Diseases of the Soul, Part 6
Enuie a consumption. Disease. 4.
ENuie fitly succeeds anger, for it is nothing else but inueterate wrath. The other was a franticke fit, and this is a consumption; a languishing disease in the body, the beginning of dissolution, a broching of the vessell, not to be stopped till all the liquor of life is run out: what the other tabe is in the body, I list not to define, by reason that this spiritual sicknesse is a consumption of the flesh also, and a pining away of the spirits: now since they both hauehave relation to the body, their comparison would be confusion. Enuie is the consumption I singularly deale withall, which though I cannot cure, I will hopefully minister to.
Cause.
THe cause of Enuie, is others prosperitie; or rather an euil eye shot vponupon it. The angry man hath not himself, the enuious must hauehave no neighbour. Hee battens at the maligneds misery; and if such a man riseth, he fals as if he were Planet-strucke. I know not whether he could indure to be in Paradise with a superiour. He hates to bee happy with any company. Enuie sits in a mans eyes, and wheresoeuer through those windowes it spyes a blessing, it is sicknesse and death vntounto it. Inuidus petat a Ioue priuari vno oculo, vt auarus quòd priuetur ambobus. The enuious man would have happily one of his eyes put out, as the couetous should lose both. A Physician beeing asked what was the best helpe to the perspicuity of the eyes, affirmed, Enuy: for that like a perspectiue glasse would make good things appeare great things.
Fertilior seges est alienis semper in agris;
Uicinum que pecus grandius vber habet.Ouid.
He is euen quarrelling with God, that his neighbours field beares better corne, and thinkes himselfe poore, if a neere dweller be richer. Hee will dispraise Gods greatest blessings, if they fall besides himselfe: and grow sullen (so farre as he dares) with the Prince, that shal promote a better deseruer. There is no law perfect, if hee was not at the making it. Hee vndertakes a great worke, and when hee cannot accomplish it, hee will giuegive leaue to none other. No man shall hauehave that glory, which hee aspired and missed. An Aesops dog in the manger; because he can eate no hay himselfe, hee will starue the horse. Poyson is life to a Serpent, death to a man: and that which is life to a man, his humidity and spettle, they say is death to a Serpent: the rancorous sustenance which a malicious man liues of, is the misery and mischiefe to a good man; and a good mans prosperous felicity is the malicious mans death. God hath in iustice appointed it to be a plague to it selfe. Among all mischiefes it is furnished with one profitable qualitie; the owner of it takes most hurt. Carpit que , & carpitur vna: supplicium que suum est.—vt Aetna seipsum,
Sic se non alios, inuidus igne coquit.
The enuious is a man of the worst diet, and like a strange Cooke, shewes himselfe; nay, and conceates pleasure in pining: so that his body, at last, hath iust cause to sue his soule on an action of dilapidations. He finds fault with all things, that himselfe hath not done. He wakes, whiles his enemie takes rest. Parum est, si ipse sit foelix, nisi alter fuerit infoelix. His affections are like lightning, which commonly Feriunt summos fulgura montes.scorch the highest places. He creepes like a Canker to the fairest flowers. By putting in a superfluous syllable, he hath corrupted one of the best words, turning amorem into amarorem, louelove into bitternesse. A Philosopher seeing a malicious man deiected, asked him, whether some euill had happened to himselfe, or some good to his neighbour.
Signes and Symptomes.
THe Signes of this disease are giuen by the Poet.
—videt intus edentem
Vipereas carnes, vitiorum alimenta suorum.Met. 2.
Pallor in ore sedet, macies in corpore toto;
Nunquam recta acies; liuent rubigine dentes:
Pectora felle virent, lingua est suffusa veneno.
A pale face without bloud, and a leane body without any iuyce in it, squint eyes, black teeth, a heart full of gall, a tong tipp'd with poison. Amazednes makes the face pale, griefe drinkes vp the bloud, looking on mens prosperitie makes the eyes squint, and cursing, the teeth blacke. It were well for him on earth, that he should dwell alone. It is pittie hee should come into heauen; for to see one starre excel another in glory, would put him againe out of his wits. I wonder, when he is in hell, whether hee would not still desire superiority in anguish, & to sit in the chaire, though he receiue the more torments. The enuious man is so crosse to God, that he is sure of punishment: hee hath in present one like to the nature of his offence. For his sinne, whereas GOD brings good out of euill, hee brings euill out of good. For his punishment, whereas euen euill things worke together to the good of the good, euen good things worke together to his euill. All the happinesse lights on him that is enuied; for it goes well with him, with whom the malicious thinkes it goes too well.
Cure.
HIs Cure is hard, euen as with a tabe in the body: too much Physicke makes him worse. Crosses are fitly called Gods physicke; whereby if God will cure him, hee must minister them to those hee hates. Strange! that one man should bee healed, by giuing physicke to another. Two simples may do him good, if he could bee wonne to take them: a scruple of content, and a dramme of charity. If these be giuen him, (well stirred) in a potion of repentant teares, he may be brought to wish himselfe well, and others no harme, and so be recouered.