bear to whisper among themselves, that rather than there should be a mistake in the calculation, he sent up his soul to heaven through a slip about his neck."

The Anatomy of Melancholy is written under the assumed name of Democritus Junior. In his address to the reader, after a brief delineation of the character of Democritus, he proceeds to give the following account of himself, assigning his reasons for the assumption of his name.

But, in the mean time, how doth this concern me, or upon what reference do I usurp his habit? I confess, indeed, that to compare myself unto him, for ought I have yet said, were both impudency and arrogancy. Yet thus much I will say of myself, and that I hope without all suspicion of pride or self-conceit, I have lived a silent, sedentary, solitary, private life, mihi et musis, in the university, as long almost as Xenocrates in Athens, ad senectam fere, to learn wisdom as he did, penned up most part in my study: for I have been brought up a student in the most flourishing college of Europe, augustissimo collegio, and can brag with Jovius, almost in ea luce domicili Vaticani, totius orbis celeberrimi per 37 annos multa opportunaque didici; for thirty years I have con、 tinued (having the use of as good libraries as ever he

had) a scholar, and would be therefore loth, either by living as a drone, to be an unprofitable or unworthy member of so learned and noble a society, or to write that which should be any way dishonourable to such a royal and ample foundation. Something I have done: though by my profession a divine, yet turbine raptus ingenii, as he said, out of a running wit, an inconstant unsettled mind, I had a great desire (not able to attain to a superficial skill in any) to have some smattering in all, to be aliquis in omnibus, nullus in singulis; which Plato commends, out of him Lipsius approves, and furthers as fit to be imprinted in all curious wits, not to be a slave of one science, or dwell altogether in one subject, as most do, but to rove abroad, centum puer artium; to have an oar in every man's boat, to taste of every dish, and to sip of every cup; which, saith Montaigne, was well performed by Aristotle, and his learned countryman, Adrian Turnebus. This roving hu mour (though not with like success) I have ever had, and like a ranging spaniel, that barks at every bird he sees, leaving his game, I have followed all, saving that which I should, and may justly complain and truly, qui ubique est, which Gesner did in modesty; that I have read many books, but to little purpose, for want of good method; I have confusedly tumbled over divers authors in our libraries, with small profit, for want of ait, order, memory, judgment. I never

travelled but in map or card, in which my tmcor fined thoughts have freely expatiated, as having ever been especially delighted with the study of cosmography. Saturn was lord of my geniture, culminating, &c. and Mars principal significator of manner, in partile conjunction with mine ascendant; both fortunate in their houses, &c. I am not poor, I am not rich; nihil est, nihil deest; I have little, I want nothing all my treasure is in Minerva's tower. Greater preferment as I could never get, so am I not in debt for it. I have a competency (laus Deo) from my noble and munificent patrons. Though I live still a collegiate student, as Democritus in his garden, and lead a monastic life, ipse mihi theatrum, sequestered from those tumults and troubles of the world, et tanquam in specula positus (as he said) in some high place above you all, like stoicus sapiens, omnia sæcula preterita præsentiaque videns, uno velut intuitur. I hear and see what is done abroad. How others run, ride turmoil, and macerate themselves in court and country. Far from those wrangling law-suits, aula vanitatem, fori ambitionem; ridere me→ cum soleo: I laugh at all, only secure, lest my suit go amiss, my ships perish, corn and cattle miscarry, trade decay, I have no wife nor children, good or bad, to provide for; a mere spectator of other men's fortunes and adventures, and how they act their parts, which' me thinks are diversely presented unto me, as from

a common theatre or scene. I hear new news every day and those ordinary rumours of war, plagues, fires, inundations, thefts, murders, massacres, meteors, comets, spectrums, prodigies, apparitions, of towns taken, cities besieged in France, Germany, Turkey, Persia, Poland, &c. daily musters and preparations, and such like, which these tempestuous times afford; battles fought, so many men slain, monomachies, shipwrecks, piracies, and sea-fights; peace, leagues, stratagems, and fresh alarms-a vast con fusion of vows, wishes, actions, edicts, petitions, lawsuits, pleas, laws, proclamations, complaints, grievances, are daily brought to our ears: new books every day, pamphlets, currantoes, stories, whole catalogues of volumes of all sorts, new paradoxes, opinions, schisms, heresies, controversies in philosophy, religion, &c. Now come tidings of weddings, maskings, mummeries, entertainments, jubilees, embassies, tilts and tournaments, trophies, triumphs, revels, sports, plays; then again, as in a new shifted scene, treasons, cheating, tricks, robberies, enormous villanies of all kinds, funerals, bu rials, death of princes, new discoveries, expeditions; now comical, now tragical matters. To day we hear of new lords and officers created, to-morrow of some great men deposed, and then again of fresh honours conferred: one is let loose, another imprisoned one purchaseth, another breaketh: he thrives,

his neighbour turns bankrupt: now plenty, then another rides,

again dearth and famine; one runs, wrangles, laughs, weeps, &c. Thus I daily hear, and such like, both private and public news. Amidst the gallantry and misery of the world, jollity, pride, perplexities and cares, simplicity and villany, subtlety, knavery, candour, and integrity, mutually mixt and offering themselves, I rub on, privus privatus: as I have still lived, so I now continue, statu quo prius, left to a solitary life, and mine own domestic discontents; saving that sometimes, ne quid mentiar, as Diogenes went into the city, and Democritus to the haven to see fashions, I did for my recreation now and then walk abroad, look into the world, and could not choose but make some little observation, non tam sagax observator, ac simplex recitator, not, as they did, to scoff or laugh at all, but with a mixt passion.

Bilem sæpe jocum vestri movere tumultus.

I did sometime laugh and scoff with Lucian, and satirically tax with Menippus, lament with Heraclitus; sometimes again I was petulanti splene cachinno, and then again, urere bilis jecur; I was much moved to see that abuse which I could not amend: in which passion, howsoever I may sympathize with him or them, it is for no such respect I shroud myself under his name; but either in an unknown habit, to