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 an vnapt and proude Scholar. The .xlj. Dialogue.

SOROWE.

I Haue an vnapt Schollar.

Reason.

Thou loosest thy la∣bour, thou plowest the sea sande, thou castest away thy seede, nature is not altered.

Sorowe.

Fortune hath brought me a dull schollar.

Reason.

Thou tillest a barren soyle, vnyoke thyne Oxen, why doost thou weery thy selfe? Spare hym and thy selfe, and since there are so many labours necessarie, and whiche cannot be auoyded, to seeke after needlesse trauayles it is a folly.

Sorowe.

I haue a schollar vnapt to learnyng.

Reason.

If he be apt to learne vertue, holde hym to that, and so hast thou taught hym the best artes: But yf he be capable of neyther, let hym alone, and poure no licour into a leakyng Caske, which wyll not remayne therein, and so consume thy selfe with perpetu∣all weerinesse: and thus perswade thy selfe, that all that are, or that haue been, or euer shalbe excellent in vertue or learnyng, are not able to stirre vp one wit, vnlesse there be some sparkes with∣in the mynde, whiche beyng kyndled and holpen by the Schole∣maisters

industry, doo conceyue the commendable nooryshment of discipline: for otherwyse thou shalt but puffe and blow the as∣shes in vayne.

Sorowe.

I haue an vnruly and proude schol∣lar.

Reason.

Pryde is an enimie vnto wyt, and whylest an insolent schollar disdayneth to be holden vnder, and careth not to be taught, he wyll hardly yeelde his hande to the Ferula, his mynde to instruction, his eare to reprehension, and his necke to the yoke.

Sorowe.

I haue a schollar puffed vp with prosperitie.

Reason.

As swellyng of the eyes hurteth the eye sight, so swel∣lyng of the mynde troubleth the wytte, that there can be no en∣traunce vnto learnyng: all pryde ought to be repressed. Thou knowest howe Alexander King of Macedonie, when on a time he applyed his mynd to the studie of the Mathematques, & there were layde before hym certayne obscure Geometrical rules: be∣yng offended with the difficultie of them, he commaunded his scholemaister to teache hym the same more playnely. But what answeared he? These thynges, sayde he, are a lyke difficult vnto al men: whiche he spake to this ende, to beate from him all hope of his Princes prerogatyue. And truely it is so in deede, for as concernyng the disposition of mans wit, fortune hath no∣thyng to deale therin, and who so desireth to be learned and wyse, let him quite forgeat that he is of power and aucthoritie.

Sorow.

I haue an ignorant, and a hygh mynded schollar.

Reason.

Thou saylest agaynst the wynde and the tyde, hale in the sayles and goe to shore.

Sorowe.

I haue an obstinate and a fro∣warde schollar.

Reason.

Thou dooest not only dygge the sande, but also nooryshest vp a Serpent, and tyllest a venemous plante, yea, and teachest an enimie.

Sorowe.

I teach a slyffe∣necked schollar.

Reason.

Thou syngest in a deaffe mans eare, but so the worlde goeth, and some are delyghted in great noyses, and some in quiet silence: The greatest sway in all dooynges dooth custome alwayes beare? Marke howe styll the Fysher is, and howe loude the Hunter, and the Schole∣maister louder then he, yea then the Raunger of a Foreste.

Sorowe.

I haue gotten an harde harted schollar.

Reason.

Thou mayest oftentymes reclayme the head of a Beare, sooner then of a Man. What wouldest thou more? It is set downe

in a fable how that the Wooolfe & the Foxe went to schole togea∣ther, and y^e Elephants haue ben learned: it is no old wyues tale, but a natural historie. And so it may chaunce that this thy schol∣ler by studie may alter & mollyfie nature. In my iudgment the lyfe of a shepheard and of a scholemaister seemeth almost all one, & it is marueyle but that both of them will be manered according to their liuing: The one of them guideth beasts, y^e other boyes.