Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soul, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Of the Affection of Sorrow, the Object of it evill, sensitive, Intellectuall, as present in it s…lfe, or to the mind, by memory, or suspition, particular causes, effects of it. Feare, Care, Experience, Erudition▪ Irresolution, Despaire, Execration, Distempers of Body.
THe opposite Passion to this of Delight, is Griefe and Sorrow, which is nothing but a perturbation and nnquietnesse wrought by the pr…ssure of some present …vill, which the mind in vaine strugleth with, as finding it selfe alone too impotent for the conflict. Evill I say either formally, as in sinne, or paine, present, or feared: or privatively, such as is any good thing which we have lost, or whereof we doe despaire, or have beene disappointed. And this is in respect of its object as the former Passion, either Sensitive or Intellectuall. Sensitive is that anguish and distresse of Nature which lyet… upon the body. A Passion in this sense little conducing to the advancement of Nature, being allwaies joyned with some measure of its decay, but onelyonly as it serves sometimes for the better fortifying it against the same or greater evils, it being the condition as of corporeall delights, by custome to grow burdensome and distastefull, so of paines to become easie and familiar.
The other and greater Griefe is Intellectuall, which in Solom…us phraise is, A wounded spirit; so much certainely the more quicke and piercing, by how much a spirit is more vitall then a body, besides the anguish of the soule, findes alwayes, or workes the same sympathy in the body, but outward sorrowes reach not ever so farre, as the spirituall and higher part of the soule. And therefore we see many men out of a mistake, that the distresse of their soules hath beene wrought by a union to their bodies, have voluntarily spoiled this, to deliver and quiet that.
The causes of this Passion, are as in the former, whatsoever hath in it power to disturbe the mind by it's union thereunto. There are then two Conditions in respect of the Object, that it be Evill and Present. Evill first, and that not onelyonly formally in it selfe; but apprehensively to the understanding. And therefore wee see that many things which are in their Nature Evill; yet out of the particular distemper of the Mind, and deceitfulnesse in them, may prove pleasant thereunto. And this is the chiefe Corruption of this Passion, I meane the misplacing, or the undue suspending of it: For although strictly in its owne property, it be not an advancement of Nature, nor addes any perfection; but rather weakens it; yet in regard of the reference which it beares either to a superior Law, as testifying our Love unto the Obedience, by our griefe for the breach thereof: or to our consequent Carriage and Actions, as governing them with greater Wisedome and Providence, it may bee said to adde much perfection to the mind of man, because it serves as an inducement to more cautelous living.
The next Condition in respect of the Object, is, that it be Present, which may fall out either by Memory, and then our Griefe is called Repentance: or Fancy and Suspition, and so it may be called Anx… of Mind: or by Sense and present union, which is the principall kind, and so I call it Anguish.
For the first, nothing can properly and truly worke Griefe, by ministry of Memory, when the Object or Evill is long since past; but those things which doe withall staine our Nature, and worke impressions of permanent deformity. For as it falleth out, that many things in their exercise pleasant, prove after in their operations offensive and burden some: so on the other side many things which for the time of their continuance are irkesome and heavy, prove yet after occasions of greaterH…b. 12. 11. Ioy. Whether they be means used for the procuring of further good.
Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum
… in Latium, sedes ubi; &c.
Through various great mishaps & dangers store,Antad. l. 1. Iliad. …4.
We hasten to our home and wished … ▪
Where fates do promise rest, where Troy revives,
Only reserve your selves for better lives.
Or whether they b… Evils which by our Wisedome we have broken th…ough and avoided;
—sed & … olim … i…vabit.
When we are arrived at ease,
Remembrance of a strome doth please.
The Objects then of Repentance are not our passive, but our active Evils: not the Evils of suffering, but the Evils of doing▪ for the memory of afflictions past, represent… unto us Nature loosed and delivered, and should so much the more increase our Ioy, by how much redemption is for the most part a more felt blessing than Immunity▪ but the memory of sinnes past represents Nature obliged, guilty, and imprisoned. And so leaves a double ground for Griefe, …he staine or pollution, and the guilt or malediction a deformity to the Law, and a curse from it. It would be improper here to wander into a digression touching Repentance, only in a word it is then a Godly Sorrow, when it proceeds from the memory of Evill; not so much in respect of the punishment as of the staine. When we grieve more because our sin hath made us unholy, then because it hath made us unhappy; and not only because we are runne into the danger of the Law, but because we are run out of the way of the Law. When it teacheth us to cry, not only with Pharaoh, take away this Plague; but with Israel in the Prophet, take away Iniquity.
Concerning Griefe of Preoccupation, arising out of a suspitious Feare and expectation of Evill, I know not what worth it can have in it, unlesse haply thus, that by fore-accustoming the MindPracogliati m…li m…llis ictus. … ▪ Epist. 77. Uid. Cic. Tusc. qu. l. 3. to Evill, it is the better strengthned to stand under it: For Evils by praemeditation, are either prevented or mitigated, the Mind gathering strength and wisedome together to meet it. And therefore it is prudent advise of Plutarch, that wee shouldPl…t. de …. have a prepared Minde, which when any Evill falleth out, might not be surprised by it. To say as Anaxagoras did when he heard of the death of his Sonne, sciome genuisse mortalem, I know that I be▪ gat a mortall Sonne. I know that my riches had wings, and that my comforts were mutable. Preparednesse composeth the Minde to patience. Vlysses wept when he saw his Dogge, which he did not when he saw his Wife: he came prepared for the one, but was surprised by the other.
Hunc ego si potui tantum sperare dolorem,
Et perferre soror potero.
Had I foreseene this Griefe, or could but feare it,
I then should have compos'd my selfe to beare it.
Which is the reason why Philosophers prescribe the whole course of a Mans Life, to be only a meditation upon Death; because that being so great an Evill in it selfe, and so sure to us, it ought to be so expected, as that it may not come sudden, and find us unprepared to meet the King of Terrour. For it is in the property of custome and acquaintance, not only to alleviate and asswage evils (to which purpose Seneca speakes, perdidisti tot Consolatio ad Helviam.mala si nondum misera esse didicisti, thou hast lost thy afflictions if they have not yet taught thee to be miserable) but further as Aristotle notes, to work some manner of delight in things, at first troublesome and tedious; and therefore hee reckonethforeign …. l. 1. mourning amongst pleasant things, and teares are by Nature made the witnesses as well of Ioy as of Griefe.
foreignOdiss. l▪ …. 2.
He kist the shore, fast teares ran from his eyes,
When he his native Countrey first espyes.
And Seneca (whither Philosophically or Rhetorically) observes, that obstinacy and resolvednesse in griefe, doth so alter the nature of it, ut fiat tandem infelicis animi prava voluptas dolor. That atEt quadam etiam dolend, volup…. Plin. l. 8. ep. c. 6. length it turnes into a kind of pleasant paine, sure I am the Apostle biddeth us count it Ioy, when wee fall into temptations.
The last presence of Grief was Reall, when some ponderous evill either of Affliction or of Sinne, the losse of some good wherein we delighted, the disappointment of some hope whereon we relyed meeting with impotency in our selves, to remove what we suffer, to recover what wee lose, to supply what we want, doth bruise and lie with a heavy weight upon the tenderest part of Man, his Soule and Spirit. And in this I cannot find considered meerly in it selfe any worth at all (it being nothing else but the violation and wounding of Nature) but in order to the effects which it produceth, it may have sundry denominations, either of a serviceable, or of a corrupt affection. I shall but briefly name them, and passe over to the next.
The profitable effects are principally these: First, as it is an instrument of publique administration & discipline. It is as it were both a SchoolmasterClem. Alex. Paedag. l. 1. c. 8. and a Phisitian, to teach and to cure: so the Philosopher telleth us, that by pleasure and pain,Ethic. l. 10. c. 1. Calamitates remedia. Sen de Tranq. l. 1 c. 9. Psal. 94. 12. Psal. 119. 71. Ier. 22. 21. Children are trained up unto Arts and Sciences, the Rod being unto the Mind, as a Rudder unto a Ship: so the Prophet David putteth chastisement and instruction together: Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, and teacheth out of thy law, and again, …t is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learne thy Commandements. Therefore God the Law in the Wildernesse, where the people wereGrande … …genium mis…r sq, ve…it soler… reb…. in want and under discipline: to note that Griefe is a good instrument unto learning; for after in their prosperity they would not heare.
And as it is a means to teach, so it is a means to cure too; for therefore paine is usually made the matter of punishment, that as Men offend by sinfullEthic. l. 2. c. 3. pleasure, so they may bee amended by wholsome sorrow. foreign Cures are usually wrought by contraries.
Againe, it doth by Experience strengthen andSen. de …tio, Sapient. c. 4. harden, making both wise and able, for enduring further calamities, quos Deus a…at, indurat & exercet. Epist. 67.God exerciseth and traineth those whom he loves, bringing them up non in delicijs sed in castris, not in Paradise, but in a Wildernesse. Now as the Philosopher speaketh, foreign.Ethic. l 3. c. 8. Experience is a kind of fortitude and armour, whereby a man contemneth, foreign many things which are indeed, but terriculamenta, skar-crowes to ignorant and weake minds. Wheras when paines have wrought patience, and patience experience of an issue and escape, that experience armes the Soule unto more patience in new assaults. For if Gold were a rationall creature,foreign ▪ &c. …. Hec. Vid. Plut. l. de Adul…. & … Co…sol. ad Apo…onium Plut. de A…d. having past through the fire and kept its own Nature unviolate, it would never after be the lesse afraid of the fire. And as Plutarch excellently speaketh, A wise Man should be like gold, to keep his Nature in the fire. Strangers dislike many things in a place, which those, that are home-born, and used unto, do easily digest: thus the Apostle argueth, God hath delivered, and doth deliver;2 Cor. 1. 9. 10. therefore he will deliver. So Vlysses in Homer.
foreign.Odyss. … 222.
I'le beare with a firme mind, what ere comes more,
Having endur'd so many Griefes before.
And elsewhere on the same manner he incouraged his companions on the Sea.
foreign, &c.Odyss. … 208.
Sirs, w' are not now to learne what sorrowes are,
Having felt so many; and this now by farre
Comes short of that which we endured then,
When the proud Cyclops shut us in his den:
Yet that we scap't, he of his prey did misse,
Hereafter we shall joy to think of this.
*Plut. de Ad. & A…ic. & de Sa…it. …. V… Crudum adhuc vul…s medentium manu… reformidat, deinde patitur, a… que ultro requirit. Sic Recens animi Dolor Consolatione… rejici… at que refugit, mox … & clementer admoti… acquiescit. Plin. Ep. l 5 c. 16. Vid Plut. Cons. ad Apoll.Thus as Iron which hath passed through the fire, being quenched, is harder than it was before: so the Mind having passed through troubles, is the more hardened to endure them againe. And therefore it is wise advice which learned Men give, to let Griefes have a time to breath, and not to endeavour the stopping of them, while they are in Impetu, and in their first rising. As Phisitians suffer humours to ripen, and gather to some head, before they apply medicines unto them. When time hath a little concoted Griefe, and experience hardened and instructed Nature to under it. It doth then willingly admit of those remedies, which being unseasonably applyed it rejecteth and resisteth.Ovid de Remed. Amor. l 1.
Quis matrem nisi mentis inops in funere nati
Flere vetat? non hoc illa monenda loco est.foreign Sophoc. …dip. Ty….
Cum dederit lachrymas animum que expleverit aegrum,
Ille dolor verbis emoderandus erit.
Who would forbid a Mother then to mourne,
When her Sons ashes are warme in his urne?
But when she's cloyd with tears, & sorrow's rage
Is over, Counsell then may Griefe asswage.
Whereas before it doth rather exasperate than allay it. For of all Passions, this of Griefe doth lest admit of a simple cure from the dictates of Reason, except it have a time given it too, wherein it may like unto *foreign. &c. Alexis.new Wine, defervescere, slack, and come to its just temper again.
The last profitable effect is feare and suspition, care or sollicitousnesse to avoid those evils which oppresse our Nature; a cautelous discourse and consultation of reason, how it may either escape or prevent the evils which Experience hath taught it to decline, as a burnt child the fire. For all Passions so long as they collect reason, and set that on work, are of good use in the minds of Men; and indeed, the counsels and communionOf this medicine we read in Homer. of right reason alone, grounded on and guided by Religion, are only that Nepenthes and medicine against Griefe, which who so mixeth and applyeth aright, shall not spend not load…. … 211. Plin. l. 21. c. 21. …. Sympos. l. …. c. 1. Macr…. l. 7. c. 1 Clem. Ale…. in …. Nazion. Car…in. … patris ad …ium. himself with unusefull sorrow. Thuy as Bee… doe poise themselves with little gravell stones, that they may not be carried away with the wind, which the Poet hath elegantly expressed:
——saepe Lapillos,
Vt Cyr…ba instabiles fluctu jactante saburra…Geo…g. … 4. …. lib. de sol…t. ….
Tollunt, his ses…per inania …bila librant.
As Ships with ballace, so the little Bee
With gravel's pois'd, that he may steady flee.
So patience and wisedome in the bearing of one sorrow, doth keep the mind in a stable condition against any other. A man doth never overgrieve,Iliud … 65. that keeps his … open to counsell, and his reason to judgement above his Passion.
The evill effects of griefe commonly followesforeign, &c. Eurip. H…cub. the excesse of it, and they respect the Reason, the Will, and the Body, in the Reason, it worketh distractions, irresolution, and weaknesse … by drawing the maine straine of it, rather to a fearefull contemplation of it's owne misery, then to a fruitfull Discourse how to avoide it, for as the motions of a wounded Body, so the Discourses of a wounded Minde are faint, uncertaine and tottering.
Secondly, in the Will, it wo…keth first Despaire, for it being the propertic of griefe to condensate and as it were on all sides besiege the Minde, the more violent the Passion is, the lesse apparant are the Passages out of it. So that in an extremity of anguish where the Passages are in themselves narrow, and the reason also blind and weake to finde them out, the Minde is const… ned having no Object but it's owne pai…e to re flect upon, to fall into a darke and fearefull contemplation of it's owne sad estate, and marvellous high and patheticall aggravations of it, as if it were the greatest which any man felt. Not considering that it feeles it's owne sorrow, but knowes not the weight of other mens. Whereas if all the calamities of mortall men were heaped into one Storehouse, and from thence every man were to take an equall portion. S…crates was wont to say that each man would rather choose to goe away with his owne paine.
And from hence it proceedeth to many other effects, fury, sinfull wishes and ex…rations both against it selfe and any thing, that concurred to it's being in misery, as we see in Israel in the Wildernesse & that mirror of Patience Iob himselfe;…. 14. 2. Iob 3. 1. and Ier. 20. 14. Is…i. 8. 21. and thus Homer bringeth in Vlysses in des paire under a sore tempest bewailing himselfe.
foreign.O…iss. … 306.
Thrice foure times happy Grecians who did fall
To gratifie their friends under Troy wall.
Oh that I there had rendred my last breath,
When Trojan darts made me a marke for Death,
Then glorious Rites my Funerals had attended,
But now my life will be ignobly ended.
Another evill effect is to indispose and disable for Dutie, both because Griefe doth refrigerateArist. Prob. Se…. 11. Quest. 13. … … 130. foreign (as the Pilosopher telleth us) and that is the worst temper for action; and also diverts the Minde, from any thing, but that which feeds it, and therefore David in his sorrow forgot to eate his bread, because eating and refreshing of Nature is a mittigating of Griefe, as Pliny telleth us. And lastly, because it weakneth, distracteth and discourageth the Minde, making it soft and timerous, apt to bode evils unto it selfe.
—Crudelis ubique luctus ubique pa…or.Dolor Cib…. … Pl…n. l. 22. c. 14.
Griefe and feare goe usually together.
And therefore when Aeneas was to encourage his friends unto Patience and action, he was forced to dissemble his owne sorrow.
—Curisque ingentibus ager…. 2. Spem vultu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem.
Although with heavy cares and doubts distrest,
His looks fain'd hopes and his heart griefes supprest.
And it is an excellent description in Homer of the fidelity of Antilochus when he was commanded to relate unto Achilles, the sad newes of Patroclus death.…. 1. C…nfilium … …egit & … … ….
—foreign &c.
When Menelaus gave him this command,
Antilochus astonished did stand.Aen…ad. 4.
Smitten with dumbnesse through his griefe and feares,….
His voyce was stopt, and his eyes swamme inteares.
Yet none of all this griefe did duty stay,
He left his Armes whose weight might cause delay.
And went, and wept and ran, with dolefull word,
That great Patroelus fell by Hectors sword.
*foreign. …In a tempest saith Seneca, that Pilot is to be…. commended, whom the shipwracke swalloweth up at the Sterne, with the Rudd…r in his hand.
And it was the greatest honour of Mary Mag. dalene, that when above all other, she wept for the losse of Christ, yet then of all other she was most diligent to seeke him.
Lastly, in the body there is no other Passion that doth produce stronger, or more lasting inconveniences by pressure of heart, obstruction of spirit, wasting of strength, drynesse of bones, exhausting of Nature. Griefe in the heart, is like a Moath in a garment, which biteth asunder, as it were the strings and the strength thereof, stoppeth the voyce, looseth the joynts, withereth the flesh, shrivelleth the skinne, dimmeth the eyes, cloudeth the countenance, defloureth the beauty, troubleth the bowels, in one word, disordereth the whole frame.
Now this Passion of griefe is distributed into many inferiour kindes, as Griefe of Sympathy for the evils and calamities of other men, * as if they were our owne, considering that they may likewise be fall us or ours which is called mercy, griefe of a….repining at the good of another man, as if his happinesse were our misery: As that Pillar which was light unto Israel to guide them, was darknesse unto the Egyptians, to trouble and amaze them, which is called Envie. Griefe of b….Fretfulnesse at the prosperity of evill and unworthy men, which is called Indignation, griefe of Indigence when we finde our selves want those good things which others enjoy, which we envie not unto them, but desire to enjoy them our selves too, which is called Emulation, griefe of Guilt for evill committed, which is called Repentance, and griefe of Feare for evill expected, which is called Despaire, of which to discourse would be over-tedious, and many of them are most learnedly handled by Aristotle in his Rhetoricks. And therefore I wall here put an end to this Passion.