An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. XIII. Of Sadness.

I. Sadness on Enemy to Man. GRIEF brings up the Rear of the Passions, the most common affection among Mortals, the Companion and Enemy of Joy. It seems to have been allotted by Nature for the Persecutor of Man∣kind, and lier in wait as well for Soul as Body. There is scarce any Sadness which does not transfer its force from the Soul upon the Body, and with one stroak hit two different things at once.

II. The Defini∣tion of Sad∣ness. For Sadness is no other than a certain un∣grateful Languor, or the Inconvenience which happens to the Soul, from the Evil or Defect which the Impressions of the Brain represent to it as its own. Which Definition extends only to Sensual Pains, as they differ from Intellectual. For no doubt, but sometimes, there may be Sadness in the Soul, tho' all Cause be removed which excites Corporal Pain, as appears in those who have a Limb cut off, who are not only affected with Sadness upon the loss of the said Member, but also long after when they look upon themselves as maim'd persons, and depriv'd of a part which con∣duceth to the gaining of a Livelihood. But in re∣gard these sorts of Pain are seldom found, which are produc'd by an Action of pure Intellect; and whatsoever happens to the Soul, so long at it is united to the Body, is depainted forth by Imagi∣nation in the Brain, We only here treat of Sadness, as it is a Passion.

III. Whence Grief ari∣seth. And it arises from from an Opinion of an ad∣herence of some Evil or Default; for the Body cannot be hurt, but the Soul must immediately be disturbed, and be sensible of a certain bitterness thereby. Tho' it sometimes happens, that we find our selves sad or dejected, when ignorant of any causes of the said dejection. As when the Body languishes, and is not able to perform its functi∣ons, when the Heaven is all over covered with Clouds, as it often happens in the Winter-time; because then the Nerves of the Body are not, as they us'd to be, agitated, and so remain, in a sort, immoveable.

IV. The Inter∣nal Causes of Sadness. Sadness arises when the Animal Spirits are so dispos'd by the Glandule to the presence of an Object of Sadness, that they streighten and con∣tract the Orifices of the Heart by the Nervule wherewith they are encompassed, and hinder the Blood from its copious entrance into it, and egress out of it. Whence it happens that the Heart hath very little of Ardour and Inflammation, the passages in the mean time remaining open, through which the Chyle is conveyed from the Stomach and Entrails into the common Ocean, which is the cause of Appetites being diminisht, unless Hatred supervening Sadness, which is oftentimes joyned to this Passion, closes and shuts them up.

V. Various Ef∣fects of Sadness. Thereupon in persons affected with Sadness, the Pulse becomes weak and slow, and they seem to feel, as it were, Fetters about the Heart, which bind and restrain it like Icicles. Which frigidity being disperst through the rest of the Body, causes it to remain sluggish and unactive, and does also make those that labour under Sadness to grow pale, because by compressing the vessels of the Heart, it causes the Blood to flow the more slowly into the Veins; and so having less agitation than usual, it requires a less place to possess; so that betaking

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Book. 1. Part. 9. Chap. 13.

G. Freman. Inv.

I. Kip Scul••

it self into larger Veins which are nearer to the Heart, it leaves the more remote; whereof those that are diffus'd through the Face are more conspicuous; and upon that occasion they are ren∣dred more pallid. Nor is the cause very different of those Tremours which are incident to persons affected with sadness, in regard when the Blood, as hath been said, is languidly deduc'd through the whole Body, it must needs be but slowly convey'd to the Muscles of the Arms and Legs, so that the Valvulae are not straightly enough closed, which is the reason that the Spirits, swiftly taking their course through the Connivent Ostioles of the Muscles, produce tremours in the said members of the Body.

VI. How Tears are atten∣dant upon Sadness. Tears, as they accompany Joy, so also some∣times Sadness, and are produc'd, when upon the Blood being refrigerated by Sadness, the Pores of the Eyes are contracted, by reason of which com∣pression the Vapours proceeding from them are con∣verted into Water; that is to say, because their moti∣on being retarded, their parts meet, and are so united one with another, that they end in Tears.

VII. Evil, ac∣cording as it is appre∣hended, ex∣cites vari∣ous effects in us. As Evil is an Object of Sadness, so it produces various effects in us, according as we refer it to our selves or others. For an Evil offered by us under the notion of an Evil, when we consider that we have committed it, excites repentance, which is so much the more bitter, in re∣gard it depends upon our Free Will, and was in our power of committing or not com∣mitting that which so much aggrieves us. The Remorse of Conscience is a Sadness arising from a scruple or doubt, whether what we have done be good or not. In this Passion, Dubitation ought to be necessarily included; forasmuch as if what we commit should be manifestly known to be Evil, we should refrain from committing it, since our Will is never carried on, but to those things which are represented to us under some ap∣pearance of Good. And if that Evil which we commit, should plainly appear to be an Evil, we should then be toucht, not with a simple remorse, but with downright Repentance, which is the severest of all Passions. We are therefore toucht with re∣morse, because we attempted a work before we made any doubt of it, or shook off the scruple of Mind which attended it.

VIII. What En∣vy produces. Envy is a species of Sadness, not simple, but mixt with Hatred; which proceeds from hence, namely, that we see a Good to befall others which we judge them unworthy of. This Passion ex∣tends not it self to all sorts of Good, but only those which we call the Goods of Fortune. For those things which are granted to us by Nature, seem to be above Envy. The Envious are for the most part of a Livid Colour, in regard Sadness ope∣rates upon the Body the same way as Hatred, causing Choler, which proceeds from the lower∣most part of the Liver; as likewise Melancholy from the Spleen, to flow to the Heart, from whence diffus'd through the Arteries and Veins, they cause the parts of the Blood which is in the Veins to be less agitated; and this is sufficient to induce a Livid Colour upon the Countenance, pro∣vided it be copious and intense enough.

IX. What Fa∣stidie is. Fastidie or Loathing, is another sort of Sadness arising from the same cause from which Joy for∣merly arose; for we are of that Humour, that al∣most all things we possess, are valued by us as good, only for the time being, and are afterwards lookt upon as incommodious, which especially ap∣pears in Eating and Drinking, which never please but so long as the Appetite prevails, and are distast∣ful when the Appetite ceaseth, and because they then cease to be grateful to the Taste.

X. The Eeffect of Commi∣seration. Commiseration is a Sadness mixt with Benevo∣lence or Love, proceeding from the consideration of some Evil which befalls those persons whom we think unworthy of it: And is in some so vehe∣ment, that it draws Tears from their Eyes, by reason that at that time, through the Affection of Love, a great quantity of Blood is propelled to the Heart, from whence many Vapours being emitted to the Eyes, and having their motion re∣tarded with cold, are, as hath been several times already intimated, changed into Tears.

XI. The Ef∣fects of In∣dignation. Indignation hath a great affinity with Hatred or Aversion, wherewith we are naturally stirr'd up against those that do ill. It is very often join'd with Envy and Commiseration, and the difference lies chiefly in the Object. Forasmuch as we envy those to whom any thing of good happens, and are fellow▪sufferers with those that suffer ill unde∣servingly. But our Indignation is against those only who do good turns to those that are unwor∣thy of them.

XII. Of Anger. Anger, which may be referred to Indignation, is the Aversion against those who have offered any Ill, or at least have design'd any Injury to us. This Anger is always attended by a desire of Re∣venge, which is the most impetuous of all Affecti∣ons; in regard the Hatred which is found in it, causes the Bilious Blood, which flows from the Milt, and from the little Veins of the Liver to undergo a very great Agitation; which Blood en∣tring the Heart, stirs up an extraordinary Heat, which is far more rigid and vehement than that which proceeds from Love or Sadness.

XIII. A Twofold Anger. There are two sorts of Anger, one very quick, and soon breaking forth, and disclosing it self in the Countenance; but this is of little effect, and with small labour allay'd: The other is not so soon discharged, but inwardly afflicts and stings; and the effects of this are much more dangerous than those of the Former. To the first, those are Ob∣noxious, who either Love, or are indued with a good Nature; by reason that this sort of Anger proceeds not from Hatred, but from a suddain Aversion which hastily seises them; because those things which they think of, fall not out in the same manner as they imagin; whence it happens, that as soon as they come to consider that those things which so moved them, ought not to have stirred them up to Anger, they are toucht with shame and Repentance, and condemn themselves for their rash and unseasonable passion; whereas those that are affected with the other sort of An∣ger are more to be fear'd, discovering no other co∣lour in their Face, but a pallid Hue, in regard the heat being drawn back to the Heart, they reserve themselves for revenge, and think of nothing but the time of Vengeance, and those circumstances which lead thereunto•• 'This is a Vice peculiar to Persons of a Base and Abject Spirit.

XIV. What Shame is, and Desire. Shame is founded upon Self-love, which pro∣ceeds from Opinion or Fear of Dispraise▪ Desire,

if it be more strictly inquired into, than commonly it is in Schools, is a certain sadness for a Good lost, and whereof there is no hope of recovery: For we are never afflicted with Desire, except for the loss of Goods sometime possest, and which we imagin so snatcht from us, as to be left without any hope of ever obtaining them again.