Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10853" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="34" file="0312" n="312" rhead="The Hiſtory of Life and Death."/>
            but Pity, which may reflect with ſome ſimilitude upon the party pitying, is naught, be-
              <lb/>
            canſe it exciteth Fear.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10854" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10855" xml:space="preserve">Light shame hurteth not, ſeeing it contracteth the spirits a little, and then ſtraight
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-01" xlink:href="note-0312-01a" xml:space="preserve">88.</note>
            diffuſeth them: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10856" xml:space="preserve">inſomuch that ſhamefac’d perſons commonly live long: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10857" xml:space="preserve">but Shame for
              <lb/>
            ſome great ignominy, and which afflicteth the mind long, contracteth the spirits even
              <lb/>
            to ſuffocation, and is pernicious.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10858" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10859" xml:space="preserve">Love, if it be not unfortunate, and too deeply wounding, is a kind of Joy, and is
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-02" xlink:href="note-0312-02a" xml:space="preserve">89.</note>
            ſubject to the ſame Laws which we have ſet down touching Joy.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10860" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10861" xml:space="preserve">Hope is the moſt beneficial of all the Affections, and doth much to the prolonga
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-03" xlink:href="note-0312-03a" xml:space="preserve">90.</note>
            tion of life, if it be not too often fruſtrated, but entertaineth the Fancy with an ex-
              <lb/>
            pectation of good: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10862" xml:space="preserve">therefore they which fix and propound to themſelves ſome end,
              <lb/>
            as the mark and ſcope of their life, and continually and by degrees go for ward in
              <lb/>
            the ſame, are, for the moſt part, long-liv’d; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10863" xml:space="preserve">in ſo much that when they are come to
              <lb/>
            the top of their hope, and can go no higher therein, they commonly droop, and live
              <lb/>
            not long after: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10864" xml:space="preserve">So that Hope is a Leaf-joy, which may be beaten out to a great exten-
              <lb/>
            ſion, like Gold.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10865" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10866" xml:space="preserve">Admiration and light contemplation are very powerful to the prolonging of life; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10867" xml:space="preserve">for
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-04" xlink:href="note-0312-04a" xml:space="preserve">91.</note>
            they hold the ſpirits in ſuch things as delight them, and ſuffer them not to tumultuate,
              <lb/>
            or to carry themſelves unquietly and waywardly. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10868" xml:space="preserve">And therefore all the Contemplators
              <lb/>
            of Natural things, which had ſo many and eminent Objects to admire, (as Demo-
              <lb/>
            critus, Plato, Parmedides, Apollonius) were long liv’d: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10869" xml:space="preserve">alſo Rhetoricians, which ta-
              <lb/>
            ſted but lightly of things, and ſtudied rather Exornation of ſpeech than profundity of
              <lb/>
            matters, were alſo long-liv’d; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10870" xml:space="preserve">as Gorgias, Protagoras, Iſocrates, seneca. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10871" xml:space="preserve">And certain-
              <lb/>
            ly, as old men are for the moſt part talkative, ſo talkative men do often grow very old;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10872" xml:space="preserve">for it ſhews a light contemplation, and ſuch as doth not much ſtain the spirits, or vex
              <lb/>
            them: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10873" xml:space="preserve">but ſubtil, and acute, and eager inquiſion ſhortens life; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10874" xml:space="preserve">for it tireth the ſpirit,
              <lb/>
            and waſteth it.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10875" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10876" xml:space="preserve">And as touching the motion of the Spirits by the Affections of the Mind, thus much.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10877" xml:space="preserve">Now we will adde certain other general Obſervations touching the Spirits, beſide the
              <lb/>
            former, which fall not into the precedent diſtribution.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10878" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10879" xml:space="preserve">Eſpecial care muſt be taken that the Spirits be not too often reſolved; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10880" xml:space="preserve">for attenua-
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-05" xlink:href="note-0312-05a" xml:space="preserve">92.</note>
            tion goeth before reſolution, and the spirit once attenuated doth not very eaſily retire,
              <lb/>
            or is condenſed. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10881" xml:space="preserve">Now Reſolution is cauſed by over-great labours, over-vebement affe-
              <lb/>
            ctions of the mind, over great ſweats, over great evacuations, hot Baths, and an un
              <lb/>
            temperate and unſeaſonable uſe of Venus; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10882" xml:space="preserve">alſo by over-great cares and carpings, and
              <lb/>
            anxious expectations; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10883" xml:space="preserve">laſtly, by malignant diſeaſes, and intolerable pains and torments
              <lb/>
            of the body: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10884" xml:space="preserve">all which, as much as may be, (which our vulgar Phyſicians alſo adviſe)
              <lb/>
            muſt be avoided.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10885" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10886" xml:space="preserve">The ſpirits are delighted both with wonted things, and with new. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10887" xml:space="preserve">Now it maketh
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-06" xlink:href="note-0312-06a" xml:space="preserve">93.</note>
            wonderfully to the conſervation of the ſpirits in vigour, that we neither uſe wonted
              <lb/>
            things to a ſatiety and glutting; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10888" xml:space="preserve">nor new things, before a quick and ſtrong appetite.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10889" xml:space="preserve">And therfore both cuſtoms are to be broken off with judgment and care, before they
              <lb/>
            breed a fulneſs; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10890" xml:space="preserve">and the appetite after new things to be reſtrained for a time until
              <lb/>
            it grow more ſharp and jocond: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10891" xml:space="preserve">and moreover, the life, as much as may be, ſo to
              <lb/>
            be ordered, that it may have many renovations, and the ſpirits by perpetual converſing
              <lb/>
            in the ſame actions may not wax dull. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10892" xml:space="preserve">For though it were no ill ſaying of Seneca’s,
              <lb/>
            The fool doth ever begin to live; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10893" xml:space="preserve">yet this folly, and many more ſuch, are good for
              <lb/>
            long life.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10894" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10895" xml:space="preserve">It is to be obſerved touching the ſpirits, (though the contrary uſed to be done)
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0312-07" xlink:href="note-0312-07a" xml:space="preserve">94.</note>
            That when men perceive their ſpirits to be in good, placid, and healthful ſtate,
              <lb/>
            (that which will be ſeen by the tranquility of their Mind, and chearful diſpoſi-
              <lb/>
            tion) that they cheriſh them, and not change them: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10896" xml:space="preserve">but when, in a turbulent
              <lb/>
            and untoward ſtate, (which will alſo appear by their ſadneſs, lumpiſhneſs, and
              <lb/>
            other indiſpoſition of their mind) that then they ſtraight overwhelm them, and
              <lb/>
            alter them. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10897" xml:space="preserve">Now the ſpirits are contained in the ſame ſtate, by a reſtraining of the
              <lb/>
            affections, temperateneſs of diet, abſtinence from Venus, moderation in labour,
              <lb/>
            indifferent reſt and repoſe: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10898" xml:space="preserve">and the contrary to theſe do alter and overwhelm
              <lb/>
            the ſpirits; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10899" xml:space="preserve">as namely, vehement affections, profuſ
              <unsure/>
            e feaſtings, immoderate Venus,
              <lb/>
            difficult labours, earneſt ſtudies, and proſecution of buſineſs. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s10900" xml:space="preserve">Yet men are wont,
              <lb/>
            when they are merrieſt and beſt diſpoſed, then to apply themſelves to </s>
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