Fancyhasnoplace,butonlyinadorningthestyle。
Inorationsofpraise,andininvectives,thefancyispredominant;becausethedesignisnottruth,buttohonourordishonour;whichisdonebynobleorbyvilecomparisons。Thejudgementdoesbutsuggestwhatcircumstancesmakeanactionlaudableorculpable。
Inhortativesandpleadings,astruthordisguiseservethbesttothedesigninhand,soisthejudgementorthefancymostrequired。
Indemonstration,incouncil,andallrigoroussearchoftruth,sometimesdoesall;exceptsometimestheunderstandinghaveneedtobeopenedbysomeaptsimilitude,andthenthereissomuchuseoffancy。
Butformetaphors,theyareinthiscaseutterlyexcluded。Forseeingtheyopenlyprofessdeceit,toadmitthemintocouncil,orreasoning,weremanifestfolly。
Andinanydiscoursewhatsoever,ifthedefectofdiscretionbeapparent,howextravagantsoeverthefancybe,thewholediscoursewillbetakenforasignofwantofwit;andsowillitneverwhenthediscretionismanifest,thoughthefancybeneversoordinary。
Thesecretthoughtsofamanrunoverallthingsholy,prophane,clean,obscene,grave,andlight,withoutshame,orblame;whichverbaldiscoursecannotdo,fartherthanthejudgementshallapproveofthetime,place,andpersons。Ananatomistorphysicianmayspeakorwritehisjudgementofuncleanthings;becauseitisnottoplease,butprofit:butforanothermantowritehisextravagantandpleasantfanciesofthesameisasifaman,frombeingtumbledintothedirt,shouldcomeandpresenthimselfbeforegoodcompany。Anditisthewantofdiscretionthatmakesthedifference。Again,inprofessedremissnessofmind,andfamiliarcompany,amanmayplaywiththesoundsandequivocalsignificationsofwords,andthatmanytimeswithencountersofextraordinaryfancy;butinasermon,orinpublic,orbeforepersonsunknown,orwhomweoughttoreverence,thereisnojinglingofwordsthatwillnotbeaccountedfolly:andthedifferenceisonlyinthewantofdiscretion。Sothatwherewitiswanting,itisnotfancythatiswanting,butdiscretion。Judgement,therefore,withoutfancyiswit,butfancywithoutjudgement,not。
Whenthethoughtsofamanthathasadesigninhand,runningoveramultitudeofthings,observeshowtheyconducetothatdesign,orwhatdesigntheymayconduceunto;ifhisobservationsbesuchasarenoteasy,orusual,thiswitofhisiscalledprudence,anddependethonmuchexperience,andmemoryofthelikethingsandtheirconsequencesheretofore。Inwhichthereisnotsomuchdifferenceofmenasthereisintheirfanciesandjudgements;becausetheexperienceofmenequalinageisnotmuchunequalastothequantity,butliesindifferentoccasions,everyonehavinghisprivatedesigns。
Togovernwellafamilyandakingdomarenotdifferentdegreesofprudence,butdifferentsortsofbusiness;nomorethantodrawapictureinlittle,orasgreatorgreaterthanthelife,aredifferentdegreesofart。AplainhusbandmanismoreprudentinaffairsofhisownhousethanaPrivyCounsellorintheaffairsofanotherman。
Toprudence,ifyouaddtheuseofunjustordishonestmeans,suchasusuallyarepromptedtomenbyfearorwant,youhavethatcrookedwisdomwhichiscalledcraft;whichisasignofpusillanimity。Formagnanimityiscontemptofunjustordishonesthelps。AndthatwhichtheLatinscallversutiatranslatedintoEnglish,shifting,andisaputtingoffofapresentdangerorincommoditybyengagingintoagreater,aswhenamanrobsonetopayanother,isbutashorter-sightedcraft;calledversutia,fromversura,whichsignifiestakingmoneyatusuryforthepresentpaymentofinterest。
AsforacquiredwitImeanacquiredbymethodandinstruction,thereisnonebutreason;whichisgroundedontherightuseofspeech,andproduceththesciences。Butofreasonandscience,I
havealreadyspokeninthefifthandsixthchapters。
Thecausesofthisdifferenceofwitsareinthepassions,andthedifferenceofpassionsproceedethpartlyfromthedifferentconstitutionofthebody,andpartlyfromdifferenteducation。Forifthedifferenceproceededfromthetemperofthebrain,andtheorgansofsense,eitherexteriororinterior,therewouldbenolessdifferenceofmenintheirsight,hearing,orothersensesthanintheirfanciesanddiscretions。Itproceeds,therefore,fromthepassions;whicharedifferent,notonlyfromthedifferenceofmen’scomplexions,butalsofromtheirdifferenceofcustomsandeducation。
Thepassionsthatmostofallcausethedifferencesofwitareprincipallythemoreorlessdesireofpower,ofriches,ofknowledge,andofhonour。Allwhichmaybereducedtothefirst,thatis,desireofpower。Forriches,knowledgeandhonourarebutseveralsortsofpower。
Andtherefore,amanwhohasnogreatpassionforanyofthesethings,butisasmentermitindifferent;thoughhemaybesofaragoodmanastobefreefromgivingoffence,yethecannotpossiblyhaveeitheragreatfancyormuchjudgement。Forthethoughtsaretothedesiresasscoutsandspiestorangeabroadandfindthewaytothethingsdesired,allsteadinessofthemind’smotion,andallquicknessofthesame,proceedingfromthence。Forastohavenodesireistobedead;sotohaveweakpassionsisdullness;andtohavepassionsindifferentlyforeverything,giddinessanddistraction;
andtohavestrongerandmorevehementpassionsforanythingthanisordinarilyseeninothersisthatwhichmencallmadness。
Whereoftherebealmostasmaykindsasofthepassionsthemselves。Sometimestheextraordinaryandextravagantpassionproceedethfromtheevilconstitutionoftheorgansofthebody,orharmdonethem;andsometimesthehurt,andindispositionoftheorgans,iscausedbythevehemenceorlongcontinuanceofthepassion。
Butinbothcasesthemadnessisofoneandthesamenature。
Thepassionwhoseviolenceorcontinuancemakethmadnessiseithergreatvainglory,whichiscommonlycalledprideandself-conceit,orgreatdejectionofmind。
Pridesubjectethamantoanger,theexcesswhereofisthemadnesscalledrage,andfury。Andthusitcomestopassthatexcessivedesireofrevenge,whenitbecomeshabitual,hurteththeorgans,andbecomesrage:thatexcessivelove,withjealousy,becomesalsorage:
excessiveopinionofaman’sownself,fordivineinspiration,forwisdom,learning,form,andthelike,becomesdistractionandgiddiness:thesame,joinedwithenvy,rage:vehementopinionofthetruthofanything,contradictedbyothers,rage。
Dejectionsubjectsamantocauselessfears,whichisamadnesscommonlycalledmelancholyapparentalsoindiversemanners:asinhauntingofsolitudesandgraves;insuperstitiousbehaviour;andinfearingsomeone,someanother,particularthing。Insum,allpassionsthatproducestrangeandunusualbehaviourarecalledbythegeneralnameofmadness。Butoftheseveralkindsofmadness,hethatwouldtakethepainsmightenrolalegion。Andiftheexcessesbemadness,thereisnodoubtbutthepassionsthemselves,whentheytendtoevil,aredegreesofthesame。
Forexample,thoughtheeffectoffolly,inthemthatarepossessedofanopinionofbeinginspired,benotvisiblealwaysinonemanbyanyveryextravagantactionthatproceedethfromsuchpassion,yetwhenmanyofthemconspiretogether,therageofthewholemultitudeisvisibleenough。Forwhatargumentofmadnesscantherebegreaterthantoclamour,strike,andthrowstonesatourbestfriends?Yetthisissomewhatlessthansuchamultitudewilldo。
Fortheywillclamour,fightagainst,anddestroythosebywhomalltheirlifetimebeforetheyhavebeenprotectedandsecuredfrominjury。Andifthisbemadnessinthemultitude,itisthesameineveryparticularman。Forasinthemidstofthesea,thoughamanperceivenosoundofthatpartofthewaternexthim,yetheiswellassuredthatpartcontributesasmuchtotheroaringoftheseaasanyotherpartofthesamequantity:soalso,thoughweperceivenogreatunquietnessinoneortwomen,yetwemaybewellassuredthattheirsingularpassionsarepartsoftheseditiousroaringofatroublednation。Andiftherewerenothingelsethatbewrayedtheirmadness,yetthatveryarrogatingsuchinspirationtothemselvesisargumentenough。IfsomemaninBedlamshouldentertainyouwithsoberdiscourse,andyoudesireintakingleavetoknowwhathewerethatyoumightanothertimerequitehiscivility,andheshouldtellyouhewereGodtheFather;Ithinkyouneedexpectnoextravagantactionforargumentofhismadness。
Thisopinionofinspiration,calledcommonly,privatespirit,beginsveryoftenfromsomeluckyfindingofanerrorgenerallyheldbyothers;andnotknowing,ornotremembering,bywhatconductofreasontheycametososingularatruth,astheythinkit,thoughitbemanytimesanuntruththeylighton,theypresentlyadmirethemselvesasbeinginthespecialgraceofGodAlmighty,whohathrevealedthesametothemsupernaturallybyhisSpirit。
Again,thatmadnessisnothingelsebuttoomuchappearingpassionmaybegatheredoutoftheeffectsofwine,whicharethesamewiththoseoftheevildispositionoftheorgans。Forthevarietyofbehaviourinmenthathavedrunktoomuchisthesamewiththatofmadmen:someofthemraging,othersloving,otherslaughing,allextravagantly,butaccordingtotheirseveraldomineeringpassions:
fortheeffectofthewinedoesbutremovedissimulation,andtakefromthemthesightofthedeformityoftheirpassions。For,I
believe,themostsobermen,whentheywalkalonewithoutcareandemploymentofthemind,wouldbeunwillingthevanityandextravaganceoftheirthoughtsatthattimeshouldbepubliclyseen,whichisaconfessionthatpassionsunguidedareforthemostpartmeremadness。
Theopinionsoftheworld,bothinancientandlaterages,concerningthecauseofmadnesshavebeentwo。Some,derivingthemfromthepassions;some,fromdemonsorspirits,eithergoodorbad,whichtheythoughtmightenterintoaman,possesshim,andmovehisorgansinsuchstrangeanduncouthmannerasmadmenusetodo。Theformersort,therefore,calledsuchmen,madmen:butthelattercalledthemsometimesdemoniacsthatis,possessedwithspirits;
sometimesenergumenithatis,agitatedormovedwithspirits;andnowinItalytheyarecallednotonlypazzi,madmen;butalsospiritati,menpossessed。
TherewasonceagreatconfluxofpeopleinAbdera,acityoftheGreeks,attheactingofthetragedyofAndromeda,uponanextremehotday:whereuponagreatmanyofthespectators,fallingintofevers,hadthisaccidentfromtheheatandfromthetragedytogether,thattheydidnothingbutpronounceiambics,withthenamesofPerseusandAndromeda;which,togetherwiththefever,wascuredbythecomingonofwinter:andthismadnesswasthoughttoproceedfromthepassionimprintedbythetragedy。LikewisetherereignedafitofmadnessinanotherGreciancitywhichseizedonlytheyoungmaidens,andcausedmanyofthemtohangthemselves。Thiswasbymostthenthoughtanactofthedevil。Butonethatsuspectedthatcontemptoflifeinthemmightproceedfromsomepassionofthemind,andsupposingtheydidnotcontemnalsotheirhonour,gavecounseltothemagistratestostripsuchassohangedthemselves,andletthemhangoutnaked。This,thestorysays,curedthatmadness。Butontheotherside,thesameGreciansdidoftenascribemadnesstotheoperationoftheEumenides,orFuries;andsometimesofCeres,Phoebus,andothergods: