Diseases of the Soul, Part 10
Pride and the Pleurisie, Disease 8.
THe Pleurisie is defined to be an inward inflammation of that vpper skinne, which girdeth the sides and the ribbes: and therefore is called dolor lateralis. Pride is a pursie affection of the soule, Lege, modo, ratione carens: Without law, for it is rebellious: without measure, for it delights in extreames: without reason, for it doth all things with precipitation. The proud man is bitten of the mad dogge, the flatterer, and hence runs on a garget.
Causes.
THe Pleurisie is caused of an abundance of hote blood flowing vnnaturally to the foresayd place: or by the engendring of cold, grosse, and viscous humours, gathered into the voyd place of the brest, or into the lungs. This spirituall disease ariseth from a blown opinion of ones selfe: which opinion is either from ignorance of his owne emptinesse; and so like a Tumbrell full of nothing but aire, makes a greater sound, then a vessell of precious liquour: or from arrogance of some good, which the owner knows too well. He neuer lookes short of himselfe, but always beyond the mark, and offers to shoote further then he looks, but euer fals two bowes short, humilitie and discretion.
Signes and Symptomes.
THe Symptomes of the Pleurisie are difficult breathing, a continuall Feuer, a vehement pricking on the affected side. The proud man is knowne by his gate, which is peripateticall, strutting like a new Church warden. He thinkes himselfe singularly wise, but his opinion is singular, and goes alone. In the company of good wits he fenceth in his ignorance with the hedge of silence, that obseruation may not climbe ouer to see his follies. He would hauehave his iudgment for wearing his apparell passe vnmended, not vncommended. Hee shifts his attire on some solemne day twice at least in twelue houres; but cannot shift himselfe out of the Mercers bookes once in twelue moneths. His greatest enuy is the next Gentlemans better clothes: which if he cannot better or equallize, he weares his owne neglected. His apparell carries him to Church, without deuotion, and he riseth vp at the Creed to ioyne with the rest in confession, not of his faith, but his pride: for sitting downe hides much of his brauery. He feeds with no cheerfull stomake, if he sit not at the vpper end of the table, and be cald young master, where he is cōtent to rise hungry, so the obseruant company weary him with drinking to: on this condition he giues his obligation for the shot. Hee loues his lying glasse beyond any true friend; and tels his credulous auditors, how many Gentlewomen hauehave runne mad for him: when if a base femall seruant should court him, I dare wager, he proues no Adonis. If he were to die on the block as Byron, he would giuegive charge for the composition of his lockes.
Pride.
PRide is of the feminine gender; (therefore the more intolerable in a masculine nature:) much Ciuet is vnsauory: Nō bene olet, quae bene semper olet. She that breaths perfumes Ierom.artificially, giues her selfe to hauehave naturally corrupted lungs. This woman hath neither her owne complexion nor proportion: for she is both painted, and poynted together. She sits moderator eueryevery morning to a disputatiō betwixt the combe and the glasse: and whether concludes best on her beauty, caries her louelove and prayse. Howsoeuer, of men saith the Poet: Forma viros neglecta decet. Indeed Amor.there is no gracefull bahauiour like humilitie. This fault is well mended, when a man is well minded: that is, when he esteemes of others better then himselfe. Otherwise a proud man is like the rising earth in montenous places: this swels vp monte, as he mente: and the more either earth aduanceth it selfe, perpetually they are the more barren. Hee liues at a high saile, that the puffy praises of his neighbors may blow him into the inchanted Iland, vaineglory. He shines like a Gloeworme in a darke village, but is a crude thing when he comes to the Court. If the plethorie swels him in the veine of valour, nothing but well-beating can hold him to a man. If euer hee goes drunke into the field, and comes off with a victorious parlee, hee would swell to a sonne of Anak.
Cure.
THe Pleurisie is cured by drawing out some bloud frō the veine, that hath relation to the affected part. A Clister is very good, together with some fomentations. It is helped much by cupping, I doe not meane, drinking. God prescribes the cure of Pride, by precept and patterne. Precept. Humble your selues vnderunder the mighty hand of God: the reason is giuen; for God resisteth the proud, and giueth grace 1. Pet. 5. 6.to the humble. Patterne. Take my yoke vponupon you, and learne of me, for I am meeke and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest vntounto Mat. 11. 29.your soules. The Master is worth your hearing, the lesson your learning, the recompence your receiuing. The cure hereof is hard, for all vices are against humilitie: nay, all vertues are against humilitie; as many are proud of their good deeds: nay, humilitie hath an opposition against humilitie, as if she were false to her owne person. Saepe homo de vanae gloriae contemptu vanus gloriatur: so that often, humility by a prodigious and preposterous birth, brings forth pride. Pride doth make a wise-man a foole; cōtinues him a foole, that is so; the opinion of his owne wisedome excluding all opportune possibility of receiuing knowledge. Powre precious iuice into a vessell full of base liquor, and it runs besides. That instruction is split, which you offer to infuse into a soule so full of selfe affectation. Many a man had proued wise, if he had not so thought himselfe. If the ayre of his pride bee inclosed in a baser bubble, attire, it is the more vile: for the generation of his sinne is produced from the corruption of himselfe. God made him a man, he hath made himselfe a beast; and now the Taylor (scarce a man himselfe) must make him a man againe: a braue man, a better man than euer Nature left him. Thus he is like the Cynamon tree, the bark is better then the body; or some Vermine, whose case is better then the carkase.
For his cure, open his pleuriticke veine with the sacrificing knife of the Law; and tell him, that the cause of his pride is the effect of his sinne. That wickednesse brought shame to nakednesse, and apparell hides it; whereof being proud, he glories in his own halter. Strip him of his gawdy clothes, and put him in a Charnel house, where he may reade visible lectures of mortality and rottennesse.