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

¶Of Sadnesse. Chap. 30.

ANother parte of Sorrowe, is called Sadnesse:* 1.1 whose nature according to the opinions of those whiche haue bene most dilligent in the searching the verie properties of euery Perturbation shalbe declared. Cicero, whome in this matter espetially I doo follow, defineth Sadnes to be a Sorrow continuing, and déepely rooted in the minde. And it hath place most chiefly in those whose mindes are occupied about earthly affaires. Hereof according to some mēs verdite, Tristitia is explicated to be a stāding of the earth,* 1.2 & thereof is thought to be Terraestitia, euē as Solstitium hath his beginning a Solis s••atione, from the standing or quiet re∣sting of the Sunne. Melancholike per∣sons are most subiect to this Perturba∣tion: and therefore Aristotle sayth, that they are continually vexed, both in mind and boddie, they are very seldome well at ease, but stande in neede of the Phisi∣tion, because they disgest theyr meate very ill: and he sayeth moreouer, that

they are strong in imaginations, and for sharpnesse of wit they excell. The Poets faine Prometheus,* 1.3 to be tyed on the top of the mountaine Caucasus, & an Egle to be gnawing of his harte. Wherby they signifie no other thing, but the great sadnesse of Prometheus, gotten by the contemplating the Starres and Pla∣nets. For Prometheus was a learned man, and verie skilfull in Astronomie, and therefore because of his great dilli∣gence bestowed in searching the causes of the motions of the heauens, and the nature of thinges, he is thought with cares, studie, and sadnesse, to be con∣sumed.* 1.4 Which when Cicero dyd vnder∣stande, in smiling sort he sayde: He could verie well be content to be of a dull and blockishe capacitie, so he might be frée from that kinde of nature.* 1.5 And the Py∣thagorians were of his opinion, for theyr poesie was, that The hart shoulde not be eaten: Theyr meaning was, that cares, and sadnesse, shoulde not consume the harte by vnquieting the minde: We see those which be geuen to sadnes, to be proane to al wickednesse, as enuie, deceipt, couetousnesse, lecherie, and such

lyke vices: and moreouer, they are de∣lyghted in no good exercise, for the most parte, but desire to be idle, and doo no∣thing. Which the Astronomers conside∣ring, write, that they are vnder the go∣uerment of Saturne, an hurtful, slothfull planet,* 1.6 & most enemie to mankinde of al other planets. C. Caesar, declared him selfe to hate & detest those which by na∣ture were pale,* 1.7 and sad. And therfore on a tyme, as he was merely iesting, with many of his famyliars, but espetially with one of a pleasant countenance, and of constitution of boddie verie grosse, a∣nother perceiuing his great familiarity, came vnto him, and wylled him to talke not so friendly, but to take héede of him, for without doubt he sayd, if he vsed his company and familiarity, no good would come thereof. Then Caesar smyling, sayde, that he, feared not those of merie countenance, but those lowring and sad persons, meaning Brutus, and Cassius, whiche in deede afterwardes,* 1.8 were not onely the procurers, but the committers of his cruell murthering. Myson also, whome some accoumpt among the seuen wyse men of Gréece,* 1.9 was geuen to such

vnreasonable sadnesse, that he was re∣ported to persecute all mankinde with hatred, and men gathered the same, be∣cause he was in no company merie, nei∣ther tooke he delyght in any. And but once in al his lyfe, he was séene to laugh, and that was at such a tyme, when as (a great sort being in company) all others were sad: and being demaunded, why at that tyme he brake into laughter, none else being merie? aunswered, because I haue no companion. By which aunswer of Myson, it is gathered, that sad per∣sons care for no company, but take most delyght when they are alone. But nowe to come to the cause hereof:* 1.10 no maruayle though déepe and profounde meditation bring the same, and cause men to be de∣sirous to be alone. For nature hath ge∣uen to euerie man two places, or recep∣tacles of all his cogitations, one is the braine, the other the harte, both being furnished with cogitations, néedes must a man be vnquiet, and proane to sadnes, for to the braine haue recourse all the senses of mans boddie, which as they were messengers, bring newes of al such exteriour thinges, which are obiect vnto

them: and therefore running continual∣ly therevnto, suffereth the braine neuer quietly to rest, but alwayes with imagi∣nations trouble it. But the hart by rea∣son that it is more cloase and secréete, is lesse assaulted with the senses: And ther∣fore the mind of man, when it hath some great, and graue cogitation, flieth vnto the hart, as to a more quiet place, where he maye the better iudge trueth from falsehoode, and according to reason geue sentence of euerie thing. And so we (by the example of the minde) when we are in any cogitation of weight, séeke the moste secréete place frée from all noyse, that so we may neither sée those thinges which wyl trouble our minds, nor heare that which may driue vs from the same into some other matter. And in this re∣spect, sadnesse may be well commended, and taken for a great grauity,* 1.11 which an∣cient writers doo much praise: and hereof it comes that Lucilius and Varro, haue called Philosophers graue, sad, and se∣uere, epithetons geuen in good parte to their comendations. And Terence sayth: There is a sad seueritie in his counte∣nance, & faithfulnesse in words, wherby

it appeareth that sadnesse somtime is ta∣ken for a good qualitie. And as there is an vngratious, so is there a vertuous, which is a token of no lyght person, but of one whose behauiour is such, as his desire is to be accompted graue, as were Philosophers, and are all wyse and pru∣dent men. Therefore ought euery man so prepare him selfe, that not so much as a shewe of that harde, bitter, and sowre sadnesse, which hath alwayes bene com∣mended of none, but contemned of all wyse men, shoulde appeare in him: but this graue and seuere sadnesse, ought not onely to be wished for, but laboured for, that so, he maye be nombred among the graue, and wyser sort of men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sadnesse.
• * 1.2

  Tristitia quasi, Terra••sti∣tia, vt Solstitium.
• * 1.3

  Promethe∣us. Caucasus.
• * 1.4

  Cicero.
• * 1.5

  Pythagori••i
• * 1.6

  Saturnus.
• * 1.7

  C. Caesar.
• * 1.8

  Brutus. Cassius,
• * 1.9

  Myson.
• * 1.10

  Causes of sadnes.
• * 1.11

  Sadnesse commen∣dable.