thing so tedious, nothing so odious; that which they so
carefully seek to preserve [2758]he abhors, he alone; so intolerable are
his pains; some make a question, _graviores morbi corporis an animi_,
whether the diseases of the body or mind be more grievous, but there is no
comparison, no doubt to be made of it, _multo enim saevior longeque est
atrocior animi, quam corporis cruciatus_ (Lem. _l. 1. c. 12._) the diseases
of the mind are far more grievous.--_Totum hic pro vulnere corpus_, body
and soul is misaffected here, but the soul especially. So Cardan testifies
_de rerum var. lib. 8. 40._ [2759]Maximus Tyrius a Platonist, and Plutarch,
have made just volumes to prove it. [2760]_Dies adimit aegritudinem
hominibus_, in other diseases there is some hope likely, but these unhappy
men are born to misery, past all hope of recovery, incurably sick, the
longer they live the worse they are, and death alone must ease them.

Another doubt is made by some philosophers, whether it be lawful for a man
in such extremity of pain and grief, to make away himself: and how these
men that so do are to be censured. The Platonists approve of it, that it is
lawful in such cases, and upon a necessity; Plotinus _l. de beatitud. c.
7._ and Socrates himself defends it, in Plato's Phaedon, "if any man labour
of an incurable disease, he may despatch himself, if it be to his good."
Epicurus and his followers, the cynics and stoics in general affirm it,
Epictetus and [2761]Seneca amongst the rest, _quamcunque veram esse viam ad
libertatem_, any way is allowable that leads to liberty, [2762]"let us give
God thanks, that no man is compelled to live against his will;" [2763]
_quid ad hominem claustra, career, custodia? liberum ostium habet_, death
is always ready and at hand. _Vides illum praecipitem locum, illud flumen_,
dost thou see that steep place, that river, that pit, that tree, there's
liberty at hand, _effugia servitutis et doloris sunt_, as that Laconian lad
cast himself headlong (_non serviam aiebat puer_) to be freed of his
misery: every vein in thy body, if these be _nimis operosi exitus_, will
set thee free, _quid tua refert finem facias an accipias_? there's no
necessity for a man to live in misery. _Malum est necessitati vivere; sed
in necessitate vivere, necessitas nulla est. Ignavus qui sine causa
moritur, et stultus qui cum dolore vivit_. _Idem epi. 58._ Wherefore hath
our mother the earth brought out poisons, saith [2764]Pliny, in so g