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 inuadyng a Tirranny. The xcv. Dialogue.

IOY.

I Haue inuaded a Tyrranny ouer my countrey men.

Reason.

Thou hast wel requited thy foolysh louers: They aduaunced thee more then reason required, and thou hast throwne them downe vnder the yoke of vniust seruitude.

Ioy.

I haue ta∣ken vpon me a Tyrrannie.

Reason.

Thou hast depriued others of theyr libertie, thy selfe of securitie, and both, of your rest.

Ioy.

I haue obteyned a Tyrranny.

Reason.

A state of vndoubted trauayle, of an vncertaine euent, but for the most part infortunate: I wyl not refer thee vnto auncient and forreine Histories. What was the end of Alexander Phaeraeus? what of Dionysius of Syracusae? what of Phalaris of Agrigentum? what of Anno the Carthagien? what of Elearchus of Heraclea? what of A∣ristotinus Ephirensis? what of Nabis the Lacedemonian? and lastly, of Hipparchus the Athenian, whose death purchased immortal fame to his murtherers? Neyther wyl I send thee to new and domestical examples, Cassius, and Melius, & Manlius. Citizens of Rome, Catuline also, and the Gracchi, & Apulei∣us, not Tyrantes, but affectyng a tirranny, who were espied in theyr wycked attempts, hyndred of theyr purpose, and suppressed: And lastly, not vnto those, who beyng greater, not better, cloked theyr cruel and vniust tyrrannie, with the colour of a iust Empire, namely Caius and Nero, Domitianus and Commodus, Bas∣sianus, and the residue of that crue, who were Princes only in name, and had both Tirantes mindes, and Tirantes endes: but I wyl rather refer thee vnto other, whom in the remembrance of your fathers and grandfathers, yea also of this present age, this your region hath seene. These, that I may not weery thee with them that are farre of, I would haue thee to consyder and behold, and thou shalt see that the common and vsual ende of Tyrantes, is eyther by swoorde or poyson, and thou wylt confesse that the saying of the Saterical Poet is true, Fewe Kinges and Tirants

dye without murder and woundes, or of a drye death, without blood∣shed.

Ioy.

I possesse a tyrranny ouer my Citizens.

Reason.

A booty and slaughter house to fyl thy selfe with gold, and with blood to gither with the gold lyke an hungry Crow, and like the greedy Horsleach, which wyll not let go the skyn tyll he be full of blood. But with what countenance, or what conscience, doest thou either shead that blood, which to preserue (yf thou were a man) thou shouldest wyllingly shed thine owne blood, or extortest gold from thy Citizens, to geue it vnto thy cruel tormentors, spoiling them whom thou shouldest feede with thy ryches, and enryching those, from whom (as thou readest) thou shouldest by al meanes extort? so smally are the examples and preceptes of your El∣ders regarded. But this is one most vyle discommoditie in the lyfe of Tyrantes, that they stand alwayes in feare of them whom they shoulde trust, & trust them that haue no trust nor trueth at al: and all this mischiefe happeneth on the one syde, for that iniu∣ries are offered to them that haue not deserued, on the other, for that benefites are bestowed vppon the vnwoorthy, so that the whole course of thyngs, beyng confounded through disorder, eni∣mies are made friendes, and Citizens are made enimies.

Ioy.

I am the Tyrant of my countrey.

Reason.

Couldest thou fynde in thy hart to be so, yf thou remembredst that it were thyne owne countrey. If the representation of your common mother came into thy mynde, thou wouldest neuer in suche sort teare thy brethren, with whom thou hast been brought vp in thy chyldehood, and also in ryper yeeres, hast enioyed the same ayre, the same waters, the same religion, the same holydayes, the same playes and delightes: with what mynde canst thou insult and reign••••ouer them, and reioyce when they weepe? Lastly, with what impudencie ••••ooest thou lyue in that Citie, wherein thou knowest thy lyfe to he hated of all men, thy death wyshed of all sortes, where thou art assured there is none that woulde not haue thee destroyed, as a most cruell Wolfe in a gentle flocke?

Ioy.

I haue vndertaken a Tyrrannie.

Reason.

If thou compare the present tyme with the tyme past, thou shalt perceyue howe miserable a clogge thou hast layd vpon thy shoulders: thou lyuedst somtime a safe & quiet life;

but now henceforward vnlesse thou ioyne madnesse to mischiefe, thou shalt passe no day nor nyght without feare and trouble of minde, eate no meate without suspition, take no sleepe without dread, whyle thou beholdest on euerie side the swoord hanging ouer thy head, which Dionysius is reported, not vnfitly, to haue shewed vnto a certaine friend of his that wondred at his wealth and aucthoritie, who was a tyrant in deede, but a most graue con∣siderer of the state of tyrranny.

Ioy.

I haue purchased a ty∣ranny by the swoorde.

Reason.

If thou haue gotten it by the swoorde, thou must keepe it by the swoord, and perhaps loose it by the swoord: Thou hast wonne woorthy ryches in deede, to be odious and fearefull vnto all men, and that whiche foloweth therof, to be continually a feareful burden to thy selfe. But to admit there were no danger, which in some Cities and coun∣treys the nature of the people beareth sufficiently, beyng apt to seruilitie and obedience, yet when, beyng out of feare and danger, thou shalt call to mynde what Laberius, a Knyght of Rome, sayde vnto hym that was the fyrst founder of this whiche nowe hath the name of a iust Empire: Needes, sayth he, must he feare many, of whom many stande in feare. The reason of which saying is that whiche Ouid aleageth, For euerie man wisheth him dead, whom he feareth: which was first alleaged by Ennius, where he sayth, They hate, whom they feare: eche man wysheth hym dead whom he feareth. But yf all feare and danger doo ceasse whiche hath happened vnto some Tyrantes, theyr boldnesse beyng noo∣ryshed by publique calamities, or the experimented dastardes of theyr Citizens: yet is it not a shame for thee to gouerne those vnto whom it were more meete thou were theyr vnderlyng, be∣sydes thy iniurious force, which is the worst thyng of al••••▪

Ioy.

I haue put on a tyrranny.

Reason.

Thou hast put of all humanitie and iustice, and chosen a troublesome and blooddy lyfe, or els truely a doubtful death: Vnhappy man, whose death only thy countrey, which hare thee and brought thee vp, dooeth continually hope for. Is not he in sufficient wofull case, whom al men would haue to be in woful case? And is not he most wretched, who cannot possible be so wretched, but is worthy to be more wretched?

Ioy.

I possesse the chiefest place among my Citi∣zens.

Reason.

Thou possessest a tyrranny ouer thy Citizens, thou hast placed thyne house vpon sande, thy bed in the bryers, thy seate vpon a downefal, thy pouertie in rapynes, and thyne en∣uie in miseries.