How shall I remember S. Thomas Bodley, amongst the rest, Otho Nicholson, and the right reverend John Williams Lord Bishop of Lincolne (with many other pious acts) who besides that at S. Johns College in Cambridge, that in Westminster, is now likewise in Fieri with a library at Lincolne (a noble president for all Corporate towns and cities to imitate) O quam te memorem (vir illustrissime) quibus elogiis? But to my taske again.

Whosoever he is therefore that is overrun with solitariness, or carried away with pleasing melancholy, and vain conceits, and for want of imployment knows not how to spend his time, or crucified with worldly cares, I can prescribe him no better remedy then this of study, to compose himself to the learning of some art or science.

Provided alwayes that his malady proceed not from overmuch study; for in such cases he addes fuell to the fire, and nothing can be more pernicious; let him take heed he do not overstretch his wits, and make a Skeleton of himself; or such Inamoratoes as read nothing but play-books, Idle Poems, Jests, Amadis de Gaul, the Knight of the Sun, the seven Champions, Palmerin de Oliva, Huon of Burdeaux, &c. Such many times prove in the end as mad as Don Quixot.

Study is only prescribed to those that are otherwise idle, troubled in minde, or carried headlong with vain thoughts and imaginations, to distract their cogitations (although variety of study, or some serious subject would do the former no harm) and divert their continuall meditations another way. Nothing in this case better then study; semper aliquid memoriter ediscant, saith Piso, let them learn something without book, transcribe, translate, &c.

Read the Scriptures, which Hyperius lib. 1. de quotid. script. lec. fol. 77. holds available of it self, the mind is erected thereby from all worldly cares, and hath much quiet and tranquillity. For as Austin well hath it, ’tis scientia scientiarum, omni melle dulcior, omni pane suavior, omni vino hilarior: ’Tis the best Nepenthe, surest cordiall, sweetest alterative, present diverter:

For neither as Chrysostome well adds, those boughs and leaves of trees, which are plashed for cattle to stand under, in the heat of the day, in summer, so much refresh them with their acceptable shade, as the reading of the scripture doth recreate, & comfort a distressed soul, in sorrow and affliction.

Paul bids Pray continually, quod cibus corpori, lectio animæ facit, saith Seneca, as meat is to the body, such is reading to the soul. To be at leasure without books is another hell, & to be buried alive.

Cardan cals a library the physick of the soul; Divine authours fortifie the mind, make men bold & constant; & (as Hyperius adds) godly conference will not permit the mind to be tortured with absurd cogitations. Rhasis injoynes continuall conference to such melancholy men, perpetuall discourse of some history, tale, poem, news, &c. alternos sermones edere ac bibere, æque jucundum quam cibus, sive potus, which feeds the minde as meat and drink doth the body and pleaseth as much:

And therefore the said Rhasis not without good cause would have some body still talke seriously, or dispute with them, and sometimes to cavil and wrangle (so that it break not out to a violent perturbation) for such altercation is like stirring of a dead fire to make it burn afresh, it whets a dull spirit, and will not suffer the minde to be drowned in those profound cogitations, which melancholy men are commonly troubled with.

Ferdinand and Alphonsus kings of Arragon and Sicily, were both cured by reading the history, one of Curtius, the other of Livy, when no prescribed physick would take place. Camerarius relates as much of Lawrence Medices. Heathen Philosophers are so full of divine precepts in this kinde, that as some think they alone are able to settle a distressed mind.

Sunt verba & voces, quibus hunc lenire dolorem, &c. Epictetus, Plutarch, and Seneca; qualis ille, quæ tela, saith Lipsius, adversus omnes animi casus administrat, & ipsam mortem, quomodo vitia eripit, infert virtutes? when I read Seneca, me thinks I am beyond all humane fortunes, on the top of an hill above mortalitie.

Plutarch saith as much of Homer, for which cause belike Niceratus in Xenophon, was made by his parents to con Homers Iliads and Odysses without book, ut in virum bonum evaderet, as well to make him a good and honest man, as to avoid idleness. If this comfort may be got by Philosophy, what shall be had from Divinity? What shall Austin, Cyprian, Gregory, Bernards divine meditations afford us?

Qui quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, Plenius & melius Chrysippo & Crantore dicunt.

Nay what shall the Scripture it self? Which is like an Apothecaries shop, wherein are all remedies for all infirmities of minde, purgatives, cordials, alteratives, corroboratives, lenitives, &c. Every disease of the soul, saith Austin, hath a peculiar medicine in the Scripture; this onely is required, that the sick man take the potion which God hath already tempered.

Gregory cals it a glass wherein we may see all our infirmities, ignitum colloquium, Psalm. 119. 140. Origen a Charme. And therefore Hierome prescribes Rusticus the Monke, continually to read the scripture, and to meditate on that which he hath read; for as mastication is to meat, so is meditation on that which we read.