If they may not otherwise be accustomed to brook such distastful and displeasing objects, the best way then is generally to avoid them. Montanus consil. 229. to the Earl of Montfort a Courtier, and his Melancholy Patient, adviseth him to leave the Court, by reason of those continual discontents, crosses, abuses, cares, suspicions, emulations, ambition, anger, jealousie, which that place afforded, and which surely caused him to be so melancholy at the first: Maxima quæque domus servis est plena superbis;

A company of scoffers and proud Jacks, are commonly conversant and attendant in such places, & able to make any man that is of a soft quiet disposition (as many times they do) ex stulto insanum, if once they humor him, a very Idiot, or stark mad. A thing too much practised in all common societies, and they have no better sport then to make themselves merry by abusing some silly fellow, or to take advantage of another mans weakness.

In such cases as in a plague, the best remedy is citò, longè, tardè: (for to such a party, especially if he be apprehensive, there can be no greater misery) to get him quickly gone far enough off, and not to be over-hasty in his return. If he be so stupid, that he do not apprehend it, his friends should take some order, & by their discretion supply that which is wanting in him, as in all other cases they ought to do.

If they see a man Melancholy given, solitary, averse from company, please himself with such private and vain meditations, though he delight in it, they ought by all means to seek to divert him, to dehort him, to tell him of the event and danger that may come of it. If they see a man idle, that by reason of his means otherwise, will betake himself to no course of life, they ought seriously to admonish him, he makes a noose to intangle himself, his want of imployment will be his undoing.

If he have sustained any great losse, suffered a repulse, disgrace, &c. if it be possible, relieve him. If he desire ought, let him be satisfied; If in suspence, fear, suspicion, let him be secured: and if it may conveniently be, give him his hearts content; for the body cannot be cured till the mind be satisfied. Socrates in Plato would prescribe no Physick for Charmides head-ach, till first he had eased his troublesome mind; body and soul must be cured together, as head and eyes.

Oculum non curabis sine toto capite, Nec caput sine toto corpore, Nec totum corpus sine animâ;

If that may not be hoped or expected, yet ease him with comfort, chearful speeches, fair promises, and good words, perswade him, advise him. Many, saith Galen, have been cured by good counsel and perswasion alone. Heaviness of the heart of man doth bring it down, but a good word rejoyceth it, Pro. 12. 25. and there Is he that speaketh words like the pricking of a sword, but the tongue of a wise man is health, Ver. 18.

Oratio, namque saucii animi est remedium, a gentle speech is the true cure of a wounded soul, as Plutarch contends out of Æschylus and Euripides: if it be wisely administred, it easeth grief and pain, as divers remedies do many other diseases: ’Tis incantationis instar, a charm, Æstuantis animi refrigerium, that true Nepenthe of Homer, which was no Indian plant or fained medicine, which Epidamna Thonis wife sent Helena for a token, as Macrobius 7. Saturnal. Goropius Hermat. lib. 9. Greg. Nanzianzen and others suppose, but opportunity of speech:

for Helena’s boule, Medea’s unction, Venus Girdle, Circes Cup, cannot so inchant, so forcibly move or alter as it doth. A letter sent or read will do as much; multum allevor quum tuas literas lego, I am much eased, as Tully writ to Pomponius Atticus, when I read thy letters,

and as Iulianus the Apostate once signified to Maximus the Philosopher; as Alexander slept with Homers works, so do I with thine Epistles, tanquam Pæoniis medicamentis, easque assiduè tanquam recentes & novas iteramus; scribe ergo, & assiduè scribe, or else come thy self; amicus ad amicum venies.

Assuredly a wise and well spoken man may do what he will in such a case; a good Orator alone, as Tully holds, can alter affections by power of his eloquence, comfort such as are afflicted, erect such as are depressed, expel and mitigate fear, lust, anger, &c. And how powerfull is the charm of a discreet and dear friend? Ille regit dictis animos & temperat iras. What may not he effect?

As Chremes told Menedemus, Fear not, conceal it not O friend, but tell me what it is that troubles thee, and I shall surely help thee by comfort, counsel, or in the matter it self. Arnoldus lib. 1. breviar. cap. 18. speaks of an Usurer in his time, that upon a loss much melancholy and discontent was so cured.

As imagination, fear, grief, cause such passions, so conceipts alone, rectified by good hope, counsel, &c. are able again to help: and ’tis incredible how much they can do in such a case, as Trincavellius illustrates by an example of a Patient of his;

Porphyrius the Philosopher (in Plotinus life, written by him) relates, that being in a discontented humor through unsufferable anguish of mind, he was going to make away himself: but meeting by chance his Master Plotinus, who perceiving by his distracted looks all was not wel, urged him to confess his grief: which when he had heard, he used such comfortable speeches, that he redeemed him è faucibus Erebi, pacified his unquiet mind, insomuch that he was easily reconciled to himself, and much abashed to think afterwards, that he should ever entertain so vile a motion.