of evils and miseries proceeds from such vitious Chollericke passions First to the body for as Choller heated stirres vp anger and fury so these Cholerick passions againe by reason of the neere relation betweene passions and humours doe stirre up and so increase the Cholerick humors in the body inflaming the same as also the Blood Liver Heart and vitall Spirits hinders also rest and sleepe spoyles the stomacke and distempers the whole body Swolne veines imperfect loud and distractive speeches fiery eyes deformed and furious lookes are the outward Symptomes of these Chollericke passions To looke in a glasse when a man is throughly angry and Chollericke is enough to make him ashamed of himselfe hee should see himselfe like a Mad-man And also to the Mind These Chollericke passions hinder the divine vertues of Patience Meekenesse Affability Courtesie Contentednesse and all pleasing quiet amiable conditions all vertue true pleasure and happinesse The same are most pernitious both to our selves and others A chollericke man is like one that burneth himselfe in his neighbours house He fireth his owne Mind with trouble and vexation while he endeavoureth to trouble and vexe another And in this mad fury he will admit of no reason no admonition He then careth not to loose friends or procure Enemies These Inconsiderate Rash Chollericke passions doe blind the mind and prepare the same ready to runne and throw it selfe into all vices evill actions and consequently Miseries As into Riot Prodigality excessive Gaming ill rash Bargaines Swift revenge Into Cursing swearing quarrelling fighting stabbing and the like Wee often see and heere Histories are replenished with Examples of the evill and miserable effects of these passions As of quarrels Contentions Hatred Strife Murder And Ruine of whole Townes Cities Common-wealths and Kingdomes by reason thereof These Chollericke passionate men are commonly all in extreames which are commonly very hurtfull When the kind fit takes them they are often so overkind as they wrong themselves And in a fit or anger or quarrelling they are usually so extreame as they are sometimes beaten often anger and loose their friends and also many times doe or suffer some rash and suddaine Mischiefes These kind of passions also deprive men of justice and patience Yea of reason it selfe which usually comes in the Rere and is joyned with Repentance Their repentance also is somtimes a Rage against themselves even to desperation rather then mixt with good Resolutions and thereupon joyfull hopes as the same ought to bee Yea these passions prepare the Mind to a wild madnesse and fury destroying Wit Reason Art and all goodnesse There is little or no difference betweene a Mad man and a Chollericke man in his fits And if these chollericke angry passions by often use and reiteration grow from a disposition to a habit the same becomes Madnesse Further let us avoyd the occasions and causes of these Rash angry violent Chollericke passions Such as are too much selfe-love Pride and Presumption bereaving us of humility and of reason which ought to bridle and moderate the fury of these bedlam passions Let us also by a manly and stay'd mind eschew nicenesse Curiosity and Impotency which most commonly possesse Women Children some old men and hasty fooles Those who will fret bee angry and take pepper in the nose at every trifle Also let us avoid all Immoderate doting on Earthly things The losses whereof or crosses wherein extreamely frets and vexes such as love them too much and sets their passions on fire And on the contrary let us endeavour by reasons light to resist and withstand the beginnings of these passions and to quench them as we would a fire kindling within us Let us watch over our Dispositions Give Reason leave to interpose resolve Divert our thoughts to some other businesse or occasion And let us by all meanes endeavour to bee of a sweete pleasant amiable meeke courteous mild unpassionate Temper They are much deceived who thinke that Meeke Courteous and mild dispositions are contrary to Fortitude Meeknesse as one faith is a vertue that belongeth to the couragious Part of the Soule whereby wee become contrary to the weakenesse in fearefull women and old men hardly moved to Anger and Choller for these passions most commonly reside in frailest weakest most fearefull and worst Spirits In fraile Women weake Old men in Covetous Ambitious vaine-glorious Cowardly dissolute vitious men There is no heart more worthy and couragious then such a one as can represse these furies No worthier Trophies then those which may bee procured from within our selves No triumphs more glorious then when our Reason can leade our conquered affections as slavish servants and servile Captives which otherwise will insult over us like bloody Tyrants and violently take away the peacefull Tranquility and pleasures of our Soules That Paradice within us which we seeke for Let us further consider that all accidents whereby these passions are provoked proceed from divine Prudence which may move us to be patient and contented Let us also endeavour as neere as wee may to resemble the divine Nature in all meeknesse goodnesse Learne of mee sayth our Saviour for I am Meeke Also the heavenly glory and rewards which hee hath prepared for us should make us scorne to bee of so weake so fraile so unworthy a temper as to bee furious passionate and too much perplex our selves for mundane Trifles Let us then in opposition to these Cholericke passions by all meanes endeavour to bee of quiet peaceable courteous mild affable meeke and of all sweet and pleasing conditions which like the Adamant attract the love of all good men by their amiable and pleasing Graces This mild affable unpassionate pleasing peacefull temper as one sayth resembles the highest Region of the Ayre wherein are no Clouds no Tempest but all fairenesse Serenety and Peace The same is the Character of a pleasant and happie Mind Who doth this Peacefull pleasing Mind possesse Is fit to enjoy the sweetest Happinesse His life resembles a faire lightsome day In which hee rides to Heaven all the way As in a Paradice His mind enjoyes Most pleasing sweetnesse in these happie wayes THE VII DIVISION Of Melancholy Complexions of Covetous Fearefull Sad Sorrowfull minds Exciting to Moderate desires and contentment to Fortitude Cheerefulnesse Ioy and pleasantnesse THe humor of Melancholly though it bee cold and dry of it selfe yet commonly retaineth in it some heat and moisture of the other humours Men of this Complexion if they adict themselves to seeke and follow Vertue and Piety especially if their Melancholly bee with bloud and other good humours moderately humected and allay'd commonly become of excellent wisedome Sharp Iudgements and seeme to doe many things so notably as if they were furthered by some divine Jnstinct or motion Insomuch as oft-times even their Solitarinesse and melancholly dispositions become most profitable sweet and pleasant to them But otherwise if vice possesse them they commonly become very Covetous nigardly fearefull sad lumpish
Flouters Gibers and adding to other mens miseries very rash haire-brain'd and violent often throwing themselves unadvisedly upon evill actions and as suddainly againe wish they had not Variable Unstable unconstant unquiet seditious testy quarrelsome notable maintained of vice and wickednesse Cursers Swearers Roarers Tyrants angry and furious Let such ment heretore as are of this Chollericke humour and Complexion To maintaine their bodyes and minds in good temper to prevent or mittigate hote and dry maladies and distempers which are most subject to men of this Complexion Such as are inflamations of the Heart Liver Humours and Spirits and divers Diseases and distempers which usually spring from thence and to allay the unruly violent rash Chollerick passions and perturbations of the mind most subject to men of this humour to reduce the same to or mainetaine the same in a good and laudable temper and disposition And so to make the same fit and apt to perform all good offices and actions and to enjoy all good pleasures and happinesse observe such directions as follow Let them in a fit season purge out those evill excessive Cholericke humours of the body by such medicines as are usually appropriated for the same purpose and let them allay the heate thereof as much as they may conveniently by all coole and moyst things So let them also eschew such things as are hote and dry such Spices hearbs and diet as is before prescribed to bee used by cold and moyst complexions Also hot waters and strong hot Wine and Drinkes long watching excessive exercise and sweating Also anger and all perturbations of the Minde which doe much heate and distemper their bodies are also as much as may bee to be avoided by them But on the contrary let them commonly use a cold and moist kind of Diet Meates of good digestion Solid meats which are not too hot and salt are not amisse for them Fishes are cooling and good for them especially fresh fish It is said that in the Spring or Autumne sometimes to dip their bread in cold water is good to coole the heat of their stomacke liver and humours Reasonable small Beere fresh and coole is best for them to use as ordinary drinke And sometimes especially in the Spring it is good to allay the heat of their Wine with water borrage and the like Vinegar is very coole in operation therefore sometimes although tart is not amisse for them Julip of Roses and their Conserves two or three houres before meales especially in the Spring time are good to be used by men of this Complexion as also Syrrup of the infusion of Roses of Water-lillies and water of Borrage and Sychory All coole Hearbes are good for them as Endive Sorrell Lettuce Succory Buglosse Borrage Fumitory Violets Roses Strawberry-leaves Primrose Burnet Germander Orage Mallowes Spinage the hearbe Patience Purslane Water lillies Dragon-woort and the like Also Straw-berries Cherries Goose-berries Sanders Camphire Mellons or Citrons Cucumers the juyce of Apples especially bak't or roasted after the same is cooled stewed Prunes and the syrrup thereof also Whay especially clarified and in the Spring-time and so likewise all coole distilled Waters Syrrups Julips c. They may allow themselves a larger quantity both of meate and drinke then the Phlegmaticke so as their diet be not too strong hot hard and dry but rather coole moist and soluble for a plentiful diet doth allay their too light wandring Phantasticke passionate and vnstable Spirits and provoketh them to sleepe rest and quietnesse So also to rest and sleepe as much as they may and quietly is very good to coole and allay their hot and turbulent Spirits for sleep doth moisten and coole the body and consequently thicken and allay the extravagant lightnesse wandring and heate or the Spirits Therefore to make them rest-and sleepe well Violets sod Lettuce Syrrup of Roses Saffron Baulme Nitre Watergruell Apples eat before going to bed and as some say a good draught of cold water in the Spring and Summer sometimes are good to make young folkes and such as have strong hote Chollericke stomacks to sleepe well and soundly Voluntary extasies and fixed profound meditations joyned with a quiet mind doe thicken and allay the Spirits So as by these or some of these remedies observed onely with conveniency and without too much nicenesse and perplexity the excessive heate of the Heart Liver Choller Bloud and other humours will bee allayd and qualified And consequently the Stomacke Braine Spirits and in summe the whole body and mind become of a good temper and well disposed to performe all goodnesse to enjoy all happinesse Thus much concerning Physicall Remedies Now further concerning the dispositions of the Mind most incident to this Chollericke humour and to direct and rectifie the same First inasmuch as the spirits issuing from this hot and impetuous humour of Choller which in vertues wayes excite to Resolution fortitude to active speedy worthy desires and actions being corrupted by vice excites the mind to that haughty top-lesse and towring vice of Ambition which is most commonly resident in great and fiery spirits let us endeavour to rectifie our minds herein by such considerations as follow Let us first thinke of the vanity of this vice of Ambition which maketh a man plunge himselfe into a multitude of restlesse cares paines and perplexities to gaine only the windy praises and aiery estimation of men whose minds are most unconstant and wavering But the miseries of this vice are many Ambition hath beene the cause of much Sedition Warres Strife Murder Ruine and Destruction of Empires Kingdomes Cities and Multitudes of Families and persons The same is the fountaine of Pride Ingratitude Insolency perfidiousnesse Enuy Mutiny Contention Sedition and Treason A multitude of vaine plots purposes Cares Jealousies Envies Perplexities Immoderate and unsatiable desires feares griefes and discontents spring from this Founiaine It often brings men to a great and miserable downe-fall Let us also consider That there are no men who live more pleasantly and happily on Earth then such who are free frō such vaine Empty Haughty unsatiable and perplexfull desires such as are meeke and moderate therein Contented and pleased in all estates and conditions Such vertuous men are indeed truly honourable truly happy But now concerning such dispositions of the mind as are more properly incident to this Chollerick humour such as are Anger Rashnesse fury and the rest which spring from thence Let us consider the miseries and evill effects thereof But in this ensuing discourse against Chollericke angry passions I doe not meane a moderate necessary Anger which is used onely with reason and discretion for some good purpose and presently extinct againe according to that divine Councell Bee angry but finne not Let not the Sonne goe downe vpon your wrath c. But J meane in this following discourse onely vitious as vnnecessary customary Immoderate passions in this kind and such as proceeds from envie malice revenge and the like Let us know that a multitude
thinne waterish humours and of superfluous corrupted Choller and Melancholly The best time of purging is in the Spring or Autumne and it were good for such as live very intemperately to purge once at the least or twice every yeare And for the manner of an exact purge Physitians say it is not amisse that the body be first opened with a Clister And if much bloud and sanguine humours abound and be corrupted to begin with Phlebotomy if age weakenesse or other occasion hinder not opening the Cephalica veine in the Arme and then the humours to bee made plyable to nature This being done now to expell concoct and purge the humours soundly which molest the body with such apt medicines as are appropriated to evacuate and purge such severall humours as doe abound therein If the stomacke and body bee very much stuft foule and corrupted it will not be amisse to use a vomit and after the same presently to take such things as will strengthen the weakned parts comfort the braine Heart Liver Splene and disperse the Reliques such as are Triacle Methridate and divers others If Intemperance and disorder have beene long used or if the disease be old it is not amisse to purge three or foure times gently because ill humours which have remained long in the body cannot so well be expelled by a suddaine purgation at once as by degrees It is good also for such as abound with Phlegme to purge the same by degrees at three or foure severall times rather then suddainly at once because clammy Phlegme will not easily and presently follow a suddaine Purgation But choller being more thinne and moveable is more easily purged But forasmuch as there are many and divers matters to bee observed herein as the humour which aboundeth The nature of the Disease The strength age and Complexion of the person The operation and force of the Purgation and the particulars thereof aptly to be sorted and appropriated to the nature of the disease and humours abounding Also how much how often to purge how farre to proceed and by what wayes and passages all which requiring a large discourse I referre the same and such as have occasion to use them to the advice of some honest skilfull practicall Physitian whose directions and assistance is most convenient and ought to bee had concerning these matters So may these Cures and Remedies be happily effected they being carefull that universals be in right manner sorted with particulars and the body and mind reduced to its naturall good Temper and disposition Concerning other Evacuations and particular Cures and Remedies of the many and divers severall Diseases incident to man Since they are too large to be treated of in this briefe and Compendious Discourse And are amply dilated and treated of by divers in great volumes and lesse necessary to be vulgarly knowne then the former prescriptions I omit The rather because I conceive That if the body be well purged of such ill humours as abound therein and afterwards a good and apt diet be observed it is sufficient for the cure of almost all Diseases especially such as are bred by Repletion which are the most common maladies of our age unlesse they be inveterate and uncureable However such directions and remedies may doe us much good and make the Temper of our bodies and minds much better then otherwise All these Rules and prescriptions are very good to be known and observed aswell by the healthy as the diseased and in their due use and observation may cause much benefit and happinesse Neither doe we want Remedies though the body be incureable we may remedy the miseries thereof by the mind which is its Governour and ought as much as it may to comfort the same for as the body workes upon the mind as hath bin shew'd So much more doth the mind worke upon the body For the reasonable soule being Immortall and Divine doth guide and governe the Animall Spirits which are the organs thereof as the fabricke of the parts of the body is the organ of these animall Spirits And these spirits like a quick light flame doe continually worke on the body as the soule doth on them they make the body lively and lighter partly by refining the moisture thereof and converting the same into themselves and also by infusing themselves into all the parts thereof enliving lightning quickning and spiritualizing the same The Divine and reasonable soule therefore ought as much as it may to spiritualize quicken and comfort the living Spirits in such sort that the body being guided by these spirits these wholly dependant on the reasonable soule and the soule being guided by divine grace which is as it were the life thereof and by faith having its Conversation in heaven with God viewing and enjoying thereby in some measure already his heavenly glory and felicities expecting the same hereafter to be revealed infinitely and to enjoy the same in perfection eternally even forgetteth the griefe of the body or rather doth convert even the senses and spirits thereof into the purer parts of the soule which in faithfull contemplation being possest with heavenly Joy in God the whole man is as it were spiritualiz'd and transported with divine pleasures However if by reason of our frailties and weakenesse we cannot attaine to such Divine extasies and transportations yet we may know that our Corruption shall put on Incorruption and our Mortality shall inherit Immortality 1 Cor. 15. That our fraile bodies shall be changed and made spirituall bodies like the glorious body of the Sonne of God Phil. 3 21 With whom we shall enjoy infinite happinesse for ever How may such faithfull Contemplations comfort vs in greatest maladies and distempers yea even in death it selfe since the same is a passage to heaven when ceasing to be as men wee shall begin to live the life of Angels with God himselfe in heavenly glory and happinesse But to Returne Now to remedy such passions of the mind as are most incident to these mixt distempers of the body which being compos'd as in a medley of all the superfluous humours adust corrupted and distempered doe cause the mind in a mixt distemper also to apprehend all things in a bad manner as having Enmity and so doth edge and eneager malice and provoke Revenge and Cruelty For remedies hereof Let vs consider that these evill dispositions of Envie hatred malice Revenge and Cruelty being seldome one without the other are Compounded of many other vices and are the occasions of many evils and even of destroying all humanity and goodnesse Envie and malice are strange passions Gnawing the heart and turning the good of another to the envious mans hurt Good and prosperous men as also their good deeds goods and prosperity are eye sores to envious malitious Spirits causing in them despight griefe and even gnashing of teeth While the envious mischievous man looketh obliquely upon the goods of another he looseth that which is good in himselfe or at least takes