4. and Rodericus a Castro de morb. mulier. cap. 3. lib. 2. two famous
physicians in Spain, Daniel Sennertus of Wittenberg lib. 1. part 2.
cap. 13. with others, have vouchsafed in their works not long since
published, to write two just treatises de Melancholia virginum,
Monialium et Viduarum, as a particular species of melancholy (which I
have already specified) distinct from the rest; [2650](for it much
differs from that which commonly befalls men and other women, as having
one only cause proper to women alone) I may not omit in this general
survey of melancholy symptoms, to set down the particular signs of such
parties so misaffected.
The causes are assigned out of Hippocrates, Cleopatra, Moschion, and
those old Gynaeciorum Scriptores, of this feral malady, in more ancient
maids, widows, and barren women, ob septum transversum violatum, saith
Mercatus, by reason of the midriff or Diaphragma, heart and brain
offended with those vicious vapours which come from menstruous blood,
inflammationem arteriae circa dorsum, Rodericus adds, an inflammation
of the back, which with the rest is offended by [2651]that fuliginous
exhalation of corrupt seed, troubling the brain, heart and mind; the
brain, I say, not in essence, but by consent, Universa enim hujus
affectus causa ab utero pendet, et a sanguinis menstrui malitia, for in
a word, the whole malady proceeds from that inflammation, putridity,
black smoky vapours, &c., from thence comes care, sorrow, and anxiety,
obfuscation of spirits, agony, desperation, and the like, which are
intended or remitted; si amatorius accesserit ardor, or any other
violent object or perturbation of mind. This melancholy may happen to
widows, with much care and sorrow, as frequently it doth, by reason of
a sudden alteration of their accustomed course of life, &c. To such as
lie in childbed ob suppressam purgationem; but to nuns and more ancient
maids, and some barren women for the causes abovesaid, 'tis more
familiar, crebrius his quam reliquis accidit, inquit Rodericus, the
rest are not altogether excluded.
Out of these causes Rodericus defines it with Areteus, to be angorem
animi, a vexation of the mind, a sudden sorrow from a small, light, or
no occasion, [2652]with a kind of still dotage and grief of some part
or other, head, heart, breasts, sides, back, belly, &c., with much
solitariness, weeping, distraction, &c., from which they are sometimes
suddenly delivered, because it comes and goes by fits, and is not so
permanent as other melancholy.
But to leave this brief description, the most ordinary symptoms be
these, pulsatio juxta dorsum, a beating about the back, which is almost
perpetual, the skin is many times rough, squalid, especially, as
Areteus observes, about the arms, knees, and knuckles. The midriff and
heart-strings do burn and beat very fearfully, and when this vapour or
fume is stirred, flieth upward, the heart itself beats, is sore
grieved, and faints, fauces siccitate praecluduntur, ut difficulter
possit ab uteri strangulatione decerni, like fits of the mother, Alvus
plerisque nil reddit, aliis exiguum, acre, biliosum, lotium flavum.
They complain many times, saith Mercatus, of a great pain in their
heads, about their hearts, and hypochondries, and so likewise in their
breasts, which are often sore, sometimes ready to swoon, their faces
are inflamed, and red, they are dry, thirsty, suddenly hot, much
troubled with wind, cannot sleep, &c. And from hence proceed ferina
deliramenta, a brutish kind of dotage, troublesome sleep, terrible
dreams in the night, subrusticus pudor et verecundia ignava, a foolish
kind of bashfulness to some, perverse conceits and opinions,
[2653]dejection of mind, much discontent, preposterous judgment. They
are apt to loath, dislike, disdain, to be weary of every object, &c.,
each thing almost is tedious to them, they pine away, void of counsel,
apt to weep, and tremble, timorous, fearful, sad, and out of all hope
of better fortunes. They take delight in nothing for the time, but love
to be alone and solitary, though that do them more harm: and thus they
are affected so long as this vapour lasteth; but by-and-by, as pleasant
and merry as ever they were in their lives, they sing, discourse, and
laugh in any good company, upon all occasions, and so by fits it takes
them now and then, except the malady be inveterate, and then 'tis more
frequent, vehement, and continuate. Many of them cannot tell how to
express themselves in words, or how it holds them, what ails them, you
cannot understand them, or well tell what to make of their sayings; so
far gone sometimes, so stupefied and distracted, they think themselves
bewitched, they are in despair, aptae ad fletum, desperationem, dolores
mammis et hypocondriis. Mercatus therefore adds, now their breasts, now
their hypochondries, belly and sides, then their heart and head aches,
now heat, then wind, now this, now that offends, they are weary of all;
[2654]and yet will not, cannot again tell how, where or what offends
them, though they be in great pain, agony, and frequently complain,
grieving, sighing, weeping, and discontented still, sine causa
manifesta, most part, yet I say they will complain, grudge, lament, and
not be persuaded, but that they are troubled with an evil spirit, which
is frequent in Germany, saith Rodericus, amongst the common sort: and
to such as are most grievously affected, (for he makes three degrees of
this disease in women,) they are in despair, surely forespoken or
bewitched, and in extremity of their dotage, (weary of their lives,)
some of them will attempt to make away themselves. Some think they see
visions, confer with spirits and devils, they shall surely be damned,
are afraid of some treachery, imminent danger, and the like, they will
not speak, make answer to any question, but are almost distracted, mad,
or stupid for the time, and by fits: and thus it holds them, as they
are more or less affected, and as the inner humour is intended or
remitted, or by outward objects and perturbations aggravated,
solitariness, idleness, &c.
Many other maladies there are incident to young women, out of that one
and only cause above specified, many feral diseases. I will not so much
as mention their names, melancholy alone is the subject of my present
discourse, from which I will not swerve. The several cures of this
infirmity, concerning diet, which must be very sparing, phlebotomy,
physic, internal, external remedies, are at large in great variety in
[2655] Rodericus a Castro, Sennertus, and Mercatus, which whoso will,
as occasion serves, may make use of. But the best and surest remedy of
all, is to see them well placed, and married to good husbands in due
time, hinc illae, lachrymae, that is the primary cause, and this the
ready cure, to give them content to their desires. I write not this to
patronise any wanton, idle flirt, lascivious or light housewives, which
are too forward many times, unruly, and apt to cast away themselves on
him that comes next, without all care, counsel, circumspection, and
judgment. If religion, good discipline, honest education, wholesome
exhortation, fair promises, fame and loss of good name cannot inhibit
and deter such, (which to chaste and sober maids cannot choose but
avail much,) labour and exercise, strict diet, rigour and threats may
more opportunely be used, and are able of themselves to qualify and
divert an ill-disposed temperament. For seldom should you see an hired
servant, a poor handmaid, though ancient, that is kept hard to her
work, and bodily labour, a coarse country wench troubled in this kind,
but noble virgins, nice gentlewomen, such as are solitary and idle,
live at ease, lead a life out of action and employment, that fare well,
in great houses and jovial companies, ill-disposed peradventure of
themselves, and not willing to make any resistance, discontented
otherwise, of weak judgment, able bodies, and subject to passions,
(grandiores virgines, saith Mercatus, steriles et viduae plerumque
melancholicae,) such for the most part are misaffected, and prone to
this disease. I do not so much pity them that may otherwise be eased,
but those alone that out of a strong temperament, innate constitution,
are violently carried away with this torrent of inward humours, and
though very modest of themselves, sober, religious, virtuous, and well
given, (as many so distressed maids are,) yet cannot make resistance,
these grievances will appear, this malady will take place, and now
manifestly show itself, and may not otherwise be helped. But where am
I? Into what subject have I rushed? What have I to do with nuns, maids,
virgins, widows? I am a bachelor myself, and lead a monastic life in a
college, nae ego sane ineptus qui haec dixerim,) I confess 'tis an
indecorum, and as Pallas a virgin blushed, when Jupiter by chance spake
of love matters in her presence, and turned away her face; me reprimam
though my subject necessarily require it, I will say no more.
And yet I must and will say something more, add a word or two in
gratiam virginum et viduarum, in favour of all such distressed parties,
in commiseration of their present estate. And as I cannot choose but
condole their mishap that labour of this infirmity, and are destitute
of help in this case, so must I needs inveigh against them that are in
fault, more than manifest causes, and as bitterly tax those tyrannising
pseudopoliticians, superstitious orders, rash vows, hard-hearted
parents, guardians, unnatural friends, allies, (call them how you
will,) those careless and stupid overseers, that out of worldly
respects, covetousness, supine negligence, their own private ends (cum
sibi sit interim bene) can so severely reject, stubbornly neglect, and
impiously contemn, without all remorse and pity, the tears, sighs,
groans, and grievous miseries of such poor souls committed to their
charge. How odious and abominable are those superstitious and rash vows
of Popish monasteries, so to bind and enforce men and women to vow
virginity, to lead a single life, against the laws of nature, opposite
to religion, policy, and humanity, so to starve, to offer violence, to
suppress the vigour of youth, by rigorous statutes, severe laws, vain
persuasions, to debar them of that to which by their innate temperature
they are so furiously inclined, urgently carried, and sometimes
precipitated, even irresistibly led, to the prejudice of their soul's
health, and good estate of body and mind: and all for base and private
respects, to maintain their gross superstition, to enrich themselves
and their territories as they falsely suppose, by hindering some
marriages, that the world be not full of beggars, and their parishes
pestered with orphans; stupid politicians; haeccine fieri flagilia?
ought these things so to be carried? better marry than burn, saith the
Apostle, but they are otherwise persuaded. They will by all means
quench their neighbour's house if it be on fire, but that fire of lust
which breaks out into such lamentable flames, they will not take notice
of, their own bowels oftentimes, flesh and blood shall so rage and
burn, and they will not see it: miserum est, saith Austin, seipsum non
miserescere, and they are miserable in the meantime that cannot pity
themselves, the common good of all, and per consequens their own
estates. For let them but consider what fearful maladies, feral
diseases, gross inconveniences, come to both sexes by this enforced
temperance, it troubles me to think of, much more to relate those
frequent abortions and murdering of infants in their nunneries (read
[2656]Kemnitius and others), and notorious fornications, those
Spintrias, Tribadas, Ambubeias, &c., those rapes, incests, adulteries,
mastuprations, sodomies, buggeries of monks and friars. See Bale's
visitation of abbeys, [2657]Mercurialis, Rodericus a Castro, Peter
Forestus, and divers physicians; I know their ordinary apologies and
excuses for these things, sed viderint Politici, Medici, Theologi, I
shall more opportunely meet with them [2658]elsewhere.
[2659]Illius viduae, aut patronum Virginis hujus,
Ne me forte putes, verbum non amplius addam.
MEMB. III.
_Immediate cause of these precedent Symptoms_.
To give some satisfaction to melancholy men that are troubled with
these symptoms, a better means in my judgment cannot be taken, than to
show them the causes whence they proceed; not from devils as they
suppose, or that they are bewitched or forsaken of God, hear or see,
&c. as many of them think, but from natural and inward causes, that so
knowing them, they may better avoid the effects, or at least endure
them with more patience. The most grievous and common symptoms are fear
and sorrow, and that without a cause to the wisest and discreetest men,
in this malady not to be avoided. The reason why they are so, Aetius
discusseth at large, Tetrabib. 2. 2. in his first problem out of Galen,
lib. 2. de causis sympt. 1. For Galen imputeth all to the cold that is
black, and thinks that the spirits being darkened, and the substance of
the brain cloudy and dark, all the objects thereof appear terrible, and
the [2660]mind itself, by those dark, obscure, gross fumes, ascending
from black humours, is in continual darkness, fear, and sorrow; divers
terrible monstrous fictions in a thousand shapes and apparitions occur,
with violent passions, by which the brain and fantasy are troubled and
eclipsed. [2661]Fracastorius, lib. 2. de intellect, will have cold to
be the cause of fear and sorrow; for such as are cold are ill-disposed
to mirth, dull, and heavy, by nature solitary, silent; and not for any
inward darkness (as physicians think) for many melancholy men dare
boldly be, continue, and walk in the dark, and delight in it: solum
frigidi timidi: if they be hot, they are merry; and the more hot, the
more furious, and void of fear, as we see in madmen; but this reason
holds not, for then no melancholy, proceeding from choler adust, should
fear. [2662]Averroes scoffs at Galen for his reasons, and brings five
arguments to repel them: so doth Herc. de Saxonia, Tract. de Melanch.
cap. 3. assigning other causes, which are copiously censured and
confuted by Aelianus Montaltus, cap. 5 and 6. Lod. Mercatus de Inter.
morb. cur. lib. 1. cap. 17. Altomarus, cap. 7. de mel. Guianerius,
tract. 15. c. 1. Bright cap. 37. Laurentius, cap. 5. Valesius, med.
cont. lib. 5, con. 1. [2663]Distemperature, they conclude, makes black
juice, blackness obscures the spirits, the spirits obscured, cause fear
and sorrow. Laurentius, cap. 13. supposeth these black fumes offend
specially the diaphragma or midriff, and so per consequens the mind,
which is obscured as [2664]the sun by a cloud. To this opinion of
Galen, almost all the Greeks and Arabians subscribe, the Latins new and
old, internae, tenebrae offuscant animum, ut externae nocent pueris, as
children are affrighted in the dark, so are melancholy men at all
times, [2665]as having the inward cause with them, and still carrying
it about. Which black vapours, whether they proceed from the black
blood about the heart, as T. W. Jes. thinks in his treatise of the
passions of the mind, or stomach, spleen, midriff, or all the
misaffected parts together, it boots not, they keep the mind in a
perpetual dungeon, and oppress it with continual fears, anxieties,
sorrows, &c. It is an ordinary thing for such as are sound to laugh at
this dejected pusillanimity, and those other symptoms of melancholy, to
make themselves merry with them, and to wonder at such, as toys and
trifles, which may be resisted and withstood, if they will themselves:
but let him that so wonders, consider with himself, that if a man
should tell him on a sudden, some of his especial friends were dead,
could he choose but grieve? Or set him upon a steep rock, where he
should be in danger to be precipitated, could he be secure? His heart
would tremble for fear, and his head be giddy. P. Byaras, Tract. de
pest. gives instance (as I have said) [2666]and put case (saith he) in
one that walks upon a plank, if it lie on the ground, he can safely do
it: but if the same plank be laid over some deep water, instead of a
bridge, he is vehemently moved, and 'tis nothing but his imagination,
forma cadendi impressa, to which his other members and faculties obey.
Yea, but you infer, that such men have a just cause to fear, a true
object of fear; so have melancholy men an inward cause, a perpetual
fume and darkness, causing fear, grief, suspicion, which they carry
with them, an object which cannot be removed; but sticks as close, and
is as inseparable as a shadow to a body, and who can expel or overrun
his shadow? Remove heat of the liver, a cold stomach, weak spleen:
remove those adust humours and vapours arising from them, black blood
from the heart, all outward perturbations, take away the cause, and
then bid them not grieve nor fear, or be heavy, dull, lumpish,
otherwise counsel can do little good; you may as well bid him that is
sick of an ague not to be a dry; or him that is wounded not to feel
pain.
Suspicion follows fear and sorrow at heels, arising out of the same
fountain, so thinks [2667]Fracastorius, that fear is the cause of
suspicion, and still they suspect some treachery, or some secret
machination to be framed against them, still they distrust.
Restlessness proceeds from the same spring, variety of fumes make them
like and dislike. Solitariness, avoiding of light, that they are weary
of their lives, hate the world, arise from the same causes, for their
spirits and humours are opposite to light, fear makes them avoid
company, and absent themselves, lest they should be misused, hissed at,
or overshoot themselves, which still they suspect. They are prone to
venery by reason of wind. Angry, waspish, and fretting still, out of
abundance of choler, which causeth fearful dreams and violent
perturbations to them, both sleeping and waking: That they suppose they
have no heads, fly, sink, they are pots, glasses, &c. is wind in their
heads. [2668]Herc. de Saxonia doth ascribe this to the several motions
in the animal spirits, their dilation, contraction, confusion,
alteration, tenebrosity, hot or cold distemperature, excluding all
material humours. [2669]Fracastorius accounts it a thing worthy of
inquisition, why they should entertain such false conceits, as that
they have horns, great noses, that they are birds, beasts, &c., why
they should think themselves kings, lords, cardinals. For the first,
[2670] Fracastorius gives two reasons: One is the disposition of the
body; the other, the occasion of the fantasy, as if their eyes be
purblind, their ears sing, by reason of some cold and rheum, &c. To the
second, Laurentius answers, the imagination inwardly or outwardly
moved, represents to the understanding, not enticements only, to favour
the passion or dislike, but a very intensive pleasure follows the
passion or displeasure, and the will and reason are captivated by
delighting in it.
Why students and lovers are so often melancholy and mad, the
philosopher of [2671]Conimbra assigns this reason, because by a
vehement and continual meditation of that wherewith they are affected,
they fetch up the spirits into the brain, and with the heat brought
with them, they incend it beyond measure: and the cells of the inner
senses dissolve their temperature, which being dissolved, they cannot
perform their offices as they ought.
Why melancholy men are witty, which Aristotle hath long since
maintained in his problems; and that [2672]all learned men, famous
philosophers, and lawgivers, ad unum fere omnes melancholici, have
still been melancholy, is a problem much controverted. Jason Pratensis
will have it understood of natural melancholy, which opinion Melancthon
inclines to, in his book de Anima, and Marcilius Ficinus de san. tuend.
lib. 1. cap. 5. but not simple, for that makes men stupid, heavy, dull,
being cold and dry, fearful, fools, and solitary, but mixed with the
other humours, phlegm only excepted; and they not adust, [2673]but so
mixed as that blood he half, with little or no adustion, that they be
neither too hot nor too cold. Aponensis, cited by Melancthon, thinks it
proceeds from melancholy adust, excluding all natural melancholy as too
cold. Laurentius condemns his tenet, because adustion of humours makes
men mad, as lime burns when water is cast on it. It must be mixed with
blood, and somewhat adust, and so that old aphorism of Aristotle may be
verified, Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae, no excellent
wit without a mixture of madness. Fracastorius shall decide the
controversy, [2674]phlegmatic are dull: sanguine lively, pleasant,
acceptable, and merry, but not witty; choleric are too swift in motion,
and furious, impatient of contemplation, deceitful wits: melancholy men
have the most excellent wits, but not all; this humour may be hot or
cold, thick, or thin; if too hot, they are furious and mad: if too
cold, dull, stupid, timorous, and sad: if temperate, excellent, rather
inclining to that extreme of heat, than cold. This sentence of his will
agree with that of Heraclitus, a dry light makes a wise mind, temperate
heat and dryness are the chief causes of a good wit; therefore, saith
Aelian, an elephant is the wisest of all brute beasts, because his
brain is driest, et ob atrae, bilis capiam: this reason Cardan
approves, subtil. l. 12. Jo. Baptista Silvaticus, a physician of Milan,
in his first controversy, hath copiously handled this question:
Rulandus in his problems, Caelius Rhodiginus, lib. 17. Valleriola 6to.
narrat. med. Herc. de Saxonia, Tract. posth. de mel. cap. 3. Lodovicus
Mercatus, de inter. morb. cur. lib. cap. 17. Baptista Porta, Physiog.
lib. 1. c. 13. and many others.
Weeping, sighing, laughing, itching, trembling, sweating, blushing,
hearing and seeing strange noises, visions, wind, crudity, are motions
of the body, depending upon these precedent motions of the mind:
neither are tears, affections, but actions (as Scaliger holds)
[2675]the voice of such as are afraid, trembles, because the heart is
shaken (Conimb. prob. 6. sec. 3. de som.) why they stutter or falter in
their speech, Mercurialis and Montaltus, cap. 17. give like reasons out
of Hippocrates, [2676]dryness, which makes the nerves of the tongue
torpid. Fast speaking (which is a symptom of some few) Aetius will have
caused [2677] from abundance of wind, and swiftness of imagination:
[2678]baldness comes from excess of dryness, hirsuteness from a dry
temperature. The cause of much waking in a dry brain, continual
meditation, discontent, fears and cares, that suffer not the mind to be
at rest, incontinency is from wind, and a hot liver, Montanus, cons.
26. Rumbling in the guts is caused from wind, and wind from ill
concoction, weakness of natural heat, or a distempered heat and cold;
[2679]Palpitation of the heart from vapours, heaviness and aching from
the same cause. That the belly is hard, wind is a cause, and of that
leaping in many parts. Redness of the face, and itching, as if they
were flea-bitten, or stung with pismires, from a sharp subtle wind.
[2680]Cold sweat from vapours arising from the hypochondries, which
pitch upon the skin; leanness for want of good nourishment. Why their
appetite is so great, [2681]Aetius answers: Os ventris frigescit, cold
in those inner parts, cold belly, and hot liver, causeth crudity, and
intention proceeds from perturbations, [2682]our souls for want of
spirits cannot attend exactly to so many intentive operations, being
exhaust, and overswayed by passion, she cannot consider the reasons
which may dissuade her from such affections.
[2683]Bashfulness and blushing, is a passion proper to men alone, and
is not only caused for [2684]some shame and ignominy, or that they are
guilty unto themselves of some foul fact committed, but as
[2685]Fracastorius well determines, ob defectum proprium, et timorem,
from fear, and a conceit of our defects; the face labours and is
troubled at his presence that sees our defects, and nature willing to
help, sends thither heat, heat draws the subtlest blood, and so we
blush. They that are bold, arrogant, and careless, seldom or never
blush, but such as are fearful. Anthonius Lodovicus, in his book de
pudore, will have this subtle blood to arise in the face, not so much
for the reverence of our betters in presence, [2686]but for joy and
pleasure, or if anything at unawares shall pass from us, a sudden
accident, occurse, or meeting: (which Disarius in [2687] Macrobius
confirms) any object heard or seen, for blind men never blush, as
Dandinus observes, the night and darkness make men impudent. Or that we
be staid before our betters, or in company we like not, or if anything
molest and offend us, erubescentia turns to rubor, blushing to a
continuate redness. [2688]Sometimes the extremity of the ears tingle,
and are red, sometimes the whole face, Etsi nihil vitiosum commiseris,
as Lodovicus holds: though Aristotle is of opinion, omnis pudor ex
vitio commisso, all shame for some offence. But we find otherwise, it
may as well proceed [2689]from fear, from force and inexperience, (so
[2690]Dandinus holds) as vice; a hot liver, saith Duretus (notis in
Hollerium:) from a hot brain, from wind, the lungs heated, or after
drinking of wine, strong drink, perturbations, &c.
Laughter what it is, saith [2691]Tully, how caused, where, and so
suddenly breaks out, that desirous to stay it, we cannot, how it comes
to possess and stir our face, veins, eyes, countenance, mouth, sides,
let Democritus determine. The cause that it often affects melancholy
men so much, is given by Gomesius, lib. 3. de sale genial. cap. 18.
abundance of pleasant vapours, which, in sanguine melancholy
especially, break from the heart, [2692]and tickle the midriff, because
it is transverse and full of nerves: by which titillation the sense
being moved, and arteries distended, or pulled, the spirits from thence
move and possess the sides, veins, countenance, eyes. See more in
Jossius de risu et fletu, Vives 3 de Anima. Tears, as Scaliger defines,
proceed from grief and pity, [2693]or from the heating of a moist
brain, for a dry cannot weep.
That they see and hear so many phantasms, chimeras, noises, visions,
&c. as Fienus hath discoursed at large in his book of imagination, and
[2694] Lavater de spectris, part. 1. cap. 2. 3. 4. their corrupt
phantasy makes them see and hear that which indeed is neither heard nor
seen, Qui multum jejunant, aut noctes ducunt insomnes, they that much
fast, or want sleep, as melancholy or sick men commonly do, see
visions, or such as are weak-sighted, very timorous by nature, mad,
distracted, or earnestly seek. Sabini quod volunt somniant, as the
saying is, they dream of that they desire. Like Sarmiento the Spaniard,
who when he was sent to discover the straits of Magellan, and confine
places, by the Prorex of Peru, standing on the top of a hill,
Amaenissimam planitiem despicere sibi visus fuit, aedificia magnifica,
quamplurimos Pagos, alias Turres, splendida Templa, and brave cities,
built like ours in Europe, not, saith mine [2695]author, that there was
any such thing, but that he was vanissimus et nimis credulus, and would
fain have had it so. Or as [2696]Lod. Mercatus proves, by reason of
inward vapours, and humours from blood, choler, &c. diversely mixed,
they apprehend and see outwardly, as they suppose, divers images, which
indeed are not. As they that drink wine think all runs round, when it
is in their own brain; so is it with these men, the fault and cause is
inward, as Galen affirms, [2697]mad men and such as are near death,
quas extra se videre putant Imagines, intra oculos habent, 'tis in
their brain, which seems to be before them; the brain as a concave
glass reflects solid bodies. Senes etiam decrepiti cerebrum habent
concavum et aridum, ut imaginentur se videre (saith [2698]Boissardus)
quae non sunt, old men are too frequently mistaken and dote in like
case: or as he that looketh through a piece of red glass, judgeth
everything he sees to be red; corrupt vapours mounting from the body to
the head, and distilling again from thence to the eyes, when they have
mingled themselves with the watery crystal which receiveth the shadows
of things to be seen, make all things appear of the same colour, which
remains in the humour that overspreads our sight, as to melancholy men
all is black, to phlegmatic all white, &c. Or else as before the organs
corrupt by a corrupt phantasy, as Lemnius, lib. 1. cap. 16. well
quotes, [2699]cause a great agitation of spirits, and humours, which
wander to and fro in all the creeks of the brain, and cause such
apparitions before their eyes. One thinks he reads something written in
the moon, as Pythagoras is said to have done of old, another smells
brimstone, hears Cerberus bark: Orestes now mad supposed he saw the
furies tormenting him, and his mother still ready to run upon him,
[2700]O mater obsecro noli me persequi
His furiis, aspectu anguineis, horribilibus,
Ecce ecce me invadunt, in me jam ruunt;
but Electra told him thus raving in his mad fit, he saw no such sights
at all, it was but his crazed imagination.
[2701]Quiesce, quiesce miser in linteis tuis,
Non cernis etenim quae videre te putas.