The philosophie, commonlie called, the morals vvritten by the learned philosopher Plutarch of Chæronea. Translated out of Greeke into English, and conferred with the Latine translations and the French, by Philemon Holland of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke. VVhereunto are annexed the summaries necessary to be read before every treatise

WHAT PASSIONS AND MALADIES BE WORSE, THOSE OF THE SOULE, OR THOSE OF THE BODIE?

The Summarie. [ 20]

THis present question upon which Plutarch hath framed this declamation, whereof there remaineth extant in our hands but one little parcell, hath beene of long time dis∣cussed and debated among men; the greater is our damage and detriment, that we have heere no better division, nor a more ample resolution of it by so excellent a philo∣sopher as he was: but seeing that this losse can not be recovered, let us seeke for the cleering of all this matter in other authors; but principally in those, who search deepely to the verie bottom, for to discover the source of all the maladies of the soule, in stead of such writers who have treated of morall philosophie, according to the doctrine and light of nature, onely accompanied with [ 30] precepts out of her schoole, and have not touched the point but superficially, as being ignorant what is originall and hereditarie corruption; what is sinne; how it entred first into the world, what are the greatest impressions, assaults, effects, and what is the end and reward thereof. But to come unto this fragment, our author after he had shewed that man of all living creatures is most miserable, declareth wherein these humane miseries ought to bee considered; and prooveth withall, that the diseases of the soule are more dangerous than those of the body, for that they be more in number, and the same ex∣ceeding different, hard to be knowen and incurable, as evidently it is to be seene in effect, that those who are afflicted with such maladies, have their judgement depravate and overturned, refusing remedie with the losse of rest and repase, and a singular pleasure which they take to discover their unquietnesse, anxietie and miserie. [ 40]

WHAT PASSIONS AND MALA∣dies be worse, those of the soule or those of the bodie?

HOmer having viewed and considered very well the sundry sorts of living creatures mortall, compared also one kind with another, as well in the continuance as the conversation and maner of their life, [ 50] concluded in the end with this exclamation,

Lo how of creatures, all on earth which walke and draw their wind, More miserable none there are nor wretched than mankind.

attributing unto man this unhappie soveraigntie, that he hath the superioritie in all miseries whatsoever: but we setting this downe

for a supposition granted already, that man carieth the victorie, and surpasseth all others for his infortunitie, and is already declared and pronounced the most unhappie wretch of all living creatures, will set in hand to compare him with his owne selfe, in a certeine conference of his proper calamities that follow him; and that by dividing him, not in vaine and unfruitfully, but very pertinently and to good purpose, into the soule and the bodie, to the end that wee may learne and know thereby whether we live more miserablie in regard of our soules, or our selves, that is to say, our bodies: for a disease in our bodie is engendred by nature; but vice and sinne in the soule is first an action, but afterwards becommeth a passion thereof: so that it is no small consolation, but maketh much for the contentment of our minde, to know that the worse is curable, and the lighter is that which can not be avoided. [ 10]

The fox in Aesope pleading upon a time against the leopard, as touching the varietie of co∣lours in their skins, after that the leopard had shewed her bodie, which to the eie and in outward apparence was well marked & beset with faire spots, whereas the foxes skin was tawny, foule and ill-favoured to see to: But you (quoth he) sir Judge, if you looke within, shall finde me more spotted and divers coloured than that leopard there; meaning the craft and subtiltie which he had, to turne and change himselfe in divers sorts, as need required; after the same maner let us say within our selves: O man, thy body breedeth and bringeth foorth many maladies and passi∣ons naturally of it selfe, many also it receiveth and enterteineth comming from without, but if thou wilt anatomize and open thy selfe, thou shalt finde within, a save, an ambrie, nay a store∣house and treasurie (as Democritus saith) of many evils and maladies, and those of divers and [ 20] sundry sorts, not entring and running in from abroad, but having their originall sources spring∣ing out of the ground, and home-bred, the which, vice abundant, rich and plenteous in passi∣ons putteth forth. Now, whereas the diseases that possesse the body and the flesh, are discove∣red and knowen by their inflamations and red colour, by pulses also or beating of the arteries, and namely, when the visage is more red or pale than customably it is, or when some extraordi∣narie heat or lassitude, without apparent cause, bewraieth them: contrariwise, the infirmities and maladies of the soule are hidden many times unto those that have them, who never thinke that they be sicke and ill at ease; and in this regard worse they be, for that they deprive the pati∣ents of the sense and feeling of their sicknesse: for the discourse of reason, whiles it is sound and hole, feeleth the maladies of the bodie; but as for the diseases of the soule, whiles reason herselfe [ 30] is sicke, she hath no judgement at all of that which she suffereth, for the selfe same that should judge is diseased; and we are to deeme and esteeme, that the principall and greatest maladie of the soule is follie, by reason whereof vice, being remedilesse and incurable in many, is cohabi∣tant in them, liveth and dieth with them: for the first degree and very beginning of a cure, is the knowledge of a disease, which leadeth and directeth the patient to seeke for helpe; but he who will not beleeve that he is amisse or sicke, not knowing what he hath need of, although a present remedie were offered unto him, will refuse and reject the same. And verily, among those disea∣ses which afflict the bodie, those are counted worst which take a man with a privation of sense; as lethargies, intolerable head-ach, or phrensies, epilepsies or falling-evils, apoplexies and fea∣vers-ardent; for these burning agues many times augment their heat so much, that they bring a [ 40] man to the losse of his right wits, and so trouble the senses, as it were in a musicall instrument, that

They stirre the strings at secret root of hart, Which touched should not be, but lie apart.

which is the reason that practitioners in physicke desire and wish in the first place, that a man were not sicke at all, but if hee be sicke, that hee be not ignorant and senselesse altogether of his disease; a thing that ordinarily befalleth to all those who be sicke in minde: for neither witlesse fooles, nor dissolute and loose persons, ne yet those who be unjust and deale wrongfully, thinke that they do amisse and sinne; nay, some of them are perswaded that they do right well. Never was there man yet, who esteemed an ague to be health, nor the phthisicke or consumption to be [ 50] a good plight and habit of the bodie, nor that the gout in the feet was good footmanship, ne yet that to be ruddy and pale or yellow, was all one, yet you shall have many who are diseased in minde, to call hastines and choler, valiance; wanton love, amitie; envie, emulation; and cowar∣dise, warie prudence. Moreover, they that be bodily sicke, send for the physicians (because they know whereof they stand in need) for to heale their diseases; whereas the other avoid and shun the sage philosophers; for they thinke verily that they do well when they fault most. Upon this reason we holde, that the ophthalmie, that is to say, the inflamation of bloud-shotten eies, is a

lesse maladie than Mania, that is to say, rage and furious madnesse; and that the gout in the feet is nothing so bad as the phrensie, which is an inflamation or impostume bred in the braine; for the one of these patients finding himselfe diseased, crieth out for paine, & calleth for the physi∣cian, and no sooner is he come, but he sheweth him his diseased eie for to dresse and anoint, he holdeth forth his veine for to be opened, & yeeldeth unto him his head for to be cured; where∣as you shall heare ladie Agave in the Tragaedios, so farre transported out of all sense and under∣standing (by reason of her raging fit) that shee knew not those persons which were most deare and entire unto her; for thus she saith:

This little one here newly kild, And cut in pieces in the field, [ 10] From hilles we bring to dwelling place, How happy, ô, hath beene our chace!

As for him who is sicke in bodie, presently he yeeldeth thereto, he laies him downe upon his pallet, or taketh his naked bed, he easeth himselfe all that he can, and is content and quiet all the while that the physician hath him in cure; but if peradventure he tumble and tosse in his bedde, fling and cast off his clothes, by reason that his bodie is tormented with some grievous hot fit, no sooner stirreth he never so little, but one or other that standeth or sitteth by to tend him, is ready to say gently unto him:

Poore soule, be quiet, feare none ill, Deare heart, in bed see thou lie still. [ 20]

he staieth and keepeth him downe, that he shall not start and leape out of his bed: but contrari∣wise, those that be surprised with the passions of the soule, at such a time be most busie, then they be least in repose and quiet; for their violent motions be the causes moving their actions, and their passions are the vehement fits of such motions: this is the cause that they will not let the soule to be at rest, but even then when as a man hath most need of patience, silence and quiet re∣trait, they draw him most of all abroad into the open aire; then are discovered soonest his cho∣lerike passions, his opinionative and contentious humors, his wanton love and his grievous sor∣rowes, enforcing him to commit many enormities against the lawes, and to speake many words unseasonably, and not befitting the time.

Like as therefore much more perillous is the tempest at sea, which impeacheth and put∣teth [ 30] backe a ship, that it can not come into the harbour to ride at anchor, than that which will not suffer it to get out of the haven and make saile in open sea; even so those tempestuous passi∣ons of the soule are more dangerous which will not permit to be at rest, nor to settle his dis∣course of reason once troubled, but overturneth it upside downe, as being disfurnished of pilots and cables, not well balllaised in the storme, wandring to and fro without a guide and steeres∣men, carried mauger into rash and dangerous courses, so long, untill in the end it falleth into some shipwracke, and where it overthroweth the whole life, in such sort that in regard of these reasons and others semblable, I conclude, that woorse it is to be soule-sicke than diseased in bo∣die; for the bodies being sicke, suffer onely, but the soules if they be sicke, both suffer and doe also amisse. To proove this, what neede we further to particularize and alledge for examples [ 40] many other passions, considering that the occasion of this present time is sufficient to admo∣nish us thereof, and to refresh our memorie? See you not this great multitude and preasse of people thrusting and thronging here about the Tribunall and common place of the citie; they are not all assembled hither to sacrifice unto the Tutelar gods, Protectors of their native coun∣trey, nor to participate in common the same religion and sacred ceremonies of divine service; they are not all met heere together for to offer an oblation unto Jupiter Astraeus, out of the first fruits of Lydia, and to celebrate and solemnize in the honor of Bacchus, during these holy nights, his festivall revils with daunses, masks, and mummeries accustomed: but like as by yeer∣ly accesse and anniversarie revolutions, the forcible vigor of the pestilence returneth for to irri∣tate and provoke all Asia; so they resort hither to entertaine their suits and processes in law to [ 50] follow their pleas; and a world here is of affaires, like to many brookes and riverers which run all at once into one channell and maine streame; so they are met in the same place, which is pe∣stered and filled with an infinite multitude of people, to hurt themselves and others. From what fevers or colde, ague-fits, proceed these effects? from what tensions or remissions, augmenta∣tions or diminutions? from what distemperature of heat, or overspreading of cold humours comes all this? If you aske of everie severall cause here in suite, as if they were men and able to answere you from whence it arose, how it grew, and whereupon it came and first began? you

shall finde that one matter was engendred, by some wilfull and proud anger; another proceeded from a troublesome and litigious spirit; and a third was caused by some unjust desire and un∣lawfull lust.