Diseases of the Soul, Part 15
Fluxe and Prodigalitie. Disease 13.
THere bee diuers Fluxes according to Physicians: Lienteria, a smoothnesse of the bowels, suffring the meate to slide away not perfectly digested: Difenteria, which is an exulceration of the bowels; (whereof also they make foure forts:) Tenasmus, which is a continuall prouocation to seege, that the patient can neither deferre, nor eschew, yet vents nothing but slime. The Fluxe Diarrhea is the generall, as being without exulceration or inflammation. To this I compare Prodigalitie, which is a continuall running out.
Cause.
THe corporall disease is caused: First, either by debilitie of the instruments that serue to digestion. Secondly, or through abundance of nourishment, moyst and viscous soone corrupted. Thirdly, or through weakenesse of the retentiue facultie. The similitude holds well in the causes of Prodigalitie. There is first a weakenesse of his vnderstanding & brain, to digest that which his friends left him. Secondly, abundance of goods hath made him wanton; and the most part being slimy and ill gotten, it wasts like Snow, faster then it was gathered. Thirdly, the debilitie of his retentiue vertue is a special cause. For Prodigalitie is pictur'd with the eyes shut, and the hands open; lauishly throwing out, and blindly not looking where.
Signes and Symptomes.
THe Symptomes of this disease are manifest. He is an out lyer, and neuer keepes within the pale. He runnes after liberalitie and beyond it. Hee is diametrially opposite to the Couetous; and the difference is in the transposing of one Aduerbe. The one, dat non rogatus: the other, non dat rogatus. One hand is his receiuer, but like Briareus, he hath an hundred hands to lay out. He would beare Dissipatoris, non dispensatoris officium. His father went to the diuel one way, and he will follow him another: and because hath chosen the smoother way, he makes the more haste. Parasites are his Tenterhookes, and they stretch him till he bursts; and then leaue him hanging in the raine. You may put his heart in your pocke; if you talke to him bare-headed, with many parentheses of your worship: there is no vpstart buyes his titles at a dearer rate. He loues a well furnished table; so he may hauehave three Ps. to his guests: Parasites, Panders, and Players: the fourth he cannot abide, Preachers. He wil be applauded for a while, though he want (almost) pitie, when he wants. Like an houreglasse turn'd vp, he neuer leaues running, till all be out. He neuer lookes to the bottome of his patrimony, til it be quite vnrauelled; and then (too late) complains that the stocke of his wealth ranne course at the fag-end. His father had too good an opinion of the world, & he too much disdaines it. Herein he speeds, as he thinkes, a little better; that those that bark'd at his Sire like dogs, fawne vponupon him, and licke his hand like Spaniels. He vyes vanities with the Slothfull, and it is hard to say, who wins the game; yet giuegive him the bucklers: for Idlneesse is the coach to bring a man to Needome, Prodigalitie the post-horse. His father was no mans friend but his owne; and he (saith the Prouerbe) is no mans foe else: of what age soeuer, he is vnderunder the yeares of discretion; and if Prouidence doe not take him Ward, his heires shall neuer be sought after. His vessell hath three leakes, a lasciuious eye, a gaming hand, a deified belly; and to content these, hee can neither rule his heart, nor his purse. When the shot comes to be payd, to draw in his company is a quarrel. When he feeles want, (for till then he neuer sees it) he complaines of Greatnes for ingratitude, that hee was not thought of when promotions were a dealing. When his last acre lies in his purse, he proiects strange things, and builds houses in the ayre, hauing sold those on the ground he turnes malecontent, and shifts that hee neuer had, Religion. If hee hauehave not learn'd those trickes that vndid him, Flattery and Cheating, he must needs presse himselfe to the warres. Hee neuer before considered adposse, but advelle, and now hee forgets velle, and lookes onelyonly to posse. Take him at first putting forth into his sea of wealth and profusenesse, and his fulnesse giues himMant.
—Languentis stomachum, quem nulla ciborum,
Blandimenta mouent, quem nulla inuitat orexis:
His stomach so rasping since his last meale, that it growes too cowardly to fight with a chicken: then he cals for sport like sawce to excite appetite; and when all failes, thinks of sleepe, lyes downe to finde it, and misseth it. In the conniuence of his securitie, harlots and sycophants rifle his estate, and then send him to robbe the hogges of their prouander, Ioues nuts, acornes. In short time he is dismounted from his coach, disquantitied of his traine, distasted of his familiars, distressed of his riches, distracted of his wits; and neuer proues his owne man, till he hath no other. At last, after his houering flight, hee drops to a center, which is a roome in the Almes house, that his father built.
Cure.
FOr his Cure; (I will not meddle with his estate, I know not how to cure that; but for his soule) let him first take a pill of Repentance: for howsoeuer hee hath scowr'd his estate, he hath clog'd his conscience, and it must be purged. Binde vp his vnruly hands, so lauish and letting flye. Pull off from his eyes that filme of errour, that hee may distinguish his reproouing friends from his flattering enemies. Coole his luxurious heate with Solomons aftercourse, the banket of his pleasures being done: that for al these things God will bring him to iudgement. That beggerie Eccl. 11 9. Luk. 15. 13.is the heire apparant of riote, as the yonger sonne in the Gospell (wee hauehave too many such yonger brothers.) That his answer to those that admonish his frugalitie, is built vponupon a false ground: My goods are my owne, as the Parasites said of their tongs: whereas he is not a Lord, but Psal. 12. 4. Luke 16. 2.a Steward, and must one day reddere rationem dispensationis. The bill of his reckoning will bee fearefull. Item, for so many oathes. Item, for so many lies. Item, for drunkennesse. Item, for lust, &c. Nay, and Item for causing so many Tauerne Items, which were worse then Physicke bils to his estate. To conclude, if Death finde him as Bankerout of spirituall, as of worldly goods, it will send him to an eternall prison.