IT often falleth out in experience (my gracious & singular good Lady) that some men being oppressed with poverty, tossed with worldly adversity, tormented with pain, soreness, & sickness of body, and other such common matters of grief, as the world counteth miseries & evils: Yet having their minds armed & furnished with prepared patience, and defence of inward understanding, all these calamities can not so far prevail, as to make them fall, nor yet once stoop into the state of men to be accounted miserable: but they bear them with such constancy, as if such afflictions were not of such nature as other commonly do feel them, or as if those men were such upon whom those troubles could not work their natural property. On th'other side we see some that flowing in earthly wealth & suffisance, free from ⟨image 3⟩fortunes cruelty, healthy in body, and every way to the worlds seeming blessed: yet with mind not well instructed, or with conscience not well quieted, even upon such small chances as other can lightly bear, are vexed above measure with reasonless extremity. Whereby appeareth that the grieves of body and calamities of fortune do so far only extend, to afflict, or make a man miserable, as they approach to touch the mind, & assail the soul. Which proveth that the pains and diseases of mind & soul are not only the most grievous, & most dangerous, but also they only are painful & perilous, and those of the body & fortune are such as the mind useth, and maketh them. So as to a sick stomach of mind, all bodily matters of delight and worldly pleasures are loathsome and displeasant, as on th'other side the power of a healthy soul easily digesteth and gathereth good nurture of the hard pains, and bitter torments of the body and fortune. He then, that cureth the sick mind, or preserveth it from disease, cureth or preserveth not only mind, but body also: and deserveth so much more praise and thank, than the bodies Physician, as the soul excelleth the body, ⟨image 3⟩and as the curing, or preservation of them both is to be preferred before the cure of the body alone.
IT often falleth out in experience (my gracious & singular good Lady) that some men beynge oppressed with pouertie, tossed with worldlye aduersitye, tourmented with payne, sorenes, & sicknes of body, and other suche cōmon matters of griefe, as the world counteth miseries & euils: Yet hauing theyr myndes armed & fournished with prepared patience, and defence of inward vnderstandyng, all these calamities can not so farre preuaile, as to make them fall, nor yet once stoupe into the state of men to be accompted miserable: but they beare them with suche constaunce, as if suche afflictions were not of such nature as other commonly do fele them, or as if those men were suche vpon whome those troubles coulde not worke theyr naturall propertie. On th'other side we se some that flowyng in earthly wealth & suffisance, free from ⟨image 3⟩fortunes crueltie, healthy in bodye, and euery waye to the worldes seming blessed: yet with mynde not well instructed, or with conscience not well quieted, euen vpon such small chaunces as other can lightly beare, are vexed aboue measure with reasonlesse extremitie. Wherby appeareth that the greues of body and calamities of fortune do so farre onely extende, to afflict, or make a man miserable, as they approch to touch the mind, & assaile the soule. Which proueth that the peines and diseases of minde & soule are not only the most greuous, & most daungerous, but also they onely are peinfull & perillous, and those of the body & fortune are such as the mynde vseth, and maketh them. So as to a sicke stomacke of mynde, all bodylie matters of delite and worldely pleasures are lothesome and displeasant, as on th'other side the power of a healthy soule easely digesteth and gathereth good nouriture of the hard peines, and bitter tormentes of the body and fortune. He then, that cureth the sicke minde, or preserueth it from disease, cureth or preserueth not onely minde, but bodye also: and deserueth so much more praise and thanke, than the bodies Physiciō, as the soule excelleth the bodie, ⟨image 3⟩and as the curing, or preseruation of them both is to be preferred before the cure of the bodye alone.
