The five days debate at Cicero's house in Tusculum between master and sophister.

SECT. XIV. Their Dissimilitude.

THERE is the Dissimilitude between Souls and Bodies, that Souls in their full strength, cannot fall into Sickness, Bodies may. But the Disorders of Bodies may happen without any fault; of Souls, cannot so. All whose Diseases and Passions arise from a Disobedience to Reason; and consequently are to be found in men only; for Beasts do somewhat analogous, but fall not into Passions. There is again this difference between the acute and the dull Wits; (a) as the Corinthian Brass, in reference to Rust; so they fall into a Distemper slower, and are recover'd sooner; but it is not so with dull Persons. Nor in truth does the mind of the ingenuous fall into every Disease and Passion; for it doth not in∣to many Brutish and Salvage ones; but some there be, that carry an appearance at the first sight of Humanity and Tenderness, as Compassion, Trou∣ble, Fear. Now Indispositions and Diseases are thought to be remov'd with more difficulty, than are those greatest Vices, which are contrary to the Cardinal Vertues; for whilst the Diseases abide, the Vices cannot be taken away; because those are not so speedily cur'd, as these are remov'd. You have what the Stoicks accurately Dispute con∣cerning the Passions, (b) which they call Logick, because it is argu'd with much Subtilty; now since

our Discourse is gotten, as it were, clear from among those lurking Rocks; we will stand a direct course in the rest of our Disputation, if we have deliver'd these things with sufficient plainness, in regard of the obscurity of the matter.

(a) As the Corinthian Brass.] This rich Metal, famous in Antiquity, is said to have been a Compound of Copper, Silver, Gold, melted down into one, at first casually when the Romans burnt Corinth.

(b) Which they call Logick.] He reflects upon the large and improper use of that Term, in a Subject really belong∣ing to Morals.