paedagogus voce et stylo, a grand signior, a master, a tutor of us all,
and for thirteen years he brags how he sowed wisdom in the Low
Countries, as Ammonius the philosopher sometimes did in Alexandria,
[787]cum humanitate literas et sapientiam cum prudentia: antistes
sapientiae, he shall be Sapientum Octavus. The Pope is more than a man,
as [788]his parrots often make him, a demigod, and besides his holiness
cannot err, in Cathedra belike: and yet some of them have been
magicians, Heretics, Atheists, children, and as Platina saith of John
22, Et si vir literatus, multa stoliditatem et laevitatem prae se
ferentia egit, stolidi et socordis vir ingenii, a scholar sufficient,
yet many things he did foolishly, lightly. I can say no more than in
particular, but in general terms to the rest, they are all mad, their
wits are evaporated, and, as Ariosto feigns, l. 34, kept in jars above
the moon.
Some lose their wits with love, some with ambition,
Some following [789]Lords and men of high condition.
Some in fair jewels rich and costly set,
Others in Poetry their wits forget.
Another thinks to be an Alchemist,
Till all be spent, and that his number's mist.
Convicted fools they are, madmen upon record; and I am afraid past cure
many of them, [790]crepunt inguina, the symptoms are manifest, they are
all of Gotam parish:
[791]Quum furor haud dubius, quum sit manifesta phrenesis,
Since madness is indisputable, since frenzy is obvious.
what remains then [792]but to send for Lorarios, those officers to
carry them all together for company to Bedlam, and set Rabelais to be
their physician.
If any man shall ask in the meantime, who I am that so boldly censure
others, tu nullane habes vitia? have I no faults? [793]Yes, more than
thou hast, whatsoever thou art. Nos numerus sumus, I confess it again,
I am as foolish, as mad as any one.
[794]Insanus vobis videor, non deprecor ipse,
Quo minus insanus,———
I do not deny it, demens de populo dematur. My comfort is, I have more
fellows, and those of excellent note. And though I be not so right or
so discreet as I should be, yet not so mad, so bad neither, as thou
perhaps takest me to be.
To conclude, this being granted, that all the world is melancholy, or
mad, dotes, and every member of it, I have ended my task, and
sufficiently illustrated that which I took upon me to demonstrate at
first. At this present I have no more to say; His sanam mentem
Democritus, I can but wish myself and them a good physician, and all of
us a better mind.
And although for the above-named reasons, I had a just cause to
undertake this subject, to point at these particular species of dotage,
that so men might acknowledge their imperfections, and seek to reform
what is amiss; yet I have a more serious intent at this time; and to
omit all impertinent digressions, to say no more of such as are
improperly melancholy, or metaphorically mad, lightly mad, or in
disposition, as stupid, angry, drunken, silly, sottish, sullen, proud,
vainglorious, ridiculous, beastly, peevish, obstinate, impudent,
extravagant, dry, doting, dull, desperate, harebrain, &c. mad, frantic,
foolish, heteroclites, which no new [795] hospital can hold, no physic
help; my purpose and endeavour is, in the following discourse to
anatomise this humour of melancholy, through all its parts and species,
as it is an habit, or an ordinary disease, and that philosophically,
medicinally, to show the causes, symptoms, and several cures of it,
that it may be the better avoided. Moved thereunto for the generality
of it, and to do good, it being a disease so frequent, as [796]
Mercurialis observes, in these our days; so often happening, saith
[797] Laurentius, in our miserable times, as few there are that feel
not the smart of it. Of the same mind is Aelian Montaltus,
[798]Melancthon, and others; [799]Julius Caesar Claudinus calls it the
fountain of all other diseases, and so common in this crazed age of
ours, that scarce one of a thousand is free from it; and that splenetic
hypochondriacal wind especially, which proceeds from the spleen and
short ribs. Being then a disease so grievous, so common, I know not
wherein to do a more general service, and spend my time better, than to
prescribe means how to prevent and cure so universal a malady, an
epidemical disease, that so often, so much crucifies the body and mind.
If I have overshot myself in this which hath been hitherto said, or
that it is, which I am sure some will object, too fantastical, too
light and comical for a Divine, too satirical for one of my profession,
I will presume to answer with [800]Erasmus, in like case, 'tis not I,
but Democritus, Democritus dixit: you must consider what it is to speak
in one's own or another's person, an assumed habit and name; a
difference betwixt him that affects or acts a prince's, a
philosopher's, a magistrate's, a fool's part, and him that is so
indeed; and what liberty those old satirists have had; it is a cento
collected from others; not I, but they that say it.
[801]Dixero si quid forte jocosius, hoc mihi juris
Cum venia, dabis———
Yet some indulgence I may justly claim,
If too familiar with another's fame.
Take heed you mistake me not. If I do a little forget myself, I hope
you will pardon it. And to say truth, why should any man be offended,
or take exceptions at it?
Licuit, semperque licebit,
Parcere personis, dicere de vitiis.
It lawful was of old, and still will be,
To speak of vice, but let the name go free.
I hate their vices, not their persons. If any be displeased, or take
aught unto himself, let him not expostulate or cavil with him that said
it (so did [802]Erasmus excuse himself to Dorpius, si parva licet
componere magnis) and so do I; but let him be angry with himself, that
so betrayed and opened his own faults in applying it to himself:
[803]if he be guilty and deserve it, let him amend, whoever he is, and
not be angry. He that hateth correction is a fool, Prov. xii. 1. If he
be not guilty, it concerns him not; it is not my freeness of speech,
but a guilty conscience, a galled back of his own that makes him wince.
Suspicione si quis errabit sua,
Et rapiet ad se, quod erit commune omnium,
Stulte nudabit animi conscientiam.[804]
I deny not this which I have said savours a little of Democritus; [805]
Quamvis ridentem dicere verum quid velat; one may speak in jest, and
yet speak truth. It is somewhat tart, I grant it; acriora orexim
excitant embammata, as he said, sharp sauces increase appetite,
[806]nec cibus ipse juvat morsu fraudatus aceti. Object then and cavil
what thou wilt, I ward all with [807]Democritus's buckler, his medicine
shall salve it; strike where thou wilt, and when: Democritus dixit,
Democritus will answer it. It was written by an idle fellow, at idle
times, about our Saturnalian or Dionysian feasts, when as he said,
nullum libertati periculum est, servants in old Rome had liberty to say
and do what them list. When our countrymen sacrificed to their goddess
[808]Vacuna, and sat tippling by their Vacunal fires. I writ this, and
published this οὕτις ἕλεγεν, it is neminis nihil. The time, place,
persons, and all circumstances apologise for me, and why may not I then
be idle with others? speak my mind freely? If you deny me this liberty,
upon these presumptions I will take it: I say again, I will take it.
[809]Si quis est qui dictum in se inclementius
Existimavit esse, sic existimet.
If any man take exceptions, let him turn the buckle of his girdle, I
care not. I owe thee nothing (Reader), I look for no favour at thy
hands, I am independent, I fear not.
No, I recant, I will not, I care, I fear, I confess my fault,
acknowledge a great offence,
———motos praestat componere fluctus.
———let's first assuage the troubled waves
I have overshot myself, I have spoken foolishly, rashly, unadvisedly,
absurdly, I have anatomised mine own folly. And now methinks upon a
sudden I am awaked as it were out of a dream; I have had a raving fit,
a fantastical fit, ranged up and down, in and out, I have insulted over
the most kind of men, abused some, offended others, wronged myself; and
now being recovered, and perceiving mine error, cry with [810]Orlando,
Solvite me, pardon (o boni) that which is past, and I will make you
amends in that which is to come; I promise you a more sober discourse
in my following treatise.
If through weakness, folly, passion, [811]discontent, ignorance, I have
said amiss, let it be forgotten and forgiven. I acknowledge that of
[812] Tacitus to be true, Asperae facetiae, ubi nimis ex vero traxere,
acrem sui memoriam relinquunt, a bitter jest leaves a sting behind it:
and as an honourable man observes, [813]They fear a satirist's wit, he
their memories. I may justly suspect the worst; and though I hope I
have wronged no man, yet in Medea's words I will crave pardon,
———Illud jam voce extrema peto,
Ne si qua noster dubius effudit dolor,
Maneant in animo verba, sed melior tibi
Memoria nostri subeat, haec irae data
Obliterentur———
And in my last words this I do desire,
That what in passion I have said, or ire,
May be forgotten, and a better mind,
Be had of us, hereafter as you find.
I earnestly request every private man, as Scaliger did Cardan, not to
take offence. I will conclude in his lines, Si me cognitum haberes, non
solum donares nobis has facetias nostras, sed etiam indignum duceres,
tam humanum aninum, lene ingenium, vel minimam suspicionem deprecari
oportere. If thou knewest my [814]modesty and simplicity, thou wouldst
easily pardon and forgive what is here amiss, or by thee misconceived.
If hereafter anatomizing this surly humour, my hand slip, as an
unskilful 'prentice I lance too deep, and cut through skin and all at
unawares, make it smart, or cut awry, [815]pardon a rude hand, an
unskilful knife, 'tis a most difficult thing to keep an even tone, a
perpetual tenor, and not sometimes to lash out; difficile est Satyram
non scribere, there be so many objects to divert, inward perturbations
to molest, and the very best may sometimes err; aliquando bonus
dormitat Homerus (some times that excellent Homer takes a nap), it is
impossible not in so much to overshoot;—opere in longo fas est
obrepere, summum. But what needs all this? I hope there will no such
cause of offence be given; if there be, [816]Nemo aliquid recognoscat,
nos mentimur omnia. I'll deny all (my last refuge), recant all,
renounce all I have said, if any man except, and with as much facility
excuse, as he can accuse; but I presume of thy good favour, and
gracious acceptance (gentle reader). Out of an assured hope and
confidence thereof, I will begin.
LECTORI MALE FERIATO.
Tu vero cavesis edico quisquis es, ne temere sugilles Auctorem hujusce
operis, aut cavillator irrideas. Imo ne vel ex aliorum censura tacite
obloquaris (vis dicam verbo) nequid nasutulus inepte improbes, aut
falso fingas. Nam si talis revera sit, qualem prae se fert Junior
Democritus, seniori Democrito saltem affinis, aut ejus Genium vel
tantillum sapiat; actum de te, censorem aeque ac delatorem [817]aget
econtra (petulanti splene cum sit) sufflabit te in jocos, comminuet in
sales, addo etiam, et deo risui te sacrificabit.
Iterum moneo, ne quid cavillere, ne dum Democritum Juniorem conviciis
infames, aut ignominiose vituperes, de te non male sentientem, tu idem
audias ab amico cordato, quod olim vulgus Abderitanum ab [818]
Hippocrate, concivem bene meritum et popularem suum Democritum, pro
insano habens. Ne tu Democrite sapis, stulti autem et insani Abderitae.
[819]Abderitanae pectora plebis habes.
Haec te paucis admonitum volo (male feriate Lector) abi.
TO THE READER AT LEISURE.
Whoever you may be, I caution you against rashly defaming the author of
this work, or cavilling in jest against him. Nay, do not silently
reproach him in consequence of others' censure, nor employ your wit in
foolish disapproval, or false accusation. For, should Democritus Junior
prove to be what he professes, even a kinsman of his elder namesake, or
be ever so little of the same kidney, it is all over with you: he will
become both accuser and judge of you in your spleen, will dissipate you
in jests, pulverise you into salt, and sacrifice you, I can promise
you, to the God of Mirth.
I further advise you, not to asperse, or calumniate, or slander,
Democritus Junior, who possibly does not think ill of you, lest you may
hear from some discreet friend, the same remark the people of Abdera
did from Hippocrates, of their meritorious and popular fellow-citizen,
whom they had looked on as a madman; It is not that you, Democritus,
that art wise, but that the people of Abdera are fools and madmen. You
have yourself an Abderitian soul; and having just given you, gentle
reader, these few words of admonition, farewell.
Heraclite fleas, misero sic convenit aevo,
Nil nisi turpe vides, nil nisi triste vides.
Ride etiam, quantumque lubet, Democrite ride
Non nisi vana vides, non nisi stulta vides.
Is fletu, his risu modo gaudeat, unus utrique
Sit licet usque labor, sit licet usque dolor.
Nunc opes est (nam totus eheu jam desipit orbis)
Mille Heraclitis, milleque Democritis.
Nunc opus est (tanta est insania) transeat omnis
Mundus in Anticyras, gramen in Helleborum.
Weep, O Heraclitus, it suits the age,
Unless you see nothing base, nothing sad.
Laugh, O Democritus, as much as you please,
Unless you see nothing either vain or foolish.
Let one rejoice in smiles, the other in tears;
Let the same labour or pain be the office of both.
Now (for alas! how foolish the world has become),
A thousand Heraclitus', a thousand Democritus' are required.
Now (so much does madness prevail), all the world must be
Sent to Anticyra, to graze on Hellebore.
THE SYNOPSIS OF THE FIRST PARTITION.
In diseases, consider Sect. 1. Memb. 1.
Their Causes. Subs. 1.
Impulsive;
Sin, concupiscence, &c.
Instrumental;
Intemperance, all second causes, &c.
Or Definition, Member, Division. Subs. 2.
Of the body 300, which are
Epidemical, as Plague, Plica, &c.
Or Particular as Gout, Dropsy, &c.
Or Of the head or mind. Subs. 3.
In disposition; as all perturbations, evil affection, &c.
Or Habits, as Subs. 4.
Dotage
Frenzy.
Madness.
Ecstasy.
Lycanthropia.
Chorus sancti Viti.
Hydrophobia.
Possession or obsession of Devils.
Melancholy. See ♈.
♈ Melancholy: in which consider
Its Equivocations, in Disposition, Improper, &c. Subsect. 5.
Memb. 2.
To its explication, a digression of anatomy, in which observe parts of
Subs. 1.
Body hath parts Subs. 2.
contained as
Humours, 4. Blood, Phlegm, &c.
Spirits; vital, natural, animal.
or containing
Similar; spermatical, or flesh, bones, nerves, &c. Subs. 3.
Dissimilar; brain, heart, liver, &c. Subs. 4
Soul and its faculties, as
Vegetal. Subs. 5.
Sensible. Subs. 6, 7, 8.
Rational. Subsect. 9, 10, 11.
Memb. 3.
Its definition, name, difference, Subs. 1.
The part and parties affected, affection, &c. Subs. 2.
The matter of melancholy, natural, &c. Subs. 3.
Species, or kinds [Subs. 4.], which are
Proper to parts, as
Of the head alone, hypochondriacal, or windy melancholy. Of the whole
body.
with their several causes, symptoms, prognostics, cures
Or Indefinite; as Love-melancholy, the subject of the third Partition.
Its Causes in general. Sect. 2. A.
Its Symptoms or signs. Sect. 3. B.
Its Prognostics or indications. Sect. 4. C.
Its Cures; the subject of the second Partition.
A. Sect. 2. Causes of Melancholy are either
General, as Memb. 1.
Supernatural
As from God immediately, or by second causes. Subs. 1.
Or from the devil immediately, with a digression of the nature of
spirits and devils. Subs. 2.
Or mediately, by magicians, witches. Subs. 3.
Or Natural
Primary, as stars, proved by aphorisms, signs from physiognomy,
metoposcopy, chiromancy. Subs. 4.
Or Secondary, as
Congenite, inward from
Old age, temperament, Subs. 5.
Parents, it being an hereditary disease, Subs. 6.
Or Outward or adventitious, which are
Evident, outward, remote, adventitious, as,
Necessary, see ♉.
Not necessary, as M. 4. S. 2.
Nurses, Subs. 1.
Education, Subs. 2.
Terrors, affrights, Subs. 3.
Scoffs, calumnies, bitter jests, Subs. 4.
Loss of liberty, servitude, imprisonment, Subs. 5.
Poverty and want, Subs. 6.
A heap of other accidents, death of friends, loss, &c. Subs. 7.
Or Contingent, inward, antecedent, nearest. Memb. 5. Sect. 2.
In which the body works on the mind, and this malady is caused by
precedent diseases; as agues, pox, &c., or temperature, innate Subs. 1.
Or by particular parts distempered, as brain, heart, spleen, liver,
mesentery, pylorus, stomach &c. Subs. 2.
Particular to the three species. See ♊.
♊ Particular causes. Sect. 2. Memb. 5.
Of head Melancholy are Subs. 3.
Inward
Innate humour, or from temperature adjust.
A hot brain, corrupted blood in the brain
Excess of venery, or defect
Agues, or some precedent disease
Fumes arising from the stomach, &c.
Or Outward
Heat of the sun, immoderate
A blow on the head
Overmuch use of hot wines, spices, garlic, onions, hot baths, overmuch
waking, &c.
Idleness, solitariness, or overmuch study, vehement labour, &c.
Passions, perturbations, &c.
Of hypochondriacal or windy melancholy are, [Subs. 4.]
Inward
Default of spleen, belly, bowels, stomach, mesentery, miseraic veins,
liver, &c.
Months or hemorrhoids stopped, or any other ordinary evacuation
or Outward
Those six non-natural things abused.
Over all the body are, Subs. 5.
Inward
Liver distempered, stopped, over-hot, apt to engender melancholy,
temperature innate.
or Outward
Bad diet, suppression of hemorrhoids &c. and such evacuations,
passions, cares, &c. those six non-natural things abused.
♉ Necessary causes, as those six non-natural things, which are, Sect. 2
Memb. 2.
Diet offending in Subs. 1.
Substance
Bread; course and black, &c.
Drink; thick, thin, sour, &c.
Water unclean, milk, oil, vinegar, wine, spices &c.
Flesh
Parts: heads, feet, entrails, fat, bacon, blood, &c.
Kinds:
Beef, pork, venison, hares, goats, pigeons, peacocks, fen-fowl, &c.
Herbs, Fish, &c.
Of fish; all shellfish, hard and slimy fish, &c.
Of herbs; pulse, cabbage, melons, garlic, onions, &c.
All roots, raw fruits, hard and windy meats
Quality, as in
Preparing, dressing, sharp sauces, salt meats, indurate, soused, fried,
broiled or made-dishes, &c.
Quantity
Disorder in eating, immoderate eating, or at unseasonable times, &c.
Subs. 2
Custom; delight, appetite, altered, &c. Subs. 3
Retention and evacuation, Subs. 4.
Costiveness, hot baths, sweating, issues stopped, Venus in excess, or
in defect, phlebotomy, purging, &c.
Air; hot, cold, tempestuous, dark, thick, foggy, moorish, &c. Subs. 5.
Exercise, Subs. 6.
Unseasonable, excessive, or defective, of body or mind, solitariness,
idleness, a life out of action, &c.
Sleep and waking, unseasonable, inordinate, overmuch, overlittle, &c.
Subs. 7.
Memb. 3. Sect. 2.
Passions and perturbations of the mind, Subs. 1. With a digression of
the force of imagination. Subs. 2. and division of passions into Subs.
3.
Irascible,
Sorrow, cause and symptom, Subs. 4.
Fear, cause and symptom, Subs. 5.
Shame, repulse, disgrace, &c. Subs. 6.
Envy and malice, Subs. 7.
Emulation, hatred, faction, desire of revenge, Subs. 8.
Anger a cause, Subs. 9.
Discontents, cares, miseries, &c. Subs. 10.
or concupiscible.
Vehement desires, ambition, Subs. 11.
Covetousness, φιλαργυρίαν, Subs. 12.
Love of pleasures, gaming in excess, &c. Subs. 13.
Desire of praise, pride, vainglory, &c. Subs. 14.
Love of learning, study in excess, with a digression, of the misery of
scholars, and why the Muses are melancholy, Subs. 15.
B. Symptoms of melancholy are either Sect. 3.
General, as of Memb. 1.
Body, as ill digestion, crudity, wind, dry brains, hard belly, thick
blood, much waking, heaviness, and palpitation of heart, leaping in
many places, &c., Subs. 1.
or Mind
Common to all or most.
Fear and sorrow without a just cause, suspicion, jealousy, discontent,
solitariness, irksomeness, continual cogitations, restless thoughts,
vain imaginations, &c. Subs. 2.
Or Particular to private persons, according to Subs. 3. 4.
Celestial influences, as ♄ ♃ ♂, &c. parts of the body, heart, brain,
liver, spleen, stomach, &c.
Humours
Sanguine are merry still, laughing, pleasant, meditating on plays,
women, music, &c.
Phlegmatic, slothful, dull, heavy, &c.
Choleric, furious, impatient, subject to hear and see strange
apparitions, &c.
Black, solitary, sad; they think they are bewitched, dead, &c.
Or mixed of these four humours adust, or not adust, infinitely varied.
Their several customs, conditions, inclinations, discipline, &c.
Ambitious, thinks himself a king, a lord; covetous, runs on his money;
lascivious on his mistress; religious, hath revelations, visions, is a
prophet, or troubled in mind; a scholar on his book, &c.
Continuance of time as the humour is intended or remitted, &c.
Pleasant at first, hardly discerned; afterwards harsh and intolerable,
if inveterate.
Hence some make three degrees,
1. Falsa cogitatio.
2. Cogitata loqui.
3. Exequi loquutum.
By fits, or continuate, as the object varies, pleasing, or displeasing.
Simple, or as it is mixed with other diseases, apoplexies, gout,
caninus appetitus, &c. so the symptoms are various.
♋ Particular symptoms to the three distinct species. Sect. 3. Memb. 2.
Head melancholy. Subs. 1.
In body
Headache, binding and heaviness, vertigo, lightness, singing of the
ears, much waking, fixed eyes, high colour, red eyes, hard belly, dry
body; no great sign of melancholy in the other parts.
Or In mind.
Continual fear, sorrow, suspicion, discontent, superfluous cares,
solicitude, anxiety, perpetual cogitation of such toys they are
possessed with, thoughts like dreams, &c.
Hypochondriacal, or windy melancholy. Subs. 2.
In body
Wind, rumbling in the guts, bellyache, heat in the bowels, convulsions,
crudities, short wind, sour and sharp belchings, cold sweat, pain in
the left side, suffocation, palpitation, heaviness of the heart,
singing in the ears, much spittle, and moist, &c.
Or In mind.
Fearful, sad, suspicious, discontent, anxiety, &c. Lascivious by reason
of much wind, troublesome dreams, affected by fits, &c.
Over all the body. Subs. 3.
In body
Black, most part lean, broad veins, gross, thick blood, their
hemorrhoids commonly stopped, &c.
Or In mind.
Fearful, sad, solitary, hate light, averse from company, fearful
dreams, &c.
Symptoms of nuns, maids, and widows melancholy, in body and mind, &c.
[Subs. 4]
A reason of these symptoms. Memb. 3.
Why they are so fearful, sad, suspicious without a cause, why solitary,
why melancholy men are witty, why they suppose they hear and see
strange voices, visions, apparitions.
Why they prophesy, and speak strange languages; whence comes their
crudity, rumbling, convulsions, cold sweat, heaviness of heart,
palpitation, cardiaca, fearful dreams, much waking, prodigious
fantasies.
C. Prognostics of melancholy. Sect. 4.
Tending to good, as
Morphew, scabs, itch, breaking out, &c.
Black jaundice.
If the hemorrhoids voluntarily open.
If varices appear.
Tending to evil, as
Leanness, dryness, hollow-eyed, &c.
Inveterate melancholy is incurable.
If cold, it degenerates often into epilepsy, apoplexy, dotage, or into
blindness.
If hot, into madness, despair, and violent death.
Corollaries and questions.
The grievousness of this above all other diseases.
The diseases of the mind are more grievous than those of the body.
Whether it be lawful, in this case of melancholy, for a man to offer
violence to himself. _Neg._
How a melancholy or mad man offering violence to himself, is to be
censured.
THE FIRST PARTITION.
THE FIRST SECTION, MEMBER, SUBSECTION.
_Man's Excellency, Fall, Miseries, Infirmities; The causes of them_.