Diseases of the Soul, Part 5
Madnesse and Anger. Disease 3.
THe next disease I would describe, is Phrenzy or Madnesse. Now though Physicians do clearly distinguish betwixt these two, Phrenzy and Madnesse; calling Phrenzy an inflammation of the braine without a Feuer; or an impostumation Galen.bred and ingendred in the pellicles of the braine, or pia mater: and Mania or Madnesse, an infection of the former cell of the head, without a Feuer: the one abusing the imagination, the other rauishing the memory; I list not to dispute or determine. That which serues my intention, is to conferre either of these passions, with a Spirituall disease of like nature, Anger. Irafuror breuis. It is a madnesse, I am sure, I am not sure how short. I doe not ask for men passionlesse, this is hominem de homine tollere. GiueGive them leaue to be men, not mad men. Iraoptimo loco donum Dei: & magna est ars, irasciverbis praemeditatis, Ierem.& tempore opportuno. Anger in the best sense is the gift of God, and it is no small art, to expresse anger with premeditated termes, and on seasonable occasion. God placed Anger amongst the affections ingraffed in nature, gaue it a seate, fitted it with instruments, ministred it matter whence it might proceed, prouided humours whereby it is nourished. It is to the Soule as a nerue to the body. The Philosopher cals it the Whetstone to fortitude, a spurre intended to set forward Vertue. This is simply rather a propassion, then a passion.
But there is a vicious, impetuous, franticke anger, earnest for priuate and personall grudges; not like a medicine to cleare the eye, but to put it out. This pernicious disease of the Soule hath degrees. 1. It is inhumane; Tygers deuoure not Tygers, this rageth against kind and kindred. 2. Impious; it rageth often against God; as that Pope vponupon a field lost against the Frenchmen: Sic esto nunc Gallicus. So, turne French now, &c. 3. Mad; for it often rageth against vnreasonable creatures, as Balaam striking his Asse; how much is such a man more irrationall and bestiall, then the Beast he malignes? 4. It is more then mad, striking at insensible things: as Xerxes wrote a defying letter to Athos a Thracian mountaine. Mischieuous Athos, lifted vp to heauen, make thy quarries passable to my trauell, or I will cut thee downe, and cast thee into the sea. But his reuenge was neither vnderstood, feared, nor felt. So the Affricans being infested with a North winde, that couered their corne fields with sand from a mountaine, leuied an army of men to fight with that wind; but were all buryed vnderunder the sand. So Darius, because a Riuer had drowned him a white Horse, vowed to cut it into so many Channels, that a woman with child might go ouer drie-shoo'd. We hauehave some so madly impatient with a storme, wind &c. which might answere them, as Rabshaceh told the Iewes: Am I Esay 36, 10.come hither without the Lord? it is he that sent mee. This anger is imediatly directed against God: the heart speakes Atheisme, only in other words. 5. It is vnnaturall, for it Insanit: cum aliena nequit, sua pectora rodit.maligneth a mans selfe. It is full of consternation and amazement, and neuer vseth violence, without torment to it selfe. It thinks to offer wrong, and indeed suffers it.
Ipsa sibi est hostis vesania, seque furendo-Interimit. As the franticke or drunkard doe that, intoxicate, which sober, they would quake to thinke of; so these irefull, direfull men (or rather beastes) dare in their fits play with Serpents, mingle poysons, act massacres, whereat their awaked soules shudder.
The higher the person in whō this phrenzy raigns, the Basil. In potestate nihil nisi potestatem respicere.greater the fault. The Master-Bee hath no sting, the rest hauehave: the greater power, the lesse passion. It is a Statetyrannie, in authority to minde nothing but authoritie. Posse & nolle, nobile. It is noble to may and wil not. When a rayling wretch followed a Heathen Prince with obloquies all day, and home to his dores at night, he requited him with commaunding his seruant to light him home to his house with a torch. Damascen makes three degrees of anger; Bilem, Iracundiam, Infensionem: Choler, Wrath, heauy Displeasure. Some hauehave added a fourth.
1. The first hath a beginning and motion, but presently ceaseth; wee call this Choler. Like fire in stubble, soone kindled, and soone out. These are like gun-powder, to which you no sooner giuegive fire, but they are in your face. They say, these hot men are the best natur'd; but I say then, the best are naught. These are stung with a nettle, and allayd with a docke.
2. The second is not so soone conceiued, but takes deeper holde in the memorie. This fire is neither easily kindled, nor easily put out: like fire in Iron, which hardly taking, long abideth. These men are like greene logges, which once set on combustion, continue burning day and night too.
3 The third entertaine this fire sodainly, and retaine it perpetually, not desisting without reuenge. These are like fire, which bewrayeth not it selfe without the ruine and waste of that matter wherin it hath caught: this worst.
4 The fourth is a moderate Anger, not soone incensed, but quickly appeased: and this is the best, because likest to the disposition of God, who is mercifull and gracious, Psal. 103. 8.slow to anger, and plenteous in merciemercy, ready to forgiue.
Causes.
PHrensie is caused by abundant bloud, or choler occupying the braines or the filmes therof: the more adust this choler is, the more pernicious the madnes. The cause of anger, is the giuing to Passion the dominion ouer Reason. Seneca sayes, Causa iracundiae opinio iniuriae est: the cause of anger is the conceit of iniurie. Such a man gets vp on De ira lib. 1. cap. 22.the wilde Iade his choler, and spurres him on, hauing no bridle of moderation to hold him backe. His conuersation is so full of cholericke fits, as a booke of tedious parentheses, that they marre the sense of his life. He is like an egge in rosting, hopefull to be good meate, but it growes too hot on a sodaine, and flyes in your face not without a great noyse. Anger is able to turne Dametas into Hercules furens, teaching him that is strong to fight, him that is not Ira forti producit lacertes, imbelli linguam.to talke: whilest the lightning of his rage lasts, hee thunders out a challenge, but after a little calme meditation, sounds a retreat. He menaceth the throtes of his enemies, though they be many, and sweares loud hee will be their Priest, hee meanes Executioner. But if you compare his threatnings and his after-actions, you would say of them, as that wise man sheering his hogges: Here is a great deale of crie, but a little wooll. His enemies are worse feared then hurt, if so they be in personall presence, as he is in sober iudgement a little out of the way.
Signes and Symptomes.
THe Phrensie is easily seene, and needs not to be described by signes. Physicians giuegive many, I will say no more but this. If the madnesse proceed from bloud, they are perpetually laughing; if of choler, they rage so furiously, that bands only can restraine them from doing violence. The Symptomes of this spirituall madnesse, rash and furious anger, are many, visible and actuall.
1. Swelling of mind so high and so full, that there is no room for any good motion to dwel by it. Iratumor mē tis, and makes a man like the Spider-poyson'd toade. In this raging fit, Reason, Modesty, Peace, Humanitie, &c. runne from him, as seruants from their mad master, or Mise from a Barne on fire. 2. Contumely without any distinguishing respect of friend, fōe, aliant, familiar, reuiles any, fratrem que , patrem que . 3. Violence of hands, sauage and monstrous behauiour: Like the troubled Sea, when it Esay. 57. 20.cannot rest, whose waters cast vp mire and dirt: fuming and foming, like a muddy channell: a distorted countenance, Sen. de. ira. Lib. 1. Cap. 1.sparkling eye, foule language, hasty hands. If the angry man, and the drunkard had a glasse presented them, how hardly could they be brought againe to louelove their owne faces!
Cure.
TO cure this Bedlam passion, (leauing the other to deeper iudgements in that profession) both nature and Grace hauehave giuen rules. Naturall reason; that an angry man should not vndertake any action or speech, till hee had recited the Greeke Alphabet; as a pause to coole the heate of choler. That angry men should sing to their passions, as Nurses to their Babes foreign haste not, cry not. Maximum remedium est irae, mora. The best remedy for Anger is delay. What a man doth in anger, Sen. de ira. Lib. 1. Cap. 28.hee lightly repents in cold bloud.
That we should keepe our corrupt nature from prouoking obiects, as a man that hath Gunpowder in his house, keepes it safe from fire. That we should conster all things in the best sense: a good disposition makes a good exposition, where palpablenesse doth not euince the contrary. That suspicion is a payre of bellowes to this madde fire. That Ielousie and selfe-guiltinesse are the angry mans Eues-dropper and Intelligencer. That the Earth suffers vsus liuing to plow furrowes on her backe, and dead, opens her bowels to receiue vsus: a dead earth conuincing a liuing earths impatience. Scripture. That anger resteth in the bosome of fooles. That the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God. That vnaduised anger is culpable of iudgement. Let him take some herbe of Grace, an ounce of Patience, as much of Consideration how often he giues God iust cause to be angry with him; and no lesse of meditating how God hath a hand in Shimeies rayling, that Dauid may not bee angry: mixe all these together with faithfull confidence, that God will dispose all wrongs to thy good; hereof be made a pill to purge choler. To conclude, let reason euer be our Iudge, though passion sometimes be our sollicitour.
Parit ira furorem;
Turpia verba furor, verbis ex turpibus exit
Ira, ex hac oritur vulnus de vulnere lethum.
Wrath kindles fury, fury sparkes foule words,
Those let out wounds and death with flaming swords.