with him or them, 'tis for no such respect I shroud my self under his name, but either, in an unknown habit, to assume a little more liberty and freedom of speech, or if you will needs know, for that reason and only respect which Hippocrates relates at large in his epistle to Damegetus, wherein he doth express, how, coming to visit him one day, he found Democritus in his garden at Abdera, in the suburbs, under a shady bower, with a book on his knees, busie at his study, sometime writing, sometime walking. The subject of his book was melancholy and madness: about him lay the carkasses of many several beasts, newly by him cut up and anatomized; not that he did contemn Gods creatures, as he told Hippocrates, but to find out the seat of this atra bilis, or melancholy, whence it proceeds, and how it is engendred in mens bodies, to the intent he might better cure it in himself, by his writings and observations teach others how to prevent and avoid it. Which good intent of his Hippocrates highly commended, Democritus Junior is therefore bold to imitate, and, because he left it imperfect, and it is now lost, quasi succenturiator Democriti, to revive again, prosecute, and finish in this treatise. You have had a reason of the name. If the title and inscription offend your gravity, were it a sufficient justification to accuse others, I could produce many sober treatises, even sermons themselves, which in their fronts carry more phantastical names. Howsoever, it is a kind of policy in these dayes, to prefix a phantastical title to a book which is to be sold: for as larks come down to a day-net, many vain readers will tarry and stand gazing, like silly passengers, at an antick picture in a painter's shop, that will not look at a judicious piece. And indeed, as Scaliger observes, nothing more invites a reader than an argument unlooked for, unthought of, and sells better than a scurrile pamphlet, tum maxime cum novitas excitat palatum. Many men, saith Gellius, are very conceited in their inscriptions, and able, (as Pliny quotes out of Se-, neca) to make him loyter by the way, that went in haste to fetch a mid-wife for his daughter, now ready to lye down. For my part, I have honourable "precedents for this I have done: I will cite one for all, Anthonie Zara Pap. Episc. his S * » Secundum mænia locus erat frondosis populis opacus, vitibusque sponte natis: tenuis prope aqua defluebat, placide murmurans, ubi sedile et domus Democriti conspiciebatur. Ipse composite considebat, super genua volumen habens, et utrinque alia patentia parata, dissectaque animalia cumulatim strata, quorum viscera rimabatur. * Cum mundus extra se sit, et mente captus sit, et nesciat se languere, ut medelam adhibeat. Scaliger, Ep. ad Patisonem. Nibil magis lectorem invitat quam inopinatum argumentum; neque vendibilior merx est quam petulans liber. * Lib. xx. c. 11. Miras sequuntur inscriptionum festivitates. Præfat. Nat. " Ana Hist. Patri obstetricem parturienti filiæ accersenti moram injicere possunt. tomy of Popery. Anatomy of Immortality. Angelus Scalas, Anatomy of Antimony, &c. Anatomy of Wit, in four sections, members, subsections, &c. to be read in our libraries. X If any man except against the matter or manner of treating of this my subject, and will demand a reason of it, I can allege more than one. I write of melancholy, by being busie, to avoid melancholy. There is no greater cause of melancholy than idleness, no better cure than business, as Rhasis holds: and howbeit, stultus labor est ineptiarum, to be busied in toyes is to small purpose, yet hear that divine Seneca, better aliud agere quam nihil, better do to no end, than nothing. I writ therefore, and busied my self in this playing labour, otiosáque diligentiâ ut vitarem torporem feriandi, with Vectius in Macrobius, atque otium in utile verterem negotium; -Simul et jucunda et idonea dicere vitæ, Lectorem delectando simul atque monendo. b To this end I write, like them, saith Lucian, that recite to trces, and declaim to pillars, for want of auditors; as 2 Paulus Ægineta ingenuously confesseth, not that any thing was unknown or omitted, but to exercise my self (which course if some took, I think it would be good for their bodies, and much better for their souls); or peradventure, as others do, for fame to shew my self (Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter). I might be of Thucydides opinion, to know a thing and not to express it, is all one as if he knew it not. When I first took this task in hand, et, quod ait ille, impellente genio negotium suscepi, this I aimed at, vel ut lenirem animum scribendo, to ease my mind by writing, for I had, gravidum cor, fetum caput, a kind of imposthume in my head, which I was very desirous to be unladen of, and could imagine no fitter evacuation than this. Besides, I might not well refrain; for, ubi dolor, ibi digitus, one must needs scratch where it itches. I was not a little offended with this malady, shall I say my mistris melancholy, my Egeria, or my malus genius; and for that cause, as he that is stung with a scorpion, I would expel, clavum clavo, comfort one sorrow with another, idleness with idleness, ut ex viperá theriacum, make an antidote out of that which was the prime cause of my disease. Or as he did, of whom Felix Plater speaks, that thought he had some of Aristophanes frogs in his belly, still crying Brecc' ekex, coax, oop, oop, and for that cause studied physick seven years, and travelled d e * Cont. 1. 4. c. 9. Non est cura melior quam labor. y Hor. 2 Non quod de novo quid addere, aut a veteribus prætermissum, sed propriæ exercitationis caussâ. • Qui novit, neque id quod sentit exprimit, perinde est ac si nesciret. Jovius, Præf. Hist. Erasmus. Otium otio, dolorem dolore, sum solatus. * Observat. 1. 1. g h over most part of Europe, to ease himself; to do my self good, I turned over such physicians as our libraries would afford, or my private friends impart, and have taken this pains. And why not? Cardan professeth he writ his book De consolatione after his sons death, to comfort himself; so did Tully write of the same subject with like intent after his daughters departure, if it be his at least, or some impostors put out in his name, which Lipsius probably suspects. Concerning my self, I can peradventure affirm with Marius in Sallust, that which others hear or read of, I felt and practised my self: they get their knowledge by books, I mine by melancholizing: experto crede Roberto. Something I can speak out of experience, ærumnabilis experientia me docuit; and with her in the poet, Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco. would help others out of a fellow-feeling, and as that vertuous lady did of old, being a leper her self, bestow all her portion to build an hospital for lepers, I will spend my time and knowledge, which are my greatest fortunes, for the common good of all. k in I Yea, but you will inferr that this is1actum agere, an unnecessary work, cramben bis coctam apponere, the same again and again in other words. To what purpose? Nothing is omitted that may well be said: so thought Lucian in the like theam. How many excellent physicians have written just volumes and elaborate tracts of this subject? no news here: that which I have is stoln from others; "dicitque mihi mea pagina, fur es. If that severe doom of Synesius be true, it is a greater offence to steal dead mens labours, than their cloaths, what shall become of most writers? I hold up my hand at the bar amongst others, and am guilty of felony in this kind: habes confitentem reum, I am content to be pressed with the rest. 'Tis most true, tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoëthes; and there is no end of writing of books, as the wise man found of old, in this scribling age especially, wherein the number of books is without number, (as a worthy man saith) presses be oppressed, and out of an itching humour, that every man hath to shew himself, desirous of fame and honour, (scribimus indocti doctique) he will write, no matter what, and scrape together, it boots not whence. 8 M. Joh. Rous. our Protobib. Oxon. Mr. Hopper, Mr. Guthridge, &c. h Quæ illi audire et legere solent, eorum partim vidi egomet, alia gessi: quæ illi literis, ego militando didici. Nunc vos existimate, facta an dicta pluris sint. Virg. i Dido, k Camden, Ipsa elephantiasi correpta elephantiasis hospitium construxit. 1 Iliada post Homerum. Nihil prætermissum quod a quovis dici possit. n Martialis. Magis impium mortuorum lucubrationes quam vestes furari. P Eccl. ult. Libros eunuchi gignunt, steriles pariunt. D. King, præfat. lect. r Jonas, the late right reverend lord bishop of London. ⚫ Homines famelici gloriæ ad ostentationem eruditionis undique congerunt. Buchananus. t X Bewitched with this desire of Jame, etiam mediis in morbis, to the disparagement of their health, and scarce able to hold a pen, they must say something, "and get themselves a name, saith Scaliger, though it be to the down-fall and ruine of many others. To be counted writers, scriptores ut salutentur, to be thought and held Polymathes and Polyhistors, apud imperitum vulgus ob ventosæ nomen artis, to get a paper kingdom: nullâ spe quæstús, sed amplá famæ, in this precipitate, ambitious age, nunc ut est sæculum, inter immaturam eruditionem, ambitiosum et præceps ('tis Scaligers censure) and they that are scarce auditors, vix auditores, must be masters and teachers, before they be capable and fit hearers. They will rush into all learning, togatam, armatam, divine, humane authors, rake over all indexes and pamphlets for notes, as our merchants do strange havens for traffick, write great tomes, cum non sint reverâ doctiores, sed loquaciores, when as they are not thereby better scholars, but greater praters. They commonly pretend publick good: but, as Gesner observes, 'tis pride and vanity that eggs them on; no news, or ought worthy of note, but the same in other terms. Ne feriarentur fortasse typographi, vel ideo scribendum est aliquid ut se vixisse testentur. As apothecaries, we make new mixtures every day, pour out of one vessel into another; and as those old Romans rob'd all the cities of the world, to set out their bad sited Rome, we skim off the cream of other mens wits, pick the choice flowers of their till'd gardens to set out our own sterile plots. Castrant alios, ut libros suos, per se graciles, alieno adipe suffarciant (so * Jovius inveighs); they lard their lean books with the fat of others works. Ineruditi fures, &c. (a fault that every writer finds, as I do now, and yet faulty themselves) Trium literarum homines, all thieves; they pilfer out of old writers to stuff up their new comments, scrape Ennius dung-hils, and out of a Democritus pit, as I have done. By which means it comes to pass, not only libraries and shops are full of our putid papers, but every close-stool and jakes: Scribunt carmina, quæ legunt cacantes; they serve to put under pies, to lap spice in, and keep roast-meat from burning. With us in France, saith Scaliger, every man hath liberty to write, but few ability./ Heretofore learning was graced by judicious scholars, but now d e C b that u Ex ruinis alienæ x Exercit. 288. y Omnes sibi Effascinati etiam laudis amore, &c. Justus Baronius. existimationis sibi gradum ad famam struunt. famam quærunt, et quovis modo in orbem spargi contendunt, ut novæ alicujus rei habeantur auctores. Præf. biblioth. mocriti puteo. chartis amicitur ineptis. Non tam refertæ bibliothecæ quam cloacæ. datur libertas, paucis facultas. ob homines. • Præf. hist. E Dec Et quidquid Epist. ad Petas. In regno Franciæ omnibus scribendi Olim literæ ob homines in pretio, nunc sordent z Plautus. noble sciences are vilified by base and illiterate scriblers, that either write for vain-glory, need to get money, or as parasites to flatter and collogue with some great men: they put out burras, quisquiliasque, ineptiasque. Amongst so many thousand authors you shall scarce find one, by reading of whom you shall be any whit better, but rather much worse, quibus inficitur potius, quam perficitur, by which he is rather infected, than any way perfected. Qui talia legit, Quid didicit tandem, quid scit, nisi somnia, nugas? So that oftentimes it falls out (which Callimachus taxed of old) a great book is a great mischief. Cardan finds fault. with Frenchmen and Germans, for their scribling to no purpose: non, inquit, ab edendo deterreo, modo novum aliquid inveniant: he doth not bar them to write, so that it be some new invention of their own; but we weave the same web still, twist the same rope again and again: or, if it be a new invention, 'tis but some bauble or toy which idle fellows write, for as idle fellows to read: and who so cannot invent? kHe must have a barren wit, that in this scribling age can forge nothing. 1 Princes shew their armies, rich men vaunt their buildings, souldiers their manhood, and scholars vent their toyes; they must read, they must hear, whether they will or no. m Et quodcumque semel chartis illeverit, omnes Et pueros et anus What once is said and writ, all men must know, What a company of poets hath this year brought out! as Pliny 8 Inter tot mille volumina vix unum a cujus lectione quis melior i Lib. 5. de sap. k Sterile Cardan. præf. Ans. pac. evadat, immo potius non pejor. h Palingenius. oportet esse ingenium quod in hoc scripturientum pruritu, &c. ad consol. m Hor. ser. 1. sat. 4. n Epist. lib. 1. Magnum poëtarum proventum annus hic attulit: mense Aprili nullus fere dies quo non aliquis recitavit. • Idem. P Principibus et doctoribus deliberandum relinquo, ut arguantur auctorem furta, et millies repetita tollantur, et temere scribendi libido coërceatur, aliter in infinitum progressura. |