The Anatomy of Melancholy Part 20

These four pa.s.sions [1631]Bernard compares "to the wheels of a chariot, by which we are carried in this world." All other pa.s.sions are subordinate unto these four, or six, as some will: love, joy, desire, hatred, sorrow, fear; the rest, as anger, envy, emulation, pride, jealousy, anxiety, mercy, shame, discontent, despair, ambition, avarice, &c., are reducible unto the first; and if they be immoderate, they [1632]consume the spirits, and melancholy is especially caused by them. Some few discreet men there are, that can govern themselves, and curb in these inordinate affections, by religion, philosophy, and such divine precepts, of meekness, patience, and the like; but most part for want of government, out of indiscretion, ignorance, they suffer themselves wholly to be led by sense, and are so far from repressing rebellious inclinations, that they give all encouragement unto them, leaving the reins, and using all provocations to further them: bad by nature, worse by art, discipline, [1633]custom, education, and a perverse will of their own, they follow on, wheresoever their unbridled affections will transport them, and do more out of custom, self-will, than out of reason. _Contumax voluntas_, as Melancthon calls it, _malum facit_: this stubborn will of ours perverts judgment, which sees and knows what should and ought to be done, and yet will not do it. _Mancipia gulae_, slaves to their several l.u.s.ts and appet.i.te, they precipitate and plunge [1634]themselves into a labyrinth of cares, blinded with l.u.s.t, blinded with ambition; [1635]"They seek that at G.o.d's hands which they may give unto themselves, if they could but refrain from those cares and perturbations, wherewith they continually macerate their minds." But giving way to these violent pa.s.sions of fear, grief, shame, revenge, hatred, malice, &c., they are torn in pieces, as Actaeon was with his dogs, and [1636]crucify their own souls.

SUBSECT. IV.--_Sorrow a Cause of Melancholy_.

_Sorrow. Insa.n.u.s dolor_.] In this catalogue of pa.s.sions, which so much torment the soul of man, and cause this malady, (for I will briefly speak of them all, and in their order,) the first place in this irascible appet.i.te, may justly be challenged by sorrow. An inseparable companion, [1637]"The mother and daughter of melancholy, her epitome, symptom, and chief cause:" as Hippocrates hath it, they beget one another, and tread in a ring, for sorrow is both cause and symptom of this disease. How it is a symptom shall be shown in its place. That it is a cause all the world acknowledgeth, _Dolor nonnullis insaniae causa fuit, et aliorum morborum insanabilium_, saith Plutarch to Apollonius; a cause of madness, a cause of many other diseases, a sole cause of this mischief, [1638]Lemnius calls it.

So doth Rhasis, _cont. l. 1. tract. 9._ Guianerius, _Tract. 15. c. 5_, And if it take root once, it ends in despair, as [1639]Felix Plater observes, and as in [1640]Cebes' table, may well be coupled with it.

[1641]Chrysostom, in his seventeenth epistle to Olympia, describes it to be "a cruel torture of the soul, a most inexplicable grief, poisoned worm, consuming body and soul, and gnawing the very heart, a perpetual executioner, continual night, profound darkness, a whirlwind, a tempest, an ague not appearing, heating worse than any fire, and a battle that hath no end. It crucifies worse than any tyrant; no torture, no strappado, no bodily punishment is like unto it." 'Tis the eagle without question which the poets feigned to gnaw [1642]Prometheus' heart, and "no heaviness is like unto the heaviness of the heart," Eccles. xxv. 15, 16. [1643]"Every perturbation is a misery, but grief a cruel torment," a domineering pa.s.sion: as in old Rome, when the Dictator was created, all inferior magistracies ceased; when grief appears, all other pa.s.sions vanish. "It dries up the bones," saith Solomon, cap. 17. Prov., makes them hollow-eyed, pale, and lean, furrow-faced, to have dead looks, wrinkled brows, shrivelled cheeks, dry bodies, and quite perverts their temperature that are misaffected with it. As Eleonara, that exiled mournful d.u.c.h.ess (in our [1644]English Ovid), laments to her n.o.ble husband Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester,

"Sawest thou those eyes in whose sweet cheerful look Duke Humphrey once such joy and pleasure took, Sorrow hath so despoil'd me of all grace, Thou couldst not say this was my Elnor's face.

Like a foul Gorgon," &c.

[1645]"It hinders concoction, refrigerates the heart, takes away stomach, colour, and sleep, thickens the blood," ([1646]Fernelius, _l. 1. c. 18. de morb. causis_,) "contaminates the spirits." ([1647]Piso.) Overthrows the natural heat, perverts the good estate of body and mind, and makes them weary of their lives, cry out, howl and roar for very anguish of their souls. David confessed as much, Psalm x.x.xviii. 8, "I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart." And Psalm cxix. 4, part 4 v. "My soul melteth away for very heaviness," v. 38. "I am like a bottle in the smoke."

Antiochus complained that he could not sleep, and that his heart fainted for grief, [1648]Christ himself, _vir dolorum_, out of an apprehension of grief, did sweat blood, Mark xiv. "His soul was heavy to the death, and no sorrow was like unto his." Crato, _consil. 24. l. 2_, gives instance in one that was so melancholy by reason of [1649]grief; and Monta.n.u.s, _consil.

30_, in a n.o.ble matron, [1650]"that had no other cause of this mischief."

I. S. D. in Hildesheim, fully cured a patient of his that was much troubled with melancholy, and for many years, [1651]"but afterwards, by a little occasion of sorrow, he fell into his former fits, and was tormented as before." Examples are common, how it causeth melancholy, [1652]desperation, and sometimes death itself; for (Eccles. x.x.xviii. 15,) "Of heaviness comes death; worldly sorrow causeth death." 2 Cor. vii. 10, Psalm x.x.xi. 10, "My life is wasted with heaviness, and my years with mourning." Why was Hecuba said to be turned to a dog? Niobe into a stone? but that for grief she was senseless and stupid. Severus the Emperor [1653] died for grief; and how [1654]many myriads besides? _Tanta illi est feritas, tanta est insania luctus_. [1655]Melancthon gives a reason of it, [1656]"the gathering of much melancholy blood about the heart, which collection extinguisheth the good spirits, or at least dulleth them, sorrow strikes the heart, makes it tremble and pine away, with great pain; and the black blood drawn from the spleen, and diffused under the ribs, on the left side, makes those perilous hypochondriacal convulsions, which happen to them that are troubled with sorrow."

SUBSECT. V.--_Fear, a Cause_.

Cousin german to sorrow, is fear, or rather a sister, _fidus Achates_, and continual companion, an a.s.sistant and a princ.i.p.al agent in procuring of this mischief; a cause and symptom as the other. In a word, as [1657]

Virgil of the Harpies, I may justly say of them both,

"Tristius haud illis monstrum, nec saevior ulla Pestis et ira Deum stygiis sese extulit undis."

"A sadder monster, or more cruel plague so fell, Or vengeance of the G.o.ds, ne'er came from Styx or h.e.l.l."

This foul fiend of fear was wors.h.i.+pped heretofore as a G.o.d by the Lacedaemonians, and most of those other torturing [1658]affections, and so was sorrow amongst the rest, under the name of Angerona Dea, they stood in such awe of them, as Austin, _de Civitat. Dei, lib. 4. cap. 8_, noteth out of Varro, fear was commonly [1659]adored and painted in their temples with a lion's head; and as Macrobius records, _l. 10. Saturnalium_; [1660]"In the calends of January, Angerona had her holy day, to whom in the temple of Volupia, or G.o.ddess of pleasure, their augurs and bishops did yearly sacrifice; that, being propitious to them, she might expel all cares, anguish, and vexation of the mind for that year following." Many lamentable effects this fear causeth in men, as to be red, pale, tremble, sweat, [1661]it makes sudden cold and heat to come over all the body, palpitation of the heart, syncope, &c. It amazeth many men that are to speak, or show themselves in public a.s.semblies, or before some great personages, as Tully confessed of himself, that he trembled still at the beginning of his speech; and Demosthenes, that great orator of Greece, before Philippus. It confounds voice and memory, as Lucian wittily brings in Jupiter Tragoedus, so much afraid of his auditory, when he was to make a speech to the rest of the G.o.ds, that he could not utter a ready word, but was compelled to use Mercury's help in prompting. Many men are so amazed and astonished with fear, they know not where they are, what they say, [1662]what they do, and that which is worst, it tortures them many days before with continual affrights and suspicion. It hinders most honourable attempts, and makes their hearts ache, sad and heavy. They that live in fear are never free, [1663]resolute, secure, never merry, but in continual pain: that, as Vives truly said, _Nulla est miseria major quam metus_, no greater misery, no rack, nor torture like unto it, ever suspicious, anxious, solicitous, they are childishly drooping without reason, without judgment, [1664]"especially if some terrible object be offered," as Plutarch hath it. It causeth oftentimes sudden madness, and almost all manner of diseases, as I have sufficiently ill.u.s.trated in my [1665] digression of the force of imagination, and shall do more at large in my section of [1666]terrors.

Fear makes our imagination conceive what it list, invites the devil to come to us, as [1667]Agrippa and Cardan avouch, and tyranniseth over our phantasy more than all other affections, especially in the dark. We see this verified in most men, as [1668]Lavater saith, _Quae metuunt, fingunt_; what they fear they conceive, and feign unto themselves; they think they see goblins, hags, devils, and many times become melancholy thereby.

Cardan, _subtil. lib. 18_, hath an example of such an one, so caused to be melancholy (by sight of a bugbear) all his life after. Augustus Caesar durst not sit in the dark, _nisi aliquo a.s.sidente_, saith [1669]Suetonius, _Nunquam tenebris exigilavit_. And 'tis strange what women and children will conceive unto themselves, if they go over a churchyard in the night, lie, or be alone in a dark room, how they sweat and tremble on a sudden.

Many men are troubled with future events, foreknowledge of their fortunes, destinies, as Severus the Emperor, Adrian and Domitian, _Quod sciret ultimum vitae diem_, saith Suetonius, _valde solicitus_, much tortured in mind because he foreknew his end; with many such, of which I shall speak more opportunely in another place.[1670] Anxiety, mercy, pity, indignation, &c., and such fearful branches derived from these two stems of fear and sorrow, I voluntarily omit; read more of them in [1671]Carolus Pascalius, [1672]Dandinus, &c.

SUBSECT. VI.--_Shame and Disgrace, Causes_.

Shame and disgrace cause most violent pa.s.sions and bitter pangs. _Ob pudorem et dedecus public.u.m, ob errorum commissum saepe moventur generosi animi_ (Felix Plater, _lib. 3. de alienat mentis_.) Generous minds are often moved with shame, to despair for some public disgrace. And he, saith Philo, _lib. 2. de provid. dei_, [1673]"that subjects himself to fear, grief, ambition, shame, is not happy, but altogether miserable, tortured with continual labour, care, and misery." It is as forcible a batterer as any of the rest: [1674]"Many men neglect the tumults of the world, and care not for glory, and yet they are afraid of infamy, repulse, disgrace,"

(_Tul. offic. l. 1_,) "they can severely contemn pleasure, bear grief indifferently, but they are quite [1675]battered and broken, with reproach and obloquy:" (_siquidem vita et fama pari pa.s.su ambulant_) and are so dejected many times for some public injury, disgrace, as a box on the ear by their inferior, to be overcome of their adversary, foiled in the field, to be out in a speech, some foul fact committed or disclosed, &c. that they dare not come abroad all their lives after, but melancholise in corners, and keep in holes. The most generous spirits are most subject to it; _Spiritus altos frangit et generosos_: Hieronymus. Aristotle, because he could not understand the motion of Euripus, for grief and shame drowned himself: Caelius Rodigimus _antiquar. lec. lib. 29. cap. 8._ _Homerus pudore consumptus_, was swallowed up with this pa.s.sion of shame [1676]

"because he could not unfold the fisherman's riddle." Sophocles killed himself, [1677]"for that a tragedy of his was hissed off the stage:"

_Valer. max. lib. 9. cap. 12._ Lucretia stabbed herself, and so did [1678]Cleopatra, "when she saw that she was reserved for a triumph, to avoid the infamy." Antonius the Roman, [1679]"after he was overcome of his enemy, for three days' s.p.a.ce sat solitary in the fore-part of the s.h.i.+p, abstaining from all company, even of Cleopatra herself, and afterwards for very shame butchered himself," Plutarch, _vita ejus_. Apollonius Rhodius [1680]"wilfully banished himself, forsaking his country, and all his dear friends, because he was out in reciting his poems," Plinius, _lib. 7. cap.

23._ Ajax ran mad, because his arms were adjudged to Ulysses. In China 'tis an ordinary thing for such as are excluded in those famous trials of theirs, or should take degrees, for shame and grief to lose their wits, [1681]Mat Riccius _expedit. ad Sinas, l. 3. c. 9._ Hostratus the friar took that book which Reuclin had writ against him, under the name of _Epist.

obscurorum virorum_, so to heart, that for shame and grief he made away with himself, [1682]_Jovius in elogiis_. A grave and learned minister, and an ordinary preacher at Alcmar in Holland, was (one day as he walked in the fields for his recreation) suddenly taken with a lax or looseness, and thereupon compelled to retire to the next ditch; but being [1683]surprised at unawares, by some gentlewomen of his parish wandering that way, was so abashed, that he did never after show his head in public, or come into the pulpit, but pined away with melancholy: (Pet. Forestus _med. observat. lib.

10. observat. 12._) So shame amongst other pa.s.sions can play his prize.

I know there be many base, impudent, brazenfaced rogues, that will [1684]

_Nulla pallescere culpa_, be moved with nothing, take no infamy or disgrace to heart, laugh at all; let them be proved perjured, stigmatised, convict rogues, thieves, traitors, lose their ears, be whipped, branded, carted, pointed at, hissed, reviled, and derided with [1685]Ballio the Bawd in Plautus, they rejoice at it, _Cantores probos_; "babe and Bombax," what care they? We have too many such in our times,

------"Exclamat Melicerta perisse ------Frontem de rebus."[1686]

Yet a modest man, one that hath grace, a generous spirit, tender of his reputation, will be deeply wounded, and so grievously affected with it, that he had rather give myriads of crowns, lose his life, than suffer the least defamation of honour, or blot in his good name. And if so be that he cannot avoid it, as a nightingale, _Que cantando victa moritur_, (saith [1687]Mizaldus,) dies for shame if another bird sing better, he languisheth and pineth away in the anguish of his spirit.

SUBSECT. VII.--_Envy, Malice, Hatred, Causes_.

Envy and malice are two links of this chain, and both, as Guianerius, _Tract. 15. cap. 2_, proves out of Galen, _3 Aphorism, com. 22_, [1688]

"cause this malady by themselves, especially if their bodies be otherwise disposed to melancholy." 'Tis Valescus de Taranta, and Felix Platerus'

observation, [1689]"Envy so gnaws many men's hearts, that they become altogether melancholy." And therefore belike Solomon, Prov. xiv. 13, calls it, "the rotting of the bones," Cyprian, _vulnus occultum_;

[1690] ------"Siculi non invenere tyranni Majus tormentum"------

The Sicilian tyrants never invented the like torment. It crucifies their souls, withers their bodies, makes them hollow-eyed, [1691]pale, lean, and ghastly to behold, Cyprian, _ser. 2. de zelo et livore_. [1692]"As a moth gnaws a garment, so," saith Chrysostom, "doth envy consume a man;" to be a living anatomy: a "skeleton, to be a lean and [1693]pale carca.s.s, quickened with a [1694]fiend", Hall _in Charact._ for so often as an envious wretch sees another man prosper, to be enriched, to thrive, and be fortunate in the world, to get honours, offices, or the like, he repines and grieves.

[1695] ------"intabescitque videndo Successus hominum--suppliciumque suum est."

He tortures himself if his equal, friend, neighbour, be preferred, commended, do well; if he understand of it, it galls him afresh; and no greater pain can come to him than to hear of another man's well-doing; 'tis a dagger at his heart every such object. He looks at him as they that fell down in Lucian's rock of honour, with an envious eye, and will damage himself, to do another a mischief: _Atque cadet subito, dum super hoste cadat_. As he did in Aesop, lose one eye willingly, that his fellow might lose both, or that rich man in [1696]Quintilian that poisoned the flowers in his garden, because his neighbour's bees should get no more honey from them. His whole life is sorrow, and every word he speaks a satire: nothing fats him but other men's ruins. For to speak in a word, envy is nought else but _Trist.i.tia de bonis alienis_, sorrow for other men's good, be it present, past, or to come: _et gaudium de adversis_, and [1697]joy at their harms, opposite to mercy, [1698]which grieves at other men's mischances, and misaffects the body in another kind; so Damascen defines it, _lib. 2.

de orthod. fid._ Thomas, _2. 2. quaest. 36. art. 1._ Aristotle, _l. 2.

Rhet. c. 4. et 10._ Plato _Philebo_. Tully, _3. Tusc_. Greg. Nic. _l. de virt. animae, c. 12._ Basil, _de Invidia_. Pindarus _Od. 1. ser. 5_, and we find it true. 'Tis a common disease, and almost natural to us, as [1699]Tacitus holds, to envy another man's prosperity. And 'tis in most men an incurable disease. [1700]"I have read," saith Marcus Aurelius, "Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee authors; I have consulted with many wise men for a remedy for envy, I could find none, but to renounce all happiness, and to be a wretch, and miserable for ever." 'Tis the beginning of h.e.l.l in this life, and a pa.s.sion not to be excused. [1701]"Every other sin hath some pleasure annexed to it, or will admit of an excuse; envy alone wants both. Other sins last but for awhile; the gut may be satisfied, anger remits, hatred hath an end, envy never ceaseth." Cardan, _lib. 2. de sap._ Divine and humane examples are very familiar; you may run and read them, as that of Saul and David, Cain and Abel, _angebat illum non proprium peccatum, sed fratris prosperitas_, saith Theodoret, it was his brother's good fortune galled him. Rachel envied her sister, being barren, Gen. x.x.x. Joseph's brethren him, Gen. x.x.xvii. David had a touch of this vice, as he confesseth, [1702]Psal. 37. [1703]Jeremy and [1704]Habakkuk, they repined at others' good, but in the end they corrected themselves, Psal. 75, "fret not thyself," &c. Domitian spited Agricola for his worth, [1705]"that a private man should be so much glorified." [1706]Cecinna was envied of his fellow-citizens, because he was more richly adorned. But of all others, [1707]women are most weak, _ob pulchritudinem invidae sunt foeminae (Musaeus) aut amat, aut odit, nihil est tertium (Granatensis.)_ They love or hate, no medium amongst them. _Implacabiles plerumque laesae mulieres_, Agrippina like, [1708]"A woman, if she see her neighbour more neat or elegant, richer in tires, jewels, or apparel, is enraged, and like a lioness sets upon her husband, rails at her, scoffs at her, and cannot abide her;" so the Roman ladies in Tacitus did at Solonina, Cecinna's wife, [1709]"because she had a better horse, and better furniture, as if she had hurt them with it; they were much offended." In like sort our gentlewomen do at their usual meetings, one repines or scoffs at another's bravery and happiness. Myrsine, an Attic wench, was murdered of her fellows, [1710]

"because she did excel the rest in beauty," Constantine, _Agricult. l. 11.

c. 7._ Every village will yield such examples.

SUBSECT. VIII.--_Emulation, Hatred, Faction, Desire of Revenge, Causes_.

Out of this root of envy [1711]spring those feral branches of faction, hatred, livor, emulation, which cause the like grievances, and are, _serrae animae_, the saws of the soul, [1712]_consternationis pleni affectus_, affections full of desperate amazement; or as Cyprian describes emulation, it is [1713]"a moth of the soul, a consumption, to make another man's happiness his misery, to torture, crucify, and execute himself, to eat his own heart. Meat and drink can do such men no good, they do always grieve, sigh, and groan, day and night without intermission, their breast is torn asunder:" and a little after, [1714]"Whomsoever he is whom thou dost emulate and envy, he may avoid thee, but thou canst neither avoid him nor thyself; wheresoever thou art he is with thee, thine enemy is ever in thy breast, thy destruction is within thee, thou art a captive, bound hand and foot, as long as thou art malicious and envious, and canst not be comforted. It was the devil's overthrow;" and whensoever thou art thoroughly affected with this pa.s.sion, it will be thine. Yet no perturbation so frequent, no pa.s.sion so common.

[1715] "[Greek: kai kerameus keramei koteei kai tektoni tekton, kai ptochos ptochoi phthoneei kai aoidos aoido.]"

"A potter emulates a potter: One smith envies another: A beggar emulates a beggar; A singing man his brother."

Every society, corporation, and private family is full of it, it takes hold almost of all sorts of men, from the prince to the ploughman, even amongst gossips it is to be seen, scarce three in a company but there is siding, faction, emulation, between two of them, some _simultas_, jar, private grudge, heart-burning in the midst of them. Scarce two gentlemen dwell together in the country, (if they be not near kin or linked in marriage) but there is emulation betwixt them and their servants, some quarrel or some grudge betwixt their wives or children, friends and followers, some contention about wealth, gentry, precedency, &c., by means of which, like the frog in [1716]Aesop, "that would swell till she was as big as an ox, burst herself at last;" they will stretch beyond their fortunes, callings, and strive so long that they consume their substance in lawsuits, or otherwise in hospitality, feasting, fine clothes, to get a few bombast t.i.tles, for _ambitiosa paupertate laboramus omnes_, to outbrave one another, they will tire their bodies, macerate their souls, and through contentions or mutual invitations beggar themselves. Scarce two great scholars in an age, but with bitter invectives they fall foul one on the other, and their adherents; Scotists, Thomists, Reals, Nominals, Plato and Aristotle, Galenists and Paracelsians, &c., it holds in all professions.

Honest [1717]emulation in studies, in all callings is not to be disliked, 'tis _ingeniorum cos_, as one calls it, the whetstone of wit, the nurse of wit and valour, and those n.o.ble Romans out of this spirit did brave exploits. There is a modest ambition, as Themistocles was roused up with the glory of Miltiades; Achilles' trophies moved Alexander,

[1718] "Ambire semper stulta confidentia est, Ambire nunquam deses arrogantia est."

'Tis a sluggish humour not to emulate or to sue at all, to withdraw himself, neglect, refrain from such places, honours, offices, through sloth, n.i.g.g.ardliness, fear, bashfulness, or otherwise, to which by his birth, place, fortunes, education, he is called, apt, fit, and well able to undergo; but when it is immoderate, it is a plague and a miserable pain.

What a deal of money did Henry VIII. and Francis I. king of France, spend at that [1719]famous interview? and how many vain courtiers, seeking each to outbrave other, spent themselves, their livelihood and fortunes, and died beggars? [1720]Adrian the Emperor was so galled with it, that he killed all his equals; so did Nero. This pa.s.sion made [1721]Dionysius the tyrant banish Plato and Philoxenus the poet, because they did excel and eclipse his glory, as he thought; the Romans exile Coriola.n.u.s, confine Camillus, murder Scipio; the Greeks by ostracism to expel Aristides, Nicias, Alcibiades, imprison Theseus, make away Phocion, &c. When Richard I. and Philip of France were fellow soldiers together, at the siege of Acon in the Holy Land, and Richard had approved himself to be the more valiant man, insomuch that all men's eyes were upon him, it so galled Philip, _Franc.u.m urebat Regis victoria_, saith mine [1722]author, _tam aegre ferebat Richardi gloriam, ut carpere dicta, calumniari facta_; that he cavilled at all his proceedings, and fell at length to open defiance; he could contain no longer, but hasting home, invaded his territories, and professed open war. "Hatred stirs up contention," Prov. x. 12, and they break out at last into immortal enmity, into virulency, and more than Vatinian hate and rage; [1723]they persecute each other, their friends, followers, and all their posterity, with bitter taunts, hostile wars, scurrile invectives, libels, calumnies, fire, sword, and the like, and will not be reconciled. Witness that Guelph and Ghibelline faction in Italy; that of the Adurni and Fregosi in Genoa; that of Cneius Papirius, and Quintus Fabius in Rome; Caesar and Pompey; Orleans and Burgundy in France; York and Lancaster in England: yea, this pa.s.sion so rageth [1724]many times, that it subverts not men only, and families, but even populous cities. [1725]Carthage and Corinth can witness as much, nay, flouris.h.i.+ng kingdoms are brought into a wilderness by it. This hatred, malice, faction, and desire of revenge, invented first all those racks and wheels, strappadoes, brazen bulls, feral engines, prisons, inquisitions, severe laws to macerate and torment one another. How happy might we be, and end our time with blessed days and sweet content, if we could contain ourselves, and, as we ought to do, put up injuries, learn humility, meekness, patience, forget and forgive, as in [1726]G.o.d's word we are enjoined, compose such final controversies amongst ourselves, moderate our pa.s.sions in this kind, "and think better of others," as [1727]Paul would have us, "than of ourselves: be of like affection one towards another, and not avenge ourselves, but have peace with all men." But being that we are so peevish and perverse, insolent and proud, so factious and seditious, so malicious and envious; we do _invicem angariare_, maul and vex one another, torture, disquiet, and precipitate ourselves into that gulf of woes and cares, aggravate our misery and melancholy, heap upon us h.e.l.l and eternal d.a.m.nation.

SUBSECT. IX.--_Anger, a Cause_.

Anger, a perturbation, which carries the spirits outwards, preparing the body to melancholy, and madness itself: _Ira furor brevis est_, "anger is temporary madness;" and as [1728]Picolomineus accounts it, one of the three most violent pa.s.sions. [1729]Areteus sets it down for an especial cause (so doth Seneca, _ep. 18. l. 1_,) of this malady. [1730]Magninus gives the reason, _Ex frequenti ira supra modum calefiunt_; it overheats their bodies, and if it be too frequent, it breaks out into manifest madness, saith St. Ambrose. 'Tis a known saying, _Furor fit Iaesa saepius palienlia_, the most patient spirit that is, if he be often provoked, will be incensed to madness; it will make a devil of a saint: and therefore Basil (belike) in his Homily _de Ira_, calls it _tenebras rationis, morb.u.m animae, et daemonem pessimum_; the darkening of our understanding, and a bad angel. [1731]Lucian, _in Abdicato, tom. 1_, will have this pa.s.sion to work this effect, especially in old men and women. "Anger and calumny"

(saith he) "trouble them at first, and after a while break out into madness: many things cause fury in women, especially if they love or hate overmuch, or envy, be much grieved or angry; these things by little and little lead them on to this malady." From a disposition they proceed to an habit, for there is no difference between a mad man, and an angry man, in the time of his fit; anger, as Lactantius describes it, _L. de Ira Dei, ad Donatum, c. 5_, is [1732]_saeva animi tempestas_, &c., a cruel tempest of the mind; "making his eye sparkle fire, and stare, teeth gnash in his head, his tongue stutter, his face pale, or red, and what more filthy imitation can be of a mad man?"

[1733] "Ora tument ira, fervesc.u.n.t sanguine venae, Lumina Gorgonio saevius angue micant."

They are void of reason, inexorable, blind, like beasts and monsters for the time, say and do they know not what, curse, swear, rail, fight, and what not? How can a mad man do more? as he said in the comedy, [1734]

_Iracundia non sum apud me_, I am not mine own man. If these fits be immoderate, continue long, or be frequent, without doubt they provoke madness. Monta.n.u.s, _consil. 21_, had a melancholy Jew to his patient, he ascribes this for a princ.i.p.al cause: _Irascebatur levibus de causis_, he was easily moved to anger. Ajax had no other beginning of his madness; and Charles the Sixth, that lunatic French king, fell into this misery, out of the extremity of his pa.s.sion, desire of revenge and malice, [1735]incensed against the duke of Britain, he could neither eat, drink, nor sleep for some days together, and in the end, about the calends of July, 1392, he became mad upon his horseback, drawing his sword, striking such as came near him promiscuously, and so continued all the days of his life, Aemil., _lib. 10._ Gal. _hist._ Aegesippus _de exid. urbis Hieros, l. 1. c. 37_, hath such a story of Herod, that out of an angry fit, became mad, [1736]leaping out of his bed, he killed Jossippus, and played many such bedlam pranks, the whole court could not rule him for a long time after: sometimes he was sorry and repented, much grieved for that he had done, _Postquam deferbuit ira_, by and by outrageous again. In hot choleric bodies, nothing so soon causeth madness, as this pa.s.sion of anger, besides many other diseases, as Pelesius observes, _cap. 21. l. 1. de hum. affect.

causis_; _Sanguinem imminuit, fel auget_: and as [1737]Valesius controverts, _Med. controv., lib. 5. contro. 8_, many times kills them quite out. If this were the worst of this pa.s.sion, it were more tolerable, [1738]"but it ruins and subverts whole towns, [1739]cities, families, and kingdoms;" _Nulla pestis humano generi pluris stet.i.t_, saith Seneca, _de Ira, lib. 1._ No plague hath done mankind so much harm. Look into our histories, and you shall almost meet with no other subject, but what a company [1740]of harebrains have done in their rage. We may do well therefore to put this in our procession amongst the rest; "From all blindness of heart, from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy, from envy, hatred and malice, anger, and all such pestiferous perturbations, good Lord deliver us."