English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Cla_. Nay then, Doctor, since you cannot make any reasonable Connexion
of these two contrarieties the minde, and the body, making both subiect
to passion, wherein you confound the substances of both, I must tell you
there is no disease of the minde but one, and that is _Ignorance_.
_Do_. Why what is love? is not that a disease of the mind?
_Cla_. Nothing so: for it springs naturally out of the bloode, nor are
we subject to any disease, or sorrowe, whose causes or effects simply
and natively concerne the body, that the minde by any meanes partaketh,
nor are there any passions in the soule, for where there are no
affections, there are no passions: And _Affectus_ your Master _Galen_
refers _parti irascenti_, For _illic est anima sentiens ubi sunt
affectus_: Therefore the Rationall Soule cannot be there also.
_Do_. But you know we use to say, my minde gives me this or that, even
in those addictions that concerne the body.
_Cla_. We use to say so indeed, and from that use comes the abuse of all
knowledge and her practice, for when the object in question only
concerns the state of the body; why shood the soule bee sorry or glad
for it? if she willingly mixe her selfe, then she is a foole, if of
necessity, and against her will, a slave, and so, far from that wisdome
and freedome that the Empresse of Reason and an eternall Substance shood
comprehend.
_Do_. Divinely spoken, Sir, but verie Paradoxicallie.
_Enter Momford, Tales, Kingcob, Furnif; Rudes, Goos: Foul:
Eugenia, Penelope, Hippolyta, Winnifred_.
_Mom_. Who's there?
[_Fur_.?] I, my Lord.
_Mom_. Bring hether the Key of the gallery, me thought
I heard the Doctor, and my friend.
_Fur_. I did so sure.
_Mom_. Peace then a while, my Lord,
We will be bold to evesdroppe; For I know
My friend is as respective in his Chamber
And by himselfe, of any thing he does
As in a _Criticke Synods_ curious eyes,
Following therein _Pythagoras_ golden rule--
_Maximè omnium teipsum reverere_.
_Cla_. Know you the Countesse _Eugenia_, Sir?
_Do_. Exceeding wel, Sir; she's a good learned scholler.
_Cla_. Then I perceive you know her well indeed.
_Do_. Me thinks you two shood use much conference.
_Cla_. Alas sir, we doe verie seldome meet,
For her estate and mine are so unequall,
And then her knowledge passeth mine so farre,
That I hold much too sacred a respect,
Of her high vertues to let mine attend them.
_Do_. Pardon me, Sir, this humblenes cannot flowe
Out of your judgment but from passion.
_Cla_. Indeed I doe account that passion
The very high perfection of my minde,
That is excited by her excellence,
And therefore willingly, and gladly feele it.
For what was spoken of the most chast Queene
Of rich _Pasiaca_ [?] may be said of her.
_Moribus Antevenit sortem[45], virtutibus Annos,
Sexum animo, morum Nobilitate Genus_.
_Do_. A most excellent _Distick_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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