soul is contaminated. In a commonwealth, where
is no public enemy, there is likely civil wars, and
they rage upon themselves: this body of ours,
when it is idle, and knows not how to bestow itself,
macerates and vexeth itself with cares, griefs, false
fears, discontents, and suspicions; it tortures and
preys upon his own bowels, and is never at rest.
Thus much I dare boldly say; he or she that is idle,
be they of what condition they will, never so rich,
so well allied, fortunate, happy, let them have all
things in abundance and felicity that heart can wish
and desire, all contentment, so long as he or she
or they are idle, they shall never be pleased, never
well in body and mind, but weary still, sickly still,
vexed still, loathing still, weeping, sighing, grieving,
suspecting, offended with the world, with every object,
wishing themselves gone or dead, or else earned away
with some foolish phantasy or other. And this
is the true cause that so many great men, ladies,
and gentlewomen, labour of this disease in country
and city; for idleness is an appendix to nobility;
they count it a disgrace to work, and spend all their
days in sports, recreations, and pastimes, and will
therefore take no pains; be of no vocation: they
feed liberally, fare well, want exercise, action,
employment, (for to work, I say, they may not abide,)
and Company to their desires, and thence their bodies
become full of gross humours, wind, crudities; their
minds disquieted, dull, heavy, &c. care, jealousy,
fear of some diseases, sullen fits, weeping fits seize
too [1552]familiarly on them. For what will not
fear and phantasy work in an idle body? what distempers
will they not cause? when the children of [1553] Israel
murmured against Pharaoh in Egypt, he commanded his
officers to double their task, and let them get straw
themselves, and yet make their full number of bricks;
for the sole cause why they mutiny, and are evil at
ease, is, “they are idle.” When you
shall hear and see so many discontented persons in
all places where you come, so many several grievances,
unnecessary complaints, fears, suspicions, [1554]the
best means to redress it is to set them awork, so
to busy their minds; for the truth is, they are idle.
Well they may build castles in the air for a time,
and sooth up themselves with fantastical and pleasant
humours, but in the end they will prove as bitter
as gall, they shall be still I say discontent, suspicious,
[1555]fearful, jealous, sad, fretting and vexing of
themselves; so long as they be idle, it is impossible
to please them, Otio qui nescit uti, plus habet
negotii quam qui negotium in negotio, as that [1556]Agellius
could observe: He that knows not how to spend
his time, hath more business, care, grief, anguish
of mind, than he that is most busy in the midst of
all his business. Otiosus animus nescit quid volet:
An idle person (as he follows it) knows not when he
is well, what he would have, or whither he would go,
Quum illuc ventum est, illinc lubet, he is tired