill and science in the worker concurre whereby that matter may receaue conuenient forme agreable to the workers intention For as it is impossible to make a rope of sande so likewise hempe maketh it not without the art of the craftes man who ioyning his worke with conuenient stuffe findeth the end of his labour and as some workemen exceede other in skill diligence and of the same matter the worke either excelleth or wanteth according thereunto in like manner the nourishment being all one as it falleth to a nature of good or bad temper weake or strong bringeth forth nourishment and excrement accordingly Touching the earth it containeth in it inuisible seedes of all things in a maner to which it storeth vp and importeth also food meet and conuenient these seeds lye not distinct in place but in nature no more then the partes of bloud which before I mentioned so that although it were possible for hemlocke and the vine to grow in one bodie and occupie one place yet could not the proper nourishment to either be auoyded such harmonie and agreement is there betwixt them in nature and with such earnest desire doth the one affect the other This then is the cause why life and death dwell so nigh together and yet as they are of the vehementest sort of aduersaries without entercommunication Euen so the bodie containeth partes linked notwithstanding in one communitie of diuerse natures which drawe out of the masse of nourishment that which is meete ech one for it self which though it in apparance shew semeth vniforme yet containeth it diuersity as the sundrie parts require which diuersity being distinct in nature confused as it appeareth in one by the cloke garment of an vniuersall forme by natures Mechanical operation the very patern of all arts both liberall and seruile is discouered brought into an actuall substance consisting of his single proper nature which before had only a potentiall subsistence as members parts haue in the whole Which producing I vnderstand not a discouerie only as by withdrawing a vaile to shew that which lay behind it but a generation and coupling of matter with the forme which forme it bringeth not with it but receaueth it as it were an impression from the part So then as euerie thing is not made of any thing in art neither is foode ministred for all things in euerie thing in nature but requireth apt preparation of matter by naturall vertue to be appropriate to euerie part Nowe if it be replied this answer as it may suffice against that which is obiected out of the earth yet leaueth it doubtin the pastinaca Cantharides and Psilli by reason the matter of these things through natures working groweth more particular is not stored with such varietie as I may so call them of potentiall natures whereby it might seeme the verie indiuiduall substance indifferently to subiect it selfe either for nourishment or poison let the consideration of the earth carrie vs yet farther to the dissoluing of this knot also True it is that the particular nourishment containeth not so manie sutes as the earth the nourisher of all things doth yet it answereth in proportiō to the part which it hath to sustaine So that the masse of bloud being the vniuersall soile wāteth not for the relief entertainment of al the mēbers of the bodie choise of substance according to their variety Hereof is the bone nourished as hard as mettall and the braine as tender as a posset curd the kidneyes grosse and thicke and the lights loose and subtile the eye as cleere as cristall and the splene as blacke and darke as inke Now let vs apply this more particularly to Pastinaca Cantharis and the rest of that sort The Pastinaca substance and fish is nourished with that which in it selfe is wholesome the fish being of the same substance or disposition but so that that nourishment hath in it an execremental substance which being considered alone though it be not yet poyson hath in it a power meeting with a former to become of like hurtfull qualitie which we see in execrements being permitted to putrifie and to degenerate of them selues howe by corruption they become most daungerous much more finding an actiue and liuely nature furnished with power as it were to animate and waken that
which before lay dead in such matter so Pastinaca hath a weapon geuen by nature soked with most deadly venome separated yet from the fish and sticking on the one side of the middest of the taile which is maintained with such a kinde of excrement as being reiected in all the parts findeth there impression and entertainment not either that the fish feede of that poison for nothing feedeth of excrement appropriate to one part or that wherewith that part while it is excrement is nourished as venimous for then should such as feede of that fish be in perill but being vnmeete to nourish or to haue place in the fish is of temper by the altering of that part apt to be conuerted into so venemous a nature which is planted in the fishes tayle not much vnlike to the growing of Misleto in a crab tree whose natures do apparantly differ seing the same Misleto groweth also in the oke on the hauthorne neither can anie with reason affirme the Misleto is nourished with that which belongeth to the crab for then would it not prosper in the oke destitute of his proper iuyce but both the oke the crab tree and the hauthorne certaine of them and in certaine places hauing a superfluitie meete for that vse the seed of that misle being there and embracing that humour riseth vp into such a diuerse plant as we see which yet according to the diuersitie of place varieth in vertue for that only of the oke we vse and accompt auaileable against the falling sicknesse esteeme the other of small value Nowe if it be demaunded why then groweth not the misle on the earth which hath more plenty of such iuice and greater choyce it may be thus aunswered although the earth affoordeth entertainement for all things yet it doth it diuersly to some immediatly to other some by meanes as the earth ministreth iuyce to the grasse and herbe of the common field it nourisheth mutton we feed thereof who if we should attempt to be releeued by the herbe it would yeeld vs but thinne fare This iuyce of the earth is altered into an other nature in the herbe that herbe into flesh and flesh of that kinde chaunged into the substance of our bodies which first as it sprung vp from the earth so by it is it releeued So the misle draweth from the earth by meanes of the tree wherewith it prospereth indued now with other forme made more familiar vnto it by the preparation of the tree And this I take to be the cause why certaine things will not growe on the earth but in other natures and why graffes yeld more pleasant fruit then carnels by reason the stocke giueth the crude and rawe nourishment of the earth a farther ripening and euen as it were chewing it vnto the sion graffed so to conclude this aunswer the Pastinacas venome is ministred by an excrement which carieth an aptnes to be cōuerted into poison and such poison as that part is able therof to engender neither being such before in the Pastinaces nourishment nor in the substance of the fish nor as excrement but after it is conuerted thereinto by that barbed weapon which the fish reuēgeth within her tayle Whereby it is euident that not only of poyson but of any humor beside the aptnes of the matter whereof some be grosser and some passe more alterations it is necessary also there shoulde concurre in the place nourished an altering vertue and as such assimilation is necessary in like manner an apt matter may not be to secke sit for such generation Wherefore Melancholie is not made of euerie part of good nourishment but of such parte as hath a token of fellowship with the same Melancholie and more or lesse as the bodie is more or lesse apte together with aptnes of the matter to make that conuersion Touching the Ostridge which may seeme to turne yron into blood and so into flesh we are rather thus to esteeme that although the Ostridges nature doth intend nourishment by the yron yet doth it no more nourish then stones doth chickins hennes which are dissolued in their mawes How thē say you why doth it dissolue yron by a contrary vertue which respecteth all thinges alike that are receiued whereby the stomach becommeth the most Catholicke parte in all the bodie carying a more indifferent affection to whatsoeuer is receiued then anie part beside which in the first concoctiō regardeth not so much it self as other partes for whose sake it is ordayned as it were the Cooke not respecting this or that sorte of nourishment or foode but applying it selfe alike generally to all that hath not a resistance in nature and a counterpower of poyson which alwayes altereth and is not altered Else could it not so easily embrace both hote and cold sower and sweete fat and leane moyst and drie of all bougetts as a certaine Poet sayth in that respect the straungest by this vertue the Ostridges hauing a verie thick and fleshie mawe whereby it is furnished with store of a naturall heate dissolueth by a kinde of putrefaction the yron which if it yeeld anie nourishment the stomach findeth benefite thereof in the blood wherwith it is nourished if none it passeth all into excrement and so is voyded as vnprofitable except it may be thought more likely in reason that the Ostridges enioyeth some parte of nourishment thereby passing it into blood or at the least that the stomach receiueth a kinde of comfort and contentment which commonly it is taken to do by the nourishment it containeth as the Cooks appetite may be satisfied for a time by smelling of the rost which if it faire so with the stomach there is then reason sufficient of such digestion which the fowle worketh not by the excesse of heat but by a certaine temper at for the work for no heate of fire in longe time is able to doe that which the Ostridge mawe doth speedelie by a certaine corruption of that which it digesteth Carying as it were a kinde of Aqua fortis in the mawe rather then anie heate of Etna if we take it that the fowle hath some parte in the bodie whose turne the common officer the stomach serueth agreeing to the nature of some substance contained in the yron that conueyed into the blood and from thence drawen to that part wherof it is affected or it hath an Alementarie vertue common to diuerse partes Be it so yet therefore no consequence of reason can inferre that nature respecteth not anie aptnes of matter for in a manner al things of the earth hath some thinge Alimentarie and pasturable for all liuing creatures which may euidētly appeare by cōparing of nature The earth which we plow and till and labour with hard and wearie hand is altogether mynerall which is the generallest nourishment of all now if one nature among so manie millions be found in yron to sucke forth that vertue no maruell seing all creatures which require releefe of
else could there be no nourishment without this altering vertue Why then say you it riseth not of the nourishment which was not melancholicke but of the nature nourished Not so for no nourishment is so pure that altogether it is voyd of melancholicke matter for then could it not be nourishment but notwithstanding it hath greater plentie of good nourishment then of grosse and melancholicke the similitude of nature refuseth the one and embraceth the other whereupon riseth this difference in nourishment the vitall being alone The second part of the former question receaueth the same answer with the first because no nourishment is so pure but it partaketh little or much with some part of melancholie For I do not take it that the part maketh the nourishment melancholicke which carieth no disposition thereunto but lusteth after that in the masse of victualles wherewith it hath greater familiaritie which to a melancholicke bodie is of an impurer disposition refusing that would serue more fitly for a better tempered complexion euen as we see oft by experiēce that the good complexion may be replenished with melancholicke bloud which appeareth by opening a vaine and yet the parties bodie nourished as the beautie of colour doth declare with that which is pure which melancholicke bloud rose of euill choice of diet rather then through fault of complexion nowe that part of nourishment that is pure cannot be altered in substance into another whereto it carrieth no proportion by mixture it may be defiled and become impure but neither can it be altered into that wherewith it hath no community more then grosse melancholicke and earthy nourishment can by any art of nature become aëry moderate and pure I meane the self same part of nourishment for so might all things in deede rise of euerie thing which would turne the excellent varietie of naturall things into vnitie As for Anaxagoras imagination of breeding things by separation onely this kind of diuerse matter which we require in nourishment ouerthroweth it neither are we to thinke generation of nourishment to be no other but as art worketh vpon her subiect for there is there no nature produced distinct in substance and essence but by an accidentall qualitie only produced by art And thus lest I be ouer tedious in this point you haue my answer to the questions and obiections before made concerning the nature of nourishing and preparation of humors and hitherto that hath bene sayd respecteth only melancholie as it is an humour in the bodie apt for nourishment of certaine partes more disposed to that then to any other portion of the bloud besides nowe touching the cause of increase and excesse of this humour CHAP. VI. Of the causes of the increase and excesse of melancholicke humour IT was declared that the quantitie of melancholie should be least in the iust tēper of bloud of all the other parts sauing choler which naturall proportion and rate when it exceedeth then is the bodie turned into a disposition melancholicke by humour although the cōplexion for a time hold entire which long can not endure more then the nature of that damsel which was nourished with poyson kept her ingenerated complexion but nature acquainting it selfe by moments and degrees with such kind of humour and hauing no choice of better is faine at length to embrace that which otherwise more gladly it would reiect The causes of excesse of this humour are diuerse and all except it be receaued from the parent spring from fault of diet and although chieflie meates and drinkes do yeeld matter to this humour yet besides the complexion inclining to such temper this matter is increased by perturbatiō of mind by temper of aire and kind of habitation and that humour which otherwise would yeeld a nutritiue iuyce of the best sort by this occasion is turned into these dregges of melancholie Here first I will declare vnto you such nourishments as are apt to engender those humours that in this present state you nowe stand in oppressed therewith knowing which they are that minister matter to this grosse iuyce you for your more speedie recouerie auoide them and with choice of better alter that which is amisse into a more cheerfull qualitie Nowe all nourishmentes that offende vs either do it by their owne nature or by some accidentarie cause befalling vnto them and likewise whatsoeuer becommeth vnto vs melancholicke But that you may more easilie vnderstand from whence all sorts of nourishments are taken I will set downe vnto you in a short viewe the kinds of them all and in euerie kind note vnto you that which of the owne nature is melancholicke You knowe all nourishmentes are either meate or drinke meates are taken either from vegetables or animalls the vegetables either minister vnto vs nourishment them selues or their fruit onely they are either of trees or herbs of trees the tender buds are eaten which because we do litle vse to feed of I passe ouer farther mention Of herbes we either feede of the root or such partes as rise therefrom and those roots are either round or long of neither sort do I remember anie greatly to be eschewed as melancholicke except rape rootes nauewes Such parts as rise from the root are vsed while they be tender and young or else sprung vp at the full of these kinds cole worts beete and cabages only ingender a melancholicke iuyce The fruites of vegetables are either of trees or herbes of fruits of trees quinces rawe medlers seruices dates oliues chesnuts and acornes are all melancholicke fruites of herbes are either graine or of other sort and those are either corne or pulse of corne sodden wheate is of a grosse and melancholicke nourishment and bread especiallie of the fine flower vnleauened of this sort are bag puddings or pan puddings made with flour fritters pancakes such as we call Banberie cakes and those great ones confected with butter egges c. vsed at weddings and howsoeuer it be prepared rie and bread made thereof carieth with it plentie of melancholie The pulses are wholy to be eschewed of such as are disposed to melancholie except white pease fruites of herbes of other sort then graine are purest from melancholicke excesse And thus of vegetables you vnderstand which you haue in this melancholicke respect to be auoyded The food which we take from the animals is either from them selues and from certaine of their wholesome excrements Such as yeeld them selues are either of the earth or of the water those of the earth haue great diuersitie of nourishment in their seuerall parts which are either spermaticall and those of white colour or sanguine of colour redde and bloudie The spermaticall partes may well be discharged of melancholicke iuyce as rather enclining to fleume Of the sanguine partes some are the brawnie parts which compasse the bones and are ordayned for voluntarie motion called muscles or else are of the inward partes and are of them selues destitute of motion The muscles which are subiect to
most motion as of the leggs yeeld more melancholie then partes which haue more rest Of the inwardes the milt is altogether melancholicke so the kidneyes the liuer the heart and with them all the carnels Bloud is melancholicke and whatsoeuer dish thereof is made Nowe all nourishments taken from the earth are either beastes or foule Of beasts these are of melancholike persons to be eschewed porke except it be yong and a litle corned with salt beefe ramme mutton goate bores flesh veneson neither is mutton of anie sort greatly commended of Galen Of foule some be water foule and some land The water foule are not of melancholicke persons to be tasted except the goosewings The land foule which are melancholicke are these feldfares thrushes sparowes martins turtles ringdoues quailes plouers peacockes c. and these haue you to eschew of nourishments of the earth Those of the water are fish either of the salt water and sea or of the fresh water Such as are of the sea are either of the monsters of the sea or such as more properly are to be called fish The mōsters are ceals purposes such like which all breed vnwholesome melancholicke nourishment The fish of the sea are either shell fish or destitute of such defence Of shell fish some are of harder shels as oysters periwincks muscles cockles such like of which ranke the oyster carieth with it least suspition of melancholy The softer shell or crustie are cray fish the crab the lobster the pūger such of the riuers like to these c. which all neede not to be excepted vnto you in order of your diet Such sea fish as carie no armor of shels are ether those that haunt the rocks or other parts of the sea The rocke fishes are most apt of all maner sea fish for melancholicke persons as the gilthead the whiting the sea perch c. Such as haunt other places are either keepers of the depth or aprochers nigh the sand shore Of such as keepe the depth either they haue the pooles or other places of the depth Of the poole fishes I remember not any greatly to be auoyded in choyce of your diet Of such as frequent other places of the depth these are melancholicke the dragon of the sea in forme like an eyle the cuckoe ling anie salt fish thornbacke and skate Of such as approch the shore I knowe none greatly to be auoyded Fresh water fish and of the riuer the lampray and the tench haue most plentie of melancholie And these are nourishments taken from the parts of the animals now their works are either excrements superfluities of their humors or other kinds of workes Of the first sort are milke from the beast and egges from the foule which the spawne of fish in a maner resembleth milke and what soeuer is made thereof is to be eschewed of melaneholie persons as cheese curdes c. the spaunes as roes of hearinges are to be eschued of you as nourishment of melancholie else I take none of that sort greatly to be feared in that respect Of other works of animals then excrements we feed only of honie which hath no melancholy dispositiō at al. Of drinks eschue red wine and what soeuer liquor beare ale or cider is not cleere well fined as also if it be tart and sower Hitherto haue you hearde of nourishmentes which of their owne nature are to be eschued nowe of those that by some accident and not of them selues are melancholicke as if they be too olde and verie leane or be long kept or ouer much salted whereby they become the drier and harder you are to refuse them Likewise if in the dressing of the nourishment it be ouermuch baked or rosted it is to be eschued To these belong salt fishe beefe and bacon and redde hearringes hard cheese and old Of drinkes newe wine beare or ale and on the contrarie part ouer stale and sower are to be eschued and of sauces those that be sharpe as veriuyce aliger or beareger vineger are chieflie to be auoided of melancholicke persons Thus do you vnderstand howe to vse your choice in meates and drinks and what to shunne as breeders of this thicke blacke and melancholicke humour Besides these the aire thicke and grosse is sit to entertaine this humor so that fumie marrish mislie and lowe habitations are hurtfull to persons disposed to melancholie likewise if it be dimme dark Wherfore the houses habitations of that sort are most vnmeete for such persons These hitherto are all such outward things melancholick whatsoeuer else breedeth melācholie is a disorderly behauiour of our owne parts in such actiōs as belonge to the gouernement of our health This behauiour is either in actions of motion or in order and manner of rest Our motion is either of mind or bodie Of actions of the minde ouer vehement studies and sadde passions do alter good nourishmentes into a melancholicke qualitie by wasting the pure Spirites and the subtillest parte of the blood and thereby leauing the rest grosse and thicke In like sorte do exercises either wholly intermitted or turned into an excessiue labour and wearying of the bodie the one causing the blood to be thicke through setling and the other by spending the bodie ouermuch drying it excessiuely Such also as giue themselues to inordinate sleepe therby further the encrease of melancholicke humours And these are all the causes whereby the matter of that humour is supplyed and the blood being of it selfe good is altered into that iuice whereof you complaine of abundance Now if to these you adde a nature of it selfe disposed thereto a splene not able either for feeblenes or obstruction to purge the blood of superfluitie of that iuyce then haue you all that may be said of the causes of this humour keeping within the compasse of nourishment CHAP. VII Of melancholicke excrementes THE melancholicke excrement is bredde of melancholie iuyce drawen of the milte out of the liuer by a braunch of the porte vayne wherewith being nourished it reiecteth the rest as meere excrementall and voydeth parte into the mouth of the stomach to prouoke appetite and hunger and passeth the other parte in some persones by hemerode vaynes into the siege It aboundeth there when it is hindered of such passage as nature requireth or else by feeblenes of the parte it is not able either to suck the melancholie from the blood or discharge it self into those passages which nature hath therto ordained This member of the whole bodie is the grossest and euill fauouredst to be held blacke of colour and euill sauorie of taste and giueth a manifest experience of natures desire alwayes to couet that whereto it is most like and so faireth the splene better with those muddy dreggs then it would with purer and finer blood which if it should be offered to other parts they would abstaine except great want forced them to take anie parte thereof These are the causes of
reformed the strength returneth and the spirit reuiueth and sufficient contentment seemeth to be giuen to nature which notwithstanding not fully so satisfied prepareth farther the aliment of firme substance and spirits of purer sort for the continuall supply of those ingenerate for sence motion life nourishment Nowe although these spirites rise from earthly creatures yet are they more excellent then earth or the earthie parts of those natures from which they are drawne and rise from that diuine influence of life and are not of them selues earthie neither yet comparable in purenesse excellencie vnto that breath of life wherewith the Lord made Adam a liuing soule which proceeded not from any creature that he had before made as the life of beasts and trees but immediatly from him selfe representing in some part the character of his image So then these three we haue in our nature to consider distinct for the clearer vnderstanding of that I am to intreate of the bodie of earth the spirit from vertue of that spirit which did as it were hatch that great egge of Chaos the foule inspired from God a nature eternall and diuine not fettered with the bodie as certaine Philosophers haue taken it but handfasted therwith by that golden claspe of the spirit whereby one till the predestinate time be expired and the bodie become vnmeet for so pure a spouse ioyeth at and taketh liking of the other Nowe as it is not possible to passe from one extreme to an other but by a meane and no meane is there in the nature of man but spirit by this only the bodie affecteth the mind and the bodie and spirits affected partly by disorder and partly through outward occasions minister discontentment as it were to the mind and in the ende breake that bande of fellowship wherewith they were both linked together This affecting of the minde I vnderstand not to be any empairing of the nature thereof or decay of any facultie therein or shortning of immortality or any such infirmitie inflicted vpon the soule from the bodie for it is farre exempt from all such alteration but such a disposition and such discontentment as a false stringed lute giueth to the musician or a rough and euill fashioned pen to the cunning writer which only obscureth the shew of either art and nothing diminisheth of that facultie which with better instruments would fully content the eye with a faire hand satisfie the eare with most pleasant and delectable harmonie Otherwise the soule receaueth no hurt from the bodie it being spirituall and voyde of all passion of corporall thinges and the other grosse earthie and farre vnable to annoy a nature of such excellencie CHAP. X. How the bodie affecteth the soule IN this sorte then are you to conceiue me touching those actions which the bodie seemeth to offer violence to the soule in that no alteration of substance or nature can rise there from nor anie blemish of naturall facultie or decaye of such qualities as are essentiall vnto the soule otherwise might it in the end perish and destroy that immortall nature which can not by anie meanes decaie but by the same power which created it But thus onely doe as I may so call them passions force the soule eueÌ„ through the euill disposed instrument of the bodie they depraue the most excellent and most perfect actions whereto the soule is bent in the whole order of mans nature and by corruption of the Spirites which should be the sacred band of vnitie cause such mislike as the soule without that mediation disdaineth the bodies longer fellowship and betaketh it selfe to that contemplation whereto it is by nature inclyned and giueth ouer the grosse and mechanicall actions of the bodie whereto by order of creation it was allotted in the earthly tabernacle But you wil say vnto me experience seemeth to declare a further passion of the soule from the bodie then I mention for we see what issues bodelie thinges and the bodie it selfe driue our mindes vnto as some kinde of musicke to heauines other some to chearefulnes other some to compassion other some to rage other to modestie and other to wantonnes likewise of visible thinges certayne sturre vs to indignation and disdayne and other to contentednes and good liking In like manner certaine natures takeÌ„ inward moue vs to mirth as wyne and other to heauines some to rage furie and frensie and other some to dulnes heauines of spirite as certaine poysones in both kinds do manifest these passions vnto vs besides such as rise of our humours bredde in our owne bodies which may be reasons to one not well aduised so to mistake these effectes of corporall thinges as though the soule receiued farther impression not onely in affection but also in vnderstanding then I haue vnto you mentioned for satisfying of you in which doubtes you are diligently to consider what I shall declare concerning the seuerall actions of bodie soule and spirite and how each one of these performeth their actions which must be kept distinct for better vnderstanding of that I shall hereafter in this discourse lay open vnto you And first concerning the actions of the soule you remember how it was first made by inspiration from God himselfe a creature immortall proceeding from the eternall with whome there is no mortality The end of this creation was that being vnited to the bodely substance raised and furnished with corporall faculties from the earth commoÌ„ with other liuing creatures there might rise a creature of middle nature betwixt Angels beastes to glorifie his name This the soule doth by two kindes of actions the one kinde is such as it exerciseth seperated from the bodie which are contemplations of God in such measure as he is by naturall instinct opened vnto it with reuereÌ„t recognisaunce of such blessinges as by creation it is endued with Next vnto God whatsoeuer within compasse of her conceite is immortall without tediousnes or trauell and with spiritual ioye incoÌ„parable These actioÌ„s she is busied with in this life so long as she inhabiteth her earthly tabernacle neither in such perfection nor yet so freely as she doth seperated and the knot loosed betwixt her and the body being withdraweÌ„ by actions exercised with corporall instrument of baset sort These are the other kinde which the soule by the creators law is subiect vnto for the continuance of the creature and maintenance of the whole nature with dueties thereto belonging animall vitall naturall and whatsoeuer mixed requireth ioyntly â—ll three as this corporall praising of God for his goodnes and praying vnto him for necessities releeuing our brothers want and defending him from wrong with euerie ones seuerall vocation wherein his peculiar charge lyeth whether it be in peace or in warre at home or abroade with our countrymen or with straungers in our owne famelies or with our neighbours whether it be superiority of commaudement or duety of obedieÌ„ce which differ in degree as they be nigher or farther
to be accōpted These two pointes being sufficiently proued establish euidently the simple and vniforme faculties of the soule For hereby it is most manifest that by reason of the simple nature thereof it cannot beare any mixture or be support of diuerse thinges neither that diuerse will so neighbour it together as to dwell in one indiuiduall subiect Then seing that they which of al the disagreers least disagree will not so nighly be linked neither can any diuersity of faculty in the minde in a nature so simple and impartible be coupled together where ther is no disagreemēt of substance nor dissent of mixture but euery parte like the whole and ech like other Againe these pluralities being essentiall can be but one seing essence is not many and nature alwayes farre vnlike the sword of Delphos which serued for diuerse vses euer employeth one to one and not to many otherwise wāt should enforce her which she abounding with sufficiency refuseth in all her actions Moreouer being in euery part like it selfe and ech parte like other no dissimilitude can arise by distinction of faculty Accidentall if they be then is the minde in daunger of loosing all faculty which it cannot do seing it is subiect to no force but of God himselfe that made it Now whatsoeuer naturall faculty in any thing fadeth it is by reason the thing first fadeth which enioyeth that faculty else would they alwayes continue wherefore the minde being euerlasting and exempt from chaunge and corruption her faculty is also essentiall and of like perpetuity I neede not yeeld reason why contrary faculties or such as we call disparates in logicke can haue no roome in a nature so simple as the soule is both in respect of the repugnance within themselues and vnitie of the subiect seing such as are diuerse only refuse that cohabitation and neighbourhood Thus much shal suffice to proue the simple faculty of the soule it followeth to proue the spirite and body to be wholly organicall by organicall I meane a disposition aptnes only without any free worke or action otherwise then at the mindes commādement else should there be mo beginninges causes of action then one in one nature which popularity of administratiō nature will none of nor yet with any holygarcicall or mixt but commandeth only by one souerainty the rest being vassals at the beck of the soueraigne commander The kindes of instruments are of two sorts the one dead in it selfe and destitute of all motion as a saw before it be moued of the workman and a ship before it be stirred with winde and hoised of saile the other sorte is liuely and carrieth in it selfe aptnes and disposition of motiō as the hound to hunt with and the hauke to fowle with both caried with hope of pray the hand to moue at our pleasure and to vse any other kinde of instrument or toole The second sort of these twaine is also to be distinguished in twaine whereof the one obtaineth power in it selfe and requireth derection only as the beast and fowle aboue mentioned and the other not only direction but impulsion also from an inward vertue and forcible power as the motion of the hand and the variety of the hand actions do most euidently declare Of these three kinds of instruments I place the spirit and bodie both to the mind as the saw or axe in the workmans hand or to the lute touched of the Musician according to the sundry qualities conditions of the instruments of the body in the thirde sort but so as the spirit in comparison of the bodie fareth as the hand to the dead instrumentes Of the first sort they are not because they partake of life of the second they may not be because of them selues they haue no impulsion as it appeareth euidently in animall and voluntarie actions and although more obscurely to be seene in such as be called naturall For the spirit being either withdrawne from the outwarde parts by vehement passiō of griefe or ouer prodigally scattered by ioy or wasted by paine the outward partes not only faile in their sense and motion but euen nourishment growth therby are hindered and contrarily though the spirit be present except the part be also well disposed not only feeling is impaired such actions as require sense and motion but also concoction and nourishment Againe the spirit it self without impulsion of minde lieth idle in the bodie This appeareth in animall actions more plainly as the mind imploying vehemently the spirit an other way we neither see that is set before our eyes nor heare nor feele that which otherwise with delight or displeasure would vehemently affect vs. In naturall actions and parts it is more obscure either because the spirit can not be altogether so separated by the order of nature being rooted so in the part or because the verie presence of the soule in an organicall bodie without further facultie or action carieth the life withal and is not subiect to arbitrement and will as the royall estate of a Prince moueth silence reuerence and expectation although there be no charge or commaundement therof giuen nor such purpose of presence so life lieth rather in the essence or substance of the soule giuing it to a fit organed body rather then by any such facultie resident therein except we may thinke that lesse portion of spirit serueth for life onely then for life sense and motion so the parts contented with smaller prouision thereof are entertained with life though sense and mouing require more plenty But howsoeuer this be obscure in naturall actions the mind transporting the spirits another way by sudden conceit study or passion yet most certaine it is if it holde on long and release not the nourishment will also faile the increase of the body diminish and the flower of beautie fade and finally death take his fatall hold which commeth to passe not onely by expence of spirit but by leauing destitute the parts whereby declining to decay they become at length vnmeete for the entertainement of so noble an inhabitant as is the soule of stocke diuine of immortall perpetuity and exempt from all corruption Then seeing neither body nor spirit are admitted in the first or second sort of instruments they fall to the third kinde which being liuely or at the least apt for life require direction and also foreine impulsion foraine in respect of them selues destitute of facultie otherwise then disposition but inward and domesticall in that it proceedeth from a naturall power resident in these corporall members which we call the soule not working as ingens by a force voide of skill and cunning in it selfe by a motion giuen by deuise of the Mechenist but farre otherwise indued with science possessed of the mouer as if Architas had bin him selfe within his flying doues Vulcanne within his walking stooles and the mouing engine as it were animated with the minde of the worker therein excelling farre all
partes of the body of which the humours are neither and so vtterly secluded of nature from any peculiar actiō to any vse of the body For that they are said to nourish it signifieth only a passiue disposition by which through our nourishing power they receiue the Character of our nature and are altered into the substance of the same they themselues giuing ouer their priuate actiō and submitting to the naturall concoctiue vertue which destroyeth all particularities of nourishment and bringeth them to that vniformity which our nature requireth Then while the body is in health the humors beare no sway of priuate action but it being once altered and they euill disposed and breaking from that regiment whereunto they should be subiect are so farre of from subiection to the disposition of our bodies and strength of our partes that they oppresse them and as it appeareth in simptomaticall euentes in sicknes dispise that gouernment wherto by natures law they stand bound Thus then I hold humours to be occasions of disorderly perturbations euen as they are meanes of deprauing the instrument of perturbation and turning it otherwise then nature hath disposed whose gouernment when it hath shaken of it affecteth vs two maner of wayes the one by the corporall substance whereby it annoyeth the corporall masse of bodies and complexion and breaketh out into soares Emposthumes or other such anoyances the other by a spirit which it possesseth either contrary altogether or diuerse at the least from ours wherewith many wayes it disturbeth the orderly actions weakneth the vigor of the same now both by substance and by spirite it altereth complexion where it preuaileth and thereby giueth greatest stroake to the organicall members Then seing all actions are performed both by spirite and corporall instrument and the humours exceeding the gouernment of nature and withdrawing themselues from subiection thereof affect vs both wayes spirite against spirite and corporall substance against his like we are to cōsider how by these two meanes our actions suffer through their disorder and where their operation taketh most place in working such phantastical perturbations wherewith we are deluded Of all partes of the body in ech perturbation two are cheifly affected first the brayne that both apprehendeth the offensiue or pleasaunt obiect iudgeth of the same in like sort and communicateth it with the harte which is the second part affected these being troubled carie with them all the rest of the partes into a simpathy they of all the rest being in respect of affection of most importance The humours then to worke these effectes which approch nigh to naturall perturbations grounded vpon iust occasion of necessity alter either brayne or hart if the brayne be altered and the obiect not rightly apprehended then is it deliuered otherwise then it standeth in nature and so the hart moued to a disorderly passion Againe though the brayne be without faulte and report delyuered to the hart sincerely yet that being distempered or altered in cōplexion by faulte of humour doth not aunswere in affection as the obiect requireth but more or lesse as the distemper misleadeth if both partes be ouercharged of humour the apprehension affection both are corrupted and misse of their right action and so all thinges mistaken ingender that confused spirite and those stormes of outragious loue hatred hope or feare wherewith bodies so passionate are here and there tossed with disquiet Now particularly the spirite of the humour being subtiler thinner and hoter then is meete maketh the apprehension quicker then it should be and the discretion more hasty then is meete for the vpright deliuery to the hart what to embrace or to refuse this causeth pronenes to anger when we are offended without cause commonly called teastines and frowardnes If the humour also with his spirite possesse the brayne then are these passions of longer continuance humour being of a more sollid nature then the spirite and so not easily dispersed which causeth fittes of such passiōs to be of longer continuance and thus the hart may be abused from the brayne not much vnlike as it falleth often out in communication of speach amongest vs a man of hasty disposition ready to aunswere and quick witted will make reply to that which should be said before the tale be halfe told whereby he faileth in his replication and aunswereth from the purpose which if he had bene first assured wherto to reply he should not haue missed This appeareth plaine in Cholericke persons or such as are disposed to anger such are offended where they haue no cause in truth but by mistaking and where they haue cause the vehemency of the apprehension and the suddēnes of the report from the brayne vnto the seate of perturbation inforceth double the passion especially when the hart is as flexible as the brayne is light then raungeth it into all extremity This commeth to passe not by any power of anger in the Cholerick humour but by reason the instrumentes are misordered either by vapour rising from that humour or the very substance of the same They are disordered in this sort through Choler The naturall spirit and complexiō of these partes become subtiler thinner and quicker proner to action then of their natures they should be through the heat which riseth of Choler and his spirit intermixed with ours by this mobility of vapour our spirit of a quieter and more stable disposition is either made more rare then is expedient for the vse of our bodies or else striuing as it were to subdue this bastard spirite and vnwelcome ghest can not giue that attendance vpon his proper duety which naturally it should and so the actions thereupon rise depraued and hauing wherwith it is encumbred within admitteth the cause of displeasure more easily which riseth abroad being an additiō to that which molesteth at home and these natures for the most parte are troubled with a Cholerick humour or fretting like to Choler about the mouth of the stomach which is of all the inward partes of quickest sense and feeling This causeth them especially fasting before the humour be mitigated and delayed with nourishment to be most prone to that angry passion The teasty waywardnes of sick persons such as are vexed with payne or feauer wherby the humors of the body become more fell maketh euident proofe hereof We see how small matters put them out of patience euery thing offendeth whereas in health the same occasions would litle or nothing moue The reason is because they measure all outward accidents by that they finde of discontentment within not that the humor that discontenteth is any instrument of passion or carieth with it faculty to be displeased but because it disquieteth the body and giueth discontentment to nature it is occasion why displeasures are made great and where there is no cause nature troubled within faireth as greatly displeased with that which outwardly should not displease the griefe within being added to an indifferēt thing without and drawing
fellowe members whereby we are in heauinesse sit comfortlesse feare distrust doubt dispaire and lament when no cause requireth it but rather a behauiour beseeminge a heart vppon iust cause and sound reason most comfortable and chearfull This doth melancholie work not otherwise then the former humours giuing occasion and false matter of these passions and not by any disposition as of instrument thereunto Of all the other humours melancholie is fullest of varietie of passion both according to the diuersitie of place where it setleth as brayne splene mesaraicke vaines hart womb and stomach as also through the diuerse kindes as naturall vnnaturall naturall either of the splene or of the vaines faultie only by excesse of quantitie or thicknesse of substance vnnaturall by corruption and that either of bloud adust choler or melancholie naturall by excessiue distemper of heate turned in comparison of the naturall into a sharpe lye by force of adustion These diuerse sorts hauing diuerse matter cause mo straunge symptomes of fancie and affection to melancholike persons then their humour to such as are sanguine cholericke or flegmaticke which fleume of all the rest serueth least to stir vp any affection but breeding rather a kind of stupiditie and an impassionate hart then easily moued to embrace or refuse to sorowe or ioye anger or contentednesse except it be a salte fleume thē approcheth it to the natur of choler in like sort therof riseth anger frowardnes CHAP. XVII How melancholy procureth feare sadnes dispaire and such other passions NOw let vs consider what passions they are that melancholy driueth vs vnto and the reason how it doth so diuersly distract those that are oppressed therewith The perturbations of melancholy are for the most parte sadde and fearefull and such as rise of them as distrust doubt diffidence or dispaire sometimes furious and sometimes merry in apparaunce through a kinde of Sardoniā and false laughter as the humour is disposed that procureth these diuersities Those which are sad and pensiue rise of that melancholick humour which is the grossest part of the blood whether it be iuice or excrement not passing the naturall temper in heat whereof it partaketh and is called cold in comparison onely This for the most part is setled in the spleane and with his vapours anoyeth the harte and passing vp to the brayne counterfetteth terible obiectes to the fantasie and polluting both the substance and spirits of the brayne causeth it without externall occasiō to forge monstrous fictions and terrible to the conceite which the iudgement taking as they are presented by the disordered instrument deliuer ouer to the hart which hath no iudgement of discretion in it self but giuing credite to the mistaken report of the braine breaketh out into that inordinate passion against reason This commeth to passe because the instrument of discretion is depraued by these melancholick spirites and a darknes cloudes of melancholievapours rising from that pudle of the splene obscure the clearenes which our spirites are endued with and is requisite to the due discretion of outward obiectes This at the first is not so extreame neither doth it shew so apparauntly as in processe of time when the substance of the brayne hath plentifully drunke of that spleneticke fogge whereby his nature is become of the same quality and the pure and bright spirites so defiled and eclipsed that their indifferency alike to all sensible thinges is now drawen to a partiality and inclination as by melancholy they are inforced For where that naturall and internall light is darkened their fansies arise vayne false and voide of ground euen as in the externall sensible darkenes a false illusion will appeare vnto our imagination which the light being brought in is discerned to be an abuse of fancie now the internall darknes affecting more nigh by our nature then the outward is cause of greater feares and more molesteth vs with terror then that which taketh from vs the sight of sensible thinges especially arising not of absence of light only but by a presence of a substantiall obscurity which is possessed with an actuall power of operation this taking hold of the brayne by processe of time giueth it an habite of depraued conceite whereby it fancieth not according to truth but as the nature of that humour leadeth it altogether gastely and fearefull This causeth not only phantasticall apparitions wrought hy apprehēsion only of common sense but fantasie an other parte of internall sense compoundeth and forgeth disguised shapes which giue great terror vnto the heart and cause it with the liuely spirit to hide it selfe as well as it can by contraction in all partes from those counterfet goblins which the brayne dispossessed of right discerning fayneth vnto the heart Neither only is common sense and fantasie thus ouertaken with delusion but memory also receiueth a wound therewith which disableth it both to keepe in memory and to record those thinges whereof it tooke some custody before this passion and after therewith are defaced For as the common sense and fantasie which doe offer vnto the memory to lay vp deliuer but fables in stead of true report and those tragicall that dismay all the sensible frame of our bodies so eyther is the memory wholly distract by importunity of those doubtes and feares that it neglecteth the custody of other store or else it recordeth and apprehendeth only such as by this importunity is thrust therupon nothing but darkenes perill doubt frightes and whatsoeuer the harte of man most doth abhor And these the senses do so melancholikely deliuer to the mindes consideration which iudging of such thinges as they offered not hauing farther to do in the deeper examination that it applyeth those certayne ingenerate pointes of reason and wisedome to a deceitfull case though it be alwayes in the generall and if particularities be deliuered vp a right in them also most certaine and assured For those thinges which are sensible and are as it were the counterfettes of ourward creatures the reporte of them is committed by Gods ordinaunce to the instruments of the brayne furnished with his spirite which if it be as the thinges are in nature so doth the minde iudge and determine no farther submitting it selfe to examine the credite of these senses which the instrumentes being faultles and certaine other considerations required necessary agreeable vnto their integrity neuer faile in their busines but are the very first groundes of all this corporall action of life and wisedome that the minde for the most parte here outwardly practiseth If they be contrary so also doth the minde iudge and pursueth or shuneth for these sensible matters reposing trust in the corporall ministers whose misereport no more ought to discredite the minde or draw it into an accessary crime of error then the iudiciall sentence is to be blamed which pronounceth vpon the oth and credite of a iurie impanelled of such as are reported men of honesty credite and discretion though their verdict be not peraduenture
false because it seeth in dreames things past as present for so it doth also future things sometimes which rather may argue that both past and to come are both present vnto the mind of such things as fall into the capacitie of her consideration If anie man thinke it much to aduance the mind so high let him remember from whom it proceeded the maner howe it was created and the most excellent estate thereof before the fall and no doubt it will sufficiently aunswer that difficultie and confirme that which I haue said And thus much for that interruption of my aunswer to the obiection from sicknesse whether the soule hath outward sense and not organicall or no. Now to prosecute the aunswere I say all those which seeme to be faculties altered in sicknesses be only organicall dispositions which the soule vseth as she findeth them As for the outward senses the humidities and superfluities of the eares in some sicknesse being dried vp maketh hearing more quicke then in health so the poores of smelling may be more open and the eye by the same reason receaue quicker sight and the sense of feeling more exact or by reason the spirites are more subtile which thereby with greater case flowe into all partes of the instrument nowe emptied of superfluity Againe in phrenticke persons we see through drinesse of the braine and sinewes what strength they become of that fower men in health are scarse able to hold them though otherwise weake and feeble Nowe the outward passages of senses thus cleared and the spirits more rare and subtile deliuer more exactly to the inwarde the Ideas of such things as require to be admitted which inward senses by like disposition of the braine more exactly discerne the outward qualitie of thinges deliuer more sincere reporte vnto the minde which finding all so cleare giueth sentence pronounceth and debateth more perfectly in respect of that distinction and clearnesse it findeth in those personall representations of thinges which may seeme vnto such as consider not duely whereof it riseth to be an increase of gift in the minde by sickenesse and not greater clearenesse of the obiect This disposition of instrument causeth some children to be more pregnant then other some and in sickenesse manie one to be of better aduisement then in health and if you list inferre it vppon the former groundes I will not denie this to be the cause whie some be idiottes and fooles and other some of quicke spirit and prompt witted Nowe as this clearing of the poores and subtiliation of spirits is cause of these more readie and distinct actions in sicknesse then in health and in youth aboue the tendernesse of yeares so in health the poores replenished with their humours and the spirites recouering their ordinarie grossenesse or mediocritie the actions become of the same condition they were before not by anie alteration of facultie but through instrument diuersly disposed In like manner the aged farre stroken in yeares faile in the execution of externall actions though their mindes should rather be wiser through experience if anie thing be learned by the practise of this life by excrementitious humiditie and rewmaticke superfluities which drowne the instrument and an internal drinesse whereby all wayes to that small reÌ„nant of spirit is stopped through contraction and shrinking of poores the verie cundites of the spirit into all the corporal members neither only do they faile in outward sense and motion but by the internall also suffer like imbecillitie whereuppon their minde framinge conclusions vpon false groundes seeme to faile in that action also not hauing better matter to work on If you say vnto me why is not this helped by that inorganicall sense of the minde and so these in conueniences auoyded you must coÌ„sider the minde neuer exerciseth that but being withdrawen from the corporall socieâ—y these mechanicall actions which in a maner in sleepe extasie it is then it maketh choice of particulars as it listeth it selfe what who where and when neither is it tied to these outward ministers or those Ideas which they take viewe of Moreouer we must remember that during this life sauing vpon certaine occasions extraordinary God hath ordained these actions corporal neither is it necessary that wants of outward senses should be so supplied which before sinne tooke such hold of soule and body were not subiect to these imbecillities but perfectly and sincerely deliuered the condition of sensible things to the mindes consideration which reposing trust in them according to the integrity wherin they first stoode dischargeth her office of vnderstaÌ„ding iudging and willing as this way only it findeth cause And thus much touching the aunswere to the former obiections notwithstanding whose probabilities to the contrary you may perceiue how the body only receiueth these alterations before mentioned euen as instruments of a corporall substance and raised from the earth subiect to earthly and elementary chaunges without touch of soule or disturbing of that immortal nature which proceeded from the breath of God and is of a more noble race neither are you so to vnderstand me as though I accompted the soule in this present state equall with the first creation that were erronious and against the history of maÌ„s fall and of that curse which ensued through disobedience and contrary to that experience which euery one findeth of imbecillity in the most excellent actions of the minde and such as require no organ but my discourse tendeth in this point to exempt it from corporal contagion only which it can not in any sort receiue more then the heauens pollution from the earth being a nature farre more different in comparison then the heauens from this inferiour world which is alotted to our vse of habitation Hauing hitherto declared how perturbations rise of humors although it be not greatly pertinent to the matter in hand of couÌ„sell in this passion yet because my meaning is not only to satisfie your request in that but also to giue you argumeÌ„t of philosophicall discourse to occupie your selfe in this heauy time wherein both melancholie doth all it may to discourage you and Sathan the old enimy taketh aduantage to serue his turne vpoÌ„ your present imbecillity I will add the reason of such accidentes as fall vnto these passions in such probability as my habilitie will affoord both for mine owne exercise and your contentment whom in times past I haue knowen to be delighted with studie of philosophie CHAP. XX. The accidentes which befall melancholicke persons AS all other state of bodie so the melancholick sheweth it self either in the qualities of the body or in the deeds Of the qualities which are first taken froÌ„ the elemeÌ„ts the melaÌ„cholick without adustion is cold and drie of such as are second rising from the first of colour blacke and swart of substance inclyning to hardnes leane and spare of flesh which causeth hollownes of eye and vnchearefulnes of countenance all these more or lesse some or all either as
this coldnes and drynes riseth hardnes whereof the flesh of melancholy persons is except the melancholy rise of some disorder of diet or passions and hath not yet entred so farre vpon the complexion Of colour they be black according to the humour whereof they are nourished and the skinne alwayes receauing the blacke vapors which insensibly do passe from the inward parts taketh die and staine thereof sauing that in the beginning it may come to passe otherwise the body white and bloud blacke nature for a time seruing her selfe of that which is purest and leauing the grossest in the vaines till for want of better in the end it be faine to take of the melancholicke which before it disdained then altereth it the colour and fairenesse is turned into morphe maketh euident the humour which gaue the die hath obscured the former beautie And thus are the qualities of melancholie bodies altered by this grosse earthie and darke humour CHAP. XXII How melancholie altereth those actions which rise out of the braine TOuching actions which rise from the brain melancholie causeth dulnesse of conceit both by reason the substance of the braine in such personnes is more grosse and their spirite not so prompt and subtile as is requisit for readie vnderstandinge Againe almost all the senses standing in a kinde of passiue nature a substance cold and drie and by consequent hard is not so meete thereto which as it serueth well to retaine that which is once ingrauen so like adamant it keepeth in comparison of other tempers that which once it hath receaued whereby as they are vnfit to commit readily to memorie so retaine they that is committed in surer custodie Sometime it falleth out that melancholie men are found verie wittie and quickly discerne either because the humour of melancholie with some heate is so made subtile that as from the driest woode riseth the clearest flame and from the lyes of wine is distilled a strong burning aqua vitae in like fort their spirits both from the drinesse of the matter and straining of the grosse substance from which they passe receauing a purenesse are instrumentes of such sharpnesse which is the drie light that Heraclitus approued To this other reasons may be added as exercise of their wittes wherein they be indefatigable which maketh them seeme to haue that of a naturall readinesse which custome of exercise and vse hath found in them Moreouer while their passions be not yet vehemēt whereby they might be ouercaried melancholy breedeth a ielousie of doubt in that they take in deliberation and causeth them to be the more exact curious in pōdering the very moments of things to these reasons may be added the vehemencie of theyr affection once raysed which carieth them with all their faculties therto belonging into the deapth of that they take pleasure to intermeddle in For though the melancholie man be not so easily affected with any other passion as with those of feare sadnesse ielosie yet being once throughly heat with a cōtrarie passion retaineth the feruency thereof farre longer time then anie other complexion and more feruently boyleth therewith by reason his heart and spirite hath more solliditie of substance to entertayne deepely the passion which in a more rare and thinne sooner vanisheth away Thus greedinesse of desire in those thinges which they affect maketh them diligent and painefull warie and circumspect and so in actions of braine and sense not inferiour to the best tempers as also it maketh them stiffe in opinion Their resolution riseth of long deliberation because of doubt and distrust which as it is not easily bred so it is also harde to remoue Such persons are doubtfull suspitious and thereby long in deliberation because those domesticall feares or that internall obscuritie causeth an opinion of daunger in outwarde affaires where there is no cause of doubt their dreames are fearefull partly by reason of their fancie waking is most occupied about feares and terrours which retayneth the impression in sleepe and partly through blacke and darke fumes of melancholie rising vp to the braine whereof the fantasie forgeth obiectes and disturbeth the sleep of melancholy persons These persons are also subiect to that kinde of suffocation in the night which is called the mare wherein with some horrible vision in dreame they are halfe strangled and intercepted of speech through they striue to call This happeneth through grosse melacholicke vapours in them which cause horrible and fearefull apparitions by reason of the nature of that humour and the fancie prone through custome to conceaue on the worse parte and stoppeth theyr winde by occupying the passages of such spirits as rise from the braine and flowe into the nerues which serue certaine muscles of respiration it happeneth chiefly when they lye on their backe and somewhat too low with their heade because both the midriffe a chiefe muscle of respiration is more pressed with the bowelles which lye vnder it the stomach is not so firmely closed whereby vapours more easily haue vent and the whole bulke of the chest in that position of the bodie lying more heauily vppon them requireth greater force of mouing facultie whose spirit receaueth impediment of passages by these thicke and melancholicke fumes and thus are the actions of the braine altered by melancholie CHAP. XXIII Howe affections be altered TOVCHING their affections of feare and sadnesse sufficiently hath bene sayd before sauing whether is first in place and possesseth first the melancholicke heart it may make some question In mine opinion feare is the verie ground and roote of that sorowe which melancholick mē are throwne into For a continuance of feare which is of daunger to come so ouerlayeth the heart that it maketh it as nowe present which is only in expectation and although the daunger feared be absent yet the assurednesse thereof in the opinion of a melancholicke braine is alwayes present which ingendreth a sorow alwayes accompanying their feares They are hardely moued to anger except a biting and fretting choler be mixed with their melancholie or the melancholy be of an adust kind by reason they be ouer passion at another way and haue their partes of grosser sense then easily to be offended and the heart not ready to be moued being of a colder and drier nature or so affected by the humor which being once throughly kindled with that passion retayneth the heate longer and is not easily brought againe into the former temper Enuious they are because of their owne false conceaued want whereby their estate seeminge in their owne fantasie much worse then it is or then the condition of other men maketh them desire that they see other to enioy to better their estate this maketh them couetours of getting though in expence where their humour moueth them with liking or a voydance of perill more then prodigall Ielousie pricketh them because they are not contented with any moderation but thinke all too little for supply of their want especially if it stand in
such matters as import great supplie or otherwise they doe earnestly affect and are in feare least communication breede whole dispossession or make inequall partition They interprete readilie all to the worse part suspitious least it be a matter of farther feare and not indifferently weighing the case but poysing it by their fantasticall feare and doubt at home Passionate they be out of measure whereto a vehement obiect of long connuaunce vrgeth them this causeth them to be amorous both because it is a pleasure to loue which mittigateth their inwarde sorowe and timiditie thinneth their bloud and dilateth the heart and a cause to be beloued againe which of all thinges liketh the melancholie personnes being the greatest meanes of comfort vnto them from which all offices of kindenesse curtesie and grace do flowe this affection riseth not vnto them by purenesse of nature but by the force of that which draweth them vnto the vehemencie of passion wherein they so oft times exceede that it bereaueth them for a time ielousie excepted of all other affection If the melancholie be sanguine adust then may it supply the want in the obiect and cause an internall amorous disposition with such dotage that maketh no discretion where the affection is bestowed as he that is of a merrie nature will laugh at his conceit and the angrie man displeased with his owne shadowe Thus farre of the simple actions of brayne and heart which are altered in melancholicke personnes and the manner howe with reason of their alteration other actions are in comparison of these mixed as mourning rising of vaine feare or counterfet miserie solitarinesse least occasion of griefe be ministred by companie and resort silence thorough retraction of spirits by their passion except it be in mornfull plaintes to mitigate the sorowe and stiffenesse of the instrumentes besides the disorderly feare and heauinesse which cannot either minister nor take occasion of familiar conference and communication wholly transporting them to the concocting of their sorowfull humour which breedeth in them the passion more and more increasing a negligence in their affaires and dissolutenesse where should be diligence Of pace they are for the most part slowe except perill cause them to hasten both by reason of their members not so nimble for motion and the mind occupied with cogitation and studie stayeth the pace as we finde our selues affected when any matter of weight entreth into our meditatation Moreouer they are giuen to weeping sometimes if the melancholie be sanguine they exceed in laughter sighing sobbing lamentation countenance demisse lowring bashfulnesse and blushing the reasons whereof and manner how they arise because it requireth a larger discourse I will refer them more particularly to be discussed in seuerall Chapters followinge with Philosophicall causes or probabilities at the least how euerie one of these are wrought that you be fully instructed in that speculation of melancholie and the accidents which followe it as you are more then I wish or standeth with your present comfort exercised in the practise CHAP. XXIIII The causes of teares and their saltnesse OF all the actions of melancholie or rather of heauinesse and sadnesse none is so mamanifolde and diuerse in partes as that of weeping First of all it putteth finger in the eye and sheadeth teares then it baseth the countenaunce into the bosome thirdlie it draweth the cheekes with a kinde of conuulsion on both sides and turneth the countenaunce into a resemblaunce of girninge and letteth the browes fall vppon the eye liddes it bleareth the eyes and maketh the cheekes redde it causeth the heade to ake the nose to runne mouth to slauer the lippes to tremble interrupteth the speeche and shaketh the whole chest with sighes and sobbes and such are the companions of this sorowful gesture of weeping of which I will deliuer you the reason one by one first beginning with teares All obiects or cause of perturbation riseth more or lesse grieuous or acceptable as it is taken and although the cause be greate if it be not apprehended it moueth no perturbation at all This causeth some to sorowe whereat another reioyceth and other some to lament which other some beare out with courage or haue no such sense of and to exceede in ioye or sorowe except reason moderate the affection where other some keepe mediocritie by reason of certaine degree of apprehension yea though reason beare no part in the moderation Moreouer seeing it is necessarie that both braine and hart be disposed in a kinde of Sympathie to shewe foorth the affection as they be diuerslie disposed so may the cause of perturbation more or lesse moue and trouble As if the brayne be quicker of conceit and of more exact diseretion then the heart is ready to yeeld his passion by reason of a more compact firme temper then is it not aunswerable to the apprehended hurte or daunger If it be more dull then by reason the apprehension entreth not duly into the consideration of the present state or imminent perill the affection aunswereth not the cause If the hart be more tender then the braine ready there is feare and heauinesse oft times either without cause or more vehement then cause requireth and thus it fareth in the rest of the perturbations these three alwayes concurring in the affection the outwarde mouer or cause the apprehension of the braine and the motion of the hart according to the varietie diuerse disposition of which three the perturbations become distinct in kinde and diuerse in degree This is necessarie for you to know for the more playne deliuerie of the causes of the accidentes before mentioned and first of teares whose passion is not euerie kinde of griefe nor anie one kinde alike taken neither though the griefe be taken alike and the cause iust true yet doeth the partie not alwayes sheade teares thus affected First therefore for the manifestation of this matter of tears we are to search what kinde of thing it is that moueth weeping then how it is to be receiued to work this effect and thirdly of what disposition they are when iust occasion is ministred and the cause be so taken that readily signifie their inward passion by that dolorous outward gesture and action Of such causes as draw vs into perturbatton passion that only which moueth griefe and sorrow of hart causeth teares Such weeping as seemeth to proceed of ioy is of a mixt cause as shall hereafter be declared and maketh no exception to that vniuersall cause ofteares procured by affliction or greeuance for else we see no man weep but in sorow neither do any sorow but vpon occasion or perswasion of calamitie or hurt either present or to come sauing those which are melācholick passionate who notwithstanding fancie vnto themselues a counterfet occasion therof without cause This I need not stand vpō because it is euidēt of it selfe and requireth no farther demonstratiō the other two being of greater difficulty of more diligent
consideration Touching the first of the two latter how the affection is moued for weeping I take it necessarie the passion be not very extreame nor of the highest degree of sorow neither so light and gētle that the obiect be contemned For the first if the perturbation be too extreame and as it were rauisheth the conceite and astonieth the heart then teares being ordinary and naturall to a kinde of mediocritie of that passion are not affoorded to an extraordinary affection euen as a ioy suddaine and rare taketh away for the present the signification of reioycing and turneth the comforte which should be receiued into an admiration in steade of mirth and cheare so in greate extremity offeare and heauines sorow being conuerted into an astonishment the senses rauished and the benūmed therewith the teares are dryed vp or stayed being effectes of ordinary and of naturall passion and others more straunger come in place as voydaunce of vrine ordure For as cold in a kinde of degree moueth sense and the same extreame becommeth and taketh it quite away and as exceeding brightnes blindeth or at the least dazeleth the sight aswell as darknes obscureth the obiect so an occasion of feare being beyond ordinary cōpasse of naturall passion seemeth to the heart vnderstanding of another sort then whereat to sorow or teares belong and the tokens of ordinarie affection are due which flow not by reason through that greate perturbation nature is wholly violated and keepeth no course of accustomed order or because such is the flight of nature from that which she so abhorreth that hiding her self in her owne cēter she draweth with her those humidities which easily follow with the spirites and blood and are not seperable for vsuall excretion besides that contraction of her poores whereby the effluxe of teares is hindered this in my opinion is the cause why extremity of terror or heauines refraineth teares especially if a fright haue gone before which is of greatest force to make this perturbation and to shut vp the poores of our bodies This appeareth in such as are scarred whose haire seemeth to stand vpright stiffe through that contraction So then the same cause of passion in kind differing by degrees both dolorous full of calamity nowe causeth abundance of weeping gusheth out into brookes of teares and anon dricth them al vp through destruction of the minde and stupiditye as it were of the hearte as though the cause of morning were altogether remoued If you do require example in the selfe same person of weeping and refraining from teares in the same kind of obiect yet differing in degree that is most singuler which is reported by Aristotle in the second booke of his thetoricke out of Herodotus of Amasis king of Aegypt We are moued with compassion only sayeth he at the affliction of such familiars as are not very nighly knitte vnto vs either by acquaintance or affinitie and of the calamitie of diuerse most deere friends or allies we haue not compassion but we are affected with their hurte as with our owne wherfore it is reported of Amasis that although he did not weepe for his sonne whome he sawe led to be put to death yet at the calamitie of his friende Philippus he shed teares for that which in his friend was pityfull shewed in his sonne horrible and terrible to behold now terror chaseth away swalloweth vp alcōpassion Which history of Amasis maketh cleere al doubt in this point and confirmeth that which we propound by the reason of one of the most grauest philosophers As this ouer vehement feare dryeth vp these springes of teares or shutteth vp the passages that no way is giuen for them to distill so the cause being light and not greately vrging the heart nature vseth not to make such shew of sorow so that at small matters or so taken no man vseth to weepe Children for want of vnderstanding in a manner weepe at all occasions of offence alike which tyme and age afterward correcteth Thus then in my opinion the affection is to be disposed for weeping euen in a meane betwixt that light regard of perill or calamitie wherewith no man is moued to teares and that vehement extremitie which ingendreth amazednes and astonishment wherewith nature either is benummed as it were and dazeled with the extremitie of passion and neglecteth her ordinarie signification of sorow in a case so farre extraordinarie or else so farre withdraweth her selfe into the center of the bodie with her spirite blood and humiditie and closeth vp her poores so straightly that neither matter of teares is readie nor passage free for them to distill by For the naturall passages and such as depend not vpon voluntarie opening or shutting as of the bladder stoole so farre only are open as they be distended and filled with blood humour spirite which being withdrawen as in a dead bodie they close together like an empty bagge But why thē say you do some make vrine for feare and why doth not nature withold it aswell as teares being a kinde of excremēt not much vnlike The reafon is readie such retention as is performed by muscle animall faculty descending from the brayne by sinues is of another sorte then that which is accomplished by astriction of poore againe such excrementes as are already congregated into a place of recept from whence they are to be voided out of the body hereafter are not of like cōdition with that which hath as yet no seperatiō For the first pointe the bladder as also the fundament haue ech of them a certaine round muscle which hath power of opening and closing within it self which opening way is giuen to the excrement that of it selfe finding passage issueth out of the bodie or without opening and it be a liquid excrement as vrine is if the muscle shutt not close or retentiue feebled it voydeth also though not so plentifully as being full open Now in feares that exceede the spirites influent into that muscle as al are such that pertaine to sence and motion are caled backe as I haue before declared to their proper fountaines and so it being left destitute receiueth a kinde of paraliticall disposition for the time and fayleth in his office which is the cause of such vnuoluntary excretion Now if you consider remember how the vrine passeth from the kideneys by those lōg vessels you shall well perceiue there can be no refluxe backward though it be forced for they discēd not directly opening thēselues as a touch hole into a gune but sloplings betwixt the substance of the bladder with certaine slender and thinne skinnes which immediatly after the entraunce of the humour close vp in such sort as the fuller the bladder is the firmer is their hold as you may see in the leather clacke of a paire of bellowes experience hereof is made manifest in a bladder which being blowen retaineth the aire and suffereth not to vent though it haue enterances such as I haue
spoken for the vrine This then is one hinderaunce why the vrine can not be retracted the way being made vp by those skinnes the manner of the entraunce such of that excremēt into the bladder why such stopping can not be in them as falleth out by closing of poores that happeneth to other partes through euacuation for these passages are neither opē because they be full nor closse because they be emptie but are the one for the other at our voluntary pleasures to this is the largenes of the passages to be added which hinder the close sinking of all sides together whith the position of the body downeward direct and thus much for the difference of the retention and excretion and how by reason the partes containing the exerement no calling backe of humors can be as in other parts which haue fluxe and refluxe free Touching the manner of excremēt this difference also is to be holden that vuch humours as are not yet seperated for euacuation follow the course of spirites and ebbe and flow with them being within the regiment of nature which the vrine contained in his naturall vrinall and attending the opening of the passage and destitute of those actiue spirites can not doe and this I take to be the causes why in extreame passions of feare vrine may passe against his wil that notwithstanding can shed no teares by the same extremity The third pointe remaineth for the more easie declaration of this dolefull gesture of what disposition of body they are of who are apt to teares They are almost altogether of a moist rare and tender body especially of brayne and heart which both being of that temper carie the rest of the parts into like disposition this is the cause why children are more apt to weepe then those that are of greater yeares and women more then men the one hauing by youth the body moist rare soft and the other by sex Whereby teares both easily flow and are supplied with plentifull matter if with rarenes of body and humidity the braine aboue the rest exceede that way and the eyes be great vaynes passages there about large thē wāteth ther nothing to the foūtain of tears euē vpō smal occasiō cōtrarily they which haue their bodies drier by nature and more cōpact and the passages and poores close as men in comparison of women children such hardly yeeld forth that signe of sorrow though the occasion may require it Thus you vnderstād what occasion moueth weeping how taken and what state of bodie they be of that easily water their cheekes when sorow and calamitie afflicteth Now let vs consider the matter of teares what it is and whence particularly and properly they flow and manner how The matter is the excrementitious humiditie of the brayne not contained in the vaynes for else would teares not be cleare nor of a waterish colour but resembling the colour of vrine receiue a tincture from the thinnest parte of the blood and so appeare yellow except the straining of the humour might seeme to clarifie them which can not so be For straining although it cast away impuritie it altereth not colour as strayne claret wyne as oftē as you will it keepeth stil the colour Againe the tincture of yellow being of a cholericke whay in the blood which is most thinne would nothing hinder the passage of the teare nor remaine behind in the strainer Then we may resolue vpon this point that teares rise of the brains thinnest most liquide excrement whereof being the moystest part of the whole bodie and twise so much in quantitie as the braine of an oxe it hath great plenty euen more then anie other part both in respect of his temper and largenesse This excrement is voyded ordinarily by the palate the nose and the eyes by certaine passages ordained for vaines arteries and sinues from that carnell which is placed in the sadle of the bone called the wedge which is direct ouer the palate of the mouth this carnell is there placed that the excremēt might not rush suddenly into these parts but gently distill into them The most ordinarie passage of thinne humour is by the pallate and nose the pallate receaueth it directly the nose from the eyes lest they should be molested by continuall fluxe into the eyes it floweth by the passage of the second couple of nerues which serue to moue the eye not entering the substance of them but passing on all sides floweth to the eyes and from thence is receaued of the fleshly carnell in the inner corner of the eye and so passeth into the nose and voydeth out to purge the head thereby and this is the ordinarie course of that humiditie which voyded from the braine into the nose Vpō occasiō of grief or trouble of smoke or wind this thinne liquor floweth frō all partes is receaued of another fleshly carnell vnder the vpper eye lid towards the eares from thence also watereth them and trickleth downe the cheekes So then you perceaue the matter of teares by what streames it voydeth and how it is conueighed it remaineth last of all to lay open vnto you what causeth the fluxe out of the eyes seeing ordinarily it should passe into the nose or through the palate be voyded out at the mouth and how in weeping nature dischargeth her self of this excrement For clearing of which point you must call to remembrance the kinde of passion wherewith nature is charged in matter of griefe or feare which is an enforcement of flight into her owne center not hauing whither else to flee whereby she gathereth in one her spirits and bloud calleth them in partly withdrawing them from that fearefull obiect partly by vniting of forces inableth her selfe to make greater resistance against that which annoyeth These spirites are such as passe from the principall partes of the heart braine and liuer and giue life nourishment sense and motion to the rest of the members of our bodies So then the braine being thus replenished with his flowing spirites is fuller then it was before and of necessitie warmer heat alwayes accompanying spirit with the spirite refloweth also the bloud and humours and that all may become safe nature maketh such contraction of the substaunce of the braine and partes thereabout that as one desirous to hold fast with his hand that which is apt to flowe forth loseth by his hard handlinge and compression which otherwise he might retaine so it expresseth that which by thinnesse is readie to voide and forcing with spirit pressing with contracted substance signifieth by shower of teares what storme tosseth the afflicted hart and ouercasteth the cheerfull countenaunce And this is the manner of the watering of the sorowfull cheekes and visage disfigured with lamentatiō which being by this double meanes inforced issue in more plentie then the passage into the nostrells can readilie discharge the aboundance whereof drencheth the eyes ouerflowing the brimmes of the eye liddes filleth the bosome
resembling in vse the leather of a paire of bellows being ioyned roūd about to the sides of the chest which aunswereth the two boords of the bellowes This also draweth the consent of the lippes and cheekes the muscles thereof agreing with the midriffe in their nerues which make like contractiō to that in laughter after a counterfet manner in paine and ache that one presently feeleth or feareth The other kinde which is of griefe of minde as that of Hanniball for the distresse of Carthage and his present calamitie is of a mixed cause compounded of some ioy which riseth of considence of remedie or reuenge which causeth a dilatation of ioy entermeddled with contractiō of griefe so a man that hath receaued a displeasure of his enemy and assured howe he may be euen with him will laugh though he haue indignation at the displeasure vpon hope of requittance whereof riseth a certaine ioye mixed with griefe that forceth out a Sardonian bitter laughter short and ouertaken with more griefe which with vapor and spirit through that dilatation of the hart silleth the cheekes and causeth their muscles to be withdrawne to their heads shew their teeth and fashion the countenance into that kind of grinning which is apparant in laughter Thus much by the way of laugter by occasion of that weeping which falleth vnto such as vpon cause of ioy breake out into teares If you desire to knowe more of this merie gesture I referre you to a treatise of laughter written by Laurence Ioubert of Mountpellier a Philosopher and Phisitian in my iudgement not inferiour to any of this age The cause why weeping endureth not all the time of the sorow but most commonly at the first brunt onely of griefe tears are shed is partly by reason time acquainteth the hart with the sorowe so is the contraction lesse the daunger not being so straunge Againe that moysture is partly emptied which ministreth matter vnto teares reason in time dealeth with the affection which peraduenture moderateth the griefe whereby it lesse vrgeth The finger is vsually put in the eye in weeping by reason the teare falling into the eye with his saltnesse procureth a kind of itching about the carnell of teares which requireth ayde of the singer to be expressed at their first fal afterward the part acquainted with that qualitie and one teare drawing on another such expression is not so necessarie Besides this cause of rubbing the weeping eye a strange matter therin requireth wyping which also moueth the finger to hast to the eye watered with teares but this is after a while the other before almost anie teare fall as though they were expressed with rubbing And thus much touching the causes of teares which beare the greatest part in weeping nowe ye shall vnderstand howe other partes of that gesture are perfourmed and by what meanes CHAP. XXVI Of other partes of weeping why the countenance is cast downe the forehead loureth the nose droppeth the lippe trembleth the cheeks are drawn and the speech is interrupted IN weeping the countenance is cast downe by reason the spirits are retracted which are the authors by tonicall motion of erection as a maste corded on all sides standeth erect which in sorow being withdrawē from the muscle causeth them to yeeld to the poyse of the head and so bendeth it downeward wherto it is more enclined then backeward by reason the rowells of the neckbone with their snaggs hinder that inclination The forehead lowreth after a paraliticall fashion being destitute of his spirites and all the former partes filled with that excrementitious moisture of teares before mentioned which is in that aboundance in persons moist of braine tender and rare of poores that not finding sufficiēt way at the eyes it passeth through the nose as the other part by the palate into the mouth and so filleth all full of teares and slauer The lipe trembleth because the spirite which should vphold it in his right position is now in greatest measure departed so that the waight of the lippe striuing with the imbecillitie of the parte causeth a trembling which is betwixt erection and plaine declination as if a man hold a thing too heauy till he beginne to be weary though at the first he hold it steady at the lēgth striuing aboue his power to beare it maketh his hand to quake and tremble the remnaunte of strength striuing with the weight The vpper lippe remaineth steadie and still because it hangeth and requireth no proppe of erection yet appeareth it somewhat longer then before being fully stretched out with the weight and not borne vp restrained by the spirit The cheeks are drawen much like as in laughter not by any influence of the liuely spirite which in laughter replenisheth the countenance and causeth the eyes to sparcle and filling the muscles of the cheekes with a subtle vapour causeth them to strayne for the auoydance as in streaking the muscles are contracted to exclude a vaporous excrement but the contraction of the cheekes in weeping seemeth to me not to rise of any other cause then by an excrementitious vapour which passeth with the humiditie of teares frō the braine into the cheekes and forceth nature to make contraction to discharge it selfe of that vapour ioyned with the cōsent which is betwixt the muscles of the iawes and lipps with the midriffe whose remission and slackening being hastened by the contraction of the harte in griefe contracteth also the foresaid lipps and cheekes with which it consenteth by the fourth and sixt paire of nerues deriued into both partes from the marow of the chine bone of the neck These are also the causes of the whole deformitie of the face in weeping which chiefely contracteth the visage in expiration in which the heart hath more power ouer the mydriffe being slakened then in inspiration wherein by dilating of the chest for vse of breath it is extēded The speach is interrupted in weeping because the chest in expiration doth not fall and sinck by gentle declination equally but hindred by that contraction of the heart remitteth his extension as it were by stroakes as if a man would take a paire of bellowes and not suffer them being enlarged and full of aire to shutt of themselues but by an vnequall pressing of the handes cause them to puffe by fittes and part the blowing into sundry blastes which at once might be auoyded So the voyce rising of the ayre expired as that is voyded in like sort the voyce is fraimed which causeth those that weepe to speake more indistinctly and diuided sentences then when they are free from that affection Moreouer speach doth require not onely the yeeldinge of the chest through the poyse but standeth in neede also of the intercostall muscles and those of the top of the windpipe with thē of the bely which throgh griefe or feare being now not so replenished with spirites the authors of motion of those muscles can not deliuer the voyce smoth and vniforme as before more
then a childe is able sufficiently to way downe by his strength of hand a smithes bellow that is forced by poyces to finish that which strēgth would perform at once Neither is the speach interrupted and broken only by the disorderly expiratiō but the inspiratiō being by sobs cutteth also the voyce marreth the distinct pronūtiatiō the cause whereof as also of sighing I will deliuer vnto you in the next chapter Thus you haue sobbing excepted the reasons of all the partes of weeping so farre as my coniecture by reason in matters so hidden can gather I will proceede to the causes of sighing and sobbing and how they be procured and by what meanes and so finish the whole mournefull gesture of weeping CHAP. XXVII The causes of sobbing and sighing and how weeping easeth the heart BEsides the former actiōs of sorow weping is for the most part accompanied if it be vehement with sobbes and sighes of which two sobbing is neuer without weeping sighes are ordinarie and common vppon causes that force no teares as euery one hath experiēce For vnderstanding of the causes of sobbes it is necessarie for you to call to minde that which hath bin said of the vse of the Diaphragma or midriffe and the outward intercostalls or outward muscles betwixt the ribbes and the manner how the hearte is affected in griefe and sorrowe The dilating of Diaphragma is to enlarge the chest for taking breath This is onely required if we be not more thē ordinarilie vrged to breath which if we be then doe the outwarde muscles of the ribbes dilate the chest also and so encrease the inlargement Now when matter of griefe inforceth teares the Diaphragme and the muscles receiue a weakenes by reason of retraction of spirites that they are faine for the dilatation of the chest to make mo pulls then one as you heard before in the motion of contraction so that the breath is not drawen at one straining of their coares and fibers but by diuers inspiration besides the heat of those partes being retracted maketh them lesse plyable vnto the force of the muscles whereby the respiration is with more difficultie perfoormed which requireth more vse of dilatation then before by reason the heate about the heart it selfe is now greater then before the passion which bringeth thereto a kind of suffocation That cooling of the heart which is sensibly felt by suddaine euill tydinges or mishappe vnlooked for or whatsoeuer new calamitie riseth through accesse of the blood and spirits which although they be hote yet wanting somewhat of that heate which is feruēt and naturall to the heart and of the heat of those spirites which are resident there for the time seemeth to coole in comparison of the heat which the heart felt before as a mā would cast hote water to that which boyleth most feruently which although it be hote yet inferiour in degree to the heate of feruentnes it mitigateth the scalding heate and slaketh the boyling In like manner at the first recourse of these humours and raunging spirites although the heart seeme to receiue a chilling yet anone by contraction and plenty of spirites which are apt to take heat it receiueth a greater necessitie of breathing which being not aunswered through imbecillitie of the breathing parts dischargeth the office of respiration by sobbes which should be persormed by one draught of breath And these I take to be the causes of sobbing Sighing hath no other cause of mouing then to coole and refresh the hearte with fresh breath and pure aire which is the nourishment and foode of the vitall spirites besides the cooling which the heart it selfe receiueth thereby The heart being contracted as hath bene said deliuereth not so freely his sootie and smokie excrementes whereby the spirites become impure and it boyleth with more distemper which necessitie of fresh spirite and coole ayre enforceth a deeper enlargement of the chest then is ordinarie in which not only the midriffe playeth his parte but outward intercostalls or middle muscles of the ribbes besides certaine of the shoulders doe their indeuour to this so necessary an office Moreouer it is very probable that the midriffe by accesse of humours and vapours to the partes there about is charged with vaperous superfluitie which is by stretching it selfe as in yawning auoyded when the muscles are distended by any vapour of what sort soeuer it be of being plentifull and aboundant it stirreth them to a contraction which causeth a kinde of pressing wherby they deliuer themselues of this excrement This in yawning causeth that gaping sometimes accompanied with streaking when we finde our selues vnlustie and vndisposed to stirre or exercise which falling to the midriffe may cause a kinde of sighing when a man hath no cause as hauing cause it helpeth it foreward For whosoeuer yawneth shall perceiue his chest and midriffe dilated in such manner as in sighing feele about the heart a kinde of refreshing euen as when he sigheth To these causes may be added the weight of the hart which is by reason of the accesse of humours about his vaynes and arteries to his contraction increased whereby it lyeth more heauily vpon the midriffe then before the burthen whereof it seeketh to ease it self of by such streitching which somewhat lifteth vp the hearte for the time and so the Diaphragma is recōforted so that the necessity of fresh aire the cooling of the hearte the easing of the burthen therof vpō the midriffe the auoiding of vaporous excrements out of the midriffe seeme to me causes final the midriffes dilatatiō whose motion the whole chest followeth the efficient cause of sobing sighing And thus much cōcerning the two dolorous actions of sighing sobbing whereto after I haue added how it easeth the heart to weepe sobbe I will end this chapter By reason of the withdrawing of the blood spirites about the heart in feare and sorow it is necessary that much vapour should arise stirred vp by the heat therof working vpō the moisture these vapours besides the ordinarie excrements of the brayne before mentioned may yeeld another parte vnto teares being congeled in the brayne and vpper partes that are thicke coole membranous inclosed with the skull and placed ouer the rest as a stillitorie helme ouer the bodie Now weeping by making auoydāce to these vapours doth discharge that fulnes wherewith it was before strayned and oppressed These vapours cause that rednes in the cheekes and about the eares of those that weepe heateth the face and causeth the head to ake whereof the heart being eased receiueth a farther enlargement then at the beginning of the griefe and so enioyeth that small comfort which weeping affoordeth It may seeme probable that the sobbing and sighing differing onely in that sobbes are sighinges interrupted and sighes sobbes at large if they be not vehement and long by agitation of the chest expelling of the smothered vapours and drawing in of fresh aire geue also some comfort if they be vehement then shake
they the hart and midriffe too much and cause a sorenesse about those partes especially about the hart spoone which is most trauelled in sobbing and whereto the midriffe is fastened Thus much concerning those actions which are animall and ly in our power some absolutely and some after a sort to do or not to do altered by passion of sorowe and falling into melancholie persons it resteth to shewe howe melancholie procureth this laughing and weeping and so to proceede to those naturall actions which are altred by this humour with the reason of such effects CHAP. XXVIII Howe melancholie causeth both weeping and laughing and the reasons how IT hath bene before declared how melancholy causeth feare and sorowe of hart by false imagination raised through fearefull vapours rising to the braine and passing by the hart euen before the imagination be moued causeth a contraction thereof which is the action of feare this feare breedeth sorowe the sorow and feare accompanying ech other make such contractiō as before hath bene sayde to be cause of teares the matter being partly supplied by the ordinary excrements of the braine and partly through those vapours which arise from the hart ouercharged with concourse of humours which are retracted by the spirites who vpon matter of discontentment hast vnto the place of defence and assemble together flying the irksome obiect and addressing them selues as it were to make resistance The partes about the eyes being porous and rare the braine moyst and the partie apt to weepe vpon this melancholie disposition springeth that issue of teares out of melancholicke eyes and these I suppose to be the causes why melancholicke persons without anie outward occasion fall into weeping and lamentation Why they laugh and that excessiuely the cause is of more difficultie to finde out and the reason not so manifest whereof as I am ledde by coniecture and probabilities I will deliuer you mine opinion You may remember how the midriffe next vnto the hart is the chiefe cause of laughter so that of necessitie one of these must be affected in that action The heart is alwayes affected in true laughter and not alwayes in a fained kind which is only a shaking of the chest and retraction of the lippes without the liuely and chearfull eye fraught with the ioyfull spirites which replenish the merie countenaunce This kinde is that which melancholicke persons without obiect breake out into except the melancholie rise of adustion of bloud and become blacke choller which affecteth also the heart with a faigned conceit of merinesse euen as wine giueth it comfort and stirreth the spirits to that liuelines cheare wherof euery one hath experience Nowe then for the better laying open this melancholick action we are to distinguish of laughter wherof there be two sorts the one is true and vnfaigned rising from a comfort and reioycing of the hart and the other a counterfet and false wherein the heart receaueth no contentment but either it selfe or the midriffe moued dissorderly with shaking by anie annoyance and moueth also the chest and muscles of the iawes and checkes by consent of nerues and so counterfetting a laughinge gesture wherein the heart taketh no pleasure The former kinde may rise of inward cause as well as outward when the vapour of adust melancholie of bloud or rather when it first taketh that heate perfumeth the heart with a pure cleare fume whereat it is allured to ioye and cheare which vapour and fume risinge of the most mildest and temperate humour before the full adustion be accomplished and mixed with the other humours and spirites breedeth that pleasaunt vaine which ouertaketh melancholicke persons which peraduenture otherwise not so delayed would turne the heart to annoyance This way melancholie carrying a winie and aromaticall spirit raised by that heat may procure an harty laughter not only dispose as wine doth the spirit thus raysed being more familiar thē that of wine so compelling as it were the hart to break forth into that actiō of reioycing The false kinde of laughter which proceedeth first from the midriffe most commonly is affected by melancholie through a tickling vapor or spirite which riseth frō the lower parts and stirreth the midriffe as they which are woūded in the chest and vpon dressing are there about touched do plainly perceaue to moue shake and retract it selfe whose motion the chest followeth and to force out a count erfet manner of laughter whereof the hart hath no part nor countenance sauing the girning of the mouth which is here but small maketh anie pleasant shew This accident pertaineth chieflie to that melancholie which resteth about the splene the mesaraicke vaines and port vayne of the liuer which breatheth an itching and tickling breath whereof the midriffe takinge the sence shaketh moueth with indeuour to shun the vnwelcome ghest and to auoyde the touch thereof Now that being once moued the other instruments of laughter aunswere with like motion and all agree in this counterfet gesture which in appearance seemeth like the pleasaunt looke of a light and merily disposed hart This accident of laughter for the most part is whē the melancholy passion beginneth or anon after before the bloud getteth a farther egernesse and those iolie spirites be wasted which after they once be spent the heat either outragious or delayed or distinguished by vnaptnes of matter thē is the comedy turned into tragedy pleasantnes into fury in the end mirth into mourning much like as it fareth with such as intemperatly take in their cups are ouer surfeted with wine or strong drink these of them that are of nature cold and dry of this melancholie complexion voyd of adustion at the first cup receaue a maruelous cheering about the hart the drinesse and coldnesse of their inward parts being soked and steeped as it were like dry leather in oyle if they proceed farther the former modestie anon altereth it selfe into the contrarie extremitie of chat and excessiue babling the spirit of the wine ouerruling the spirit of their natural complexion yet a litle more sipping and this melancholy receaueth such heat as rage and furie entreth possession of hart and braine and as he had taken a draught of Circes cup he fareth in respect of maners behauiour as though he were turned into a wild beast In the end with farther carouses of excesse the wine for the while quite dispos sessing the spirits of their regiment office and quenching as it were the one heate delaying the naturall heat of his body with immoderate quātity the mirth chere the pleasant talk the rage furie giue place in steed of that iolitie succedeth silence stupiditie sleep sottishnesse So in melācholie while that drie subtile spirit is supplied with conueniēt matter is lightned in the melancholick part all is on the hoigh for a time which being consumed by heat the store therof being but small in respect of the grosse residēce the melancholick
person becometh afterward sad heauy vncherful Thus you perceiue I think sufficiently how melancholick persons some laugh some weepe in the same melancholicke what causeth mirth what teares Before I proceede to the naturall actions chaunged and depraued by melancholy I cannot passe ouer an action which is verie vsuall to melancholicke folke and that is blushing with shunning of the looke and countenaunce of men which the Grecians call Dysopia and because it requireth a larger discourse then the ende of this Chapter will suffer I will treate of them in the next CHAP. XXIX The causes of blushing and bashfulnesse and why melancholicke persons are giuen thereunto THE affection that moueth blushinge is shame howsoeuer it riseth either vppon false conceit or deserued cause Shame is an affection of griefe mixed with anger against our selues rising of the conscience of some knowne or supposed to be knowne offence either in doing that which ought not to be done or omitting that which was requisite of vs to be done This description I will vnfold vnto you more at large that in shame euery one is grieued experience maketh plaine besides reason leadeth thereunto Euerie passion of the heart is with ioye or with griefe either sincere and simple or mixed as in ridiculous occasions in shame there is no absolute ioye nor comfort therefore there must needs be a displeasantnesse or else a mixt disposition of sorowe and cheare this there is not by reason shame casteth downe the countenance filleth the eye with sorow and as much as may be withdraweth the liuely and comfortable spirit into the center of the bodie not vnlike vnto feare and sadnesse It appeareth mixed with anger by reason euerie one feeleth a kinde of indignation within him selfe and offereth as it were a vehement inablinge of him selfe for the offence wee are angrie with our selues because the fault is ours and from vs riseth the cause of griefe as in absolute anger the cause is from other and vpon others we seeke the reuenge Where there is no conscience there can not be any sense of fault for that it is which layeth our actions to the rule and concludeth them good or bad so although the fault be committed in deede and yet no conscience made thereof it is taken for no offence neither can giue cause of this internall grief reuengement To these clauses I ad an offence knowne or so supposed for otherwise though a man be grieued and sorie therefore yet before it be knowne to others is he not ashamed This causeth that men make no doubt of doing that in secret which for shame they would not do openly yea in such thinges as of them selues are not dishonest nor disalowable Moreouer it riseth vpon offence committed in that thing which lay in our power as we tooke it to remedie or better to haue discharged our selues in doing or omitting Therefore no man is ashamed of an ague or of the goute or to haue broken his legges or anie such occasion as to haue bene spoyled or to die c. but onely in those thinges wherein we take our selues to haue our part and to rise vpon our owne default so are we both ashamed of the action and of all tokens thereof Nowe seing that all offence is neither in doing amisse or neglecting that should be done in either of both consisteth matter of shame The description of shame thus being declared I proceede to shewe howe it forceth rednesse into the eares and cheekes and causeth vs neither to beare other mens countenaunces and lookes nor with courage and boldnesse to beare vp our owne The griefe that nature conceaueth from our selues is not so straunge as that which is foraine and outward but farre more familiar and thence therefore in all partes more known Moreouer the cause is more transitorie and fading especially if the offence be small and of no great note Againe the griefe is not for anie depriuation of that whereof the vse is so necessarie as losse of friendes goodes perill pouertie do all import nor of anie singular pleasure wherein nature or will tooke their chiefe contentment These qualities of shame ioyned with anger procureth that rednesse in the face which we call blushing The tincture of redde ariseth on this sort the heart discontented with the opennesse of the offence maketh a retraction of bloud and spirit at the first as in feare and griefe and because it feeleth no greater hurt then of laughter or rebuke of worde or such like touch seeketh no farther escape then a small withdrawing of the spirite and bloud by the first entrance of the perturbation so that the necessitie being no more vrgent the bloud and spirit breake forth againe more vehemently and fill the partes about the face more then before and causeth the rednesse This is helped forwarde with that anger which is mixed with shame which forceth in some sorte these retracted spirites and bloud to reflowe with more strength as we see the bloud soone vp of a cholericke person The passion is not so vehement to close vp the spirits and to retaine anie longer time for the cause before alledged and although it were yet would the anger and inwarde reuengement make way to the bloud and spirites to geue that shamefast colour Thus you vnderstand what maner of perturbation causeth blushing what it is and how it breedeth the staine but you wil peraduenture say why do not all that are ashamed blush and why some more then other some This I suppose to be cause in blushing these pointes are to be considered for answer of this question the qualitie of the bloud and spirit the passage nature or substāce of the face which receiueth this reflux If the blud be grosse and thicke and the passages not so free then is the course of bloud slow the coūtenance little altered If the skin be ouer thick or ouer rare thē doth it not admit throgh the thicknes of the spirites or at the least maketh not that shew nor retaineth them through the rarenes and thinnes and by exoperation make no apparaunce of rednes this is the cause why many ashamed be not so ready to blush Besides this disposition of spirite humour and substance of the face the measure of the shame more or lesse helpeth and hindereth blushing For some there are affected more vehemently and othersome moderately othersome not a whit who blush not because they are not at all ashamed By that hath bin declared you may gather why the yonger sort and women easily blush euen through rarenes of their body and spirites ioyned with simplicitie which causeth doubt of offence and this is the cause why we commend blushers because it declareth a tender heart and easily moued with remorse of that which is done amisse a feare to offend and a care least it should cōmit ought worthy of blame Furthermore it sheweth a conscience quicke and tender and an vpright sentence of the minde agreable to this
ingrauen maximes of good and euill and thus much shall suffice you for blushing As for the shunning of mens countenances and bashfulnes either in beholding or being beheld it riseth vpon a giltines in conceite or in effect in that we feare is knowen to others wherein we haue offended or stand in doubt we shall offend This conceit causeth vs to hide our selues and to withdraw our presence from the society of mē whom we feare doe view our faultes in beholding vs and wherof our presence stirreth vp the remembraunce Wherefore we being desirous to couer and hyde our offence seeke also to be hiddē and couered who haue deserued the blame especially from such of whome we haue greatest reuerence and of whose estimation and censure we stand most in awe of Now because the vewing of another causeth the like from him againe therfore doth the guilty minde abstaine ther from that it prouoke not the eye of another whome he doth behold especially if the other party looke vpō him againe then is he presently outcountenanced through the guiltie conceite and ielousie of the crime which he suspect to be reueiled Moreouer the countenance being as it were the grauen character of the mind the guilty person feareth least that be red in his forehead whereof he is guilty in his heart which augmenteth the griefe when he seeth himselfe eyed more then by turning aside his owne countenance when he beholdeth it not Thus much touching the former bashfull actions whether they rise vpon cause or opinion only it remaineth of this chapter to shew how melancholicke persons are much subiect to both though they haue committed nothing deseruing rebuke or worthy of shame That which befalleth youth by their tender age in blushing the same in a manner happeneth to melancholicke persons by their complexion youth and children if they come in place of reuerend persons will easily blush not of any fault committed but of reuerence to the parties nature as it were secretly in respect condemning her imperfections in that age whereof the presence of both maketh a kinde of comparison Moreouer the nature carefull of that which is seemely and decent not acquainted with such presence doubteth of error and vncomelinesse and distrusting it selfe blusheth as if offence had bene committed This is the cause why the yong take occasion sooner then the aged and why reuerend and vnacquainted presence causeth this passion They which are of mo yeares by reason of experience and further knowledge which breedeth an assurance more hardly blush and familiarity and custome maketh greater boldnes Euen so the melancholick person through his internall mislike and cause of discouragement hath litle assurance or contentment in his actions whatsoeuer Whereby without cause he easily groweth into a conceite of some absurdity committed where none is this causeth him to blush and to expresse by outward rednes of colour the internall passion especially this befalleth him if he carrie any conscience of former vice committed then doth that ouercharge and set all out of order chiefely if it mingle the passion with feare and the quality of the blood and spirite largenes of poores and disposition of the skinne in the face aunswere thereunto But how will you say can the melancholy person haue his spirite and blood so disposed which I haue declared to be grosse and thicke and the passages of their bodies not free Trueth it is that all melancholicke persons are not so disposed to this action of blushing by reason they are of blood spirite and body vnapt thereunto but certaine only who haue melancholy not equally disposed but resteth vnder the ribbes anoieth chiefly with his vapour and who are such not from their parents but by some accident of diet or euill custome which notwithstanding retaine as yet the same disposition of their firme partes they had before or haue some other humour of thinner substāce wherby their blood is not so dull of ebbing flowing these I take to be the melancholick blushers only and the rest in all respects farre remoued there from whose swartnes of the skinne with other impediments both hindereth the recourse of the blood and if they did blush ouershadoweth the colour The same cause which stirreth blushing in melancholicke men forceth them to auoide assemblies and publike theaters and this is common to all melancholickes howsoeuer they be tempered in their bodies euen the opinion and fancy of some disgrace from others who are greatly displeased with themselues and by their erronious conceite preuent the sentence of others vpon themselues and condemne that vniustly which ducly wayed and without passion hath no desert of blame Thus much for these actions of blushing and bashfullnes CHAP. XXX Of the naturall actions altered by melancholy HItherto you haue had declared the alteration of such actions as lie in our power are for the most part arbitrarie it followeth to shew vnto you the rest which are natural are not at our becke but are performed by a certaine instinct of nature wil we nil we These actiōs are of appetite or of nourishmēt the actiōs of appetite are of meate and drinke or of procreation Touching appetite of meate melancholy persons haue it for the most part exceeding and farre surpassing their digesture The cause why it is through an aboundance of melancholy which easily passeth from the splene the sincke of that humour to the stomach whose sowernes prouoketh an appetite of nourishment to delay that sharpnes which molesteth the mouth thereof that you may with more facility conceiue this pointe marke what I shall say of the splene the stomach and the passage of that humour thereinto The splene lieth vnder the short ribbes on the left side of the stomach backward and is ordained to purge the blood of melācholick iuice which it draweth vnto it self by meane of vaines and being satisfied with some parte wherewith it is nourished the remnaunte sower of taste and as a naturall sawce it belcheth as it were into the stomach whose sharpnes causeth a kinde of griefe and knawing therein especially about the entrance which is most sensible so prouoketh the appetite of nourishment by whose sweete and familiar iuice the sharpnes or sowernes of the other is dulled and tempered so the byting eased Besides this sence which the quallity of melancholy offereth to the stomach it according to the nature of all thinges of that taste bindeth and contracteth the stomach which may also be another cause of the encrease of that paine which inforceth to seek after nourishment Thus then the stomach being subiect vnto the splenetick humour as it exceedeth or is more sowre so doth this appetite more increase Now in persons melancholicke the superfluity of this humor is in great aboundance which thereby the more forceth the appetite and this I take to be one cause of that greedy hunger which is more insatiable in melancholicke men then in others To this may be added the desire that nature hath to seeke
euill spirite to encrease the torment and Iudas the traytor who tooke the reuenge of betraying the innocent vppon him selfe with his owne handes such was the anguish that Esau felte when he found no repentance after he had sold his birthright for a messe of pottage and such is the estate of all defiled consciences with hainous crimes whose harts are neuer free from that worme but with deadly bite thereof are driuen to dispaire These terrible obiectes which properly appertaine vnto the minde are such as onely affect it with horror of Gods iustice for breach of those lawes naturall or written in his word which by duty of creation we are holden to obey For the minde as it is impatible of anie thing but of God onely that made it so standeth it in awe of none but of him neither admitteth it any other violence then from him into whose handes it is most terrible and fearefull to fall This causeth such distresse vnto those that feele the torment hereof that they would redeeme it gladly if it were possible with anie other kind yea mith suffering all other kind of miserie This hath befallen vnto the wisest among men while the integritie of their vnderstanding hath stood sound it taketh of a sodaine like lightning and giueth no warning Here the puririe of the bloud and the sinceritie and liuelinesse of the spirits auayle nothing to mitigate the paine but onely the expiatorie sacrifice of the vnspotted lambe On the contrarie part when anie conceit troubleth you that hath no sufficient grounde of reason but riseth onely vpon the frame of your brayne which is subiect as hath bene before shewed vnto the humour that is right melancholicke so to be accōpted of you These are false points of reason deceaued by the melancholie braine and disguised scarres of the heart without abilitie to worke the pretenced annoyaunce neither do they approch the substaunce and the substantiall and soueraigne actions of the soule as the other doeth This estate happeneth by degrees and getteth strength in time to the encumbrance of all the instrumentall actions and driue the braine into a sottishnesse and obscure the cleare light of reason Here the humour purged and the spirite attenuate and refreshed with remedie conuenient the brayne strengthened and the hart comforted with cordiall are meanes most excellent ordayned of God for this infirmitie And to deliuer you in a word the difference whatsoeuer is besides conscience of sinne in this case it is melancholie which conscience terrified is of such nature so beset with infinite feares and distrust that it easilie wasteth the pure spirit congeleth the liuely bloud and striketh our nature in such sort that it soone becommeth melancholicke vile and base and turneth reason into foolishnesse and disgraceth the beautie of the countenance and tranfor meth the stoutest Nabucadnezar in the world into a brute beast so easily is the body subiect to alteration of minde soone looseth with anguish and distruction thereof all the support of his excellencie Besides this in you vaine feares and false conceits of apparitions imagination of a voyce sounding in your eares frightfull dreames distrust of the consumption and putrifying of one part or other of your bodie the rest of this crue are causes of molestation which are whelpes of that melancholicke litter are bred of the corrupted state of the body alaltered altered in spirit in bloud in substance and complexion by the aboundance of this settling of the bloud which we call melancholie This increaseth the terrour of the afflicted minde doubling the feare discouragement shutteth vp the meanes of consolatiō which is after another sort to be conueyed to the minde then the way which the temptation taketh to breed distrust of Gods mercy pardon For that hath sinne the meanes which needeth no conueyaunce but is bred with vs entreth euen into our conceptiō neither is the guiltinesse brought vnto vs by foreine report but the knowledge riseth from the conscience of the offender the meanes I meane the outwarde meanes of consolation and cure must needs passe by our senses to enter the mind whose instrument being altred by the humor their sincerity stained with the obscure and dark spots of melancholy receiue not indifferētly the medicine of cōsolatiō So it both mistaketh that which it apprehendeth and deliuereth it imperfectly to the minds consideratiō As their brains are thus euill disposed so their harts in no better case acquainted with terror ouertbrown with that fearful passiō hardly set free the cherfull spirits feebled with the corporall prison of the body hardly yeeld to persuasion of comfort what soeuer it bringeth of assurance This causeth the release of the affliction to be long hard and not answerable to the swiftnesse of the procuring cause hauing so many wayes top asse encountring so many lets before it meet with the sore For as the cause respecteth not time nor place no circumstance of person nor condition seeketh no opportunity of corporall imbecillity but breakeath through all such considerations beareth downe all resistance so the comfort requireth them all agreable missing any one worketh feble effects slow Here the cōforters person his maner the time place may hinder the consolatiō here the braine hart being as it were the gates entraunce vnto the soule as they be affected ayd or hinder the consolatiō so that the consciēce distressed falling into a melācholy state of body therby receiueth delay of restoring in respect of outward meanes though the grace of God his mercy his comfortable spirit gracious fauor in like swiftnesse without meanes may restore the minde thus distressed which lieth equally open to the kind of cure euē as it lay to the wound Thus I cōclude this point of difference marke betwixt melancholy and the soules proper anguish whose only cause proceedeth from Gods vengeance wrath apprehended of the guilty soule neither doth melancholy alone though it may hinder the outward meanes of consolation as it hath bin before shewed any thing make men more subiect vnto this kind of afflictiō First because the body worketh nothing vpon the soule altogether impatible of any other sauing of God alone 2. The torment is such as riseth frō an efficient that requireth no dispositiō of means God himself 3. The cōfort is not procured by any corporal instrumēts so neither is the discōfort procured or increased that way moreouer the cause the subiect the proper effects are other then corporall For although in that case the hart is heauy deliuering a passiō answerable to the fearfull apprehension yet the sense of those that are vnder this crosse feele an anguish farre beyond all afflictiō of naturall passion coupled with that organicall feare and heauinesse of heart The melancholy disposeth to feare doubt distrust heauinesse but all either without cause or where there is cause aboue it inforceth the passion Here both the most vehement cause
what was the tryall God blessed the last dayes of Iob more thē the first euen so though the present afflictiō be grieuous vnto you and all hope faile in respect of your feeling yet the Lord when he hath proued you and found you his pure and sincere beloued sonne the like issue are you assured of with comforte in this life and eternall saluation in the life to come Thus leauing a more plentifull consolation vnto your godly friendes who dayly frequent you especially such as are preachers of the word and ministers of Gods grace I proceed to instruct you in that I iudge your body stādeth in neede of that howsoeuer hability faile in performāce of the offices of friendships on my part towards you my sincere affection and vnfayned loue vnto you may be at the least testified by my endeuour wherein if I be tedious partly it is of forgetfulnes of that consideration being ouercaried with desire to benefite you and partly bicause in your case I also comprehend the estate of many one at this day in like sort affected and afflicted who if they receiue any meanes of cōforte by this my trauaile they may be more beholding vnto my friēd M. pray for his release Thus my good M. you haue the testimonie of my good will in this part of counsell I confesse I am not so meet for it as your case requireth but so haue I discharged that office wherto the dutie of friendship bindeth me If my presence may supply the defect I will not faile you wherin anie part of mine abilitie may serue your wāts I will nowe proceede to the cure of your bodie whose disorder increaseth your heauinesse and ioyneth hand with this kind of temptation CHAP. XXXVII The cure of melancholy and howe melancholicke persons are to order them selues in actions of the mind sense and motion AS the ordinarie cure of all diseases helps of infirmities are to be begun with remouing of such causes as first procured the infirmitie except they be remoued of them selues through their nature neither stable nor permanent by succession of a contrarie cause of the same kinde euen so the first entry of restoring the melancholicke braine and heart to a better state of conceit and cheere is the remouing of such causes as first disturbed iudgement and affection or are therto apt with inducing of causes of contrarie operation The causes of all diseases are either breach of dutie and some errour cōmitted in the gouernment of our health or such accidentes as befall vs in this life against our wills and vnlooked for From the same also do arise the workes of melancholie whereof I intreate and you desire to be released Our diet consisteth not onely as it is commonly taken in meate and drinke but in whatsoeuer exercises of mind or bodie whether they be studies of the braine or affections of the hart or whether they be labours of the bodies or exercises only Besides vnto diet house habitation and apparel do belong which are causes of maintenance or ouerthrowe of health as they be affected To these also the order of rest and sleepe is to be added as a great meanes taken in due time and in conuenient moderation to preserue health or to cause sicknesse if otherwise it be taken immoderately too scant or disorderly Of the labours of the mind studies haue great force to procure melancholie if they be vehement and of difficult matters and high misteries therfore chiefly they are to be auoyded the mind to be set free from all such trauel that the spirits which before were partly wasted might be restored and partly employed vpon hard discourses may be released to the comfort of the hart and thinning of the bloud Besides such actions approching nigh vnto or being the verie inorganicall of the soule cause the mind to neglect the bodie whereby easily it becmometh afterward vnapt for the action and the humours skanted of the sweet influence thereof and spirit setle into a melancholie thicknesse and congele into that cold and drie humour which rayseth these terrours and discouragements Wherfore aboue all abandon working of your braine by any studie or conceit and giue your mind to libertie of recreation from such actions that drawe too much of the spirit and therby wrong the corporall mēbers of the bodie For in maintainance of health it is specially to be obserued that the employing of the parts either of mind or bodie with their spirite is to be carried with such indifferencie and discretion that the force which should be common to manie be not lauishly spent vpon any one Nowe studie of all actions both because it vseth litle help of the bodie in comparison of other and because the minde chieflie laboureth which draweth the whole bodie into sympathie wherby it is neglected as it were for a time and the most subtile purest spirits thereby are consumed is to be giuen ouer in the cure of this passion or if the affection can not be tempered wholly therefrom then such matter of studie is to be made choyse of as requireth no great contention but with a certaine mediocritie may vnbend that stresse of the minde through that ouer vehement action and withall carie a contentednesse thereto and ioy to the affection Nowe as all contention of the mind is to be intermitted so especially that whereto the melancholicke person most hath giuen him selfe before the passion is chieflie to be eschued for the recouerie of former estate and restoring the depraued conceit and fearefull affection For there if the affection of liking go withall both hart and braine do ouer prodigally spend their spirits and with them the subtilest partes of the naturall iuyce and humours of the bodie If of mislike and the thing be by forcible constraint layd on the distracting of the mind from the promptnes of the affection breedeth such an agonie in our nature that thereon riseth also great expeence of spirit and of the most rare and subtile humours of our bodies which are as it were the seate of our naturall heate the refiner of all our humours and the purifier of our spirites As that kind of studie wherein the melancholicke hath spent him selfe is to be auoyded or intermitted and one of a milder and softer kinde to be inferred in place thereof so much lesse anie straunge studie of difficultie and much trauell of the braine is to be taken in hand as it were to turne the minde into a contrarie bent For herein the straungenesse besides difficultie giueth cause of trauaile and toile vnto our nature so that both these extremities are to be eschued of you as most daungerous and hurtfull and the mind to be retired to such a tranquillitie as the naturall heate and spirits may haue free scope to attend vppon the corporall actions of preparing the bloud and thinning of the grosse iuice into a moderate substance as is according to good disposition of the bodie In studie I comprehend although
past you haue bene a patterne to others and there keepe the straightest hand where the lists of reason are most like to be broke through You haue had declared how the excessiue trauaile of animall actions or such as springe from the braine waist and spende that spirite which as it is in the world the only cheerer of all thinges dispenseth that life imparted of God to al other creatures so in mans nature is the only comfort of the terrestriall members which spirite being consumed or empaired leaueth the Massy patrs more heauie grosse and dull and farther of remoued from all prompt and laudable action of life this effect as it is wrought by that kinde of disorder in like manner a perturbation wheron reason sitteth not and holdeth not the raine is of the same aptnes to disturbe the goodly order disposed by iust proportion in our bodies putting the parts of that most consonāt pleasant harmony out of tune deliuer a note to the great discontentment of reason and much against the mindes will which intendeth far other then the corporall instrument effecteth If you will call to minde histories you may remember how some haue died of sorrow and othersome of ioy and some with feare some with ielousie and othersome with loue haue bin bereaued of their witts euen those most excellent in al the parts of reason and sound vnderstanding and therby haue made such perturbance of spirit in their braines that for credite of wisedome and in steade of reputation of discreite men they haue through these latter kindes of vnbridled affections worthely caried the name of fooles and men voide of all discreete consideration in the whole race of their life following This commeth to passe in some by troubling of spirite only which require not alone due quantity and temper but a calme setling and tranquillity moued indifferently as iust matter of perturbation shall giue occasion In othersome by lauish waste and predigall expence of the spirite in one passion which dispensed with iudgement would suffice the execution of many worthy actions besides Hereto may furthermore adde that as a member of the corporall body ouer vehemētly forced by straining is in perill of luxation sometimes thereby becommeth altogether disioynted and the parte looseth the freedome of flexible motion euen so the spirite ouerforcible strained to one vehement passion carieth the disposition of the parte therewith and in giuing ouer by too much yeelding to the violence of our passion stādeth as it were crooked that way and with an ouer reach of the raigning perturbation being past recouery inclineth wholly whereto it was forcibly driuen Wherefore the perturbations are discreetely so to be ruled as alwayes there do remaine sufficient power in reasons hande to restraine Of these some perturbations directly immediatly increase both passion and humour of which sorte are saddenes and feare Other some passing measure not so much of thēselues procure either as they doe feeble the melācholicke bodies as anger and ioy both by excessiue effusion of spirites and suddaine alteration from the heartes contraction to such dilatation as those affections procure In ioy if it breake forth into immoderat laughter then doth it more feeble the melancholickes and breath out there spirites and leaue a paine in their sides and bellies which partes are greatly trauailed in laughter For although it should seeme meete in respect of the thinning of the humor by flowing of spirite and blood into the outward partes from the inward center and alteration of the passion by the contrary affection yet the feeblenes of their bodies and skant of spirites their humors being vnapt for plentiful supplie respect not that consideration but require such an expulsion of one affection by the other that the bodie it selfe notwithstanding sustaine no detrement otherwise the combate would be so sore that nature not being able to beare the force of ech passion would be dissolued by violence of that contention So that as all matter of feare is to be abandonned excessiue ioy is also to be eschewed as a great feebler of melancholick persons chiefly if they be women or of tender and rare habite If the melancholie rise of any perturbation that especially is to be altered brought into a mediocrity wherof the passion take first beginning Among them feare and heauines are of most force and as they are procured according to the vehemency of the cause so the kinde of heauines and feare more or lesse encoūtereth reason and frighteth the melancholicke heart We both feare and are sadde for the losse of those things which with delight and pleasure in time past we enioyed and are tormented with despaire and griefe when in those thinges which we desire there is no hope to lay hold on Among the sundrie sortes of subiectes to these passions some are of necessity and some of pleasure Such as are of necessity either respect the natural maintenance of our bodies and liues or honest reputation amongest men The naturall maintenāce of life is of such force in this case that it moueth beyonde measure euen the wisest and most setled and admitteth no moderation If it be imbecillitie of body voide of paine it is borne more tolerable Reputation mē of vertuous and couragious disposition tender as their liues wherby they are in a manner in like case and sometimes more affected with hazard thereof then if life were in daunger The reason is because credite and estimation toucheth the whole person of the man and not either minde or body onely hath the least meanes being oncelost to be recouered againe and besides the disgrace in this life man being immortall in soule standeth in awe of the perpetual note of infamy which may remaine after his death This passion is most hardlie borne of the ambitious and proude man in respect of that opinion he entertaineth of his owne worthines next vnto him it setleth deep in the minde enlarged with the vertue called magnanimitie in respect his honor aunswereth not his merites The obiectes which are pleasant if they be naturall and not helonging to any one part but vnto the whole nature of which sorte is that loue which vpholdeth the propagation of kinde and is the onely glue to couple the ioynts of this great frame of the world together Here reason is often times failed of the passion and carried captiue submitteth where it should haue preeminēce rule If it be of other things which nature hath not so wedded together the losse is borne with more tolleration and where there is peril of want in them despaire toucheth more lightly In respect of their owne nature such is the condition of the thinges we desire in this world But because the diuerse qualities of men taketh them sometimes otherwise therfore that passion and those occasions most vrge as the partie is therwith most passionate some one way some an other as nature bendeth or education hath framed In these cases of griefe and
heauines first of all instruction out of the Scriptures of God is to be ministred and embraced which offering the assuraunce of farre better thinges then the price of all wordly treasures may swallow vp whatsoeuer calamitie this vale of miserie presseth vpon vs next preceptes of morall vertue and patience with examples of constancie and moderaton in like cases ought to moue and consideration of that vncertaintie of pleasure in this world which is only constant in inconstancie and as the heauens them selues stand not still and the nature of things receaue continual cōsuming like a streame that passeth euen so our state is subiect vnto like mutabilitie and with no other condition is our life deliuered vnto vs of nature through that original disobedience nor is to be otherwise accepted of wise men In this case I referre the melancholick to the bookes of the Scriptures and morall precepts of Philosophers to the godly instructions of the diuines and comfort of their friends If loue not aunswered againe with like kindnesse procure this passion either amendes is that way to be made or the melancholick is to be perswaded the subiect of that he liketh is not so louely and all mention and signification of that kind is not once to be called into minde but whatsoeuer iustly may be alleadged to the parties disgrace is to be obiected vnto the amorous melancholicke and other delights brought in in steed and more highly commended which all I leaue to the prudencie of those that attend vpon this kind of cure And if no other perswasion will serue a vehement passion of another sort is to be kindeled that may withdrawe that vaine and foolish sorowe into some other extremity as of anger of some feare ministred by another occasion then that which first was authour of this sadnesse For although they both breed a dislike yet that proceedeth of other cause rebateth the force of it which gaue first occasion and as one pinne is driuen out with another so the later may expell the former but this is to be vsed in regard of the conceit and affection If the body therby be altered and the bloud thickened into melancholie then all kind of greeuance is to be shunned and onely pleasaunt and delectable things to be admitted Thus much for the melancholicke affection how it is to be moderated and guided other kinds of actions of body are not any causes of this passion except in such as were wont by periods to be purged of certayne melancholick bloud which if it faile and minister cause or increase of this humour is to be diminished by opening a vaine that may most conueniently supply that want of nature and disburthen it of the superfluitie as cause shall require and force strength will permit Ease and rest although it be alone of small power to ingender yet may it be an helping cause to the passion increase of this humour so that here in mediocritie is to be kept and exercise of one sort or other neuer to be omitted as the chiefe temper of the spirits with the humours quicknesse of corporall actions Fot as sleepe resembleth death and rest of the members is their kind of sleepe doth that in particulars which sleepe doth in the whole so if it exceede as ech resemble other in nature in effect they will not be much vnlike but as the one cooleth the bodie and corrupteth the bloud and extinguisheth naturall heate whose extinction is death it selfe euen so the other in a degree hinder the present expressing of that liuely vigour which they possesse and disableth them afterwarde to make proofe of the facultie wherewith they are indued And thus haue you in these two Chapters what gouernment melancholicke persons are to obserue in their actions and deedes that concerne maintenance of health in the next I will lay open vnto you of the outwarde meanes of sustentation of life what choise is to be made and with what discretion such reliefe is to be vsed CHAP. XXXIX Howe melancholick persons are to order thē selues in the rest of their diet and what choise they are to make of ayre meate and drinke house and apparell THe rest of diet consisteth in the right vse of outward sustentation of life which is either taken inward or is outwardly vsed only The inward and such as is to be receaued into our bodies is either aire or sustenance The ayre meet for melancholicke folke ought to be thinne pure and subtile open and patent to all winds in respect of their tēper especially to the South and Southeast except some other imbecillity of their bodies dissuade therefrom and in the contrarie part marrish mistie and foggie ayre is to be eschued as an increase of both humour and passion Sustenaunce is either meate or drinke Their meates ought not onely to be chosen such as of their owne nature do ingender to pure and thinne iuyce but if the nature of the nourishment be otherwise the preparation ought to giue it a correction of that fault and generallie they should be liquide and in forme of brothes that both by the moyst qualitie thereof the drinesse of the humour and their bodies might be refourmed and that the passage concoction might also be more easie and speedy in all their partes Nourishmentes of their owne nature among meats wholsome and meet for melancholicke folke and of vegetable things are parsnep carret and skerret roots And sallet herbs lettice mallowes and endiue mixed with a quantitie of rocket and taragon are not to be refused no more is aretch sorell and purslane with the late twaine aboue mentioned or with persley charuell and fenell with litle vineger plenty of oyle and suger Of sorts of bread cheat bread is meetest for them and if they be charged with store of bloud and the vaines full some oates barley or millet flower mingled with the wheat meele shall abate the aboundant nourishment of the wheat Of frutes such as are moyst soft and sweet are meetest for them as the iuyce damsing cherrie figges grapes and abricots neither are newe walnuts and greene almonds hurtfull in this case Capers washed from the salt and vineger and eaten with suger and oyle are meeter for them then oliues Of flesh the young is fittest for their diet and the younger the better in respect of their colde and drie bodies and grosse humours which require plentifull moystening and warming which is supplyed by the tender age of those things whereof we feede being fuller of vitall heate and naturall moysture then the older of the same kind Neither is it requisite that they be young onely but also well liking and of the same kinde the tame and domesticall is meete for correction of their melancholicke state then the wilde Againe of flesh the foule is to be preferred for their vse before the beast and that foule rather which vseth much the feete and lesse the wing Of foule these are of especciall choyce for melancholicke persons the partridge
at once by choyce of such natures as haue vertue of attenuating opening cleansing and because the cure is not onely intended against the melancholicke humour and that complexion of body but also against the fancy and affection which we call in phisicke symptomes alwayes choice would be made of such as carrie with them proprietie to strengthē the altered braine and to cheere the comfortlesse hart or if that cannot be found in one simple it is to be supplied by mixture Their temper would be moderate in heat except the naturall temper of the body time of yeare sex c. and such like considerations perswade on either side any declination The simples meete for this preparation of body humour are these which follow borrage buglosse endiue fumitory hops betony the sorts of maidē haire ceterach harts tong polypody doddar of thime agrimony cich pease ash barks caper barks tamarisk to which would be added opening roots fenell persley smallage butchers broome asparagus and such like Of these simples decoctions shold be made and mixed with syrops of like vertue as with syrope of borrage of apples simple or compound as that of King Sabor syrope of fumitory syrope of violets of ceterach syrope of epithymus or doddar of thime all openers of splene and liuer cleansers of the bloud great preparers to the purging both of bodie and humour the vse of them would be much often fasting that they may haue their ful force Moreouer to this vse a kind of beare brued with the simples before mentioned and some small relish of cloues and cynamon giuen vnto it so vsed as ordinary drinke would be very wholsome for melancholick persons and now and then if the stomach be raw rheumatick a draught of hippocras or some aromaticall wine giueth great comfort increaseth the spirits and maketh the bloud thinne But here heede must be giuen that it be not too strong of spice least through too much heate by euaporatinge the thinne part the rest of the bloud remaine more thicke and harder to be purged Besides these inwarde preparations and opening and thinning potions the liuer and the splene and the partes vnder the ribs would be suppled with conuenient fomentations and oyntmentes to soften to open to loosen those parts where the purging medicin hath most to do this may be done with fomentations made of mallowes chammomile melilot figges lineseede fetherfew rewe and rose leaues red and damaske and the part being a while supplied therwith some mollfying and warming ointment is to be rubbed chafed in gently with a soft hand as that which is called cōmonly resumptiuū the oyntment of briony the ointment of swines bread called cyclamen vpon which if need be a plaister of like effect may haue very good vse as diachylum magnum the emplaister of melilote for the splene ceroneum diamelilotum of Andramachus c. to these preparatiōs disposings of body humour to the purging If it seme good vnto the phisitiās for varietie baths would be vsed of mollifying moderatly warming simples as of mallowes marsh mallowes holihock chammomile melilot peniroyall lineseed roses c. In which decoction lukewarme the body is to be kept half an houre at a time or as present occasion shall direct fasting in the while the partes vnder the short ribbes suppled exercised with a soft hand anointed with oyle of capers oile of bitter alomonds a fewe drops of petroleum mixed therwith After the body hath bin thus prepared the humour somwhat more loose easie to moue purgation is next to be attēpted by stoole rather then by vomit except the party be verie apt therunto and the melancholy be chiefly seated therabout The simples proper to purge melancholy are these following Sena polypodie blacke hellebore and white the azure stone and more gentle then it the Armenian stone all which diligently prepared and corrected ministred in quantity meet for the patients strēgth enter combat with this humor with such force chaseth it out of the body that it followeth it euen into the stoole The compounds are diasena confectio hamech hieralogadion pils of fumitory Inde of the azure and Armenian stone in which the simples before mentioned receaue their correction due preseruation farre more safe to be vsed then the simple alone all which purgers are to be receiued mingled with some moysting decoction as of barley with borrage buglosse violet leaues syrope of violetets borrage buglosse c. if they be electuaries or powders if they be pils a thin broth drunke immediatly after them that both the liquid substance may giue a speedy conueyance the dry humor soked with that forme of medicine may more gently yeeld giue place to the purge Whē the medicine is felt now to haue passed the stomach which is perceaued that it yeeldeth no medicinable tast to the mouth by belching or breath then some broth may be takē made of such kind of flesh herbs as haue bene before mentioned and so till the working cease the whole action of the medicine to be endured Thus much for purging by stoole if vomit be thought more necessarie as I iudge it very necessarie in you whatsoeuer emptieth the stomach by prouoking nature that way except the matter be very hard to moue deep setled shall suffise for that sort of euacuation Vomit is very necessary when the stomach is moist watery and maketh shewe therof by much spitting whē the patient is troubled with soure belching and when the meate is perceaued in mouing of the body to be loose iogge in the stomach then I say all other circūstāces cōcurring together vomit is to be vsed first of the gentle sort of which kinde are radish roots seeds pompeon root netle seed astrabacka root or leafe c. if the cause strength of the melancholick require a greater force of medicine Stibium white hellebore are singular in this case which both would be ministred in fat broth the substance of Stibium the infusion of neesing powder or white helleborus being in substance most daungerous This kind of hellebore more helpeth the fancy and correcteth the braine and the other more dealeth with the humour both discretly vsed performe a most wholsome euacuation If the melancholicke do labour much in vomiting minister drinke or thin broth so shall the vomit be with more ease discharged All perturbation of the bodie being ended the medicine hauing wrought the desired effect the face is to be refreshed with some mixture of rosewater and vineger and rose water is to be smelled vnto the mouth to be washed and some conserue of red roses with a quarter so much of quince preserued and one drop of oyle of cloues or cynamon would be receaued to strengthen the stomach againe to settle it quiet if any quality of the medicine remaine to correct alter it what soeuer therby the stomach should
they be diuerse all action of internall senses which are ministers and seruants of studie whether it be of learning or of meditation and inuention which later kind farre more toyleth the bodie then the former and therefore farther of is it to be remoued Of internall senses I take phantasie to be the greatest wast of these spirits most apt to thicken the bloud if it be excessiue For that imitateth the inuentiue action of the mind and in a lower degree if it be vehement continuall maketh great wast of those two instruments spirit and heate in the me lancholicke bodie For as the action is such is the spirit and part thereof purer subtiler thinner as the actiō is of more excellency farther remoued from corporall practise and draweth nigher to the cleere and pure actions of the minde If the melancholicke be ouer much contemplatiue it shall then be meete for him to withdrawe his mind to corporall actions of grosser sort that as the mind by speculation after a sort disioyneth it selfe from the bodie so the bodily exercise may reuoke it againe into the former fellowship and exercise of bodily action The outwarde senses because they consist rather in a kinde of passion their vse doth not greatly hinder the thinnesse which we require against melancholie except they be ouer trauelled with watching which hath great force to drinke vp the spirites moisture and so to alter the bodily state into a melancholie disposition tedious to mind and body In their actes it is to be obserued that they be not in anie respect irkesome or odious For if they be such the heart continually where the obiect is presented nowe growne tender thorough the internall passion flieth at the shadow of euerie thing that carrieth the smallest shewe of discontentment and reclaiming his spirites about him selfe leaueth the outwarde partes destitute of conuenient measure and by aboundance about it selfe corrupteth them in time for want of sufficient respiration and breathing which no lesse ingendreth melancholie then the former disorders afore mentioned and as for the fearefull passion it increaseth it directly and keepeth that immoderate feare in vre Of all sensible obiectes the visible except they be pleasaunt and proportionall giue greatest discontentment to the melancholike If besides their horriblenesse of shape or without it they represent anie significant type of tragicall calamitie or mention that wherewith the melancholicke apprehension faigne anie fearefull obiect much more such spectacles are to be shunned of the melancholickes And because darkenesse is as it were a patterne of death it also is as much as may be to be auoyded and all cheerefull sights agreeable to vertue and pietie and to be embraced and sought after which as the other sorte close vp the spirites and geueth the heart assaults of hostilitie may allure them out againe and set free the distressed affection and yeelde comfort to the amazed heart Next to visible thinges the audible obiect most frighteth the melancholicke person especialy besids the vnpleasantnesse if it carieth also signification of terror here as pleasant pictures and liuely colours delight the melancholicke eye and in their measure satisfie the heart so not onely cheerefull musicke in a generalitie but such of that kinde as most reioyceth is to be sounded in the melancholicke eare of which kinde for the most part is such as carieth an odde measure and easie to be discerned except the melancholicke haue skill in musicke and require a deeper harmonie That contrarilie which is solemne and still as dumpes and fancies and sette musicke are hurtfull in this case and serue rather for a disordered rage and intemperate mirth to reclaime within mediocritie then to allowe the spirites to stirre the bloud and to attenuate the humours which is if the harmony be wisely applyed effectuallie wrought by musicke For that which reason worketh by a more euident way that musicke as it were a magicall charme bringeth to passe in the mindes of men which being forseene of wise law giuers in times past they haue made choice of certaine kindes thereof and haue reiected the other as hurtfull to their common wealthes which agreement betwixt concent of musicke and affection of the minde when Aristophenes perceaued he therby was moued to thinke that the mind was nothing else but a kind of harmonie In the other senses the obiectes onely are to be choysed sweete in tast pleasant in smell and soft to be felt that all outward things may allure and giue courage in steed of that cowardly timiditie wrought by the humour Motion doth much more if it be vehement and drawe to the nature of labour and withall continuall For that drieth the bodie excessiuely And although for the present it be hotter through such trauell yet consuming the spirite and moysture which are matter of this heate in the ende it decayeth also as fire without fuell and the lampe without oyle As these actions of bodie and minde being ouer vehement and excessiue bereaue the humour of spirite and waste the naturall heat which being spent whatsoeuer else is of the body is more grosse and earthie becommeth a lake of melancholie euen so if altogether these actions cease that neither the minde nor bodie bestow themselues in good studies and exercises then on the contrary part this worketh the same that the other excesse doth and euen as water that standeth and is not stirred corrupteth waxeth grosse and thicke and like as the lampe that wanteth aire goeth out though plenty of oyle be ministred euen so without this stirring of spirites humours blood all settle into a grosse residence of melancholie and the whole masse of bloud easily degenerateth vnto that humour and for want of exercise the naturall fire being slakened and the spirite thereby ingrossed that which indued with both with iust measure and equalitie conuenient was before a cheerefull iuyce comfortable to all the parts and a sweete deawe to the earthy substance congealeth into a grossenesse farre vnmeet for that vse and of a quite contrarie disposition CHAP. XXXVIII How melancholicke persons are to order themselues in their affectiont AS in studies exercises of the braine sense voluntary motion great moderation is to be kept of melancholy persons euen so no lesse regarde if not more is to be had of them in restrayning their affectiōs and guiding them with such wise conduct as at no time they breake forth into outrage and shake of the gentle and light yoake which reason imposeth I will not now dispute whether vehement study or disorderly perturbations is more to be taken heed of onely take you no lesse care in the one then in the other except you finde your selfe to haue fallen into excesse and to haue surfeted more of this then of that excesse If you haue so vnequally exceeded and the effect hath preuayled with you that kind wherof you haue most cause to complaine there refraine and employ those giftes of wisedome and vertue wherein in times