The treasure of tranquillity. Or A manuall of morall discourses tending to the tranquillity of minde. Translated out of French by I.M. Master of Arts.

DISC. 6.

Of the diuersitie of Actions.

MEn, me thinketh, ought to take paines in inabling themselues to comport with the time, and matters, according as they fall forth: and not to tye themselues so much to one man∣ner of liuing, but that in case of

necessity they may well leaue it. For euen as a man that is whole & sound, should not sub∣iect himselfe to the keeping of one certaine rule in his dyet, but ought rather to accustome him∣selfe to eate somtimes more, and sometimes lesse, at one time of one meate, & at another time of another meate; to drinke now of wine, and then of water, to stay sometimes in the sunne, & some∣times in the shade, sometimes to labour, and sometimes to rest: so must a man frame and fashion himselfe to all manner of acci∣dents, for in so doing, any new accident whatsoeuer, that can befall you (for there falleth out an infinity of chances in the course of our life) shall not trou∣ble, nor disquiet you: yea though yee bee driuen to be∣take your selfe to some other

maner of liuing, yet shall ye do it without much adoe (proui∣ding alwayes that temerity and rashnesse bee away) by reason that yee shall bee so well inured thereunto before hand, that it will bee easie for you to giue place vnto the time that offereth it selfe. And truly the impoten∣cy, and weaknesse is all one, not to be able to change in time of need, and not to be able to con∣tinue constant in a good course.

Moreouer, wee must mingle and temper our matters in such sort that they may be fitted pro∣portionably one to another. As for example. At one time to bee solitary, at another time to be in company, the one for our friends sake, the other for our selues: for we must not alwaies remaine in our graue moode, for that should make vs to be abhorred:

neither must we shew our selues continually iocund and glad, for that should make vs to be despi∣sed. But wee must carry our selues discreetly, obseruing comelinesse and conueniency of time and place, as the life of man doth require. For it is a needfull thing for a man at one time or other to recreate himselfe, by gi∣uing intermission to his more se∣rious affaires.

We reade of Socrates, a most graue Phylosopher, that he made no difficultie to play and refresh himselfe with the litle boies: and of Cato, a very austere man, that somtimes he did feast his friends, thereby to refresh himselfe with the pleasure of their company, and to recreate his minde, wea∣ried with the weighty affaires of the Common-wealth. Also of Scipio Africanus, that sometimes

he would delight himselfe with daunsing.

And this we haue said to shew that the minde of man requireth some release. Neither hath that man his due liberty, who hath not the meanes sometimes to be at leasure. The fruitfullest grounds, if they get not leaue to rest a while, become barren in a short time. Continuall labour maketh the minde of man to be∣come slacke and weake: euen as lasinesse & luxurie doth make it heauy, feeble, and faint. Our recreation ought to bee as our sleepe, which restoreth our strength, and giueth vs breath to returne more gayly, and ioyfully to our worke. For if we should sleepe continually, it should bee a death and not a sleepe.

Those which of old did esta∣blish lawes, haue ordained there

should bee also certaine feast-dayes in the yeare, to the end men might in a manner bee con∣strained to surcease from the a∣ctions of their ordinary callings, and to take their pastimes after their toyles: and of old we finde that many excellent men were wont to allot some parcell of time to their recreation. Asini∣us Pollio a great Orator was neuer so much busied in affaires, but hee reserued for his pleasure and pastime the two last houres of the day; during the which space, hee would not so much as reade the letters which hee re∣ceiued from his friends, fearing lest they should minister vnto him some new care and cogita∣tion. Others were wont to la∣bour vntill noone, and the rem∣nant of the day they did spend a∣bout meaner matters. The lights

which they distribute to ser∣uants at Court, doe like wise li∣mit and bound the times appoin∣ted both for labour and rest.

There was a decree of the Se∣nate of Rome, which did beare a prohibition that no new thing should be propounded or men∣tioned in the last two houres of the day. Furthermore, when a man is wearie of his worke, hee doth finde himselfe maruailously refreshed and restored when as hee goeth out into an o∣pen and spatious place, and it seemeth that the free aire doth repaire and renew the strength and vigour of his dispearsed and spent spirits. For conclusion, ye ought to loue diuersity and change according to the time, and take heed least yee nourish, and cherish your minde too de∣licately and daintely.

For it hauing of the owne na∣ture great strength, prouiding that it be wakened and rouzed vp, it were not reasonable ye should suffer it through volup∣tuous and delitious liuing to waxe feeble and faint. And no sooner do ye come to that point to be impatient and delicate, but as soone all things begin to crosse your good liking. To eate it goeth against your sto∣macke, to be hungrie it hurteth you, to sleepe it slayeth you, to be awake it vexeth you: and as a sicke or queasie person, ye go on in a restlesse maze, alwayes sear∣ching and seeking after some new thing: such delicacie and tendernesse hath bene the cause that diuerse haue had much ado to comport with the very things which are necessary in this life, as to lie, to sleepe, to wake, to

rise, to dine, to sup, to talke, to walke, to cloath & vncloath thē∣selues: so that some haue thought it a death to be alwaies wearied in beginning a new againe & so often the same things. Such folks come to such extremities that hardly can they manage, or main∣taine the manly courage of their minde; neither can they frame themselues to all things, to know many things, to taste of many things, and alwaies in eue∣ry thing to carry a good sto∣macke. For in this case there is the like reason and condition of the body and of the mind. Hence it is that ye shall espie some men so tenderly disposed, that a small noise of their neighbour will an∣noy them, and the sound of a lit∣tle bell will trouble their braine. For as vnto a crasie and ill-com∣plexioned body, so vnto, a droo∣ping

and languishing minde it doth semblably befall, that what thing soeuer toucheth it, doth pricke it and sting it full sore.