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 a good Lord. The .Lxxxv. Dialogue.

IOY.

I Haue a good Lorde.

Reason.

Whether thou hast hym, or he haue thee, thynke with thy selfe: but this is the maner of speakyng, for so you haue a Lorde, as a man may say he hath a Scab, or a Cough. There be many thynges whiche the pos∣sessours haue agaynst theyr wylles: those ryches be troublesome, whiche a man can not shake of.

Ioy.

I haue a good Lorde.

Reason.

Then hast thou lost thy libertie, for no man can haue a Lorde, and libertie at one tyme. Now neyther thy Systers, of whom thou spakest erwhile, neyther thy Daughters, neyther thy Sonnes wyues, neyther thy Wyfe, neyther thy Patrimonie, nei∣ther thy lyfe, are in safetie: for in respect of the Lord, whom thou hast, thou hast left of to haue all other thynges at once.

Ioy.

Chaunce hath offered vnto me, and my countrey, a good Lorde.

Reason.

These twayne are repugnant, and quite contrary: for yf he be good, he is no Lord: and if he be a Lorde, he is not good, specially if he would be called a Lord.

Ioy.

I haue a good Lord.

Reason.

Parentes are good, brethren and children may be good, but friendes are alwayes good, els are they not friendes: how∣beit, for a Lord to be called good, is a gentle lye, or a pleasant flat∣terie.

Ioy.

We haue a very good Lord.

Reason.

Perhaps a good gouernour of the people, and defendour of the Common wealth: a more acceptable thyng then which can not be offred vn∣to God by man. He is not onely not woorthy to be termed very good, yea, not so much as good, but rather woorst of all, who ta∣keth away from his Citizens and Subiectes, the best thyng that

they haue, to wit, their libertie, which is the cheefe and most speci∣all commoditie of this lyfe, and for the fulfilling of one mans bot∣tomlesse gulfe of couetousnesse, whiche wyll neuer be glutted, can willingly behold so many thousand wretches in miserie, with drye eyes. And yf iustice and mercie can not preuayle, yet at leastwise shame and honestie must reuoke him from so heauie a spectacle, al∣though he be affable to be spoken withal, faire spoken to perswade, and lastly, liberal vnto a fewe, of the spoyles of many. These are the meanes that Tyrantes doo vse, whom men commonly call Lordes, and are found to be Hangmen: With these mistes, they bleare mens eyes: with these baites, they couer their hookes, and catche the credulous in their snares.

Ioy.

I haue a mightie Lord.

Reason.

There is one only in heauen (who of his owne ryght hath called him selfe Lorde) and commaundeth him selfe so to be called: for Augustus Caesar, that was lord of the earth, pro∣uided by proclamation, that none should cal him Lord. The one is God of goddes, the other Emperour ouer men: The one mayn∣tayned his Maiestie, the other preserued his modestie. Finally, in this respect he sharply reprooued the people of Rome: for thus it is written of him, He alwayes abhorred the name of Lorde, as a reproche and slaunder. Which moderation also, it is well knowen that his successour obserued, although in all degrees he were farre inferiour vnto hym: who though he were greedy of gouerne∣ment, yet refrayned hym selfe from the title of Lordshyp, and so keepyng as it were a middle course betweene ambition and mo∣destie, he was content to be a Lorde, but not to be called so, kno∣wing that it was vniust which he desired, and therefore desired so as he might auoyde the blemish of reproofe. Harde, proude, and greeuous is the name of a Lord, specially where is loue of libertie, and shame of seruilitie? Whose foootesteppes Alexander that was Emperour of Rome wyfely followyng, woulde haue no man write vnto hym in any more lofue style and maner then to a priuate man. As for the other Alexander, that was kyng of Macedonie, he woulde not onely be called Lorde, but also God: whom these pettie Theeues of our tyme fol∣lowyng in lyke pride of minde, scarce hauyng possessed by sinister meanes a towne or twayne, wyll not onely be called Lordes,

but count it a shame to be reputed men, and take it as an iniurie to be so t••armed.

Ioy.

I haue a very good Lorde in deede.

Reason.

There is one very good Lorde in deede, whom yf thou hast, thy seruice is most honest, and more happie then a king∣dome.

Ioy.

We haue a iust Lorde, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 very good King.

Reason.

The Greekes make no difference betweene a King and a Tyrant, accordyng vnto which signification, our Poet spea∣king of a kyng, sayeth, It shalbe vnto me some part of contentation to haue touched the Tyrantes right hand. But among you, onely the purpose and maner of gouernment maketh the difference: so that he is truely to be tearmed a Kyng, that ruleth with iustice and equitie. But who so sitting in the hygh seate of princely digni∣tie, is not a diligent looker to the profite of the Common wealth, but rather a procurer of his owne priuate lust, or eyther seekyng after rapine, or imagining reuenge, pursueth his owne wilful∣nesse or wrathfulnesse, and geueth hym selfe vp to the outragious and vnbrydled motions of his minde, the same is a slaue vnto euyl maisters, and no kyng, although he appeare in more maiestie then the residue, and beare the Regal scepter in his hand, and vaunt hym selfe in his Purple and princely apparrell, but is ra∣ther a Theefe that is risen vnto dignitie, by vexing the Commons, or troubling the people, and is set in that place, to the intent that exercising his crueltie with a more free scourge, proouing some, and tempting other, troublyng and molestyng all, beyng hym selfe ignoraunt, and followyng his owne passions, notwithstan∣dyng, by the ordinaunce of hym that turneth euyl to good purpose, although with wycked and vniust handes, yet executeth he the iust iudgement of God, euen as a blooddie tormentor putteth in execution the vpryght sentence of a righteous Iudge.

Ioy.

My countrye hath a iust and godly Kyng.

Reason.

A rare treasure, and a most happie state of the Common wealth, vnlesse the present ioy procuring feare of that whiche is to come, dimini∣shed the felicitie, by causing a change to be suspected, and the wan∣tyng of that whiche is lost, whiche shortly after is lyke to heape vp togeather future miseries, were remayning in mens mindes that knowe the condicions of humane thynges, and Fortunes slypperie wheele, which suffereth no prosperous thing to continue

long. Custome asswageth the feelyng of that whiche is euyll, and vnaccustomed thynges cast a man downe, so that some haue sayde that it is best to be alwayes in aduersitie, which they would not haue sayd yf prosperitie would alwayes endure.

Ioy.

We haue a iust and mercyful Prince.

Reason.

Wyshe to dye whyle he liueth, that thou mayest not lament the alteration of the state: For seldome dooeth one good Prince succeede another, but ofttymes after an euyl commeth a worse, and most tymes af∣ter a worse, the worst of all.