The Anatomy of Melancholy

Socrates was bad by nature: envious, as he admitted when Zopyrus the reader of faces accused him of it, ill-tempered and lustful. Yet, being Socrates, he corrected and reformed himself. You are malicious, envious, greedy, impatient and, no doubt, lustful; yet, being a Christian, correct and govern yourself.

I admit it is something, and enough to stir anyone, to find himself despised, obscure, neglected, disgraced, undervalued and left behind. Some cannot bear it—not even steadfast Lipsius, otherwise a judicious man, yet too weak and emotional in this matter, as his words show: “I have former colleagues whom I cannot look at without growling: lately nobodies, now Maecenases and Agrippas, already masters of the highest peak.”

But he was much to blame for it. To a wise, composed man it means nothing. We cannot all be honoured and rich, all Caesars. If we are willing to be content, our present condition is good, and in some people’s opinion preferable. Let them go on: acquire wealth, offices, titles, honours, advancement and whatever else they wish, through chance, fraud, imposture, simony and crooked methods, as too many do—through bribery, flattery, parasitic ingratiation, shamelessness and servility to the times. Let them climb to advancement in defiance of virtue; let them go ahead and cross my path on every side. “They do not offend me, provided they do not run into my eyes,” as he said, correcting his earlier error: they do not offend me so long as they do not thrust themselves into my sight.

I am obscure and poor, “in settled poverty,” but I live safely and quietly. They have rank, great resources, pomp and state: they are glorious. But what comes with it? Envy, trouble and anxiety; as much work to maintain their position creditably as to gain it in the first place. I am content with my fortunes, “a spectator from afar,” and like “to watch Neptune raging far away from the land.” The ambitious man is dissatisfied with his lot; but what does he gain? His whole life laid open and his disgrace exposed. Not one in a thousand has done more deserving praise than blame and censure; the best remedy is to remain a private person.

Let them run, ride, scramble like so many fish for a crumb, scrape, climb, grab, snatch, cheat, flatter, bend with the times and smirk. Let them take everything among them—wealth, honour—and get what they can. It does not trouble me.

Let my own land shelter me In a secluded, safe home.

I am well pleased with my fortunes:

I live and reign, leaving those things behind.

“I have learned to be content in whatever state I am”: Philippians 1:11. Come what may, I am prepared: “Whether I travel in a great ship or a small one, I shall travel as one and the same man.” I am unchanged.