A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soul of man With the…A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soule of man With the…

The principal Corruptions which I conceive of the Memory, are first, too much slightness and shallowness of observation; when out of an impatience of staying long, or making any pro•ound enquiry into one object, and out of a gluttonous curiosity to seed on many, the greediness of the appetite weakeneth the digestion, (for so some have called the Memory, the Belly of the Soul) and an eagerness to take in, makes uncareful to retain. And this is the reason, why many men wander over all Arts and Sciences, without gaining real improvement, or solidity in any: They make not any solemn Journey to a particular Coast, and Head of Learning, but view all as it were in Transitu; having no sooner begun to settle on one, but they are in haste to visit another. But such men as these (except endowed with an incredible and usual felicity of dispatch) are no more able to find the use, or search the bottom of any Learning, than he who rides Post, is to make a description and Map of his Journeys: who, though by much employment, he may toil and sweat more in travelling from place to place; yet is he far less able to discover the nature of the Countries, ⟨p. 16⟩temperature of the Air, Character of the people, Commodities of the Earth, than he, who though not so violent in the motion, is yet more constant in his abode: and though his haste be less eager, yet his observations are more serious. Omnis festinatio coeca est, saith Seneca; Precipitancy and unstableness, as well in the motions of the Wit as of the Body, dazzleth and disableth the eyes: And it is true in the Mind, as in the Stomach; too quick digestion doth always more distemper than nourish, and breedeth nothing but Crudities in Learning. Nor can I call that so much Study, as agitation and restlessness of the Mind; which is as impatient of true settled labour, as it is of quiet. Now, the reason why such a temper of Mind as this, is corruptive to the Memory, is first, because Memory is always joined with some measure of Love; and we most of all remember that, which we most respect: Omnia quae •urant meminerunt; There where the Treasure is, the Mind will be also: There therefore, where our Love is most constant, our Memories will be most faithful. So, that sudden vanishing, and broken desires, which like the appetite of sick men, are for the time violent, but give presently over;

The principall Corruptions which I conceive of the Memorie, are first, too much slightnesse and shallownesse of observation; when out of an impatiencie of staying long, or making any proound enquirie into one object, and out of a gluttonous curiositie to seed on many, the greedinesse of the appetite weakeneth the digestion, (for so some have called the Memorie, the Belly of the Soule) and an eagernesse to take in, makes uncarefull to retaine. And this is the reason, why many men wander over all Arts and Sciences, without gaining reall improvement, or soliditie in any: They make not any solemne Iourney to a particular Coast, and Head of Learning, but view all as it were in Transitu; having no sooner begun to settle on one, but they are in haste to visit another. But such men as these (except endowed with an incredible and usuall felicitie of dispatch) are no more able to finde the use, or search the bottome of any Learning, than he who rides Poast, is to make a description and Map of his Iourneyes: who, though by much imployment, he may toyle and sweat more in travelling from place to place; yet is hee farre lesse able to discover the nature of the Countreyes,