St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of the three passions that the Stoickes alow a wiseman, excluding sadnesse, as foe to a vertuous minde. CHAP. 8.

THose which the Greekes call (a) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Tully, Constantiae, the Stoickes make to be three, according to the three perturbations in a wisemans mind, •…•…ng will for desire, (b) ioy for exultation, and warinesse for feare: but insteed of •…•…at egritude or dolour which wee to avoyd amphibology call sadnesse, they •…•…y that a wise mind can intertaine any thing: for the will, (say they) affecteth good: which a wiseman effecteth: ioy, concerneth the good hee hath attayned, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 warinesse avoideth that hee is to auoyd: but seeing sadnesse ariseth from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ill cause, already fallen out, (and no euill happineth to a wiseman) there∣•…•… wisdome admits nothing in place thereof. Therefore (say they) none but •…•…en can will, reioyce, and beware, and none but fooles can couet, exult, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…nd bee sad. The first are the three constancies (saith Tully,) and the later 〈◊〉〈◊〉 foure perturbations. The Greekes, as I said call the three, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and these 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In (c) seeking the correspondency of this, with the phrase of holy writ, I found this of the prophet. There is no (c) ioy (saith the Lord) vnto the •…•…ed, as if the wicked might rather exult, then haue ioy, in their mischiefes, for * 1.1 •…•…y is properly peculiar to the good and Godly: That also in the gospell: What * 1.2 soeuer yee would that men should dee vnto you, euen so do yee to them: this seemes to •…•…imate that a man cannot will any euill thing but couet it: by reason of which •…•…ome of interpretation, some translators added good, What good soeuer. &c. for •…•…y thought it fit for man to desire that men should do them no dishonesty, and •…•…rfore put in this, least some should thinke that in their luxurious banquets (to be silent in more obscene matters) they shold fulfil this precept, in doing to others as others did vnto them. But (e) good, is not in the originall the greeke, but only, as we read before: What soeuer yee would. &c. for in saying yee would, he meaneth good. Hee sayd not, whatsoeuer you coue•…•…, yet must wee not alway tye our phrases to this strictnesse, but take leaue at needfull occasions, and when wee reade those that wee may not resist, wee must conceiue them so, as the true sence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no other passage, as for example sake, in the savd places of the Prophet and

the Apostle who knoweth not that the wicked exult in pleasure? and yet there is no ioye (saith the LORD) to the wicked. Why? because ioye is properlie and strickly vsed in this place. So may some say that precept, Whatseouer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vvould &c. is not well deliuered: they may pollute one another with vnclean∣nesse, or so: Notwithstanding, the commaunde is well giuen: and is a most true and healthfull one. Why? because will, which properly cannot bee vsed in euill, is put in the most proper signification in this place. But as for ordinary vsage of speech, wee would not say, Haue no vvill to tell any •…•…e: but that there is a badde will also, distinct from that which the Angells praised say∣ing: (f) Peace in earth to men of good vvill. Good were heere superfluous, if that there were no will but good, and howe coldlie had the Apostle praised * 1.3 charity, in saying that it reioyceth not in iniquitie, but that enuy reioyceth therein: For the Pagan authors doe vse these differences. (g) I desire (saith Tully) Fa∣thers * 1.4 conscript, I desire to bee mercifull. Heere hee vseth Cupio in a good sence, and who is so peruerse to say hee should haue vsed Volo rather? And T•…•…rence his lasciuious youth: (h) I would haue none but Philumena saith hee. That this will was lust, his (i) ancient seruantes answeare declareth, saying to his Maister: How much better were it for you, to cast this loue out of your heart rather then * 1.5 seeke to inflame it more therein? That they vsed ioy in an euill sence, Virgills verse of the foure perturbations doth record.

Hinc metuunt, cupiunt{que}, dolent, gaudent{que}, Heere-hence they feare, disire, displeas'd, content.

And the same author in another place saith.

Mala mentis gaudia. The mindes badde ioyes.

So then both good and euill doe will, beware, and take ioye, and to reherse them in other tearmes, the good and badde, doe desire, feare, and reioyce: mary, those doe it well, and these badly according as their wills are. And that sad∣nesse, for which the Stoickes can afforde a wise man iust nothing, is apparent in good men, especiall of our profession. For the Apostle praiseth the Co∣rinthians for that they were Godly sorrowfull. I but (may some say) the * 1.6 Apostle congratulateth their sorrowe in repentance, and that is proper to none but sinners: for his words run thus.

I perceiue well that the same Epistle made you sorrie though it vvere but for a sea∣son, but I now reioyce not that you were sorrie but that you sorrowed vnto repentance: * 1.7 for you sorrovved Godlie, so that in nothing you vvere hurt by vs. For Godlie sor∣rovv causeth (k) repentance vnto saluation, not to bee repented of: but the vvorldly sorrovv causeth death: for behold this Godlie sorrovv, vvhat great care it hath vvrought in you. Verelie the Stoickes may answere for themselues, that this sorrowe seemed vsefull vnto their repentance, but it cannot bee in a wise man because hee cannot doe an act sinne-full or worthie of repentance, nor can admit any thing that should procure sadnesse in him. For they say that (l) Al∣cibiades (if I haue not forgetten the mans name) thinking himselfe happie, and (m) Socrates disputing against it and proouing him miserable, because he was not * 1.8 wise, fell a weeping. So here was his want of wisdome cause of this good sorrow,

whereby hee greeued that hee was as hee should not bee, but a wise man (say the Stoickes) can neuer haue this sorrow.

L. VIVES.

E•…•… (a) and] Tusc. lib. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is a good affect, and may be vnderstood two waie either arising of pleasure, whose contrary is sorrow: or it may deriue from that purified * 1.9 will which the Stoickes held: for I said before that the Stoickes held that wills were onely good, as Tully plainely relateth. (b) Ioy for euxltation] It is need to ioye, but not to exult, wa∣rinesse also is a iudicious avoidance of euill: feare, an amazed and reason-lesse deiection. (c) Seeking the] I see not vnto what so long a discourse of words onely out of the translation can 〈◊〉〈◊〉: if hee produced them out of their originall there were some reason for it. (d) Ioy] Peace, saith the vulgar, but the 70. Ioy. (e) Good is not] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. It were too idle to vse many wordes in perswading all men in what doubts soeuer, to haue recourse to the scriptures: This Hierome vrgeth, and Augustine heere warneth, confirming it by his example. Wee haue opposers that say it is farre more sure in the latine then in the originiall: but I will neuer trou∣ble my selfe to answere them, they are few, and those are fooles and time will either stop their mouthes (seeing their breth is vainely spent) or the consent of the learned, will silence their •…•…sh clamours. (f) Peace in earth] The greeke is, and good will vnto men. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. but all is to one purpose.

(g) I desire] In Calilni. 1. and Tully vseth Cupio sixe hundred times in this sence: And this Argument of Augustines out of the latine writers is fitter to his purpose then all those out of the scriptures: and that not so much against the Greekes Stoickes, as Tully the Latinist. (h) * 1.10 I •…•…ld] Charinus his wordes in Terences Andria,. Philumena, quasi beloued of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, she was supposed the daughter of Chremes. [My commentator hath held his peace a great many * 1.11 bookes through, but here hee hath got his tongue againe. Philumena (saith hee) was a Whore. Troth, this is no honest mans part, to make a chaste Virgin, an Whore: oh but hee •…•…keth as many of our times doe also, that there is no man speakes in the Poets, but Theeues and Pandars: nor any woman but Whores and Bawdes. And Philumena beeing found in a •…•…-house, what could this doue-eyd innocent Preaching Friar do lesse then take her for Whore?] (i) Ancient] Or, miser? For Charinus was not wise inough in his loue. This was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…n Birrhia. (k) Repentance vnto] So wee reade commonly. The olde copies, and Bruges bookes reade, vnto the impenitent, for saluation: falsly, the Coleyne readeth it the best [as wee haue translated it] For the greeke is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c (l) Alcibyades] Kinsman to Pericles Prince of Athens, to whose tuition hee was left. Hee was the most beautifull personage of * 1.12 the world, of wondrous witte, and most industrious in art military, hee was the Athenians ge∣nerall in their warres against Lacedaemon and Sicylie. No man had euer a more flexible wit to the two greatest diuersities; hight of vertue, and hight of vice: of his life, Plutarch, Emilius Pr•…•…s, and Iustine, (knowne authors) doe write. (m) Socrates] Who taught him, and made shewe of loue to him, to keepe him from the vnchast loue of others. Plato mentions him of∣ten. Socrates would some-times cherish him, when hee obeied him, and some-times, chide him sharpely, when he brake out into exorbitances. As yee may reade in Plato's, Alcibiades of the nature of man. Socrates (saith Tully) hauing perswaded him that hee had nothing that was man in him, and that high borne Alcibiades diffred nothing from a common porter, hee grew into great griefe, and beseeched Socrates to teach him vertue, and abolish this his base∣nesse. Tusc. 4.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay. 57. 12
• * 1.2

  Mat. 7. 12.
• * 1.3

  Luc. 2, 14
• * 1.4

  1 Cor. 13, 6
• * 1.5

  Andr. act. 2 S•…•…. 1
• * 1.6

  Sadnesse according to God.
• * 1.7

  2 Cor. 7, 8 9, 10, 11
• * 1.8

  Alcibiades his sad∣nesse.
• * 1.9

  Erapathia.
• * 1.10

  Philumena.
• * 1.11

  [The Lo∣uaine co∣pies de∣fectiue.]
• * 1.12

  Alcibiades.