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 Infamie. The .xxv. Dialogue.

SOROWE.

I Am oppressed with myne owne Infamie.

Reason.

I was affearde least thou were oppressed with thyne owne con∣science.

Sorowe.

I am greeued with shamefull infa∣mie.

Reason.

If it be deserued, lament not the infamie, but the cause of the infamie: but yf it be vndeserued, contemne the errours of men with a valient courage, and comfort thy selfe with the testimonie of a good conscience.

Sorowe.

I susteine great infamie.

Reason.

Thou gronest vnder a burden of wind: thus naturally the weakenesse of the bearer, maketh a light bur∣den heauie.

Sorowe.

There is great infamie rysen vpon my name.

Reason.

It skilleth much vpon what rootes it is sprung vp: yf vppon trueth, it wyll continue, and encrease: other∣wyse

it wyll wither and fall away quickly.

Sorowe.

There is great slaunder growen vnto me.

Reason.

Thou sayest wel, yf thou speake of the blowyng of it abrode: For fame is but a blast, yea that fame is but the breath of an impure mouth often∣tymes, whiche dooeth so muche shake you, and make you afeard. But vehement infamie in deede, hath been vnto many the begin∣nyng of great fame and renowme: For the common multitude hath been often ashamed of their owne dooinges, and that after their olde custome and manner they myght heape one errour vp∣pon another, and exclude all meane and measure from euery thyng, haue at length obscured a small infamie, with immoderate prayses.

Sorowe.

On euery syde I am sorely slaundered.

Reason.

Whyle the windes ruffle rounde about thee, returne thou into the Hauen, and from the stormes of thyne eares, with∣drawe thy selfe into the closet of thyne hart, whiche yf it retayne it owne tranquilitie, then hast thou a place where to rest thy selfe from the weerisomnesse of chyding and brawlyng, and as the common saying is, Reioyce in thyne owne bosome.

Sorow.

My fame is blemished, but my conscience is cleere.

Reason.

Haddest thou rather then, that thy fame and estimation were re∣nowmed, and thy conscience foule and blemished? And is that say∣ing of Horace altogether true, False honour delyghteth, and ly∣uyng infamie maketh men afearde? O most vayne vanitie. True thynges in deede may delyght men, or make them afearde, but to dread shadowes is not the part of a man.

Sorowe.

The bur∣den of infamie is heauie.

Reason.

If it be geathered by wic∣kednesse, I confesse it is heauie, yf it come by chaunce, it is but lyght, but yf it happen through any honest endeuour, it is glori∣ous: For that infamie whiche is purchased by honest meanes, is a prayse. Let fooles insult ouer thee, but reioyce thou in so noble a gayne, to wit, in vertue, whiche is a most rare and dayn∣tie merchandize, although thou hast wonne it, paying therefore a great price, whiche is the losse of thy good name. He is the true louer and pursuer of vertue, who in the followyng after her, thin∣keth vpon nothyng but her onely. And although contempt in other thynges be famous, yet most famous is the neglectyng and despising of fame in the studie of vertue, although I confesse that

vnto valiant and noble mynds, fame is not only dearer then gold, but muche more precious then lyfe it selfe. Who so therfore nec∣lecteth fame for the loue of vertue, contemneth this, it may be thought that he wyll contemne any thyng, whiche I would haue thee well knowe to be an excellent, but a very rare thyng, for∣asmuche as the most parte of them that woulde seeme to folowe the studie of vertue, when they haue once taken holde of the fame of it, doo immediatly waxe so colde in the action thereof, that it may easily be perceyued, that they sought nothyng els but only that whereof they haue taken holdfast.

Sorowe.

Many doo greeuously diffame me.

Reason.

Moe in olde tyme spake e∣uyll of Eabius, and many more greeuously of Scipio Africane, which turned to theyr great glory. That this fortune is common vnto thee with such worthy personagies, leaue of to cōplaine, for it hath hapned vnto very fewe, neuer in any respect to be touched with infamie. A mans good name is a very dayntie thyng, and is blemyshed many tymes vpon smal occasions. And to be short, as there is nothyng more cleare then good fame, so is there no∣thyng more apt to be obscured, or redy to receyue externall ble∣mishes.

Sorowe.

I am stayned with greeuous infamie.

Reason.

This plague is most hurtfull vnto dread and reuerend names, it hath not spared also the most holy & vertuous persons, whose Lorde and maister was voyde of all maner of crime, not∣withstandyng in that he was slaundered and defamed by the wic∣ked, it is an argument that men muste not hope to escape from that, whiche hapned vnto God hym selfe.

Sorowe.

I am molested with sharpe infamie.

Reason.

For vertue not to be assaulted with enuie, it is almost impossible: it is sufficient yf she be not therewith ouerthrowne: and yf glory be beaten agaynst slaunder, if so be it be pure and sounde glory, it waxeth the brigh∣ter for the rubbyng.

Sorowe.

I am vexed with bitter slaun∣der.

Reason.

Common report beyng driuen with the whirle∣wyndes of blinde ignorance, striketh the very tops of the highest things, but if it shaketh not them, or if it shake them, it ouerthro∣weth them not. Take this for a certayne token of excellencie in thee, in that thou art fallen among the tongues of the common people, as yf it were among so many dangerous rockes. For base

names, and suche as in a maner creepe lowe by the grounde, doo neyther receyue the lyght of notable prayse, nor yet the darkenes of great infamie: moste commonly that whiche is contemned, is at quiet.

Sorowe.

The common people geue me an yl report.

Reason.

It is well that thou art so ryfe in theyr tongues, and not in theyr pennes: the speeche of the common people is sharpe, but not permanent: thyngs that ryse vpon smal or false causes, muste needes be short, and when men haue barked ye∣nough, they wyll then holde theyr peace: they that begyn so fiercely, are commonly the sooner weeryed.

Sorowe.

I am troubled with the tongues of the common people.

Reason.

Howe yf thou haddest hapned to lyght vpon the style of some no∣table Oratour, or Poet? as many haue doone in tymes past, whom we see to be left infamous vnto posteritie, through the elo∣quence of theyr enimie, as the noble sygh of kyng Alexander, who enuied at Achilles that he hapned vpon so noble a Poet as Homer was: so feareful was this most excellent prince to incur the displeasure of learned & eloquent men, least haply they should wryte any thyng sharply agaynst hym: although a man ought not to be quayled at the speeches of slaunderous writers, but ra∣ther theyr slaunder is to be refelled, eyther with lyke sharpenesse of style, as dyd Cicero agaynst Salust, and Demosthenes agaynst Aeschines, and Cato agaynst innumerable, or els to be resisted with notable boldnesse and courage of mynde, more then euer Actor expressed vppon the Theater: and the lyke muste be sayde vnto that which Vatinius aunsweared vnto Caluus, when he hadde fynished his pleadyng, I am not condemned, because he is eloquent. Howbeit nowe there is no danger, synce that the common people for the more part doo continually prattle of some one matter or other, but long it is not ere they leaue of, beyng thereunto mooued eyther by wyll, or constraint. For a day wyll come, that shall put to silence these charmyng and chyrpyng Grashoppers, and make them gladde to lyue at rest.

Sorowe.

I am dif∣famed among the common people.

Reason.

Endeuour that thou mayest retayne a good name with thy selfe, and a

perpetuall and true good fame among the better sort: As for this whereof thou nowe complaynest, it wyll vanyshe away. You vayne and fearefull generation of mortall men, what dooth this short and blynde murmure of flatterers and slaunderers touche you? There shall come some hereafter, that wyll iudge more freely and indifferently: And who are those iud∣ges, perhappes thou wylt aske me? Yee can not knowe them, but they shall knowe you: I meane them that shalbe borne after you, who shall neyther be mooued with hate or malice to∣wardes thee, nor be borne away with loue, or hope, or feare of thee: If you woulde haue vpryght iudgement geuen vpon your dooynges, then tary and expect those iudges: The tyme of theyr staying wyll not be long: they come a pace, and loe, they wyll be heere anone.

Sorowe.

I haue incurred in∣famie by my notable deedes and vertue.

Reason.

There is a tyme wherein the loue of losse is nooryshed, and encrea∣seth by trauayle, and, whiche is a strange matter to be spoken, geathereth deepe rootes in a bytter and mischeuous soyle: wher∣by it commeth to passe, that a man shall see those to be moste desyrous of factions, who haue some tyme been most gree∣uously punyshed for the lyke: and this is a matter to to com∣mon and vsuall in your cities. And therefore there is none that more loueth iustice or trueth, then he that hath offered hym selfe vnto tormentes and death for the same. Doo thou therefore loue vertue also, and embrace it more and more, for whiche thou hast lost thy good name, then whiche there is nothyng more beautiful and precious, for the whiche also thou susteynest infamie, which is no small punyshment, and contemnyng and refusyng all other thynges, see thou em∣brace vertue only, whiche no man is euer able to take from thee, and saye thus vnto her, All these thynges, O Queene, doo I wyllyngly susteyne for thy sake, thou shalt restore me agayne into my perfect estate, or truely at leastwyse thou only shalt be vn∣to me in steede of al thinges, thou only noorishe me in thy sacred bosome, & so shal I not only not feele the losse of my good name, but not so much as the discommodities of my life.

Sorow.

I am

commonly euyl spoken of, yea in euery corner.

Reason.

Take it well a worth: The common multitude wyll make thee kno∣wen, thy vertue wyll make thee famous, and thy conscience carelesse.