justice to punish, to torture, and vex them, as an ichneumon doth a
crocodile. They shall be recompensed according to the works of their
hands, as Haman was hanged on the gallows he provided for Mordecai;
They shall have sorrow of heart, and be destroyed from under the
heaven, Thre. iii. 64, 65, 66. Only be thou patient: [4002]vincit qui
patitur: and in the end thou shalt be crowned. Yea, but 'tis a hard
matter to do this, flesh and blood may not abide it; 'tis grave, grave!
no (Chrysostom replies) non est grave, o homo! 'tis not so grievous,
[4003]neither had God commanded it, if it had been so difficult. But
how shall it be done? Easily, as he follows it, if thou shalt look to
heaven, behold the beauty of it, and what God hath promised to such as
put up injuries. But if thou resist and go about vim vi repellere, as
the custom of the world is, to right thyself, or hast given just cause
of offence, 'tis no injury then but a condign punishment; thou hast
deserved as much: A te principium, in te recredit crimen quod a te
fuit; peccasti, quiesce, as Ambrose expostulates with Cain, lib. 3. de
Abel et Cain. [4004]Dionysius of Syracuse, in his exile, was made to
stand without door, patienter ferendum, fortasse nos tale quid fecimus,
quum in honore essemus, he wisely put it up, and laid the fault where
it was, on his own pride and scorn, which in his prosperity he had
formerly showed others. 'Tis [4005] Tully's axiom, ferre ea
molestissime homines non debent, quae ipsorum culpa contracta sunt,
self do, self have, as the saying is, they may thank themselves. For he
that doth wrong must look to be wronged again; habet et musca splenem,
et formicae sua bills inest. The least fly hath a spleen, and a little
bee a sting. [4006]An ass overwhelmed a thistlewarp's nest, the little
bird pecked his galled back in revenge; and the humble-bee in the fable
flung down the eagle's eggs out of Jupiter's lap. Bracides, in
Plutarch, put his hand into a mouse's nest and hurt her young ones, she
bit him by the finger: [4007]I see now (saith he) there is no creature
so contemptible, that will not be revenged. 'Tis lex talionis, and the
nature of all things so to do: if thou wilt live quietly thyself,
[4008]do no wrong to others; if any be done thee, put it up, with
patience endure it, for [4009]this is thankworthy, saith our apostle,
if any man for conscience towards God endure grief, and suffer wrong
undeserved; for what praise is it, if when ye be buffeted for you
faults, ye take it patiently? But if when you do well, ye suffer wrong,
and take it patiently, there is thanks with God; for hereunto verily we
are called. Qui mala non fert, ipse sibi testis est per impatientiam
quod bonus non est, he that cannot bear injuries, witnesseth against
himself that he is no good man, as Gregory holds. [4010]'Tis the nature
of wicked men to do injuries, as it is the property of all honest men
patiently to bear them. Improbitas nullo flectitur obsequio. The wolf
in the [4011]emblem sucked the goat (so the shepherd would have it),
but he kept nevertheless a wolf's nature; [4012]a knave will be a
knave. Injury is on the other side a good man's footboy, his fidus
Acliates, and as a lackey follows him wheresoever he goes. Besides,
misera est fortuna quae caret inimico, he is in a miserable estate that
wants enemies: [4013]it is a thing not to be avoided, and therefore
with more patience to be endured. Cato Censorius, that upright Cato of
whom Paterculus gives that honourable eulogium, bene fecit quod aliter
facere non potuit, was [4014]fifty times indicted and accused by his
fellow citizens, and as [4015]Ammianus well hath it, Quis erit innocens
si clam vel palam accusasse sufficiat? if it be sufficient to accuse a
man openly or in private, who shall be free? If there were no other
respect than that of Christianity, religion and the like, to induce men
to be long-suffering and patient, yet methinks the nature of injury
itself is sufficient to keep them quiet, the tumults, uproars,
miseries, discontents, anguish, loss, dangers that attend upon it might
restrain the calamities of contention: for as it is with ordinary
gamesters, the gains go to the box, so falls it out to such as contend;
the lawyers get all; and therefore if they would consider of it, aliena
pericula cantos, other men's misfortunes in this kind, and common
experience might detain them. [4016]The more they contend, the more
they are involved in a labyrinth of woes, and the catastrophe is to
consume one another, like the elephant and dragon's conflict in Pliny;
[4017]the dragon got under the elephant's belly, and sucked his blood
so long, till he fell down dead upon the dragon, and killed him with
the fall, so both were ruined. 'Tis a hydra's head, contention; the
more they strive, the more they may: and as Praxiteles did by his
glass, when he saw a scurvy face in it, brake it in pieces: but for
that one he saw many more as bad in a moment: for one injury done they
provoke another cum foenore, and twenty enemies for one. Noli irritare
crabrones, oppose not thyself to a multitude: but if thou hast received
a wrong, wisely consider of it, and if thou canst possibly, compose
thyself with patience to bear it. This is the safest course, and thou
shalt find greatest ease to be quiet.
[4018]I say the same of scoffs, slanders, contumelies, obloquies,
defamations, detractions, pasquilling libels, and the like, which may
tend any way to our disgrace: 'tis but opinion; if we could neglect,
contemn, or with patience digest them, they would reflect on them that
offered them at first. A wise citizen, I know not whence, had a scold
to his wife: when she brawled, he played on his drum, and by that means
madded her more, because she saw that he would not be moved. Diogenes
in a crowd when one called him back, and told him how the boys laughed
him to scorn, Ego, inquit, non rideor, took no notice of it. Socrates
was brought upon the stage by Aristophanes, and misused to his face,
but he laughed as if it concerned him not: and as Aelian relates of
him, whatsoever good or bad accident or fortune befel him going in or
coming out, Socrates still kept the same countenance; even so should a
Christian do, as Hierom describes him, per infamiam et bonam famam
grassari ad immortalitatem, march on through good and bad reports to
immortality, [4019]not to be moved: for honesty is a sufficient reward,
probitas sibi, praemium; and in our times the sole recompense to do
well, is, to do well: but naughtiness will punish itself at last,
[4020]Improbis ipsa nequitia supplicium. As the diverb is,
Qui bene fecerunt, illi sua facta sequentur;
Qui male fecerunt, facta sequentur eos:
They that do well, shall have reward at last:
But they that ill, shall suffer for that's past.
Yea, but I am ashamed, disgraced, dishonoured, degraded, exploded: my
notorious crimes and villainies are come to light (deprendi miserum
est), my filthy lust, abominable oppression and avarice lies open, my
good name's lost, my fortune's gone, I have been stigmatised, whipped
at post, arraigned and condemned, I am a common obloquy, I have lost my
ears, odious, execrable, abhorred of God and men. Be content, 'tis but
a nine days' wonder, and as one sorrow drives out another, one passion
another, one cloud another, one rumour is expelled by another; every
day almost, come new news unto our ears, as how the sun was eclipsed,
meteors seen in the air, monsters born, prodigies, how the Turks were
overthrown in Persia, an earthquake in Helvetia, Calabria, Japan, or
China, an inundation in Holland, a great plague in Constantinople, a
fire at Prague, a dearth in Germany, such a man is made a lord, a
bishop, another hanged, deposed, pressed to death, for some murder,
treason, rape, theft, oppression, all which we do hear at first with a
kind of admiration, detestation, consternation, but by and by they are
buried in silence: thy father's dead, thy brother robbed, wife runs
mad, neighbour hath killed himself; 'tis heavy, ghastly, fearful news
at first, in every man's mouth, table talk; but after a while who
speaks or thinks of it? It will be so with thee and thine offence, it
will be forgotten in an instant, be it theft, rape, sodomy, murder,
incest, treason, &c., thou art not the first offender, nor shalt not be
the last, 'tis no wonder, every hour such malefactors are called in
question, nothing so common, Quocunque in populo, quocunque sub axe?
[4021]Comfort thyself, thou art not the sole man. If he that were
guiltless himself should fling the first stone at thee, and he alone
should accuse thee that were faultless, how many executioners, how many
accusers wouldst thou have? If every man's sins were written in his
forehead, and secret faults known, how many thousands would parallel,
if not exceed thine offence? It may be the judge that gave sentence,
the jury that condemned thee, the spectators that gazed on thee,
deserved much more, and were far more guilty than thou thyself. But it
is thine infelicity to be taken, to be made a public example of
justice, to be a terror to the rest; yet should every man have his
desert, thou wouldst peradventure be a saint in comparison; vexat
censura columbas, poor souls are punished; the great ones do twenty
thousand times worse, and are not so much as spoken of.
[4022]Non rete accipitri tenditur neque milvio,
Qui male faciunt nobis; illis qui nil faciunt tenditur.
The net's not laid for kites or birds of prey,
But for the harmless still our gins we lay.
Be not dismayed then, humanum est errare, we are all sinners, daily and
hourly subject to temptations, the best of us is a hypocrite, a
grievous offender in God's sight, Noah, Lot, David, Peter, &c., how
many mortal sins do we commit? Shall I say, be penitent, ask
forgiveness, and make amends by the sequel of thy life, for that foul
offence thou hast committed? recover thy credit by some noble exploit,
as Themistocles did, for he was a most debauched and vicious youth, sed
juventae maculas praeclaris factis delevit, but made the world amends
by brave exploits; at last become a new man, and seek to be reformed.
He that runs away in a battle, as Demosthenes said, may fight again;
and he that hath a fall may stand as upright as ever he did before.
Nemo desperet meliora lapsus, a wicked liver may be reclaimed, and
prove an honest man; he that is odious in present, hissed out, an
exile, may be received again with all men's favours, and singular
applause; so Tully was in Rome, Alcibiades in Athens. Let thy disgrace
then be what it will, quod fit, infectum non potest esse, that which is
past cannot be recalled; trouble not thyself, vex and grieve thyself no
more, be it obloquy, disgrace, &c. No better way, than to neglect,
contemn, or seem not to regard it, to make no reckoning of it, Deesse
robur arguit dicacitas: if thou be guiltless it concerns thee not:
[4023]Irrita vaniloquae quid curas spicula linguae,
Latrantem curatne alta Diana canem?
Doth the moon care for the barking of a dog? They detract, scoff and
rail, saith one, [4024]and bark at me on every side, but I, like that
Albanian dog sometimes given to Alexander for a present, vindico me ab
illis solo contemptu, I lie still and sleep, vindicate myself by
contempt alone. [4025]Expers terroris Achilles armatus: as a tortoise
in his shell, [4026]virtute mea me involvo, or an urchin round, nil
moror ictus [4027]a lizard in camomile, I decline their fury and am
safe.
Integritas virtusque suo munimine tuta,
Non patet adversae morsibus invidiae:
Virtue and integrity are their own fence,
Care not for envy or what comes from thence.
Let them rail then, scoff, and slander, sapiens contumelia non
afficitur, a wise man, Seneca thinks, is not moved, because he knows,
contra Sycophantae morsum non est remedium, there is no remedy for it:
kings and princes, wise, grave, prudent, holy, good men, divine, are
all so served alike. [4028]O Jane a tergo quem nulla ciconia pinsit,
Antevorta and Postvorta, Jupiter's guardians, may not help in this
case, they cannot protect; Moses had a Dathan, a Corath, David a
Shimei, God himself is blasphemed: nondum felix es si te nondum turba
deridet. It is an ordinary thing so to be misused. [4029]Regium est cum
bene faceris male audire, the chiefest men and most understanding are
so vilified; let him take his [4030]course. And as that lusty courser
in Aesop, that contemned the poor ass, came by and by after with his
bowels burst, a pack on his back, and was derided of the same ass:
contemnentur ab iis quos ipsi prius contempsere, et irridebuntur ab iis
quos ipsi prius irrisere, they shall be contemned and laughed to scorn
of those whom they have formerly derided. Let them contemn, defame, or
undervalue, insult, oppress, scoff, slander, abuse, wrong, curse and
swear, feign and lie, do thou comfort thyself with a good conscience,
in sinu gaudeas, when they have all done, [4031]a good conscience is a
continual feast, innocency will vindicate itself: and which the poet
gave out of Hercules, diis fruitur iratis, enjoy thyself, though all
the world be set against thee, contemn and say with him, Elogium mihi
prae, foribus, my posy is, not to be moved, that [4032]my palladium, my
breastplate, my buckler, with which I ward all injuries, offences,
lies, slanders; I lean upon that stake of modesty, so receive and break
asunder all that foolish force of liver and spleen. And whosoever he is
that shall observe these short instructions, without all question he
shall much ease and benefit himself.
In fine, if princes would do justice, judges be upright, clergymen
truly devout, and so live as they teach, if great men would not be so
insolent, if soldiers would quietly defend us, the poor would be
patient, rich men. would be liberal and humble, citizens honest,
magistrates meek, superiors would give good example, subjects
peaceable, young men would stand in awe: if parents would be kind to
their children, and they again obedient to their parents, brethren
agree amongst themselves, enemies be reconciled, servants trusty to
their masters, virgins chaste, wives modest, husbands would be loving
and less jealous: if we could imitate Christ and his apostles, live
after God's laws, these mischiefs would not so frequently happen
amongst us; but being most part so irreconcilable as we are, perverse,
proud, insolent, factious, and malicious, prone to contention, anger
and revenge, of such fiery spirits, so captious, impious, irreligious,
so opposite to virtue, void of grace, how should it otherwise be? Many
men are very testy by nature, apt to mistake, apt to quarrel, apt to
provoke and misinterpret to the worst, everything that is said or done,
and thereupon heap unto themselves a great deal of trouble, and
disquietness to others, smatterers in other men's matters,
tale-bearers, whisperers, liars, they cannot speak in season, or hold
their tongues when they should, [4033]Et suam partem itidem tacere cum
aliena est oratio: they will speak more than comes to their shares, in
all companies, and by those bad courses accumulate much evil to their
own souls (qui contendit, sibi convicium facit) their life is a
perpetual brawl, they snarl like so many dogs, with their wives,
children, servants, neighbours, and all the rest of their friends, they
can agree with nobody. But to such as are judicious, meek, submissive,
and quiet, these matters are easily remedied: they will forbear upon
all such occasions, neglect, contemn, or take no notice of them,
dissemble, or wisely turn it off. If it be a natural impediment, as a
red nose, squint eyes, crooked legs, or any such imperfection,
infirmity, disgrace, reproach, the best way is to speak of it first
thyself, [4034]and so thou shalt surely take away all occasions from
others to jest at, or contemn, that they may perceive thee to be
careless of it. Vatinius was wont to scoff at his own deformed feet, to
prevent his enemies' obloquies and sarcasms in that kind; or else by
prevention, as Cotys, king of Thrace, that brake a company of fine
glasses presented to him, with his own hands, lest he should be
overmuch moved when they were broken by chance. And sometimes again, so
that it be discreetly and moderately done, it shall not be amiss to
make resistance, to take down such a saucy companion, no better means
to vindicate himself to purchase final peace: for he that suffers
himself to be ridden, or through pusillanimity or sottishness will let
every man baffle him, shall be a common laughing stock to flout at. As
a cur that goes through a village, if he clap his tail between his
legs, and run away, every cur will insult over him: but if he bristle
up himself, and stand to it, give but a counter-snarl, there's not a
dog dares meddle with him: much is in a man's courage and discreet
carriage of himself.
Many other grievances there are, which happen to mortals in this life,
from friends, wives, children, servants, masters, companions,
neighbours, our own defaults, ignorance, errors, intemperance,
indiscretion, infirmities, &c., and many good remedies to mitigate and
oppose them, many divine precepts to counterpoise our hearts, special
antidotes both in Scriptures and human authors, which, whoso will
observe, shall purchase much ease and quietness unto himself: I will
point out a few. Those prophetical, apostolical admonitions are well
known to all; what Solomon, Siracides, our Saviour Christ himself hath
said tending to this purpose, as fear God: obey the prince: be sober
and watch: pray continually: be angry but sin not: remember thy last:
fashion not yourselves to this world, &c., apply yourselves to the
times: strive not with a mighty man: recompense good for evil, let
nothing be done through contention or vainglory, but with meekness of
mind, every man esteeming of others better than himself: love one
another; or that epitome of the law and the prophets, which our Saviour
inculcates, love God above all, thy neighbour as thyself: and
whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, so do unto them,
which Alexander Severus writ in letters of gold, and used as a motto,
[4035] Hierom commends to Celantia as an excellent way, amongst so many
enticements and worldly provocations, to rectify her life. Out of human
authors take these few cautions, [4036]know thyself. [4037]Be contented
with thy lot. [4038]Trust not wealth, beauty, nor parasites, they will
bring thee to destruction. [4039]Have peace with all men, war with
vice. [4040]Be not idle. [4041]Look before you leap. [4042]Beware of
'had I wist.' [4043]Honour thy parents, speak well of friends. Be
temperate in four things, lingua, locis, oculis, et poculis. Watch
thine eye.[4044] Moderate thine expenses. Hear much, speak little,
[4045]sustine et abstine. If thou seest ought amiss in another, mend it
in thyself. Keep thine own counsel, reveal not thy secrets, be silent
in thine intentions. [4046]Give not ear to tale-tellers, babblers, be
not scurrilous in conversation: [4047]jest without bitterness: give no
man cause of offence: set thine house in order: [4048]take heed of
suretyship. [4049]Fide et diffide, as a fox on the ice, take heed whom
you trust. [4050]Live not beyond thy means. [4051]Give cheerfully. Pay
thy dues willingly. Be not a slave to thy money; [4052]omit not
occasion, embrace opportunity, lose no time. Be humble to thy
superiors, respective to thine equals, affable to all, [4053]but not
familiar. Flatter no man. [4054]Lie not, dissemble not. Keep thy word
and promise, be constant in a good resolution. Speak truth. Be not
opiniative, maintain no factions. Lay no wagers, make no comparisons.
[4055]Find no faults, meddle not with other men's matters. Admire not
thyself. [4056]Be not proud or popular. Insult not. Fortunam reverentur
habe. [4057]Fear not that which cannot be avoided. [4058] Grieve not
for that which cannot be recalled. [4059]Undervalue not thyself.
[4060]Accuse no man, commend no man rashly. Go not to law without great
cause. Strive not with a greater man. Cast not off an old friend, take
heed of a reconciled enemy. [4061]If thou come as a guest stay not too
long. Be not unthankful. Be meek, merciful, and patient. Do good to
all. Be not fond of fair words. [4062]Be not a neuter in a faction;
moderate thy passions. [4063]Think no place without a witness. [4064]
Admonish thy friend in secret, commend him in public. Keep good
company. [4065]Love others to be beloved thyself. Ama tanquam osurus.
Amicus tardo fias. Provide for a tempest. Noli irritare crabrones. Do
not prostitute thy soul for gain. Make not a fool of thyself to make
others merry. Marry not an old crony or a fool for money. Be not over
solicitous or curious. Seek that which may be found. Seem not greater
than thou art. Take thy pleasure soberly. Ocymum ne terito. [4066]Live
merrily as thou canst. [4067]Take heed by other men's examples. Go as
thou wouldst be met, sit as thou wouldst be found, [4068]yield to the
time, follow the stream. Wilt thou live free from fears and cares?
[4069]Live innocently, keep thyself upright, thou needest no other
keeper, &c. Look for more in Isocrates, Seneca, Plutarch, Epictetus,
&c., and for defect, consult with cheese-trenchers and painted cloths.
MEMB. VIII.
_Against Melancholy itself_.
Every man, saith [4070]Seneca, thinks his own burthen the heaviest, and
a melancholy man above all others complains most; weariness of life,
abhorring all company and light, fear, sorrow, suspicion, anguish of
mind, bashfulness, and those other dread symptoms of body and mind,
must needs aggravate this misery; yet compared to other maladies, they
are not so heinous as they be taken. For first this disease is either
in habit or disposition, curable or incurable. If new and in
disposition, 'tis commonly pleasant, and it may be helped. If
inveterate, or a habit, yet they have lucida intervalla, sometimes
well, and sometimes ill; or if more continuate, as the [4071]Vejentes
were to the Romans, 'tis hostis magis assiduus quam gravis, a more
durable enemy than dangerous: and amongst many inconveniences, some
comforts are annexed to it. First it is not catching, and as Erasmus
comforted himself, when he was grievously sick of the stone, though it
was most troublesome, and an intolerable pain to him, yet it was no
whit offensive to others, not loathsome to the spectators, ghastly,
fulsome, terrible, as plagues, apoplexies, leprosies, wounds, sores,
tetters, pox, pestilent agues are, which either admit of no company,
terrify or offend those that are present. In this malady, that which
is, is wholly to themselves: and those symptoms not so dreadful, if
they be compared to the opposite extremes. They are most part bashful,
suspicious, solitary, &c., therefore no such ambitious, impudent
intruders as some are, no sharkers, no cony-catchers, no prowlers, no
smell-feasts, praters, panders, parasites, bawds, drunkards,
whoremasters; necessity and defect compel them to be honest; as Mitio
told Demea in the [4072]comedy,
Haec si neque ego neque tu fecimus,
Non sinit egestas facere nos.
If we be honest 'twas poverty made us so: if we melancholy men be not
as bad as he that is worst, 'tis our dame melancholy kept us so: Non
deerat voluntas sed facultas. [4073]
Besides they are freed in this from many other infirmities,
solitariness makes them more apt to contemplate, suspicion wary, which
is a necessary humour in these times, [4074]Nam pol que maxime cavet,
is saepe cautor captus est, he that takes most heed, is often
circumvented, and overtaken. Fear and sorrow keep them temperate and
sober, and free them from any dissolute acts, which jollity and
boldness thrust men upon: they are therefore no sicarii, roaring boys,
thieves or assassins. As they are soon dejected, so they are as soon,
by soft words and good persuasions, reared. Wearisomeness of life makes
them they are not so besotted on the transitory vain pleasures of the
world. If they dote in one thing, they are wise and well understanding
in most other. If it be inveterate, they are insensati, most part
doting, or quite mad, insensible of any wrongs, ridiculous to others,
but most happy and secure to themselves. Dotage is a state which many
much magnify and commend: so is simplicity, and folly, as he said,
[4075]sic hic furor o superi, sit mihi perpetuus. Some think fools and
dizzards live the merriest lives, as Ajax in Sophocles, Nihil scire
vita jucundissima, 'tis the pleasantest life to know nothing; iners
malorum remedium ignorantia, ignorance is a downright remedy of evils.
These curious arts and laborious sciences, Galen's, Tully's,
Aristotle's, Justinian's, do but trouble the world some think; we might
live better with that illiterate Virginian simplicity, and gross
ignorance; entire idiots do best, they are not macerated with cares,
tormented with fears, and anxiety, as other wise men are: for as
[4076]he said, if folly were a pain, you should hear them howl, roar,
and cry out in every house, as you go by in the street, but they are
most free, jocund, and merry, and in some [4077]countries, as amongst
the Turks, honoured for saints, and abundantly maintained out of the
common stock. [4078]They are no dissemblers, liars, hypocrites, for
fools and madmen tell commonly truth. In a word, as they are
distressed, so are they pitied, which some hold better than to be
envied, better to be sad than merry, better to be foolish and quiet,
quam sapere et ringi, to be wise and still vexed; better to be
miserable than happy: of two extremes it is the best.
SECT. IV. MEMB. I.
SUBSECT. I.—_Of Physic which cureth with Medicines_.