father and son, brother and sister, kinsmen are at odds:  and look what malice, deadly hatred can invent, that shall be done, Terrible, dirum, pestilens, atrox, ferum, mutual injuries, desire of revenge, and how to hurt them, him and his, are all our studies.  If our pleasures be interrupt, we can tolerate it:  our bodies hurt, we can put it up and be reconciled:  but touch our commodities, we are most impatient:  fair becomes foul, the graces are turned to harpies, friendly salutations to bitter imprecations, mutual feastings to plotting villainies, minings and counterminings; good words to satires and invectives, we revile e contra, nought but his imperfections are in our eyes, he is a base knave, a devil, a monster, a caterpillar, a viper, a hog-rubber, &c. Desinit in piscem mulier formosa superne;[4518] the scene is altered on a sudden, love is turned to hate, mirth to melancholy:  so furiously are we most part bent, our affections fixed upon this object of commodity, and upon money, the desire of which in excess is covetousness:  ambition tyranniseth over our souls, as [4519]I have shown, and in defect crucifies as much, as if a man by negligence, ill husbandry, improvidence, prodigality, waste and consume his goods and fortunes, beggary follows, and melancholy, he becomes an abject, [4520]odious and “worse than an infidel, in not providing for his family.”

SUBSECT.  II.—­Pleasant Objects of Love.

Pleasant objects are infinite, whether they be such as have life, or be without life; inanimate are countries, provinces, towers, towns, cities, as he said, [4521]_Pulcherrimam insulam videmus, etiam cum non videmus_ we see a fair island by description, when we see it not.  The [4522]sun never saw a fairer city, Thessala Tempe, orchards, gardens, pleasant walks, groves, fountains, &c.  The heaven itself is said to be [4523]fair or foul:  fair buildings, [4524]fair pictures, all artificial, elaborate and curious works, clothes, give an admirable lustre:  we admire, and gaze upon them, ut pueri Junonis avem, as children do on a peacock:  a fair dog, a fair horse and hawk, &c. [4525]_Thessalus amat equum pullinum, buculum Aegyptius, Lacedaemonius Catulum_, &c., such things we love, are most gracious in our sight, acceptable unto us, and whatsoever else may cause this passion, if it be superfluous or immoderately loved, as Guianerius observes.  These things in themselves are pleasing and good, singular ornaments, necessary, comely, and fit to be had; but when we fix an immoderate eye, and dote on them over much, this pleasure may turn to pain, bring much sorrow and discontent unto us, work our final overthrow, and cause melancholy in the end.  Many are carried away with those bewitching sports of gaming, hawking, hunting, and such vain pleasures, as [4526]I have said:  some with immoderate desire of fame, to be crowned in the Olympics, knighted in the field, &c., and by these means ruinate themselves.