MEMB. 2. Deformity of body, sicknesse, basenesse of birth, peculiar discontents.

Particular discontents and grievances, are either of body, minde, or fortune, which as they wound the soul of man, produce this melancholy, and many great inconveniences, by that antitode of good counsell and perswasion may be eased or expelled.

Deformities and imperfections of our bodies, as lamenesse, crookednesse, deafnesse, blindnesse, be they innate or accidentall, torture many men: yet this may comfort them, that those imperfections of the body do not a whit blemish the soul, or hinder the operations of it, but rather help and much increase it. Thou art lame of body, deformed to the eye, yet this hinders not but that thou maist be a good, a wise, upright, honest man.

Seldome, saith Plutarch, honesty and beauty dwell together, and oftentimes under a thread-bare coat lies an excellent understanding, sæpe sub attritâ latitat sapientia veste.

Cornelius Mussus that famous preacher in Italy, when he came first into the pulpit in Venice, was so much contemned by reason of his outside, a little, lean, poore, dejected person, they were all ready to leave the church, but when they heard his voice they did admire him, and happy was that Senator could injoy his company, or invite him first to his house.

A silly fellow to look to, may have more wit, learning, honesty, then he that struts it out Ampullis jactans, &c. grandia gradiens, and is admired in the worlds opinion: Vilis sæpe cadus nobile nectar habet, The best wine comes out of an old vessell.

How many deformed princes, kings, emperours could I reckon up, philosophers, orators? Hannibal had one eye, Appius Claudus, Timoleon, blinde, Muleasses king of Tunis, John king of Bohemia, and Tiresias the prophet. The night hath his pleasure; and for the losse of that one sense such men are commonly recompensed in the rest, they have excellent memories, other good parts, musick, and many recreations; much happines, great wisdom, as Tully well discourseth in his Tusculan questions: Homer was blinde, yet who (saith he) made more accurate, lively, or better descriptions, with both his eyes?

Democritus was blinde, yet as Laertius writes of him, he saw more then all Greece besides, as Plato concludes, Tum sane mentis oculus acute incipit cernere, quum primùm corporis oculus deflorescit, when our bodily eyes are at worst, generally the eyes of our soul see best. Some Philosophers and Divines have evirated themselves, and put out their eyes voluntarily the better to contemplate.

Angelus Politianus had a tetter in his nose continually running, fulsome in company, yet no man so eloquent and pleasing in his works. Æsope was crooked, Socrates pur-blinde, long-legged, hairy; Democritus withered, Seneca lean and harsh, ugly to behold, yet shew me so many flourishing wits, such divine spirits: Horace a little blear-eyed contemptible fellow, yet who so Sententious and wise? Marcilius Ficinus, Faber Stapulensis, a couple of dwarfes, Melancthon a short hard favoured man, parvus erat, sed magnus erat, &c. yet of incomparable parts all three.

Ignatius Loiola the founder of the Jesuits, by reason of an hurt he received in his leg, at the siege of Pampelona the chief town of Navarre in Spaine, unfit for wars and lesse serviceable at court, upon that accident betook himself to his beads, and by those means got more honour then ever he should have done with the use of his limbs, and propernes of person: Vulnus non penetrat animum, a wound hurts not the soul.

Galba the emperour was crook backed, Epictetus lame; that great Alexander a little man of stature; Augustus Cæsar of the same pitch: Agesilaus despicabili formâ; Boccharis a most deformed prince as ever Egypt had, yet as Diodorus Siculus records of him, in wisdome and knowledge far beyond his predecessours.

A. Dom. 1306. Vladislaus Cubitalis that pigmy king of Poland reigned and fought more victorious battels, then any of his long-shanked predecessours. Nullam virtus respuit staturam, Vertue refuseth no stature; and commonly your great vast bodies, & fine features, are sottish, dull, and leaden spirits.

What’s in them? Quid nisi pondus iners stolidaque ferocia mentis, What in Osus and Ephialtes (Neptunes sons in Homer) nine akers long?

Qui ut magnus Orion, Cum pedes incedit, medii per maxima Nerei Stagna, viam findens humero supereminet undas,

What in Maximinus, Ajax, Caligula, and the rest of those great Zanzummins, or giganticall Anakims, heavie, vast, barbarous lubbers?

—— si membra tibi dant grandia Parcæ, Mentis eges?

Their body, saith Lemnius, is a burden to them, and their spirits not so lively, nor they so erect and merry: Non est in magno corpore mica salis: a little diamond is more worth then a rocky mountain:

Which made Alexander Aphrodiseus positively conclude, The lesser, the wiser, because the soul was more contracted in such a body. Let Bodine in his 5. c. method. hist. plead the rest: the lesser they are, as in Asia, Greece, they have generally the finest wits.