If appetite will not obey, let the moving faculty over-rule her, let her resist and compel her to do otherwise. In an ague the appetite would drink; sore eyes that itch, would be rubbed; but reason saith no, and therefore the moving faculty will not do it. Our phantasie would intrude a thousand fears, suspicions, Chimera’s upon us, but we have reason to resist, yet we let it be overborn by our appetite;

Imagination enforceth spirits which by an admirable league of nature compel the nerves to obey, and they our several limbs: we give too much way to our passions. And as to him that is sick of an ague, all things are distastful and unpleasant, non ex cibi vitio, saith Plutarch, not in the meat, but in our taste: so many things are offensive to us, not of themselves, but out of our corrupt judgement, jealousie, suspicion and the like; we pull these mischiefs upon our own heads.

If then our judgement be so depraved, our reason over-ruled, Will precipitated, that we cannot seek our own good, or moderate our selves, as in this disease commonly it is, the best way for ease is to impart our misery to some friend, not to smother it up in our own breast: alitur vitium crescitque tegendo, &c. and that which was most offensive to us, a cause of fear and grief, quod nunc te coquit, another hell; for strangulat inclusus dolor atque exæstuat intus, grief concealed strangles the soul;

but when as we shall but impart it to some discreet, trusty, loving friend, it is instantly removed, by his counsel happily, wisdome, perswasion, advice, his good means, which we could not otherwise apply unto our selves. A friends counsel is a charm, like mandrake wine, curas sopit;

and as a Bull that is tyed to a fig tree, becomes gentle on a sudden (which some, saith Plutarch, interpret of good words) so is a savage, obdurate heart mollified by faire speeches. All adversity finds ease in complaining (as Isidore holds) and ’tis a solace to relate it,

Ἀγαθὴ ἡ παραίφασις ἐστὶν ἑταίρου.

Friends confabulations are comfortable at all times, as fire in winter, shade in summer, quale sopor fessis in gramine, meat and drink to him that is hungry or athirst; Democritus Collyrium is not so soveraign to the eyes as this is to the heart; good words are cheerful and powerful of themselves, but much more from friends, as so many props, mutually sustaining each other like Ivie and a wal, which Camerarius hath well illustrated in an Embleme.

Lenit animum simplex vel sæpè narratio, the simple narration many times easeth our distressed mind, and in the midst of greatest extremities; so divers have been relieved, by exonerating themselves to a faithful friend: he sees that which we cannot see for passion and discontent, he pacifies our minds, he will ease our pain, asswage our anger; quanta inde voluptas, quanta securitas, Chrysostome adds, what pleasure, what security by that means! Nothing so available, or that so much refresheth the soul of man.

Tully, as I remember, in an Epistle to his dear friend Atticus, much condoles the defect of such a friend. I live here (saith he) in a great citie, where I have a multitude of acquaintance, but not a man of all that companie, with whom I dare familiarly breath, or freely jest. Wherefore I expect thee, I desire thee, I send for thee; for there be many things which trouble and molest me, which had I but thee in presence, I could quickly disburden my self of in a walking discourse. The like peradventure may he and he say with that old man in the Comedy,

Nemo est meorum amicorum hodie, Apud quem expromere occulta mea audeam.

and much inconvenience may both he and he suffer in the mean time by it. He or he, or whosoever then labours of this malady, by all means let him get some trusty friend, Semper habens Pylademque aliquem qui curet Orestem, a Pylades, to whom freely and securely he may open himself.

For as in all other occurrences, so it is in this, Si quis in cælum ascendisset, &c. as he said in Tully, If a man had gone to heaven, seen the beauty of the skies, stars errant, fixed, &c. insuavis erit admiratio, it will do him no pleasure, except he have some body to impart what he hath seen.

It is the best thing in the world, as Seneca therefore adviseth in such a case, to get a trusty friend, to whom we may freely and sincerely pour out our secrets; nothing so delighteth and easeth the minde, as when we have a prepared bosome, to which our secrets may descend, of whose conscience we are assured as our own, whose speech may ease our succourless estate, counsell relieve, mirth expell our mourning, and whose very sight may be acceptable unto us.

It was the counsell which that politick Commineus gave to all princes, and others distressed in mind, by occasion of Charles Duke of Burgundy, that was much perplexed, first to pray to God, and lay himself open to him, and then to some speciall friend, whom we hold most dear, to tell all our grievances to him; nothing so forcible to strengthen, recreate and heal the wounded soul of a miserable man.