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 her vnto whom one was assured, iudged vnto another. The .xvii. Dialogue.

SOROWE.

THe Iudges sentence haue taken from me her, to whom I was assured.

Reason.

Sentences of Iudges haue been against some deceyptful, agaynst some playnely wrongful.

Sorowe.

I haue lost her, to whom I was assured, by a verdict of Court.

Reason.

Some by craft, and some by swoorde, and whiche is a meanes of all other most shameful, some haue lost their wiues by golde. A man hath nothyng that is his owne: at the one side is theft, on the other deceypt, then rapine, next prayers, then money, and last of all, death. By this wheele, the gouernement of temporall goodes is turned vp and downe, and that whiche was ones, becommeth anothers, and anon shall passe to the thyrde: which yf it be to be borne withal in profitable thynges, in hurtfull and noysome thynges it is to be reioyced at. And what marueyle is it, yf humane thynges be turned vp and downe, seeyng man hym selfe is turned, and standeth not styll, but as it is written, Commeth foorth as a Flower, and is troden downe, and flieth away lyke a shadowe, and neuer continueth in one state: Thou complaynest that thou hast lost her, to whom thou wast assured, who in passing away, & euery day decreasyng, dooest con∣tinually loose thy selfe.

Sorowe.

I haue lost in iudgement her, to whom I was assured.

Reason.

Some contende in the fielde: but it is safer to contende in lawe then in warre, with sedules then with swoordes. Thou hast read in Virgil, what stryfe and contention there was betweene Lauiniaès suiters, and what was the ende of the warre? The wyfe followeth the conque∣rour, and death followeth hym that is conquered: thou hast lost thy spouse, and saued thy lyfe.

Sorowe.

The Iudge hath be∣refte me of my spouse.

Reason.

An Adulter or a Theefe per∣haps woulde haue taken her away. It is a lyghter matter to loose her whom a man is assured vnto, then to loose his true wyfe: For in the one, hope onely is lost: in the other, a thyng certaine. Lesse is the losse of a thyng hoped for, then a thyng in possession, and to speake the same otherwyse, of hope, then of an effect.

Sorowe.

In iudgement haue I lost my beloued spouse.

Reason.

Thou hast not lost her, but hast learned that she was not thyne.

Sorowe.

I haue lost her, vnto whom I was betrothed.

Reason.

He that looseth his wyfe, is delyuered of many cares, but he that looseth his spouse, is preserued: both of these are good, but the seconde is the better. And why shoulde it not be the better, forasmuche as it is the next thyng, eyther not to haue any wounde at all, or to haue a present remedie to cure it. But you beyng carried foorth by the force of your minde, and ledde along by great and blynde desyre, doo wyshe for marriage, whiche when you be entred into, then doo your vexe you selues with con∣tinuall griefe and complaintes, and then repent you of the deede, when it can not be vndoone, and when your repentance is vn∣profitable, and commeth too late.

Sorowe.

I haue lost her, vnto whom I was assured, and the hope whiche I had of chyl∣dren.

Reason.

Myngle not togeather lamentations of sun∣drie kyndes: for that whereof thou spakest last, is another part of the rashe desyre of mortall men. For this it is, ye desyre to be married, and to haue issue by your wyues: but the goddes doo not graunt alwayes vnto men that whiche shall please them, but that whiche shall profite them. Thou remembrest in Apuleius Madaurensis, how that the poore Mayden, that was fallen into the Theeues handes, with the raignes of her brydle turned the miserable Asse, vpon whiche she roade, into that part of the three wayes in whiche there was most danger, but he forced to goe the contrary, whereas it was the safest way, and couertly reprooued the foolyshe wench that hasted forwarde to her owne hinderance: But in the meane whyle that they were thus stryuyng, the Theeues, whom they thought they had escaped, came rushyng vpon them, by whom the Mayden, who so carefully contended for her owne destruction, was carried away into wofull captiui∣tie. Not muche vnlyke to this is the contention betweene the prouidence of GOD, and the follie of man, concernyng the iourneyng and passyng foorth of this lyfe: For the prouidence of GOD, whiche is of thynges that are to come, dryueth you thyther, where all thynges are pleasaunt and without dan∣ger, agaynst whiche striueth your blynde foolyshnesse, whiche fauoureth her owne wretchednesse, in obeying and geuyng

credite vnto suche mischiefes as myght well be auoyded, vntyll suddayne miseries catch you by the backes.

Sorowe.

I am ouerthrowen in the Lawe, and haue lost her, vnto whom I was made sure.

Reason.

Thou art woorthie to haue wonne: for when two stryue for one woman, he that hath her, loo∣seth, and he that hath wonne her, is ouercome, and he that is ouercome, is a conquerour, and a free man at his owne libertie.