John Donne - Delphi Poets Series (66 page)

XXIII. MEDITATION

IT IS not in
mans body
, as it is in the
Citie
, that when the
Bell
hath rung, to cover your
fire
, and rake up the
embers
, you may lie downe and sleepe without feare. Though you have by
physicke
and
diet
, raked up the
embers
of your
disease
, stil there is a feare of a
relapse;
and the
greater
danger is in that. Even in
pleasures
, and in
paines
, there is a
propriety
, a
Meum
and
Tuum;
and a man is most affected with that
pleasure
which is
his
,
his
by former enjoying and experience, and most intimidated with those
paines
which are
his, his
by a wofull sense of them, in former afflictions. A
covetous
person, who hath preoccupated all his senses, filled all his capacities, with the
delight
of
gathering
, wonders how any man can have any
taste
of
any pleasure
in
any opennesse
, or
liberalitie;
So also in
bodily paines
, in a fit of the
stone
, the Patient wonders why any man should call the
Gout
a
paine:
And hee that hath felt neither, but the
tooth-ache
is as much afraid of a fit of that, as either of the other, of either of the other.
Diseases
, which we never
felt
in our selves, come but to a
compassion
of others that have endured them; Nay,
compassion
it selfe comes to no great
degree
, if wee have not felt in some
proportion
, in
our selves
, that which wee lament and condole in another. But when wee have had those torments in their
exaltation, our selves
, wee tremble at a relapse. When wee must
pant
through all those
fierie heats
, and
saile
thorow all those
overflowing sweats
, when wee must
watch
through all those long
nights
, and
mourne
through all those long
daies
, (
daies
and
nights
, so
long
, as that
Nature
her selfe shall seeme to be
perverted
, and to have put the
longest day
, and the
longest
night
, which should bee
six moneths
asunder, into one
naturall, unnaturall day
) when wee must stand at the same
barre
, expect the returne of
Physitians
from their
consultations
, and not bee sure of the same
verdict
, in any good
Indications
, when we must goe the same
way
over againe, and not see the same
issue
, this is a
state
, a
condition
, a
calamitie
, in respect of which, any other
sicknesse
, were a
convalescence
, and any
greater, lesse
. It addes to the
affliction
, that
relapses
are, (and for the most part justly) imputed to
our selves
, as occasioned by some
disorder
in us; and so we are not onely
passive
, but
active
, in our owne
ruine;
we doe not onely stand under a
falling house
, but
pull
it downe upon us; and wee are not onely
executed
, (that implies
guiltinesse
) but wee are
executioners
, (that implies
dishonor
) and
executioners
of
our selves
, (and that implies
impietie
). And wee fall from that
comfort
which wee might have in our first
sicknesse
, from that
meditation, Alas, how generally miserable is Man, and how subject to diseases
, (for in that it is some degree of
comfort
, that wee are but in the state
common
to all) we fall, I say, to this
discomfort
, and
selfe accusing
, and
selfe condemning; Alas,
how unprovident, and in that, how unthankfull to God and his instruments am I,
in making so ill use of so great benefits, in destroying so soone, so long a worke,
in relapsing, by my disorder, to that from which they had delivered mee;
and so my
meditation
is fearefully transferred from the
body
to the
minde
, and from the consideration of the
sicknesse
to that sinne, that
sinful carelessness
by which I have occasioned my
relapse
. And amongst the many
weights
that aggravate a
relapse
, this also is one, that a
relapse
proceeds with a more violent dispatch, and more
irremediably
, because it finds the
Countrie weakned
, and
depopulated
before. Upon a
sicknesse
, which as yet appeares not, wee can scarce fix a
feare
, because wee know not what to feare; but as
feare
is the
busiest
, and
irksomest
affection
, so is a
relapse
(which is still
ready to come
) into that, which is but newly gone, the
nearest object
, the
most immediate
exercise of that
affection
of
feare
.

PARADOXES

CONTENTS

I. A Defence of Womens Inconstancy.

II. That Women ought to Paint.

III. That by Discord things increase.

IV. That good is more common than euill.

V. That all things kill themselues.

VI. That it is possible to find some vertue in some Women.

VII. That Old men are more fantastique than Young.

VIII. That Nature is our worst Guide.

IX. That only Cowards dare Dye.

X. That a Wise Man is knowne by much Laughing.

XI. That the gifts of the Body are better than those of the Minde.

I. A Defence of Womens Inconstancy.

THat Women are
Inconstant
, I with any man confesse, but that
Inconstancy
is a bad quality, I against any man will maintaine: For euery thing as it is one better than another, so it it fuller of
change
; The
Heauens
themselues continually turne, the Starres moue, the
Moone
changeth;
Fire
whirleth,
Aire
flyeth,
Water
ebbs and flowes, the face of the
Earth
altereth her lookes,
time
staies not; the Colour that is most light will take most dyes: soe in Men, they that haue the most reason are the most intolerable in their designes and the darkest or most ignorant, doe seldomest change; therefore Women changing more than Men, haue also more
Reason
. Thye cannot be immutable like stockes, like stones, like the Earths dull Center; Gold that lyeth still, rusteth; Water, corrupteth; Aire that moueth not, poysoneth; then why should that which is the perfection of other things, be imputed to Women as the greatest imperfection? Because thereby they deceiue men. Are not your wits pleased with those iests, which coozen your expectation? You can call it Pleasure to be beguild in troubles, and in the most excellent toy in the world, you call it Treacherie: I would you had your
Mistresses
so constant, that they would neuer change, no not so much as their
smocks
, then should you see what sluttish vertue,
Constancy
were.
Inconstancy
is a most commendable and cleanly quality, and Women in this quality are farre more absolute than the Heauens, than the Starres, Moone, or any thing beneath it; for long obseruation hath pickt certainty out of their mutability. The Learned are so well acquainted with the Starrs, Signes and Planets, that they make them but Characters, to read the meaning of the Heauen in his owne forehead. Euery simple Fellow can bespeake the change of the
Moone
a great while beforehand: but I would faine haue the learnedst man so skilfull, as to tell when the simplest Woman meaneth to varie. Learning affords no rules to know, much less knowledge to rule the mind of a Woman: For as
Philosophy
teacheth us, that
Light things do alwayes tend vpwards
and
heauy things decline downeward;
Experience teacheth vs otherwise, that the disposition of a Light Woman, is to fall downe, the nature of Women being contrary to all Art and Nature. Women are like
Flies
, which feed among vs at our Table, or
Fleas
sucking our very blood, who leaue not our most retired places free from their familiarity, yet for all their fellowship will they neuer be tamed nor commanded by vs. Women are like the
Sun
, which is violently carried one way, yet hath a proper course contrary: so though they, by the mastery of some ouer-ruling churlish hasbands, are forced to his Byas, yet haue they a motion of their owne, which their husbands neuer know of. It is the nature of nice and fastidious minds to know things onely to be weary of them: Women by their slye
changeablenesse
, and pleasing doublenesse, preuent euen the mislike of those, for they can neuer be so well knowne, but that there is still more vnknowne. Euery Woman is a
Science
; for he that plods vpon a Woman all his life long, shall at length find himselfe short of the knowledge of her: they are borne to take downe the pride of wit, and Ambition of wisdome, making
fooles
wise in the aduenturing to winne them,
wisemen
fooles in conceit of losing their labours;
witty
men starke mad, being confounded with their vncertainties.
Philosophers
write against them for spite, not desert, that hauing attained to some knowledge in all other things, in them onely they know nothing, but are meerely ignorant:
Actiu
and
Experienced
men raile against them, because they loue in ther liuelesse & decrepit age, when all goodnesse leaues them. These enuious
Libellers
ballad against them, because hauing nothing in themselues able to deserue their loue, they maliciously discommend al they cannot obtaine, thinking to make men beleeue they know much, because they are able to dispraise much, and rage against
Inconstancy
, when they were neuer admitted into so much fauour as to bee forsaken. In mine Opinion such Men are happy that Women are
Inconstant
, for so may they chance to be beloued of some excellent Women (when it comes to their turne) out of their
Inconstancy
and mutability though not out of their owne desert. And what reason is there to clog any Woman with one Man, be he neuer so singular? Women had rather, and it is farre better and more Iudiciall to enioy all the vertues in seuerall Men, than but some of them in one, for otherwise they lose their taste, like diuerse sorts of meate minced together in one dish: and to haue all excellencies in one man (if it were possible) is
Confusion
and
Diuersity
. Now who can deny, but such as are obstinately bent to vndervalue their worth, are those that haue not soule enough to comprehend their excellency, Women being the most excellentest Creatures, in that Man is able to subiect all things else, & to grow wise in euery thing, but still persists a foole in Woman? The greatest
Scholler
if he once take a wife, is found so vnlearned, that must begin his
Hornebooke
, and all is by
Inconstancy
. To conclude therefore; this name of
Inconstancy,
which hath so much beene poisoned with slaunders, ought to be changed into
variety
, for the which the world is so delightfull, and a Woman for that the most delightfull thing in this world.

II. That Women ought to Paint.

FOulenesse
is
Lothsome
: can that be so which helpes it? who forbids his beloued to gird her wast? to burnish her teeth? Or to perfume her breath? yet that the
Face
be more precisely regarded, it concernes more: for the secret parts needs the lesse respect; but of the
Face
, discouered to all Examinations and suruayes, there is not too nice a Ialousie. Nor doth it onely draw the busy eyes, but it is subject to the diuinest touch of all, to
kissing
, the strange and mysticall vnion of soules. If she should prostitute her selfe to a more vnworthy Man than thy selfe, how earnestly and iustly wouldst thou exclaime? that for want of this easier and ready way of repairing, to betray her body to ruine & deformity (the tyrannous
Rauishers
, and sodaine
deflourers
of all Women) what a heynous Adultery is it? What thou louest in her
face
is
colour
, and
painting
giues that, but thou hatest it, not because it is, but because thou knowest it. Foole, whom Ignorance makes happy, the Starres, the Sunne, the Skye whom thou admirest, alas, haue no
colour
, but are faire because they seeme to be coloured: if this seeming will not satisfie thee in her, thou hast good assurance of her
colour
, when thou seest her
lay
it on. If her
face
be
painted
on a Boord or Wall, thou wilt loue it, and the Boord, and the Wall: Canst thou loath it then when it speakes, smiles, and kisses, because it is painted? Are wee not more delighted with seeing Birds, Fruites, and Beasts
painted
than wee are with naturalls? And doe wee not with pleasure behold the
painted
shape of monsters and Diuells, whom true, wee durst not regard? Wee repaire the ruines of our houses, but first cold tempests warnes vs of it, and bytes vs through it; wee mend the wracke and staines of our Apparell, but first our eyes, and other bodies are offended, but by this prouidence of Women, this is preuented. If in
kissing
or
breathing
vpon her, the
painting
fall off, thou art angry, wilt thou bee so, if it sticke on? thou didst loue her, if thou beginnest to hate her, then ‘tis because shee is not
painted
. If thou wilt say now, thou didst hate her before, thou didst hate her and loue her together, be constant in something, and loue her who shewes her great
loue
to thee, in taking the paines to seeme
louely
to thee.