Part XI.

DEMOCKirV
of their former freedom. Befides, it is impoffible that fuch may dilTemble, in a great- difeafe; and deny in a little ; and when they have promifcd, not come ; and come, when they are not fenc for . Miferable indeed is Human Life, for that the un- fatiate defire of Wealth continually invades it, as a Winter-Wind. I wilh that all Phyficians would rather joyn together to cure it of this Difeafe, which is worfethan Madnels, notwith- Itanding it is thought happy, but indeed a pe- ftilential Sicknefs. All dilfempers of the Mind, are, as I conceive, High-madnefs, for they ftir up in the Reafon ftrange Opinions and Fantafies, which Reafon muff be purifi’d and cur’d by Ver- tue. As for me, if at all I made it my defign to be Rich, I would not, ye men of come
to you for ten Talents, but would rather have gone to the great King of Perjia, where there are vaff Cities full of all kind of wealth, there I would have pradfis’d Phyhck. But I refufed to cure a Nation which are Enemies to Greecey and, to the beft of my power, have my felf oppofed the Bar- hartals. 1 thought it a diflionour to accept of the wealth of a King, Foe to our Country, by which means I might become a deftroyer of Greece. To get Wealth by all means, is not to be Rich ; the Rites of Vertue are facred and juft. Do you not think it an equal offence to cure our Enemies, as to take Money for the cure of our Friends? But this is not my Cuffom; I raife not Gain out of Sicknefs ; nor did wifh, when I heard that Democritus was Mad, that it might prove fo indeed ; if he be Well, he is a Friend ; if he happen to be cured of his Sicknefs, more a Friend. I underhand that Democritus is a perfon of firm and fettled parts, the Ornament of your City.
In-order to this Voyage, he fent to his Friend Dionyfiusy that he would take care of his Family in hisabfence; to Damagetus, that he would pro¬ vide a Ship for him ; to Cratevas, that he would furnirti him with Simples. The day before he ar¬ rived at Abdera , he dreamt that zyEfculapius ap¬ pear’d to him, and told'him, that he would have no need of his affiftance , but only of the di- redion of a woman, whom he brought along with him ; and having prefented her to him, de¬ parted. The Woman promifed, that Ihe would meet him on the morrow at Democritus’s houfe ; he asked her Name, (he told him flie was called Truth 'y and, pointing to another Woman that followed her, added, that her Name was Opi- niorty and that flie lived with the Abderifis. This was the Dream of Hippocrates. How he was re¬ ceived the next day at Abderuy he gives this ac¬ count to his Friend Damagetus.
To Damagetusy Health.
It was, as I corsjQAur’dyDamagetus : Democritus y is not mad, but is extraordinary Wife, and hath taught us Wifdom, and by us all men. I have fent back, with many thanks, the ^fculapian Ship, on the Prow whereof, to the Pidure of the 5«», may be added Health, for we made a quick Voy¬ age , and arrived the fame day that I had fent word I would be there at Abdera. I found all the people flocking together at the Gate, in expedation, as it Ihould feem, of our coming ;
not only the M.’n, hut the Women, tlie Old, the Young • a.nd by yctr, 'the very Children j fo much were they troubled at the M^dnefs of Demeerstus y who, at that time, was.feiioufly employ’d in Philolophy. As foon as they faw me^ they feemed a little to be comforted, and to have Ib.me hope, f hiloptsmcn oifer’d to con- dud me to my Lodging, as all of them likewife deflred,* bat I told them, “ Men of Abdera, 1 “ will do nothing till I have feen Democritus; which as fbon as they heard , they applauded and rejoye'd, and brought me immedt.ttely a- long the Ferum-y feme following, ocliers run¬ ning before, crying out. Great King Jupner , help , heal ; I advifed them to be of comfort, for that it being the feafonof the Eteftan Winds,
I was confident that there was not any Sicknefs that would continue longj and in faying thus, on I went. The Houfe was not far, nor indeed the City; we went to ic,‘ it being next the Walls, w'hither they brought me quietly. Be¬ hind the Tower there was a high Hill, very full of tall Poplars, from whence we beheld the ha¬ bitation of Democritus. Democritus himfelf fat under a thick, but low, Plaine-Tree, in a thick Gown, all alone, fqualid, upon a feat of Stone, wan and lean, with' a long Beard, at his right hand ran a little Brook down the Hill, upon the Hill there was a Temple confecrated, as it fliould Teem, to the MufeS, encompafled round about with Vines, which grew there naturally. He fat very compofedly, having a Book upon his knees, and round about him lay other Books, and the Bodies of many living Creatures dif¬ fered. Sometimes he wrote haflily, fometimes paufedjfceming to revolve things within himfelf. Soon after he rofe up and walked, and looked intently into the differed Creatures ; then laid down again, and return’d to his feat. The Ab- ^ derites, Banding about me, and hardly refrain¬ ing from Tears, faid, You fee, Hippocrates,
“ the life of Democritus, how mad he is, and “ knoweth not either what he would have, or “ what he doth. One of them, that would have given me a farther deferiprion of hisMadnef, on the fudden fell a fobbing, and howled like a Woman at the death of her fon, and then be¬ gan to lament like a Traveller robb’d of his Goods : which Democritus hearing , fometimes fmiled, fometimes laughed , not writing any longer, but often fiiaking his head. “ Men of Abdera, ( [aid 1 ) ffay you here, whilft I go “ nigher to him, that by hearing him fpeak, and “ obferving his Conftitution, I raav judge the “ truth of his Diflemper; and in fo faying, I went gently, down : the place was very Beep, fo that I could hardly keep my felf from falling. At fuch time as I came nigh him , it hapned , that he was writing fomething as in a Rapture, earneBly ; whereupon I made a Band, waiting when he would give over. It was not long ere he did fo ; and feeing me coming towards him, faid, “Hail, Stranger; I anfwer’d, “Hailalfo,
“ Democritus y the WifeB of Men. He, as I imagine, a little troubled that he had not falu- ted me by Name, repiy’d, “ What may I caljl “ you ? for my Ignorance of your Name is the. “Reafon that I flyled you. Stranger. “ My “ Name, I, is Hippocrates, a Phyfltian.
“ You are, replfd be, the glory of the i^fcula.‘ N n n “ plans,
458 D E MO C KIT V S. Part Xi;
\
plans, the fame of whofe Worthy and know- ‘‘ lege in Phyfick, is arrived as far as to me. What “ Bufuiefs hath brought you hither ? but firft fit “ down. This feat you fee, is pleafant, green, and foft, better than high Thrones, which are “ fubjed to the envy of Fortune. AfTocn as I “ was fet, Is it a publickor private bufinefs, faith he, which brought you hither? Tell mefree- “ lyj and we fhall to ourutmoft power affift you.
“ I anfwered. It is for your fake that I come hi- ther, to be acquainted with you, a wife Per- fon, the occafion being afforded me by an Em- “ baffy from your Country. He reply’d, Then “ let my Houfe entertain you.
Having thus made Trial of him feveral ways, and not finding any thing ot madnefs in him,
‘‘ You know, [aid I,. Vhilopcsmen , one of this “ Town. Exceeding well , anfvser d he ; you mean the Son of Damon ? He lives near the “ Bermaan Fountain. The fame, replid I ; he “ hath been my old Aquaintance, and received “ me for his Gueft. But you, Democritus, I in- “ treat to afford me a better entertainment, and “ firft tell me. What it is that you are writing ?
He after a little paufe anfiver d , Concerning “ Madnefs. Good yupiter, faid I, you write “ feafonably againft the City ! What City, Hip- pocrates, anfwered he} \ replied , that I only fpoke at random. But what is this that you “ write of Madnefs ? What elfe, faid he, but. What it is, and how it comes to be ingendred ‘‘ in Man, and How it may be cured. Thefe Creatures which you behold, I have diffeifted “ for that end ; not as hatinpr the Works of the “ Gods, but to make inquiry into the nature and feat of Choler ; for you know, that where this abounds too much, it moft commonly cau- “ feth Madnefs in Men. It is in every Nature, but in fome lefs, in others more ; its excefs caufeth difeafes , as being a matter partly ** good, partly bad. By Jove, [aidJ, Democritus, “ you fpeak truly an^ wifely ; and I judge you happy, who cam enjoy fuch quiet, as I can- not partake of. And why cannot you, faith he? I anfwer’d , becaufe either Travel , or ‘^Children, orEftate, orSickneffes, or Deaths, “ or Servants, or Marriages, or the like, inter- “ cept my leifure.
Hereupon he fell into his ufual paflion, and laughed a while exceedingly, giving over dif- courfe. “ Why , faid I, Democritm , do you ‘‘ laugh ? Whether is it, that I havefpoken well or ill ? Hereat he laughed more than before, which the Abderites, who ftood aloof off, feeing, fome beat their own tleads, others their Fore¬ heads, others tore their Hair; for as they after¬ wards faid, they obferved him to laugh at that time more than ever he had done. “ Democri- “ ti/s, Thou beft of wife men, continued I, I de- “ fire to know the reafon of this Paflion, where- “ in that which I (aid feems ridiculous? That if “ it proves fuch, I may reform it, but if other- ‘‘ wife, that you may defift from this unfeafo- “ nable Laughter. By Hercules, faid he, if you ‘^can convince me, Hippocrates, you will per- “ form a Cure greater than any you have yet done. And why, faid 1, (hould you not be “ convinced? Know you nor, that you do ab- furdly in laughing at the Death of a Man, or “ at Sickiiefs, or Madnef , or Murther, or any
i
I
thing that is worfe than thefe; and on the other fide at Marriages, at Affemblies, at the Birth of Infants, at Solemn Rites, at Magi- ftracies, at Honours, and generally at every thing thathath the Name of Good ? At thole things which defervetobe pitied, you laugh ;
‘ and at thofe things for which w'e Ihould re- joyce, you laugl) ailb; infomuch that you ^^feem not to put any. difference betwixt Good and Bad. 7hen he. You fay well, Hsppocrates, but you are no: acquainted with thereafon of ^ ray Laughing, which as foon as you know, I “ am confident, you will prefer it before the Caufe for which you came hither, and carry it along with you as a Medicine to your Coun- try, thereby improving both your felf and ‘others; and in requital of it, perhaps will ‘ think your felf obliged to teach me Phyfick, when you (hall underftand what- pains all Men take for things that deferve not pains ,
J but are of no value, and confume their Lives ‘ unprofitably in purfuit of things that deferve “only to be laugh’d at. What, faid 1, Is all “ the World fick, and knows it not ? If fo, they ‘ can fend no whither for help; for what is “beyond it? He reph’dj There are infinite Worlds, O Hippofratesl Have not fo mean an “ efteem of the Riches of Nature. Teach me this, faid I, Democritus, at fome other time : “ for I am afraid, that if you begin to talk of “ this Infinity, you will fall again into your Fit “ of Laughter ; but no w, tell me the Reafon, “ why you Laugh at the accidents of Life.
Then, looking ftedfaflly upon me, “ You think, faith he, there are two things, which “ occafion my Laughter, Good and III, where- “ as indeed I laugh but atone thing, Man, full “ of Folly, deftitute of right Actions, playing “ the Child in all his Defigns, undergoing great “ Toils for no Benefit, travelling to the ends of “ the Earth, and founding bottomlefs Depths, “ to get Silver and Gold, neverxeafingto hoard “ them up, and with their ftore increafing his “ own Troubles, left, if he fliould want them, “ he might be thought not happy. He digs in- “ to the Bowels of the Earth, by the bands of “ Slaves, whereof fome are buried by. the Earth “falling upon them, others dwell there, asific “ were their Native Soil, fearchingfor Gold and “ Silver, fifting one Sand from another, cut- “.ting and tearing their Mother-Earth , which “ they both admire and tread on. How ridi- “ culou^is this, that they (hould love that part “ of the Earth that lies hid, and contemn that “ which lieth open unto them? Some buy Dogs, “ others Horfes ; fome delight in having large “ Poffeflions , which they may call their own, “ and would command many others, when they “ are not able to command themfelves. They “ marry Wives, and in a (Iiort time put them “ away ; they love, and then hate ; they take “ delight in their Children, and when they are “ grown up, difinherit them ; They War, and “ defpife Quiet; they confpirc againft Kings ; “ they murther Men; they dig the Earth to “ find Silver ; with the Silver, which they have found, they buy Land ; what the Land which “ they have bought yields, of Corn, or Fruits, “ they (ell, and receive Silver again. To what “ changes and mifchances are they fubjedt ?
When
y
,4.
V,
-i
.-■r
i
i
r
.RT XL
** When they have not Riches, they dcfire them ; “ vvhen they have, they hide or {'carter them ; I laugh at their ill-defigned A their Misfortunes. They violate the Laws of “ Truth, by Contention and Enmity with one another j Brethren , Parents, and Ccuntry- men, fight and kill onh another for tlwfe Pof- feffions, of which, after Death, none of them can be Malfers. They purfuean unjuff courfe of Life ; they defpife the poverty of Their Friends and Country ; Mean and Inanimate things they account for Riches j they will part “ with a whole Eftate to purchafe Statues, be- “ caufe the Statues feem to fpeak, but thofe who “ fpeak indeed they hate^ They affedl things “ hard to be got ; they, who dwell in the Con- “ tinent , covet the things of the Sea ; they who dwell in the Iflands, the things of the “ Continent, perverting all things to their own “ depraved defires. In War they praife V alour, whilfl: they are daily fubdued by Luxury, A- varice, and all Paflions, and in the courfe of “his Life every man is a Therfites. Why did “ you, Hippocrates^ reprove my Laughter ? No “ Man laughs at his own Madnefs, but at the “ Madnefs of another. They who think them- “felves to be Sober, laugh at thofe who feem “ to them to be Drunk ; fome laugh at Lovers, “ whilft they themfelves are fick of a worfe di* “ ftemper ; fome, at thofe who travel by Sea ,* “ others, at thofe who follow Husbandry, for “ they agree not with one another, neither in “ Arts nor Adions. All this, [aid I, Domocri- tus, is true, neither is there any Argument “ that may better prove the unhappy Eftate of “ Man : but thefe Adions are preferibed by Ne- “ ceffity, by reafon of the governmentof Families, the building of Ships, and other civil Offices, “ wherein a Man mufl: neceffarily be employ’d, “for Nature did not produce him to the end “ he might reft Idle. Again, Height of Am- “ bition caufeth many Men to go aftray, who “ aim at all things, as if there were nothing “ amifs in them, not being able to forefee the “ (Tarknefs that attends them. For, Democritm, “ what Man is there, that when he marries, thinks of Divorce or Death Who is there, “ that wlijlft he bringeth up his Children, think- “ eth of lofing them ^ The like in Husbandry, “ Navigation, Dorninon, apd all other Offices of Life. No Man forefees that it may go “ amifs with him, but every one flatters him- “ felf with hopes of good fuccefs, and does not “ look upon the worft. Why therefore is this “ ridiculous ?
DemocrUm replied ^ “You are yet far from “ underftanding me, Hippocrates, neither per- “ ceive, through want of knowledge, the bounds of Indifturbance and Perturbation. For if “ they did order thefe things prudently, they might be eafily difeharged of them , and “ evade my Laughter ; whereas now they are “blind as to the Offices of Life, and, with Minds void of reafon, are carried on by in- “ ordinate Appetites. It were enough to make “ them wife, if they would but confider the “ mutability of all things , how they wheel “ about continually, and are fuddenly changed ; “ whereas they looking upon thefe, as if they
were firm and fetled , fall into many incon- ‘ venienejes and troubles, and coveting things “ harnjfui, they tumble headlong into many Miferies. But if a Man would rightly con- “ fider and weigh in his mind all things that “ he attempts, underftanding himfelf and his “ oven Abilities , he would not let his defires “ run to Infinite, but follow Nature, t^t of “ whofe ftoie all are plentifully nourifhed and “ fuppiied. As a fat Body is in greaceft danger “of ficknefs, fo an high.Lftate is in greateft “ danger of falling ; great minds are known in “ Extremities.* Some there are , who, taking no warning at that which hapneth to others, “ perilh by their own ill Actions, minding things “ Manifeft no mere than as if they were net “ Manifeft, whereas yet they have a large Pre- “ cedent by which to guide their Life, of things “done and not done, by which we ought to forefee the future. This is the occafion of niy Laughter, Foolifti Men puniftied by their “own Wickednefs, Covetoui'nefs , Luft, En- mity. Treachery, Confpiracy , Envy, it is a hard thing to give a name to many of chefs “Ills, they being innumerable, and pradi'ed “ fo clofely. Their Behaviour, as to Virtue, is “ yet worfe; they affedlLies, they follow P!ea- fure,dirobeying the Laws ; my Laughter con- “ demns their Inconfideratenefs , who neither “fee norhear, whereas the Sence of Man only, of all others, is able to forefee Futures, They hate all Things, and then again apply them- “felves to them; they condemn Navigation, “and then they puttoSea; condemn Husban- “dry, and then fall a Ploughing; they put “ away their Wives, and then marry others ; they bury their Children, and beget more, and bring them up ; they wilh to live long, “ and when old Age comes, are grieved at it ; “ never remaining conftantin any Eftate what- “ foever. Kings and Princes commend a pri- “ vate Life; private Perfons, a publick ; he that “ ruleth a State, praifeth the Tradefman’s life, as free from danger ; the Tradefman his, as “ full of Honour and Power. For they regard “ not the diredl, fincere and fmooth way of “ Vertue , in which none of them will endure “to walk; but they take crooked and rough Paths, fome falling down, others running “ themfelves out of breath to overtake others. “ Some are guided by incontinence to the Beds of their Neighbours ; others are Sick of a Confumption through unfatiate Avarice; fome by Ambition carried up into the Air, and by their own wickednefs thrown dov/n headlong. “ They pluck down, and then they build ; they do good, and oblige others, and then, repent- ing of it, break the laws of Friendftiip, and do wrong, and fall at enmity, and fight with “ their neareft Relations ; of all which. Avarice is the caufe. Wherein do they differ from Children that play, whofe Minds, being void of Judgment, are pleafed with every thing they light on? In their Defires they difer not much from brute Beafts, only the Beafts are contented with that which is enough. What Lyon is there, that hides Gold under ground/ “What Bullfights for more than he needs? “ What I.eopard is unfatiately greedy ? The Wolf, when he hath devoured as much as Nnn 2 “fsrves
D EMOC Kirv
fC
/
46
D E MO C KiTV S.
T'^AR t
cc
ferves
for his neceffary nourifiiment, gives “ over. But whole Nights and Days, put to- " gether, are not enough for Men to feaft and riot. All brute Beafts have their yearly fet- “ times of Coition, and then leave; but Man- is continually tranfported with LuH-. How can I, Hippocrates, but laugh at him that la- “ ments the lofs of his Goods ? And efpecially, if vf ithout regard to Dangers, he travels over ‘‘ Precipices, and on the Sea ; how can 1 for- bear to laugh exceedingly ^ Shall I not laugh “ at him, who drowns a Ship by lading it witii rich Marchandize, and then blames the Sea ‘‘^for drowning it If I feem wrongfully to, “ laugh at thefe, tlicre is at leaft in them fome- thing that deferves to be lamented. Thefe Band not in need of the Phyfick or Medi- cines of your P.'-edecelTcrs zy^fcuhpim, who, preferving Men, was himfelf requited with Thunder. Do you nor fee, that I alfo am partly guilty of Madnefs, who, to enquire in- to the caufes of Madnefs, dilTedi: thefe feveral living Creatures, whereas indeed I ought to fearch for it in Man himfelf Do you not fee, that the whole World is full of Inhumanity,
“ Buffed as it were with infinite Iratred againlf “ Man himfelf f All M.an is from Ins very Birth a. difeafe: when firB born he is ufelefs, and fucs for I elief fi om others ; when he grows up, fooliOi, wanting InBrudlion; at full growth, ‘‘wicked; in his decaying Age, miferabl^, “ toyling throughout all his time imprudently; “ fuch is he from the Womb. Some being of “ furious angry dilpofitions, are continually en- “ gaged in Broyls, others in Adulteries and “ Rapes, others in Drunkennefs ; others in co- “ vetirg the Goods of their Neighbours; others “ in confuming their own ; (b that if the Walls “ of all Houfes were tranfparent, we Biould behold fome Eating, others Vomiting, others W'rongfuilv Beaten, others mixing Poifons, others Confpiiing, others CaBing Accounts, others Rejoycing , others Weeping, others “ Plorting againB their Friends, others Raving “ mad with Ambition. Some actions there are “ more remote within the Soul, fome young, “ fome old , Bring, denying, poor, rich, Bar- “|vcd, luxurious, fordid, impiifon’d, rnurther’d, buried, dclpifing what the) Enjoy, and aiming at what they have not ; impudent, niggard¬ ly , infrti.-fte , vain glorious; fome fetting their minds on Horfes , others on Men, otb.ers ‘‘on Dogs, others on Stone or Wood; fome “ affebt Emh.rifay, others the Gomniand of Ar- “ nnes, others frered R ites ; fome wear Crowns, “ others Armour ; fome fight .at Sea, others at ‘‘ Land, others Till the Ground, fomeplead in “ the Forum, others ad on the Theatre, every “ one is feverally employ’d ; fome affed: Plea- fure and Lltempcratenefs , others Reft and
CC
CC
cc !
CC
CC
attcBation of
thofs th-at have obliged them, and can hardly refrain from being angry if they need their help 5 many alfo,, being rlrcmfeives ignorant, prefer Ignorance before Science ; Fco'.s giv their SuBxages,neiti;er will the Sick comm “ nor they who are of tire fame Art give their “ approbation, through Isnvy, And it cannot be, but that you muft havefuB'ered wrong in this kind, for i know very vvell, tha; you “ have been often created unwmrthiiy, and le- “ proached by Malice and Envy.
There is no knowledge nor Truth in faying this; he fiv.iled and feemed to put on a Divine Look, cafting olT that which he had before. “ Thai I, Excellent Dcmccritm, “ I fhall carry back with me to Cos the great “ Gifts of your Hofpitality, full of your wile “ [nftrudions. I ftiall return to proclaim your Praifes, for thatjou fiave made enquiry into “ humane nature^, and nnderftood it ; iCnall go “ aw'ay cured in Mind , it being icquifire tlrat “ I take care for the Cure of the Bodies of others. “^To morrow, and afterwards, vve lhall meet here ag-ain.
Which faid, I arofe, and he readily accom¬ panied me. A man came to him, from whence I know not, to whom he delivered Ids Books. When! camQioihQ AbdirUcs, who all this while Bayed for me ; “ Men of Abdera, /Ad 1, I re- “ turn you many Thanks for the Meffage you “ fent me, for I have feen Daxocrhus, the wifeft of Men, who only is able to reduce men to found underBanding. This ( Damagerus ) is all, which I had to relate unto you with joy, concerning Demoerds/s. Farewel.
CC
CC
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
(C
This Account Hippocrates gives of Democritus ; neither did their Acquaintance' and Friendlhip end here, but continued after the departure of Hippotrates to Cos, as appears by the Correfpon- dence of two Letters betwixt them. The fiirB, from Demccritm to Hippocrates, in thefe words.
You came to us, Hippocrates, as to give Helle^ bore to a mad Man, at the inBigation r.ffoolilh People, who think Study madnefs ; I was at that time bufied in writing concerning the Fa- brick of the World, and the Poles and the Stars of Heaven ; aflbon as you underBood the nature of thefe things, how excellently they are fra-, med, and how far from madnefs, you commen¬ ded my Employment , and condemned Them as Bupid and mad. All thofe things which pafs to us through the Air by Images, and are feen in the World, and fucceed one another, my Mind, making a ferutiny into thefe, hath clear¬ ly found out the Nature of them, and brought it to light, vvitnels the Books that I have writ¬ ten. You ought not thereforb, Hippocrates, to how then can I but laugh at their converfe with fuch men, whofe Minds are wa¬ vering and unconBant ; For if, as thofe men delired , you had given m? Hellebore, as being mad, you had, of Wife, m.ade me-Iylad indeed, the Guilt whereof would have lain upon your Art; for Hellebore, .idminlBred to Sound Perfans, clouds their UndcfBandjngs ; but to the Mad it doth good. I believe, that if you had found ms not wricin.g, but lying down or w^alking, revol¬ ving c’aings in my mind, fometimss laughing,
and
\
“ Idlenefs ,
“ Lives And it is to be feared, that your Arc “ of PhyfickAvill nothing ple.rfe them, for In- “ temperance makes them frovvard , and they ‘‘eBeem Wifdom rhadnefs, and 1 doubt much “ that many things in your Art are openly re- “ proached, either through Envy orlngratitude; for the Sick, alibon as they are cured, aferibe the Caufe either to the Gods, or to Chance ; and rhany are of fuch a difpoficion, as to hate