crisis, which they had from the stars and those celestial influences,
variety of wits and dispositions, as Anthony Zara contends, Anat.
ingen. sect. 1. memb. 11, 12, 13, 14. plurimum irritant influentiae,
caelestes, unde cientur animi aegritudines et morbi corporum. [2538]One
saith, diverse diseases of the body and mind proceed from their
influences, [2539]as I have already proved out of Ptolemy, Pontanus,
Lemnius, Cardan, and others as they are principal significators of
manners, diseases, mutually irradiated, or lords of the geniture, &c.
Ptolomeus in his centiloquy, Hermes, or whosoever else the author of
that tract, attributes all these symptoms, which are in melancholy men,
to celestial influences: which opinion Mercurialis de affect, lib. cap.
10. rejects; but, as I say, [2540]Jovianus Pontanus and others stiffly
defend. That some are solitary, dull, heavy, churlish; some again
blithe, buxom, light, and merry, they ascribe wholly to the stars. As
if Saturn be predominant in his nativity, and cause melancholy in his
temperature, then [2541]he shall be very austere, sullen, churlish,
black of colour, profound in his cogitations, full of cares, miseries,
and discontents, sad and fearful, always silent, solitary, still
delighting in husbandry, in woods, orchards, gardens, rivers, ponds,
pools, dark walks and close: Cogitationes sunt velle aedificare, velle
arbores plantare, agros colere, &c. To catch birds, fishes, &c. still
contriving and musing of such matters. If Jupiter domineers, they are
more ambitious, still meditating of kingdoms, magistracies, offices,
honours, or that they are princes, potentates, and how they would carry
themselves, &c. If Mars, they are all for wars, brave combats,
monomachies, testy, choleric, harebrain, rash, furious, and violent in
their actions. They will feign themselves victors, commanders, are
passionate and satirical in their speeches, great braggers, ruddy of
colour. And though they be poor in show, vile and base, yet like
Telephus and Peleus in the [2542]poet, Ampullas jactant et
sesquipedalia verba, forget their swelling and gigantic words, their
mouths are full of myriads, and tetrarchs at their tongues' end. If the
sun, they will be lords, emperors, in conceit at least, and monarchs,
give offices, honours, &c. If Venus, they are still courting of their
mistresses, and most apt to love, amorously given, they seem to hear
music, plays, see fine pictures, dancers, merriments, and the like.
Ever in love, and dote on all they see. Mercurialists are solitary,
much in contemplation, subtle, poets, philosophers, and musing most
part about such matters. If the moon have a hand, they are all for
peregrinations, sea voyages, much affected with travels, to discourse,
read, meditate of such things; wandering in their thoughts, diverse,
much delighting in waters, to fish, fowl, &c.
But the most immediate symptoms proceed from the temperature itself,
and the organical parts, as head, liver, spleen, mesaraic veins, heart,
womb, stomach, &c., and most especially from distemperature of spirits
(which, as [2543]Hercules de Saxonia contends, are wholly immaterial),
or from the four humours in those seats, whether they be hot or cold,
natural, unnatural, innate or adventitious, intended or remitted,
simple or mixed, their diverse mixtures, and several adustions,
combinations, which may be as diversely varied, as those [2544]four
first qualities in [2545] Clavius, and produce as many several symptoms
and monstrous fictions as wine doth effect, which as Andreas Bachius
observes, lib. 3. de vino, cap. 20. are infinite. Of greater note be
these.
If it be natural melancholy, as Lod. Mercatus, lib. 1. cap. 17. de
melan. T. Bright. c. 16. hath largely described, either of the spleen,
or of the veins, faulty by excess of quantity, or thickness of
substance, it is a cold and dry humour, as Montanus affirms, consil. 26
the parties are sad, timorous and fearful. Prosper Calenus, in his book
de atra bile, will have them to be more stupid than ordinary, cold,
heavy, solitary, sluggish. Si multam atram bilem et frigidam habent.
Hercules de Saxonia, c. 19. l. 7. [2546]holds these that are naturally
melancholy, to be of a leaden colour or black, and so doth Guianerius,
c. 3. tract. 15. and such as think themselves dead many times, or that
they see, talk with black men, dead men, spirits and goblins
frequently, if it be in excess. These symptoms vary according to the
mixture of those four humours adust, which is unnatural melancholy. For
as Trallianus hath written, cap. 16. l. 7. [2547]There is not one cause
of this melancholy, nor one humour which begets, but divers diversely
intermixed, from whence proceeds this variety of symptoms: and those
varying again as they are hot or cold. [2548]Cold melancholy (saith
Benedic. Vittorius Faventinus pract. mag.) is a cause of dotage, and
more mild symptoms, if hot or more adust, of more violent passions, and
furies. Fracastorius, l. 2. de intellect. will have us to consider well
of it, [2549]with what kind of melancholy every one is troubled, for it
much avails to know it; one is enraged by fervent heat, another is
possessed by sad and cold; one is fearful, shamefaced; the other
impudent and bold; as Ajax, Arma rapit superosque furens inpraelia
poscit: quite mad or tending to madness. Nunc hos, nunc impetit illos.
Bellerophon on the other side, solis errat male sanus in agris, wanders
alone in the woods; one despairs, weeps, and is weary of his life,
another laughs, &c. All which variety is produced from the several
degrees of heat and cold, which [2550]Hercules de Saxonia will have
wholly proceed from the distemperature of spirits alone, animal
especially, and those immaterial, the next and immediate causes of
melancholy, as they are hot, cold, dry, moist, and from their agitation
proceeds that diversity of symptoms, which he reckons up, in the
[2551]thirteenth chap. of his Tract of Melancholy, and that largely
through every part. Others will have them come from the diverse
adustion of the four humours, which in this unnatural melancholy, by
corruption of blood, adust choler, or melancholy natural, [2552]by
excessive distemper of heat turned, in comparison of the natural, into
a sharp lye by force of adustion, cause, according to the diversity of
their matter, diverse and strange symptoms, which T. Bright reckons up
in his following chapter. So doth [2553]Arculanus, according to the
four principal humours adust, and many others.
For example, if it proceed from phlegm, (which is seldom and not so
frequently as the rest) [2554]it stirs up dull symptoms, and a kind of
stupidity, or impassionate hurt: they are sleepy, saith
[2555]Savanarola, dull, slow, cold, blockish, ass-like, Asininam
melancholiam, [2556] Melancthon calls it, they are much given to
weeping, and delight in waters, ponds, pools, rivers, fishing, fowling,
&c. (Arnoldus breviar. 1. cap. 18.) They are [2557]pale of colour,
slothful, apt to sleep, heavy; [2558]much troubled with headache,
continual meditation, and muttering to themselves; they dream of
waters, [2559]that they are in danger of drowning, and fear such
things, Rhasis. They are fatter than others that are melancholy, of a
muddy complexion, apter to spit, [2560] sleep, more troubled with rheum
than the rest, and have their eyes still fixed on the ground. Such a
patient had Hercules de Saxonia, a widow in Venice, that was fat and
very sleepy still; Christophorus a Vega another affected in the same
sort. If it be inveterate or violent, the symptoms are more evident,
they plainly denote and are ridiculous to others, in all their
gestures, actions, speeches; imagining impossibilities, as he in
Christophorus a Vega, that thought he was a tun of wine, [2561]and that
Siennois, that resolved within himself not to piss, for fear he should
drown all the town.
If it proceed from blood adust, or that there be a mixture of blood in
it, [2562]such are commonly ruddy of complexion, and high-coloured,
according to Salust. Salvianus, and Hercules de Saxonia. And as
Savanarola, Vittorius Faventinus Emper. farther adds, [2563]the veins
of their eyes be red, as well as their faces. They are much inclined to
laughter, witty and merry, conceited in discourse, pleasant, if they be
not far gone, much given to music, dancing, and to be in women's
company. They meditate wholly on such things, and think [2564]they see
or hear plays, dancing, and suchlike sports (free from all fear and
sorrow, as [2565]Hercules de Saxonia supposeth.) If they be more
strongly possessed with this kind of melancholy, Arnoldus adds,
Breviar. lib. 1. cap. 18. Like him of Argos in the Poet, that sate
laughing [2566]all day long, as if he had been at a theatre. Such
another is mentioned by [2567]Aristotle, living at Abydos, a town of
Asia Minor, that would sit after the same fashion, as if he had been
upon a stage, and sometimes act himself; now clap his hands, and laugh,
as if he had been well pleased with the sight. Wolfius relates of a
country fellow called Brunsellius, subject to this humour, [2568]that
being by chance at a sermon, saw a woman fall off from a form half
asleep, at which object most of the company laughed, but he for his
part was so much moved, that for three whole days after he did nothing
but laugh, by which means he was much weakened, and worse a long time
following. Such a one was old Sophocles, and Democritus himself had
hilare delirium, much in this vein. Laurentius cap. 3. de melan. thinks
this kind of melancholy, which is a little adust with some mixture of
blood, to be that which Aristotle meant, when he said melancholy men of
all others are most witty, which causeth many times a divine
ravishment, and a kind of enthusiasmus, which stirreth them up to be
excellent philosophers, poets, prophets, &c. Mercurialis, consil. 110.
gives instance in a young man his patient, sanguine melancholy,
[2569]of a great wit, and excellently learned.
If it arise from choler adust, they are bold and impudent, and of a
more harebrain disposition, apt to quarrel, and think of such things,
battles, combats, and their manhood, furious; impatient in discourse,
stiff, irrefragable and prodigious in their tenets; and if they be
moved, most violent, outrageous, [2570]ready to disgrace, provoke any,
to kill themselves and others; Arnoldus adds, stark mad by fits,
[2571]they sleep little, their urine is subtle and fiery. (Guianerius.)
In their fits you shall hear them speak all manner of languages,
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, that never were taught or knew them before.
Apponensis in com. in Pro. sec. 30. speaks of a mad woman that spake
excellent good Latin: and Rhasis knew another, that could prophecy in
her fit, and foretell things truly to come. [2572]Guianerius had a
patient could make Latin verses when the moon was combust, otherwise
illiterate. Avicenna and some of his adherents will have these
symptoms, when they happen, to proceed from the devil, and that they
are rather demoniaci, possessed, than mad or melancholy, or both
together, as Jason Pratensis thinks, Immiscent se mali genii, &c. but
most ascribe it to the humour, which opinion Montaltus cap. 21. stiffly
maintains, confuting Avicenna and the rest, referring it wholly to the
quality and disposition of the humour and subject. Cardan de rerum var.
lib. 8. cap. 10. holds these men of all others fit to be assassins,
bold, hardy, fierce, and adventurous, to undertake anything by reason
of their choler adust. [2573]This humour, saith he, prepares them to
endure death itself, and all manner of torments with invincible
courage, and 'tis a wonder to see with what alacrity they will undergo
such tortures, ut supra naturam res videatur: he ascribes this
generosity, fury, or rather stupidity, to this adustion of choler and
melancholy: but I take these rather to be mad or desperate, than
properly melancholy; for commonly this humour so adust and hot,
degenerates into madness.
If it come from melancholy itself adust, those men, saith Avicenna,
[2574] are usually sad and solitary, and that continually, and in
excess, more than ordinarily suspicious more fearful, and have long,
sore, and most corrupt imaginations; cold and black, bashful, and so
solitary, that as [2575]Arnoldus writes, they will endure no company,
they dream of graves still, and dead men, and think themselves
bewitched or dead: if it be extreme, they think they hear hideous
noises, see and talk [2576]with black men, and converse familiarly with
devils, and such strange chimeras and visions, (Gordonius) or that they
are possessed by them, that somebody talks to them, or within them.
Tales melancholici plerumque daemoniaci, Montaltus consil. 26. ex
Avicenna. Valescus de Taranta had such a woman in cure, [2577]that
thought she had to do with the devil: and Gentilis Fulgosus quaest. 55.
writes that he had a melancholy friend, that [2578] had a black man in
the likeness of a soldier still following him wheresoever he was.
Laurentius cap. 7. hath many stories of such as have thought themselves
bewitched by their enemies; and some that would eat no meat as being
dead. [2579]_Anno_ 1550 an advocate of Paris fell into such a
melancholy fit, that he believed verily he was dead, he could not be
persuaded otherwise, or to eat or drink, till a kinsman of his, a
scholar of Bourges, did eat before him dressed like a corse. The story,
saith Serres, was acted in a comedy before Charles the Ninth. Some
think they are beasts, wolves, hogs, and cry like dogs, foxes, bray
like asses, and low like kine, as King Praetus' daughters.
[2580]Hildesheim spicel. 2. de mania, hath an example of a Dutch baron
so affected, and Trincavelius lib. 1. consil. 11. another of a nobleman
in his country, [2581]that thought he was certainly a beast, and would
imitate most of their voices, with many such symptoms, which may
properly be reduced to this kind.
If it proceed from the several combinations of these four humours, or
spirits, Herc. de Saxon. adds hot, cold, dry, moist, dark, confused,
settled, constringed, as it participates of matter, or is without
matter, the symptoms are likewise mixed. One thinks himself a giant,
another a dwarf. One is heavy as lead, another is as light as a
feather. Marcellus Donatus l. 2. cap. 41. makes mention out of Seneca,
of one Seneccio, a rich man, [2582]that thought himself and everything
else he had, great: great wife, great horses, could not abide little
things, but would have great pots to drink in, great hose, and great
shoes bigger than his feet. Like her in [2583]Trallianus, that supposed
she could shake all the world with her finger, and was afraid to clinch
her hand together, lest she should crush the world like an apple in
pieces: or him in Galen, that thought he was [2584]Atlas, and sustained
heaven with his shoulders. Another thinks himself so little, that he
can creep into a mouse-hole: one fears heaven will fall on his head: a
second is a cock; and such a one, [2585]Guianerius saith he saw at
Padua, that would clap his hands together and crow. [2586]Another
thinks he is a nightingale, and therefore sings all the night long;
another he is all glass, a pitcher, and will therefore let nobody come
near him, and such a one [2587]Laurentius gives out upon his credit,
that he knew in France. Christophorus a Vega cap. 3. lib. 14. Skenkius
and Marcellus Donatus l. 2. cap. 1. have many such examples, and one
amongst the rest of a baker in Ferrara that thought he was composed of
butter, and durst not sit in the sun, or come near the fire for fear of
being melted: of another that thought he was a case of leather, stuffed
with wind. Some laugh, weep; some are mad, some dejected, moped, in
much agony, some by fits, others continuate, &c. Some have a corrupt
ear, they think they hear music, or some hideous noise as their
phantasy conceives, corrupt eyes, some smelling, some one sense, some
another. [2588]Lewis the Eleventh had a conceit everything did stink
about him, all the odoriferous perfumes they could get, would not ease
him, but still he smelled a filthy stink. A melancholy French poet in
[2589]Laurentius, being sick of a fever, and troubled with waking, by
his physicians was appointed to use unguentum populeum to anoint his
temples; but he so distasted the smell of it, that for many years
after, all that came near him he imagined to scent of it, and would let
no man talk with him but aloof off, or wear any new clothes, because he
thought still they smelled of it; in all other things wise and
discreet, he would talk sensibly, save only in this. A gentleman in
Limousin, saith Anthony Verdeur, was persuaded he had but one leg,
affrighted by a wild boar, that by chance struck him on the leg; he
could not be satisfied his leg was sound (in all other things well)
until two Franciscans by chance coming that way, fully removed him from
the conceit. Sed abunde fabularum audivimus,—enough of story-telling.
SUBSECT. IV.—_Symptoms from Education, Custom, continuance of Time, our
Condition, mixed with other Diseases, by Fits, Inclination, &c._
Another great occasion of the variety of these symptoms proceeds from
custom, discipline, education, and several inclinations, [2590]this
humour will imprint in melancholy men the objects most answerable to
their condition of life, and ordinary actions, and dispose men
according to their several studies and callings. If an ambitious man
become melancholy, he forthwith thinks he is a king, an emperor, a
monarch, and walks alone, pleasing himself with a vain hope of some
future preferment, or present as he supposeth, and withal acts a lord's
part, takes upon him to be some statesman or magnifico, makes conges,
gives entertainment, looks big, &c. Francisco Sansovino records of a
melancholy man in Cremona, that would not be induced to believe but
that he was pope, gave pardons, made cardinals, &c. [2591]Christophorus
a Vega makes mention of another of his acquaintance, that thought he
was a king, driven from his kingdom, and was very anxious to recover
his estate. A covetous person is still conversant about purchasing of
lands and tenements, plotting in his mind how to compass such and such
manors, as if he were already lord of, and able to go through with it;
all he sees is his, re or spe, he hath devoured it in hope, or else in
conceit esteems it his own: like him in [2592]Athenaeus, that thought
all the ships in the haven to be his own. A lascivious inamorato plots
all the day long to please his mistress, acts and struts, and carries
himself as if she were in presence, still dreaming of her, as Pamphilus
of his Glycerium, or as some do in their morning sleep. [2593]
Marcellus Donatus knew such a gentlewoman in Mantua, called Elionora
Meliorina, that constantly believed she was married to a king, and
[2594] would kneel down and talk with him, as if he had been there
present with his associates; and if she had found by chance a piece of
glass in a muck-hill or in the street, she would say that it was a
jewel sent from her lord and husband. If devout and religious, he is
all for fasting, prayer, ceremonies, alms, interpretations, visions,
prophecies, revelations, [2595] he is inspired by the Holy Ghost, full
of the spirit: one while he is saved, another while damned, or still
troubled in mind for his sins, the devil will surely have him, &c. more
of these in the third partition of love-melancholy. [2596]A scholar's
mind is busied about his studies, he applauds himself for that he hath
done, or hopes to do, one while fearing to be out in his next exercise,
another while contemning all censures; envies one, emulates another; or
else with indefatigable pains and meditation, consumes himself. So of
the rest, all which vary according to the more remiss and violent
impression of the object, or as the humour itself is intended or
remitted. For some are so gently melancholy, that in all their
carriage, and to the outward apprehension of others it can hardly be
discerned, yet to them an intolerable burden, and not to be endured.
[2597]Quaedam occulta quaedam manifesta, some signs are manifest and
obvious to all at all times, some to few, or seldom, or hardly
perceived; let them keep their own council, none will take notice or
suspect them. They do not express in outward show their depraved
imaginations, as [2598]Hercules de Saxonia observes, but conceal them
wholly to themselves, and are very wise men, as I have often seen; some
fear, some do not fear at all, as such as think themselves kings or
dead, some have more signs, some fewer, some great, some less, some
vex, fret, still fear, grieve, lament, suspect, laugh, sing, weep,
chafe, &c. by fits (as I have said) or more during and permanent. Some
dote in one thing, are most childish, and ridiculous, and to be
wondered at in that, and yet for all other matters most discreet and
wise. To some it is in disposition, to another in habit; and as they
write of heat and cold, we may say of this humour, one is melancholicus
ad octo, a second two degrees less, a third halfway. 'Tis
superparticular, sesquialtera, sesquitertia, and superbipartiens
tertias, quintas Melancholiae, &c. all those geometrical proportions
are too little to express it. [2599]It comes to many by fits, and goes;
to others it is continuate: many (saith [2600]Faventinus) in spring and
fall only are molested, some once a year, as that Roman [2601] Galen
speaks of: [2602]one, at the conjunction of the moon alone, or some
unfortunate aspects, at such and such set hours and times, like the
sea-tides, to some women when they be with child, as [2603]Plater
notes, never otherwise: to others 'tis settled and fixed; to one led
about and variable still by that ignis fatuus of phantasy, like an
arthritis or running gout, 'tis here and there, and in every joint,
always molesting some part or other; or if the body be free, in a
myriad of forms exercising the mind. A second once peradventure in his
life hath a most grievous fit, once in seven years, once in five years,
even to the extremity of madness, death, or dotage, and that upon, some
feral accident or perturbation, terrible object, and for a time, never
perhaps so before, never after. A third is moved upon all such
troublesome objects, cross fortune, disaster, and violent passions,
otherwise free, once troubled in three or four years. A fourth, if
things be to his mind, or he in action, well pleased, in good company,
is most jocund, and of a good complexion: if idle, or alone, a la mort,
or carried away wholly with pleasant dreams and phantasies, but if once
crossed and displeased,
Pectore concipiet nil nisi triste suo;
He will imagine naught save sadness in his heart;