Envy and Malice, are two linkes of this chain, and both, as Guianerius Tract. 15. cap. 2. proves out of Galen 3. Aphorisme, com. 22. cause this malady by themselves, especially if their bodies be otherwise disposed to Melancholy. ’Tis Valescus de Taranta, and Foelix Platerus observation, Envy so gnawes many mens hearts, that they become altogether melancholy. And therefore belike Solomon, Prov. 14.13. cals it, the rotting of the bones, Cyprian, vulnus occultum;
— Siculi non invenere tyranni
Majus tormentum—
The Sicilian tyrants never invented the like torment. It crucifies their souls, withers their bodies, makes them hollow-ey’d, pale, lean, and gastly to behold, Cyprian ser. 2. de Zelo & livore. As a Moth gnawes a garment, so, saith Chrysostome, doth envy consume a man: to be a living Anatomy: a Skeleton, to be a lean and pale carcass, quickned with a fiend, Hall in Charact. for so often as an envious wretch sees another man prosper, to be enriched, to thrive, and be fortunate in the world, to get honors, offices, or the like, he repines and grieves.
— intabescitque videndo
Successus hominum — suppliciumque suum est.
He tortures himself if his equal, friend, neighbor be preferred, commended, do well, if he understand of it, it gaules him afresh, and no greater pain can come to him, then to hear of another mans wel-doing, ’tis a dagger at his heart every such object. He lookes at him, as they that fell down in Lucians rock of honor, with an envious eye, and will damage himself, to do another a mischief: Atque cadet subito, dum super hoste cadat. As he did in Æsop, lose one eye willingly, that his fellow might lose both, or that rich man in Quintilian that poysoned the flowers in his garden, because his neighbors Bees should get no more honey from them.
His whole life is sorrow, and every word he speaks a Satyre, nothing fats him but other mens ruines. For to speak in a word, Envy is nought else but Tristitia de bonis alienis, sorrow for other mens good, be it present, past, or to come: & gaudium de adversis, and joy at their harms, opposite to mercy, which grieves at other mens mischances, and misaffects the body in another kinde; so Damascen defines it, lib. 2. de orthodox. fid. Thomas 2.2. quæst. 36. art. 1. Aristotle l. 2. Rhet. c. 4. & 10. Plato Philebo. Tully 3. Tusc. Greg. Nic. l. de virt. animæ. c. 12. Basil. de Invidia. Pindarus od. 1. ser. 5. and we finde it true.
’Tis a common disease, and almost natural to us, as Tacitus holds, to envy another mans prosperity. And ’tis in most men an incurable disease. I have read, saith Marcus Aurelius, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee Authors, I have consulted with many wise men, for a remedy for envy, I could finde none, but to renounce all happiness, and to be a wretch, and miserable for ever. ’Tis the beginning of hell in this life, and a passion not to be excused. Every other sin hath some pleasure annexed to it, or will admit of an excuse; envy alone wants both. Other sinnes last but for a while, the gut may be satisfied, anger remits, hatred hath an end, envy never ceaseth. Cardan lib. 2. de sap.
Divine and humane examples are very familiar, you may runne and read them, as that of Saul and David, Cain and Abel, angebat illum non proprium peccatum, sed fratris prosperitas, saith Theodoret, it was his brothers good fortune gauled him. Rachel envied her sister, being barren, Gen. 30. Iosephs bretheren him, Gen. 37. David had a touch of this vice, as he confesseth Ps. 37. Jeremy and Habbakuk, they repined at others good, but in the end they corrected themselves. Ps. 75. fret not thy self, &c. Domitian spited Agricola for his worth, that a private man should be so much glorified. Cecinna was envyed of his fellow Citizens, because he was more richly adorned.
But of all others, women are most weak, ob pulchritudinem invidæ sunt fœminæ (Musæus) aut amat, aut odit, nihil est tertium (Granatensis.) They love, or hate, no medium amongst them. Implacabiles plerumque læsæ mulieres, Agrippina like, A woman if she see her neighbor more neat or elegant, richer in tires, Jewels, or apparel, is enraged, and like a Lioness sets upon her husband, railes at her, scoffes at her, and cannot abide her: so the Roman Ladies in Tacitus did at Solonina Cecinna’s wife, because she had a better horse, and better furniture, as if she had hurt them with it; they were much offended: In like sort our gentlewomen do at their usual meetings, one repines or scoffes at anothers bravery and happiness.
Myrsine an Atticke wench, was murthered of her fellows because she did excel the rest in beauty, Constantine Agricult. l. 11. c. 7. every Village will yeeld such examples.