Charon in Lucian, as he wittily faigns, was conducted by Mercury to such a place, where he might see all the world at once: after he had sufficiently viewed, and looked about, Mercury would needs know of him what he had observed: He told him, that he saw a vast multitude, and a promiscuous, their habitations like mole-hils, the men as emmets, he could discern cities like so many hives of Bees, wherein every Bee had a sting, and they did nought else but sting one another, some domineering like Hornets bigger then the rest, some like filching Wasps, others as drones. Over their heads were hovering a confused companie of perturbations, hope, fear, anger, avarice, ignorance, &c. and a multitude of diseases hanging, which they still pulled on their pates. Some were Brawling, some fighting, riding, running, sollicite ambientes, callide litigantes, for toyes, and trifles, and such momentanie things.

There Towns and Provinces meer factions, rich against poor, poor against rich, nobles against artificers, they against nobles, and so the rest. In conclusion, he condemned them all for mad-men, fools, idiots, asses, O stulti, quænam hæc est amentia? O fools, O mad-men he exclaims, insana studia, insani labores, &c. Mad endeavors, mad actions, mad, mad, mad, O seclum insipiens & infacetum, a giddy-headed age.

Heraclitus the Philosopher, out of a serious meditation of mens lives, fell a weeping, and with continual tears bewailed their misery, madnes, and folly. Democritus on the other side burst out a laughing, their whole life seemed to him so ridiculous, & he was so far carried with this ironical passion, that the Citizens of Abdera took him to be mad, and sent therefore Embassadors to Hyppocrates the Physitian, that he would exercise his skill upon him. But the story is set down at large by Hyppocrates, in his epistle to Damagetus, which because it is not impertinent to this discourse, I will insert verbatim almost, as it is delivered by Hyppocrates himself, with all the circumstances belonging unto it.

When Hyppocrates was now come to Abdera, the people of the City came flocking about him, some weeping, some intreating of him, that he would do his best. After some little repast, he went to see Democritus, the people following him, whom he found (as before) in his garden in the suburbs all alone, sitting upon a stone under a plane tree, without hose or shoes, with a book on his knees, cutting up severall beasts, and busie at his study. The multitude stood gazing round about to see the congresse. Hyppocrates after a little pause, saluted him by his name, whom he resaluted, ashamed almost that he could not call him likewise by his, or that he had forgot it.

Hyppocrates demanded of him what he was doing: He told him that he was busie in cutting up several beasts, to finde out the cause of madness and melancholy. Hyppocrates commended his work, admiring his happinesse and leasure. And why, quoth Democritus, have not you that leasure? Because, replied Hyppocrates, domesticall affairs hinder, necessary to be done, for our selves, neighbors, friends; expenses, diseases, frailties and mortalities which happen; wife, children, servants, and such businesses which deprive us of our time. At this speech Democritus profusely laughed, (his friends and the people standing by, weeping in the mean time, and lamenting his madnes.)

Hyppocrates asked the reason why he laughed. He told him, at the vanities and fopperies of the time, to see men so empty of all vertuous actions, to hunt so far after gold, having no end of ambition; to take such infinite pains for a little glory, and to be favored of men; to make such deep mines into the earth for gold, and many times to finde nothing, with losse of their lives and fortunes. Some to love dogs, others horses, some to desire to be obeyed in many Provinces, and yet themselves will know no obedience. Some to love their wives dearly at first, and after a while to forsake & hate them, begetting children, with much care and cost for their education, yet when they grow to mans estate, to despise, neglect, and leave them naked to the worlds mercy.

Do not these behaviours expresse their intolerable folly? When men live in peace, they covet war, detesting quietness, deposing Kings, and advancing others in their stead, murdering some men to beget children of ther wives. How many strange humors are in men? When they are poor and needy, they seek riches, and when they have them, they do not enjoy them, but hide them under ground, or else wastfully spend them. O wise Hyppocrates, I laugh at such things being done, but much more when no good comes of them, and when they are done to so ill purpose.

There is no truth or justice found amongst them, for they daily plead one against another, the son against the father and the mother, brother against brother, kinred & friends of the same quality, and all this for riches, whereof after death they cannot be possessors. And yet notwithstanding they wil defame & kil one another, commit all unlawfull actions, contemning God and men, friends and countrey. They make great account of many senslesse things, esteeming them as a great part of their treasure, statues, pictures, and such like moveables, dear bought, & so cunningly wrought, as nothing but speech wanteth in them, and yet they hate living persons speaking to them.

Others affect difficult things; if they dwel on firm Land, they wil remove to an Iland, and thence to land again, being no way constant to their desires. They commend courage & strength in wars, & let themselves be conquered by lust & avarice; they are in brief, as disordered in their minds, as Thersites was in his body. And now me thinks, O most worthy Hyppocrates, you should not reprehend my laughing, perceiving so many fooleries in men; for no man will mock his own folly, but that which he seeth in a second, and so they justly mock one another. The drunkard cals him a glutton, whom he knows to be sober. Many men love the sea, others husbandry; briefly, they cannot agree in their own trades and professions, much lesse in their lives and actions.