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THE SECOND BOOKE 313
whatsoever we receive in our understanding 1 we often
receive false things, and that it is by the same instruments
which many times contradict and deceive
themselves. And no marvell if they contradict themselves,
being so easy to encliue, and upon very
slight occasions subject to waver and turne. Certaine
it is that our apprehension, our judgement, and our
soules faculties in generall, doe suffer according to the
bodies motions and alterations, which are continuall.
Have we not our spirits more vigilant, our memorie
more ready, and our discourses more lively in time of
health then in sicknesse ? Doth not joy and blithenesse
make us receive the subjects that present themselves
unto our soule, with another kind of countenance, then
lowring vexation and drooping melancholy doth ? Doe
you imagine that Catullus or Saphoes verses delight
and please an old covetous chuff-penny wretch as they
do a lusty and vigorous yong man ? Cleomenes the
sonne of Anaxandridas being sick, his friends reproved
him, saying he had new strange humors and unusuall
phantasies: ' It is not unlikely,' answered he, ' for I
am not the man I was wont to be in the time of health ;
but being: other, so are my fantasies and my humors.'
In the rabble case-canvasing of our plea-courts this byword,
Gaudeat de bona fortuna: ' Let him joy in his
good fortune,' is much in use, and is spoken of criminal!
offenders, who happen to meete with Judges in some
milde temper or well-pleased mood. For it is most
certaine that in times of condemnation the Judges
doome or sentence is sometimes perceived to be more
sharpe, mercilesse and forward, and at other times
more tractable, facile, and enclined to shadow or excuse
an offence, according as he is well or ill pleased in
mind. A man that commeth out of his house troubled
with the paine of the goute, vexed with jealousy, or
angry that his servant hath robbed him, and whose
mind is overcome with griefe, and plunged with vexation,
and distracted with anger, there is not question to
be made but his judgement is at that instant much
distempred, and much transported that way. That