to their own persons come into their minds, tædium vitæ is a common symptom, tarda fluunt, ingrataque tempora, they are soon tired with all things; they will now tarry, now be gone; now in bed they will rise, now up, then go to bed, now pleased, then again displeased; now they like, by and by dislike all, weary of all, sequitur nunc vivendi, nunc moriendi cupido, saith Aurelianus, lib. 1, cap. 6, but most part 1vitam damnant, discontent, disquieted, perplexed upon every light, or no occasion, object; often tempted, I say, to make away themselves: 2 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 beggar that comes to the door is happier than 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, suspicion, or some such passion forcibly seizeth on them. Yet by and by when they come in company again, which they like, or be pleased, suam sententiam rursus damnant, et vitæ solatio delectantur, as Octavius Horatianus observes, lib. 2, cap. 5, they condemn their former dislike, 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, weary of all, they will die, and show rather a necessity to live, than a desire. Claudius the emperor, as Sueton describes him, had a spice of this disease, for when he was tormented with the pain of his stomach, he had a conceit to make away himself. Julius Cæsar Claudinus, consil. 84, had a Polonian to his patient, so affected, that through 4 fear and sorrow, with which he was still disquieted, hated his own life, wished for death every moment, and to be freed of his misery. Mercurialis another, and another that was

1 Altomarus. 2 Seneca. 3 Cap. 31. Quo stomachi dolore correptum se etiam de consciscenda morte cogitâsse dixit.

4 Luget et semper tristatur, solitudinem amat, mortem sibi precatur, vitam propriam odio habet.

often minded to dispatch himself, and so continued for many years.

2

Suspicion, jealousy.] Suspicion, and jealousy, are general symptoms; they are commonly distrustful, apt to mistake, and amplify, facilè irascibiles, 1testy, pettish, peevish, and ready to smarl 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 compliment, or ceremony be omitted, they think themselves neglected, and contemned; for a time that tortures them. If two talk together, discourse, whisper, jest, or tell a tale in general, 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. 3 He thinks 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 somebody should observe him. works upon it, and long after this false conceit of an abuse troubles him. Montanus, consil. 22, gives instance in a melancholy Jew, that was Iracundior Adriâ, so waspish and suspicious, tam facilè iratus, that no man could tell how to carry himself in his company.

8

He

Inconstancy.] Inconstant they are in all their actions, vertiginous, restless, unapt to resolve of any business, they will and will not, persuaded to and fro upon every small occasion, or word spoken; and yet if once they be resolved, obstinate, hard to be reconciled. If they abhor, dislike, or distaste, once settled, though to the better by odds, by no

1 Facilè in iram incidunt. Aret. Angor sine causa. 3 Suspicio, diffiden2 Ira sine causa, velocitas iræ. Savana- tia, symptomata, Crato, Ep. Julio Alexrola, pract. major. velocitas iræ signum. andrio cons. 185 Scoltzii Avicenna, 1. 3, Fen. 1, Tract. 4, cap. 18

counsel, or persuasion to be removed. Yet in most things wavering, irresolute, unable to deliberate, through fear, faciunt, et mox facti pœnitet (Areteus), avari, et paulo post prodigi. Now prodigal, and then covetous, they do, and by and by repent them of that which they have done, so that both ways they are troubled, whether they do or do not, want or have, hit or miss, disquieted of all hands, soon weary, and still seeking change; restless, I say, fickle, fugitive, they may not abide to tarry in one place long.

1" Romæ rus optans, absentem rusticus urbem

Tollit ad astra "

no company long, or to persevere in any action or business.

2" Et similis regum pueris, pappare minutum
Poscit, et iratus mammæ lallare recusat,"

eftsoons pleased, and anon displeased, as a man that's bitten with fleas, or that cannot sleep turns 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 dejected in an instant; animated to undertake, and upon a word spoken again discouraged.

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 compliment, but surly, dull, sad, austere; cogitabundi still, very intent, and as 8 Albertus Durer paints melancholy, like a sad woman lean

1 Hor. "At Rome, wishing for the fields; in the country, extolling the city to the skies." 2 Pers. Sat. 3, 18 "And like the children of nobility, require to

eat pap, and, angry at the nurse, refuse
her to sing lullaby."
3 In his Dutch
work picture

ing 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 witty; for I am of that 1nobleman's mind, "Melancholy advanceth men's conceits, more than 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 terms it, Judicium plerumque perversum, corrupti, cum judicant honesta inhonesta, et 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 et ad inferendam injuriam timidissimi, saith Cardan, lib. 8, cap. 4, de rerum varietate: loath 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 inconveniences to themselves, ex 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 injury, loss, danger, afflicted beyond measure, in great agony, perplexed, dejected, astonished, impatient, utterly undone; fearful, suspicious of all. Yet again, many of them desperate hare

brains, rash, careless, fit to be assassins, as being void of all fear and sorrow, according to 2 Hercules de Saxoniâ, "Most audacious, and such as dare walk alone in the night, through deserts and dangerous places, fearing none."

66

Amorous.] They are prone to love," and * easy to be taken; Propensi ad amorem et excandescentiam (Montaltus, cap. 21), quickly enamoured, and dote upon all, love one dearly, till they see another, and then dote on her, Et hanc,

1 Howard, cap. 7, differ. 2 Tract. de et loca periculosa, neminem timent mel. cap. 2. Noctu ambulant per sylvas, Facilè amant. Altom.

et hanc, et illam, et omnes, the present moves most, and the last commonly they love best. Yet some again Anterotes, cannot endure the sight of a woman, abhor the sex, as that same melancholy duke of Muscovy, that was instantly sick if he came but in sight of them; and that Anchorite, that fell into a cold palsy when a woman was brought before him.

2

Humorous.] Humorous they are beyond all measure, sometimes profusely laughing, extraordinarily merry, and then again weeping without a cause (which is familiar with many gentlewomen), groaning, sighing, pensive, sad, almost distracted, multa absurda fingunt, et à ratione aliena (saith Frambesarius), they feign many absurdities, vain, void of reason; one supposeth himself to be a dog, cock, bear, horse, glass, 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 believes it eftsoons, and peradventure by force of imagination will work it out. Many of them are immovable, and fixed in their conceits, 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 nought but bagpipes in their brain; if they see a combat, they are all for arms. 4 If abused, an abuse troubles them long after; if crossed, that cross, &c. Restless in their thoughts and actions, continually meditating, Velet ægri somnia, vanæ finguntur species; more like dreams, than men awake, they fain a company of antic, fantastical conceits, they have most frivolous thoughts, impossible to be effected; and sometimes think verily they hear and see present before their eyes such phantasms 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

1 Bodine. 2 Io. Major, vitis patrum, fol. 202. Paulus Abbas Eremita tanta solitudine perseverat, ut nec vestem nec vultum mulieris ferre possit, &c. 3 Con

sult. lib. 1, 17 Cons. 4 Generally as they are pleased or displeased, so are their continual cogitations pleasing or displeasing.