** atra bile perciti: dæmoniacall persons, and such as speak strange languages, are of this ranke; some Poets, such as laugh alwayes, and think themselves Kings, Cardinalls, &c. sanguine they are, pleasantly disposed most part, and so continue. Baptista Porta confines Fear and Sorrow to them that are cold; but Lovers, Sybills, Enthusiasts, he wholly excludes. So that I think I may truly conclude, they are not alwayes sad and fearful, but usually so: and that without a cause, timent de non timendis, (Gordonius:) quæq; momenti non sunt, "although not all alike (saith Altomarus) Pyet all likely fear, some with an extraordinary and a mighty fear," Areteus. "Many fear death, and yet in a contrary humour, make away themselves," Galen. lib. 3. de loc. affec.cap. 7. Some are afraid that heaven will fall on their heads: some they are damned, or shall be. "They are troubled with scruples of consciences, distrusting God's mercies, think they shall goe certainly to Hell, the Devill will have them, and make great lamentation," Jason Pratensis. Fear of Devits, death, that they shall be so sick, of some such or such disease, ready to tremble at every object, they shall die themselves forthwith, or that some of their dear friends or near allies are certainly dead; imminent danger, losse, disgrace still torment others, &c. that they are all glasse, and therefore will suffer no man to come near them: that they are all cork, as light as feathers; others as heavy as lead, some are afraid their heads will fall off their shoulders, that they have frogs in their bellies, &c. ‡ Montanus consil. 23. speaks of one "that durst not walk alone from home, for fear he should swoon, or die." A second "fears every man he meets will rob him, quarrell with him, or kill him."" A third dares not venture to walk alone, for fear he should meet the Devil, a thief, be sick; fears all old women as witches, and every black dog or cat he sees he suspecteth to be a Devil, every person comes near him is malificiated, every creature, all intend to hurt him, seek his ruine: another dares not go over a bridge, come near a poole, rock, steep hill, lye in a chamber where crosse beames are, for fear he be tempted to hang, drown or præcipitate himself. If he be in a silent auditory, as at a sermon, he is afraid he shall speak aloud at unawares, some * Physiog. lib. 1. c. 8. Quibus multa frigida bilis atra, stolidi & timidi, at qui calidi, ingeniosi, amasii, divinosi, spiritu instigati, &c. • Omnes exercent metus & tristitia, & sine causa. P Omnes timent licet non omnibus idem timendi modus Ætius Tetrab. lib. 2. sect. c. 9. Ingenti pavore trepidant. Multi mortem timent, & tamen sibi ipsis mortem consciscunt, ali cœli ruinam timent. +Affligit eos plena scrupulis conscientia, divinæ misericordiæ diffidentes, Orco se destinant foeda lamentatione deplorantes, Non ausus egredi domo ne deficeret. • Multi dæmones timent, latrones, insidias, Avicenna. thing undecent, unfit to be said. If he be locked in a close room, he is afraid of being stifled for want of air, and still carries Bisket, Aquavitæ, or some strong waters about him, for fear of deliquiums, or being sick; or if he be in a throng, middle of a church, multitude, where he may not well get out, though he sit at ease, he is so misaffected. He will freely promise, undertake any businesse before hand, but when it comes to be performed, he dare not adventure, but fears an infinite number of dangers, disasters, &c. Some are "afraid to be burned, or that the "ground will sink under them, or * swallow them quick, or that the King will call them in question for some fact they never did (Rhasis cont.), and that they shall surely be executed." The terror of such a death troubles them, and they fear as much, and are equally tormented in minde," as they that have committed a murder, and are pensive without a cause, as if they were now presently to be put to death." Plater, cap. 3. de mentis alienat. They are afraid of some losse, danger, that they shall surely lose their lives, goods, and all they have, but why they know not. Trincavelius consil. 13. lib. 1. had a patient that would needs make away himself, for fear of being hanged, and could not be perswaded for three years together, but that he had killed a man. observat. lib. 1. hath two other examples of such as feared to be executed without a cause. If they come in a place where a robbery, theft, or any such offence hath bin done, they presently fear they are suspected, and many times betray themselves without a cause. Lewis the 11th the French King, suspected every man a traitour that came about him, durst trust no officer. Alii formidolosi omnium, alii quorundam (Fracastorius lib. 2. de Intellect.) ❝ some fear all alike, some certain men, and cannot endure their companies, are sick in them, or if they be from home." Some suspect treason still, others " are afraid of their dearest and nearest friends." (Mebanelius è Galeno, Ruffo, Atio,) and dare not be alone in the dark, for fear of hobgoblins and devils: he suspects every thing he hears or sees to be a Devil, or enchanted, and imagineth a thousand Chimeras and visions, which to his thinking he certainly sees, bugbears, talks with black men, ghosts, goblins, &c. b a "Omnes se terrent auræ, sonus excitat omnis." Alii comburi, alii de Rege, Rhasis. * Ne terra deh.scat. Gordon. Plater. "Ne terra absorbeantur. Forestus, > Alii timore mortis timentur & mala gratia principum putant se aliquid commisisse, & ad supplicium requiri. 2 Alius domesticos timet, alius omnes, Etius. a Alii timent insidias. Aurel. lib. 1. de morb. Chron. cap. 6. *Ille charissimos, hic omnes homines citra discri Another men timet. * Virgil. Some Another through bashfulnesse, suspicion, and timerousnesse will not be seen abroad, "loves darknesse as life, and cannot endure the light," or to sit in lightsome places, his hat still in his eyes, he will neither see, nor be seen by his good will, Hippocrates lib. de Insania & Melancholia. He dare not come in company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gesture or speeches, or be sick, he thinkes every man observes him, aims at him, derides him, owes him malice. Most part "they are afraid they are bewitched, possessed, or poisoned by their enemies, and sometimes they suspect their neerest friends: he thinkes something speaks or talks within him, or to him, and he belcheth of the poyson." Cristopherus à Vega lib. 2. cap. 1. had a patient so troubled, that by no perswasion or physick he could be reclaimed. are afraid that they shall have every fearful disease they see others have, hear of, or read, and dare not therefore hear or read of any such subject, no not of melancholy it self, lest by applying to themselves that which they hear or read, they should aggravate and increase it. If they see one possessed, bewitched, an Epileptick Paroxysme, a man shaking with the palsie, or giddy headed, reeling or standing in a dangerous place, &c. for many days after it runs in their minds, they are afraid they shall be so too, they are in like danger, as Perk. c. 12. sc. 2. well observes in his Cases of Consc. and times by violence of imagination they produce it. They cannot endure to see any terrible object, as a Monster, a man executed, a carcase, hear the devil named, or any tragicall relation seen, but they quake for fear, Hecatas somniare sibi videntur (Lucian) they dream of Hobgoblins, and may not get it out of their minds a long time after: they apply (as I have said) all they hear, see, read, to themselves; as Felix Plater notes of some young Physicians, that study to cure diseases, catch them themselves, will be sick, and appropriate all symptomes they finde related of others, to their own persons. And therefore (quod iterum moneo, licet nauseam påret lectori, malo decem potius verba, decies repetita licet, abundare, quam unum desiderari) I would advise him, that is actually melancholy, not to read this tract of Symptomes, lest he disquiet or make himself for a time worse, and more melancholy than he was before. Generally of them all take this, de inanibus semper с many Hic in lucem prodire timet, tenebrasq; quærit, contra, ille caliginosa fugit. Quidam larvas, & malos spiritus ab inimicis veneficius & incantationibus sibi putant objectari, Hippocrates, potionem se veneficam sumpsisse putat, & de hac ructare sibi crebrò videtur. Idem Montaltus cap. 21. Ætius lib. 2. & alii. Trallianus 1. 1. cap. 16. Observat. 1. 1. Quando iis nil nocet, nisi quod muheribus melancholicis. conquer conqueruntur, & timent, saith Aretius; they complain of toyes, and fear without a cause, and still think their melancholy to be most grivious, none so bad as they are, though it be nothing in respect, yet never any man sure was so troubled, or in this sort. As really tormented and perplexed in as great an agony for toyes and trifles (such things as they wil after laugh at themselves) as if they were most material and essential matters indeed, worthy to be feared, and will not be satisfied. Pacifie them for one, they are instantly troubled with some other fear; alwayes afaird of something, which they foolishly imagine or conceive to themselves, which never peradventure was, never can be, never likely will be; troubled in minde upon every small occasion, unquiet, still complaining, griev ing, vexing, suspecting, grudging, discontent, and cannot be freed so long as melancholy continues. Or if their minds be more quiet for the present, and they free from forrain fears, outward accidents, yet their bodies are out of tune, they suspect some part or other to be amiss, now their head akes, heart, stomack, spleen, &c. is misaffected, they shall surely have this or that disease; still troubled in body, minde, or both, and through winde, corrupt phantasie, some accidental distemper, continually molested. Yet for all this as Jacchinus notes," in all other things they are wise, staid, discreet, and do nothing unbeseeming their dignity, person, or place, this foolish, ridiculous, and childish fear excepted; which so much, so continually tortures and crucifies their souls, like a barking dog that alwayes bawls, but seldoin bites, this fear ever molesteth, and so long as melancholy lasteth, cannot be avoided. Sorrow is that other Character, and inseparable companion, as individual as Saint Cosmus and Damian, fidus Achates, as all writers witness, a common symptome, a continual, and still without any evident cause, hmarent omnes, & si roges eos reddere causam, non possunt: grieving still, but why they cannot tell: Agelasti, mesti, cogitabundi, they look as if they had newly come forth of Trophonius den. And though they laugh many times, and seem to be extraordinary merry (as they will by fits) yet extream lumpish again in an instant, dull, and heavy, semel & simul, merry and sad, but most part sad: Si qua placent, abeunt; inimica tenacius hærent: sorrow sticks by them still continually, gnawing as the vulture f-timeo tamen metusque cause nescius, causa est metus. Heinsius Austriaco. Cap. 15. in 9. Rhasis, in multis vidi, præter rationem semper aliquid timent, in cæteris tamen optimè se gerunt, neq; aliquid præter dignitatem committunt. Altomarus cap. 7. Areteus, triste, sunt. Mant. Egl. 1. k did Titius bowels, and they cannot avoid it. No sooner are their eyes open, but after terrible and troublesome dreams their heavy hearts begin to sigh: they are still fretting, chafing, sighing, grieving, complaining, finding faults, repining, grudg ing, weeping, Heautontimorumenoi, vexing themselves, 'disquieted in mind, with restless, unquiet thoughts, discontent, either for their own, other men's, or publike affaires, such as concerne them not; things past, present or to come, the remembrance of some disgrace, loss, injury, abuses, &c. troubles them now being idle afresh, as if it were new done; they are afflicted otherwise for some danger, loss, want, shame, misery, that will certainly come, as they suspect and mistrust. Lugubris Ate frowns upon them, insomuch that Areteus well calls it, angorem animi, a vexation of the minde, a perpetual agony. They can hardly he pleased, or cased, though in other men's opinion most happy, go, tarry, run, ride, -post equitem sedet atra cura:" they cannot avoid this ferall plague, let them come in what company they will, "hæret lateri lathalis arundo, as to a Deer that is struck, whether he run, go, rest, with the herd, or alone, this grief remains: irresolution, inconstancy, vanity of minde, their fear, torture, care, jealousie, suspition, &c. continues, and they cannot be relieved. So he complained in the Poet, "Domum revortor mastus, atque animo ferè Faciebant, quo illam mihi lenirent miseriam." He came home sorrowfull, and troubled in his mind, his servants did all they possibly could to please him; one pulled off his socks, another made ready his bed, a third his supper, all did their utmost endeavours to ease his grief, and exhilarate his person, he was profoundly melancholy, he had lost his son, illud angebat, that was his Cordolium, his pain, his agony which could not be removed. Tadium vitæ.) Hence it proceeds many times, that they are weary of their lives, and feral thoughts to offer violence to their own persons, come into their minds, tædium vite is a common symptome, tarda fluunt, ingrataq; tempora, they are soon tired with all things; they will now tarrie, now be gone; now in bed they will rise, now up, then go to |