time,
satirists, epigrammists, comedians, apologists, &c., but such as personate,
rail, scoff, calumniate, perstringe by name, or in presence offend;

[2183] "Ludit qui stolida procacitate
Non est Sestius ille sed caballus:"

'Tis horse-play this, and those jests (as he [2184]saith) "are no better
than injuries," biting jests, _mordentes et aculeati_, they are poisoned
jests, leave a sting behind them, and ought not to be used.

[2185] "Set not thy foot to make the blind to fall;
Nor wilfully offend thy weaker brother:
Nor wound the dead with thy tongue's bitter gall,
Neither rejoice thou in the fall of other."

If these rules could be kept, we should have much more ease and quietness
than we have, less melancholy, whereas on the contrary, we study to misuse
each other, how to sting and gall, like two fighting boors, bending all our
force and wit, friends, fortune, to crucify [2186]one another's souls; by
means of which, there is little content and charity, much virulency,
hatred, malice, and disquietness among us.

SUBSECT. V.--_Loss of Liberty, Servitude, Imprisonment, how they cause
Melancholy_.

To this catalogue of causes, I may well annex loss of liberty, servitude,
or imprisonment, which to some persons is as great a torture as any of the
rest. Though they have all things convenient, sumptuous houses to their
use, fair walks and gardens, delicious bowers, galleries, good fare and
diet, and all things correspondent, yet they are not content, because they
are confined, may not come and go at their pleasure, have and do what they
will, but live [2187]_aliena quadra_, at another man's table and command.
As it is [2188]in meats so it is in all other things, places, societies,
sports; let them be never so pleasant, commodious, wholesome, so good; yet
_omnium rerum est satietas_, there is a loathing satiety of all things. The
children of Israel were tired with manna, it is irksome to them so to live,
as to a bird in his cage, or a dog in his kennel, they are weary of it.
They are happy, it is true, and have all things, to another man's judgment,
that heart can wish, or that they themselves can desire, _bona si sua
norint_: yet they loathe it, and are tired with the present: _Est natura
hominum novitatis avida_; men's nature is still desirous of news, variety,
delights; and our wandering affections are so irregular in this kind, that
they must change, though it must be to the