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 quiet State. The .xc. Dialogue.

IOY.

HAuing disposed mine affaires in good order, I now lyue quietly.

Reason.

Forsooth, euen as thy ship out of the surgies of the sea, so thy mind, being discharged of y^e cares

of this lyfe, is arriued in the harbour of troubles and terrours: but in deede it is not so, for now hast thou greatest cause to feare. Knowest thou not that the state of humane things doth not con∣tinue, but he that sitteth highest vpon the wheele, is the neerest to fallyng?

Ioy.

Al thynges goe with me as I woulde wyshe.

Reason.

Thou sayest wel in saying they goe al, for nothyng tar∣rieth. Before then that thou seeme happy, perhaps hope posses∣seth some place within thee, but afterward feare, and last of all so∣rowe, but ioy neuer, I speake of the true ioy, vntyl such tyme as we attayne to the true & permanent good thyngs.

Ioy.

Haue∣ing disposed myne affayres, nowe I take my rest.

Reason.

Trauayle and sorow are the summe of humane thynges, & canst thou take thy rest in them? An hard head, that can endure to lye betwene an iron payre of sheetes, and rest thy selfe vpon a pillow of thornes.

Ioy.

All thyngs are wel prouided for.

Reason.

I suppose that thy ship of merchandize is arriued, thou hast esca∣ped daunger, thou hast builded an house, thou hast tilled thy lande, thou hast pruned thy vine, thou hast watered thy medowes, thou hast made thy floores, thou hast planted trees, thou hast cast ry∣uers, thou hast plashed hedges, thou hast buylded a doue house, thou hast put thy flockes and heardes into pasture, thy bees into their hiues, thy seede into the furrowes, thy new merchandize thou hast sent to sea, thou hast layde thy money safely to banke, thy coffers are full, thy hall is rych, thy chamber neate, thy barnes wel stored, thy store house full to the brim, thou hast prouided a dowrie for thy daughter, a wyfe for thy sonne, thou hast woon the peoples fauour with thy ambitious flatterie, thou hast got∣ten theyr voyces, thou hast prepared vnto thy selfe a redy way vnto ryches and honour, there nowe remayneth nothyng, but that thou reioyce in thyne owne felicitie. This, yf I be not deceyued, is thy conclusion: but myne is farre other wyse, to wyt, that thou dye. It seldome happeneth vnto men, to enioy long that which they haue gotten togeather with great diligence: the toyle is long, the vse is short.

Ioy.

Nowe that my affayres goe forwarde prosperously, I am in an assured state.

Reason.

Howe thou canst stande, whyle thyne affayres goe forwarde see thou, for I cannot perceyue.

Ioy.

I reioyce,

nowe that my businesse proceedeth accordyng to my desire.

Reason.

Now therefore it is tyme to dye: thynkest thou that there can any man lyue long meery heare? Dye therefore while thou art meery, before thou begyn to be sorowful. I wyl nowe repeate agayne that whiche I haue sayde: For the repeatyng of profitable thinges is not tedious, but pleasant. Dooest thou re∣member in Tullie, what Lacon sayde to the auncient Diago∣ras Rhodius, who at that tyme muche reioyced, though vpon very lyght occasion, whiche thou heardest before when we en∣treated of Palestrical exercises? Die nowe Diagoras, quoth he, for thou canst not clymbe into heauen. And truely it was grauely spoken: For in this so great an alteration of thin∣ges, what can the mynde looke for more, then to leaue to be me∣ry, and to begyn to be sorowful? And therefore Diagoras ve∣ry seasonably folowed his friendes counsel: for in the sight and a middest the shoutyng and gratulation of the people, in the middest of the embrasinges and kysses of his sonnes, he gaue vp the ghost. This Historie is written in the booke of the Attike nightes: and in summe, moe haue peryshed through ioy, then sorowe. Of all therefore that are wyse, but specially that are in great ioy, death is to be wyshed, of whiche we ought alwayes to thynke, but most of all in tyme of prosperitie, and this cogitati∣on wyll brydle al other.

Ioy.

I haue taken payne, and nowe I rest.

Reason.

Ye hope al for that, but therein ye be all deceyued: The course of your lyfe fareth otherwyse, and the ende thereof answereth not your expectation. This thy rest is eyther short or false, or, to speake more truely, both: and howe then carrye dreame any rest heare? So dooth he that is in pryson dreame of libertie, the sicke man of health, and he that is hungrie, of dayntie cheere: but behold, the last day is at hand, whiche wyll shortly dryue away these dreames. But be ye not deceyued by dreames and false opinions, wherof the lyfe of man is full, promyse not vnto your selues rest heare: Be∣leeue me, death is all the rest that men haue after theyr trauailes.

Ioy.

I haue al thynges most plentifully, that I thynke to be necessarie for••ine.

Reason.

All thinges more then neede∣ful, are wast & superfluous, but this is the maner of mans minde,

that professyng and ascendyng vpward to heauen, burdeneth it selfe with so great care and studie, as it is scarce neuer able to dis∣burden it self againe: so that being wayed downe with a forraigne burden, whyle it endeuoureth to ryse vpward, it falleth downe, & the earth is vnto it in steede of heauen.

Ioy.

I haue abun∣daunce of al thinges, and they be nowe in the Hauen.

Reason.

Then are they in the end of their course: For this present lyfe is lyke to the troublesome Sea. The end of the one is at the shore, and of the other in death, so that they may be both well termed Hauens. And truely the most part of men, while they be careful in heaping togeather necessaries to lyue by, in the chiefest of their preparation they are cut of by death, and there is nothyng nowe more common, then for death to preuent the carefulnesse of this lyfe: it happeneth but vnto fewe to obteyne their desire, and from these, the vse of theyr dayly gaine is so soone taken away, that the shortnesse of theyr ioy is an encrease of their sorowe, wherof it is knowne that many haue complained at theyr death.

Ioy.

Now that I haue ended my trauayles, I lyue in securitie.

Reason.

So doth the foule flie safe betweene the line and the grin, the fishe playeth among the hookes, and the wylde beastes among the toyles. Oftentimes whereas is most danger and least feare, it is fortunes cunning to take away distrust, that she may strike the more freely.

Ioy.

I haue toyled al my lyfe tyme, to the end I might take my rest at last.

Reason.

Thou hast placed thy rest & securitie vpon a daungerous downefal, & hast liued in sorow, to die in mirth, wherein thou hast folowed no absurd gouernment con∣cernyng thy lyfe and death, so that we agree about the qualitie of the securitie, and rest, & sorow, and ioy.

Ioy.

I haue prouided al things to furnysh my selfe whyle I lyue.

Reason.

Nay ra∣ther, to make thy death more greiuous: Thou hast wel prouided for the Phisitions, they will shortly come thicke vnto thee, prat∣ling about thy bed: There wil come also some to make thy Testa∣ment, & some to loke for Legacies: some that wil dissemble their ioy, & counterfeite teares, & secretly curse that thy life continueth so long, & thy death approcheth no faster: some wil marke the cri∣sis or determination day of the sicknesse, some the signes and to∣kens, & some wyl watch the golden carkasse. All these goodes

whiche in al thy lyfe tyme thou hast scraped togeather, wyl be the meanes onely, not for thee to lyue the better, but to dye the more accompanied. Thou hast not altogeather lost thy labour, for thou shalt not lacke companie when thou art sicke, neyther money for thy lust and superfluities, neyther pompe for thy buriall.

Ioy.

Now that I haue gotten al things, I may take my rest.

Reason.

I sayd erwhyle, thou soughtest rest and comfort of lyfe, but thou hast founde payne and tediousnesse of death.

Ioy.

I haue dis∣posed all thynges, and attained prosperitie.

Reason.

Thou hast heaped togeather a nest of most deceitfull and transitorie hope, which so soone as it groweth to any ripenesse, wyl flee away, lea∣uing thy hart voyde and sorowfull, and many tymes it perisheth before it be fledge.

Ioy.

After my long traueyle, commeth quietnesse.

Reason.

Perhaps it wyll be as short as may be possible. For often the trauel of many yeeres perisheth in a mo∣ment, & when as for the most part al procedinges are by degrees, the endes of thynges are not seldome sudden.

Ioy.

By long cares, at length I am come to the beginning of securitie.

Reason.

Humane curiositie is very careful of the beginninges, but is so blynde that it cannot foresee the ende. A thycke miste of the tyme to come, hath bleared the sight of mortal mens eyes. Let our deli∣beration be the accomplishment of our fortune: But to speake more truely, it is the wyl of God, in whose hands are al mens chaunces, not such as in your fond opinion and vngodly hope you imagine to your selues, but which he foreseeth in his prouidence. For this is his saying, Foole, this nyght wyl they take thy soule from thee: Whose then shal these goodes be whiche thou hast gathered? An horrible threatning, which if it be not able to quayle your hope, and breake of your sleepe, doubtlesse ye are fallen deafe.