Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soul, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Of the Passion of Feare: the Causes of it; Impotency, Obnoxiousnesse, Suddennesse, Neerenesse, Newnesse, Conscience, Ignorance of an Evill.
THe opposite Passion to this ofVide Laert. in …. l. 7. of Hope is Feare: which being an Equivocall Passion, and admitting of many different kinds, can sca…se have any whole and simple definition to explaine it. There is a Vertuous Feare; a Feare of Sinne and Shame; an Intellectuall Feare of Admiration, when the excellency of the Object dazleth our Eye; a Feare of Reverence; an Astonishing Feare, by reason of the Newnesse; and an Oppressing Feare, by reason of the Neerenesse and Inavoydablenesse of the Evill sea red. It is a Griefe, Trouble, Flight, Aversation of some approaching Evill apprehended, either as destructive, or as burthensome to our nature, and not easily resistable by our strength: For the qualification of the Object thereof, because it is in all circumstances like that of Hope (save in the Evill of it) I shall therefore forbeare to touch it, and shall onelyonly in briefe consider the Dignities and Defects thereof in its Causes and Effects.
Fear is an humbling & debasing Passion, which alwaies importeth some manner of servitude and subjection in whom it resideth; So then as in the former Passion of Hope I noted the fundamentall cause thereof to be Weaknesse and W…nt: so likewise in this of Feare, the Root and first Principle is Weakness… and Subjection; whereof the one implyes a disability in us to resist, the other a necessity to undergoe an evill.
Hence it is that wee feare the displeasure of Great men; or the Power of Vnjust men; or the Competition of Popular and Plausible men; or…bet. l. 2. 6. 5. the Cunning of Close and Malitious men; or the Revenge of Provoked men; or the Guilt of Injurious men that have wronged us already: because in all these cases there is some notice of Weakenesse and Subjection in us: so that Feare is of all other a naked Passion: For as Nakednesse hath three evill properties; to disable for Defence; to expose to Injury; and from both to work shame in the consciousnesse of our dejected condition: So likewise Feare hath three properties; to make us Impotent and Obnoxious; and from both these to beget Shame. For though his speech was true,Diogenes apud l. a…rt. l. 6. foreign. Menander. Rubor est virtutis color, that Shame and Vertue have the same colour (which makes it seeme a companion rather of Perfection than of Weaknesse; yet indeed it is rather a signe of a mind vertuously disposed in restifying the quicke apprehensivenesse of its own defects, than any Adjunct of Vertue it selfe.
So then the Roots of this Passion are Weaknesse and Subjection both together; so that where either condition is wanting, there is not any proper ground of Feare, and therefore wee see sundry times strength takes off the yoake of Obedience, not only in the civill government of men, but in the naturall government of creatures by men, to whom by the law of Creation they were all made subject; yet the strength of many of them hath taught them to ferget their originall Subjection, and in stead of Fearing, to terrifie man their lord; and when ever we tame any of them, and reduce them to their first condition: this is not so much an act of our Dominion, wherby we awe them, as of our Reason, whereby we deceive them; and we are beholding more therein to the working of our Wit, than to the prerogative of our Nature; and usually every thing which hath knowledg enough to measure its owne abilities; the more it hath of Strength, the lesse it hath of Feare; that which Solomon makes the strongest, the Apostle makes the fittest to expell Peare, to wit, Love.
So likewise on the other side, Immunity from Subjection in the midst of Weaknesse removes Feare. Of this we may give an instance in guilty persons, who notwithstanding their Weaknesse; yet when once by the priviledge of their Sanctuary or mercy of their Iudge they are freed from the obligation of the Law, though not from the Offence; their former Feares doe presently turne into Ioy and Gratulations: and that is the reason why Good men have such Boldnesse, Confidence, and Courage, that they can bid defiance unto Death; because though they be not quite delivered from the Corruption; yet they are from the Curse and Condemnation of Sinne, though by reason of their Weaknesse they are not delivered from the mouth; yet they are from the teeth and stings of Death; though not from the Earth of the Grave; yet from the Hell of the Grave; though not from Sinne; ye… from the Strength and Malediction of Sinne▪ the Law ou… Adversary must be strong, as well as our selves weake, if he looke for Feare.
The Corruption then of this Passion, as it depen…eth upon these Causes is, when it ariseth out of too base a conceit of our owne, or too high of anothers strength; the one proceeding from an errour of Humility, in undervaluing our selves; the other from an errour of Iudgement or Suspition in mistaking of others. There are some men who as the Or…our speaks of despairing Wits, De … … …rentur, who are too unthankfull unto Nature in a sl…ight esteeme of the abilities shee …ath given them, and deserve that Weakenesse which they unjustly complaine of: The sight of whose Iudgment is not unlike that of Perspective Glasses▪ the two ends whereof have a double representation; the one fuller and neerer the truth; the other smaller and at a farre greater distance: So it is with men of this temper, they looke on themselves and others with a double prejudice; on themselves with a Distrusting and Despairing Iudgement, which presents every thing remote and small; on Others with on Overvaluing and Admiring Iudgement, which contrariwise presents all perfections too perfect. And by this means between a selfe-dislike, and a too high estimation of others, truth ever fals to the ground, and for revenge of her selfe, leaves the party thus … … Timorous. For as Errour hath a property to produce and nourish any Passion, according to the nature of the subject matter which it is conversant about: so principally this present Passion; because Errour it selfe is a kinde of Formido Intellectus, a Feare of the Vnderstanding: and it is no great wonder for one Feare to beget another. And▪ therefore when Christ would take away the Feare of his Disciples, he first removes their prejudice: Feare not those that can kill the Body onelyonly, and can doe no more. Where the overflowing of their Feares seemes to have been grounded on the overiudging of an adverse power. Thus much for the Root and Essentiall cause of Feare: these which follow, are more casuall and upon occasion.
Whereof the first may be the Suddennesse of a… Evill, when it ceiseth upon (as it were) in the Dark:Prae c…ris Hostibu… …imentur R…ē …iui. Ammian. Ma…c. l. 28. for all Darknesse is comfortlesse; and therefore the last terrible Iudgement is described unto us by the Blacknesse and Vnexpectednesse of it, by the Darknesse of Night, and the Suddennesse of Lightning. All Vnacquaintaince then and Igno▪ rance of an approaching Evill, must needs workeMala praeviso siunt …. Ci… Tusc. q. l. 3. Annal. l▪ 1. Amazement and Terrour: as contrarily a foresight the… of worketh Patience to undergoe, and Boldnesse to encounter it: as Tacitus speaks of Caecina, Ambiguarum rerum sciens eo que intrepidus, that hee was acquainted with difficulties, and therefore not fearfull of them. And there is good reason for this, because in a sudden daunt and onset of an unexpected evill, the spirits which were before orderly carried by their severall due motions unto their naturall works, are upon this strange appearance and instant Oppression of danger so disordered, mixed, and sti…lled, that there is no power left either in the Soule for Counsell, or in the Body for Execution: For as it is in the warres of men, so of Passions, those are more terrible, which are by way of Invasion, then of Battell, which set upon men unarmed and uncomposed; then those which find them prepared for resistance: and so the Poet describes a lamentable overthrow by the Suddennes of the one side, and the Ignorance of the other:
Invadunt urbe… somno vin… que sepultam.
Dum ed parte qua mu…us dir…tus … stationes arma…as opponunt: Quintiu… … ab edpar…e, quae minimè …uspecta er… ▪ …mpetu …cto scal… cepi… … L…v. l. 32.They do invade a City all at rest,
Which ryot had with sleep and Wine opprest.
And this is one reason why men inclinable to this Passion, are commonly more fearfull in the Night than at other times; because then the Imagination is presenting of Objects not formerly thought on, when the spirits which should strengthen, are more retyred, and Reason lesse guarded.
And yet there are Evils too, which on the other side more affright with their long expectation and traine, than if they were more contracted and speedy. Som… set upon us by sleath, affrighting us like lightning with a sudden blaze othersS…n. Ep. 14. with a train and pomp like a Comet, which is ushered in with a streame of fire, and like Thunder, which hurts not only with its danger, but with its noise: and therefore Aristotle reckoneth foreign. the signes of an approaching evill amongst the Objects of Feare.
Another cause of Feare may be the Neernesse of an Evill, when we perceive it to be within the reach of us, and now ready to set upon us: For a… it is with Objects of Sence in a distance of place▪ so it is with the Objects of Passion, in a Distance of Time; Remotion in either, the greater it is, the lesse present it makes the Object; and by consequence, the weaker is the impression there-from upon the faculty: and this reason Aristotle gives why Death, which else where he makes the most terrible evill unto Nature, doth not yet with the conceit thereof, by reason that it is apprehended at an indefinite and remote distance, worke such terrour and amazement: nor so stiffe Reason and the Spirits, as Objects farre lesse in themselves injurious to Nature; but yet presented with a determined Neerenesse. And the reason is plaine, because no Evill h…ts us by a simple apprehension of its Nature, but of its Vnion: and all Propinquity is a degr…e of Vnion. For although Futurition be a necessary condition required in the Object, which must inferre Feare; yet all Evill, the lesse it hath d… Future, the more it hath de Terribili: which is the reason, why that Carnall Security, which is opposed to the Feare of God, is described in the Scripture, by putting the Evill Day farre from us, viewing as in a Landskip and at a great distance the terrour of that Day. And if here the Atheists Argument be objected, Let us eat and drinke, for to-morrow wee shall die: Where the propinquity of Ruine is made an Inducement unto Ryot. Wee must answer, that an Atheist is here in both right and vaine, in that he conceiveth Annihilation, or never more to be the best close of a wicked life; and therefore most earnestly (though most vainly) desireth that it may be the issue of his Epicur…sme and Sensuality. And here briefly the Corruption of Feare in this particular is, when it takes advantage by the approach of Evill, to swell so high as to sinke Reason, and to grow bigger than the Evill which it is afraid of.
——propius que pericl… Aenead. 8. I… … & pe…iculo plura & ma… viden… me…ē …s cum … …, …um sin…r … C…c. d… Divi…. 1. 2It Timor, & major Martis jam apparet imago▪
Their Feare gets closer than the thing it feares,
Warres Image bigger than it selfe appeares.
For as it is a signe of distemper in the Body, when the unequall distribution of nourishment and humours causeth some parts to exceed their due proportion of greatnesse: so is it likewise in the saculties of the Minde, when the Inferiour grow high and strong; if Reason raise not it selfe to such a proportion, as still to maintaine and manage its authority and government over them. But this is to be observed only of the Rising and Strength, not of the Humility and Descent of Reason: For though it be fit for the power of Reason to keep it selfe up above rebellion; yet is it not necessary that it should stoup and sinke according to the lownesse or sordidnesse of any Passion. As in the Body, though we would have all parts increase alike; yet if one part by distemper grow weake, wee require in the rest a fellow-feeling, not a fellow-languishing▪ yea indeed in both cases, where the inferiour part is weaker, it is the course of Nature and Art to fortifie the higher; because in a Superiour there is required as well a power to quicken and raise that which droopeth, as to suppresse and keep under that which rebelleth.
Another cause of Feare may be *Ne fam… aut rem in maju… … aut … animo… rer… novitate …. Iustin. l. 14. foreign. Clem. Alex. Cl…m. l. 2. …. l. 3. c. 7. Arrian Epict. l. 2. c. 1. N…m velu… …, at que omnia Caecu in tenebr… …: ita n…s i… luce time…us. L…r.Newnesse of Evill: When it is such, wherewith neither the Minde it selfe hath had any preceeding encounter, whereby to judge of its owne Strength; nor any example of some other mans prosperous issue to confirme its hopes in the like successe: For as before I noted out of the Philosopher, Experience is in stead of Armour, and is a kind of Fortitude, enabling both to judge and to beare troubles: for there are some things which he elegantly calleth them, foreign. Empty Dangers: Epictetus calleth them, foreign. Scar-crowes, and Vizors, which children feare only out of Ignorance: as soone as they are knowne, they cease to be terrible. As the log of timber which was cast into the pond, did with the first noise exceedingly affright the Frogges, which afterwards when it lay quietly, they securely swam about. And this Ignorance and Inexperience is the cause that a man can set no bounds to his Feare. I grieve for so much Evill as hath befallen me; but I feare so much as may befall me; and thePli…. l. 8 ep. 18. Ver…or omnia, imagin… omnia quae que natura … est, …a maximè mitui quae maximè abomi…or, fingo,. Plin l. 6. ep 4. Vid. Sen. ep. 13. Prob. § 14. …. 15. more strong and working my Fancy, the greater my Feare; because what I cannot measure by Knowledge, I measure by Imagination▪ the figments of Fancy do usually exceed Truth.
And from this Ignorance likewise it is, that Timorous men are usually Inquisitive, as the Philosopher notes; and so the Prophet expresseth the Feare of the Idumeans in the Warre, Watchman! What of the Night? Watchman! What of the Night? Feare usually doubleth the same questions, as Griefe doth the same Complaints. Therefore men in a fright and amazement, looke one another in the face; one mans countenance, as it were asking counsell of another▪ and once moreIs…. 13. 8. 21. 11. …. 51 31. Gen. 42. 1. foreign ▪ Schol▪ …n S…. Deut. 28. 25. In mag… … s… per … … tanquam maximè …. Pl…. … Mario▪ Deut. 28. 28. 95. from hence grow the Irresolutions of Timorous men, because they know not what to doe, no… which way to fly the things they feare: in which respect they are said to fly from an Enemy seven wayes, as ever suspecting they are in the worst. Pavidei semper Consilia in incer…o, they never can have fixed and composed Counsels: and it is the usuall voice of Men in their Feares, I know not what to do, I know not which way to turne my selfe; Trembling of Heart, and Fayling of Eyes, Blindnesse and Astonishment: Ignorance and Feare, doe thus usually accompany each other. And therefore the Stoicks make foreign and foreign aLaert. in Ze…. l. 7. sluggish Affection of Minde, whereby a man shrinketh backe, and declineth businesse, because of difficulty of danger which hee observeth in it; and a Tumultuary and distracted frame of Mind, not knowing which way to take, to be amongst the kinds of this Passion of Feare. The Poet speaking of the Sabine Virgins, whom the Romane youth snatched away, and tooke to them for Wives, hath thus elegantly described this distraction of Feare.
Vt fugiunt aquilat timidissima turba Columbae,Ovid. de Arte Amandi. l. 1.
Vt que fugit visos agna novella lupos:
Sic illa simuere viros sine lege mentes,
Constitit in nulla qui fuit ante Color.
Nam Timor unus erat, facies non una timoris
Pars laniat Crines, pars fine mente sedet.
Altera maesta filet, frustra vocat altera matrem,
Haec queritur, stupet hac, hac fugit, illa manet.
As weake and fearfull Doves the Eagle flie,
And tender Lambs when they the Woolfe espie:
So the affrighted Sabine Virgins runne
Pale and discolour'd, Romane youth to shunne.
Their Feare was One, but Feare had not One look,
Part here sit reav'd of sense, part there doth pluck,
And teare their haires, One silent mourns, another
With a successelesse Outcry cals her Mother.
One moanes, the fright another doth amaze:
One flies for Feare, for Feare another staies.
Now the reasons why newnesse of evill doth thus work fear, may be many. For first, all Admiration is … kind of feare: it being the property of man, not only to feare that which is Against, but that also which is above our Nature, either in regard of naturall and civill dignity, which worketh a fear of Reverence; as to parents, governours, masters; or in regard of Morall Excellency and Excesses above the strength of the faculty, which worketh a Feare of Advancement of Learning.Admiration. Now then it is the property of every thing, that brings novelty with it to worke moreforeign. Laert. in Zenon. l. 7. Pl…tarch. de A…d. foreign. …. ph. l. 1. …. 2 or lesse, some manner of admiration, which, (as the Honour of this ages learning cals it) is a broken knowledge, and commonly the first step, which we make in each particular Science: & therfore children are most given to wonder, because every thing appeareth New unto thē. Now then when any evill shall at onc… fright our nature, & pose our understanding, the more our Ignorance doth weaken our Reason, the more doth it str…ngthen our Passion.
Againe, though such evils may happily be inNat. Qu…st. l. 7. c, 1. themselves but sleight, yet the very strangenesse of them will worke an opinion of their greatnesse: for as that of Seneca is true, Magnitudinem rerum … sub duci…: that use makes smal esteem of great things: so it will follow on the contrary side, that Novelty makes evill appeare greater, as the way which a man is least acquainted with s…emes the longest.*I…l. Capit…l. in Max m… & …. Vid. … S…turn. And therfore the Romans did use themselves unto their gladiatory fights and bloody spectacles that acquaintance with wounds and blood might make thē the lesse fear it in the wars.
And lastly, such is the imbred cautelousnesse of Nature in declining all noxious things, and such is the common suspition of the Minde, whereby out of a tendering of it's own safety, it is willing to know every thing before it make ex periment of any, and thereby it is made naturally fearfull even of harmlesse and inoffenssive thing… (Omniatutatimens, much more then of those which bring with them the noyse and face of evill.
Now the coruption of this passion herein i…, when it falleth too soone upon the Object, and snatcheth it from the understanding before that it hath duely weighed the nature of it; when …s Aristotle speakes of Anger) that it runs away from reason with an halfe message, so the Object shall be pluckt away from the understanding with an halfe judgemen…. For when a man hath but an halfe and broken sight, like him in the Gospel, he will be easily apt to judge men as big as trees, and to passe a false sentence upon any thing which he feares.
Another cause of Feare may be Conscience of evill and guiltinesse of minde, which like mud in water, the more it is stirred, doth the more soule…isd. 17. 11. and thicken: For wickednesse, when it is condemed of it's owne witnesse is exceeding timorous, and being …. Anal. lib. 6.pressed with conscience, alwayes forecasteth terrible things; and as the Historian speaketh of Tyrants, so may we of any other wicked men, Si recludantur mentes, posse aspici laniatus & ictus, their mindes with lust, cruelly and uncleane resolution, being no lesse torne and made raw, then the body flight with scourges: Every vicious man hath a double flight from God, a flight from the Holinesse, and a flight from the Iustice of his will. Adam first eates, and next he hides: as soone as he hath transgressed the Covenant, he expects the Curse, and therefore wee shall still observe that men are afraid of those whom they have injured. *Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 13. c. 38.Al biciades having provoked the Athenians, was afraid to trust them, saying, It is a foolish thing for a man when he may flie, to betray himselfe into their hands from whom he cannot flie. And therefore they who would have us feare them, desire nothing more then to be privie to our guilts, and to know such crimes of us, as by detecting of which, they have it in their power to bring either infamie or losse upon us.Inven. S…tyr. … erit verri qui verrem tempore qu… valt. Accusare p… test, &c.
Scire volunt secreta domus, atque inde Timeri.
Into our secret crimes they pry, that so
We may feare them, when they our vices know.
And therefore innocency is the best Armour that any man can put or against other mens maliceProv. 28. 1. or his owne feares: For the righteous are bold as a Lion.Minus time…ant Epaminondem. foreign …. Pl…tarch. de ….
Other causes of Feare might here be observed which I shall but intimate. As we feare active and busie men, because if they be provoked, they will stirre and looke about to revenge themselves.
We feare likewise Delators, because they are inquisitive and pry into the secrets of others. Plutarch compares them unto cupping glasses which draw ever the worst humours of the body unto them, and to those gates through which none passed but condemned and piacular per sons. We may liken them unto flies, which resort onelyonly to the raw and corrupt parts of the body, or if they light on a sound part, never leave blowing on it, till they dispose it to putrefaction. For this is all the comfort of malevolent persons, to make others appeare worse then they are, that they themselves, though they be the worst of men, may not appeare so.
We feare also abusive and Satyricall wits, which make use of other mens names, as of Whetstones to sharpen themselves upon.
Omnes hi metuunt versus, odere poetas,
Fanum habet in corn…, longe suge; dummodo risum…orac. …. 1. S…. 4.
Excut…at sibi, non hic cuiquam parcet amico.
Et, quodcun que semel Chart is illeverit, omnes
Gestiet a furno redeuntes scire, lacuque,
Et pueros, & anu…——
These all hate Poets, feare to suffer seorne
From those curst wits, which carry hay in horne.
Shun them, they wil not spare their dearest friend
to make thēselves sport. Thē what they have pend
Th'are big with, till old wives & boyes that goe
From Ovens and from washpooles know it too.
Lasty, we feare, close, cunning; and suppressedforeign A…tst. Rb…. l. 2. malice, which like a skinn'd wound doth wrankle inwardly: Crafty, insinuative, plausible men, that can shrowd and palliate their revengefull purposes, under pretexts of love. I formerly noted it of Tiberius, and a….Aelius Spartianu… observeth it of Antoninus Geta, that men were more afraid of his kindnesse then of his anger, because his use was to shew much curtesie there where he intended mischiefe.
And b….Caesar was wont to say that he was not afraid of Antony and Dolabella, bold adversaries, but of Brutus and Cassius, his pale and leane enemies, who were able to smoother there passion, till they had fit opportunity to act it. The Italians (they say) have a Proverb wherein they promise to take heed themselves of their enemie, but pray to God to deliver them from their friend. And this as it is of all other the most dangerous and the most unchristian, so is it the most unworthy and sordid disposition of minde, (I cannot finde wordes bad enough to character it c….by) which at the same time can both flatter and hate, and with the same breath praise a man, and undoe him. And therefore the dArist. …th c. lib. 4. cap. 8. foreignPhilosopher telleth us that a magnanimous man is foreign & foreign. Such an one as doth boldly professe as well his displeasure as his love, esteeming it timorousnesse to stifle and conceale his affections.
Of all Christs enemies, Iudas when he kissed him, the Herodians when they praised him, and the Devill when he confess'd him were the worst and ill-favouredest. A leprosie was ever uncleanest when it was whitest, and Satan is never more wicked or more ugly then when he puts on Samuels Mantle. Hatred when it flatters, is the most mishapen monster. Like those poisons which kill men with laughing; or like the Philistines trespasse-offering, Mice, and Emerauds made of gold.