Part IX.

397 .
I (^q) D. Baftl. Pythagorof feeing one that made himfelf fat
• ' fr^PCThaps exercifing and eating : (r) This man (faith he) » j (tpn « to make a jiriUerPriJon forhim-
j TtS tuv- yhe Pythagorean^Qxhovted fuch as came
' TaTTAw^' Society , to fhun Pleafure as much as
See thing that ought to be avoided ^ for nothing i Horn, in P&l. fo deceives us, and draws into fin, as this pafllon. *9- P- *95‘ In general, as it feems, they endeavoured not to (/) do any thing which might tend to pleafure, this
fcope being for the moft part undecent and hurt¬ ful ^ but that they fhould aim at what is good and decent, to do what they ought. In the next place, to difeern what is convenient and bene¬ ficial J it requireth a more than ordinary judg¬ ment. 0
As to that which is called Defire.,they faid thus : Defire is an impulfion and appetite of the Soul, either of fome repletion, dr derogation of fome things belonging to fenfe, or the fenfitive aft'edti- on. This pafllon is various, and the moft mul- tiplicious of all that belong to man. Of humane defires inany are acquired and framed by the per- fons themfelves ^ wherefore this Paflipn requireth greateft care and obfervation , and corporeal Ex- ercifes more than ordinary. For the body, when its aliment is evacuated, to defire Repletion, is natural^ and again, being repleat, to deJire Eva¬ cuation, is natural alfo : But to defire fuperfiuous Aliment, or fuperfiuous and fumptuoiis Raiment and Lodging, or fuperfiuous and various Houf hold-ftuff, and Utenfils, and Cups, and Servants, and Herds of Gattel, bred for diet in a word, of all humane paflions, this is moft fuch, that it ne¬ ver is at aftay, but proceeds to infinite. Where¬ fore from our very Childhood, care muft be ta¬ ken, tliat we defire fuch things as are needful, and ihunvaidand fuperfiuous defires, being undi- fturbed, and clear from fuch appetites, and con¬ temning tfiofe who deferve contempt, being fet¬ tered in their defires.
It is of moft concernment to obferve the vain, hurtful, fuperfiuous defires of thofe, who are tranfported by their Power ^ there is nothing fo abfurd, whereto the Souls of fuch perfons, Chil¬ dren, Men and Women, are not tranfported. The moft various is that of Meats, infinite is the multitude of Fruits, infinite of Roots, ufed by Mankind. Befidesthis, all forts of flefh making it their bufinefs to find, of terreftrial, volatile, and aquatile creatures, wherewith to fatisfie their tafte, and all variety of drefling them, with the mixture of all kind of Juices, whereby Mankind is really prophetick and multiform, as to the motion of the Soul ‘y for every feveral fort of Meat is caufe of a peculiar Conftitution. Now men behold, that thefe produce great alteration, asExcefsofWine to fuch a degree exhileratesj further, caufeth ’ frenzy and difordcr : But thofe things which dif-
■ ' , cover not fo much their force and efficacy, they I are ignorant of, notvvithftanding, that whatfoever
(t) Reading foo^lwetake, is caufe of fome peculiar conftku- ; accord- Wherefore it is a great part of Wtfdom
ing iQStobMtfy to know and underftand , what kind and ferm. 99. ^vho quantity of Meat is requifite for Nouriih- I Science was firft communicated
! Ariftoxentu-y .^7 Apol/o and Paon, afterwards by the AEfeu- ! perhaps it be- lap tans. .
longed to his Concerning Generation, ( t ) he laid thus : i ought principally to obferve that which
is called precocior/s: for neither too for¬
ward Plants nor Animals, before the due feafon- when they are in their full ftrength. Youths therefore and Virgins ought to be educated in la¬ bour, and exercifes, and actions conducing to for¬ titude,- uliag food convenient thereto, and in a laborious, temperant and tolerant life. Of the things in humane life there are many, in which to be late c-finverfant is beft; of this kind is Coi¬ tion. A Youth ought fo to be educated, as not to addi age-, and when arrived at thofe years, to ufe it feldoni is heft, if we efteem a good habit of bo¬ dy ; for Intemperance and Good rarely meet in ‘the fame perfon.
They commended the Rites and Laws of the Ancients, in the Greek Cities, not to. lye with Mothers, or Daughters, or Sifters, norinaTera^ pie, nor in Publick, for this is evil 5 and to pro¬ cure all poffible Impediments thereof is very pro¬ fitable. ^
They were of Opinion, that all unnatural Ignominious Geiiei ations ought to be taken a- way, and thofe only pfeferved which were accoiding to Nature, with Temperance, and Lawful. ’
They conceived, that fuch as go about to be¬ get Children, ought to have much providence of their future ilfue : --The firft and greateft provi¬ dence IS, to^prcparc himfelf for that aaion by a tempei ate healthful Life, not eating too much at unfeafonable tiiRps, not iifing fuch meats as de- ‘ prave the habits the body ; butabove all tlfin^^s^ not to pci form ip when drunk y for they thoiighr that by ill, and difeordant, and difturbed tempe- ramentj the Seed became adulterate. They alfo thought him a foolifli inconfidcrate perfon, who being defirous of Children, and taking a Wife to • that end, fhould not with utmoft ftudy forefee by vvhat means his Iflue might be moft advantaged.
They who love dogs, are very careful of their breed, as of which they ffiall breed, and rvhen and accordingly the Whelps prove; the like do they who love birds. But tho’ it be well known that they who breed any other kind of living crea-’ ture, ufe their utmoft endeavour to procure a ge¬ nerous Race, yet men have no refpe^^t to their own Offspring, but beget them inconilderately and bring them up negligently. This is the diicfand moft manifeft caufe that fb many men are evil and wicked, the greater part begetting th.cir Chil¬ dren like Beafts, without any confideracion.
finally, (u) Pythagoras dijeourjing concerning (u) DMm-. ex- the benejit oj venereal pleafureSy advijed^ in cerpr. Valtfv Summer-time to abfiain wholly from Coition -y /■;rP*g-=47- the Wintery to ufe it but rarely • for it is gene¬ rally hurtjul: but the continual uje thereof cau¬ feth debility y and is moji pernicioifs, Laertius faith. He advifedy that in the Winter and Spring it fhould not be ufed at alf in Summer and Au¬ tumn but f pan ngly-^ for at all times it is pernici- oTfs and prejudicial to the Healtjj. And being ask- edy At what time a man fhould ufe it ? he anfwer^ edy When he hath a mind to be weaker^
CHAP.
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98
V TT: H AG OK AS.