After this she remained silent for a while; and, having by that her
modesty made me attentive, began in this wise: "If I be rightly informed
of the causes and condition of thy disease, thou languishest with the
affection of thy former fortune, and the change of that alone, as thou
imaginest, hath overthrown so much of thy mind. I know the manifold
illusions of that monster, exercising most alluring familiarity with
them whom she meaneth to deceive, to the end she may confound them with
intolerable grief, by forsaking them upon the sudden, whose nature,
customs, and desert, if thou rememberest, thou shalt know that thou
neither didst possess nor hast lost anything of estimation in it; and,
as I hope, I shall not need to labour much to bring these things to thy
remembrance, for thou wert wont, when she was present, and flattered
thee most, to assail her with manful words, and pursue her with
sentences taken forth of our most hidden knowledge. But every sudden
change of things happeneth not without a certain wavering and
disquietness of mind. And this is the cause that thou also for a while
hast lost thy former tranquillity and peace. But it is time for thee to
take and taste some gentle and pleasant thing which being received may
prepare thee for stronger potions. Wherefore let us use the sweetness of
Rhetoric's persuasions, which then only is well employed when it
forsaketh not our ordinances; and with this, let Music, a little slave
belonging to our house, chant sometime lighter and sometime sadder
notes.
Wherefore, O man, what is it that hath cast thee into sorrow and grief?
Thou hast, methinks, seen something new and unwonted. If thou thinkest
that fortune hath altered her manner of proceeding toward thee, thou art
in an error. This was alway her fashion; this is her nature. She hath
kept that constancy in thy affairs which is proper to her, in being
mutable; such was her condition when she fawned upon thee and allured
thee with enticements of feigned happiness. Thou hast discovered the
doubtful looks of this blind goddess. She, which concealeth herself from
others, is wholly known to thee. If thou likest her, frame thyself to
her conditions, and make no complaint. If thou detestest her treachery,
despise and cast her off, with her pernicious flattery. For that which
hath caused thee so much sorrow should have brought thee to great
tranquillity. For she hath forsaken thee, of whom no man can be secure.
Dost thou esteem that happiness precious which thou art to lose? And is
the present fortune dear unto thee, of whose stay thou art not sure, and
whose departure will breed thy grief? And if she can neither be kept at
our will, and maketh them miserable whom she at last leaveth, what else
is fickle fortune but a token of future calamity? For it is not
sufficient to behold that which we have before our eyes; wisdom
pondereth the event of things, and this mutability on both sides maketh
the threats of fortune not to be feared, nor her flatterings to be
desired. Finally, thou must take in good part whatsoever happeneth unto
thee within the reach of fortune, when once thou hast submitted thy neck
to her yoke. And if to her whom, of thine own accord, thou hast chosen
for thy mistress, thou wouldest prescribe a law how long she were to
stay, and when to depart, shouldst thou not do her mighty wrong, and
with thy impatience make thy estate more intolerable, which thou canst
not better? If thou settest up thy sails to the wind, thou shalt be
carried not whither thy will desirest, but whither the gale driveth. If
thou sowest thy seed, thou considerest that there are as well barren as
fertile years. Thou hast yielded thyself to fortune's sway; thou must be
content with the conditions of thy mistress. Endeavourest thou to stay
the force of the turning wheel? But thou foolishest man that ever was,
if it beginneth to stay, it ceaseth to be fortune.