Phisicke against fortune, aswell prosperous, as aduerse conteyned in two bookes. Whereby men are instructed, with lyke indifferencie to remedie theyr affections, aswell in tyme of the bryght shynyng sunne of prosperitie, as also of the foule lowryng stormes of aduersitie. Expedient for all men, but most necessary for such as be subiect to any notable insult of eyther extremitie. Written in Latine by Frauncis Petrarch, a most famous poet, and oratour. And now first Englished by Thomas Twyne.

Of expecting a mans sonne, or Farmer, or wyfe. The .Cxiiii. Dialogue.

Hope.

I Hope for my sonnes returne.

Reason.

Thou hopest for a careful ioy, and a neare sorow.

Hope.

I hope to see my friend agayne.

Reason.

Thou hopest for a sweete thyng, but deceiueable: mens affayres tremble vpon a brittle foundation, perhaps he whom thou now lookest for is dead, which thou maist proue yf thou liue. There are a thousand kindes of impedimens, & one that is common to al, that is, death.

Hope.

I trust to en∣ioy y^e desired sight of my friend.

Reason.

These two are almost alwayes ioyned togeather, to wyshe, and to hope: but by sundry

casualties they be dayly separated. Howe many may we thynke were there in Rome, that with very desirous myndes expected the returne of the last Marcus Marcellus? But contrarywyse his most cruel foe attended his commyng in the myddes of the way, whose furious sauagenesse was more mightie then was the mercyfulnesse of the conquerour that reuoked his aduersarie from exyle. And therfore Caesar at the request of the Senate coulde pardon Marcellus: but Marcellus Client coulde not sustayne a∣ny greater griefe, then that he shoulde enioy that benefite from Caesar.

Hope.

I hope to see my friende, and I expect him, ha∣uyng no enimie to hinder his commyng.

Reason.

What man is he that hath not an enimie? and albeit he haue no priuate eni∣mie, yet is there any without publique fooes? I meane theeues and murderers, who mooued with couetousnesse haue proclaymed open war agaynst mankynde. But imagine there chaunced some such good constellation, y^t this mischiefe were banyshed out of the worlde: notwithstandyng who shal defend Wagons and Horses from ouerthrowyng, ryuers and streames from ouerflowyng, brydges and houses from fallyng, tempestes on Sea and lande from rysyng? Adde moreouer the incursion of fierce and wylde beastes, and venomous vermyne, by meanes of whiche, Dicae∣archus a most curious searcher of such matters, sheweth that not only certaine particuler men, but also whole generations of men, haue ben destroyed. And in summe, looke how many chaunces there be in humane affaires, wherof there is no certaine number, so many enimies are there of mankinde, which may, I say not slacke thy hope, but extinguysh it. And though nothyng els doo happen, yet death, of whom I spake erwhile, whether men go or stande, is alwaies at their elbowe, and perhaps more neere to them that ryde and traueile vppon the way, by howe muche theyr iourney, and riding, and changyng of place, seemeth to be subiect to more kindes of casualties.

Hope.

I hope for my friendes returne, after the prosperous dispatching of his businesse.

Reason.

How gloriously & prosperously Drusus Nero, that was sonne in law to Augustus, behaued him self and accomplished his affaires, that he was beloued of his enimies that he had vanquyshed, so that they dyd almost adore hym as a

God, whose wonderfull affection towards the memoriall of hym, euen to this present day, I suppose thou mightest perceiue, yf euer thou were conuersant among the states of Germanie. Truely he atchiued such exploites wherof he might woorthily vaunt him, the whiche appeareth yet remayning to this day ingrauen in cer∣tayne Romane stones, wherof some of the first sillables are defa∣ced and throwen downe by misfortune, in these verses, At the de∣parting of the Rhine, I inuaded the land and wasted the enimies coun∣trey, while vnto thee, O Rome, which art glorious and renowmed with thyne euerlasting Monumentes of victorie, Hister foloweth with a more calme streame. How thynkest thou, dyd the Emperour Au∣gustus, Lorde of all the world, expect the returne of so noble a young Gentleman, whom in louyng he had made his sonne? And howe Liuia Augusta, vnto whom nature had made hym belo∣ued, but vertue more beloued, and his brothers cowardice, I sup∣pose, most dearely beloued? Howe moreouer his brother hym selfe, how soeuer he was vnto other, yet most louyng of his moste excellent brother? And last of al, howe Rome it selfe, and the whole common wealth, which at that tyme depended so much vp∣on no man? But what then? what was the ende of so manyfolde expectations? Sodayne death tooke away this long looked for Drusus, and that by naturall sicknesse, and as some approoued aucthours report, by addyng therevnto the breakyng of his thygh: so that he that was looked for to returne a conquerour in∣to his countrey, was brought backe thyther dead. What shal I speake of his sonne Germanicus? I thinke there was ne∣uer greater expectation of any man. It was not his father nor yet Augustus that expected him, who were then both dead, but it was the whole citie of Rome. & that with so wonderful desire, as if the whole citie had had but one minde, & had ben a widdow, and a mother that had but one childe. And therfore, at the fyrst report of his sicknesse, al the citie was amazed, and cast into heauinesse, and al mens countenances & apparrel were chaunged, and there was sorowful silence throughout the whole citie. But after that better tidings, although by vncertayne aucthours, reported that he was alyue and recouered, immediatly a most happy & loude noyse was in euery place raysed, which also awaked Tiberius

him selfe, and there was great concurse of people into the capitoll ho••••e, to perfourme vowes, and geue thankes to the goddes, in∣somuche that the doores of the Temples were almost borne away with the throng, the darkenesse of the nyght was ouercome with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a plentie of Torches and other lightes, and silence broken with the voyces of them that sung for ioy, Rome is in safetie, our coun∣••••••y is in safetie, Germanicus is in safetie. But what at length was the ende of this matter? Euen that whiche is most common in humane affayres: For there came a more certaine messenger, which reported that Germanicus was dead: wherevpon arose a publique sorow and lamentation, which could not be restrained by ••••ictes, holydayes, or any consolations. The historie is well kno∣wen, written in the fourth booke of the Emperours.

Hope.

I hope my young sonne wyll returne.

Reason.

Were not these young enough of whom I spake erewhile? Then heare of a youn∣ger. Marcellinus, that was Nephewe to the same Augustus on his sisters side, how much thinkest thou was he expected of his Vncle, who loued him so tenderly, that he could not heare, without teares, those most noble verses of Virgil, wherein that most ex∣cellent Poet celebrated the remembraunce of that young Gen∣tleman, being but almost a chyld, and when he was reading them, commaunded the aucthour to holde his peace? How much of his mother Octauia, who loued him so dearely, that she mourned for him continually vnto the last day of her lyfe, as though he had but then dyed, and dyd not onely contemne, but also hate euery one that enduoured to comfort her? What shoulde a man say to these matters, and what thinkest thou other then all other men? He re∣turned not, but was translated: and as for Drusus, he returned not to Rome as he went to Germanie, neither dyd Antioche restore Germanicus, neither Baiana Marcellinus. There is a common destinie of your expectations, but thou fansiest vnto thy selfe another, and perhaps that chaunce may happen whiche thou expectest, which peraduenture when it is hapned, thou wylt begin to hope and wyshe that it were gone againe.

Hope.

I hope for the returne of my friende that is absent.

Reason.

Who wil marueyle, yf they that are liuing be looked for to come agayne, when some also that are dead, as report goeth, are expected? It is

reported, that the Britaines looke for the comming againe of king Arthure. And some do dreame that Nero the Emperour shal re∣turne, a litle before the ende of the worlde. Your whole lyfe, from the beginning to the ending, is not only ful of vayne expectations, but it selfe is also a vayne expectation. If thou perceyue not that this is so, thou hast eyther lyued too short tyme, or too long, or ta∣ken no regarde what is doone heere.

Hope.

I looke for my Farmer, that should come out of the Countrey.

Reason.

Per∣aduenture eyther his House is burnt, or his Haruest withered a∣way, or his Medowes ouerdried, or his Oxen dead, or his Vines hurt with the Hayle, or his Trees ouerthrowen with the whirle∣winde, or his Cornefieldes drowned with sudden waters, or his Bees flowne away, or his Fruites eaten vp with Caterpillers, or his Pigeon house destroyed by Crowes, Mice, and other ver∣mine, or his Poultry deuoured by the Foxe, or his Lambes spoyled by the Woolfe: these for the most part, are the tumours that come out of the countrey.

Hope.

I hope for my Wiues comming.

Reason.

If thou hope for that, then do I not know what thou fearest: yet is it so notwithstanding, for some looke for their wines, and some for an ague.