MEMB. VIII.
Against Melancholy itself.
Every man, saith [4070]Seneca, thinks his own burthen the heaviest,
and a melancholy man above all others complains most; weariness of life,
abhorring all company and light, fear, sorrow, suspicion, anguish of mind,
bashfulness, and those other dread symptoms of body and mind, must needs
aggravate this misery; yet compared to other maladies, they are not so
heinous as they be taken. For first this disease is either in habit or
disposition, curable or incurable. If new and in disposition, 'tis commonly
pleasant, and it may be helped. If inveterate, or a habit, yet they have
lucida intervalla, sometimes well, and sometimes ill; or if more
continuate, as the [4071]Vejentes were to the Romans, 'tis hostis magis
assiduus quam gravis, a more durable enemy than dangerous: and amongst
many inconveniences, some comforts are annexed to it. First it is not
catching, and as Erasmus comforted himself, when he was grievously sick of
the stone, though it was most troublesome, and an intolerable pain to him,
yet it was no whit offensive to others, not loathsome to the spectators,
ghastly, fulsome, terrible, as plagues, apoplexies, leprosies, wounds,
sores, tetters, pox, pestilent agues are, which either admit of no company,
terrify or offend those that are present. In this malady, that which is, is
wholly to themselves: and those symptoms not so dreadful, if they be
compared to the opposite extremes. They are most part bashful, suspicious,
solitary, &c., therefore no such ambitious, impudent intruders as some are,
no sharkers, no cony-catchers, no prowlers, no smell-feasts, praters,
panders, parasites, bawds, drunkards, whoremasters; necessity and defect
compel them to be honest; as Mitio told Demea in the [4072]comedy,
Haec si neque ego neque tu fecimus,
Non sinit egestas facere nos.
If we be honest 'twas poverty made us so: if we melancholy men be not as
bad as he that is worst, 'tis our dame melancholy kept us so: Non deerat
voluntas sed facultas. [4073]
Besides they are freed in this from many other infirmities, solitariness
makes them more apt to contemplate, suspicion wary, which is a necessary
humour in these times, [4074]Nam pol que maxime cavet, is saepe cautor
captus est, he that takes most heed, is often circumvented, and
overtaken. Fear and sorrow keep them temperate and sober, and free them
from any dissolute acts, which jollity and boldness thrust men upon: they
are therefore no sicarii, roaring boys, thieves or assassins. As they are
soon dejected, so they are as soon, by soft words and good persuasions,
reared. Wearisomeness of life makes them they are not so besotted on the
transitory vain pleasures of the world. If they dote in one thing, they are
wise and well understanding in most other. If it be inveterate, they are
insensati, most part doting, or quite mad, insensible of any wrongs,
ridiculous to others, but most happy and secure to themselves. Dotage is a
state which many much magnify and commend: so is simplicity, and folly, as
he said, [4075]sic hic furor o superi, sit mihi perpetuus. Some think
fools and dizzards live the merriest lives, as Ajax in Sophocles, Nihil
scire vita jucundissima, 'tis the pleasantest life to know nothing;
iners malorum remedium ignorantia, ignorance is a downright remedy of
evils. These curious arts and laborious sciences, Galen's, Tully's,
Aristotle's, Justinian's, do but trouble the world some think; we might
live better with that illiterate Virginian simplicity, and gross ignorance;
entire idiots do best, they are not macerated with cares, tormented with
fears, and anxiety, as other wise men are: for as [4076]he said, if folly
were a pain, you should hear them howl, roar, and cry out in every house,
as you go by in the street, but they are most free, jocund, and merry, and
in some [4077]countries, as amongst the Turks, honoured for saints, and
abundantly maintained out of the common stock. [4078]They are no
dissemblers, liars, hypocrites, for fools and madmen tell commonly truth.
In a word, as they are distressed, so are they pitied, which some hold
better than to be envied, better to be sad than merry, better to be foolish
and quiet, quam sapere et ringi, to be wise and still vexed; better to be
miserable than happy: of two extremes it is the best.
|
