thing that hath any corresponcy with him so as respecting him whom he loues as another himselfe hee cannot but bee inflamed with this consideration The Platonicians had another reason the which in my opinion concurres with this Loue say they makes an impression in the soule of him that loues of the Image and forme of the thing beloued But man loueth not onely his being and his true and reall forme but also his imaginary forme as appeares by pictures and looking-glasses in which we behold with content our portraicts formes Wherefore there is a certaine Passion for the thing beloued in whose soule he doth contemplate his forme which Loue hath ingrauen After this manner resemblance breedeth Loue and vnites the affections of men The truth hereof appeares for that men do commonly loue those that are allyed vnto them in neernesse of blood so as Kinsmen doe commonly loue one another or by some conformity of humours and complexions which maketh melancholy men loue the company of their like and Iouiall spirits delight in the company of them that are pleasant Or by some commerce of profession which maketh Philosophers to loue Philosophers and Painters delight in Painters Or some equality of age which makes young men delight in the company of youth and olde men to conuerse with them that are graue Or some coherence of manners which makes good men loue the vertuous and the wicked seeke after such as are wickedly affected But notwithstanding that which we haue said that coÌ„monly men of one profession loue one another must bee vnderstood according to the true nature of things for by occasion and accident this coÌ„formity of professions may ingender hatred and enuy that is to say when as they of one trade and profession liuing of their art and labour hinder one another as for example when as a tradsman hauing gotten some reputation doth hinder the profit of his companions then iealousie riseth amongst them according to the saying of an Ancient The Potter enuies the Potter The Philosophers giue an excellent reason hereof He that loues say they loues himselfe more deerely then all other things besides for that he is vnited to himselfe by Essence and Nature whereas hee is not conioyned to him that he loues but by some accidentall and externall forme And therefore if this conformity crosseth his priuate good and be preiudiciall vnto him hee findes himselfe more strictly tied vnto himselfe then to his like wherefore seeing his losse concurring with his passion he whom hee loued being an obstacle to his desire he growes odious vnto him as opposite to his good Men doe also loue those that aspire to the same honors and dignities at the least when they may attaine vnto them and enioy them together without any obstacle or wrong one vnto another For competency causing an hinderance as it did in the pursuit of the Consulate at Rome it happeneth as wee haue said of men of the same profession that it excites enuy and hatred Wherefore in the loue of women they can endure no corriuals for that with honesty they cannot be enioyed by two They also loue those with whom they haue any familiarity which is not scrupulous hauing free liberty without apprehension of disdaine to doe and say things in their presence which they would not act or speake before the world As for example they affect those before whom they may freely discourse of their loues of their pursuites and of their other Passions But wee must remeÌ„ber that there are some things which are dishonest of themselues the which a good man may neither do or speak before the world or before his friends But there are others which are shameful only in the opinioÌ„ of the world and not according to the truth of things and these a good man vsing an honest familiarity with his friends may doe and speake in their presence although he would not doe it in publike before the world like vnto King Agesilaus being in priuate with his children playd with them with a fatherly liberty but beeing surprized by one who knew not how farre the loue of a father might extend he was discontented Men also testifie that they loue those before whom they are ashamed to doe or say those things which are of themselues shamefull or dishonest wherein wee may say that the Persians gaue good testimony of their loue to their wiues when as they caused them to retire from their banquets being vnwilling that their eies shold be spectators of their excesse admitting none but their Concubines For this respect and reuerence which they gaue them was a signe of true Loue for that wee are ashamed to commit any vnworthy Act before them wee affect They also willingly imbrace such as they haue seene faithfull and constant in their affections and who loue equally both present absent For which consideration they desire to insinuate themselues into their friendship which testifie their loue vnto the dead who adorne their Tombes erect Statues and make other monuments for them to preserue their memory among men They also affect such as abandon not their friends in the crosses and iniuries of fortune whereof wee haue a worthy example in the subiect of Damon and Pithias whereof the one beeing condemned to die by the tyrant Dionisius and desiring some respite to goe and settle the affaires of his house his companion yeelded himselfe a pledge for his returne with this condition that if hee returned not backe within the prefixed time hee should vndergo the rigour of the same sentence but the condemned man presenting himselfe at the day appointed the tyrant was so rapt with admiration to see the faith which he had vnto his friend in a matter of that importance and of so great danger that in stead of putting him to death he coniured these two perfect friends to accept of him as a third man in their friendship Behold how the most sauage and vntamed spirits are forced to loue those that shew an vnuiolable constancy in their affectioÌ„s Men doe also loue such as they see full of freedome and without dissimulation towards them In which ranke they nuÌ„ber such as make no scruple to discouer their errors vnto them and who entertaine them freely with their priuate passions For as wee haue shewed before we blush not to say or doe in priuate with our friends that which we would not doe publickely before the world Wherefore as he that is ashamed to doe any thing before another shewes that hee loues him not perfectly so he that hath not this apprehension giues a manifest testimony that he hath a full confidence in his friendship wherefore wee loue such as make shewe to rely vpon vs euen discouering their imperfections vnto vs. Againe they affect those whose authority is not fearefull vnto them whose power they thinke they shall haue no cause to apprehend for no man euer loued him whom he feared seruilely and herein Tyrants abuse themselues thinking to seâ—le
vertue generosity sanctity and eminent knowledge are not only louely things of themselues and which haue powerfull allurements to cause them to bee affected and admired in the subiects where they reside but also men beleeue there is a kind of glory to bee admitted into the fauour of such illustrious persons whose glory seemes to communicate with those that haue the honor to come neere them But men Loue particularly these famous and vertuous Persons when as they discouer that they disdaine not the affection and Loue of those which make shew to honor them with Passions for it is a testimony of their moderatioÌ„ of the bounty of their nature not to be puft vp with the glorious aduantages which they haue gotteÌ„ aboue the ordinary sort of men They also Loue such as are of a sweete conuersation and that haue a milde and pleasing humor that is to say they Loue those that are not fantasticall and of a troublesome and importune behauiour They also Loue such as reproue them not odiously of their faults they loue those whom they see enemies of contention and which make shew that they haue not a desire to bee superior in al disputes which rise in companies but accoÌ„modate themselues wisely and moderately to that which is contested The reason is for that these wayward spirits they that are licentious in their answeres and such as will alwayes in their arguments haue the vpper hand seeme to bee borne to contradict and controule the opinions of the whole world the which is a signe of the alienation of wills and dissenting from others which makes them to be hated whereas contrariwise they Loue such as haue none of these bad humours and which accomodate themselues in company without making any shew to bee selfe conceited Moreouer men haue as it were a naturall inclination to Loue those which haue a quicknes and grace in their incounters or to iest pleasantly but withall can indure to heare a witty returne hence it comes that in Court buffoones and ieasters which haue biting and Satiricall spirits are so much esteemed and yet many times these people bite priuate Persons too sensibly and indiscreetly and draw vpon them the iust wrath of those whom they haue licentiously offended In the meane time the reasons why they Loue such as are sudden in their incounters and sharpe in their ieasts is for that it seemes this quicknesse wittinesse to incounter proceeds from the subtilty and force of their spirits And then we are inclined to heare men euil spoken of wherefore we Loue them that do it with a good grace And for that we Loue particularly such as take liberty to iest at others are content to be iested withall that proceedes for that wee beleeue that such as will indure that which they themselues practise to others haue no bad intent nor any bitternes in their hearts but are carried to these incounters more through a quicknesse of wit then by any spleene Moreouer they loue such as seeme to make great esteeme of the good partes and qualities which they beleeue they enioy Wherefore wee suffer our selues to be surprized by flatterers who insinuate into our fauours couer our defects seeme to admire our actions This misery happeÌ„s particularly to such as distrust themselues and who feare to want those vertues which they desire to attaine vnto For this distrust bâ—ing dispersed by the praises which they giue them they thinke themselues bound to such as bring this support vnto their weaknes They also loue those persons which affect neatnesse in all things who take delight to carry a pleasing countenance and to attire themselues properly for that this neatnesse and hansomenesse is as it were a signe of the desire they haue to insinuate themselues into the hearts and to gaine the affections of men who fâ—r this cause think theÌ„selues bouÌ„d to loue them they in like manner loue them that lay not their faults before them to shame them nor reproche them with the benefits wherwith they haue bound them The reason is for that both the one and the other redounds to our disgrace and it seemes that such as enter into these reproaches will make vs contemptible either by discouering our defects or in accusing vs of ingratitude They also loue such as remember not iniuries past which are not obstinately bent to reuenge and who are alwaies ready to pardon such as haue offended them Wherefore the Romaines did woÌ„derfully admire the first of the Caesars for that he forgat nothing but iniuries the remembrance whereof he held vnworthy the greatnesse of his courage Wherefore when as this Prince had erected againe the statues of Pompey Cicero that great ornament of the Romaine Eloquence pronounced to his commendatioÌ„ that in erecting the statues of Pompey he had assured his owne as hauing wonne the Loue of the whole world by this act oâ— humanity which hee shewed to his enemy opprest with misery The reason of this Loue which men beare to those which forget iniuries in this manner is for that they presume when they haue offended them they will shew themselues in like manner to them as they haue done to others They also loue such as are not il tongued or detractors which obserue not their imperfections nor those of their friends but only regard their vertues either to admire them or to frame themselues after their example For that these things are the offices of good men and of persons indued with singular integrity and great probity Moreouer they loue such as resist them not when they are in choler or that importune them not in the middest of their most serious imployments for that they which take pleasure in these oppositions and importunities seeme to loue contention and to be enemies to all society They also loue those that admire them which haue an opinion that they are vertuous and make shew that they take delight in their conuersation and are officious vnto them But principally when they make shew of this affection and liking in those things wherein they would haue their industry admired As for example a man that loues Philosophy takes delight to heare his profession praised he that takes delight in Armes hath a singulat content to heare his exercise commended wherefore both the one and the other loue those thaâ— giue glorious testimony of that which concernes their profession Aboue all they haue an inclination to loue their like being a thing which nature teacheth vs dayly that resemblance ingenders Loue not onely among men but also among other creatures for euery creature loues his like Tygers Panthers troop together with beasts of their owne kind And birds of one fether fly willingly together such power hath resemblaÌ„ce to vnite affectioÌ„s the which we must beleue is more powerful in man who can haue no sweeter conuersatioÌ„ theÌ„ with his like The reasoÌ„ why euery man loues his like is for that maÌ„ louing passionatly aboue other things loues consequently any
which are in some sort pleasing vnto them for that the interior ioy doth mollifie their paine Whereof wee haue glorious examples in the constancy of our Martyres who to auoyd the blame and aspersion which had bene layd vpon them to haue offended God in burning incense to Idolls haue exposed themselues to the fire to tortures to wheeles and to the rage of wilde beasts for that they would not bee subiect to that ignominious reproach Finally heauines hath troublesome effects for that first of all if it be excessiue it quencheth the spirit and takes from it all meanes to attend the search of truth The reason is for that all the powers of our soule being tied vnto their essence as the branches vnto the tree it doth of necessity follow that when shee is wholy busied in the functions of one of her powers shee abandons the rest and cannot assist them in their actions Wherefore when as any thing drawes the soule wholy vnto it and imployes her whole action shee cannot attend any thing else by consequence whereof an exceeding heauines seazing vpon her it drawes her away so as shee cannot thinke of any thing else feeling her selfe opprest with Griefe as with a heauy burthen which beares her downe and hinders the liberty of her functions It is therefore generally true that there is no action of the soule whereunto heauines is not a hindrance and let The which we find verified in our selues for wee neuer do any thing so well being possest by cares as when we are in ioy whereof the reason is visible for that the will is the cause which excites vs to act the which hath the good for obiect and makes the more powerfull effect when it appeares pleasing and is accompanied with delight It is true that when there remaines any hope to surmount the causes of our displeasure then heauines may serue to fortifie our action and to inflame our courage for that the more we feele any Griefe the more wee striue to bee freed from it But if there be no hope remaining we become as it were senselesse and abandon our selues in prey to Griefe We flee the company of men we hate the light wee find the comforts and consolations of our friends importune and we haue no content but to feed our selues with bitternesse Besides the torments which heauines giues vnto our spirits she doth also produce fearefull effects vpon our bodies for that it is a maligne colde and dry Passion which wasteth the radicall humor and by little and little quenching the naturall heate of the body thrusts her poyson euen vnto the heart whose vigor shee causeth to wither and consumes the forces by her bad influence whereof wee see the signes after death when as they come to open those that haue beene smothered with melancholy For insteed of a heart they find nothing but a drie skinne like to the leaues in Autumne So as all things exactly considered we may say that there is not any thing that doth so much aduance our dayes as this cruell Passion which thus consumes our forces causeth our heart to languish and makes our life short but extreamely miserable There are many remedies against this Passion but most commonly the Griefe is so obstinate as all applications are vnprofitable To cure it we must first take away or at the least diminish the opinion of the euill which afflicts vs the which is easie to do seeing it depends of our opinion For as dignities honors crownes and triumphs giue vs no content but what wee take our selues when as they arriue for that we haue seene many weepe euen in the middest of all this pompe so the paines of this life ignominies banishment the losse of goods and kinsfolkes with all other miseries afflict vs not extraordinarily vnlesse wee our selues make them more bitter and violent by our owne weaknesse for that we haue seene many laugh in the middest of all these miseries wee must then represent these things otherwise then the Vulgar esteeme them for that the true cure of the euill must not bee expected from time but by our reason which must preuent it Otherwise wee shall receiue this disgrace that it will cause vs to do that we would not although it were in our power For there is no Griefe so bitter but time doth moderate seeing that as wee haue sayd the greatest pleasures decrease by too long enioying which causeth our soule to grow slacke so it is most certaine that excessiue sorrow by little and little decayes by the continuance and custome which the soule takes of the Griefe The which may also happen for that time doth change the condition of things and giues them another face and so doth mollifie or wholy take away the sorrow But not to yeeld to the euill when it comes to seaze vpon vs we must foresee the accidents of this life not as if they should happen infallibly for that were to make vs miserable before the time but as incident to all men and that being of this number if any crosse or misery shall fall vpon vs we may bee the lesse amazed For the crosses of Fortune which wee haue foreseene strike vs more gently and make a weaker impression in our soule Wherefore a wiseman of the world who had prepared himselfe for all the accidents of this life receiuing the heauy newes of the death of his sonne was no otherwise moued but only sayd I knew I had begotten a mortall creature Doubtlesse it is the effect of an exact and singular wisedome to haue this feeling of humaine accidents not to bee amazed at that which happens nor to see any thing befall him which he hath not foreseene So as a wiseman must alwaies remember that dangers losses banishment infirmities yea the death of his children wife and that which he holds most deare are things which may happen dayly and which threaten all men and therefore if hee bee exempt it is the benefite and guift of God and if they befall him that they are the miseries of his nature For hauing this consideration of the common miseries of men he finds himselfe bound â—o suffer constantly and with patience the necessities and crosses of this life Least he should seeme to fight against God who hath layd this yoake vpon him to punish his offences or to keepe him in awe But to mollifie our sorrowes wee must remember that the miseries of this life giue vs a glorious subiect to exercise our vertue and to shew our constancy before the eyes of heauen and earth which are witnesses of our combatts For as Pilots cannot shew their art and industry but in stormes nor soldiers giue proofes of their valour but in the middest of dangers So a vertuous man hath no meanes to make his vertues shine but amiddest the aduersities which befall him in this life as for example wee should haue knowne nothing of the great resolution of Sceuola if hee had not fallen into danger before the King