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THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY
provides for a future assault. But many times we complain, repine and mutter without a cause,
we give way to passions we may resist, and will not. Socrates was bad by nature, envious, as he
confessed to Zophius the physiognomer, accusing him of it, froward and lascivious: but as he
was Socrates, he did correct and amend himself. Thou art malicious, envious, covetous,
impatient, no doubt, and lascivious, yet as thou art a Christian, correct and moderate thyself. 'Tis
something, I confess, and able to move any man, to see himself contemned, obscure, neglected,
disgraced, undervalued, "left behind;" some cannot endure it, no not constant Lipsius, a man
discreet otherwise, yet too weak and passionate in this, as his words express, collegas olim, quos
ego sine fremitu non intueor, nuper terræ filios, nunc Mæcenates et Agrippas habeo,-- summo
jam monte potitos. But he was much to blame for it: to a wise staid man this is nothing, we
cannot all be honoured and rich, all Caesars; if we will be content, our present state is good, and
in some men's opinion to be preferred. Let them go on, get wealth, offices, titles, honours,
preferments, and what they will themselves, by chance, fraud, imposture, simony, and indirect
means, as too many do, by bribery, flattery, and parasitical insinuation, by impudence and timeserving,
let them climb up to advancement in despite of virtue, let them "go before, cross me on
every side," me non offendunt modo non in, oculos incurrant, as he said, correcting his former
error, they do not offend me, so long as they run not into mine eyes. I am inglorious and poor,
composita paupertate, but I live secure and quiet: they are dignified, have great means, pomp,
and state, they are glorious; but what have they with it? "Envy, trouble, anxiety, as much labour
to maintain their place with credit, as to get it at first." I am contented with my fortunes,
spectator e longinquo, and love Neptunum procul a terra spectare furentem: he is ambitious, and
not satisfied with his: "but what gets he by it? to have all his life laid open, his reproaches seen:
not one of a thousand but he hath done more worthy of dispraise and animadversion than
commendation; no better means to help this than to be private." Let them run, ride, strive as so
many fishes for a crumb, scrape, climb, catch, snatch, cozen, collogue, temporise and fleer, take
all amongst them, wealth, honour, and get what they can, it offends me not:
-----"me mea tellus
Lare secreto tutoque tegat,"
"I am well pleased with my fortunes," Vivo et regno simul ista relinquens. (Hor. "I live like a
king without any of these acquisitions.")
I have learned "in what state soever I am, therewith to be contented," Philip, iv 11. Come
what can come, I am prepared. Nave ferar magna an parva, ferar unus et idem. I am the same. I
was once so mad to bustle abroad, and seek about for preferment, tire myself, and trouble all my
friends, sed nihil labor tantus profecit nam dum alios amicorum mors avocat, aliis ignotus sum,
his invisus, alii large promittunt, intercedunt illi mecum soliciti, hi vana spe lactant; dum alios
ambio, hos capto, illis innotesco, ætas perit, anni defluunt, amici fatigantur, ego deferor, et jam,
mundi tæsus, humanæque satur infidelitatis acquiesco. ("But all my labour was unprofitable; for
while death took off some of my friends, to others I remain unknown, or little liked, and these
deceive me with false promises. Whilst I am canvassing one party, captivating another, making
myself known to a third, my age increases, years glide away, I am put off, and now tired of the
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