That by much laughing thou maiſt know there is a foole, not, that the laughers are fooles, but that among them there is ſome foole, at whome wiſemen laugh: which moved Eraſmus to put this as his firſt Argument in the mouth of his Folly, that ſhee made Beholders laugh: for fooles are the moſt laughed at, and laugh the leaſt themſelves of any. And Nature ſaw this faculty to bee ſo neceſſary in man, [27] ]that ſhee hath beene content that by more cauſes we ſhould be importuned to laugh, then to the exerciſe of any other power; for things in themſelves utterly contrary, beget this effect; for wee laugh both at witty and abſurd things: At both which ſorts I have ſeen Men laugh ſo long, and ſo earneſtly, that at laſt they have wept that they could laugh no more. And therfore the Poet having deſcribed the quietneſſe of a wiſe retired man, ſaith in one, what we have ſaid before in many lines; Quid facit Canius tuus? ridet. We have received that even the extremity of laughing, yea of weeping alſo, hath beene accounted wiſedome: And that Democritus and Heraclitus, the lovers of theſe Extremes, have been called lovers of wiſedome. Now among our wiſemen I doubt not, but many would be found who would laugh at Heraclitus weeping, none which weepe at Democritus laughing. At the hearing of Comedies or other witty reports, I have noted ſome, which not underſtanding jeſts, &c. have yet choſen this as the beſt meanes to ſeeme wiſe and underſtanding, to laugh when their Companions laugh; and I have preſumed them ignorant, whom I have ſeene unmoved. A foole if he come into a Princes Court, and ſee a gay man leaning at the wall, ſo gliſtering, and ſo painted [28] ]in many colours that he is hardly diſcerned from one of the pictures in the Arras, hanging his body like an Iron-bound-cheſt, girt in and thicke ribb’d with broad gold laces, may (and commonly doth) envy him. But alas! ſhall a wiſeman, which may not onely not envy, but not pitty this monſter, do nothing? Yes, let him laugh. And if one of theſe hot cholerike firebrands, which nouriſh themſelves by quarrelling, and kindling others, ſpit upon a foole one ſparke of diſgrace, he, like a thatcht houſe quickly burning, may bee angry; but the wiſeman, as cold as the Salamander, may not onely not be angry with him, but not be ſorry for him; therefore let him laugh: ſo he ſhall be knowne a Man, becauſe he can laugh, a wiſe Man that hee knowes at what to laugh, and a valiant Man that he dares laugh: for he that laughs is juſtly reputed more wiſe, then at whom it is laughed. And hence I thinke proceeds that which in theſe later formall times I have much noted; that now when our ſuperſtitious civility of manners is become a mutuall tickling flattery of one another, almoſt every man affecteth an humour of jeſting, and is content to be deject, and to deforme himſelfe, yea become foole to no other end that I can ſpie, but to give his wiſe Companion occaſion to laugh: and to ſhew [29] ]themſelves in promptneſſe of laughing is ſo great in wiſemen, that I thinke all wiſemen, if any wiſeman do reade this Paradox, will laugh both at it and me.
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11.
That the gifts of the Body are better then thoſe of the Minde.
I ſay againe, that the body makes the minde, not that it created it a minde, but formes it a good or a bad mind; and this minde may be confounded with ſoule without any violence or injuſtice to Reaſon or Philoſophy: then the ſoule it ſeemes is enabled by our body, not this by it. My Body licenſeth my ſoule to ſee the Worlds beauties through mine eyes; to heare pleaſant things through mine eares; and affords it apt Organs for the conveiance of all perceivable delight. But alas! my ſoule cannot make any part, that is not of it ſelfe diſpoſed, to ſee or heare, though without doubt ſhe be as able and as willing to ſee behind as before. Now if my ſoule would ſay, that ſhee enables any part to taſte theſe pleaſures, but is her ſelfe onely delighted with thoſe rich ſweetneſſes which her inward eyes [31] ]and ſenſes apprehend, ſhee ſhould diſſemble; for I ſee her often ſolaced with beauties, which ſhee ſees through mine eyes, and with muſicke which through mine eares ſhe heares. This perfection then my body hath, that it can impart to my minde all his pleaſures; and my minde hath ſtill many, that ſhe can neither teach my indiſpoſed part her faculties, nor to the beſt eſpouſed parts ſhew it beauty of Angels, of Muſicke, of Spheres, whereof ſhe boaſts the contemplation. Are chaſtity, temperance, and fortitude gifts of the mind? I appeale to Phyſitians whether the cauſe of theſe be not in the body, health is the gift of the body, and patience in ſickeneſſe the gift of the minde: then who will ſay that patience is as good a happineſſe, as health, when wee muſt be extremely miſerable to purchaſe this happineſſe. And for nouriſhing of civill ſocieties and mutuall love amongſt men, which is our chiefe end while wee are men; I ſay, this beauty, preſence, and proportion of the body, hath a more maſculine force in begetting this love, then the vertues of the minde: for it ſtrikes us ſuddenly, and poſſeſſeth us immoderately; when to know thoſe vertues requires ſome Iudgement in him which ſhall diſcerne, a long time and converſation betweene them. And even at laſt how much of our faith [32] ]and beleefe ſhall we be driven to beſtow, to aſſure our ſelves that theſe vertues are not counterfeited: for it is the ſame to be, and ſeeme vertuous, becauſe that he that hath no vertue, can diſſemble none, but he which hath a little, may gild and enamell, yea and transforme much vice into vertue: For allow a man to be diſcreet and flexible to complaints, which are great vertuous gifts of the minde, this diſcretion will be to him the ſoule & Elixir of all vertues, ſo that touched with this, even pride ſhal be made humility; and Cowardice, honourable and wiſe valour. But in things ſeene there is not this danger, for the body which thou loveſt and eſteemeſt faire, is faire; certainely if it bee not faire in perfection, yet it is faire in the ſame degree that thy Iudgement is good. And in a faire body, I doe ſeldome ſuſpect a diſproportioned minde, and as ſeldome hope for a good in a deformed. When I ſee a goodly houſe, I aſſure my ſelfe of a worthy poſſeſſour, from a ruinous weather-beaten building I turn away, becauſe it ſeems either ſtuffed with varlets as a Priſon, or handled by an unworthy and negligent tenant, that ſo ſuffers the waſte thereof. And truely the gifts of Fortune, which are riches, are onely handmaids, yea Pandars of the bodies pleaſure; with their ſervice we nouriſh [33] ]health, and preſerve dainty, and wee buy delights; ſo that vertue which muſt be loved for it ſelfe, and reſpects no further end, is indeed nothing: And riches, whoſe end is the good of the body, cannot be ſo perfectly good, as the end whereto it levels.
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12.
That Virginity is a Vertue.