The passions of the minde in generall. Corrected, enlarged, and with sundry new discourses augmented. By Thomas Wright. With a treatise thereto adioyning of the clymatericall yeare, occasioned by the death of Queene Elizabeth

The end and profite of this Discourse, wherein are declared the Passions and Affections of our Soules. CHAP. I.

THERE can be no man, who works by right reason, but when he first intendes his worke, he aymeth at some end, he levels at some good; viz. either to instruct the wit with doctrine, move the will to virtue, delight the minde with pleasure; or in fine, direct the Reader to do some thing that may be, either commodious to him∣selfe, or profitable to the common weale. This Trea∣tise therefore of the Passions of the Minde, cannot but carry with it, a goodly and faire glosse of profite and

commoditie, not onely because it concerneth every mans particular, but also, for that there be few estates or conditions of men, that have not int'rest in this mat∣ter; the Divine, the Philosopher, the curers both of the bodie and the soule, I meane the Preacher and Physiti∣an; the good Christian that attendeth to mortificati∣on, and the prudent civill Gentleman that procureth a gratefull conversation, may reape some commoditie touching their professions; and in sine, every man may, by this, conse to a knowledge of himselfe, which ought to be preferred before all treasures and riches.

The Divine herein may first challenge his parte, be∣cause the inordinate motions of Passions, their preven∣ting of reason, their rebellion to virtue are thornie bri∣ars sprung from the infected root of original sinne (the which Treatise wholy concerneth Divines, and all the deformed broode thereby ingendred:) the Passions likewise augment or diminish the deformitie of actuall sinnes, they blinde reason, they seduce the will, and therefore are speciall causes of sinne: whereuppon a∣mong Divines grew that common distinction of sins, that some are of Passion, others proceede from igno∣rance, others from malice and wilfulnesse; Finally, Pas∣sions are meanes to help vs, and impediments to with∣draw vs from our end: the Divine therefore, who spe∣cially entreateth of our last end, and of the meanes to atchieve it, and difficulties to obtaine it, mu•••• of neces∣sitie extend the sphere of his knowledge to this subject of our Passions; and for this respect of Divines they are divinely handled.

The Philosopher, as well naturall as mo••••ll, the one for Speculation, the other for Practise, wade most pro∣foundly

in the matter of our Passions. The naturall Philosopher contemplating the natures of men and beasts sensitive soules (for Passions are common to both) consequently enter into discourse about the acti∣ons and operations thereof; for, without the know∣ledge of them it were impossible to attaine vnto the perfite vnderstanding of either of them. The morall Philosopher, describing maners, inviting to virtue, dis∣swading from vice, sheweth how our inordinate ap∣petites must be brideled with fortitude & temperance, he declareth their natures, their craft & deceit, in what sort of persons they are most vehement, and in whome more moderate; and to be briefe, he spendeth wel nie in this disputation, all his morall Philosophie, in teach∣ing how they may be vsed, or abused.

The christian Orator (I meane the godly Preacher) perfitely vnderstanding the natures and proprieties of mens passions, questionlesse may effectuate strange matters in the mindes of his Auditors. I remember a Preacher in Italy, who had such power over his Audi∣tors affections, that when it pleased him he could cause them shead aboundance of teares, yea and with teares dropping downe their che••ks, presently turne their sor∣row into laughter; and the reason was, because he him∣selfe being extreamely passionate, knowing moreover, the Arte of mooving the affections of those Auditors; and besides that, the most part were women that heard him, (whose passions are most vehement and mutable) therefore hee might have perswaded them what hee li∣sted. The same commoditie may be gathered by all other Oratours, as Embassadours, Lawyers, Ma∣gistrates, Captaines, and whatsoever would perswade

a multitude, because, if once they can stirre a Passion or Affection in their Hearers, then they have almost halfe perswaded them, for that the forces of strong Passions, marvellously allure and draw the wit and will to judge and consent vnto that they are mooved. Many things more might be saide concerning this matter, but in all the other Chapters folowing, except this first, I meane to touch this point very largely.

As this Treatise affordeth great riches to the Physi∣tian of the soule, so it importeth much the Physitian of the bodie, for that there is no Passion very vehement, but that it alters extreamely some of the foure humors of the bodie; and all Physitians commonly agree, that among diverse other extrinsecall causes of diseases, one, and not the least, is, the excesse of some inordinate Pas∣sion: for although it busieth their braines, as also the na∣turall Philosophers, to explicate the manner how an o∣peration that lodgeth in the soule can alter the bodie, and moove the humors from one place to another, (as for example, recall most of the bloud in the face, or o∣ther partes, to the heart, as wee see by daily experience to chance in feare and anger) yet they consent that it may proceede from a certaine sympathie of nature, a subordination of one part to another, and that the spi∣rites and humors wait vpon the Passions, as their Lords and Maisters. The Physitians therefore knowing by what Passion the maladie was caused, may well inferre what humor aboundeth, & consequently what ought to be purged, what remedy to be applied; & after, how it may be prevented.

If all the aforesaide Professions may challenge each one a part in this Discourse; surely the good Christian,

whose life is a warrefare vpon earth; he, who if he love his soule, killeth it; he, whose studie principally stan∣deth in rooting outvice, and planting of vertue; hee, whose indevour specially is imployed in crucifying old Adam, and in refining the image of Christ: he, who pretendeth to be ruled by reason, and not tyrannized by preposterous affection, this man (I say) may best peruse this matter, he may best meditate it; he may best know where lieth the cave of those Serpents and Basi∣liskes, who sucke out the sweete blood of his soule; hee may see where the thorn sticketh that stingeth his heart: finally, he may view his domesticall enemie, which ne∣ver permits him to be quiet, but molesteth in prosperi∣tie, deiecteth in adversitie; in pleasure makes him disso∣lute, in sadnesse desperate, to rage in anger, to tremble in feare, in hope to faint, in love to languish. These were those temptations of the flesh that S. Paul did pu∣nish, saying; Castigo corpus meum, & in servitutem redigo, I chasten my body, and bring it into servitude: these were those members the same Apostle exhorted vs to mortifie vpon earth, Mortificate membra vestra quae sunt super terram. Seeing then how all the life of a spi∣rituall man ought to bee imployed in the expugnation of these molestfull Iebusites, without all doubt it im∣portes him much to knowe the nature of his enemies, their stratagems, and continuall incursions, even vnto the gates of the chiefest castell of his soule, I meane the very witte and will.

Not only the mortified Christian had need to know well his passions, because, by brideling them he winnes a great quietnesse of minde, and enableth himselfe bet∣ter to the service of God, but also the civil Gentleman,

and prudent Polititian, by penetrating the nature and qualities of his affections, by restraining their inordi∣nate motions, winneth a gratious cariage of himselfe, and rendereth his conversation most gratefull to men: for I my selfe have seene some, Gentlemen by blood, and Noblemen by birth, yet so appassionate in affecti∣ons, that their company was to most men intollerable: for true is that Salomon saide, Vir iracundus provocat rixas, qui patiens est mitigat suscitatas, An angry man raiseth brawles, but a patient man appeaseth them after they be raised. And therefore howe vngratefull must his company seeme, whose passions over-rule him? and men had neede of an Astrolabe alwayes, to see in what height or elevation his affections are, lest, by casting forth a sparke of fire, his gun-powdred minde of a so∣dayne be inslamed. I omit how he may insinuate him∣selfe into other mens love and affections, how in trave∣ling in strange countries he may discover, to what passi∣on the people are most inclined; for as I haue seene by experience, there is no Nation in Europe that hath not some extraordinarie affection, either in pride, anger, lust, inconstancie, gluttonie, drunkennesse, slouth, or such like passion: much it importeth in good conversation, to know exactly the companies inclination; and his so∣cietie cannot but be gratefull, whose passions are mode∣rate, and behaviour circumspect. I say nothing of Ma∣gistrates, who may by this matter vnderstand the incli∣nations and dispositions of their inferiors and subiects. But finally I will conclude, that this subiect I intreat of, comprehendeth the chiefe obiect that all the antient Philosophers aymed at, wherein they placed the most of their felicitie, that was, Nosce teipsum, know thy selfe:

the which knowledge principally consisteth of a perfit experience every man hath of himselfe in particular, and an vniversall knowledge of mens inclinations in common; the former is helped by the latter, the which knowledge is delivered in this Treatise.

Notes

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• See Thom. cum Scholasticis in 12 q. 22. & a∣lios in 1. part. vbi de h••mine.
• See the Philo∣sophers in the second and third de Ani∣ma.
• See Aristotle▪ Rhetorikes.
• See Fracasto∣riu•• libr. de sympathia & lib. 2. de intel∣lectione circa medium.
• Iob 7. 1.
• Mar. 8. 35.
• Matt. 10. 36.
• 1. Corint. 9. 27
• Coloss. 3. 5.
• Prover. 15. 18.