No More Learning

[Sidenote: [The viij p{ro}se. ]]

[Sidenote: 'But do not believe,' said Philosophy, 'that I am an
implacable enemy to Fortune. ]

++BVt for-as-mochel as thow shalt nat wenen q{uod} she 1640
? {a}t I bere vntretable batayle ayenis fortune //

[Sidenote: This inconstant dame sometimes deserves well of men,
when she appears in her true colours. ]

yit som-tyme it by-falleth ? {a}t she desseyuable desserueth
to han ryht good thank of men // {And} ? {a}t is whan she
hir{e} self opneth / {and} whan she descou{er}eth hir frownt / 1644
{and} sheweth hir maneres p{ar}-auentur{e} yit vndirstondesthow
nat ? {a}t . I. shal seye //

[Sidenote: And what I say may perhaps appear paradoxical. ]

it is a wondyr ? {a}t . I.
desyr{e} to telle /

[Sidenote: That is, that adverse fortune is more beneficial than
prosperous fortune. ]

{and} forthi vnnethe may I.
vnpleyten my
sentense w{i}t{h} wordes for I. deme ? {a}t contraryos fortune 1648
p{ro}fiteth mor{e} to men than fortune debonayr{e} //

[Sidenote: The latter lies and deceives us, the former displays
her natural inconstancy. ]

For al-wey whan fortune semeth debonayr{e} than she lyeth
falsly in by-hetynge the hope of welefulnesse // but forsothe
{con}traryos fortune is alwey sothfast / whan she 1652
sheweth hir self vnstable thorw hyr chau{n}gynge //

[Sidenote: That deceives us, this instructs us; that, by a
fallacious show of good, enslaves the mind; this, by the knowledge
of her fickleness, frees and absolves it. ]

the amyable fortune desseyueth folk / the contrarye fortune
techeth // the amyable fortune byndeth w{i}t{h} the beaute
of false goodys the hertes of folk ? {a}t vsen he{m} / the 1656
contrarye fortune vnbyndeth he{m} by ? ^e knowynge of
freele welefulnesse //

[Sidenote: The one is wavering and incapable of reflection, the
other is staid and wise through experience of adversity. ]

the amyable fortune maysthow sen
alwey wyndynge {and} flowynge / {and} eu{er}e mysknowynge 1659
of hir self // the contrarye fortune is a-tempre {and} restreynyd
{and} wys thorw excersyse of hir aduersyte //

[Sidenote: Lastly, prosperous fortune leads men astray. Adversity
teaches them wherein real happiness consists. ]

at the laste amyable fortune w{i}t{h} hir flaterynges draweth
mys wandrynge men fro the souereyne good // the contraryos
fortune ledith ofte folk ayein to sothfast goodes / 1664
{and} haleth hem ayein as w{i}t{h} an hooke /

[Sidenote: It renders us no inconsiderable service in enabling us
to recognize our true friends. ]

weenesthow
thanne ? {a}t thow owhtest to leten this a lytel thing / ? {a}t
this aspre {and} horible fortune hath discoueryd to the / the
thowhtes of thy trewe frendes // For-why this ilke fortune 1668
hath departyd {and} vncou{er}yd to the bothe the [[pg 62]]
certeyn vysages {and} ek the dowtos visages of thy
felawes // wha{n} she dep{ar}tyd awey fro the / she took
awey hyr frendes {and} lafte the thyne frendes // 1672

[Sidenote: At what price would you not have bought this knowledge
in your prosperity? ]

now whan thow wer{e} ryche {and} weleful as the semede / w{i}t{h}
how mochel woldesthow han bowht the fulle knowynge
of this // ? {a}t is to seyn the knowynge of thy
verray freendes //

[Sidenote: Complain not, then, of loss of wealth, since thou hast
found infinitely greater riches in your true friends. ]

now pleyne the nat thanne of Rychesse 1676
.