“Clames licet et mare coelo
------Confundas, surdo narras,"[416]

demonstrate as Ulysses did to [417]Elpenor and Gryllus, and the rest of his companions “those swinish men,” he is irrefragable in his humour, he will be a hog still; bray him in a mortar, he will be the same.  If he be in an heresy, or some perverse opinion, settled as some of our ignorant Papists are, convince his understanding, show him the several follies and absurd fopperies of that sect, force him to say, veris vincor, make it as clear as the sun, [418]he will err still, peevish and obstinate as he is; and as he said [419]_si in hoc erro, libenter erro, nec hunc errorem auferri mihi volo_; I will do as I have done, as my predecessors have done, [420]and as my friends now do:  I will dote for company.  Say now, are these men [421]mad or no, [422]_Heus age responde_? are they ridiculous? cedo quemvis arbitrum, are they sanae mentis, sober, wise, and discreet? have they common sense? ------[423]_uter est insanior horum_?  I am of Democritus’ opinion for my part, I hold them worthy to be laughed at; a company of brain-sick dizzards, as mad as [424]Orestes and Athamas, that they may go “ride the ass,” and all sail along to the Anticyrae, in the “ship of fools” for company together.  I need not much labour to prove this which I say otherwise than thus, make any solemn protestation, or swear, I think you will believe me without an oath; say at a word, are they fools?  I refer it to you, though you be likewise fools and madmen yourselves, and I as mad to ask the question; for what said our comical Mercury?

[425] “Justum ab injustis petere insipientia est.”

       “I’ll stand to your censure yet, what think you?”

But forasmuch as I undertook at first, that kingdoms, provinces, families, were melancholy as well as private men, I will examine them in particular, and that which I have hitherto dilated at random, in more general terms, I will particularly insist in, prove with more special and evident arguments, testimonies, illustrations, and that in brief. [426]_Nunc accipe quare desipiant omnes aeque ac tu._ My first argument is borrowed from Solomon, an arrow drawn out of his sententious quiver, Pro. iii. 7, “Be not wise in thine own eyes.”  And xxvi. 12, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? more hope is of a fool than of him.”  Isaiah pronounceth a woe against such men, cap. v. 21, “that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.”  For hence we may gather, that it is a great offence, and men are much deceived that think too well of themselves, an especial argument to convince them of folly.  Many men (saith [427]Seneca) “had been without question wise, had they not had an opinion that they had attained to perfection of knowledge already, even before they had gone half way,” too forward, too ripe, praeproperi, too quick and ready, [428]_cito prudentes, cito pii, cito mariti, cito patres, cito sacerdotes, cito omnis