Subsect. 3. Musick a remedy.

Many and sundry are the means, which Philosophers and Physicians have prescribed to exhilarate a sorrowfull heart, to divert those fixed and intent cares and meditations, which in this malady so much offend; but in my judgment none so present, none so powerfull, none so apposite as a cup of strong drink, mirth, musick, and merry company. Ecclus 40. 20. Wine and musick rejoyce the heart.

Rhasis cont. 9. Tract. 15. Altomarus cap. 7. Ælianus Montaltus c. 26. Ficinus. Bened. Victor. Faventinus are almost immoderate in the commendation of it; a most forcible medicine Iacchinus calls it: Iason Pratensis, a most admirable thing, and worthy of consideration, that can so mollifie the minde, and stay those tempestuous affections of it. Musica est mentis medicina mæstæ, a roaring-meg against Melancholy, to rear and revive the languishing soul,

affecting not onely the ears, but the very arteries, the vital and animal spirits, it erects the minde, and makes it nimble. Lemnius instit. cap. 44.

This it will effect in the most dull, severe and sorrowfull souls, expell grife with mirth, and if there bee any clowdes, dust or dreggs of cares yet lurking in our thoughts, most powerfully it wipes them all away, Salisbur. polit. lib. 1. cap. 6 and that which is more, it will perform all this in an instant: Chear up the countenance, expell austerity, bring in hilarity (Girald. Camb. cap. 12. Topog. Hiber.) informe our manners, mitigate anger; Athenæus (Dipnosophist. lib. 14. cap. 10.) calleth it an infinite treasure to such as are endowed with it: Dulcisonum reficit tristia corda melos, Eobanus Hessus.

Many other properties Cassiodorus epist. 4. reckons up of this our divine Musick, not only to expell the greatest griefs, but it doth extenuate fears and furies, appeaseth cruelty, abateth heaviness, and to such as are watchfull it causeth quiet rest; it takes away spleen and hatred, bee it instrumentall, vocall, with strings, winde, Quæ à spiritus, sine manuum dexteritate gubernetur, &c. it cures all irksomness and heaviness of the Soul.

Labouring men that sing to their work, can tell as much, and so can souldiers when they go to fight, whom terror of death cannot so much affright, as the sound of trumpet, drum, fife, and such like musick animates; metus enim mortis, as Censorinus enformeth us, musica depellitur.

It makes a childe quiet, the nurses song, and many times the sound of a trumpet on a sudden, bells ringing, a carremans whistle, a boy singing some ballad tune early in the street, alters, revives, recreates a restless patient that cannot sleep in the night, &c.

In a word, it is so powerfull a thing that it ravisheth the soul, regina sensuum, the Queen of the senses, by sweet pleasure (which is an happy cure) and corporall tunes pacifie our incorporeall soul, sine ore loquens, dominatum in animam exercet, and carries it beyond it self, helps, elevates, extends it.

Scaliger exercit. 302. gives a reason of these effects, because the spirits about the heart take in that trembling and dancing air into the body, are moved together, and stirred up with it, or else the minde as some suppose, harmonically composed, is roused up at the tunes of musick. And ’tis not onely men that are so affected, but almost all other creatures.

You know the tale of Hercules Gallus, Orpheus, and Amphion felices animas Ovid cals them, that could saxa movere sono testudinis, &c. make stocks and stones, as well as beasts, and other animals dance after their pipes: the dog and hare, wolf and lamb; vicinumque lupo præbuit agna latus; clamosus graculus, stridula cornix, & Iovis aquila, as Philostratus describes it in his images, stood all gaping upon Orpheus;

and trees pulled up by the roots, came to hear him, Et comitem quercum pinus amica trahit.

Arion made fishes follow him, which, as common experience evinceth, are much affected with musick. All singing birds are much pleased with it, especially Nightingales, if we may beleeve Calcagninus; and Bees amongst the rest, though they be flying away, when they hear any tingling sound, will tarry behinde. Hearts, Hindes, Horses, Dogs, Bears, are exceedingly delighted with it. Scal. exerc. 302. Elephants Agrippa addes lib. 2. cap. 24. and in Lydia in the midst of a lake there be certain floating Ilands, (if ye will beleeve it) that after musick will dance.

But to leave all declamatory speeches in praise of divine Musick, I will confine my self to my proper subject: besides that excellent power it hath to expell many other diseases, it is a soveraigne remedy against Despair and Melancholy, and will drive away the divel himself. Canus a Rhodian Fidler in Philostratus, when Apollonius was inquisitive to know what he could do with his pipe, told him, That he would make a melancholy man merry, and him that was merry much merrier then before, a lover more inamoured, a religious man more devout.

Ismenias the Theban, Chiron the Centaure is said to have cured this and many other diseases by musick alone: as now they do those, saith Bodine, that are troubled with S. Vitus Bedlam dance. Timotheus the Musician compelled Alexander to skip up and down, and leave his dinner (like the tale of the Frier and the Boy) whom Austin de civ. Dei. lib. 17. cap. 14. so much commends for it.

Who hath not heard how Davids harmony drove away the evill spirits from king Saul, 1. Sam. 16. and Elisha when he was much troubled by importunate kings, called for a Minstrel, and when he played, the hand of the Lord came upon him, 2. King 3.

Censorinus de natali cap. 12 reportes how Asclepiades the Physician helped many frantike persons by this means, phreneticorum mentes morbo turbatas—Iason Pratensis cap. de Maniâ hath many examples how Clinias and Empedocles cured some desperately melancholy, & some mad by this our Musick.