Obstupui,
steteruntque
comæ, et vox faucibus hæsit. -- 1 VIRG. æn. 1.
ii.
774.
I stood agast, my haire on
end,
My jaw-tide tongue no speech
would
lend.
AM no good Naturalist (as they say and I
know not well by what springs
feare doth worke in us: but well I wot it is a strange passion: and as
Physitian s say, there is none doth sooner transport our judgement out
of his due seat. Verily I have seene divers become mad and senselesse
for
feare: yea and in him, who is most settled and best resolved, it is
certaine
that whilest his fit continueth, it begetteth many strange dazelings,
and
terrible amazements in him. I omit to speake of the vulgar sort, to
whom
it sometimes representeth strange apparitions, as their fathers and
grandfathers
ghosts, risen out of their graves, and in their winding sheets: and to
others it sometimes sheweth Larves, Hobgoblins, Robbin-good-fellowes,
and
such other Bugbeares and Chimeræs. But even amongst Souldiers,
with
whom it ought to have no credit at all, how often hath she changed a
flocke
of sheep into a troupe of armed men? Bushes and shrubs into men at-
armes
and officiers? our friends into our enemies? and a red crosse into a
white?
At what time the Duke of Bourbon tooke Rome, an Ancient that kept
sentinell
in the borough Saint Peter, was at the first alarum surprised with such
terror, that with his colours in his hand he suddenly threw himselfe
thorow
the hole of a breach out of the Citie, and just in the midst of
hisenemies,
supposing the way to goe straight in the heart of the Citie: but in the
end he no sooner perceived the Duke of Bourbons troupes advancing to
withstand
him, imagining it to bee some sallie the Citizens made that way, hee
better
bethinking himselfe, turned head, and the very same way he came out, he
went into the towne againe, which was more than three hundred paces
distance
towards the fields. The like happened, but not so successfully, unto
Captaine
Iulle his ensigne-bearer at what time Saint Paul was taken from us by
the
Earle of Bures, and the Lord of Reu, who was so frighted with feare,
that
going about to cast himselfe over the towne wals, with his Ancient in
his
hand, or to creepe thorow a spike-hole, he was cut in peeces by the
assailants.
At which siege likewise, that horror and feare is very memorable, which
so did cboake, seize upon, and freeze the heart of a gentleman, that
having
received no hurt at all, he fell downe starke dead upon the ground
before
the breach. The like passion rage doth sometimes possesse a whole
multitude.
In one of the encounters that Germanicus had with the Germanes, two
mightie
troupes were at one instant so frighted with feare, that both betooke
themselves
to their heeles, and ran awa y two contrary wayes, the one right to
that
place whence the other fled. It sometimes addeth wings unto our heeles,
as unto the first named, and other times it takes the use of feet from
us: as we may reade of Theophilus the Emperor, who in a battell hee
lost
against the Agarens, was so amazed and agonied, that he could not
resolve
to scape away by flight: adeo pavor etiam auxilia formidat; 'Feare is
so
afraid even of that should help;' Untill such time as Manuel, one of
the
chiefe leaders in his armie, having rouzed and shaken him, as it were
out
of a dead sleepe, said unto him, 'Sir, if you will not presently follow
me, I will surely kill you, for better were it you should lose your
life,
than being taken prisoner, lose your Empire and all.' Then doth she
shew
the utmost of her power, when for her owne service, she calls us off
unto
valour, which it hath exacted from our duty and honor. In t he
first
set battell, the Romans lost against Hanibal, under the Consul
Sempronius,
a troupe of wel-nigh ten thousand footmen was so surprised with feare,
that seeing no other way to take, nor by what other course to give
their
basenes free passage, they headlong bent their flight toward the
thickest
and strongest squadron of their enemies, which with such furie it
rowted
and slew a great number of the Carthaginians: purchasing a reproachfull
and disgraceful flight, at the same rate it might have gained a most
glorious
victorie. It is feare I stand most in feare of. For, in sharpnesse it
surmounteth
all other accidents. What affecfion can be more violent and just than
that
of Pompeyes friends, who in his owne ship were spectators of that
horrible
massacre? yet is it, that the feare of the ægyptian sailes, which
began to approach them, did in such sort daunt and skare them, that
some
have noted, they only busied themselves to hasten the marriners to make
what speed they could and by maine strength of oares to save
themselves,
untill such time, as being arrived at Tyre, and that they were free
from
feare, they had leasure to bethinke themselves of their late losse, and
give their plaints and teares free passage, which this other stronger
passion
had suspended and hindred.
Tum pavor
sapientiam
omnem mihi ex animo expectorat.-- CIC. Tusc. Qu. 1. iv. ex Enn.; De
Orat. 1. iii.
Feare then unbreasts all wit,
That in my minde did sit.
Those who in any skirmish or
sudden
bickering of warr e have been throughly skared, fore-hurt, wounded, and
gored as they be, are many times the next day after brought to charge
againe.
But such as have conceived a true feare of their enemies, it is hard
for
you to make them looke them in the face againe. Such as are in
continuall
feare to lose their goods, to be banished, or to be subdued, live in
uncessant
agonie and languor; and thereby often lo se both their drinking,
their eating, and their rest. Whereas the poore, the banished, and
seely
servants, live often as carelesly and as pleasantly as the other. And
so
many men, who by the impatience and urging of feare, have hanged,
drowned,
and headlong tumbled downe from some rocke, have plainly taught us,
that
feare is more importunate and intolerable than death. The
Græcians
acknowledge another kinde of it, which is beyond the error of our
discourse:
proceeding, as they say without any ap parent cause, and from an
heavenly
impulsion. Whole Nations and Armies are often seene surprised with it.
Such was that which brought so wonderfull a desolation to Carthage,
where
nothing was heard but lamentable out-cries and frightfull exclamations:
the inhabitants were seene desperately to runne out of their houses, as
to a sudden alarum, and furiously to charge, hurt, and enter-kill one
another,
as if they had beene enemies come to usurpe and possesse their Citie.
All
things were there in a disordered confusion, and in a confused furie,
until
such time as by praiers and sacrifices they had appeased the wrath of
their
Gods. They call it to this day, the Panike terror.
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