I' th' under column there doth stand Beneath them kneeling on his knee, What stars incline thee so to be? VII. But see the madman rage downright His picture keeps still in thy presence; VIII, IX. Borage and Hellebor fill two scenes, X. Now last of all to fill a place, Then look upon't, behold and see, *These verses refer to the Frontispiece, which is divided into ten compartments that are here severally explained. The author's portrait, mentioned in the tenth stanza, is copied in page ix. THE AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT OF MELANCHOLY, Aaλoyÿÿ When I go musing all alone, Thinking of divers things tore-known, All my joys to this are folly, Here now, then there; the world is mine, Rare beauties, gallant ladies shine, Whate'er is lovely or divine All other joys to this are folly, All my griefs to this are jolly, Methinks I court, methinks I kiss, Such thoughts may still my fancy move, All my joys to this are folly, Naught so sweet as melancholy. When I recount love's many frights, My sighs and tears, my waking nights, My jealous fits; O mine hard fate I now repent, but 'tis too late. No torment is so bad as love, So bitter to my soul can prove. All my griefs to this are jolly, Naught so harsh as melancholy. Friends and companions get you gone, "Tis my desire to be alone; Ne'er well but when my thoughts and I Do domineer in privacy. No Gem, no treasure like to this, "Tis my delight, my crown, my bliss. The scene is turn'd, my joys are gone, So sweet content I feel and see. All my joys to this are folly, I'll change my state with any wretch, I may not in this torment dwell! DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR TO THE READER. GENTLE Reader, I presume thou wilt be very inquisitive to know what antic or personate actor this is, that so insolently intrudes upon this common theatre, to the world's view, arrogating another man's name; whence he is, why he doth it, and what he hath to say; although, as he said, Primum si noluero, non respondebo, quis coacturus est? I am a free man born, and may choose whether I will tell; who can compel me? If I be urged, I will as readily reply as that Egyptian in 'Plutarch, when a curious fellow would needs know what he had in his basket, Quum vides velatam, quid inquiris in rem absconditam? It was therefore covered, because he should not know what was in it. Seek not after that which is hid; if the contents please thee, "and be for thy use, suppose the Man in the Moon, or whom thou wilt to be the Author;" I would not willingly be known. Yet in some sort to give thee satisfaction, which is more than I need, I will show a reason, both of this usurped name, title, and subject. And first of the name of Democritus; lest any man, by reason of it, should be deceived, expecting a pasquil, a satire, some ridiculous treatise (as I myself should have done), some prodigious tenet, or paradox of the earth's motion, of infinite worlds, in infinito vacuo, ex fortuitâ atomorum collisione, in an infinite waste, so caused by an accidental collision of motes in the sun, all which Democritus held, Epicurus and their master Lucippus of old maintained, and are lately revived by Copernicus, Brunus, and some others. Besides, it hath been always an ordinary custom, as "Gellius observes, "for later writers and impostors, to broach many absurd and insolent fictions, under the name of so noble a philosopher as Democritus, to get themselves credit, and by that means the more to be respected," as artificers usually do, Novo qui marmori ascribunt Praxatilem su. "Tis not so with me. Non hic Centauros, non Gorgonas, Harpyasque Invenies, hominem pagina nostra sapit. No Centraurs here, or Gorgons look to find, Thou thyself art the subject of my discourse. Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas, Joys, wand rings, are the sum of any report. My intent is no otherwise to use his name, thian Mercurius Gallobelgicus, Mercurius Britannicus, use the name of Mercury, "Democritus Christianus, &c.; although there be some other circumstances for which I have masked myself under this vizard, and some peculiar respect which I cannot so well express, until I have set down a brief character of this our Democritus, what he was, with an Epitome of his life. Democritus, as he is described by "Hippocrates and 'Laertius, was a little wearish old man, very melancholy by nature, averse from company in his latter days, and much given to solitariness, a famous philosopher in his age, 'coavus • Seneca in ludo in mortem Claudii Cæsaris. Lib. de Curiositato. Modo hæc tibi usul sint, quemris auctorem fingito. Wecker. 4 Lib. 10, c. 12. Multa à malè feriatis in Democriti nomine commenta data, abilitatis, auctoritatisque ejus perfugio utentibus. Martialis, lib. 10. epigr. 14. f Juv. sat. ! Auth. Pet. Beaseo edit. Coloniæ, 1616. Hip. Epist. Dameget. Laert. lib. 9. Hortulo sibi cellulam seligens, ibique seipsum includens, vixit solitarius. Floruit Olympiade 80; 700 annis post Troiam. B with Socrates, wholly addicted to his studies at the last, and to a private life: wrote many excellent works, a great divine, according to the divinity of those times, an expert physician, a politician, an excellent mathematician, as "Diacosmus and the rest of his works do witness. He was much delighted with the studies of husbandry, saith "Columella, and often I find him cited by 'Constantinus and others treating of that subject. He knew the natures, differences of all beasts, plants, fishes, birds; and, as some say, could Punderstand the tunes and voices of them. In a word, he was omnifariam doctus, a general scholar, a great student; and to the intent he might better contemplate, I find it related by some, that he put out his eyes, and was in his old age voluntarily blind, yet saw more than all Greece besides, and 'writ of every subject, Nihil in toto opificio naturæ, de quo non scripsit." A man of an excellent wit, profound conceit; and to attain knowledge the better in his younger years he travelled to Egypt and Athens, to confer with learned men, "admired of some, despised of others." After a wandering life, he settled at Abdera, a town in Thrace, and was sent for thither to be their law-maker, Recorder, or town-clerk as some will; or as others, he was there bred and born. Howsoever it was, there he lived at last in a garden in the suburbs, wholly betaking himself to his studies and a private life, "saving that sometimes he would walk down to the haven, "and laugh heartily at such variety of ridiculous objects, which there he saw." Such a one was Democritus. I But in the mean time, how doth this concern me, or upon what reference do usurp this habit? Iconfess, indeed, that to compare myself unto him for aught I have yet said, were both impudency and arrogancy. I do not presume to make any parallel, Antistat mihi millibus trecentis, parvus sum, nullus sum, altum nec spiro, nec spero. Yet thus much I will say of myself, and that I hope without all suspicion of pride, or self-conceit, I have lived asilent, sedentary, solitary, private life, mihi et musis in the University, as loug almost as Xenocrates in Athens, ad senectam ferè to learn wisdom as he did, penned up most part in my study. For I have been brought up a student in the most flourishing college of Europe, augustissimo collegio, and can brag with "Jovius, almost, in ea luce domicilii Vacicani, totius orbis celeberrimi, per 37 annos multa opportunaque didici;" for thirty years I have continued (having the use of as good "libraries as ever he had) a scholar, and would be therefore loth, either by living as a drore, to be an unprofitable or unworthy member of so learned and noble a society, or to write that which should be any way dishonourable to such a royal and ample foundation. Something I have done, though by my profession a divine, yet turbine raptus ingenii, as he said, out of a running wit, an unconstant, unsettled mind, I had a great desire (not able to attain to a superficial skill in any) to have some smattering in all, to be aliquis in omnibus, nullus in singulis, which "Plato commends, out of him Lipsius approves and furthers," as fit to be imprinted in all curious wits, not to be a slave of one science, or dwell together in one subject, as most do, but to rove abroad, centum puer artium, to have an oar in every man's boat, to 'taste of every dish, and sip of every cup," which, saith Montaigne, was well performed by Aristotle, and his learned countryman Adrian Turnebus. This roving humour m Diacos. quod cunctis operibus facilè excellit. Laërt. n Col. lib. 1. c. 1. • Const. lib. de agric. passim. Volucrum voces et linguas intelligere se dicit Abderitans Ep. Hip. 9 Sabellicus exempl., lib. 10. Oculis se privavit, ut melius contemplationi operam daret, sublimi vir ingenio, profundæ cogitationis, &c. r Naturalia, moralia, mathematica, liberales disciplinas, artiumque omnium peritiam callebat. Nothing in nature's power to contrive of which he has not written. Veni Athenas, et nemo me novit. Idem contemptui et admirationi habitus. ▾ Solebat ad portam ambulare, et inde, &c. Hip. Ep. Dameg. w Perpetuo risu pulmonem agitare solebat Democritus. Juv. Sat 7. Non sum dignus præstare mattella. Mart. Christ Church in Oxford. Præfat. hist. Keeper of our college library, lately revived by Otho Nicolson, Esquire. b Scaliger. Somebody in everything, nobody in each thing. d In Theat. e Phil. Stoic. li. diff. 8. Dogma cupidis et curiosis ingeniis imprimendum, ut sit talis qui nulli rei serviat, aut exactè unum aliquid elaboret, alia negligens, ut artifices, &c. f Delibare gratum de quocunque cibo, et pittisare de quo. cunque dolio jucundum. Essays, lib. 3. m (though not with like success) I have ever had, and like a ranging spaniel, that barks at every bird he sees, leaving his game, I have followed all, saving that which I should, and may justly complain, and truly, qui ubique est, nusquam est," which 'Gesner did in modesty, that I have read many books, but to little purpose, for want of good method; I have confusedly tumbled over divers authors in our libraries, with small profit for want of art, order, memory, judgment. I never travelled but in map or card, in which my unconfined thoughts have freely expatiated, as having ever been especially delighted with the study of Cosmography. Saturn was lord of my geniture, culminating, &c., and Mars principal significator of manners, in partile conjunction with my ascendant; both fortunate in their houses, &c. I am not poor, I am not rich; nihil est, nihil deest, I have little, I want nothing: all my treasure is in Minerva's tower. Greater preferment as I could never get, so am I not in debt for it, I have a competence (laus Deo) from my noble and munificent patrons, though I live still a collegiate student, as Democritus in his garden, and lead a monastic life, ipse mihi theatrum, sequestered from those tumults and troubles of the world, Et tanquam in specula positus, (* as he said) in some high place above you all, like Stoicus Sapiens, omnia sæcula, præterita presentiaque videns, uno velut intuitu, I hear and see what is done abroad, how others 'run, ride, turmoil, and macerate themselves in court and country, far from those wrangling lawsuits, aula vanitatem, fori ambitionem, ridere mecum sɔleo: I laugh at all, only secure lest my suit go amiss, my ships perish, corn and cattle miscarry, trade decay, I have no wife nor children good or bad to provide for. A mere spectator of other men's fortunes and adventures, and how they act their parts, which methinks are diversely presented unto me as from a common theatre or scene. I hear new news every day, and those ordinary rumours of war, plagues, fires, inundations, thefts, murders, massacres, meteors, comets, spectrums, prodigies, apparitions, of towns taken, cities besieged in France, Germany, Turkey, Persia, Poland, &c., daily musters and preparations, and such like, which these tempestuous times afford, battles fought so many men slain, monomachies, shipwrecks, piracies, and sea-fights; peace, leagues, stratagems, and fresh alarms. A vast confusion of vows, wishes, actions, edicts, petitions, lawsuits, pleas, laws, proclamations, complaints, grievances, are daily brought to our ears. New books every day, pamphlets, currantoes, stories, whole catalogues of volumes of all sorts, new paradoxes, opinions, schisms, heresies, controversies in philosophy, religion, &c. Now come tidings of weddings, maskings, mummeries, entertainments, jubilees, embassies, tilts and tournaments, trophies, triumphs, revels, sports, plays: then again, as in a new shifted scene, treasons, cheating tricks, robberies, enormous villanies in all kinds, funerals, burials, deaths of princes, new discoveries, expeditions, now comical, then tragical matters. To-day we hear of new lords and officers created, to-morrow of some great men deposed, and then again of fresh honours conferred; one is let loose, another imprisoned; one purchaseth, another breaketh: he thrives, his neighbour turns bankrupt: now plenty, then again dearth and famine; one runs, another rides, wrangles, laughs, weeps, &c. Thus I daily hear, and such like, both private and public news, amidst the gallantry and misery of the world; jollity, pride, perplexities and cares, simplicity and villany; subtlety, knavery, candour and integrity, mutually mixed and offering themselves; I rub on privus privatus; as I have still lived, so I now continue, statu quo prius, left to a solitary life, and mine own domestic discontents: saving that sometimes, ne quid mentiar, as Diogene: J Ambo fortes et fortunati, Mars idem 1 Calide ambientes, solicite litigantes magisterii dominus juxta primam Leovittii regulam. * Hensius. aut misere excidentes, voces, strepitum, contentiones, &c. m Cyp. ad Donat. Unice securus. ne excidam in foro. aut in mari Indico bonis eluă, de dote filiæ P'monio filii non s'n solicitus. |