may There is another sorrow, which ariseth from the loss of temporal goods and fortunes, which equally afflicteth, and go hand in hand with the precedent; loss of time, loss of honor, office, of good name, of labor, frustrate hopes, will much torment; but in my judgment, there is no torture like unto it, or that sooner procureth this malady and mischief: * "Ploratur lachrymis amissa pecunia veris:" it wrings true tears from our eyes, many sighes, much sorrow from our hearts, and often causeth habitual melancholy it self, Guianerius tract 15. 5. repeats this for an especial cause: ❝y Loss of friends, and loss of goods, make many men melancholy, as I have often seen by continual meditation of such things." The same causes Arnoldus Villanovanus inculcates, Breviar, l. 1. c. 18. ex rerum amissione, damno, amicorum morte, &c. Want alone will make a man mad, to be Sans argent, will cause a deep and grievous melancholy. Many persons are affected like Irishmen in this behalf, who if they have a good scimiter, had rather have a blow on their arme, then their weapon hurt: they will sooner lose their life, then their goods: and the grief that cometh hence, continueth long (saith Plater) and out of many dispositions, procureth an habit." * Montanus and Frisemelica cured a young man of 22. years of age, that so became melancholy, ab amissam pecuniam, for a summe of money which he had unhappily lost. Sckenkius hath such another story of one melancholy, because he overshot himself, and spent his stock in unnecessary building. Roger that rich Bishop of Salisbury, exutus opibus & castris à Rege Stephano, spoiled of his goods by King Stephan, vi doloris absorptus, atque in amentiam versus, indecentia fecit, through grief ran mad, spake and did he knew not what. Nothing so familiar, as for men in such cases, through anguish of minde to make away themselves. A poor fellow went to hang himself, (which Ausonius hath elegantly expressed in a neat † Epigram) but finding by chance a pot of money, flung away the rope, and went merrily home, but he that hid the gold, when he missed it, hanged himself with that rope which the other man had left, in a discontented humor. b "At qui condiderat, postquam non reperit aurum, * Juvenalis. y Multi qui res amatas perdiderant, ut filios, opes, non sperantes recuperare, propter assiduam talium considerationem melancholici fiunt, ut ipse vidi. 2 Stan hurstus Hib. Hist. * Cap. 3. Melancholia semper venit ab jacturam pecuniæ, victoria, repulsam, mortem liberorum, quibus longo post tempore animus torquetur, & à dispositione sit habitus. a Con † Epig. 22. Such Such feral accidents can want and penury produce. Be it by suretiship, shipwrack, fire, spoile and pillage of souldiers, or what loss soever, it boots not, it will work the like effect, the same desolation in Provinces and Cities, as well as private persons. The Romans were miserably dejected after the battle of Cannas, the men amazed for fear, the stupid women tore their hair and cryed. The Hungarians when their King Ladislaus and bravest souldiers were slain by the Turks, Luctus publicus, &c. The Venetians when their forces were overcome by the French King Lewis, the French and Spanish Kings, Pope, Emperor, all conspired against them, at Cambray, the French Herald denounced open war in the Senate: Lauredane Venetorum dux, &c. and they had lost Padua, Brixia, Verona, Forum Julii, their territories in the continent, and had now nothing left but the City of Venice it self, & urbi quoq; ipsi (saith *Bembus) timendum putarent, and the loss of that was likewise to be feared, tantus repente dolor omnes tenuit, ut nunqua, alias, &c. they were pittifully plunged, never before in such lamentable distress. Anno 1527, when Rome was sacked by Burbonius, the common souldiers made such spoile, that fair +Churches were turned to stables, old monuments and books made horse-litter, or burned like straw; reliques, costly pictures defaced; altars demolished, rich hangings, carpets, &c. trampled in the dirt. Their wives and loveliest daughters constuprated by every base culion, as Sejanus daughter was by the hangman in publike, before their fathers and husbands faces. Noblemens children, and of the wealthiest citizens, reserved for Princes beds, were prostitute to every common souldier, and kept for Concubines; Senators and Cardinals themselves dragd along the streets, and put to exquisite torments, to confess where their money was hid; the rest murdered on heaps, lay stinking in the streets; Infants brains dashed out before their mothers eyes. A lamentable sight it was to see so goodly a City so suddenly defaced, rich citizens sent a begging to Venice, Naples, Ancona, &c. that erst lived in all maner of delights. Those proud palaces that even now vaunted their tops up to Heaven, were dejected as low as hell in an instant." Whom will not such misery make discontent? Terence the Poet drowned himself (some say) for the loss of his Comedies, which suffered shipwrack. When a poor man hath made many 66 Lib. 8. Venet. hist. +Templa ornamentis nudata, spoliata, in stabula equorum & asinorum versa, &c. Insulæ humi conculcatæ, peditæ, &c. In oculis maritorum dilectissimæ conjuges ab Hispanorü lixis constupratæ sunt. Fi liæ magnatum thoris dessinatæ, &c. § Ita fastu ante unum mensem turgida civitas, & cacum nibus cœlum pulsare visa, ad inferos usque paucis diebus de jecia. hungry hungry meals, got together a small summe, which he loseth in an instant; a Scholar spent many an houre's study to no purpose, his labors lost, &c. how should it otherwise be? I may conclude with Gregory, temporalium amor, quantum afficit, cùm hæret possessio, tantum quum subtrahitur, urit dolor; riches do not so much exhilarate us with their possession, as they torment us with their loss. the Next to Sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure Fear; for besides those Terrors which I have before touched, and many other fears (which are infinite) there is a superstitious fear, one of the three great causes of fear in Aristotle, commonly caused by prodigies and dismal accidents, which much trouble many of us. (Nescio quid animus mihi presagit mali.) As if a Hare cross the way at our going forth, or a mouse gnaw our clothes: If they bleed three drops at nose, salt fals towards them, a black spot appear in their nails, &c. with many such, which Delrio Tom 2. 1. 3. sect. 4. Austin Niphus in his book de Augurijs. Polydore Virg. l. 3. de Prodigijs. Sarisburiensis Polycrat. l. 1. c. 13. discuss at large. They are so much affected, that with the very strength of Imagination, Fear, and the Devil's craft, "they pull those misfortunes they suspect, upon their own heads, and that which they fear, shall come upon them," as Salomon fortelleth, Prov. 10. 24. and Isay denounceth, 66. 4. which If they could neglect and contemn, would not come to pass, Eorum vires nostra resident opinione, ut morbi gravitas ægrotantium cogitatione, they are intended and remitted, as our opinion is fixed, more or less. N. N. dat pœnas, saith Crato of such a one, utinam non attraheret: he is punished, and is the cause of it • himself: f + Dum fata fugimus, fata stulti incurrimus, the thing that I feared, saith Job, is faln upon me. As much we may say of them that are troubled with their fortunes; or ill destinies fore-seen; multos angit præscientia maloru: The fore-knowledg of what shall come to pass, crucifies many men; fore-told by Astrologers, or Wisards, iratum ob cælum, be it ill accident, or death it self: which often fals out by God's permission; quia dæmonem timent (saith Chrysostome) Deus ideo permittit accidere. Severus, Adrian, Domitian, can testifie as much, of whose fear and suspicion, Sueton, Herodian, and the rest of those writers, tell strange stories in this behalf. Montanus consil. 31. hath one ex h Sect. 2. Memb. 4. Subs. 3. fear from ominous accidents, destinies foretold. Accersunt sibi malum. • Si non observemus, nihil valent. Polidor. f Consil. 26. 1. 2. 8 Harme watch harme catch. + Geor. Bucha. solicitus de futuris frustra, factus melancholicus, * Juvenis ample ample of a young man, exceeding melancholy upon this occasion. Such fears have stil tormented mortal men in all ages, by reason of those lying oracles, and jugling Priests, * There was a fountain in Greece, neer Ceres Temple in Achaia, where the event of such diseases was to be known; "A glass let down by a thred, &c." Amongst those Cyanean rocks at the springs of Lycia, was the Oracle of Thrixeus Apollo, "where all fortunes were fore-told, sickness, health, or what they would besides :" so common people have been alwayes deluded with future events. At this day, Metus futurorum maximè torquet Sinas, this foolish fear, mightily crucifies them in China: as i Matthew Riccius the Jesuite informeth us, in his Commentaries of those countries, of all Nations they are most superstitious, and much tormented in this kinde, attributing so much to their Divinators, ut ipse metus fidem faciat, that fear it self and conceipt, cause it to fall out: If he foretell sickness such a day, that very time they will be sick, vi metús afflicti in ægritudinem cadunt; and many times die as it is fore-told. A true saying, Timor mortis, morte pejor, the fear of death, is worse then death it self, and the memory of that sad hour, to some fortunate and rich men, "is as bitter as gaule," Eccl. 41. 1. Inquietam nobis vitam facit mortis metus, a worse plague cannot happen to a man, then to be so troubled in his minde; 'tis triste divortium, an heavy separation, to leave their goods, with so much labor got, pleasures of the world, which they have so delitiously enjoyed, friends and companions whom they so dearly loved, all at once. Axicchus the Philosopher was bold and couragious all his life, and gave good precepts de contemnenda morte, and against the vanity of the world, to others; but being now ready to die himself, he was mightily dejected, hac luce privabor? his orbabor bonis? he lamented like a childe, &c. And though Socrates himself was there to comfort him, ubi pristina virtutum jactatio O Axioche? yet he was very timorous and impatient of death, much troubled in his minde, Imbellis pavor & impatientia, &c. O Clotho, Megapetus the tyrant in Lucian exclaimes, now ready to depart, let me live a while longer. I will give thee a thou sand talents of gold, and two boles besides, which I took from Cleocritus, worth an hundred talents apiece: Woe's me‡, saith another, what goodly manners shall I leave! what fertile 66 * Pausanius in Achaicis lib. 7. Ubi omnium eventus dignoscuntur. Speculum tenui suspensum funiculo demitiunt: & ad Cyaneas petras ad Lyciæ fontes, &c. Expedit. in Sinas, lib. 1. c. 3. *Timendo præoccupat, quod vitat, ultro provocatque quod fugit, gaudetque moerens & lubens miser fuit. Heinsius Austriac. + Tom. 4. dial. 8 Cataplo. Auri puri mille talenta, me hodie tibi daturum promito, &c. Ibidem. Hei mihi quæ relinquenda prædia? quam fertiles apri Fields! &c. Fields! what a fine House! what pretty Children! how many servants! Who shall gather my grapes, my corne? Must I now die so well settled? Leave all, so richly and well provided? Woe's me, what shall I do?" * Animula vagula, blandula, qua nunc abibis in loca? To these tortures of Fear and Sorrow, may well be annexed Curiosity, that irksome, that tyrannizing care, nimia solicitudo, "superfluous industry about unprofitable things, and their qualities," as Thomas defines it: an itching humor or a kinde of longing to see that which is not to be seen, to do that which ought not to be done: to know that secret, which should not be known, to eat of the forbidden fruit. We commonly molest and tire our selves about things unfit and unnecessary, as Martha troubled her self to little purpose. Be it in Religion, Humanity, Magick, Philosophy, policie, any action or study, 'tis a needless trouble, a mear torment. For what else is school divinity, how many doth it pusle? what fruitless questions about the Trinity, Resurrection, Election, Predestination, Reprobation, hell fire, &c. how many shall be saved, damned? What else is all superstition, but an endless observation of Idle Ceremonies, Traditions? What is most of our Philosophy, but a Labyrinth of opinions, idle questions, propositions, Metaphysicall tearms? Socrates therefore held all philosophers, cavillers and mad men, circa subtilia Cavillatores pro insanis habuit, palam eos arguens, saith & Eusebius, because they commonly sought after such things quæ nec percipi à nobis neq; comprehendi posset, or put case they did understand, yet they were altogether unprofitable. For what matter is it for us to know how high the Pleiades are, how far distant Persius and Cassiopea from us, how deep the sea, &c. we are neither wiser, as he follows it, nor modester, nor better, nor richer, not stronger for the knowledge of it. Quod supra nos nihil ad nos, I may say the same of those Genethliacal studies, what is Astrology, but vain elections, predictions? all Magick, but a troublesome error, a pernicious foppery? Physick, but intricate rules and prescriptions? Philology, but vain Criticismes? Logick, needless Sophismes? Metaphysicks themselves, but intricate subtilties, and fruitless abstractions? Alcumy, but a bundle of errors? to what end are such great Tomes? why do we spend so many yeers in their studies? Much better to know nothing at all, as those barbarous Indians are wholly ignorant, then as some of us, to be so sore vexed about unprofitable toies: stultus labor est ineptiarũ, to build * Adrian. + Industria superflua circa res inutiles. nervæ ut viderat Aglauros. Ov. Met. 2. Bb 2 Flavæ sccreta Mi§ Contra Philos. cap. 61. an |