and a melancholy man is that true Prometheus, which is bound to Caucasus; the true Titius, whose bowels are still by a vulture devoured (as Poets fain) for so doth Lilius Geraldus interpret it, of anxieties, and those griping cares, and so ought it to be understood.

In all other maladies, we seek for help, if a leg or an arm ake, through any distemperature or wound, or that we have an ordinary disease, above all things whatsoever, we desire help & health, a present recovery; if by any means possible it may be procured: we will freely part with all our other fortunes, substance, endure any misery, drink bitter potions, swallow those distastfull pils, suffer our joynts to be seared, to be cut off, any thing for future health; so sweet, so dear, so precious above all other things in this world is life: ’tis that we chiefly desire, long and happy days, multos da Jupiter annos, increase of years all men wish; but to a melancholy man, nothing so tedious, nothing so odious; that which they so carefully seek to preserve he abhors, he alone; so intolerable are his pains;

some make a question, graviores morbi corporis an animi, whether the diseases of the body or mind be more grievous, but there is no comparison, no doubt to be made of it, multo enim sævior longeque est atrocior animi, quam corporis cruciatus (Lem. l. 1. c. 12.) the diseases of the mind are far more grievous. —Totum hic pro vulnere corpus, body and soul is misaffected here, but the soul especially. So Cardan testifies de rerum var. lib. 8. 40. Maximus Tyrius a Platonist, and Plutarch have made just volumes to prove it. Dies adimit ægritudinem hominibus, in other diseases there is some hope likely, but these unhappy men are born to misery, past all hope of recovery, incurably sick, the longer they live the worse they are, and death alone must ease them.

Another doubt is made by some Philosophers, whether it be lawfull for a man in such extremity of pain and grief, to make away himself: and how these men that so do, are to be censured. The Platonists approve of it, that it is lawfull in such cases, and upon a necessity. Plotinus l. de beatitud. c. 7. and Socrates himself defends it, in Plato’s Phædon, if any man labor of an incurable disease, he may dispatch himself, if it be to his good.

Epicurus and his followers, The Cynicks and Stoicks in generall affirm it, Epictetus and Seneca amongst the rest, quamcunque, veram esse viam ad libertatem, any way is allowable, that leads to liberty, let us give God thanks, that no man is compelled to live against his will: quid ad hominem claustra, carcer, custodia? liberum ostium habet, death is always ready and at hand. Vides illum præcipitem locum, illud flumen, Dost thou see that steep place, that river, that pit, that tree, there’s liberty at hand, effugia servitutis & doloris sunt, as that Laconian lad cast himself headlong (non serviam aiebat puer) to be freed of his misery:

Every vein in thy body, if these be nimis operosi exitus, will let thee free, quid tua refert finem facias an accipias? there’s no necessity for a man to live in misery. Malum est necessitati vivere, sed in necessitate vivere, necessitas nulla est. Ignavus qui sine causa moritur, & stultus qui cum dolore vivit. Idem epi. 58.

Wherefore hath our Mother the earth brought out poysons, saith Pliny, in so great a quantity, but that men in distress might make away themselves? which Kings of old had ever in a readiness, ad incerta fortunæ venenum sub custode promptum, Livy writes, and Executioners always at hand. Speusippus being sick was met by Diogenes, and carried on his slaves shoulders, he made his moan to the Philosopher; but I pitty thee not quoth Diogenes, qui cum talis vivere sustines, thou maist be freed when thou wilt, meaning by death.

Seneca therefore commends Cato, Dido, and Lucretia, for their generous courage in so doing, & others that voluntarily die, to avoid a greater mischief, to free themselves from misery, to save their honor, or vindicate their good name, as Cleopatra did, as Sophonisba, Syphax wife did, Hannibal did, as Junius Brutus, as Vibius Virius, and those Campanian Senators in Livy (Dec. 3. lib. 6.) to escape the Roman tyranny, that poysoned themselves. Themistocles drank Bulls bloud, rather then he would fight against his Country, and Demosthenes chose rather to drink poyson, Publius Crassi filius, Censorinus and Plancus, those heroicall Romans chose to make away themselves, then to fall into their enemies hands.

How many myriads besides in all ages might I remember, qui sibi lethum Insontes peperere manu, &c. Rhasis in the Machabees is magnified for it, Sampsons death approved. So did Saul and Jonas sin, and many worthy men and women, quorum memoria celebratur in Ecclesia, saith Lemnichius, for killing themselves to save their Chastity and honor, when Rome was taken, as Austin instances, l. 1. de Civit. Dei, cap. 16. Jerom vindicateth the same in Jonam & Ambrose l. 3. de virginitate commendeth Pelagia for so doing. Eusebius, lib. 8. cap. 15. admires a Romane Matron for the same fact to save her self from the lust of Maxentius the Tyrant. Adelhelmus, Abbot of Malmesbury cals them Beatas virgines quæ sic, &c.

Titus Pomponius Atticus, that wise, discreet, renowned Romane Senator, Tully’s dear friend when he had been long sick, as he supposed of an incurable disease, vitamque produceret ad augendos dolores, sine spe salutis, was resolved voluntarily by famine, to dispatch himself, to be rid of his pain; and when as Agrippa, and the rest of his weeping friends earnestly besought him, osculantes obsecrarent ne id quod natura cogeret, ipse acceleraret, not to offer violence to himself, with a settled resolution he desired again they would approve of his good intent, & not seek to dehort him from it: And so constantly died, precesque eorum taciturnâ sua obstinatione depressit.