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 Death before a mans tyme. The .Cxx. Dialogue.

SOROWE.

BUT what sayest thou vnto it, that I dye before my tyme?

Reason.

None dyeth before his tyme: but all haue not one tyme limitted them alyke, but rather as the noble Poet wri∣teth: Eche mans day stands prefixt: vnto which when he is come, then hath he attayned to the ende. And because men can nei∣ther returne agayne, nor stay where they are, they must needes passe away.

Sorow.

I dye before my time.

Reason.

That myght be true, yf thou dyddest owe a death agaynst a certayne day, but the good and pure detter oweth it euery day: and there∣fore let hym looke euery day for his creditours callyng vpon hym, and alwayes haue that in a redinesse which he oweth. For he is continually in det as long as he hath a mortal bodye, he neede not to borowe, nor to take vpon vsurie, he hath that at home whiche he must pay. Yea whyther so euer he goeth, he carrieth with hym, and hath that as it were in his hande, wherwith to discharge hym selfe, whiche when he hath payde, he is then no longer indetted to Nature, nor to any of the hea∣uenly bodyes, as the Poet Virgil sayeth. Therefore leaue of this complaynte: that can not be required before the

day, which is due euery day: but rather geue thankes, for that for the payment of this det thou needest neyther intreating, nor yet to haue great riches of thine owne, nor pawne, nor vsurie, which were the last woordes that euer that valiant vnknowen Spartane is reported to haue spoken, most woorthie in deede to haue been knowen, euen at that time when he was led to execution, wherevn∣to he went without feare, and couragiously, by the losse of his lyfe to satisfie Lycurgus lawes.

Sorowe.

I dye before my tyme.

Reason.

I vnderstand not what it is to dye before your time, vn∣lesse it be ment, as the common speech is, before it be lyght, or be∣fore the day breake, which is a time most fit for the exercises of the minde & soule, which now thou art geuing ouer. But in any other signification, who is he that dyeth before his time, when as in deede that is euery mans day wherein he dyeth, and none other?

Sorowe.

I dye before my tyme.

Reason.

Neyther before thy tyme, nor after thy tyme, but euen in thy very tyme shalt thou dye: vnlesse thou take that for thy tyme which thou thy selfe, not Nature nor Fortune, hath prescribed. But in trueth, as thou canst not dye before thy tyme, so canst thou not lyue after it.

Sorowe.

I dye before my tyme.

Reason.

Who is he, vnlesse he were madde, that wyll complayne that he is loosed from his fetters, and discharged out of prison, before his tyme? Truely he had more cause to reioyce, in mine opinion, yf this hapned sooner then his expectation, but certaynely it hapneth not, nor it can not happen so, for euery thyng hath it owne tyme. This was the ap∣poynted tyme of thyne ende, there dyd he constitute thy boundes, who brought thee into the race of this lyfe: If thou complayne of this ende, thou mayest lykewyse as well complayne of any o∣ther.

Sorowe.

I dye soone.

Reason.

Thou wast soone borne: he dyeth not soone, that hath lyued tyll he is olde. And yf thou haddest not lyued vntyll thou wast olde, then re∣mayned there another part of complaint. Howbeit, yf olde age be the last portion of a mans lyfe, he must needes be fyrst olde whosoeuer dyeth. But when I speake of olde age, I meane it as the common people vsually take it, for an hea∣pyng vp of many yeeres together, whiche, not as other ages, hath no ende but death onely. Concernyng the beginnyng

whereof there is great varietie of opinions, but in consideration of the strength of those that growe olde, and in respect of their bodyly health, and the abilitie of their mindes, easie enough to be reconciled. To be short, this is the conclusion of all, that eyther thou surceasse to fynde fault with the hastinesse of death, or to mislyke the troubles of a long lyfe, whiche come by the deferryng of death. But you beyng at contention with∣in your selues, are neyther willing to dye, nor to waxe olde, when as ye must needes doo both of them, or at the leastwyse one of them.

Sorowe.

I myght haue lyued longer.

Reason.

Nay truely, thou couldest not: for yf thou myghtest, verily thou haddest lyued longer: but thou wouldest say, I woulde fayne, or I hoped to haue lyued longer: for the mindes of mortall men are so desirous of lyfe, and so readie to hope, that in eyther I easily agree with thee. But if thou wylt say, I shoulde or ought to haue lyued longer, for that perhappes thou seest some that haue lyued longer in deede, as though of duetie thou mygh∣test claime longer continuance also, I can not yeelde vnto thee. For some dye late, and many moe soone, but none at all that dye neuer: betweene these there is no meane appoynted, but all men are generally subiect vnto one lawe, and all owe obey∣saunce to the soueraingtie of death, albeit some are taken away by one meanes, and some by another, and that at diuerse tymes and ages: thus of one thyng, there are manyfolde meanes, and sundrie tymes. And therefore, let euery one with indifferencie attende his owne kinde of death and dying day, and not through the greedinesse or lothsomnesse of lyfe, doo as the vnskylfull and ingratefull sort are woont, complayne and be disquieted about the lawes of Nature.

Sorowe.

I haue lyued but a smal time.

Reason.

There was neuer any lyued so long, that thought not that he lyued but a small tyme, and truely it is but a short tyme in deede that men lyue heere. And therefore, yf ye be desirous to lyue long, seeke after that lyfe, wherein ye may lyue for euer, which although it be not heere, yet is it purchased heere.

Sorowe.

I haue lyued but a short tyme.

Reason.

Admit thou haddest ly∣ued longer, haddest thou then lyued any more then a short tyme? The tearmes of this lyfe are vnequall and vncertaine, but this

one thyng is common to them all, that they be al short. Put case a man haue lyued eyghtie yeeres, what hath he more, I pray thee, then he that hath liued but eyght yeeres? Examme thy selfe dili∣gently, and looke into thine owne estate, and let not the madnesse of the common multitude deceiue thee: what more, I say hath he that hath lyued longer, vnlesse perhappes ye account cares, and troubles, & paynes, and sorowes, & weerisomnesse for a vantage? Or what more should he haue, yf he lyued eyght hundred yeeres? There is somewhat more in deede, I confesse, in hope and expec∣tation: but when both tymes are expited, beleeue mee, thou shalt fynde nothyng, whereby thou mightest make account that thou hast lyued more happily.

Sorowe.

I dye, when as I thought to haue done good.

Reason.

What, dydst thou thinke to haue done somethyng, which thou hast not done? So perhappes thou wouldest alwayes haue thought, haddest thou liued neuer so long. There be some that alwayes thinke to doo well, but they neuer begin. But yf thou haue begun once to doo well, doubt not to goe forward, although death preuent thy woorke before it be brought to a wished ende: which although peraduenture in the blinde iudgement of men, it may seeme to be some preiudice vnto thee, neuerthelesse it is to be despised, for that in the syght of the vnfal∣lible surueyer of all thynges thou loosest nothyng, but thy reward shalbe full and whole, as well of thy deedes, as of thy thoughtes.

Sorowe.

In the middes of all my preparation, I dye.

Reason.

This fault is not in death, but in them that dye, who then begyn to weaue the most short web of their lyfe, when it is a cutting of: which vnlesse it were so, men should not so often be preuented by death, not hauing fyrst accomplished the dueties of lyfe, but ra∣ther when they had fulfylled and accomplished them, woulde then begin to liue, than which truely there were no lyfe more sweete. Which sweetenesse notwithstanding, not so much the shortnesse of lyfe, as the slouthfulnesse of them that lyue, taketh away from men: who therefore count no lyfe long, because how long soeuer the tyme be, they neuer lyue, but are euermore about to lyue. And when they be once come to be olde men, wauering among newe deuices how to lyue, with a swift ende they preuent their slow be∣ginning.

Sorowe.

I dye, euen whyle I am preparing great

matters.

Reason.

This hapned vnto many greatmen, and al∣most to all. Men are deceyued in many thinges, specially in death, which there is none but knoweth that it wyll come, but they hope of the deferring of it, and imagine that to be farre of, which, God knoweth, is hard by them: which both the shortnesse of lyfe, and swyftnesse of tyme, and the power of fortune, and the varietie of humane chaunces wherewith they are beset round about, needily constrayneth to be so. And O most woonderfull blindnesse, for that what ye ought to hope of your selues, at leastwyse ye learne at length by others. But thus the case standeth, your mindes hardly can enter into bitter cogitations: and therefore while eue∣ry one promiseth him selfe very long lyfe, and either the age of Nestor or as Cicero sayth, the fortune of Metellus. and finally whyle euery one supposeth him selfe to be dame Natures whyte sonne, whyle they be busie about the beginning, the end commeth vpon them, and while they are in consultation of many thinges, death setteth vpon them at vnwares, and cutteth them of in the middes of their endeuours.

Sorowe.

I dye in my greene age.

Reason.

If there be none other commoditie herein, at leastwise there is prouision made hereby, y^t thou shalt not languish in thine old yeeres. For although that old age be not greeuous, as Lelius sayth in Cicero, and we also haue disputed before, neuerthelesse it taketh away that greenesse, wherein he sayth, that Scipio flou∣rished at that time, and thou likewise reportest now the like of thy selfe. Hereafter perhaps many shal wish for thee, but none shal be weery of thee: which thing in a long life although it be gouerned by vertue, is an hard matter to be found.

Sorowe.

I die a young man.

Reason.

Thou knowest what thou hast suffred alredy in thy life time, but what thou were like to suffer hereafter, thou knowest not: and beleeue me, whoso in this so variable and rough king∣dome of Fortune dyeth first, deceiueth his companion.

Sorow.

I am hyndered by death, so that I can not ende the thynges that I beganne.

Reason.

And tustly in deede. For ye be euer∣more a dooyng the thynges that ye ought to haue doone, and yet there is nothyng finished: this is the cheefest thyng that ma∣keth your death greeuous and miserable vnto you: but yf the thynges that thou begannest were suche, that without any

negligence in thee thou couldest not finishe them, it suffiseth thee that thou hadest a good wylt hervnto. But if through slouthfulnes thou hast put them of from time to time, let it displease thee that thou hast neglected them. If this peraduenture be the pretended cause of thy lamentation, yet in trueth there is nothyng but a vayne lengthening of lyfe, and a deferryng of death wyshed for thereby, although it wyll not be long, but at length, though late, thou wylt be ashamed of this vulgare wyshe. But, O ye mortall men, how greedie soeuer ye be of lyfe, hearken vnto mee: I de∣maunde of you, the exercise of Vertue beyng layde asyde, what is this lyfe other, then a slack and vnprofitable tariance, which how long so euer it is, can not be other then very short? Wherefore I lyke wel of the saying of a certaine good fellowe, of whom S. Au∣gustine maketh mention: whom beyng in extremitie of sich∣nesse, when as his freendes comforted hym, saying that he should not dye of that disease, he answered: Though I shal neuer dye wel. yet because I must dye once, why shoulde I not dye nowe?

Sorowe.

I dye, my businesse beyng vnperfected.

Reason.

If thou cal to minde those that haue been most famous for wisedome, or other notable exploites, the most part of them haue dyed, leauyng theyr woorkes vnfinished: vnto verie fewe it hath hapned in this lyfe, to bryng to perfect ende theyr conceyued and vndertaken at∣temptes. But thou, since that after the common manner of men, thou hast throwen thy selfe into these difficulties, and that which is past can not be called agayne, take holde of this onely way and meane, eftsoones to aduaunce thy selfe: not lamenta∣bly and vaynely to looke backe vpon many imperfecte thynges, but manly to goe through with that onely which remayneth, that is to say, to dye well.