they cannot avoid this ferall plague, let them come in what company they will, hæret lateri læthalis arundo, as to a Deer that is struck, whether he run, go, rest, with the herd, or alone, this grief remains: irresolution, inconstancy, vanity of minde, their fear, torture, care, jealousie, suspicion, &c. continues, and they cannot be relieved. So he complained in the Poet,

Domum revortor mæstus, atque animo ferè Perturbato, atque incerto præ ægritudine, Assido: accurrunt servi: soccos detrahunt, Video alios festinare, lectos sternere, Cænam apparare, pro se quisque sedulo Faciebant, quo illam mihi lenirent miseriam.

He came home sorrowfull, and troubled in his mind, his servants did all they possibly could to please him; one puld off his socks, another made ready his bed, a third his supper, all did their utmost endeavours to ease his grief; and exhilarate his person, he was profoundly melancholy, he had lost his son, illud angebat, that was his Cordolium, his pain, his agony which could not be removed.

Hence it proceeds many times, that they are weary of their lives, and ferall thoughts to offer violence to their own persons, come into their minds, tædium vitæ is a common symptome, tarda fluunt, ingrataque tempora, they are soon tired with all things, they will now tarrie, now be gone; now in bed they will rise, now up, then go to bed, now pleased, then again displeased; now they like, by and by dislike all, weary of all, sequitur nunc vivendi, nunc moriendi cupido, saith Aurelianus lib. 1. cap. 6.

but most part vitam damnant, discontent, disquieted, perplexed upon every light, or no occasion, object: often tempted, I say, to make away themselves: Vivere nolunt, mori nesciunt: they cannot die, they will not live: they complain, weep, lament, and think they lead a most miserable life, never was any man so bad, or so before, every poor man they see is most fortunate in respect of them, every begger that comes to the door is happier then they are,

they could be contented to change lives with them, especially if they be alone, idle, & parted from their ordinary company, molested, displeased, or provoked: grief, fear, agony, discontent, wearisomeness, laziness, suspicion, or some such passion forcibly seizeth on them. Yet by and by when they come in company againe, which they like, or be pleased, suam sententiam rursus damnant, & vitæ solatio delectantur, as Octavius Horatianus observes, lib. 2. cap. 5. they condemn their former mislike, and are well pleased to live.

And so they continue, till with some fresh discontent they be molested again, and then they are weary of their lives, weary of all, they will die, and shew rather a necessity to live, then a desire. Claudius the Emperour as Sueton describes him, had a spice of this disease, for when he was tormented with the pain of his stomack, he had a conceit to make away himselfe.

Jul. Cæsar Claudinus, consil. 84. had a Polonian to his Patient, so affected, that through fear and sorrow, with which he was still disquieted, hated his own life, wished for death every moment, and to be freed of his misery. Mercurialis another, and another that was often minded to dispatch himselfe, and so continued for many years.

Suspition, and jealousie, are generall Symptomes: they are commonly distrustfull, timorous, apt to mistake, and amplifie, facilè irascibiles, testy, pettish, peevish, and ready to snarl upon every small occasion, cum amicissimis, and without a cause, datum vel non datum, it will be scandalum acceptum.

If they speak in jest, he takes it in good earnest. If they be not saluted, invited, consulted with, called to counsel, &c. or that any respect, small complement, or ceremonie be omitted, they think themselves neglected, and contemned; for a time that tortures them. If two talk together, discourse, whisper, jest, or tell a tale in generall, he thinks presently they mean him, applies all to himself, de se putat omnia dici.

Or if they talk with him, he is ready to misconstrue every word they speak, and interpret it to the worst; he cannot endure any man to look steadily on him, speak to him almost, laugh, jest, or be familiar, or hem, or point, cough, or spit, or make a noise sometimes, &c. He thinkes they laugh or point at him, or do it in disgrace of him, circumvent him, contemn him, every man looks at him, he is pale, red, sweats for fear and anger, lest some body should observe him.

He works upon it, and long after, this false conceipt of an abuse, troubles him. Montanus consil. 22. gives instance in a melancholy Jew, that was Iracundior Adria, so waspish and suspitious, tam facilè iratus, that no man could tell how to carry himself in his companie.

Inconstant they are in all their actions, vertiginous, restlesse, unapt to resolve of any business, they will and will not, perswaded to and fro upon every small occasion, or word spoken: and yet if once they be resolved, obstinate, hard to be reconciled. If they abhorre, dislike, or distast, once setled, though to the better by oddes, by no counsel or perswasion to be removed.

Yet in most things wavering, irresolute, unable to deliberate, through fear, faciunt, & mox facti pænitent (Areteus) avari, et paulo post prodigi. Now prodigall, and then covetous, they do, and by-and-by repent them of that which they have done, so that both waies they are troubled, whether they doe or doe not, want or have, hit or misse, disquieted of all hands, soon weary, and still seeking change, restlesse, I say, fickle, fugitive, they may not abide to tarrie in one place long.

Romæ rus optans, absentem rusticus urbem Tollit ad astra ——

no companie long, or to persever in any action or businesse.

Et similis regum pueris, pappare minutum Poscit, & iratus mammæ lallare recusat,

eftsoons pleased, and anon displeased, as a man thats bitten with fleas, or that cannot sleep, turnes to and fro in his bed, their restless minds are tossed & vary, they have no patience to read out a book, to play out a game or two, walk a mile, sit an hour, &c. erected and dejected in an instant; animated to undertake, and upon a word spoken again discouraged.

Extreme Passionate, Quicquid volunt valdè volunt; and what they desire, they do most furiously seek: anxious ever and very solicitous, distrustfull and timorous, envious, malicious, profuse one while, sparing another, but most part covetous, muttering, repining, discontent, and still complaining, grudging, peevish, injuriarum tenaces, prone to revenge, soon troubled, and most violent in all their imaginations, not affable in speech, or apt to vulgar complement, but surly, dull, sad, austere; cogitabundi still, very intent,

and as Albertus Durer paints melancholy, like a sad woman leaning on her arm with fixed looks, neglected habit, &c. held therefore by some proud, soft, sottish, or half mad, as the Abderites esteemed of Democritus: and yet of a deep reach, excellent apprehension, judicious, wise and wittie: for I am of that Noblemans minde, Melancholy advanceth mens conceits, more then any humor whatsoever, improves their meditations more then any strong drink or sack.

They are of profound judgement in some things, although in others non rectè judicant inquieti, saith Fracastorius, lib. 2. de Intell. And as Arculanus, c. 16 in 9. Rhasis, termes it, Judicium plerumque perversum, corrupti, cum judicant honesta inhonesta, & amicitiam habent pro inimicitia: They count honesty dishonesty, friends as enemies, they will abuse their best friends, and dare not offend their enemies.

Cowards most part, & ad inferendam injuriam timidissimi, saith Cardan, lib. 8. cap. 4. de rerum varietate: Loth to offend, and if they chance overshoot themselves in word or deed, or any small business or circumstance be omitted, forgotten, they are miserably tormented, and frame a thousand dangers and inconveniences to themselves, ex musca elephantem, if once they conceit it:

overjoyed with every good rumour, tale, or prosperous event, transported beyond themselves: with every small loss again, bad news, misconceived injurie, loss, danger, afflicted beyond measure, in great agony, perplexed, dejected, astonished, impatient, utterly undone: fearfull, suspicious of all. Yet again, many of them desperate hairbraines, rash, careless, fit to be Assassinates, as being void of all fear and sorrow; according to Hercules de Saxonia, Most audacious, and such as dare walk alone in the night, through deserts and dangerous places, fearing none.

They are prone to love, and easie to be taken: Propensi ad amorem & excandescentiam (Montaltus cap. 21.) quickly inamored, and dote upon all, love one dearly: till they see another, and then dote on her, Et hanc, & hanc, & illam, & omnes, the present moves most, and the last commonly they love best. Yet some again Anterotes, cannot endure the sight of a woman, abhorre the sex, as that same melancholy Duke of Muscovy, that was instantly sick, if he came but in sight of them: and that Anchorite, that fell into a cold palsie, when a woman was brought before him.