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 the losse of a brother. The .Lj. Dialogue.

SOROWE.

I Haue loste my brother.

Reason.

Yet I heare no cause why thou shouldest be very sory. For Ouid sayth to true, that there is seldome agreement betweene brethren.

Sorowe.

I haue lost my brother.

Reason.

It may be that thou hast at once lost both a brother, and an housholde enimie. Loe, see then what thou hast lost, an yll thyng couered with a good name.

Sorowe.

I haue lost a brother.

Reason.

Per∣happes thou hast lost hym that hath wyshed thee lost, and that alwayes resisted thyne attemptes. Brothers hatred hath hyn∣dred many from the entraunce vnto great commendation.

Sorowe.

I haue lost a brother.

Reason.

Thou hast lost peraduenture an heauie yoke, as oftentymes we haue seene it fal out, vnto the tender yeeres of thy chyldren, thou hast lost also the enuier of thy lyfe, the hynderer of thy glory, and also, which is e∣uident, the partner of thy patrimonie.

Sorow.

But I haue lost a vertuous and louyng brother.

Reason.

But a mortall one. Vertue is no defence to the body, but an ornament to the mynde, and a procurer of immortall glory, but as for the body she cannot exempt it from the power of death, but rather thrusteth it forwarde many tymes thereunto before due tyme: but yf he be left vnto nature, good and had doo perysh a lyke, and most commonly we see the best men weakest, and the woorst long lyued, but none immortall.

Sorowe.

I haue lost a good and gloryous brother.

Reason.

If thy brother be dead, the glo∣ry, vertue, & soule remaineth in safetie, which only excepted, death consumeth and destroyeth all other worldly thinges with lyke vi∣olence. These therfore embrace thou, as yf they were so many sonnes of thy brother, & with these immortal good things, requite the mortal euil: but if he haue sonnes liuing, vnfeigned duetiful∣nes shal make them thine.

Sorowe.

I haue lost a good brother.

Reason.

Thou shouldest haue employed hym diligently, which if thou diddest necligently, his death is not to be blamed, but thyne owne slouthfulnes. Death hath exercised his power, but thou hast slacked thyne oportunitie.

Sorow.

Death hath deceiued me, for I thought not that he woulde haue died so soone.

Reason.

All thinges that happen vnto them that are vnwillyng, seeme to come quickly, but if they be wished for, they come but slowly.

Sorowe.

I scarce thought that he could haue died.

Reason.

Vehement loue beareth with it selfe in al things, and promiseth it selfe euery thyng, vnpleasant thoughtes, & whatsoeuer is noysome

vnto cast it escheweth: insomuche as whosoeuer is in loue, ima∣gineth vnto hym selfe that his pleasures are in a maner euerla∣styng: thou, since thou knewest that thy brother was borne, oughtest also to knowe that he was mortall, and therefore yf thou bewayle his tymely death as some sodaine matter, thou art much deceyued, but if as it were vntymely, thou wast in a wrong opi∣nion.

Sorowe.

I knewe that he was mortall, but I thought not vpon his death.

Reason.

Vnwysely doone, but this is your dissimulation: beyng mortall ye thynke neuer to dye, when as you may chaunce to dye euery day, and needes you muste dye one day: Yea rather it is the vnchaungeable necessitie of the law of your nature, that you can neuer be other then suche as muste oye, whiche necessitie muste continually remayne with you: but you dying euery day, turne away your senses from the thynges that are present, and your mynde from the ende that wyll ensue. This is a common mischiefe, whiche what is it other then wyl∣lyngly to shut your eyes that they beholde not the beames of the Sunne, as though it were hurtful aswel to the lyght as it is to the eyes not to beholde it, and that that were as euident whiche you see not, and that as true whiche you knowe not. Who is so blynde that seeth not this, or so blockyshe that vn∣derstandeth it not? The infyrmitie of the senses or vnderstanding, withdraweth nothyng at all from the trueth of thinges. As for you, yee are neyther weake nor dull, but, wherein you can∣not be excused, egregius dissemblers, and very wyse to de∣ceyue your selues, who with so great diligence learne vnprofita∣ble thynges, and endeuour to be ignorant of necessarie matters, but all in vayne: for they steale vpon you though your eyes be shut, and inuade your myndes that are desyrous to be ignorant, and disquiet your memories that are wyllyng to forget, and ma∣ny thynges aryse dayly in the lyfe of man, whiche constrayne you to thynke vppon them when you woulde not, and whi∣che doo awake your dissimulations, eyther by your priuate or forreigne argumentes: but I confesse, that death only at full confuteth all the follies of mortall creatures.

Sorowe.

I knewe that my brother was mortall and shoulde dye, neuer∣thelesse I weepe for his death.

Reason.

The greater

part of humane actions is superfluous: Why weepest thou for his death? What doeth this weepyng auayle hym, or thy selfe, or any other? Admit death be euyll, whiche the learned denye, truely no man wyl denie but that weepyng is in vayne, for that whiche cannot be recouered. And veryly, yf any thyng myght be tearmed wretched besyde the vyce of the mynde, yf there be any thyng in all the worlde to be wept for, it ought ra∣ther be lamented whyle it is commyng at hande, then when it is past: whiche that Kyng conceyned ryght well, of whom I spake not long before.

Sorowe.

I am grieued for the death of my good brother.

Reason.

There is no affection more tender then a fathers, and therefore that whiche is sayde of the death of a sonne, applie it thou to the death of thy brother, and that whiche may be sayde of them both, is proficable in the death of a mans friende, whiche losse although it be matcht with the greatest, it muste be abydden, as of al other thynges: for all suche thynges as appeare vnto vs grieuous, are to be suf∣fered by one and lyke courage of mynde, although a man woulde thynke that they woulde quite oppresse hym.

Sorowe.

I haue lost a moste louyng brother.

Reason.

It had been woorse yf thou hadst loste a most hatefull brother: For the loue of the one, and the remembraunce of the other, is very plea∣sant.

Sorowe.

I haue loste a companion most pleasaunt vnto me euen from his tender youth, I am nowe left aloue.

Reason.

He is not a lone with whom vertue and honestie doo remayne, betweene whiche twayne death hath not forbydden the Image of thy brother to be fastened harde vnto thy hart-stringes: so neyther thy brother is lost, nor thou alone.