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How we must prepare our selues against the assaults and onsets of our passions.
CONsidering that our happines on earth doth hang (next after the knowledge of Christ) vpon our actions, and that the soule is, as it were, the Fountaine and wel-spring thereof; our chiefe care (if we desire to liue
an happy life) should be to make the better part of vs quiet and calm, endeauoring by al meanes, that it be not troubled, nor disea∣sed by vulgar & popular opiniōs, as being things much contrary to the excellent nature thereof.
There are two times, the one of prosperity, the other of ad∣uersity, wherein the soule is wont to bee vexed and tossed, with the passions of the inferi∣our part, as with so many vio∣lent and impetuous winds. And therefore we must herein imitate the Mariners, which before they loose off from the port, doe fur∣nish themselues with all things necessary and needfull for resi∣sting of the tempest and storme: so must wee prouide our selues aforehand of such sound and substantiall discourse, as may anker & stay the minde against
the push of our passions, when as they, like so many surging waues, do, nil we, will wee, fling themselues aboard into our boate, and euen as Xenophon did exhort his fellow Cittizens to sacrifice vnto God in the time of prosperity, to the end they might finde him the more ready and fa∣uourable when as they should inuoke him in their aduersity: So should we doe, and withall, at our first leasure, wee must con∣tract acquaintance with rectified reason, to the end, that when wee shall stand in need of her aide and asistance, she may come running to vs at our call, as knowing vs by our voyce, and hauing already an affectionate & earnest desire for our defence.
The discourse of rectified rea∣son is the maister and daunter of all peeuish and peruerse affecti∣ons
or passions. For, when as we haue once taken good notice of them by an earnest examination and tryall, made and tryed tou∣ching the same; and that wee haue ripely and aduisedly weigh∣ed both what power they haue ouer vs, and what Empire wee hold ouer them: They are not thereafter so fierce, and furious in our behalfe, but are more ea∣sily, and with much lesse adoe appeased and pacified. They therein not a little resem∣bling our little dogges, which will barke vncessantly at such as they are wont to see, but by and by are quieted as soone as they heare the voyce of such as they know.
The wise haue compared the commandement of the minde aboue this sensuall and terrestri∣all part of the soule, out of
which our passions doe spring, vnto the office of a Rider, who teaching, and training his horse, and sitting within the saddle ma∣nageth and turneth him at his will. But small credit should the Rider receiue, that should bring to the Tourneyment or Tilte a yong horse, which had neuer be∣fore borne the bit, nor galloped in the round, But hee must needs in the first place breake him by conuenient discipline, before he vse him in any errand or action of importance. In like manner before we put our backes vnder the burthen of any businesse, or expose our selues vnto the publicke view of the world, we must endeauour to breake and bring vnder this wild & vnbac∣ked part of the soule, and make it, as it were, to bite vpon the bit, by bringing it to learne the
lawes and measures whereby it must be managed, and maistered in all occasions, and at all occur∣rences, & in the meane time we must not forget to enhearten and encourage it, by acquain∣ting it with the pleasure and contentement, wherewith is ac∣companied the issue and end of all worthy and vertuous actions.
Meditation and Discourse is that which giueth an edge vnto the soule, and maketh it steele∣hard and vnpierceable, euen vnto the sharpest point of the stron∣gest passion, & vsually we proue admirable at euery such exercise as we haue before hand accusto∣med our selues vnto, what diffi∣culty soeuer it may seem to carry with it. On the other side, there is nothing (bee it neuer so easie) which will not seeme hard and difficult, and withall much trou∣ble
vs, if it do finde vs but noui∣ces, and new apprentises there∣in. How often thinke yee, must Canius haue needs thought vpon death, and reuolued in his mind what thing it should bee, who being condemned by the Tirant, and sent to the place of executi∣on, was so farre from being any whit dismayed thereat in his minde, that merrily, and as it were iestingly, he bid the Cen∣turion, who came for him, re∣member that he was stronger by the aduantage of one table, then he against whom hee played at that houre? And who taking his leaue of his neerest and dee∣rest acquaintance, for his last farewell, vttered no other words but these: Now my deere friends, I shall presently finde that which I haue so long longed after, & so much desired to know, if the soule bee im∣mortall,
and whether men in dying, do feele the separation of the Soule and Body which they indure? We must needes thinke that this poore Pagane had a long time exercised himselfe in comman∣ding, and ouer-ruling his passi∣ons, and that hee had aforehand armed and fenced himselfe with faire resolutions, seeing that with such constancy, and grauity he went to vndergo a death both cruell and vniust. If the onely desire to vnderstād, what should become of the soule after death, could make the torment, and tor∣ture not onely tollerable, but al∣so acceptable vnto him, what re∣solution then ought the certaine and assured knowledge of the soules immortality, together with the hope of eternall felicity worke in such as doe seriously meditate vpon the same in their
mindes? May not these goods, thinke ye, make vnto such minds not onely supportable, but euen comfortable & delectable, both death it selfe, and all other disas∣strous afflictions, which they en∣dure, seeing they are as the waues which do push vs forward vnto the sweete and sure port of euerlasting rest and repose?