bed, now pleased, then again displeased; now they like, by and by dislike all, weary of all, sequitur nunc vivendi, hunc moriendi cupido, saith Aurelianus lib. 1. cap. 6. but most part vitam damnant, discontent, disquieted, perplexed upon every light, or no occasion, object: often tempted, I say, to make away themselves: Vivere nolunt, mori nesciunt: they cannot die, they will not live: they complain, weep, lament, and think they lead a most miserable life, never was any man so bad, or so before, every poor man they see, is most fortunate in respect of them, every begger that comes to the door is happier then they are, they could be contented to change lives with them, especially if they be alone, idle, and parted from their ordinary company, molested, displeased, or provoked grief, fear, agony, discontent, wearisomeness, laziness, suspition, or some such passion forcibly seizeth on them. Yet by and by when they come in company againe, which they like, or be pleased, suam sententiam rursus damnant, & vite solatio delectantur, as Octavius Horatianus observes, lib. 2. cap. 5. they condemn their former mislike, and are well pleased to live. And so they continue, till with some fresh discontent they be molested again, and then they are weary of their lives, weaty of all, they will die, and shew rather a necessity to live, then a desire. Claudius the Emperour as * Sueton describes him, had a spice of this disease, for when he was tormented with the pain of his stomack, he had a conceit to make away himselfe. Jul. Cæsar Claudinus, consil. 84. had a Polonian to his Patient, so affected, that through fear and sorrow, with which he was still disquieted, hated his owne life, wished for death every moment, and to be freed of his misery. Mercurialis another, and another that was often minded to dispatch himselfe, and so continued for many years. t Suspition, jealousie.] Suspition, and jealousie, are generall symptomes: they are commonly distrus full, apt to mistake, and amplify, facilè irascibiles, testy, pettish, peevish, and ready to snarl upon every small occasion, cum amicissimis, and without a cause, datum vel non datum, it will be scandalum acceptum. If they speak in jest, he takes it in good earnest. If they be not saluted, invited, consulted with, called to counsel, &c. or that any respect, small complement, or ceremonie be omitted, they think themselves neglected, and • Facile P Altomarus. 4 Seneca. *Cap. 31. Quo stomachi dolore correptèm se, etiam de consciscenda morte cogitasse dixit. Luget & semper tristatur, solitudinem amat, mortem sibi precatur, vitam propriam odio habet. in iram incidunt. Aret. Ira sine causa, velocitas iræ. Savanarola. pract. major. velocitas iræ signum. Avicenna 1. 3. Fen. 1. Tract. 4. cap. 18. Anger sine causa. contemned; contemned; for a time that tortures them. If two talk together, discourse, whisper, jest, or tell a tale in generall, he thinks presently they mean him, applies all to himself, de se putat omnia dici. Or if they talk with him, he is ready to misconstrue every word they speak, and interpret it to the worst; he cannot endure any man to look steadily on him, speak to him almost, laugh, jest, or be familiar, or hem, or point, cough, or spit, or make a noise sometimes, &c. "He thinkes they laugh or point at him, or do it in disgrace of him, circumvent him, contemn him; every man looks at him, he is pale, red, sweats for fear and anger, lest some body should observe him. He works upon it, and long after, this false conceipt of an abuse troubles him. Montanus consil. 22. gives instance in a melancholy Jew, that was Iracundior Adria, so waspish and suspitious, tam facilè iratus, that no man could tell how to carry himself in his companie. Inconstancy.] Inconstant they are in all their actions, vertiginous, restlesse, unapt to resolve of any business, they will and will not, perswaded to and fro upon every small occasion, or word spoken: and yet if once they be resolved, obstinate, hard to be reconciled. If they abhorre, dislike, or distast, once setled, though to the better by oddes, by no counsel or perswasion to be removed. Yet in most things wavering, irresolute, unable to deliberate, through fear, faciunt, & mox facti pœnitent (Areteus) avari, et paulo post prodigi. Now prodigall, and then covetous, they do, and by-and-by repent them of that which they have done, so that both waies they are troubled, whether they doe or doe not, want or have, hit or misse, disquieted of all hands, soon weary, and still seeking change, restlesse, I say, fickle, fugitive, they may not abide to tarrie in one place long. * "Romæ rus optans, absentem rusticus urbem no companie long, or to persever in any action or businesse. "Et similis regum pueris, pappare minutum eftsoons pleased, and anon displeased, as a man that's bitten with fleas, or that cannot sleep, turnes to and fro in his bed, their restless minds are tossed and vary, they have no patience to read out a book, to play out a game or two, walk a mile, sit an hour, &c. erected and déjected in an instant; animated to undertake, and upon a word spoken again discouraged. Suspicio, diffidentia, symptomata, Crato Ep. Julio Alexandrino cons. 183 Scoltzi. *Hor. † Pers. Sat. 3. Passionate. Passionate.] Extreme passionate, Quicquid volunt valdè volunt; and what they desire, they do most furiously seek: anxious ever and very solicitous, distrustful, and timorous, envious, malicious, profuse one while, sparing another, but most part covetous, muttering, repining, discontent, and still complaining, grudging, peevish, injuriarum tenaces, prone to revenge, soon troubled, and most violent in all their imaginations, not affable in speech, or apt to vulgar complement, but surly, dull, sad, austere; cogitabundi still, very intent, and as * Albertus Durer paints melancholy, like a sad woman leaning on her arm with fixed looks, neglected habit, &c. held therefore by some proud, soft, sottish, or half mad, as the Abderites esteemed of Democritus: and yet of a deep reach, excellent apprehension, judicious, wise and wittie: for I am of that + Nobleman's minde, "Melancholy advanceth mens conceipts, more then any humour whatsoever," improves their meditations more than any strong drink or sack. They are of profound judgment in some things, although in others non rectè judicant inquieti, saith Fracastorius, lib. 2. de Intell. And as Arculanus, c. 16. in 9. Rhasis, termes it, Judicium plerumq; perversum, corrupti, cum judicant honesta inhonesta, & amicitiam habent pro inimicitia: They count honesty dishonesty, friends as enemies, they will abuse their best friends, and dare not offend their enemies. Cowards most part, & ad inferendam injuriam timidissimi, saith Cardan, lib. 8. cap. 4. de rerum varietate: Loth to offend, and if they chance to overshoot themselves in word or deed; or any small business or circumstance be omitted, forgotten, they are miserably tormented, and frame a thousand dangers and inconveniencies to themselves, er musca elephantem, if once they conceit it: overjoyed with every good rumour, tale, or prosperous event, transported beyond themselves: with every small cross again, bad news, misconceived injurie, loss, danger, afflicted beyond measure, in great agony, perplexed, dejected, astonished, impatient, utterly undone: fearfull, suspicious of all. Yet again, many of them desperate hairebraines, rash, carless, fit to be assasinates, as being void of all fear and sorrow, according to Hercules de Saxonia, "Most audacious, and such as dare walk alone in the night, through deserts and dangerous places, fearing none. Amorous.] They are prone to love," and easie to be taken: Propensi ad amorem & excandescentiam (Montaltus cap. 21.) quickly inamored, and dote upon all, love one dearly, till they *In his dutch work picture. Howard cap. 7. differ. Tract. de mel. cap. 2. Noctu ambulant per sylvas, & loca periculosa, neminem timent. * Facile amant. Altom. see see another, and then dote on her, Et hanc, & hanc, & illam, & omnes, the present moves most, and the last commonly they love best. Yet some again Anterotes, cannot endure the sight of a woman, abhorre the sex, as that same melancholy Y Duke of Muscovy, that was instantly sick, if he came but in sight of them and that Anchorite, that fell into a cold palsie, when a woman was brought before him. Humorous.] Humorous they are beyond all measure, sometimes profusely laughing, extraordinary merry, and then again weeping without a cause, (which is familiar with many Gentlewomen) groaning, sighing, pensive, sad, almost distracted, multa absurda fingunt, & à ratione aliena (saith * Frambesarius) they fain many absurdities, vain, void of reason: one supposeth himself to be a Dog, Cock, Bear, Horse, Glasse, Butter, &c. He is a Giant, a Dwarf, as strong as an hundred men, a Lord, Duke, Prince, &c. And if he be told he hath a stinking breath, a great nose, that he is sick, or inclined to such or such a disease, he beleeves it eftsoons, and peradventure by force of imagination, will work it out. Many of them are immovcable, and fixed in their conceipts, others vary upon every object, heard or seen. If they see a stageplay, they run upon that a week after; if they hear music, or see dancing, they have naught but bag-pipes in their brain; if they see a combat, they are all for armes. If abused, an abuse troubles them long after; if crossed, that crosse, &c. Restlesse in their thoughts and actions, continually meditating, Velut ægrisomnia, van finguntur species; More like dreames, then men awake, they fain a company of Antick, phantasticall conceipts, they have most frivolous thoughts, impossible to be effected; and sometimes think verily they hear and see present before their eyes such phantasmes or goblins, they fear, suspect, or conceive, they still talk with, and follow them. In fine, cogitationes somniantibus similes, id vigilant, quod alii somniant cogitabundi; Still, saith Avicenna, they wake, as others dreame, and such for the most part are their imaginations and conceipts, absurd, vain, foolish toies, yet they are most curious and solicitous, continual, & supra modum, Rhasis cont. lib. 1. cap. 9. præmeditantur de aliquare. As serious in a toy, as if it were a most necessary businesse, of b 2 Bodine. Io. Major vitis patrum fol. 202. Paulus Abbas Eremita tanta solitudine, perseverat, ut nec vestem, nec vultum mulieris ferre possit, &c. *Consult. lib. 1. 17. Cons. Generally as they are pleased or displeased, so are their continuall cogitations pleasing or displeasing. Omnes exercent vanæ intensæq animi cogitationes, (N. Pisc. Bruel) & assiduæ. < Curiosi de rebus minimis. Areteus. great d great moment, importance, and still, still, still thinking of it: sæviunt in se, macerating themselves. Though they do talk with you, and seem to be otherwise employed, and to your thinking very intent and busy, still that toy runs in their minde, that fear, that suspicion, that abuse, that jealousy, that agony, that vexation, that crosse, that castle in the air, that crotchet, that whimsie, that fiction, that pleasant waking dream, whatsoever it is. Nec interrogant (saith Fracastorius) nec interrogatis rectè respondent. They do not much heed what you say, their minde is on another matter; ask what you will, they do not attend, or much intend that busines they are about, but forget themselves what they are saying, doing, or should otherwise say or do, whither they are going, distracted with their own melancholy thoughts. One laughs upon a sudden, another smiles to himself, a third frownes, calls, his lips go still, he acts with his hand as he walks, &c. "Tis proper to all melancholy men, saith Mercurialis, con. 11. "What conceit they have once entertained, to be most intent, violent, and contínually about it." Invitus occurrit, do what they may they cannot be rid of it, against their wills they must think of it a thousand times over, Perpetuo molestantur, nec oblivisci possunt, they are continually troubled with it, in company, out of company; at meat, at exercise, at all times and places, non desinunt ea, quæ minime volunt, cogitare, if it be offensive especially, they cannot forget it, they may not rest or sleep for it, but still tormenting themselves, Sysiphi saxum volvunt sibi ipsis, as † Brunner observes, Perpetua calamitas & miserabile flagellum. e * Bashfulness.] f Crato, Laurentius, and Fernelius, put bashfulness for an ordinary Symptome, subrusticus pudor, or vitiosus pudor, is a thing which much haunts and torments them. If they have been misused, derided, disgraced, chidden, &c. or by any perturbation of minde misaffected, it so far troubles them, that they become quite moped many times, and so disheartened, dejected, they dare not come abroad, into strange companies especially, or manage their ordinary affairs, so childish, timorous, and bashfull, they can look no man in the face; some are more disquieted in this kinde, some less, longer some, others shorter, by fits, &c. though some on the other side (according to Fracastorius) be inverecundi & per tinaces, impudent and peevish. But most part they are very shamefaced, and that makes them with Pet. Blesensis, Christo h Lib. 2. de. Intell. • Hoc melancholicis omnibus proprium, ut quas semel imaginationes valdè receperint, non facile rejiciant, sed hæ etiam vel invitis semper occurrant. *Tullius de sen. + Consil. med. pro Hypocondriaco. Consil. 43. & Cap.5. Lib. 2. de Intell. VOL. I. Dd pher |