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SUBSECT. 5. Causes of Melancholy from the whole Body.
As before, the cause of this kind of Melancholy is inward or outward. Inward, when the liver is apt to ingender such an humour, or the spleen weak by nature, and not able to discharge his office. A melancholy temperature, retention of Hæmrods, monthly issues, bleeding at nose, long diseases, agues, and all those six non-naturall things increase it.
But especially bad dyet, as Piso thinks, pulse, salt meat, shell-fish, cheese, black wine, &c. Mercurialis out of Averroes and Avicenna condemns all herbs: Galen. lib. 3. de loc. affect. cap. 7. especially Cabbage. So likewise fear, sorrow, discontents, &c. but of these before. And thus in brief you have had the generall and particular causes of Melancholy.
Now go and brag of thy present happinesse, whosoever thou art, brag of thy temperature, of thy good parts, insult, triumph, & boast; thou seest in what a brittle state thou art, how soon thou maist be dejected, how many severall waies, by bad diet, bad ayre, a small loss, a little sorrow or discontent, an ague, &c. how many sudden accidents may procure thy ruine, what a small tenure of happinesse thou hast in this life, how weak and silly a creature thou art.
Humble thy self therefore under the mighty hand of God · 1 Pet. 5.6. know thy self, acknowledge thy present misery, and make right use of it. Qui stat videat ne cadat.
Thou dost now flourish, and hast bona animi, corporis, & fortunæ, goods of body, mind and fortune, nescis quid serus secum vesper ferat, thou knowest not what storms and tempests the late evening may bring with it.
Be not secure then, be sober and watch, fortunam reverenter habe, if fortunate and rich: if sick and poor, moderate thy self. I have said.