Some men do hold for true opinion that albeit , a man may sustaine one kind of calamity , yet the sufferance of so sondrye myseries is not to be found in any . Wherfore of priuate & simple euils in general we wyl first take in hand to wryte , next we shall entreate of sorrow and death eyther of our selues or nere frendes : In the seconde booke , and in the last , we wyl not omit to speake of tormente , bondage , imprisonment , exile , iniury of old age , pouertye , & in general of many miseries assembled togethers . But fyrst let vs begin at priuate euils , declaringe that the good or euill fortune , importeth nothing to blessed life , and that the fruit of al felicity ( as Plato sayth ) resteth in vertue , or as the Poet sayth .

Whose conscience giltles is , doth not growe pale for feare .

And yet ( as at that beginning I said ) who so would consider how many discontentations do happen & diligently marke euery one of them , should finde to what smal purpose in aduersitye a man tormenteth himselfe , considering how short , frayle , incertain , & myserable the life of man is . So as if at any time for that misery it is to be lamented , then after the maner of Heraclites , is continually to be bewailed , & as Palladas sayth . Al weeping was I borne , all weeping must I dye : my whole life in weeping haue bene consumed . O lamentable life of man remayninge on earth in sicknes , sorrow , and continuall miserye . Therefore if at any time we must take leaue of lamenting , then ought the same either euer or neuer to be done , for life is eyther euer to bee lamented or neuer .

Among other myseries what I pray you can be greater then when a man riseth from bed in the morning , to be incertaine of his returne to rest againe ? or being in bed , whether his life shall continue tyll he ryse ? besydes that , what labour , what hazard & care , are men constrained to abyde with these our brittle bodies , our feeble force , and incertayne lyfe : so as of no nacion I thinke a man better or more fytlye named then of the Spaniard , who in their language do terme a man , shadow . And sure ther is nothing to be found of lesse assurance or soner passed then the lyfe of man , no , nor that may more rightlye be resembled to a shadow . Somtime I consider with my selfe , and thinke ( yf the chrystian lawe were therunto consentyng ) that the soules of som wicked deuils were entred into the bodies of men as torments for synnes , and so after death none other hell or punyshment to folow . So greate is the masse of worldly miseries , as this lyfe is eyther for wicked folke , or by some wicked god appoynted . But when I duly consyder al , I leaue this common opynion as altogether vntrue : & perceiue that in this lyfe ther is nothing found that may iustly be called good or euyll , & do allow of those phylosophers as wyse , who thought that al thinges consysted in opynion . For what custome , what law , or what iudgement , is so certein , as is not encountred with contrary opinions ? and surely beleue me , that the philosophers wold not so long haue contended among themselues , if the matters of theyr contention had not rested only in opynyon : what man is so mad as wyl say the swan is blacke ? or that the rauen is in colour whyte , when the matter is otherwise to be iudged by common sence . But what is good or euyl ( O lord ) how much speach , how great disputation , and howe longe contencion hath beene . The blynd man sekes a mote . How can it be other than discention , when the thing dyffreth from it selfe , & the philosophers do disagre among themselues as of that , that no wher is to be found . And here vpon commeth to my memory a certayn fable written by an auncient poet , whych doth lyuely in my iudgement set forth mans lyfe . It is told that when myghty Iupiter had made the heauens , the earthe the seas , the beastes , and men , he soberly consydered that vnlesse he allotted both punishment & reward for mens desertes , it should so come to passe as they would not only approue al kynd of dysorder but also dysdayne the gods theym selues , for whych consyderation the greate Ioue commaunded Vulcan to frame two brasen tunnes , the one to receyue all that was good , the other to conteyn the euyl , and made both good & euyl thinges wynged , to th ende they myght more fytlye be sent amonge mortall men , accordinge to the quality of theyr desertes . But Pandora being a busy goddes and gredie to loke into the vessels , dyd open them , & sodenly both the good & the euyl brake forth & flewe theyr wayes , the good houered vp to heauen , the euyll made speee to the hel , and in the barel of euyl remayned only hope : & in the vessell of good was founde suspycion as that wherwith they were maynteyned , which newes when Iupiter hard ( as he is an angry god ) toke the empty vessells , and in a rage threwe them down , whych mortal men seing , desyrous of newes drew nere & embraced the emptye barrels , some of the good and some of the euyll But they that layd hold of the empty tonnes dyd neuerthelesse persuade them selues to haue gotten both good and euyl , and yet in dede neyther good nor euyl fel to any mortal man , sauing that they that hapned vpon the better barrel found in themselues opinion of good with suspicion , & the other opinion of euill with some hope . And so it came to passe , not vnlyke as when men in darke nyghts walkyng in Arabia do happelye treade vppon some piece of yron or other cold thing , are sodenly affrighted with feare leaste they haue hapned vpon a venemous serpent , & yet haue not : euen so the only suspicion of good and evyll is that , that perplexeth al mortal creatures , because al that is good is ascended to heauen , and al that is euyl , gone down to the infernall sprytes .

And therfore euer synce the great Iupiter haue disdained to take acompt of mortal mens deseruings Truly although this be a fayned fable , yet doth yt aswel declare the originall both of good and euyll as yf it had bene set forth in the learned scholes . But as these earthly ioyes are vayne and instable , so in the world to come al thyngs are certain , assured , & euerlasting , whether throughe sufferance of these afflictions whych we call euyls , the godly loue doth cal vs : according to the sayinge of the prophet , because thou were accepted by god , it was expedient the temptacion should try the : for the almighty God not vnlyke a father that entierly loueth hys chyldren doth bring them vp in all contynencye & sober lyfe , restrayning their pleasures , not suffring them without chastisement to exercise any euyl or vngodly lyfe . And contrary wyse such as hee estemeth not , and that lyue lyke chyldren destened to perdicion , wythout regard he doth suffer to pursue their dronken and disolute maner of lyuing . Shal we therfore say the life of such seruauntes is more happy , or more to be wished for then those sonnes . For none are admitted to heauenvly ioyes , but those that in all good lyfe and perfection do deserue the same : for as gold is fyned in the fornace so the life of a iust man , by aduersity in this world is tryed . And yet if al eyther good or euyl should be compared to the heauenly hope , yt were no more then one grayn to a hole heape . S. Paule therfore sayd that al we suffer in this worlde was not meritorious enough to gayn the glory of the world to come , who so euer then that fyrmely embraceth thys faythe , should he not in aduersyty reioyse & in prosperitye lament ? and amids his miseries persuade himselfe that god doth make tryal of hys fayth , after tryall to cal him among the number of his chosen ? If in getting worldly glory thou doest so much reioyse , the reward therof being smal , the continuance short and mortal : what should we do for this heauenly glory , which is euerlasting , great , & assured ? So great is this comfort , that if ther were not manye that swerued in fayth , the holy office of conforting were al ready finished , who wold not chaunge this short life , with that life euerlasting ? this frayl with that fyrme ? this vnhappy , with that most happy this troublesome , withe that moste quiet ? but in wante of beleefe is synne , and in synne is wante of beliefe : where by the condicion of man is berefte bothe of hope & faith , For what can be vnto man either more profytable after deathe , or more to be wished in this life , then the hope of the life to come ? And though the same were not , yet ought a man no whit to be discouraged , because there is almost no mysery so great but may be conuerted to better hap . Neyther is there among mortal men any opinion so assured , as that nothing is sure . For as aduersitye and misfortune hath bene to some men a way to good chaunce : so hath prosperity bene to others the occasion of miserye . But it is not our determination to discourse hereof , though by often profe it is to be tryed . Our care onely is to entreate of calamityes : for if I should write of all such as misfortune hath aduaunced , this booke could scantly containe them . Neither do I beleue the holy Scripture to meane other by the history of Iob , than therby in one example to shew the varietye of fortune which the Gentiles by dyuers examples were taught to beleue . For Iob being first happy , hauing health , children , abundance , land , possession , & cattel , was bereft of all hys worldly goodes , & such as in prosperity were his greatest frends , became in aduersitye his most cruell foes , yet afterwardes in more aboundance then before , he receyued the goodnes and liberalitye of fortune . Such and so many be the occasions both of good and euil fortune , as nothing is more incertaine .

The seruitude of Ventidius was cause that after he became Consul and gayned great glorye , which he without decaye of the Romaine fortune could neuer haue loked for . But by his bondage hee had occasion to shew his vertue which was the waye to felicity . The profe thereof is dayly seene among the barbarouse nacions , as the Turkes , & those people which were called Mamaluchi , Among mortal creatures what can be more intollerable then sicknesse ? yet did the same greatly profyte the Emperoure Augustus being in armes against Brutus .

For hee , warned by his phisicion to remoue from his pauilion by sleape he recouered health , whyche yf for other respect he had done , the same had beene to his great dishonour , or if he had abydden he had bene slayne or forced to flee . Plotinus a philosopher of Platoes sect , had amonge others a scholer named Ornucius Marcellus who was greatly diseased with the gout & palsey , through diligent hearing his master ( who disputed & red with great swetenes & facilitye ) he forgot ofte times to eate : and so withe attentiue hearing became a singuler philosopher , and with muche abstinence recouered his healthe . So throughe sickenes hee gayned bothe learninge and good recouery .

The euill disposition of the bodye doth ofte tymes profyte the vertue of mynde , for sicknes make the the surfyter to become of good dyet , the proud more couetous , the wicked religious , yea other whiles it profiteth the body also , for more men of sickly body then healthe doe attayne to old age . Suche is the chaunge of worldlye thinges . For as wyth in the tayle of a Stagge lyethe mooste presente poyson , and all the reste of his bodye is holsome Fleshe : So the Serpent Tyrus whose venom is vncurable , hathe fleshe so holsome , as it is medicinable against all other poysons .

Paulus tertius thoughe hee was learned and not vnlike to aspire to the papacye , yet the opinion of his olde age , and syckelye bodye did , greatlye enforce to his aduauncemente . The great aduersitie of Sparticus condemnned to dye in combat was the occasion he became glorious and while he 〈◊〉 to the Romaines terrible . When the memory of many kinges is wor●e away . Among the reste of such commodities as aduersitie bringeth withall , this benefyte it hathe , that a mans misfortunate dayes once paste , hee lyuethe the reste of hys lyfe with greater delighte . Who esteemeth his health that hathe not tasted of sickenesse ? Who knoweth the swetenes of his countrie that neuer hath bent banished ? Or who can bee happie or take pleasure in riches , that neuer hathe liued in pouertie ? Or whye doe childlesse olde men take 〈…〉 in children ? But because they haue bene 〈◊〉 . We reade that Agissolaus kinge of the 〈◊〉 was a wise and seuere man , yet in hys age hie so muche loued children , as hee seemed to 〈◊〉 . As falte 〈…〉 aduersitie by paste , maketh 〈…〉 , and the more if it be not long . And 〈…〉 verye well 〈◊〉 the example of 〈◊〉 comfortinge his felowes sayinge .