Use honest and chaste sports, scenical shows, plays, games; [3534] Accedant juvenumque Chori, mistaeque puellae.  And as Marsilius Ficinus concludes an epistle to Bernard Canisianus, and some other of his friends, will I this tract to all good students, [3535]"Live merrily, O my friends, free from cares, perplexity, anguish, grief of mind, live merrily,” laetitia caelum vos creavit:  [3536]"Again and again I request you to be merry, if anything trouble your hearts, or vex your souls, neglect and contemn it,” [3537]"let it pass.” [3538]"And this I enjoin you, not as a divine alone, but as a physician; for without this mirth, which is the life and quintessence of physic, medicines, and whatsoever is used and applied to prolong the life of man, is dull, dead, and of no force.” Dum fata sinunt, vivite laeti (Seneca), I say be merry.

[3539] “Nec lusibus virentem
        Viduemus hanc juventam.”

It was Tiresias the prophet’s council to [3540]Menippus, that travelled all the world over, even down to hell itself to seek content, and his last farewell to Menippus, to be merry. [3541]"Contemn the world” (saith he) “and count that is in it vanity and toys; this only covet all thy life long; be not curious, or over solicitous in anything, but with a well composed and contented estate to enjoy thyself, and above all things to be merry.”

[3542] “Si Numerus uti censet sine amore jocisque,
        Nil est jucundum, vivas in amore jocisque.”

Nothing better (to conclude with Solomon, Eccles. iii. 22), “than that a man should rejoice in his affairs.”  ’Tis the same advice which every physician in this case rings to his patient, as Capivaccius to his, [3543] “avoid overmuch study and perturbations of the mind, and as much as in thee lies live at heart’s-ease:”  Prosper Calenus to that melancholy Cardinal Caesius, [3544]"amidst thy serious studies and business, use jests and conceits, plays and toys, and whatsoever else may recreate thy mind.”  Nothing better than mirth and merry company in this malady. [3545]"It begins with sorrow” (saith Montanus), “it must be expelled with hilarity.”

But see the mischief; many men, knowing that merry company is the only medicine against melancholy, will therefore neglect their business; and in another extreme, spend all their days among good fellows in a tavern or an alehouse, and know not otherwise how to bestow their time but in drinking; malt-worms, men-fishes, or water-snakes, [3546]_Qui bibunt solum ranarum more, nihil comedentes_, like so many frogs in a puddle.  ’Tis their sole exercise to eat, and drink; to sacrifice to Volupia, Rumina, Edulica, Potina, Mellona, is all their religion.  They wish for Philoxenus’ neck, Jupiter’s trinoctium, and that the sun would stand still as in Joshua’s time, to satisfy their lust, that they might dies noctesque pergraecari et bibere.  Flourishing wits, and men of good parts, good fashion, and good worth, basely prostitute themselves to every rogue’s company, to take tobacco and drink, to roar and sing scurrilous songs in base places.