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SAdnesse is a languishing feeblenesse of the spirit, and a * 1.1 kinde of discouragement ingendered by the opinion that we haue of the greatnesse of those euils that afflict vs. It is a dangerous enemie to our rest, which presently weakeneth
and quelleth our soules, if we take not good heede; and taketh from vs the vse of reason and discourse, and the means wher∣by to prouide for our affaires, and with time it rusteth and fenoweth the soule, it corrupteth the whole man, brings his vertues asleepe, euen then when he hath most need to keepe them awaked, to withstand that euil which oppresseth them: but we must discouer the foulnesse and follie, the pernicious effects, yea the iniustice that is in this cowardly, base, and fee∣ble passion, to the end wee may learne with all our might to flie and auoid it, as most vnworthy the wisest men, according to the doctrine of the Stoicks; which is not so easy to be done, because it excuseth and couereth it selfe with many beautifull colours of nature, pietie, goodnesse, yea the greatest part of the world it drawes to honour and fauour it, making it an or∣nament to wisedome, vertue, conscience.
First then it is so farre from being naturall (as it would * 1.2 make men beleeue) that it is formall, and an enemie to nature, as may easily be prooued. Touching ceremonious sorrowes and publike mournings, so much affected and practised in former times, and likewise at this present (my meaning is not to touch the honestie and moderation of obsequies and fune∣ralls, nor that sorrow that belongs to piety and religion) what greater imposture or deceitfull cousenage can there be in any thing besides? How many fained and artificiall counterfeit cousenages are there with no small cost and charges, both in those whom it concerneth, the authors of the sport, and those whose offices they make vse of in that businesse? For to giue the better credit to their iugling tricks they hire people to la∣ment, and to send vp their shreeking cries and lamentations, which all men know to bee fained and extorted for mony, teares that are not shed but to bee seene, and so soone as they are out of sight are dried vp; where is it that nature hath taught vs this? Nay what is there that nature doth more ab∣horre and condemne? It is a tyrannicall, false and vulgar opi∣nion (the worst, as hath beene said, almost of all the passions) that teacheth vs to weepe and lament in such a case. And if a man cannot finde occasion of teares & a heauy countenance in him selfe, he must buy it at a deare price in another, in such sort that to satisfie this opinion, hee must enter into a great
charge whereof nature if we would credit it, would willingly discharge vs. Is not this willingly and publikely to betray reason, to enforce and to corrupt nature, to prostitute his owne manhood, to mocke both the world and himselfe, to sa∣tisfie the vulgar sort, which produce nothing but errour, and account of nothing that is not counterfeit and disguised? Nei∣ther are those more particular sorrowes naturall, as it seemes to many; for if they did proceed from nature, they should * 1.3 bee common to all men, and almost touch all men alike. Now wee see that the selfe same things that are causes of sor∣row to some, giue occasion of ioy vnto others, that one Pro∣uince, one person laugheth at that whereat another weepeth; that they that are conuersant with those that lament, exhort them to resolution, and to quit themselues of their teares. Yea the greatest part of those that thus torment themselues, when you haue talked with them, or that themselues haue had the leasure but to discourse vpon their owne passions, they con∣fesse that it is but a folly thus to afflict themselues, and praise those who in the like aduersities, haue made head against fortune, and with a manly and generous courage haue with∣stood their afflictions. And it is certaine that men do not ac∣commodate their mourning to their cause of sorrow, but the opinion of those with whom they liue. And if a man marke them well, he shall finde that it is opinion, which the more to annoy vs presenteth the things vnto vs which torment vs ei∣ther more than they should, or by anticipation, feare, and pre∣uention of that which is to come, sooner than they should.
But it is against nature, inasmuch as it polluteth and defa∣ceth * 1.4 whatsoeuer nature hath made beautifull and amiable in vs, which is drowned by the force of this passion, as the beau∣tie of a pearle is dissolued in vineger. Wee make our selues heerby spectacles of pity, we go with our heads hanging, our eies fastned on the earth, our mouthes tonguelesse, our mem∣bers immooueable, our eies serue for no other vse than to weepe, that you may say wee are nothing but sweating sta∣tues, turned (as the Poets faine) like Niobe into a stone by the power of this passion.
Now it is not only contrary and an enemy vnto nature, but * 1.5 God himselfe: for what other thing is it, but a rash and out∣ragious
complaint against the Lord and common law of the whole world, which hath made all things vnder the Moone changeable and corruptible? If we know this law, why do we torment our selues? If we know it not, whereof doe we com∣plaine, but of our owne ignorance, in that we know not that which Nature hath written in all the corners and creatures of the world? We are heere not to giue a law, but to receiue it, and to follow that which we find established: for to torment our selues by contradicting it, doth but double our paine.
Besides all this, it is pernicious and hurtfull vnto man, and by so much the more dangerous, because it killeth when we * 1.6 thinke it comforts, hurteth vnder the colour of doing good; vnder a false pretence of plucking the iron out of the wound, it driues it to the heart: and the blowes thereof are so much the more hardly auoided, and the enterprises broken, because it is a domesticall enemy brought vp with vs, which we haue engendred for our owne punishment.
Outwardly, by a deformed and new countenance wholly * 1.7 altered and counterfeited; it dishonoreth and defameth man. Doe but consider when it entreth into vs, it filleth vs with shame, in such sort, that wee dare not to shew our selues in publike place, no not priuatly to our dearest friends; and af∣ter we are once possessed of this passion, we doe nothing but seeke corners to hide our selues from the sight of men. What is this to say, but that it condemneth it selfe, and acknowled∣geth how indecent it is? For it is for a woman that is taken in her wantonnesse to hide herselfe, and to feare to be knowen. Againe, do but consider the vestments and habits of sorrow, how strange and effeminate they are; which sheweth, that it taketh away whatsoeuer is manly and generous in vs, and puts vpon vs the countenances and infirmities of women: and therfore the Thratians adorned those men that mourned, like women. And some say, that sorow makes men eunuches. The first and more manly and generous lawes of the Romans forbad these effeminate lamentations, finding it an horrible thing, that men should so degenerate from their owne na∣tures, and do things contrary to manhood; allowing only of those first teares, which proceed from the first encounter of a fresh and new griefe, which may fall euen from the eyes of
Philosophers themselues, who keepe with their humanitie their dignitie: and may fall from the eyes, vertue not falling from the heart.
Now it doth not only alter the visage, change, and disho∣nestly * 1.8 disguise a man outwardly, but piercing euen to the marrow of the bone, Tristitia exsiecat ossa, it weakeneth like∣wise the soule, troubleth the peace thereof, makes a man vn∣apt to good and honourable enterprises, taking away the taste, the desire, and the disposition to doe any thing that is profitable either to himselfe or to another, and not only to do good but to receiue it: For euen those good fortunes that light vpon him displease him; euery thing is tart vnto his soule, as victuals to a corrupted stomacke: and lastly, it ma∣keth bitter our whole life, and poisoneth all our actions.
It is twofolde, great and extreame, or at leastwise, though * 1.9 not great in it selfe, yet great when by reason of a sudden sur∣prise, and furious vnexpected alarum it seiseth vpon the hart of a man, pierceth it thorow, depriueth him of motion and sense, like a stone, & not vnlike that miserable mother Niobe,
Diriguit visu in medio, calor ossa reliquit, Labitur, & longo vix tandem tempore fatur.
And therfore the Painter diuersly and by degrees presenting vnto vs the sorrow and miserable estate of the parents and friends of Iphygenia when she was sacrificed, when he came to her father, he painted him with his face couered, as confes∣sing his art not sufficient to expresse in the visage a griefe of that degree. Yea, sometimes a sorrow may be such, that it killeth outright. The second degree is the indifferent sor∣row, which though perhaps it may be greater than the for∣mer, yet in time it is lessened and eased, and is expressed by teares, sobs, sighs and lamentations: Curae leues loquuntur, ingentes stupent.
Particular aduisements and remedies against this euill, are Lib. 3. cap. 29.
1 The descrip∣tion.
2 Not natu∣rall. Publike mournings,
Particular.
3 Against na∣ture.
4 Iniust and impious.
5 Pernitican.
6 Outwardly.
7 Inwardly.
8 The distin∣ction.