And as Marsilius Ficinus concludes an Epistle to Bernard Canisianus, & some other of his friends, will I this Tract to all good Students, Live merrily O my friends, free from cares, perplexity, anguish, grief of mind, live merrily, lætitiæ cœlum vos creavit: Again and again I request you to be merry, if any thing trouble your hearts, or vex your souls, neglect and contemn it, let it passe.

And this I enjoyn you, not as a Divine alone, but as a Physician, for without this mirth, which is the life and quintessence of Physick, medicines, and whatsoever is used and applyed to prolong the life of man, is dull, dead, and of no force. Dum fata sinunt, vivite læti (Seneca) I say be merry.

Nec lusibus virentem Viduemus hanc juventam.

It was Tiresias the Prophets councel to Menippus, that travelled all the world over, even down to hell it self to seek content, and his last farewell to Menippus, to be merry. Contemn the world (saith he) and count that is in it vanity and toyes, this only covet all thy life long; be not curious, or over solicitous in any thing, but with a wel composed and contented estate to enjoy thy self, and above all things to be merry.

Si Numerus uti censet sine amore jocisque, Nil est jucundum, vivas in amore jocisque.

Nothing better, (to conclude with Solomon, Eccles. 3. 22.) then that a man should rejoyce in his affairs. ’Tis the same advice which every Physician in this case rings to his Patient, as Capivaccius to his, avoid over much study and perturbations of the minde, and as much as in thee lies, live at hearts ease: Prosper Calenus to that melancholy Cardinal Cæsius, amidst thy serious studies and business, use jests and conceits, playes and toyes, and whatsoever else may recreate thy mind. Nothing better then mirth and merry company in this malady. It begins with sorrow (saith Montanus) it must be expelled with hilarity.

But see the mischief; many men knowing that merry company is the only medicine against Melancholy, will therefore neglect their business, and in another extreme, spend all their dayes among good fellowes in a Tavern or an Ale-house, and know not otherwise how to bestow their time but in drinking; Malt-worms, men-fishes, or water-snakes, Qui bibunt solum ranarum more, nihil comedentes, like so many frogs in a puddle. ’Tis their sole exercise to eat, and drink;

to sacrifice to Volupia, Rumina, Edulica, Potina, Mellona, is all their religion. They wish for Philoxenus neck, Jupiters trinoctium, and that the Sun would stand still as in Joshuas time, to satisfie their lust, that they might dies noctesque pergræcari & bibere. Flourishing wits, and men of good parts, good fashion, and good worth, basely prostitute themselves to every rogues company, to take Tobacco and drink, to roare and sing scurrile songs in base places.

Invenies aliquem cum percussore jacentem, Permistum nautis, aut furibus, aut fugitivis.

Which Thomas Erastus objects to Paracelsus, that he would lye drinking all day long with Car-men and Tapsters in a Brothel-house, is too frequent amongst us, with men of better note: like Timocreon of Rhodes, multa bibens, & multa vorans, &c.

They drown their wits, seeth their brains in Ale, consume their fortunes, lose their time, weaken their temperatures, contract filthy diseases, rheumes, dropsies, calentures, tremor, get swoln juglars, pimpled red faces, sore eyes, &c. heat their livers, alter their complexions, spoil their stomacks, overthrow their bodies; for drink drowns more then the sea and all the rivers that fall into it, (meer Funges and Casks) confound their souls, suppress reason, go from Scylla to Charybdis, and use that which is an help, to their undoing.

Quid refert morbo an ferro pereamve ruinâ?

When the black Prince went to set the exil’d king of Castile into his kingdome, there was a terrible battel fought betwixt the English and the Spanish: at last the Spanish fled, the English followed them to the river side, where some drowned themselves to avoid their enemies, the rest were killed. Now tell me what difference is between drowning and killing? As good be melancholy still, as drunken beasts and beggars.

Company a sole comfort, and an only remedy to all kind of discontent, is their sole misery and cause of perdition. As Hermione lamented in Euripides, malæ mulieres me fecerunt malam, Evil company marr’d her, may they justly complain, bad companions have been their bane. For, malus malum vult ut sit sui similis; one drunkard in a company, one thief, one whoremaster, will by his good will, make all the rest as bad as himself,

—— Et si Nocturnos jures te formidare vapores,

be of what complexion you will, inclination, love or hate, be it good or bad, if you come amongst them, you must do as they do; yea, though it be to the prejudice of your health, you must drink venenum pro vino. And so like Grass-hoppers, whilst they sing over their cups all Summer, they starve in Winter; and for a little vain merriment, shall find a sorrowfull reckoning in the end.