The Anatomy of Melancholy

They so domineer over and restrain them—no hobby ever so terrified a lark—that they will not violate the least tradition, step out of line, or scarcely look the wrong way. “Good God,” Lavater exclaims, “how many people this invention of purgatory has miserably tormented!” Good God, how many people have been miserably afflicted by this fiction of purgatory!

Along with these advantages of Hope and Fear, ignorance and simplicity, he has various engines, traps and devices with which to batter and enslave people. He misses no opportunity, according to their different inclinations and abilities, to ensnare and humour them and maintain his superstition: sometimes to stupefy and befool them; sometimes, through opposition and faction, to set everyone at odds and in an uproar. Sometimes he infects one man and makes him a chief agent; sometimes whole cities and countries.

If they are of lower station, he works through stupidity, obedience to religious authority, blind zeal, and so on. If they are more distinguished, through pride, ambition, the desire for popularity and vainglory. If they are eminent clergy, more gifted than the rest, more learned and eloquent, he inflates them with a vain opinion of their own worth. “Puffed up with knowledge,” they begin to swell with pride and despise the whole world in comparison with themselves. Then they turn heretic or schismatic, put forward new doctrines, devise new fancies, and the like;

or else too much learning drives them mad, or curiosity makes them pry into God’s secrets and eat the forbidden fruit; or, presuming on their holiness, spiritual gifts and inspirations, they become prophets, enthusiasts, and what not?

Or if they are displeased and discontented, and have not—as they suppose—received advancement equal to their worth; if they suffer some disgrace or rejection, are neglected, or are not esteemed as highly as they foolishly value themselves; or out of envious rivalry, they immediately begin to rage and rave, “mixing heaven with earth.” They become so intolerant of their lot in an instant that a whole kingdom cannot contain them. They will set everything ablaze, set everyone at odds, to revenge themselves on their adversaries.

When Donatus saw Caecilianus preferred to him for the bishopric of Carthage, he turned heretic; so did Arius, because Alexander was promoted. We have examples at home, and all too much experience of such people. If they are distinguished laymen, the same engines of pride, ambition, rivalry and jealousy operate: they will be gods themselves. After his victories in India, Alexander became so arrogant that he demanded worship as a god.

And those Roman emperors reached such a height of madness that they had to have temples built to them and sacrifices offered to their divinities: “the deified Augustus,” “the deified Claudius,” “the deified Hadrian.” Heliogabalus put out the Vestal fire at Rome, expelled the virgins, banished all other religions throughout the world, and wanted to be the sole god himself.