A Sum of Moral Philosophy, Part 9
IX Of louelove the first Passion.
Obiectum. THe obiect of LoueLove is goodnesse; the issue ioy and content.
It is either with or without passion.
1 Without Passion it's in
God
Angells
both hauehave wills which are the affectors of good and this affecting is LoueLove.
1 Gods louelove is partly in
Reflexe to himselfe.
Communicating good to others.
viz. the creatures.
1 By reflex into himselfe, he views his owne goodnesse: & goodnesse is the Loadstone of LoueLove.
2 He communicates to creatures goods of
Nature.
Grace.
1 Nature is generall to all, & comprehends the Workes of
Creation
Preservation
temporall.
In this is the true Bonum Entis, which God loues.
2 Grace is speciall to some and comprehends the spiritual acts of his louelove as
Redemption
Satisfaction
Glorification
In this is the true Bonum moris, and this is Gods louelove.
2 Angells louelove is by contemplation of
God.
the Workes of God.
They see in all perfection of good, the fountaine is God, the streames scatter into each part of the world: things they cannot hate, only sinne they hate, which is as nothing.
This louelove hath these tenents.
1 It is in the best natures, and the perfection of them.
2 As the best things are most louely, so they are most in imparting their loues to others.
3 It is Impotence to bee hating, envying, murmuring, all which are opposite to LoueLove.
4 It cannot be perfect in man, it is truest in God, & nature; these are not interrupted by Passions.
5 The bond of matrimonie hath not truely this louelove, sith it is spiced with lust: we may rather terme it the Vnion of affections willed by God for Avoidance of further evill.
6 It workes for the best things with reluctance to sense.
2 LoueLove with Passion is either
Proper
Improper.
1 LoueLove improper is in beasts, foreign, the Empresse of Nature.
Birds build their neasts, and spare their owne crawes to fill their young ones: the Partridge flags before the Faukner, and ventures the taking, that her young ones may escape. The most timorous creatures grow most resolute in these combats: In the worst natures are some sparkles of louelove: As in Gold-mines amongst much earth shines a luster, and in beast are rude lines of mans naturall affection; As in wild figs and oliues are the spices of the sweete, though in harsher manner:
2 LoueLove proper is in men alone.
It is either of
our selues.
or others.
1 LoueLove of our selues called foreign either
1 True according to reason, or
2 Fancied according to Sense.
1 True selfe-louelove apprehends that which is simply good, both in present and future.
It respects the goods of the soule before those of the Body.
It chooses the lesse good of most durance before the greatest good of lesse continuance.
It is the Well-head of Charitie.
—Charitas incipit a seipso.
And the spurre of Vertue, sith by it we benefit our selues.
2 The propertyes of it are
Wishing
Working
the best to our selues.
3 Consent with our owne parts, as of
Reason.
Passion.
4 Louing to retire into our owne thoughts.
5 Ioying at our owne good, and grieuing at the contrary.
Hence it is the attribute only of good men.
2 The evill follow showes, and opinatiue good, which failing breeds sorrow: the good man aimes at truth, and therein contents himselfe.
2 Conscience suffers not the evill to view their owne thoughts, they are at oddes with themselues; Sense and Reason are hard at combate with them: LoueLove cannot be there, where there is difference.
3 Selfe-louelove causeth Ioy; Evill men, though they hauehave ioy of sense, they hauehave griefe of Reason, and their ioy is not for durance, but ends in Repentance.
4 Intemperance is the badge of Euill men, whose worke is to breed diseases in
Soule.
Body.
A good man so loues himselfe, that he will either stop raysing or labour their allaying.
5 As goodnesse is wisdome, so Evill is Folly, which blindeth vsus that wee cannot distinguish the good from the Evill, but choose at randome, and so proue our selues without selfe-louelove.
The opposite of selfe louelove is either a stupid neglect, or a desperate hate of himselfe, they that mangle themselues, are of this ranke: Selfe-louelove fancyed according to sense is the badge of Fooles; It is the seed-plot of Passion, the bathe of Flatterers, the nurse of vices in manners reall, of Phantasticke humors, in manners of Complement.
It ariseth from 3 heads, viz.
1 Blindnesse of vnderstanding.
2 Easynesse of comparing our selues with others.
3 Partiallity in iudging to our owne side.
The Issues of it are 4.
1 Admiration of our selues.
2 Arrogancy of Speech.
3 Easy excusing our owne faults.
4 Despising of others admonition, and counsell.
The waies to restraine it are.
1 Prise the Act of any aboue thine owne particular, as many eys see more then one, and many hands make better riddance.
2 Amplifie others vertues depressing thine owne.
3 Be sparing in Vauntes, seldome in excuses.
This selfe-louelove barres the admittance of goodnesse; it comes not, vnlesse it be taught. Sought it cannot be, vnlesse it be acknowledged wanting; Selfe-louelove barres this acknowledgement.
Multi ad solidam eruditionem pervenissent
Nise se pervenisse iam putassent.
LoueLove to others is directed either to
God. or
our Neighbours.
1 LoueLove to God is only in a sanctified will none can truly hate him but sinners: The reason is because, God is LoueLove, and sinne is in opposition to God.
2 LoueLove to our Neighbours is either to
Enimyes or
Freinds.
1 LoueLove to our Enimies is one of the cunning'st Poynts of Charit…, and an imitation of the divine nature.
1 Pardoning them, if they repent, as the Lions doe the beasts, that submit them selues.
2 Pardoning them, though persisting, and being without submission.
3 Not pardoning them only, but working a good for them.
The Necessity of this LoueLove is,
1 Because God loueth vsus being his enimyes, and we must doe, as we would be done vntounto.
2 There is none so bad but hath some what excellent in him, and none so harmed vsus now, but he may doe vsus good hereafter; and for this is to be loued.
2 LoueLove to our freindes is either
for publicke respect. or
private, and particular.
1 LoueLove for publicke respect is the louelove of our Countrey, that is the duty of all; but it is most splendent in heroickes, who pawne their life for it.
It was questioned, whether this louelove was ingrafted by nature, or assumed by custome?Ob Lipsius.
1 If it come by nature, why doth not the poore louelove as well as the rich?
2 How comes it, that many for gaine leaue their country, never to returne, sith, where we louelove, we louelove to converse: Some hauehave beene Traytors against it, and Neroes to fire it.
We answere, Nature cannot be so stricte, right, and even, but sometime she breeds Monsters: gaine may withdraw mens hearts, and fasten them to forraine Coastes.
The Poore louelove their home, but rich men more, because they reape the goodnes of their countrey in a larger manner.
Mens louelove of countrey is first for themselues, as we feare stormes, least our selues pinch for them, and we quench a fire, least our owne soules be fired by it.
2 LoueLove for priuate respects is either
1 Ascending to our Superiours.
2 Descending to our inferiours.
3 Betwixt equalls.
1 That in decent is farre more hearty then that in ascent. Hence fathers are more louing to children, then children to fathers:
2 That betwixt Equalls stands vponupon more Indifferency of Points; and in the best counterpoyse of either they may fall to Iarringe: Hence Brothers and Sisters fall to Iarring, and freinds hauehave many distastes.
These Loues are linked either by bonde
Naturall, or
Civill.
1 The Naturall bonde is threefold,
1 VnderUnder God to parents, who challenge of vsus
1 Honour.
2 Maintenance, if need so require.
It was Solons law, that none should be free from their duty, but those that had learned no trade of their fathers.
Parents are either of
1 Blood, that frame vsus in body.
2 Manners, that by direction frame vsus in Soule; such are teachers.
It was Socrates his tenent, that by nature both these had challenge of LoueLove: it is also doubted by many, whether Alexanders debt was not as ample to Aristotle his maister, as to Philip his father.
2 Our bond of nature is to
Brethren
Sisters.
They challenge of vsus,
1 Counsell.
2 Liberty of Conference.
3 Pleasure of Conversation.
4 Helpes of Fortune; So we wronge not our selues overmuch in furnishing them:
Ʋivet extento Proculeius aevo
Notus in fratres animi paterni.
Brothers louelove is
1 Honoured by our freinds.
2 Envied and feared of our enimyes.
3 Vsefull to our selues.
4 Ioyous to our Parents.
King Eumenes his Mother professed her selfe happy in this, that of 4 Sonnes 3 yongest squired the body of the eldest, and that Eumenes was nothing iealous or mistrustfull of them: Nature hath made them in a family feete to beare vp our body both in equality and proportion; If they exceed, they cause halting, if they trip at one another, they cause fallinge.
A Lady of Persia made it a great dispute, whether they were better to loose her brother, or her sonne; she sayd they could get a new sonne, but a brother, sith her Parents were dead, they could not.
Brothers dislike (it may bee) often admits remedy, but their hate is inreconcileable: As the Ioyntures of Art, though riuen with rents, may be glewed againe, but Natures breach cannot.
The speciall Motiues of their dislike are 2.
1 If we leaue their commerce, and follow strangers as if wee should cut off our flesh and inch in the roome of it a strange peece: And the Arcadian Poet in Homer, when hee had lost his legge, for his best help was to hoppe on a legge of Wood; strangers wilbe distrustfull of vsus, sith we leaue our owne.
Can you stile youre freind brother, when you cannot account a brother youre freind: as absurd a thing, as if you mangled his naturall body: but hang'd his Idoll with laces and Garlands.
2 If we are always checking, and thwarting their courses, as Laco sayd by his short wife, of 2 Evills, the least is to bee chosen: So if our brother be bad, rather let him hauehave his fourth, then demerite his hate.
Though the dog bite and the horse throw vsus, yet wee keepe them, and wee suffer Apes, Catts and Lyons, though sometimes harmfull.
Wincking at faults in companie is vsuall, when we would not displease, though it be not so honest, yet for avoydance of further Evills, it may be tolerated.
Wee must bee our Brothers Freind, not his Iudge,
3 Our bond of Nature is to our kinne either of
Blood, or
Marriage.
both galling offices of louelove proper to the familie. as Invitation to
Marriage feasts.
Funeralls.
2 The civill bond of louelove is to
1 Citizens.
2 Countrey-men.
3 Strangers.
As particular respects vary, so this order varies.
It is the engaging of man vntounto man in heart began by vse and acquaintance: It acteth, as one Soule in 2 Bodyes.
There are 2 branches of it
1 Wishing.
2 Indeauouring the best for another not for his owne but the others sake.
The maine motiues of it are the 3 goods
1 Pleasure.
2 Profit.
3 Honesty.
1 Pleasure are the aymes of Epicures; loues as they are diverse, and fancifull, so such loues must bee.
2 Profitte are the aymes of Epicures; loues as they are diverse, and fancifull, so such loues must bee.
3 Honesty makes louelove more setled: it appeares not as Alcibiades changing his coate to the fashion of the Place, but as Socrates keepes his tenor.
This louelove gets his growth by 3 knots
1 Affecting.
2 Acquaintance.
3 Trust.
The Twine to wind and fasten it must be a Resemblance of Manners.
Motiues to make me effect one
1 I see him sympathize with my
Ioy
Greife
befreinding Brutus.
2 He accounts my friends his and my enimies his; So Cicero loued App…us Pulcher for Brutus his sake, and by it bound Brutus the more to him.
3 He is pleasant-hearted and iesting; If I iest with him hee takes it not amisse.
4 He reportes well of me behind my backe and rather in secret shew his mind then in publike it should be told me.
5 Hee delights in my Company.
6 Hee goes neate, but curious in apparell: this was Demosthenes and Hortensius his tricke to get them favorites, when they first began pleadinge.
7 He liues peaceably with others, which perswades me, hee will doe so with me too.
These things may moue affecting in me not acquaintance, sith the
Flatterer
Dissembler
may doe as much
Motiues to moue me to acquaintance.
1 Hee reports well of me before myne Enimies, and if they except, he defends me.
2 I see him honestly given, not giddily.
3 He doth me a good turne, so it be noe preiudice to himselfe.
4 He is noe busie-medler in my matters.
5 He overthwartes me not in talke, especially being either serious or angrie.
6 He keepes the 7 former motiues without dissimulation.
These moue acquaintance, and I would trust him in matters obvious, and ordinary, but in things secret, and nearly touching me, I may not, vnlesse he had Wisdome ioyned to his Honesty.
Motiues to moue me to trust him.
1 He hath all the 7 former circumstances without dissimulation and the 6 latter with wisdome.
2 He is wary, that he be not felt by others to open himselfe by Ignorance.
3 He doth me a good turne though to his owne Preiudice.
4 If I hauehave wronged him, he will not revenge it, though hauing opportunity.
5 He suffers wrong for my sake.
6 He discloseth to me his hart, opens his faults, sheweth me his hopes and feares.
This makes the vp shot of louelove, and the Bond of Freindship. As the Diamond engraues the Diamond, and fire encreases fire: so his louelove encreaseth my louelove, and makes vp an Vnion betwene vsus.
Saris de Amore primâ Passione.