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

¶Of the chiefest felicitie. Chap. 1.

WE haue alreadie declared how a man may easely subdue his coltishe affections, and make them to abyde vnder the yoake of reason, so that he knoweth what to auoide as capi∣tall and deadly enemies to his good en∣deuours. It wyl not therefore be a misse nowe to prescribe what he shoulde with tooth & nayle, with all care and diligence seeke to attaine, and in them as in a sure hauen rest himselfe, where he may bée saulfe from the troublesome tempestes, which this wretched worlde shall rayse to his destruction.* 1.1 Many men according to theyr diuers mindes (for euerie man hath his opinion) haue diuersly thought hereof. Some men haue supposed this

hauen to be the delight of the minde, as dyd the Epicures:* 1.2 others the beastly plea∣sure of the boddie, as dyd Aristippus: o∣thers a good constitution of the boddie, and perpetuall health, without sicknesse, as dyd Metrodorus:* 1.3 some haue thought honestie linked with pleasure, as Calli∣phon and Dinomachus:* 1.4 some to be frée from sorrow and griefe of mind, as Dio∣dorus and Hieronimus: some learning, and profounde knowledge, as Herillus: some to liue honestly, and to follow ver∣tue, as the Stoikes: some not to decline from the lawe of nature, as Zeno: some in the goodes of nature, fortune, and the minde,* 1.5 as dyd Aristotle, and the Peri∣patecions. So that howe many sectes, so many sentences, and howe many men, so many opinions. But in this diuersitie, we wyll chiefly allowe the iudgement of the Peripatecions, and so neyther thinke with Aristippus and Metrodorus, that the boddie, and delight thereof is the chiefest thing, and most to be desired: neyther with the Stoikes and Epicures, that good qualites of the minde onely, but ioyntly in the externall, cor∣porall, and mentall goodes: and then is a

man most happie in this life, when per∣fectly he enioyeth all those.

This felicitie is defined of Aristotle to be eyther a vertuous prosperitie:* 1.6 or a florishing estate, ioyned with an honest conuersation: or else a waye sufficiently of it selfe, teaching howe to lyue well: or a lyfe endued with all kinde of pleasure, quiet, and glorious: Finally hée is thought and defined, in this worlde to bée happie and blessed, which for his sub∣staunce is riche, for the constitucion of his boddie is healthfull, and wanteth not those thinges whiche both may kéepe the same when he hath it, or recouer the same, when he wanteth it.

Out of those definicions,* 1.7 maye easely be gathered, the partes of which feli∣citie consisteth, and they are eyther in respecte of the boddie (as we sayde be∣fore) corporall, or naturall: or of For∣tune externall: or because they are in a man, mentall, and of the minde. So that they are thréeforde.

Hee that is desyrous to haue a full vnderstandinge of euerye one of these, ought to make recourse to the greate

volumes of lerned Philosophers, which haue at large explicated them. Yet wyll we not altogeather let them passe, but of euery one speake somewhat orderly.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Diuers o∣pinions touching the true felicitie.
• * 1.2

  Epicures. Aristippus.
• * 1.3

  Metrodorus
• * 1.4

  Calliphon. Dinoma∣chus. Diodorus. Hieronimus▪ Herillus. Stoikes. Zeno.
• * 1.5

  Aristotle. Peripateci∣ons.
• * 1.6

  Aristoteles. lib. 1. Rhe∣tor. ad The∣odecten. Cap. 14
• * 1.7

  Partes of felicitie.