A Melancholy Man

Sir Thomas Overbury (1581-1613), His Wife. With Additions of New Characters: And many other Witty Conceits never before Printed. The Seventeenth Impression (London: Printed for John Playfere, 1664), fols. G6-G7 (?): A Melancholly Man Is a strayer from the drove: one that Nature made a sociable, because she made him man, and a crazed disposition hath altered. Impleasing to all, as all to him; straggling thoughts are his content, they make him dream weaking, there's his pleasure. His imagination is never idle, it keeps his mind in a continuall motion, as the poise the clock: he winds up his thoughts often, and as often unwinds them; Penelopes web thrives faster. He'le seldome be found without the shade of some grove, in whose bottome a river dwels. He carries a cloud in his face, never faire weather; his outside is framed to his inside, in that he keeps a Decorum, both unseemly. Speak to him; he hears with his eyes, eares follow his mind, and that's not at leasure. He thinkes businesse,…