OF VIRTUE AND VICE
THE SUMMARY
[In this little treatise adjoined aptly unto the former, the author proveth that outward and corruptible things be not they that set the soul in repose, but reason well ruled and governed: And after that he hath depainted the miserable estate of wicked and sinful persons, troubled and tormented with their passions both night and day, he proveth by proper and apt similitudes that philosophy, together with the love of virtue, bringeth true contentment and happiness indeed unto a man.]
It seemeth, and commonly it is thought, that they be the garments which do heat a man; and yet of themselves they neither do heat nor bring any heat with them: for take any of them apart by itself, you shall find it cold; which is the reason that men, being very hot and in a fit of fever, love often to change their clothes, for to cool and refresh their bodies. But the truth is this, Look what heat a man doth yield from himself, the clothes or garments that cover the body do keep in the same, and unite close together: and being thus included and held in, suffer it not to evaporate, breathe out, and vanish away.
The same error in the state of this life hath deceived many men, who imagine that if they may dwell in stately and gorgeous great houses, be attended upon with a number of servants, retain a sort of slaves, and can gather together huge sums of gold and silver, then they shall live in joy and pleasure: whereas in very sooth, the sweet and joyful life proceedeth not from anything without. But contrariwise, when a man hath those goodly things about him, it is himself that addeth a pleasure and grace unto them, even from his own nature and civil behaviour, composed by moral virtue within him, which is the very fountain and lively spring of all good contentment.
For if the fire do always burn out light,
More stately is the house, and faire in sight.
Semblably, riches are more acceptable, glory hath the better and more shining lustre, yea, and authority carrieth the greater grace, if the inward joy of the soul be joined therewith: For surely men do endure poverty, exile, and banishment out of their own countries, yea, and bear the burden of old age willingly and with more ease, according as their manners be mild, and the mind disposed to meekness. And like as sweet odours and aromatical perfumes give a pleasant smell unto threadbare and ragged clothes; but contrariwise, the rich robe of Anchyses yielded from under it stinking matter and corrupt blood; which, as the poet saith:
Ran down by drops upon his cloak
Of silk so fine, and it did soak.
Even so with virtue, any sort of life and all manner of living is pleasant and void of sorrow: whereas contrariwise, vice causeth those things which otherwise seemed great, honourable and magnificent, to be odious, lothsome and unwelcome to those that have them, if (I say) it be mingled therewith, according to the testimony of these vulgar verses:
This man, who whiles he walks abroad in street
Or market-place, is ever happy thought:
No sooner sets within his own house feet,
Thrice wretched but he is, and not for nought.
His wife (as master) hath of all the power,
She bids, commands, she chides and fights each hour.
And yet one may with ease be rid and divorced from such a curst and shrewd wife, if he be a man indeed, and not a bond-slave; but for thine own vice, no means will serve to exempt thee from it. It is not enough to command it to be gone, by sending a little script or bill of divorcement, and to think thereby to be delivered from troubles, and so to live alone in quiet and repose. For it cleaveth close within the ribs, it sticketh fast in the very bowels, it dwelleth there both night and day:
It burneth thee, yet firebrand none is seen,
And hasteneth age apace before thou ween.
A troublesome companion it is upon the way, by reason of arrogancy and presumption: a costly and sumptuous guest at the table for gluttony and gormandise: an unpleasant and cumbersome bedfellow in the night, in regard of thoughts, cares and jealousies which break the sleep, or trouble the same with fantasies. For whiles men lie asleep, the body is at rest and repose; but the mind all the while is disquieted and affrighted with fearful dreams and tumultuous visions, by reason of superstitious fear of the gods:
If that I sleep, when sorrows me surprise,
Then fearful dreams me kill before I rise,
saith one. And even so do other vices serve men: to wit, envy, fear, wrath, wanton love, and unbridled lust. For in the daytime, vice looking out, and composing itself somewhat unto others abroad, is somewhat ashamed of herself, and covereth her passions; she giveth not herself wholly to her motions and perturbations, but many times doth strive again and make resistance: but in sleep, being without the danger of laws and the opinion of the world, being far removed (as it were) from fear and shame: then it setteth all lusts awork, then it quickeneth and raiseth up all lewdness, and then it displayeth all lascivious wantonness. It tempteth (as Plato saith) a man to have carnal dealing with his own mother, and to eat of forbidden and unlawful meats: there is no villany that it forbeareth; executing (so far forth as it is able) all abomination, and hath the fruition thereof, if it be but by illusions and fanatical dreams, which end not in any pleasure, nor accomplishment of concupiscence, but are powerful only to excite, stir, and provoke still the fits of secret passions and maladies of a corrupt heart.
Wherein lieth, then, the pleasure and delight of sin, if it be so, that in no place nor at any time it be void of pensiveness, care and grief? if it never have contentment, but always in molestation and trouble, without repose? As for carnal delights and fleshly pleasures, the good complexion and sound constitution of an healthful body giveth thereto means, place, opportunity and breeding. But in the soul it is not possible that there should be engendered any mirth, joy and contentment, unless the first foundation be laid in peace of conscience, and tranquillity of spirit, void of fear, and enjoying a settled calm in all assurance and confidence, without any shew of tempest toward. For otherwise, suppose that some hope do smile upon a man; or say, that delight tickle a little; the same anon is troubled, and all the sport is marred by some careful cogitation breaking forth: like as the object and concurrence of one rock troubleth and overthroweth all, though the water and weather both be never so calm.
Now gather gold and spare not by heaps, rake and scrape together masses of silver, build fair, gallant and stately walking-places, replenish all thy house with slaves, and a whole city with debtors: unless withal thou do allay the passions of thy mind; unless thou stay and appease thy insatiable lust and desire; unless thou free and deliver thyself from all fear and carking cares: thou dost as much as strain wine, or make ipocras for one that is sick of a fever, give honey to a choleric person diseased with the raging motion of choler, offer meats and viands to those that be sick of the stomachical flux, continual lask, ulceration of the guts and bloody flux, who neither take pleasure therein, nor are the better but the worse rather a great deal for them. See you not how sick folks are offended, and their stomachs rise at the most fine, costly, and daintiest meats that be offered unto them? how they spit them forth again, and will none, though they be forced upon them? And yet afterwards, when the body is reduced again into good temperature: when pure spirits and good fresh blood is engendered, and when the natural heat is restored and become familiar and kind: then they rise up on their feet to their meat, then their stomachs serve to eat full savourly of coarse bread with cheese or cresses, and therein they take great pleasure and contentment: The like disposition in the mind doth reason work. Then and never before shalt thou be pleased and at peace with thyself, when thou hast once learned what is good and honest indeed: In poverty thou shalt live deliciously like a king: or in a private and quiet state sequestered from civil and public affairs, thou shalt live as well as they who have the conduct of great armies, and govern the commonweal. When thou hast studied philosophy and profited therein, thou shalt never lead a life in discontentment, but shalt learn how to away with any estate and course of life, and therein find no small joy and heart's ease. Thy riches thou wilt rejoice in, because thou shalt have better means to do good unto all men: In poverty likewise thou wilt take joy in regard thou shalt have fewer cares to trouble thee: Glory will turn to thy solace, when thou shalt see thyself so honoured: and thy low estate and obscure condition will be no less comfort, for that thou shalt be safe and secured from envy.