Whatever you call it, “overmuch Joy” and love of “immoderate applause” being my personal favorites, pride is no good thing: “This acceptable disease, which so sweetly sets upon us, ravisheth our senses, lulls our souls asleep, puffs up our hearts as so many bladders.”
I really wanted to draw a puffed up bladder for this quote, and I kind of wish I had, but bladders are hard to draw, because they look like a lot of other innards. Is it a spleen? A bladder? A tumor? Pituitary gland? Who can tell?
Bladders aside, have you noticed: the bigger the ego, the more easily it goes boom boom? I keep mine small and innocuous.
Even more wisdom: “We commonly love him best in this malady that doth us most harm, and are very willing to be hurt; adulationibus nostris libentur favemus [we lend a willing ear to flattery.]” Sad but oh so very true, and that is why I assume that anyone who compliments me is trying to get me to join a cult. Maybe not right away, but I know eventually they’re going to be all… “So Devon… You have nice eyes. Also, have did I ever tell you that I am the Great Almighty Savior of the human race? I’m actually a giant gaseous turtle from Venus, but I put on this human costume l to make you more comfortable. I have this nice farm upstate…” And I’ll be like, “Are there more gaseous turtles there? There are? Sign me up!”
And THAT is why I have to watch myself.
This post is part of a long, tedious, and very illustrated read-along of Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy. More info here and follow along on Facebook here. Illustrations posted via devon_isadevon on Instagram.