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 store of Bookes. The .xliii. Dialogue.

IOY.

I Haue great store of bookes.

Reason.

The occasiō to speake of them, is ministred in conuenient time: For as some get bookes for learning sake, so do some others for pleasure & boa∣styng.

There be other some also which do furnish their chambers with this kinde of stuffe, which was inuented to furnish the mynd withal, and vse them in none other sort then they do theyr Corin∣thian vessels, or theyr painted tables, and images, & suche other lyke, wherof we entreated last. There be some also which, vnder the colour of bookes, do satisfie theyr couetousnesse: these be the worst sort of men, which esteeme not the true prices of bookes, & as they are in deede, but as they may sel them. A vyle plague, and lately growne, and whiche seemeth but newly to haue crept in a∣mong the practises of the richer sort, wherby there is growne one instrument and art of concupiscence more.

Ioy.

I haue great plentie of bookes.

Reason.

A painful, but a pleasant burden, & a delectable distraction of the mind.

Ioy.

I haue a marueilous multitude of bookes.

Reason.

Thou hast therewithal also great plentie of traueyl, and scarcitie of quietnesse: thy wit must be busi∣ed this way, and that way, and thy memorie be troubled with this matter, & that matter. What wouldest thou haue me say? Bookes haue brought some men to knowledge, & some to madnes, whilst they draw out of them more then they can disgest. As fulnes some∣time hurteth the stomack more then hūger, so fareth it with wits: and as of meates, so lykewyse of bookes, the vse ought to be li∣mitted according to the qualitie of him that vseth thē. In al thin∣ges, that which is to litle for one, is to much for another. And ther∣fore a wise man seeketh not plentie, but sufficiencie in al thynges. For the one of these, is many times hurtfull, the other, alwayes profitable.

Ioy.

I haue immoderate store of bookes.

Reason.

We cal that immoderate, which hath neither ende nor measure, without which, what there is good and agreeable to it selfe in hu∣mane affayres, do thou consider with thy selfe, yea, in those thin∣ges which are accompted best, vnmeasurablenesse and immode∣ratnesse is to be eschewed, and this saying of the C••••nicke Poet is alwayes to be had before our eyes: Beware of to much.

Ioy.

I haue an inestimable many of bookes.

Reason.

Hast thou moe then had Ptolomeus Philadelphus, king of Egypt, moe then the libraries of Alexandria, wherin it is wel knowne, were 〈◊〉〈◊〉. M. bokes gathered togither, which being w^t great study & dili∣gence brought frō sundry places, were hurut togither in one fire?

which Liuius tearmeth an excellent worke of the maiestie and di∣lygence of a kynges trauayl, whom Seneca reprehendeth for that iudgement, saying, that it was not a woorke of the maiestie and di∣digence of a king, but of his studious lasciuiousnesse, and not so good neyther, but of a Kyng vaynely boastyng hym selfe in spec∣tacles and shewes sought of purpose. And yet notwithstanding perhaps the ryches of a Kyng may excuse the saying of Liuius. and the deede of Ptolomeus, and the Kynges entent forseeyng and prouyding a farre of for publique vses: whiche in this re∣spect truely was commendable, in that he caused the holy scrip∣tures, which are not only profitable for the worlde, but also neces∣sary, with great trauayle and charge by choise men for that pur∣pose, to be translated out of the Hebrue into the Greeke tongue. But what shal a man say, when priuate men do not only match, but surpasse Princes in sumptuousnes? We reade how that Se∣renus Sammonicus, who was a man of wonderful knowledge, and yet had greater defyre of more learnyng, but had farre many moe bookes, to the number of threescore and two thousand, who when he died, gaue them al to Gordianus the youger, vnto whose father he had been most freindly & familiar. Truely a great inhe∣ritance, & sufficient for many wits, but able to ouerthrow one wit, who doubteth? what (I pray you) if this man had done nothing els in al his lyfe time, yf he had him self neuer written any thing, or taken the toyle to searche, or had neuer gone about to take the payne to reade or vnderstand any matter that was comprehen∣ded in all those bookes: Had he not businesse yenough to know the bookes themselues, and theyr titles, and the names of the aucthours, and the formes, and number of the volumes? A woorthy occupation, whiche of a Philosopher, maketh a booke keeper. Beleeue me this is not the way to noorysh the wyt by writinges, but to ouerwhelme and kyl it with multitude, or els peraduenture after the maner of Tantalus, to torment the asto∣nyshed mynde with thyrst, whiche tasteth nothyng, but gapeth af∣ter euery thyng.

Ioy.

I haue an innumerable multitude of bookes.

Reason.

And also an innumerable multitude of er∣rours, some publyshed by the wicked, some by the vnlearned. And those of the fyrst sort, contrary to religion, godlynesse, and

the holy Scriptures, the other repugnaunt to nature, equitie, and good manners, & the lyberall sciences, or Histories, and the trueth of thynges doone, but al generally striuyng agaynst the trueth: and in them all, specially the fyrst, where greater mat∣ters are handled, and true thynges are myngled with false, the discernyng of them is harde and daungerous. And to admit that the integritie of aucthours were perfect & absolute, what writer is able to remedie ignorance and slouthfulnesse, whiche corrupt and confounde al thynges? For feare whereof, many excellent wyttes haue geuen ouer sundry worthie workes, and our most lewde age is deseruedly plagued with this punyshment, whiche is careful of the Kytchyn, and negligent of learnyng, & encoura∣geth Cookes, and not wryters. And therfore, whosoeuer can a litle blot paper with ynke, and knoweth howe to holde a pen in his fyngers, shalbe counted a wryter, yea, although he be voide of all learnyng, without wyt, and destitute of knowledge. I doo not seeke nowe, nor complayne of Orthographie, whiche is long since peryshed, I woulde to GOD they coulde wryte by one meanes or other indifferently that whiche they be wyl∣led, then the weakenesse of the wryter woulde appeare, and the substaunce of the thynges not lye vnknowne. But nowe by meanes of their confused copies & registers, promising to write one thyng, they wryte so another, that a man cannot tell hym selfe what he wylled them to wryte. If Cicero or Liuius, and many other of the famous auncient wryters, shoulde come agayne into the worlde, but specially Plinius the seconde, and reade theyr owne woorkes, woulde they vnderstand, and not in many places doubt, whether these were theyr owne woorkes, or some barbarous wryter? Among so many ruins of humane in∣uentions, the holy Scripture remayneth, both by meanes of the more speciall care of men, but chiefly by the expresse woorking of God the aucthour thereof, who defendeth his holy woorde, his sacred Histories, and diuine lawes, and geueth continuance vnto his inuentions. The most principall of all other artes doo perysh, and the greatest part of them are lost. Thus of so great a losse there is no remedie, because there is no perceyuyng of it, which in this case is no strange thyng, for the great losses of ver∣tues

and manners, are neglected. Nowe when ye prouyd for smal matters with such diligence, ye accompt of the losse of learnyng among trifles, and there be some that reckon it among gayne. There was one of late, not in the fieldes or wooddes, but that which thou mayest the more marueyle at, in a great and moste floryshyng Citie of Italie, not a shephearde or a ploughman, but a Noble man, and of great credite among the people of the coun∣trey where he dwelt, who sware that he woulde geue a great summe of money, vpon condition there woulde neuer any lear∣ned man come in and dwel in the countrey where he inhabited. Oh wycked voyce of a stony hart. It is reported also, that Li∣cinius was of the same mynd, and loathed learnyng, which (as it is written) he tearmed a common poyson and pestilence. How∣beit, perhaps his rude and clounyshe byrth may excuse his folly: But surely yf he had ben aduaunced to the state of an Emperour, he woulde not haue abandoned that nature. For the saying of Horace is true. Fortune changeth not a mans kinde. But what shall I say of your noble men, who doo not only suffer learnyng to peryshe, but pray and wysh that it may so? Truely this contempt and hatred of so most excellent a thyng, wyll in short tyme drowne you in the deapth of ignorance. And moreo∣uer, not to wander from the purpose, the wryters are restrayned by no lawe, and allowed by no examination, and chosen by no iudgment: there is not so muche libertie geuen to carpenters, to Husbandmen, to Weauers, not almost to any artificers, al∣though in others it be but a small danger, but in this, a great pe∣ryl: Neuerthelesse euery man runneth to writing, without choise or discretion, and they that destroy all, haue assured rewardes. And this is not so much the fault of the writers, which accordyng to the common custome of men do seeke after gayne, as of studen∣tes, and those that are put in trust with publique gouerment, who neuer had any care of such matter, hauing forgotten what Con∣stantinus gaue in charge to Eusebius of Palestine, to wit, that none should write bookes, but such as were of skill, and wel seene in the studie of antiquitie, and very expert in the Art wherin they wryte.

Ioy.

I haue good store of bookes.

Reason.

What yf thy mynde be not capable? Dooest thou remember Sabinus

in Seneca, howe he vaunteth in the skyll of his seruantes? What difference is there betweene thee and hym, but that thou art the more foole, and both of you bragge of that whiche is anothers: he, of his seruantes, which in deede were his owne, and thou, of the learnyng of thy bookes, whiche apparteyneth nothyng vnto thee? There be some that wyl seeme to knowe what so euer is wrytten in theyr bookes at home: and when there is mention made of any matter of learnyng, that booke, sayth he, is in my studie, supposyng that that were as muche to say, as it is here also in my breast, and so with a proude looke they say no more: A ridiculus kynde of people.

Ioy.

I haue abundaunce of bookes.

Reason.

Howe much rather had I that thou dyddest abounde in wyt, and eloquence, and lear∣nyng, and specially in innocencie and vertue? Howbeit, these thynges are not to be solde for money, as bookes are, and yf they were, I knowe not whether they shoulde fynde so many buyers as those bookes doo: Those furnysh the walles, these the mynd, whiche forasmuche as they are not seene with the eyes, men re∣gard them not. But truely yf store of bookes made men lear∣ned or good, then they that are the rychest men, myght be the best and learnedst men: the contrary wherof we see commonly.

Ioy.

I haue bookes, whiche are meanes and helpes to learnyng.

Reason.

Take heede that they be not rather impedimentes: For as great multitudes of souldyers haue been vnto some an hynderaunce of wynnyng, so plentie of bookes haue ben a let vn∣to some of learnyng: and of store, as it chaunceth, commeth scarcitie: but yf it be so, that a man haue them, they are not to be cast away, but layde asyde, and the best are to be vsed, and diligent heede to be taken, least perhaps they whiche woulde profyte in tyme, may hynder out of season.

Ioy.

I haue many, and sundry bookes.

Reason.

The diuersitie of wayes many tymes deceyueth the trauayler, and he that want assuredly in one path, was in doubt when he came to a crosse way, and the incertentie of three or foure wayes meetyng togeather, is farre more great: and so it hap∣peneth often tymes, that he that hath read one booke with effect, hath opened and turned ouer many without profyte.

There be many thynges burdensome to them that learne, but to the learned, few woordes do suffice: to much is hurtful vnto both, but with strong shoulders it is to be borne vp.

Ioy.

I haue gotten togeather a great many of excellent bookes.

Reason.

There is no man that I can nowe cal to remembraunce, that was famous for his multitude of bookes, besides the Kyng of E∣gypt, of whom I spake before: which honourable name he wan, not so much by the number of his bookes, as by his worthie tran∣station of certayne of them. Doubtlesse, a marueylous woorke of so many wittes, vnlesse the wyt of one that came afterwarde had been a greater wonder: but yf thou seeke glory by bookes, thou must take another course, for thou must not haue them only, but know them, neyther are they to be committed to the Library, but to memorie, and not to be shut vp in the ful studie, otherwise, no man shalbe more glorious then the publique librarie, or his owne studie.

Ioy.

I haue many notable bookes.

Reason.

Thou hast many tyed in chaines, who if they could breake away, and speake, they woulde bring thee to the iudgment of a priuate prison: then wyl they priuily weepe, and that for sundry thynges, but specially for this one thyng, for that one couetous person ma∣ny tymes hath plentie of those, which many that are studious do want.