A philosophicall discourse, entituled, The anatomie of the minde. Nevvlie made and set forth by T.R.

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Title
A philosophicall discourse, entituled, The anatomie of the minde. Nevvlie made and set forth by T.R.
Author
Rogers, Thomas, d. 1616.
Publication
Imprinted at London :: By I[ohn] C[harlewood] for Andrew Maunsell, dvvelling in Paules Church yarde, at the signe of the Parret,
1576.
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Subject terms
Ethics.
Conduct of life -- Early works to 1900.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A10969.0001.001
Cite this Item
"A philosophicall discourse, entituled, The anatomie of the minde. Nevvlie made and set forth by T.R." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A10969.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed October 31, 2024.

Pages

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¶Of Enuie. Chap. 26.

THe second part of Sorrow is Enuie, which is defined of Zeno to be a Sor∣rowe taken at the welfare,* 1.1 or prosperitie of another man, which nothing at all hurtes him which enuieth. This Enuie is compared vnto the Canker.* 1.2 For as the Canker eateth and destroieth iron, so doth enuie eate and consume the hartes of the enuious. The Poets faine Enuie to be one of the furies of Hell, and to be fedde with nothing but adders & snakes: to shewe that enuious persons, doo swal∣lowe downe poyson, and lykewise vomit vp the same againe. For anothers pros∣perity is theyr poyson, and anothers ad∣uersity theyr comfort.

Therfore did Politian write very plea∣santly vnto an enuious man,* 1.3 after this manner: Thou enuiest all thinges to all men, except enuie. And the same lyke∣wise thou doest enuie in another man, which is more enuious then thy selfe. So doth not he enuie yt in thee, which not∣withstāding thou canst not abide in him.

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And this ye nature of the enuious. What you are I wyll not vtter, least I make you more miserable, then you are nowe. For if I should make you knowne, your very name also you woulde not abide. It is the part of this enuie, lyke as fire, to couet the highest places,* 1.4 and to barke at those whiche are wortheliest prefer∣red. And therefore it is called the compa∣nion of Vertue. It doth not onely seeke the destruction of noble & vertuous men, but also of notable and famous citties. For by this Themistocles, which by sea had vanquished and ouerthrowne the whole nauie of Xerxes,* 1.5 which in nomber was almost infinite, and set his countrey free from thraldome and seruitude, this (I say) Themistocles which had brought so much honor & fame vnto his countrey, by enuie was compelled to forsake the same, & to liue lyke a miserable captiue in banishmēt, for the space of ten yeeres. Though enuie were the cause of his pu∣nishment, yet the Athenians to cloake their ingratitude, sayd, they did the same to suppresse & keepe vnder his stomache, least the remembrance of his glory, and victories should make him so to excell the

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rest, as he should haue no companion like vnto him: and the better to bring him in∣to hatred, they caused Timocreō a Rho∣dian Poet,* 1.6 by verses to report him to be a couetous person, wicked, a violater of his faith, and no kéeper of hospitalitie.

* 1.7So lykewise Aristides, which for his vertues, was called Iust, was not with∣out enemies, and enuious persons. For in recompence of al paines and troubles sustained both by lande and sea, to the encreasing of his countreys fame, yet through some enuious folkes he was (I say) notwithstanding all his vertues and benefites bestowed, as a most vnprofi∣table member cut from the body of his contrey. And not only those two lights and examples of vertue, Themistocles, and Aristides were brought into misery, but also the whole state of Athens into perpetuall slauery,* 1.8 whē as none could a∣bide one to be in greater estimatiō then him selfe, or to excell in vertue: the same brought destruction vnto the Romanes, Thebanes,* 1.9 and many other countreyes of great renowme. This Enuie is com∣pared in some respect (of olde & auncient diuines) vnto the Sunne. For as the

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nature of the Sunne is to obscure and darken thinges whiche are cleare and manifest: and likewise lighten, and illu∣strate that which is obscure: so enuie endeuoreth to obscure the glory of those which are famous, and in aucthoritie. So that none are subiecte vnto the talke of the enuious, but such as either by welth, riches, renowne, auctority, or vertue are better then the rest, and none are in their bookes, but those which are cowards, da∣stards, wicked & obscure persons.* 1.10 Tullie hath a notable sētence, worthy to be had in continual remembrance of all such as are well disposed, his wordes be these: I haue alwayes bine of this minde, that I haue thought enuie gotten by vertue, to be no obscuring of my name, but an illu∣strating of the same. Amongst all enui∣ous persons (which haue bene for num∣ber infinite) none hath bene so much re∣prehended for the same, as was,* 1.11 Timon of Athens. For he coulde away with none, but onely with Alcebiades:* 1.12 and being asked of Apemantus, why enui∣yng all others, he so fauoured him, aun∣swered, that therefore he dyd loue and accompt of him, because he perceiued the

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disposition of Alcebiades to be such as he should in tyme be a scourge to the Athe∣nians, & a cause of many troubles which they should come into. And, as he was, so are all they which are enuious, they can lyke of none but such as are causers, and helpers to bring those which are at rest, and as it were in felicitie, into miseries. But I wyll not spende more wordes a∣bout this Perturbatiō Enuie, for which I haue spoken may sufficiently set forth her nature. I wyll therefore come to a very familiar companion of hers, which is Emulation.

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