the mad dogs teeth made and this I saw in experience by one Richard Haines a tall young man pursued a mad dog a mastie neer the place where I dwell and standing at the gap the mad dog would come thorow clasped him in his armes intending to hold him tell his fellows came but the dog bit him very grievously in his side and about his belly they gat the mad dogs liver and made poridge and stuffed the wounds with the hair and so through Gods blessing the mad man did very well Crabs clawes and lobsters claws beaten to pouder and put into butter-milk or drinke is very good It is for the zeal of Gods glorie the desire to yeeld comfort unto poore afflicted soules and love of my country which moves me to write upon this subject Samuel 16.23 And so when the evill spirit sent of God came upon Saul David took an harpe and played with his hand and Saul was refreshed and was eased for the evill spirit departed from him NOw the question is wether this distemper and distraction grew out of some inordinate affection which proud ambitious covetous and amorous men are subiect to fall into the only help in this case is to pray unto God to give them humilitie and patience to submit themselves unto Gods will and faithfully beleeve that God will turn all crosses and losses to the best Rom. 8.28 Againe consider what thy sinnes have deserved and thine own unworthinesse of the least of Gods mercies despise the world and prise heaven this is the only musick to cheat the heart Secondly if it were some naturall in disposition or distemper Pheniticall timpheticall then materiall drugges might rectifie the humour so a sensible musick might recreate the spirits so a man preferre the spirituall and inward remedies but the corporall and outward also are not to be neglected as mirth good company or any comendable recreation is not to be refused but undoubtedly it was an absolute madnesse or melancholy fury with some intermission in which time he could hear advice and do mischief those mischeivous actes of mad men are both guilty before God and punishable also before men when the force of reason is not totally transported and extinquisht Again if it were a meer obsession that daibolicall spirit troubled and vexed him and because the divell is Gods creature and at Gods comand he may be said to be an evil spirit sent from God now in case of demonaicall obsession and affliction I cannot conceave what naturall power musick or melodie sick can have for the profligation or repulsion of devils and seeing a created Art hath properly not farre upon any proternaturall habit unlesse musick doth delight the sence and so draw attention and so alter the passion but I resolve it thus this musick cured Saul not as musick but as Davids musick no musick but Davids musick could do it otherwise seeing Saul so much hated him he would not have been so much behoulding unto David having many other cunning Musicians in the temple but their musick made him more mad God was pleased to work such an effect to bring him into favour with the king A TRACTATE OF MELANCHOLIE IT is my love to my Country which incites me to write upon this subject And since Almighty God hath been pleased to make my studies and labours fortunate in this kinde I have here presented them to the publike view hoping that some may receive good by my directions as many have done by practice I do not promise an addition to learning in this respect nor do I doubt but my long experience may adde somewhat to others readings however this good the understanding reader shall receive when as he shall by my faithfull relation know the effects of those means which I have used he shall either be emboldned to use the like or inabled by judgeing them to find out a more exellent way although I goe not accuratly to work because I intend to be short and only positive avoiding the more questions yet to avoide confusion I will observe this order First I will speak somewhat of the humours in general secondly somewhat of the four chief in particular Thirdly will set down a method 1. For knowledge of those things that any wise concerne the melancholy humour 1. Of the humours in generall MAns body may be divided into such parts as are contained or such as do containe them those which be contained are of a fluid and liquid substance the other may be called the subject or vessels wherein these are kept and do cohere which otherwise would be as water spilt upon the ground To omit the parts containing those which be contained are humours and spirits Concerning spirits let it suffice to know that they are a thin aieriall vapours substance the chief instruments which our soul worketh withall those which be inplanted and fixed in our solid partes from our first generation be the seat of our native heat and the bond of soul and body those which be after added to the former are first naturall in the liver conveied in the vains to the habit of the body secondly vital made in the lest cavity of the heart partly of the naturall spirit and partly of the air which we suck in and runneth by the Arteryes through the whole body Thirdly Animal made of the vitals in the braine thence diffused by the sinewes into the body stirring up sense and motion therein A humour is either Radicall or adventitious that is necessary to the constitution of a thing this to the preservation thereof Here is a fat aieriall oyly substance inplanted inbred an inherent in the body from the conformation thereof this we call Radicall moisture or naturall Balsome and compare it to a candle there is likewise an inbred and innate heate which word does not signifie a naked quality but a substance indued with this quality which our most wise Creatour hath made sensible to our touch so long as the life lasteth this heat is the instrument of the soul and is likened to the flame wasting the candle the coexistence of these two in the heart chiefly is the beginning and continuation of life this is that perpetuall fire that continuall light although it never flame which hitherto the Chymicks have in vain laboured to imitate and blow up or kindle when nature saw this heat ever feeding upon consuming that moisture she thought good to adde oyl to the lamp and provided wayes to repaire what was spent this she appointed should be done by the use of meat drinke c. The humour thus generated is called Adventitious because it is added to the former now whether the faculties flow with this humor or no I will not here determine All those humours which are continually made to renew so much of the Radicall moisture as is dayly spent are first primairly such as proceed from the second publique concoction the liver of these to be accounted alimentary or fit to nourish viz.
blood and phlegm the cast excrementitious viz. Choller melancholy and why the matter of urine as also those which be expelled from the third and private concoction viz. Teares and swet secondarily such as proceed from the manifold concoction of the blood till it come to the most perfect degree of assimilation viz. Ros Gluten Humour Innoninatus Caubis The two last are added without necessity and therefore by some excluded without iniury The four humours blood phlegm choler and melancholy be made in the liver all at one and the same time all by one and the same heat The difference of them is not to be imputed to this heat but to the condition and qualification of the subiect matter if they be mad when which is the Chylus that is the meat and drinke concocted in the stomack resembling perhaps no colour consistence Almond-butter now this though it seem to be one simple humour yet it never is no not in the greatest disease Fornelius if this Chylus be temporate in a temporate body then all these humours in that body are temporate in their kinde if all then choler does not alwayes proceed from an immoderate but sometimes from a temporate nay a weak heat For what mans liver how cold soever it be is altogether without it This Chylus is carried by the meseraick vains to the liver which encompasseth it with the same heat from all parts and penetrates it equally making of the temporate part thereof blood of the hot part choler of the crude phlegm of the terrene melancholy and all this at the same time Obiect But phlegm is cold and crude the rudiment and shadow of the blood and and may by further concoction be turned into blood Ans. T is true yet not therefore necessary that we should name all halfe-concocted-blood phlegm or think it proceedes therefrom For then we might call the Chylus our meat or whatsoever we are nourished withall phlegm which how dissonant from reason let the obiector iudge moreover if the whole masse of blood were made of phlegm and choler of that and melancholy of this and each thus of other successively there should be but one humour in us taking diverse names according to the degrees or continuence of heat working upon it as a river is called now thus now otherwise by the inhabitants of this or that towne as it passeth by it It may here seem to be required what phlegm is but of that hereafter Thus much of the Galenists opinions of the humours the Chynicks laugh at these and their defenders calling them Humorists c. And count it folly to fetch the common internall causes of diseases from these supposed humours but derive all from Suphur Salt and Mercury which three principles to speak properly are not bodyes but plainly spiritual as they say by reason of the influence from heaven with which they are filled nor are they spirits because corporall therefore of a mixed nature participating of both and do bear anallagey and allusion as followes viz. Salt Common Salt Acerbe and bitter The Body Matter Art Sulphur Salt peter Sweete The soul Forme Nature Mercury Salt Armoniack Acid The Spirit Idea Vnderstanding c. And as they extract these third principles out of naturall bodies so they resolve them into the same hence they argue that bodies are made of the same and therefore must be well or ill as these shall stand affected to say the truth doubtles that which being present in us makes us sicke and being expelled from us we are well was the cause of our sicknessâ— but common experience saies a body full of corrupted humours is sick and freed from them is wâ—ll therefore here is no reason why we should not thinke those ill humours the causes of our malady on the otherside I thinke Bertinus was deceived when he said that not a crum of salt lay hid in the body which if any deny I thinke he deserves to be served as Lots wife Concerning the temper of the body and every part how the elements concur to their constitution over ruling qualities result how there is one equall temper where the qualities of the elements do not exceed each other in quality nor their substance in quantity how this is the rule of all the other eight to speak of these things is too large a discourse let it therfore suffice to know that when a man aboundeth with blood he is not therfore to be called of a sanguine complection if with melancholy humors of a melancholy teÌ„per c. For the abundance of this or that excrement does not instantly alter a mans perticular temper doubtles choler phlegm melancholy may abound in any nature if in the liver be cold and dry blood a long time together it may encline the body to coldnes driues which is a melancholy temper Astrologers refer the variety of the constitutions to the severall natures of the seven Planets and hereupon call some Ioviall some Martiall some venereall c. And from each Planet draw two constitutions as it shall be found well or ill disposed as from Mars well disposed they conclude a man valiant courragious fit to be an Emperour If ill they argue a man rash and fool hardy no better then a Tyrant He that desires to know more of this may have recourse to the learned treatise of M. Perkins stiled a resolution to a country man in the third volume of his works Of the Blood Blood is a humour hot yet temperate sweet and red prepared in the meseraick veines made in the liver of the temperate fat and aieriall parts of the Chylus and flowes from hence to all parts of the body Phylosophers affirme that we are nourished with his humour only Phisicians say with all four The seeming contrariety may be composed by the distinguishing thus blood is often taken for the whole masse conteined in the veines appointed to nourish the body now this masse is not homogenerall but of a diverse nature For the best and most temperate part of the blood is properly and in specie called blood the hot and dry part of it is called colerick blood the cold and moist part phlegmatick blood the cold and dry melancholick blood this diversity is answerable to the qualities of the Chylus whereof it is made therefore when Phylosophers say we are nourished with blood alone they understand the whole masse contained in the veines which neither Arisâ—otle nor any other Phylosopher will deny to have parts of the foresaid qualities these parts of the blood thus qualified must not be taken for excrementitious but for alimentary humours since they all nourish the body here two things are questioned first whether there be any pure blood in the veins without the 3. humors 2. Whether the blood be only a mixture of the third sincere humors so that choler or rather colerick blood in the veins should be the same with that wch is in the Gall I conclude negatively to both
quaeries in a forraign land when it is more need to make enquiry into my owne sinfull and deceitfull heart to see what is done there in matter of reformation repentance and amendment of life And therefore now though we are far remoted in the body yet let us be present in spirit and prayer and although you are retyred to a place of more privacy and where your eyes I hope doe not see such abominations to vexe your heart with as ours doe yet pitty us and pray for us and on the other side be not oh be not so secure nor put your confidence in your select company nor in those remoted woods and solitary mountaines but remember what befell unto Lot that was righteous Lot whilest he lived in Sodome but when he would fly out of Zoar to a solitary cave in the mountaines with his two daughters he committed those abominable sinnes there that his soule would have abhorred once to have thought on in Sodome and therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall our help is in the name of the Lord that hath made heaven and earth who is able to help us in all places and at all times and so beseeching the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the shepheard of his sheep through the bloud of the everlasting covenant make us perfect in all good works and to doe his will working in us that which is pleasant in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be prane for ever and ever Amen Even so I take my leave and rest Your loving and sinfull Cousin Iohn Spencer England Iuly 9. 1635. I pray remember my respective love to my gracious Cousin your loving wife who hath given such a testimony of her love unto you and the reverend opinion she hath of your honourable Calling and commend mee to the rest of my Cousins and to so many of our Christian friends as you think fit A charitable Consideration of new-Englands plantation We read in holy Writ and Law Leviticall That if a man dyeth having no child at all His neerest kinsman by the right of Aliance Shall take both the Widdow and the Inheritance To raise up seed to the dead and by doing well Continue still his Brothers name in Israel Fair England of the Northern World the great renowne Having late made Vnion with the Scottish Crowne Thereby involving her title with great Brittaine And so lyeth obscured in that golden chaine We to continue the name of our Brother In great America hath rais'd up another The Almighty God grant that ever may remain An ornament to England a terror to Spain FINIS JOHN SPENCER Mtr. Brightman a little he died translated the Canticles into verse whereupon I wrote these verses TH' heavenly song of that bright man Whereto he tun'd his latest breath Much like a silver shining-Swan Presag'd thereby his present death A goodlier song was never seene And few such singers left there been But you faire Signets which still remaines By pure streames of sacred Truth Washing your wings from sinfull staines With mournfull tears and dolefull ruth Lest you should him too much deplore For you this song he left in store Never therefore let the prophane With sinfull lips and hearts impure This sacred Song once dare to name Lest they damnation doe procure Let them with Toads their croaking make Till they doe their sins forsake But you deare Children of the light Whose lips are tun'd to sing this praise Oh labour still to shine more bright And therein spend your happiest dayes That when your dear Lord shall appeare He may you finde a Spouse most cleer FINIS Iohn Spencer A charitable Supposition Of Mtr. Brightmans sudden Dissolution No marvell though so bright a man His glorious life in Heaven so soone began For long his soule had languish'd in great griefe To see Gods chosen Flocke to want their best reliefe And cruell Wolves dumbe dogs and lordly Masters Set in the roome of Christ faithfull Pastors Therefore his deare Lord seeing his servant thus distrest Took him away unto his everlasting rest FINIS Iohn Spencer Here lyeth inter'd Sarah Spencer the vertuous Wife of Iohn Spencer and Sarah his Virgin Daughter Both so goodly faire and curteous As few such Sarahs will be found hereafter Blessed be the Lord God of Heaven and Earth That made them so renouned both in life and death A Coppie of a Letter sent to a great Lady MAdam my great care of your everlasting happinesse and my respective love to my reverend Cousin Mr. Lee who now is dead in the Lord and therefore must cease from his labour and from those holy endevours whereby he did labour to plant grace in your heart in your tender yeares and whereof you then gave such excellent hopes that in the Autumne of your age he should have seen a plentifull increase of that blessed fruit and many goodly sheaves of pietie and happinesse to his great comfort in the Harvest but it pleased God the great Lord of the Harvest to take him away as from other evils to come so likewise from those griefs that would have wounded his heart to see those flourishing hopes so nipt and withered in your spring-time it pleased God to make me partaker of his last prayer and to close his eyes Oh that it might be his blessed pleasure to make his Spirit to be redoubled on me that I might be the better able to admonish and exhort you to reform that which is amisse in you and disgracefull to your holy profession I meane in respect of your outward carriage and appearance with so many fond fashions and garish attires as to deale plainly with you were more meet for one of painted Iezabels profession than for a Lady of your worth and more fit to furnish a pedlers pack than to make open shew of them in the Church of God and in the Assembly of the Saints whereas things should be done with comelinesse and decencie and therefore he commandeth that no woman should be covered because of the Angels 1 Corinth 11.10 and that women should pray with their heads covered But if this be a comely covering to have a womans head covered with dogs haire or goats haire and cats dung and painted fethers judge you for my owne part the Word of God wherewith you shall be judged condemnes it as odious and abominable but it may be you will say it is the Gallants fashion and what if the Venetian Curtizans have brought up that fashion must the religious Ladies of England follow that fashion God forbid the Children of God must not fashion themselues after the world Rom. 11.2 But they must fashion themselvs according to the rule of Gods Word and then Madame marke what fashion you must be in 1 Timoth. 2.9 10. Likewise also the women that they array themselves with shamefastnesse and modestie not with broidered haire or gold or pearls or costly apparell but as becommeth the