Diseases of the Soul, Part 7
Idlenesse, the Lethargie. Disease 5.
IDlenesse in the soule is a dangerous disease as the Lethargie in the body. The very name of Lethargie speakes the nature: for it is compounded of foreign forgetfulnesse, and foreign slothfull; and so consequently is defined to be a dul obliuion. The Idle man is a piece of base heauy earth, moulded with muddy and standing water. Hee lyes in bed the former halfe of the day, deuising excuses to preuent the afternoones labour. Hee cannot endure to doe any thing by himselfe, that may be done by Attourney. Hee forestalls perswasion inducing him to any worke, by forecasting the vnprofitablenesse: he holds businesse mans cruellest enemie, and a monstrous deuourer of time. His body is so swolne with lazy humours, that he moues like a tunne vponupon two pottle pots. Hee is tempted to couetice, for no other reason, but to bee able to keepe seruants; whom hee will rather trust, then step out to ouersee. Neither summer nor winter scape the blame of his lazinesse: in the one it is too hot, in the other too colde to worke. Summer hath dayes too long, winter nights too cold; hee must needes helpe the one with a nap at noone, the other with a good fire. He was very fit to be a Monke: spare him an early masse, and he will accept it: yet howsoeuer, he wil rather venture the censure, then forsake a lazy calling.
Cause.
THe Cause of the Lethargie is abundant flegme, ouermuch cooling the braine, and therby prouoking sleep; which putrified in the braine, causeth a feuer. The cause of Idlenesse is indulgence to the flesh, a forgetfulnesse of the end of our creation, a wilfull digression from man: for the lazy wretch is a dormouse in an humane huske. To man motion is naturall, the ioints and eyes are made to moue; and the mind is neuer asleep, as if it were set to watch the body: Sleepe is the image of death, sayth the Poet: and therefore the Church-sleeper is a dead corps, set in his pew like a coffin, as if the Preacher were to make his funerall Sermon. He sings out haruest like the Grashopper; therfore may at Christmas dance for and without his dinner. He riseth at noone to breakefast, which he falls to vnwashed, and remoues not out of his chaire without a sleepe. Whilst hee sleepes, the enemy ouersowes the field of his heart with tares. Hee is a patient subiect for the diuell to worke on, a cushion for him to sit on, and take his ease: his miserie is, that his damnation sleepeth not. His bed is his hauen, his heauen, and sound sleepe his deitie.
The standing water stinkes with putrefaction:Du Bart.
And vertue hath no vertue, but in action.
If he be detain'd vp late, he lyes downe in his cloathes, to saue two labours: nothing shall make him bustle vp in the night, but the house fired about his eares; which escaping, he lyes downe in the yard, and lets it burne. Hee should gather mosse, for he's no rolling stone. In this hee is a good friend to his Countrey, he desires no innouation: he would scarse shift ground tenne leagues, though from a cottage to a Mannour. He is so loth to leaue the tap-house in winter, that when all leaue him, he makes bold with the chimney corner for his Parlour. If euer (in a …gne) hee lights vponupon a humour to businesse, it is to game, to cheate, to drinke drunk, to steale, &c. and falls from doing nought to doe naughtily; so mending the matter, as you hauehave heard in the fable, The diuell mended his dames legge; whē he shuld hauehave put it in ioint, he brake it quite apieces.
Signes and Symptomes.
SYmptomes of the Lethargie are a great pulse, beating seldome, as if it were full of water; a continuall pronenesse to sleepe, that they are scarcely compelled to answer a question. You may know a lethargicall Idle man, by a neglected beard, vnkemb'd hayre, and vnwash'd face, foule linnen, cloathes vnbrushed, a nasty hand smelling of the sheete, an eye opening when the eare receiues your voice, and presently shut againe; as if both the organs were stiffe with excretions. Hee hath a blowne cheeke, a drawling tongue, a leaden foote, a brazen nose: he gapes and gaspes so often, that sometimes hee keepes his mouth open still, as if he had forgotten to shut it.
Cure.
TO cure the Lethargicke, there are required many intentions; not without frictions, scarifications, sharpe odours, and bloud-letting, &c. To cure the Idle, it should more properly belong to Surgery then Physicke; for there is no medicine like a good whip, to let out his lazy bloud; and a good dyet of daily labour, which some skilfull Bedle must see him take; put him into the bath at Bridewell, to take away the numnesse of his ioynts, and scowre off his rust, and so he may be recouered.
Fac bene, fac tua, fac aliquid, fac vtile semper:
Corrumpunt mores otia praua bonos.