for help, doth acknowledge his error, or knows he is sick? As that stupid fellow put out the candle, because the biting fleas should not finde him; he shrouds himself in an unknown habit, borrowed titles, because no body should discern him. Every man thinks with himself Egomet videor mihi sanus, I am well, I am wise, and laughs at others. And tis a generall fault amongst them all, that which our forefathers have approved, diet, apparel, opinions, humors, customs, manners, we deride and reject in our time as absurd. Old men account Juniors all fools, when they are meer dizards; and as to sailers terræque urbesque recedunt" they move, the land stands still, the world hath much more wit, they dote themselves. Turks deride us, we them; Italians Frenchmen, accounting them light headed fellows, the French scoffe again at Italians, and at their several customs; Greeks have condemned all the world but themselves of barbarism, the world as much vilifies them now; we account Germans heavy, dull fellows, explode many of their fashions; they as contemptibly think of us; Spaniards laugh at all, and all again at them. So are we fools and ridiculous, absurd in our actions, carriages, dyet, apparel, customs and consultations; we scoffe and point one at another, when as in conclusion all are fools, "*and they the veriest asses that hide their ears most." A private man if he be resolved with himself, or set on an opinion, accounts all idiots and asses that are not affected as he is, m “inil rectum, nisi quod placuit sibi, ducit," k that are not so minded, (quodque volunt homines se bene velle putant) all fools that think not as he doth: he will not say with Atticus, Suam quisq; sponsam, mihi meam, let every man enjoy his own spouse; but his alone is fair, suus amor, &c. and scorns all in respect of himself, will imitate noue, hear none but himself, as Pliny said, a law and example to himself. And that which Hippocrates, in his epistle to Dyonysius, reprehended of old, is verified in our times, Quisque in alio superfluum esse censet, ipse quod non habet nec curat, that which he hath not himself or doth not esteem, he accounts superfluity, an idle quality, a meer foppery in another; like Esop's fox, when he had lost his tail, would have all his fellow foxes cut off theirs. The Chinezes say, that we Euro i Hor. f Senes pro stultis habent juvenes. Balth. Cast. h Clodius accusat mæchos. *Omnium stultissimi qui auriculas studiosè tegunt. Sat. Menip. Epist. 2. * Prosper. Statim sapiunt, statim sciunt, neminem reverentur, neminem imitantur, ipsi sibi exemplo. Plin. epist. lib. 8. sapere concedit, ne desipere videatur. Agrip. Nulli alteri peans peans have one eye, they themselves two, all the world else is blinde: (though * Scaliger accounts them Brutes too, merum pecus,) so thou and thy sectaries are only wise, others indifferent, the rest beside themselves, meer idiots and asses. Thus not acknowledging our own errors and imperfections, we securely deride others, as if we alone were free, and spectators of the rest, accounting it an excellent thing, as indeed it is, Aliená optimum frui insaniú, to make ourselves merry with other men's obliquities, when as he himself is more faulty then . the rest mutato nomine, de te fabula narratur, he may take himself by the nose for a fool; and which one cals maximum stultitiæ specimen, to be ridiculous to others, and not to perceive or take notice of it, as Marsyas was when he contended with Apollo, non intelligens se deridiculò haberi, saith *Apuleius; tis his own cause, he is a convict madman, as "Austin wel infers, "In the eyes of wise men and angels he seems like one, that to our thinking walks with his heels upwards. So thou laughest at me, and I at thee, both at a third; and he returns that of the poet upon us again, Hei mihi, insanive me aiunt, quum ipsi ultrò insaniant. We accuse others of madnesse, of folly, and are the veriest dizards ourselves. For it is a great sign and propertie of a fool (which Eccl. 10. 3. points at) out of pride and self-conceit to insult, vilifie, condemn, censure, and call other men fools (Non videmus mantice quod à tergo est) to tax that in others, of which we are most faulty; teach that which we follow not our selves: For an inconstant man to write of constancy, a prophane liver prescribe rules of sanctity and piety, a dizard himself make a treatise of wisdom, or with Salust to rail down right at spoilers of countreys, and yet in office to be a most grievous poler himself. This argues weakness, and is an evident sign of such parties indiscretion. Peccat uter nostrum cruce dignius? "Who is the fool now?" Or else peradventure in some places we are all mad for company, and so tis not seen, Satietas erroris & dementia, pariter absurditatem & admirationem tollit. Tis with us, as it was of old (in "Tullie's censure at least) with C. Pimbria in Rome, a bold, hair-brain, mad fellow, and so esteemed of all, such only excepted, that were as mad as himself: now in such a case there is no notice taken of it. b *Omn's orbis persechio a persis ad Lusitaniam. * 2 Florid. August. Qualis in oculis hominu qui inversis pedibus ambulat, talis in oculis sapientum & angelorum qui sibi placet, aut cui passiones dom nantur. Plautus Mcnechmi. *Governor of Anich by Cæsar's appointment. PNunc sanitatis patrocinium est insamientium turba. Scn. Pro Roscio Amerino, & quod inter omnes constat insanissimus, nisi inter eos, qui ipsi quoque insaniunt. Necesse est cum insanientibus furcre, nisi solus relinqueris. Petronius. "Nimirum "Nimirum insanus paucis videatur; eò quod But put case they do perceive it, and some one be manifestly convict of madnes, he now takes notice of his folly, be it in action, gesture, speech, a vain humour he hath in building, bragging, jangling, spending, gaming, courting, scribling, prating, for which he is ridiculous to others, " on which he dotes, he doth acknowledge as much: yet with all the rhetorick thou hast, thou canst not so recall him, but to the contrary notwithstanding, he will persevere in his dotage. Tis amabilis insania, & mentis gratissimus error, so pleasing, so delicious, that he cannot leave it. He knows his error, but will not seek to decline it, tell him what the event will be, beggery, sorrow, sicknesse, disgrace, shame, losse, madnesse, yer "an angry man will prefer vengeance, a lascivious his whore, a thief his booty, a glutton his belly, before his welfare. Tel an Epicure, a covetous man, an ambitious man of his irregular course, wein him from it a little, pol me occidistis amici, he cries anon, you have undone him, and as a "dog to is vomit," he returns to it again; no perswasion will take place, no counsell, say what thou canst, Clames licit & mare cœlo Confundas, surdo narras, demonstrate as Ulysses did to Elpenor and Gryllus, and the rest of his companions "those swinish men," he is irrefragable in his humor, he will be a hog still; bray him in a morter, he will be the same. If he be in an heresie, or some perverse opinion, setled as some of our ignorant Papists are, convince his understanding, shew him the several follies and absurd fopperies of that sect, force him to say, veris vincor, make it as cleer as the sun, he will erre still, peevish and obstinate as he is; and as he said si in hoc erro, libenter erro, nec hunc errorem auferri mihi volo; I will do as I have done, as my predecessors have done, and as my friends now do: I will dote for company. Say now, are these men " mad or mus. 1 d Stultum • Odi nec Quoniam non est genus unum stultitiæ qua me insanire putas. me fatcor, liceat concedere verum, Atque etiam insanum. Hor. possum cupiens nec esse quod odi. Ovid. Errore grato libenter omnes insani Amator scortum vitæ præponit, iracundus vindictam; fur prædam, parasitus gulam, ambitiosus honores, avarus opes, &c. odimus hæc & accersimus. Cardan. 1. 2. de conso. # Prov. 26. 11. Plutarch. Gryllo. suilli homines sic Clem. Alex. vo. Non persuadebis, etiamsi persuaseris. Tully. 1 Malo cum illis insanire, quam cum aliis bene sentire. Qui inter hos enutriuntur, non magis sapere possunt, quàm qui in culinà bene olcre. Petron. no, Heus age responde? are they ridiculous? cedo quemvis arbitrum, are they sana mentis, sober, wise, and discreet? have they common sense? "outer est insanior horum?" I am of Democritus opinion for my part, I hold them worthy to be laughed at; a company of brain-sick disards, as mad as ? Orestes and Athamas, that they may go "ride the ass," and all sail along to the Anticyræ, in the "ship of fools" for company together. I need not much labor to prove this which I say otherwise then thus, make any solemn protestation, or swear, I think you will beleeve me without an oath ; say at a word, are they fools? I refer it to you, though you be likewise fools and madmen your selves, and I as mad to ask the question; for what said our comical Mercurie? 9 Justum ab injustis petere insipientia est. Ile stand to your censure yet, what think you?" But for as much as I undertook at first, that Kingdoms, Provinces, families, were melancholy as well as private men, I will examin them in particular, and that which I have hitherto dilated at random, in more general terms, I will particularly insist in, prove with more special and evident arguments, testimonies, illustrations, and that in brief. Nunc accipe quare desipiant omnes æque ac tu.” My first argument is borrowed from Solomon, an arrow drawn out of his sententious quiver, Pro. 3. 7. "Be not wise in thine own eyes." And 26. 12. "Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? more hope is of a fool then of him." Isay pronounceth a woe against such men. cap. 5. 21. “that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight." For hence we may gather, that it is a great offence, and men are much deceived that think too well of themselves, an especial argument to convince them of folly. Many men (saith Seneca)" had been without question wise, had they not had an opinion that they had attained to perfection of knowledge already, even before they had gone half way," too forward, too ripe, præproperi, too quick and ready, citò prudentes, citò pii, citò mariti, citò patres, citò sacerdotes, citò omnis officii capaces & curiosi, they had too good a conceipt of themselves, and that marred all; of their worth, va n Persius. Hor. 2. ser. P Vesanum exagitant pueri, innuptæque pucllæ. Plautus. ⚫ Hor. 1. 2. sat. 2. Superbam stultitiam Plinius vocat. 7. epist. 21, quod semel dixi, fixum ratumq; sit. Multi sapientes proculdubio fuissent, si se non putassent ad sapientiæ summum pervenisse. Idem. lour, lour, skil, art, learning, judgement, eloquence, their good parts; all their geese are swans, and that manifestly proves them to be no better then fools. In former times they had but seven wise men, now you can scarse find so many fools. Thales sent the golden Tripos, which the Fishermen found, and the oracle commanded to be *" given to the wisest, to Bias, Bias to Solon, &c." If such a thing were now found, we should all fight for it, as the three goddesses did for the golden apple, we are so wise: we have women-politicians, children metaphysitians; every silly fellow can square a circle, make perpetual motions, find the philosopher's stone, interpret Apocalypsis, make new Theorics, a new systeme of the world, new Logick, new Philosophie, &c. Nostra utique regio, saith Petronius, "our countrey is so full of deified spirits, divine souls, that you may sooner finde a God than a man amongst us," we think so well of our selves, and that is an ample testimony of much folly. e 66 My second argument is grounded upon the like place of Scripture, which though before mention'd in effect, yet for some reasons is to be repeated (& by Plato's good leave, I may do it, ο δις τὸ καλὸν ῥηθὲν ἐδὲν βλάπτει) Fools (saith David) by reason of their transgressions," &c. Psal. 107. 17. Hence Musculus infers all transgressors must needs be fools. So we reade Rom. 2. "Tribulation and anguish on the soul of every man that doeth evil;" but all do evil. And Isay, 65. 14. My servants shall sing for joy, and ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and vexation of minde." Tis ratified by the common consent of all philosophers. "Dishonesty (saith Cardan) is nothing else but folly and madnesse. • Probus quis nobiscum vivit? Shew me an honest man. Nemo malus qui non stultus, tis Fabius aphorism to the same end. If none honest, none wise, then all fools. And well may they be so accounted: for who will account him otherwise, Qui iter adornat in occidentem, quum properaret in orientem? that goes backward all his life, westward, when he is bound to the east? or hold him a wise man (saith Musculus)" that prefers momentary pleasures to eternity, that spends his master's goods in his absence, forthwith to be condemned for it?" Nequicquam sapit qui sibi non sapit, who wil say that a sick man is wise, that eats and drinks to overthrow the temperature of his body? Can you account him Plutarchus Solone. Detur sapientiori. d Tam præsentibus plena est numinibus, ut facilius possis Deum quam hominem invenire, • Pulchrum bis dicere non nocet. f Malefactors. Who can finde a faithful man? Pro. 20. 6. In Psal. 49. Qui momentanea sempiternis, qui delapidat heri absentis bona, mox in jus vocandus & damnandus. |