The remedies of sorrow

question 38

Deinde considerandum est de remediis doloris seu tristitiae. Et circa hoc quaeruntur quinque. Primo, utrum dolor vel tristitia mitigetur per quamlibet delectationem. Secundo, utrum mitigetur per fletum. Tertio, utrum per compassionem amicorum. Quarto, utrum per contemplationem veritatis. Quinto, utrum per somnum et balnea.
Is pain or sorrow assuaged by every pleasure?
Is it assuaged by weeping?
Is it assuaged by the sympathy of friends?
Is it assuaged by contemplating the truth?
Is it assuaged by sleep and baths?

1. Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut ex praedictis patet, delectatio est quaedam quies appetitus in bono convenienti; tristitia autem est ex eo quod repugnat appetitui. Unde sic se habet delectatio ad tristitiam in motibus appetitivis, sicut se habet in corporibus quies ad fatigationem, quae accidit ex aliqua transmutatione innaturali, nam et ipsa tristitia fatigationem quandam, seu aegritudinem appetitivae virtutis importat. Sicut igitur quaelibet quies corporis remedium affert contra quamlibet fatigationem, ex quacumque causa innaturali provenientem; ita quaelibet delectatio remedium affert ad mitigandam quamlibet tristitiam, ex quocumque procedat.

As is clear from the above, pleasure is a certain rest of the appetite in a convenient good; but sadness comes from something being repugnant to the appetite. Whence pleasure so holds itself to sadness among the appetitive motions, as rest to fatigue in bodies, which happens from some unnatural change, for sadness itself is a certain fatigue or imports a sickness of the appetitive power. As therefore any rest of the body bears a remedy for any fatigue, from whatever cause the unnatural is coming from so any pleasure brings a remedy to mitigate any sadness, which proceeds from anything.

2)
Respondeo dicendum quod lacrimae et gemitus naturaliter mitigant tristitiam. Et hoc duplici ratione. Primo quidem, quia omne nocivum interius clausum magis affligit, quia magis multiplicatur intentio animae circa ipsum, sed quando ad exteriora diffunditur, tunc animae intentio ad exteriora quodammodo disgregatur, et sic interior dolor minuitur. Et propter hoc, quando homines qui sunt in tristitiis, exterius suam tristitiam manifestant vel fletu aut gemitu, vel etiam verbo, mitigatur tristitia. Secundo, quia semper operatio conveniens homini secundum dispositionem in qua est, sibi est delectabilis. Fletus autem et gemitus sunt quaedam operationes convenientes tristato vel dolenti. Et ideo efficiuntur ei delectabiles. Cum igitur omnis delectatio aliqualiter mitiget tristitiam vel dolorem, ut dictum est, sequitur quod per planctum et gemitum tristitia mitigetur.
Tears and sighing naturally mitigate sadness. And this for two reasons. The first, becuase every harmful thing afflicts more as it is closed up more inside, because the intention of the soul is greatly increased concerning it, but when it is diffused outward, the the intention of the soul is in a way dispersed outward, and so interior pain is diminished. ANd because of this, when men who are in sadnesses, manifest their sadness more outwardly by weeping or sighing, or even by words, sadness is mitigated (I prefer sighs to groans, becuase then he goes even to "words").
SEcondly, because every operation convenient to man according to the disposition in which he is, is pleasurable to him. Now weeping and sighing are certain congenial/convenient/connatural to being saddened or grieving. And so they become pleasurable to oneself. Since therefore every pleasure somehow mitigates sadness or pain, as was said, it follows that through lamenting and sighing sadness is mitigated.


ARTICLE 3 - the love of friends (prologue - compassionum amicorum - 1st obj - compatientis)

Respondeo dicendum quod naturaliter amicus condolens in tristitiis, est consolativus. Cuius duplicem rationem tangit philosophus in IX Ethic. Quarum prima est quia, cum ad tristitiam pertineat aggravare, habet rationem cuiusdam oneris, a quo aliquis aggravatus alleviari conatur. Cum ergo aliquis videt de sua tristitia alios contristatos, fit ei quasi quaedam imaginatio quod illud onus alii cum ipso ferant, quasi conantes ad ipsum ab onere alleviandum et ideo levius fert tristitiae onus, sicut etiam in portandis oneribus corporalibus contingit. Secunda ratio, et melior, est quia per hoc quod amici contristantur ei, percipit se ab eis amari; quod est delectabile, ut supra dictum est. Unde, cum omnis delectatio mitiget tristitiam, sicut supra dictum est, sequitur quod amicus condolens tristitiam mitiget.
Naturally a friend grieving together in sadness is consoling. Aristotle touches upon two reasons in 9 Ethics. One of which si because, when sadness pertains to weighing down, it has the character (ratio) of some kind of load, from which emburdenment one is constrained (conatur) to be alleviated.
Now when someone sees others saddened concerning one's sorrow, it seems to him by a certain imagination that his others bear his load with him, as though constrained to alleviate him form the burden and therefore he bears the burden of his sorrow more lightly, also as it happens in carrying bodily burdens.
The second reason, and better, is because one perceives himself to be loved by his friends through their being saddened with him; which is pleasurable, as was said above. Hence, since every pleasure mitigates sadness, as was said above, so it follows that a friend grieving with one mitigates sadness. (Why is it better? because it actually causes pleasure - through being loved by his friends).

Article 4
DOES CONTEMPLATION OF THE TRUTH mitigate sorrow?

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, in contemplatione veritatis maxima delectatio consistit.
Maximal delight consists in this.
Omnis autem delectatio dolorem mitigat, ut supra dictum est. Et ideo contemplatio veritatis mitigat tristitiam vel dolorem, et tanto magis, quanto perfectius aliquis est amator sapientiae. Et ideo homines ex contemplatione divina et futurae beatitudinis, in tribulationibus gaudent; secundum illud Iacobi I, omne gaudium existimate, fratres mei, cum in tentationes varias incideritis.
Now every pleasure mitigates pain, as was said above. And therefore the contemplation of turth mitigates sorrow or pain, and much more, the more perfectly is someone a lover of wisdom. And therefore men rejoice in tribulations from the contemplation of divine things and future beatitude; acc. to James I - Think everything joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations.
Et quod est amplius, etiam inter corporis cruciatus huiusmodi gaudium invenitur, sicut Tiburtius martyr, cum nudatis plantis super ardentes prunas incederet, dixit, videtur mihi quod super roseos flores incedam, in nomine Iesu Christi.
And this is more, also when joy is found in a tortured body, as the martyr Tiburtius, when he walked barefoot on burning coals, said, "It seems to me that I walk on roses, in the name of Jesus Christ."

5. Do sleep and baths mitigate?

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, tristitia secundum suam speciem repugnat vitali motioni corporis. Et ideo illa quae reformant naturam corporalem in debitum statum vitalis motionis, repugnant tristitiae, et ipsam mitigant. Per hoc etiam quod huiusmodi remediis reducitur natura ad debitum statum, causatur ex his delectatio, hoc enim est quod delectationem facit, ut supra dictum est. Unde, cum omnis delectatio tristitiam mitiget, per huiusmodi remedia corporalia tristitia mitigatur.
Sandess is according to its species repugnant to the vital motion. ANd therefore those things which reform the bodily nature to its proper state of vital movement, is repugnant to sadness, and mitigate it. Go from within the body itself - counteract the movement. Through this also because remedies of this kind reduce nature to its proper state, pleasure is caused, for this is what makes delight, as was said above. Nature in its proper state also causes pleasure. Whence, since every pleasure mitigates sadness, through bodily remedies such as these sadness is mitigated.