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 Contempt. The .xxxvj. Dialogue.

SOROWE.

BVt I am contemned.

Reason.

If it be iustly, thou hast cause, I confesse, to be sory, notwithstanding thou must suffer it: but other wyse, thou mayest laugh at it. For there is nothyng more ridiculus, nor that hapneth more commonly, then for a wyse man to be contemned of mad men.

Sorowe.

I am contemned.

Reason.

Touchyng this one woorde, some haue sayde that foure good thynges are sig∣nified thereby: to contemne the worlde, to contemne no man, for a man to contemne hym selfe, and that he is contemned of o∣ther: of this last thou hast neede.

Sorow.

I am con∣temned of many.

Reason.

If it be of thy elders, suffer it: yf of thyne equalles, beare with it: The fyrst doo vse theyr aucthoritie, for, for the most part lesse thynges are contemned of the greater: The other expose them selues to be contemned, & seeing by none other meanes they can become thy superiours, they thynke to wyn it by this meanes. As for thyne inferiours let them alone, let them rage, and regard not theyr contempt, whi∣che shall redowne vnto theyr infamie, and thy glory. Thersites contemned Achilles of whom we spake before, and so dyd Zoi∣lus Homer, and Antonius Augustus, and Euangelus Virgil, and Caluus Cicero. And, as we haue learned in the Gospel, that whiche is greatest of all, Herode, beyng a most vyle and miserable man of all other, contemned Christe our Sauiour. But what dyd this contempt eyther hurt the contemned, or auayle the contemners?

Sorow.

I am contemned and scorned.

Reason.

I knowe not what these laughyng games are, or what conceyte is in the myndes of common iesters, and so muche the more, for that the cunnynger haue neede of the lesse

cunnyng, and the one of them scorneth at another.

Sorowe.

I am contemned of others.

Reason.

Examine thy selfe, whether thou doo or hast contemned other: This is the ma∣ner of you men, to contemne and be contemned, and one to prosecute another with mutuall hatred and contempte, and yet you woulde be reuerenced of other, and your selues reuerence no body: you goe about to please GOD, whose woorkes doo none of them please you, as they ought to please: con∣cernyng whiche thyng, our countreyman Cicero hath spoken ryght nobly, yf any thyng may be spoken nobly in the name of the Goddes, It canne not stande with reason, sayth he, foras∣muche as one of vs contemneth and despiseth another, that we shoulde requyre of the Goddes that they woulde loue vs, and be friendly vnto vs. But muche more excellent is the saying of the Prophete Malachie, Haue we not all one father? hath not one GOD created vs? Why then dooth euery one of you despise his brother?

Sorow.

It greeueth me that I am contemned.

Reason.

Although no man woulde be despised, and many woulde fayne be feared, yet is it muche more safe to be despised, then feared. And therefore that whiche Anneus Seneca sayth in a certayne Epistle, It is as yl to be contemned, as suspec∣ted. I doo not alowe. But I suppose rather that he sayde better in an other place. That it is more daungerous to be feared, then contemned. And therefore learne by the auncient saying of the wyse, that these three thyngs are to be auoyded, of which we haue entreated in so many continuall discourses, which although they be all euyll, yet out of all doubt this last is the least, although the vylest of them, and yet euery one hath his peculiar re∣medie. Hatred is appeased by curtesie, enuie by modestie, contempt by the friendshyppe of great personagies, and also by honest practises and vertue. There was none more contem∣tible at Rome then was Brutus at the begynnyng, but after∣warde no man more hyghly esteemed of. Atchiue then also some good and great enterprise, by meanes whereof thou mayest not be contemned.