fear, they know not where they are, what they say, [1662]what they do, and
that which is worst, it tortures them many days before with continual
affrights and suspicion. It hinders most honourable attempts, and makes
their hearts ache, sad and heavy. They that live in fear are never free,
[1663]resolute, secure, never merry, but in continual pain: that, as Vives
truly said, _Nulla est miseria major quam metus_, no greater misery, no
rack, nor torture like unto it, ever suspicious, anxious, solicitous, they
are childishly drooping without reason, without judgment, [1664]"especially
if some terrible object be offered," as Plutarch hath it. It causeth
oftentimes sudden madness, and almost all manner of diseases, as I have
sufficiently illustrated in my [1665] digression of the force of
imagination, and shall do more at large in my section of [1666]terrors.
Fear makes our imagination conceive what it list, invites the devil to come
to us, as [1667]Agrippa and Cardan avouch, and tyranniseth over our
phantasy more than all other affections, especially in the dark. We see
this verified in most men, as [1668]Lavater saith, _Quae metuunt, fingunt_;
what they fear they conceive, and feign unto themselves; they think they
see goblins, hags, devils, and many times become melancholy thereby.
Cardan, _subtil. lib. 18_, hath an example of such an one, so caused to be
melancholy (by sight of a bugbear) all his life after. Augustus Caesar
durst not sit in the dark, _nisi aliquo assidente_, saith [1669]Suetonius,
_Nunquam tenebris exigilavit_. And 'tis strange what women and children
will conceive unto themselves, if they go over a churchyard in the night,
lie, or be alone in a dark room, how they sweat and tremble on a sudden.
Many men are troubled with future events, foreknowledge of their fortunes,
destinies, as Severus the Emperor, Adrian and Domitian, _Quod sciret
ultimum vitae diem_, saith Suetonius, _valde solicitus_, much tortured in
mind because he foreknew his end; with many such, of which I shall speak
more opportunely in another place.[1670] Anxiety, mercy, pity, indignation,
&c., and such fearful branches derived from these two stems of fear and