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 the opinion of Vertue. The .xi. Dialogue.

IOY.

WHatsoeuer I am, men haue a good opinion of me.

Reason.

Opinion changeth not the thing it selfe.

Ioy.

The common opinion is, that I am a good man.

Reason.

What yf thou be nought, is not then the opinion false? For him that knoweth a thing, & falsely reioy∣ceth, it is a madnesse.

Ioy.

In the opinion of the common peo∣ple, I am called good.

Reason.

There is nothing which opi∣nion can not imagine to it selfe. But whatsoeuer good or euyll dwelleth in the minde, it is not altered by diuers opinions, nor speeches. And therefore, if all the men in the worlde doo say thou art a good man, thou art in dede made neuer awhyt the better.

Ioy.

At the leastwise I haue a good name.

Reason.

The wise man among the Hebrewes sayth, that a good name is better then great riches. And agayne in another place, A good name, sayth he, is letter then precious oyntmentes. By these wordes he hath expres∣sed the value of a good name, and the smel of good report, in com∣paring them to golde, & to an oyntment: But howe can a name or any thyng els be good, if it be false? And therefore whatsoeuer name a wicked man hath, his wickednesse notwithstanding is not the lesse. Then let hym not glory in his vaine name, but let hym heare the saying of the same wyse man, The name of the vngodly. sayth he, shall rot away: and that saying also of another man, This is our glory, to wit, the testimonie of our consience. If that doo grudge within thee, what wyl the whisperyng of flatterers auayle thee? what good wyl that name doo thee, which is gotten by feygning and flatterie? there springeth no good out of an ill roote: Neyther mayest thou say that a good name springeth hereof, seeyng in so saying thou canst not say trueth.

Ioy.

My citizens thinke well of mee.

Reason.

It skilleth not what other men thinke of thee, but what thou thy selfe thinkest.

Ioy.

My citizens speake well of mee.

Reason.

Beleeue them not, they know not what they speake, & they lye willingly, by reason of a certaine itche they haue in their tongues, to speake doubly and on both sides, whose continual custome is turned into nature.

Ioy.

Very many speake well of mee.

Reason.

To beleeue those that are ignoraunt, what is it other, then willingly to be deceiued?

Ioy.

The

countrey rounde about speaketh wel of mee.

Reason.

Perhaps allured by meanes of fayre speache, or gyftes on thy part, or loo∣kyng for some commoditie at thy handes N••uer beleue him that loueth, or him that hopeth.

Ioy.

My neighbours renoume my name.

Reason.

One of them abuseth another, and all of them abuse thee.

Ioy.

My citizens geuen••e a good report.

R ason.

Within thy minde there is a more incorrupt and assured witnes: Demaund of thine owne consience, and beleeue that.

Ioy.

Men haue a good opinion of mee.

Reason.

Opinion is the name of a doubtful thyng Vertue is a thing most assured.

Ioy.

I seeme vnto my selfe to be a good man.

Reason.

Then art thou euyl: For good men doo mislyke and accuse them selues.

Ioy.

I seeme good vnto my selfe, and to others.

Reason.

What if thou be euyll, and they fooles?

Ioy.

My citizens hope well of mee.

Reason.

Endeuour that their hope be not deceiued. It is a shame to delude them that hope well of a man, in that whiche he may doo of hymselfe.

Ioy.

I thynke I am suche an one of whom many doo not hope in vayne.

Reason.

It thou were so, thou wouldest not beleeue it. It is an euyll thyng for a man to de∣ceyue others, but woorst of all to deceyue hym selfe.

Ioy.

All men thinke that I am good.

Reason.

But what yf thou know the contrarie?

Ioy.

All men call me good.

Reason.

And doest thou beleeue them all? Art thou not ashamed to be called that whiche thou art not? But among many other thynges, this is a strange qualitie which is engraff••d within you, concernyng your selues and your affayres, yea, although they be secrete, to beleeue euery one better then your selues. And ••ccording to Horace say∣ing, Both to feare hing infamie, and to be d••lighted in false glory.

Ioy.

The whole common people prayse me with one voyce.

Reason.

There is no way more prone to errour, and to fallyng downe headlong, then by the common peoples steppes: For al∣most whatsoeuer the common people doth prayse, is rather woor∣thy of reprehension.

Ioy.

I please all men.

Reason.

God despiseth those that please men, and to please men, is to displease God: and the contraries, reioyce in theyr contraries.

Ioy.

I haue the name of a good man.

Reason.

That m••st be preserued by constancie and honestie of lyfe, otherwyse it loyl soone vanish,

for it waxeth stale.

Ioy.

The people doth muche aduaunce my prayse.

Reason.

Thou hast planted wythered trees in a drye soyle.

Ioy.

My commendation also is great among the lear∣ned.

Reason.

If it be true commendation, it wyll continue, and as Cicero sayth, it wyll gather roote, and spreade foorth. But if it be false, it wyl quickly tall as doth a flowre.

Ioy.

Al men, as it were with one mouth, doo set foorth my vertue.

Reason.

Ye ought not to glory in the state of men, nor in your owne ver∣tue, although it be true, but in hym that is auciour of all vertues: who so doth the contrarie, he shall not onely not obteyne by the testimonie of men that whiche he hath not, but shall diminishe or loose that which he hath.

Ioy.

Al the whole common people speake well of mee.

Reason,

I haue alredie sayde, and nowe I repeate it agayne: Whatsoeuer the multitude thinketh, is vayne, whatsoeuer they speake, is false, whatsoeuer they dislyke, is good, whatsoeuer they like, is euyll, whatsoeuer they commende, is infamous, whatsoeuer they doo, is foolyshe. Then goe thy wayes nowe, and vaunt thy selfe of the foolyshe speache of madde men.