Here is cōteyned the lyfe of Iohan Picus Erle of Myrandula a grete lorde of Italy an excellene connynge man in all sciences / & verteous of lyuynge.

With dyuers epystles & other werkes of ye sayd Iohan Picus full of grete science vertue & Wysedome / whose lyfe & werkes bene Worthy & dygne to be redde and often to be had in memorye.

[figure]

Unto his ryght entyerly beloued syster in chryst Ioyeuce Leygh Thomas more gretyng in our lorde.

HIt is and of longe tyme hath bene my well be­loued syster a custome in the begynnynge of ye newe yere frendes to sende betwene presentes or gyf­tes / as the wytnesses of theyr loue and frendeshyp & also sygnyfyenge that they desyre eche to other that yere a good contynuance and prosperous ende of that lucky bygynnynge. But communely all those presen­tes that are vsed customably all in this maner betwene frendes to be sente: be suche thynges as pertayne onely vnto the body eyther to be fed or to be cledde or some otherwyse delyted: by whiche hit semeth that theyr frendshyp is but flesshely & stretcheth in maner to the body onely. But for asmoche as the loue & amy­te of chrysten folke sholde be rather goosty frendshyp then bodely: syth yt all faythfull people are rather spy­rituall then carnall. For as [...]hapostle seyth we be not now in flesshe but in spyryte yf chryste abyde in vs. I therfore myne hertly beloued syster in good lucke of this newe yere haue sent you suche a present as maye bere wytnes of my tendre loue & zele to the happy contynuaunce and gracyouse encreace of vertue in your soule: and where as the giftes of other folke declare y• they wyssheth theyr frend [...]s to be worldly fortunate myne testyfyeth y• I desyre to haue you godly ꝓspe­rous. These werkes more ꝓfitable then large were made ī laten by one Iohn̄ picꝰ erle of mirādula a lordshyp in Italy of whose connynge & [...]tue [...]e nede here [Page] nothinge to speke for asmoche as here after we peruse the course of his hole lyfe rather after our lytel power slenderly then after his merites suffyciētly. The werkes are suche that truely good syster I suppose of the quantyte there cometh none in your hande more pro­fitable: neyther to thachyuynge of temperaunce in ꝓ­sperite / nor to ye purchasynge of pacience in aduersite / nor to the dyspysynge of worldly vanyte / nor to the desyrynge of heuenly felycyte / whiche werkes I wolde requyre you gladly to receyue: ne were hit yt they b [...] suche that for the goodly mater (how so euer they b [...] trāslated) may delyte & please ony persone that hathe ony meane desyre and loue to god. And that your selfe is suche one as for your vertue and feruent zele to god can not but ioyously receyue ony thynge that meane­ly sowneth eyther to the reproche of vyce commenda­cyon of vertue or honoure and laude of god who pre­serue you:

¶The lyfe of Iohn̄ Picus Erle of Mirandula.

IOhan Picus of the faders syde descended of the worthy lynage of themperoure Constan­tyne by a neuew of the sayd Emperour called Picus by whom all the Auncestres of this Iohn̄ Pi­cus vndoubtedly bere that name. But we shal let his auncestres passe to whome (though they were ryght excellent) he gaue agayne as moche honour as he re­ceyued. And we shal speke of hym selfe rehersynge in parte his lernynge and his vertue. For these be the thynges whiche maye accompte for our owne / of whiche euery man is more proprely to be cōmēded then of ye noblenes of his auncestres: whose honoure maketh vs not honorable. For eyther they were them selfe vertuouse or not: yf not / then had they none honour them selfe had they neuer so grete possessyons: for honoure is the rewarde of vertue. And how may they clayme the rewarde yt proprely longeth to vertue: yf they lak the vertue that ye rewarde longeth to. Then yf them selfe had none honour: how myght they leue to theyr heyres y• thynge whiche they had not them selfe / on y• other syde yf they be vertuous & so cōsequently hono­rable / yet maye they not leue theyr honoure to vs as enheretaunce: no more then the vertue that them self were honourable for. For neuer the more noble be we for theyr noblenes: yf our selfe lak those thynges for which they were noble. But rather the more worshipful that our auncestres were / the more vile and sham­full be we: yf we declyne from ye steppes of theyr wor­shypfull lyuynge: y• clere beauty of whose vertue ma­kith [Page] the darke spotte of our vyce the more euydently to appere & to be ye more marked. But Picꝰ of whom we speke was him selfe so honorable / for ye grete plen­tuouse habundaūce of all suche vertues / ye possessyon wherof very honoure foloweth (as a shadowe folo­with a body) y• he was to all them y• aspyre to honour a very spectacle in whose cōdycyons as in a clere pul­lished myrrour they myght beholde in what poyntes very honour stondeth: whose merueylous connynge & excellente vertue though my rude lernynge be ferre vnable suffyciently to expresse: yet for as moche as yf no mā sholde do hit but he yt might sufficiently do hit: no man sholde do hit / & better it were to be vnsufficiētly done then vtterly vndone. I shal therfore as I can brefely reherse you his hole lyfe: at the leest wyse to gyue some other man here after (yt can do hit better) occasyon to take hit in hande when hit shall happely greue hym to se the lyfe of suche an excellent connyng man so ferre vnkonnyngly wryten

¶Of his parentes and tyme of his byrth.

IN ye yere of our lorde god .M.CCCC.lxiij. Piꝰ the seconde beynge than the generall vycare of chryste in his chyrche: and Frederyk the thyrde of y• name rulynge the empyre this noble man was borne the last chylde of his mother Iulya / a woman comen of a noble stok / his father hyght Iohn̄ frauncise a lorde of grete honoure and auctorite.

¶Of the wondre that appered before his byrth.

[Page] A Merueylouse syght was there seene before his byrthe / there appered a fyery garlande standynge ouer ye chaumbre of his mother whyle she trauelled & sodenly vanysshed a way: which apparē ­ce was peraduenture a token that he whiche sholde y• houre in the cōpanye of mortall men be borne: in the perfeccion of vnderstandynge sholde be lyke y• perfyte fygure of that rounde cyrcle of garlande and that his excellent name sholde rounde aboute the cyrcle of this hole world be mangnyfyed whose mynde sholde alway as the fyre aspyre vpwarde to heuenly thynge. And whose fyry eloquence sholde wt an ardent hert in tyme to come whorship & prayse almighty god with all his strength. And as y• flame sodenly vanisshyd so sholde this fyre sone frome ye eyen of mortal people be hydde we haue oftyntymes red that suche vnknowen and straūge tokens hathe gone before of foloweth the na­tyuytese excellente wyse and vertuouse men depar­tynge (as hit were and by goddes cōmaundement) seuerynge the cradyls of suche specyall chyldren fro ye cōpany of other of the comune sorte. And shewynge yt they be borne to the accheuynge of some grete thyng. But to passe ouer other. The grete saynt ambrose: a swarme of bees flewe aboute his mouth in his cradle & some entred in to his mouthe and after yt yssuynge out agayne and fleynge vp on hyghe hydynge them selfe amonge the cloudes escaped bothe y• syght of his father and of all them that were present / whiche pro­nostycacyon one Paulinꝰ makynge moche of: expow­ned it to signyfye to vs the swete hony combes of his plesaunt wrytynge: whiche sholde shewe out the cele­stiall [Page] gyftes of god & sholde lyfte vp the mynde of men from erthe in to heuen.

Of his persone.

HE was of feture and shappe semely and beaute­ous / of stature goodly & hyghe: of flesshe tendre and softe / his vysage louely and fayre / his coloure white entermengled wt comely ruddes / his eyen gray and quicke of loke / his teth white and euen / his heere yelowe and not to piked.

Of his settynge forthe to scole and study in humanyte.

UNder ye rule and gouernaunce of his mother he was set to maysters & to lernynge: where with so ardent mynde he labored the studyes of hu­manite: ye within shorte whyle he was (and not without a cause) accompted amonge the chyef Oratours and Poetes of that tyme in lernynge meruaylously swyfte and of so redy a wyt / that y• versis whiche he herde ones red: he wolde agayne bothe forwarde and bakwarde to the grete wonder of the herers reherse / and ouer that wolde holde hit in sure remembraunce whiche in other folkes wonte comenly to happen con­trary. For they yt are swyfte in takyng be oftentymes slowe in remembrynge / and they yt with more labour & dyffyculte receyue hit: more fast & suerely holde hit.

Of his study in Canone.

IN the fouretene yere of his age by the com­maundement of his mother (whiche longed ve­re sore to haue hym preest) he departed to Bononye to study in ye lawes of the chyrche / whiche whan he had two yere tasted / perceyuynge that the faculte leyned [Page] to nothinge but onely mery tradicions and ordinaun­ces: his mynde fyll frome hit / yet lost he not his tyme therin for in that two yere yet beynge a chylde he cō ­pyled a breuyary or a summe vpon all the decretalles in whiche as brefly as possyble was he comprysed theffecte of all ye hole grete volume and made a boke no sclēder thyng to ryght cōnyng & perfyte doctours.

Of his study in phylosophye & deuynyte.

AFter this as a desyrours enserchour of the se­cretes of nature he lefte these commyn troden pathes and gaue hym sefe hole to speculation & phi­losophy as well humane as deuyne. For the purcha­synge wherof (afte the maner of Plato and Appollo­nius) he scrupulously sought out / all the famous do­ctours of his tyme. visytynge studeously all the vny­uersytes and scoles not onely through Italy but also through fraunce. And so infatigable laboure gaue he to those studies: that yet a chylde and berdles he was bothe reputed and was in dede bothe a perfyte philo­sophre and a perfyte deuyne.

Of his mynde and vayngloryouse dispicious of Rome.

NOw had he ben .vij. yere conuersaunt in these studies whan full of pryde & desyrous of glory and mannes prayse (for yet was he not kendled in ye loue of god) he went to rome and there (couetynge to make a shew of his cōnynge: & lytel consideringe how grete enuye he sholde reyse agaynst hym selfe) .ix.C. questions he purposed / of dyuerse & sondry maters. as well in logike and philosophye as dyuynyte / with [Page] grete study piked and sought out as well of the laten auctours as the grekes. And partly set oute of the se­crete misteryes of the hebrewes / caldeyes / & arabics. And many thȳges drawen out of y• olde obscure phi­losophye of Pythagoras / trimegistus / and orpheꝰ / & many other thynges straunge: and to all folke (except ryght fewe specyall excellente men) before that daye: not vnknowen onely: but also vnherde / of all whiche questions in open places (yt they myght be to all peo­ple ye better knowen) he fastened and set vp / offeryng also hym selfe to bere the costes of all suche as wolde come hyther out of ferre countrees to dyspute / but thorughe ye enuye of his malicyous enemyes (which enuye lyke ye fyre euer draweth to ye hyghest) he coude neuer brynge aboute to haue a day to his dyspicions appoynted. For this cause he taryed at Rome an hole yere in all whiche tyme his enuyours neuer durste openly with open dispicyons atempt hym but rather with crafte and sleyght and as it were with pryuey trenches enforced to vnder myne hym for none other cause but for malice and for they were (as many men thought) corrupte with a pestylent enuye.

¶This enuye as men demed was specyaly raysed agaynst hym for this cause that where there were many whiche had many yeres: some for glory: some for couetyse: gyuen them selfe to lernynge: they thought that hit sholde happely deface theyr fame & minysshe thopynyon of theyr cōnynge yf so yonge a mā plen­teouse of substaunce & greate doctryne: durste in the chyefe cyte of the worlde make a profe of his wyt and [Page] his lernyng aswell in thinges naturall as in diuinit [...] & in many suche thynges as men many yeres neuer attayned to. Nowe when they perceyued that they coude not agaynst his connynge ony thynge openly preuayle: they brought forth the serpentynes of false crime. And cryed out that there were .xiij. of his .ix.C questyons suspecte of herysye. Then Ioyned they to them some good symple folke that sholde of zele to y• fayth and pretence of relygion impugne those questi­ons as newe thynges & with whiche theyr eres had not be in vre. In whiche impugnacyon though some of theym happely lacked not good mynde: yet lacked they erudycyon and lernynge: whiche questyons: notwitstondynge before that / not a fewe famous do­ctours of diuynyte had approued / as good and clene and subcribed theyr names vndre them. But he not berynge the losse of his fame made a defence for those xiij. questyons. A werke of greate erudicyon and ele­gant and stuffed with the cognytyon of many thyn­ges worthy to be lerned. whiche werke he cōpyled in xx. nyghtes. In whiche hit euedently appereth: not onely that those conclusyons were good and stondyng with the fayth: but also yt they: whiche had barked at theym: were of foly and rudenesse to be reproued / whiche defence and all other thynges that he sholde wrytethe cōmytted lyke a good chrysten mā to ye most holy iudgement of our mother holy chy [...]che / which [...] defence receyued: & ye .xiij. questions duly by delybera [...]yō examyned: our holy father ye pope approued Picꝰ and tenderly fauoured hym / as by a bull of our holy [Page] father pope Alexandre the .vj. hit playnly appereth: but the boke in whiche the hole .ix.C. questions with theyr conclusions were conteyned (for as moche as there were in them many thynges straunge and not fully declared and were more mete for secrete com­munycacyon of lerned men then for open herynge of commune people whiche for lacke of connyge myght take hurte therby) Picꝰ desyred hym selfe y• hit sholde not be redde. And soo was the redynge therof forbo­den. Lo this ende had Picus of his hye mynde and proud purpose / that where he thought to haue goten perpetual prayse: there had he moche werke to kepe hymselfe vpryght: that he ranne not in perpetual in­famye and sclaundre.

¶Of the chaunge of his lyfe.

BUt as hym selfe tolde his neuewe he iudged y• this came thus to passe: by the especiall proui­sion and synguler goodnes of almyghty god / that by this fals cryme vntruely put vpon hym by his euyll wyllers he sholde correcte his very errours / and that this sholde be to hym (wanderynge in derkenes) as a shynynge lyght: in whiche he myght beholde & con­sydre: how ferre he had gone out of y• waye of trouth. For before this he had bene bothe desyrous of glory and kyndled in vayne loue: and holden in volupte­ouse vse of women. The comelynes of his body with the louely fauoure of his vysage / and ther­with all his merueylouse fame / his excellēt lernynge [...] grete rychesse and noble kyndred / set many women [Page] a fyre on hym / frome y• desyre of whome he not abhorrynge (y• waye of lyfe set a syde) was somwhat fallen in to wantonnesse. But after that he was ones with this variaunce wakened he drewe backe his mynde flowynge in riot & turned hit to chryst / womens blandimentes he chaunged in to y• desyre of heuenly ioyes & dispisynge the blaste of vaynglorye which he before desyred / now with all his mynde he began to seke the glory and profyte of chrystes chyrche and so began he to ordre his condycions y• from thens forth he myght haue ben approued & thoughe his enemye were his iudge.

¶Of the fame of his vertue and the r [...]sorte vnto hym therfore.

HEre vpon shortly the same of his noble con­nynge and excellent vertue bothe ferre & nygh began gloryously to sprynge for which many worthy philosophres (& that were taken in nōbre of the moost connynge) resorted bisely vnto hym as to a market of good doctryne / some for to moue questions and dy­spute / some (that were of more godly mynde) to here and to take the holesome lessons and instruccyon of good lyuynge: whiche lessons were so moche y• more set by: in how moche they came from a more noble mā and a more wyse man and hym also whiche had hym selfe some tyme folowed y• croked hilles of delycyouse pleasure / to the fastenynge of good dyscyplyne in the myndes of y• herers those thynges seme to be of grete effecte: whiche be bothe of theyr owne nature good & also be spoken of suche a master: as is cōuerted to the way of iustyce from the croked & ragged path of voluptuouse lyuynge.

The burnyng of wanton bokes.

EYue bokes that in his youthe of wanton [...]sis of loue with other lyke fantasies he had made in his vulgar tongue: all togyther (in detestacyon of his vyce passed) and lest these tryfles mygh be some euyll occasyon afterwarde he burned them.

¶Of his study and dilygence in holy scrypture.

ERom thensforth he gaue him selfe day & nyght moost feruently to the studyes of scrypture in whiche he wrote many noble bokes: which well testyfye bothe his angylyke wyt / his ardent laboure / and his profoūde erudicyon of whiche bokes some we ha­ue & some as an inestimable treasure we haue loste. Grete lybraries hit is incredible to cōsydre with how meruelouse c [...]leryte he red them ouer / and wrote out what hym liked: of y• olde fathers of y• chyrch / so gret knowlege he had as hit were harde for hym to haue y• hath lyued longe & all his lyfe hath done nothyng els but red them. Of these newer dyuynes so good iuge­ment he had y• it myght appere there were nothynge in ony of thē y• were vnknowen to him / but all thynge as rype as though he had all theyr werkes euer before his eyen / but of all these new doctours he specyaliy cōmendeth saynt Thomas as hym y• enforseth hym selfe in a sure piller of truth / he was very quick / wise / & subtyl in dispicions & had grete felicite therin while he had y• hye stomak. But now a grete while he had bode suche conflictes farewell: and euery daye more & more hated them / and so gretely abhored them: that when hercules Estenlis duke of ferrare: fyrst by mes­sengers [Page] and after by hym selfe: desyred hym to dispu­te at ferrare: bycause the generall chapytre of freres prechours was holden there / longe hit was or he coude be brought therto: but at the instant request of the duke whiche very syngulerly loued him he came thy­der where he so behaued hymselfe y• was wōdre [...]o beholde how all y• audyence reioyced to here hym for hit were not possyble for a man to vtter neyther more cō ­nynge nor more cōnyngely. But hit was a commune sayenge with hym y• suche altercacyons were for a logition and not merely for a phylosophre / he sayd also that suche disputacyons gretely ꝓfited as were exer­cised with a peasyble mynde to thenserchynge of the treuth in secrete cōpany without grete audyence: but he sayd that those dispicions dyd grete hurte: y• were holden openly to the stentaciō of lernynge & to wynne the fauoure of the cōmune people & the cōmendacyon of fooles. He thought that vtterly hit coulde vnneth be but that with the desyre of worshyp (whiche these gasynge dysputers gape after) there is with an inse­parable bonde annexed the appetite of his cōfusyon & rebuke whome they argue with / whiche appetyte is a dedly wounde to y• soule / & a mortall poyson to cha­rite there was nothing passed hym of those capicions soteltes & cauilacions of sophystrye / nor agayn there was nothyng y• he more hated & abhored cōsyderyng that they serued of nought but to y• shamyng of suche other folke as were in very seyence moche better ler­ned and in those trifles ignoraūt. And y• vnto thenser­cherchynge of y• treuth (to which he gaue contynuall laboure) they profyted lytell or nought.

¶Of his lernynge vnyuersally.

BUt bycause we wyll holde the reder no lenger in hande: we wyll speke of his lernynge but a worde or twayne generally / some man hathe shyned in eloquence but ignorance of naturall thynges hathe dishonested hym / some men hath floured in the know­ledge of dyuers straūge languages but he hath wanted all the cognicion of philosophye. Some man hath redde the inuencyons of the olde philosophres but he hath not ben excercised in the new scoles. Some man hath sough connynge aswell philosophie as dyuinite for prayse and vayne glorye and not for ony profyte or encreace of chrystes chyrche. But Pycꝰ all these thynges with equall study hath so receyued y• they myght seme by hepis as a plentyouse streme to haue flowen in to hym. For he was not of ye cōdycion of some folke (which to be excellēt in one thynge set al other asyde) but he in all sciences ꝓfyted so excellently: that which of theym so euer he had consydered in him ye wolde haue thought y• he had taken that one for his onely studye. And all these thynges were in hym so moche the more meruelouse in y• he came therto by hym selfe with ye strength of his owne wytte for the loue of god and profyte his chyrche without maysters so that we may saye of hym that Epycure the philosophre sayd of hym that he was his owne mayster.

¶Fyue causes yt in so shorte tyme brought hym to se meruclouse connynge.

To the bryngynge forth of so wondreful effectes in so small tyme I cōsidre fyue causes to haue come to gyder: fyrst an incredyble wyt / secōdely a merueylouse [Page] fast memore. Thyrdely grete substaūce by y• which to y• byenge of his bokes as wellaten as greke & other tonges he was especyally holpen .vij.M. du­cates he had layde out in the gaderynge to gyther of volumes of all maner of litterature. The fourth cau­se was his besy and infatigable study. The fyfte was the contempt dispysynge of all erthly thynges.

¶Of his condycyons and his vertue.

BUt now let vs passe ouer those powers of his soule which appertayne to vnderstondynge & knowledge & let vs speke of them y• belonge to y• ache­uynge of noble actes / let vs as we can declare his ex­cellent cōdicions y• his mynde enflamed to godwarde may appere. And his riches gyuen out to poore folke may be vnderstōde / thētent y• they whiche shall heere his vertue may haue occasyon therby to gyue especi­all laude & thanke therfore to almyghty god of whose infynyte goodnesse all grace and vertue cometh.

Of the sale of his lordeshyppes and almysse.

THre yere before his deth (to thende that all the charge & besynes of rule or lordshyp set a syde he myght lede his lyfe in rest and peace wele consyde­rynge to what ende this erthely honour & worldly di­gnite cometh) all his patrymonye and dominyons y• is to say the thyrde parte of therldome of Mirandula and of concordia: vnto Iohan francis his neuewe he solde / and that so good chepe that hit semed rather a gyft then a sale. All that euer he receyued of this bar­gayne partly he gaue out to poore folke / partely he bestowed in y• byenge of a lytell londe to the fyndynge of hȳ & his housholde. And ouer y• moche syluer vessell & [Page] plate with other precyouse & costly vtensiles of how­sholde he deuyded amonge poore people. He was con­tent with meane fare at his table how be hit sō what yet reteynȳge of ye olde plenty in deynty vyande & syl­uer vessell. Euery daye at certayne houres he gaue hym selfe to prayer. To pore men alway yf ony came he plentiously gaue out his money: & not cōtent onely to gyue that he had hym self redy: he wrote ouer y• / to one. Hierom Benineuiꝰ a florentin a well letred man (whom for his grete loue towarde hym & ye integrite of his cōdycions he singulerly fauored) yt he sholde wt his owne money euer helpe poore folke: & gyue may­dens money to theyr maryage: and alway sende him worde what he had layde out that he myght paye hit him ageyn. This offyce he cōmytted to hym that he might ye more easely by hȳ as by a faythful messēger releue ye necessyte & miseri of poore nedy people suche as hȳ selfe happely coude not come by ye knowledge of.

¶Of ye volūtary afflecciō & paynīg of his own body.

OUer all this: many times (whiche is not to be kepte secrete) he gaue almes of his owne body: we knowe many men which (as saynt Hierom sayth) put forth theyr hande to poore folke: but with the ple­sure of y• flesshe they be ouercomē: but he: many days (and namely those dayes whiche represent vnto vs y• passyon & deth y• Chryste suffred for our sake) bet and scourged his owne fleshe in the remembraūce of that grete benefyte and for clensynge of his olde offences.

¶Of his placabilite or benygne nature.

HE was of chere alwaye mery & of so benygne nature y• he was neuer troubled with Ang [...]e & [Page] he sayd ones to his neuew that what so euer sholde happen (fell theyr neuer so gtete mysaduenture) he he coude neuer as hym thought be moued to wrath: but yf his chystes perysshed ī whiche his bokes laye: y• he had wt grete trauayle & watche [...]piled. But for as moche as he consydered y• he laboured onely for y• loue of god & ꝓfyte of his chyrche: & y• he had dedicate vnto him all his werkes / his studyes & his doynges & sith he sawe y• syth god is almyghty they coulde not mi­scarye but yf it were eyther by his cōmaundement or by his sufferaunce: he veryly trusted: syth god is all good: y• he wolde not suffre hym to haue that occasion of heuynes. O very happy mynde which none aduersyte myght oppresse / which no prosperyte myght en­haunce: not the connynge of all philosophie was able to make hym proude / not the knowledge of the he­brewe / chaldey & arabie language besyde greke and laten coulde make him vayngloryouse / not his grete substaunce / not his noble blode coulde blowe vp his herte / not y• beauty of his body / not y• grete occasyō of synne were able to pull hym bak in to y• voluptuouse brode way y• ledeth to helle: what thynge was ther of so meruaylouse strength y• myght ouertorne y• mynde of hȳ (which now as seneke sayth) was goten aboue fortune as he: which as well her fauoure as her ma­lice hath set at nought / y• he myght be coupled wt a spiritull knot vnto chryste and his heuenly cytezeynes.

How he eschewed dygnites.

Whan he sawe many men wt grete labour & mo­ney desyre & bysely purchase ye offices & dygnites of y• ch [...]che (whiche are now a dayes alas [Page] y• whyle [...]munely bought & solde) him selfe refused to recyue them: whan two kynges offred thē: whan an other man offred hym grete worldely ꝓmocyon yf he wolde go to ye kynges courte: he gaue hym suche an answere / that he sholde well knowe that he neyther desyred worship ne worldly ryches but rather set thē at nought y• he might y• more quyetly gyue hym selfe to study & y• seruyce of god: this wyse he ꝑsuaded / y• to a phylosophre and hym y• seketh for wysedome it was no prayse to gather rychesse but to refuse them.

¶Of the dispysynge of worldly glorye.

ALl prayse of people and all erthly glorye he re­puted vtterly: for nothyng but in y• renayeng of this shadowe of glory / he laboured for very glorye / which euer more foloweth vertue as an vnseparable seruaunt / he sayd that same often tymes dyd hurte to mē while they lyue / & neuer good whan they be deed / so moche onely set he by his lernȳge in how moche he knewe that hit was profytable to y• chyrche & to y• ex­termynation of errours. And ouer that he was come to that prycke of perfyte humilite that he lytell forced wyther his workes went out vnder his owne name or not so that they myght as moche profite as yf they were gyuen oute vnder his name. And nowe set he lytel by ony other bokes saueouely y• bible / in y• onely studi of which: he had appoynted hym selfe to spende the resedewe of his lyfe / sauynge that y• cōmune pro­fyte pricked him whā he cōsydered so many & so grete werkes as he had cōceyued & longe trauayled vnpon howe they were of euery man by and by desyred and loked after.

How moche he set more by deuceyon then connynge.

THe lytell affeccyon of an olde man or an olde woman to godwarde (were it neuer so small) he set more by: thē by all his owene knowlege aswell of naturall thynges as godly. And oftentymes in communicacyon he wolde admonysshe his familyar frendes how gretly these mortall thynges bowe and drawe to an ende howe slyper & how fallynge hit is y• we lyue in now: how ferme how stable it shall b [...] y• we shal here after lyue in / whether we be throwen downe in to hell or lyfce vp in to heuen. Wherfore he exhorted thē to turne vp theyr myndes to loue god which was a thynge farre excellynge all the cōnynge y• is possible for vs in this lyfe to obtaine. The same thynge also in his boke whiche he entytled de ente et vnolyghtsomely he treateth where he interupteth y• course of his di­spicion and turnynge his wordes to Angelꝰ Politia­nus (to whom he dedycateth that boke) he wryteth in this wyse. But now beholde o my welbeloued Angell what madnes holdeth vs. Loue god (while we be in this body) we rather maye: than eyther knowe hym or by speche vtter hym. In louyng him also we more profyte our selfe / we laboure lesse & serue hym more / & yet had we leuer alwaye by knowlege neuer fynde y• thynge that we seke: then by loue to possede y• thynge: whiche also without loue were in vayne founde.

Of his liberalite & contempt of rychesse.

LIberalite onely in hym passed measure for so ferre was he from y• begȳnyng of ony diligēce to erthely thynges that he semed somwhat be [...]prent with the frekyll of negligence / his frendes oftenty­mes [Page] admonysshed hym that he sholde not all vtterly dispycerychesse / shewynge hym y• hit was his disho­neste and rebuke whan it was reported (were it treue or false) that his negligence & settyng nought by mo­ney gaue his seruauntes occasyon of disceye & robbry Neuertheles that mynde of his: (which euermore on hyghe cleued fast in cōtēp [...]acion & in thenserchynge of natures counsel) coulde neuer let downe hit selfe to y• cōsideracion and ouerseynge of these base abiecte and vyle erthly tryfles. His hygh stuarde came on a tyme to hym & desyred hym to receyue his accomt of suche money as he had in many yeres receyued of his: and brought forth his bokes of rekenynge. Picus answe­red hym in this wyse / my frende (sayth he) I knowe well ye haue mought oftentimes and yet may desceyue me and ye lyst / wherfore the examinacyon of these expēses shall not nede. There is no more to do / yf I be ought in your det I shall pay you by & by / yf ye be in myn pay me / eyther now yf ye haue hit: or here after yf ye be now not able.

Of his louynge mynde & [...]tu­ouse behauour to his frēndes.

HIs louers and frendes with grete benygnite & curtesye he entreted / whom he vsed in all secre­te cōmuninge [...]tuously to exhorte to godward whose goodely wordes so effectually wrought in y• herers: y• where a cōnynge man (but not so good as cōnynge) came to him on a daye for y• grete fame of his lernyng to cōmune with hym as they fell in talkynge of [...]tue he was with the wordes of Picus so throughly per­ced that forth withall he forsoke his accustomed vyce and reformed his condicyons. The wordes y• he sayd [Page] vnto hym were these yf we hadde euer more before our eyen ye paynful deth of chryst which he suffred for the loue of vs: and than yf we wolde agayne thynke vpon our deth we sholde wele beware of synne. Mer­ueylouse benignyte & curtesy he shewed vnto th [...] not whom strength of body or goodes of fortune magnified but to them whom lernynge & ꝯdiciōs boūde hȳ to fauoure / for simylytude of maners is a cause of loue & frendeshyp. Alikenes of condicions is (as Appolloniꝰ sayth an affinyte.

¶what he hated & what he loued.

THere was nohyng more odiouse nor more intoliberable to hȳ than as (horace sayth) ye proud palaces of stately lordes / weddynge and wordly besynes / he fled almoost a lyke: notwithstondynge whan he was axed ones in sporte whyther of those two bur­deynes semed lyghter & whiche he wolde chese yf he sholde of necessite be dryuen to that one and at his ele­c [...]n: whiche he stiked thereat a wyle but at ye last he shoke his heed and a lytell smylyng he answered yt he had leuer take hȳ to maryage / as ye thynge in whiche was lesse seruytude & not so moche ieoperdy / lyberte aboue all thynge he loued to which both his owne natural affeccon & ye study of phylosophy enclyned hym: & for yt was he alwaye wāderyng & flytynge & wolde neuer take hym sefe to ony certayne dwellynge.

Of his feruent loue to god.

OF outward obseruaūces he gaue no very grete force we speke not of those obseruaunces which the chyrche ꝯmaundeth to be obserued for in those he was dilygēt but we speke of those cerymonyes which folke brynge vp settynge ye very seruyce of god a syde [Page] which is (as chryst sayth) to be worshipped in spirite & in treuth. But in the inwarde affectes of the mynde he cleued to god with very feruent loue and deuocy­on / some tyme that meruelouse alacrite langwysshed and almoost fell: and efte agayne with grete ftrength rose vp in to god. In the loue of whome he so feruent­ly burned that on a tyme as he walked with Iohan fraūcis his neuewe in an orcharde at farrare in y• tal­kynge of the loue of chryst he brake out in to these wordes / neuew sayd he this wyll I shewe the I warne the kepe it secrete: the substaunce y• I haue lefte after c [...]rtayne bokes of myne finysshed I entende to gyue out to pore folke & seneynge my selfe with the crucifyx [...] about the worlde in euery towne and ca [...] [...] pose to preche of chryst. Afterwarde I [...] by the e [...]pecyall commaundement of god he [...] that purpose and appoynted to pro­ [...] [...] in the ordre of freres prechours.

¶Of his deth.

IN ye yere of our redempcion .M.CCCC.iCiiij. whan he had fulfylled ye .xxxij. yere of his age & [...] at florence he was sodenly taken with a fer­uent axes which so ferforth crepte in to ye interior [...] pert [...]s of his body y• hit dyspysed all medycynes & ouer­came all remedy and cōpelled him within thre dayes to [...]atisfye nature and repaye her ye lyfe whiche he re­ceyued of her.

¶Of his behauyour in the extremes of his lyfe.

AFter that he hadde r [...]ceyued the holy body of our sauyour whan they offred vnto hym the crucyfyx (y• the ymage of chrystes ineffable passion [Page] suffred for oure sake: he myght ere he gaue vp the ghost / receyue his full draught of loue and cōpassyon in the beholdynge of that pytefull figure as a stronge defence agaynst all aduersyte and a sure port culiouse agaynst wikked spirites / the preest demaunded hym whether he fermly beleued y• crucyfyx to be the Ima­ge of hym that was very god & very man whiche in his godhed was before all time begoten of his father: to whome he is also equall in all thynge: and whiche of ye holy ghos [...] god also: of hym & of the father coeter­nalli goy [...]ge forth (whiche .iij. persones be one god) was in y• chaste wombe of our lady a perpetuall vir­gyne cōceyued in time / which suffred hungre / thrust / hete / colde / laboure / trauayle / & watche. And whiche at the laste for wasshynge of our spotty syn̄e cōtracted and drawen vnto vs in the synne of Adame for the so­ueraigne loue that he had to mankynde: in the aulter of the crosse wyllyngely & gladly shedde out his moost precyouse blode. when y• preest enquyred of him these thynges & suche other as they be wonte to enquere of folke in suche case. Picꝰ answered hym y• he not onely beleued hit but also certaynly knewe it. ¶ whā y• one Abertꝰ his systers sone a yonge man both of wit / con­cōnynge / & cōdicyons: excellent: began to cōforte hym agaynst deth: & by natural reason to shewe hym why hit was not to be fered but strongely to be taken: as y• onely thynge which maketh an ende of all y• laboure / payne / trouble / & sorowe of this short miserable deed­ly lyfe: he answered y• this was not the cheyese thyng y• sholde make hym [...]tent to dye: bycause y• deth determyneth the many folde incommoditees and paynfull [Page] wretchednes of this life: but rather this cause sholde make hym not content onely: but also glad to dye: for that deth maketh an ende of synne: in as moche as he trusted: y• shortnes of his lyfe sholde leue hym no spa­ce to synne and offende. He asked also all his seruaun­tes forgyuenes / yf he had euer before that daye offen­ded ony of them. for whom he had prouyded by his te­stament .viij. yeres before / for some of them mete and drynk / for some money / eche of them after theyr deser­uynge. He shewed also to the aboue named Albertꝰ & many other credible persons y• y• quene of heuen came to hym y• nyght with a meruaylouse fragrant odour refresshynge all his mēbres y• were brosed & frusshed with that feuer & ꝓmysed him that he shold not vtterly dye. He lay alwaye with a plesaunt and a mery coū tenaunce and in the verye twytches and panges of deth he spake as though he behelde y• heuens opene. And all y• came to hym & saluted hym offerynge theyr seruyce: wt very louyng wordes he receyued / thāked / & kyssed. The executour of his moueable goodes he made one Antony his brother. The heyer of his lan­des he made y• pore people of the hospytall of florence. And in this wyse in to ye handes of oure sauyoure he gaue vp his spiryte.

How his deth was taken.

What sorowe and heuynes his departyng out of this worlde was: both to ryche and pore hygh & lowe: well testyfyeth the prynces of Italye / well wytnesseth the citees & people / well re­cordeth the grete benygnyte and synguler curtesye of Charles kynge of fraūce / which as he came to floren­ce [Page] entendynge from thens to Rome and so forth in his vyage agaynst the Realme of Naples herynge of the sykenes of Picus in all conuenyent haste he sent hym two of his owne phisicions as embassiatours both to viset hym and to do hym all y• helpe they myght. And ouer that sent vnto hym letters susbcribed with his owne hande full of suche humanyte and courteyse of­fres: as the bene volent mynde of suche a noble prince and the worthy vertues of Picus required.

Of the state of his soule.

AFter his deth (and not longe after) one hiero­nimꝰ a frere prechour of [...]errare a man aswell in cōnynge as holynes of lyuynge moost famous. In a sermone whiche he reherced in the cheyfe chyrche [...] all florence sayd vnto the people in this wyse. O thou Cyte of florence I haue a secrete thynge to shewe the which is as true as ȳ gospell of saynt Iohn̄ I wolde haue kept hit secrete but I am cōpelled to shewe hit. For he that hathe auctoryte to commaunde me / hath byd me publysshe hit. I suppose veryly that there be none of you but ye knewe Iohn̄ Picus erle of Mirandula / a man in whom god had heped many grete gyftes and synguler graces / y• chyrche had of hym an in­estymable losse / for I suppose yf he myght haue had the space of his lyfe prorogyd: he sholde haue excelled (by suche workes as he shold haue lefte behynde hȳ) all them y• dyed this .viij.C. yere before him / he was wonte to be conuersaunt with me and to breke to me y• secretes of his herte in whiche I perceyued that he was by priuey inspyraciou called of god vnto rely giō. [Page] wherfore he purposed oftentymes to obey this inspy­racyō and folowe his callynge. howbehit not beynge kynde ynoughe for so grete benefices of god: or called bak by the tendernes of his flesshe (as he was a man of delicate cōplexion) he shranke frome the laboure / or thinkynge happely y• the religion had no nede of hym differred hit for a tyme / howbehit this I speke onely by coniecture. But for this delaye I thretened hym two yere togyther: ȳ he wolde be punysshed yf he for slowthed that purpose which our lorde had put in his mynde / & certeynely I prayed to god my sefe (I wyll not lye therfore) that he myght be somwhat beten: to compell hym to take that waye whiche god had from aboue shewed hym. But I desyred not this scourge vpon hym y• he was beten with: I loked not for that: but oure lorde hadde so decreed that he sholde forsake this present lyfe and leue a parte of that noble crowne that he sholde haue had in heuen. Notwithstondyng y• most benygne iuge hath dalt mercyfully with him: and for his plentyouse almes gyuen out with a free and liberall hande vnto poore people & for the deuout prayers whiche he moost instantly offred vnto god this fauoure he hath: thought his soule be not yet in the bosome of oure lorde in the heuenly Ioye: yet is hit not on y• other syde deputed vnto perpetual payne but he is adiuged for a whyle to the fyre of purgatory there to suffre payne for a season / which I am y• gladder to shewe you in this byhalfe: so the entent y• they which knewe hym: & suche inspectally as for his ma­ny folde benyfy [...]s are singulerly beholden vnto him: sholde now with theyr prayers almes & other suffrages [Page] helpe hym. These thynges this holy mā hierom this seruaunt of god openly affermed / and also sayde that he kn [...]w wel if helyed in that place: he were worthy eternall dāpnacion. And ouer y• he sayd ȳ he had knowen all those thinges wythin a certain tyme / bu [...] y• wordes which Picus had sayde in his sykenes of y• aperyng of our lady caused him to doubt & to fere lest Picus had be deceyued by some illusyon of y• deuyll [...] In as moch as the ꝓmyse of our lady semed to haue ben frustrate by his dethe / but afterward he vuder­sode y• Picus was deceyued in the e [...]ocacyon of y• worde whyle she spake of y• secōde deth & euer lastȳg: & he vndertoke her of y• fyrst deth & temporall. And after this y• same hierom shewed to his acquayntaūce y• Picꝰ had after his deth apered vnto him all [...]paced in fire & shewed vnto him y• he was such wise ī purgatorye punyshed for his neglygence & his vnkyndnes. Now syth hit is so that he is abiuged to y• fyre from which he shal vndoubtedly deꝑt vnto glory & no man is sure how longe hit shalbe fyrst: & may be y• shorter tyme for our intercessyons. Let euery chrysten body shewe theyr charite vpon hym to helpe to spede hym thyder where after the longe habitacion wt y• inhaby­tauntes of this derke worlde (to whom his goodly cō ­uersaciō gaue grete lyght) & after y• darke fyre of pur­gatory (in whiche venyall offences be clēsed) he may shortly (yf he be not all redy) entre y• inaccessible & īfi­nite light of heuen where he may in y• [...]sence of y• soue raygne godhed so praye for vs y• we may y• rather by his in [...]cessiō be perteyners of y• inspecable Ioy which we haue prayed to bryng hȳ spedely to. Amē.

¶Here endeth ye lyfe of Iohn̄ Picꝰ erle of Mirandula.

¶Here foloweth thre epistles of y• sayd Picus of which thre: two be wryten vnto Iohan Fraunsces his neuew / the thyrde vnto one Andrewe Corneus a noble man of Italy.

¶The argument & mater of the fyrst epystle of Pi­cus vnto his neuew Iohan Fraunsces.

HIt apereth by this epistle y• Iohan Fraunsces the neuew of Picꝰ had broken his mynde vn­to Picus and had made hym of counceyll in some se­crete godly purpose whiche he entended to take vpon hym / but what this purpose sholde be: vpon this lettre can we not fully perceyue. Nowe after y• he thus entended / there fell vnto hym many impedunentes & diuers occasyons whiche withs [...]ode his entent and in maner letted hym & pulled hym bak / wherfore Picꝰ cōforteth hym in this epystle and exorteth hym to perseueraūce / by suche meanes as are in the epystle euy­dent and playne ynough. Notwithstondynge in y• begynnyng of this lettre where he sayth that the fleshe shall (but yf we take good hede) make vs dronke in the cuppes of Cerces and mysshappe vs in to the ly­kenes a fygure of bruyte beestes: those wordes yf ye perceyue theym not: be in this wyse vnderstonden. There was somtyme in a woman called Circes whiche by enchauntemente as vyrgyll maketh mencyon vsed with a drynke to turne as many men: as recey­ued hit in to dyuers likenes a fygures of sondrye bee­stes / some in to lyones / some in to beeres / some in to swyne / some in to wolfes / which afterwarde walked euer tame aboute her house and wayted vpon her in [Page] suche vse or seruyce as she lyst to put vnto them. In lykewyse the flesshe yf it make vs dronke in y• wyne of voluptuous pleasure or make the soule leue the no­ble vse of his reason & enclyne vnto sensualite and af­feccions of y• body: then the flesshe chaūgeth vs from the figure of reasonable men in the lykenes of vnrea­sonable beestes / and y• dyuersly: after the cōuenience & symylytude betwene our sensuall affeccyons and the brutysshe proprytees of sondry beestes. As the proude harted man in to a lyon / the Irous in to a beere / the lecherouse in to a gote. The drōken gloten in to a swy­ne / the rauenous extorcyoner in to a wolfe the false desceyuoure in to a foxe / mokkynge gester in to an ape. From which beestly shappe may we neuer be re­stored to our owne lykenes agayn: vnto the tyme we haue cast vp agayne the drynke of the bodely affec­cyons by which we were in to these fygures enchaunted. Whan there cometh somtyme a monstrouse beest to the towne we ronne and are glad to paye some mo­ney to haue syght therof / but I fere yf men wolde lo­ke vpon them selfe aduysedly: they sholde se a more monstrouse beest nerer home: for they sholde perceyue themselfe by y• wretched inclinacion to diuers beestly passyons chaunged in theyr soule not in to the shap of one but of many beestes / y• is to saye of all thē whose brutysh appetytes they folow. Let vs thē beware as picꝰ cōcelleth vs y• we be not drōkē in y• cuppes of cereꝭ y• is to say in y• sensuall affecciōs of y• flessh lest / we de­forme y• image of god in our soules after whose ima­ge we be made & make our selfe worse then idolatres for yf he be odiouse to god whiche turneth y• image of [Page] a beest in to god: how moche is he more odious which corneth the ymage of god in to a beest.

Iohan Picus erle of Mirandula to Iohan Fraunsces his neuew by his brother helth in hym that is very helth.

THat thou hast had many euyll occasyons af­ter thy departynge which trouble the & stonde agaynst the vertuouse purpose that thou hast taken there is no cause my sone why yu sholdest eyther mer­uayle therof / be sory therfore / or drede hit / but rather how grete a wondre were this yf onely to y• amonge mortall men y• way laye open to heuen with out swet as thought y• now at erst / the disceytfull worlde & the cursed deuyll fayled / & as thoughe thou were not yet in y• flesshe: which coueyteth agaynst the spyrite: and which false flessh (but yf we watche & loke wel to ourself) shal make vs dronke in ye cuppes of circes & so de­forme vs in to monstrous shappes of brutyssh & vnreasonable beestes. Remembre also that of this euyll occasyons the holy apostle saynt Iames sayth yu hast cause to be glad writynge in this wyse. [...] aude [...]e fra­tres qm̄ in temptationes varias in cideritis. Be glad sayth he my brethren whan ye fall in dyuers temptacions / and not causeles for what hope is there of glo­rye yf there be none hope of victorye: or what place is there for victory where there is no batayl: he is called to the crowne & triūphe whiche is ꝓuoked to the conflycte & namely to that conflyct: in which no man may be ouercom against his will / & in which we nede none other strength to vaynquyssh but y• we lyst our selfe to vaynquissh. Uery happy is a christen mā syth y• y• vi­ctory [Page] is bothe put in his owne frewyll: & the rewarde of the vyctory shal be farre greter than we can eyther hope or wysshe. Tell me I praye y• my moost dere sone if ther be ought in this life of all those thingis: y• de­lite wherof so vexeth and tossith these erthly myndes Is ther I say oni of those trif [...]es: ī y• getīg of which a man must not suffre many labours many displea­surs & many miseries or he get hit. The marchaunt thīkith him selfe well serued if after .x. yeres sailing / after a.m. incōmoditees / after a.m. Ieopardyes of his lyfe he may at last haue a litle the more gadered to gyther. Of the court & seruyce of this worlde there is nothyng y• I nede to wryte vnto the / the wretchednes wherof the experience hit selfe hath taught the & dayly techeth. In obtaynyng y• fauour of y• prynces / in purchasynge the frendshyp of y• company in ambi­cyouse labour for offyces & honoures. What an hepe of heuynes there is: how grete anguissh: how moche besynes & trouble. I may rather lerne of the then te­che y• / which holdynge my self cō [...]ent with my bokes & reste / of a chylde haue lerned to lyue within my de­gree & as moche as I maye dwellynge with my selfe nothynge out of my self labour for / or longe for. Now then these erthly thynges slyper / vncertayne / vyle & cōmune / also to vs and bruyte beest: swetynge & pan­tynge we shall vnneth obtayne: and loke we than to heuenly thynges & goodly (whiche neyther eye hath seen nor ere hath herde nor herte hath thought) to be drawen slūbry & slepyng magrey our teth: as though neyther god myght reygne nor those heuēly citezyns lyue without vs. Certaynely of this worldly felicite [Page] were goten to vs with ydelnes and ease than myght some man that shrynketh frome labour: rather chese to serue y• worlde then god. But now yf we be for la­bored in the waye of synne as moche as in the way of god and moche more (wherof the dampned wretches crye out. [...] assatisumꝰ in via iniquitatis. we be we­ryed in the waye of wyckednes) then must it nedes be apoynte of extreme madnes yf we had not leuer la­bour there where we go from labour to rewarde then where we go from labour to payne. I passe ouer how grete peace & felycite hit is to the mynde whan a man hath nothinge that grudgeth his cōscience nor is not appaled with the secrete twiche of ony preuye cryme [...] this pleasure vndoubtedly farre excelleth all y• plea­surs y• in this lyfe may be obteyned or desyred: what thyng is there to be desyred amonge y• delytes of this worlde? which in y• sekynge wery vs / in y• hauynge blyndeth vs / in y• lesyng payneth bs. Doubtest y• my sone whether the myndes of wycked men be vexed or not wt cōtynuall thought and torment: hit is y• worde of god whiche neyther maye deceyue nor be deceyuer Cor impij quasi mare feruens quod quicscere nō po­test. The wycked mannes herte is lyke a stormy see y• maye not rest / there is to hȳ nothynge sure / nothyng peseable but all thynge ferefull / all thynge sorowfull / all thyng deedly. Shall we then enuye these mē: shall we folow them: & forgetynge our owne coūtre heuen / & our owne heuēly father where we were / free borne: shall we wylfully make our selfe theyr bondemen: & with them wretchedly lyuyng: more wretchedly dye. And at y• last moost wretchedly in euerlastyng fyre be [Page] punisshed. O the derke myndes of men. O the blynde hertes. Who seyth not more clere than lyght that all these thynges be (as they say) truer than trueth hit self / & yet do we not that y• we knowe is to be done. In vayne we wolde pluk our fote out of the clay but we styk styll. There shall come to the my sone doubte hit not (in these places namely where thou art cōuer­saūt innumerable impedimentes euery hour: which myght fere the frome the purpose of good and vertu­ouse lyuynge (& but yf thou be ware) shall throwe the downe hedlynge. But amonge all thynges the very deedly pestylence is this: to be conuersaunt daye and nyght among them whose lyfe is not onely on euery syde an allectyue to synne: but ouer that all set in the expugnaciō of vertue / vnder theyr capitayne the de­uyll / vnder the banayre of deth / vnder the stipende of hell / fightynge agaynst heuen / agaynst our lorde god and agaynst his chyrch. But crye thou therfore with y• prophete. Dirū pamus vincula corum & proijcia­mus a nobis iugum ipso (rum). Let vs breke the bandes of them aud let vs cast of the yooke of them. These be they whom (as y• gloriouse apostle saynt Paule seith) our lorde hath delyuered in to the passyons of rebuke and to a reprouable sense to do those thynges that are not conuenyente / full of all iniquite / full of enuye / manslaughter / contenton / gyle / & malice / backbiters odiouse to god [...]tumeliouse proude / stately / fynders of euell thynges / folysshe / dissolute / without affecion without couenaunt / wtout merry whiche whan they dayely the iustice of god / yet vnderstonde they not [Page] y• suche as these thynges cōmytte: are worthy deth / not onely they y• do suche thȳges: but also they which consent to y• doynge: wherfore my chylde go thou ne­uer about to please them: whome vertue displeaseth / but euermore let these wordes of y• apostyll be before thyn eyen. O porter magis deo placere ꝙ hoībꝰ. We must rather please god then men / and rembēbre these wordes of saynt Paule also. Sihominibus placerem [...]eruꝰ christi non essem If I sholde please men I were not christes seruaunt. Let entre to thyn herte an holy pryde & haue dysdayne to take them for maysters of thy lyuynge whiche haue more nede to take y• for a maister of theyrs. Hit were farre more semȳge y• they sholde with y• by good lyuynge begyn to be men then thou sholdest with them by ye leuynge of the good purpose shamfully begyn to be a best. There holdeth me somtyme by almyghty god as hit were euen a swone and [...] insensibilite for wondre when I begyn in my selfe: I wot neuer whether I shall sey: to remembre or to sorowe / to meruayule or to bewayle the apetytes of men / or yf I shall more playnly speke: y• very mad­nes not to beleue the gospell whose trouthe the blode of marters cryeth / y• voyce of apostles sowneth / miracles proueth / reason cōfermeth / y• worlde testifyeth / y• elementes speketh / deuylles confesseth. But a ferre gr [...] madness is hit yf thou doubt not but that the gospell is true: to lyue then as though thou doubtest not but that hit were false. For yf these wordes of the wordes of the gospell be true / that hit is very harde for [...] kyngedome of heuen why do we dayly th [...] gape after the hepynge vp of riches. [Page] And yf this be true that we sholde seke for the glorye and prayse not that cometh of men / but that cometh of god / why do we then euer hange vpon the iuge­ment & opinyon of men and no man rekketh whether god lyke hym or not. And yf we surely beleue y• ones the tyme shall come in whiche our lorde shall saye go ye cursed people in to eueuerlastynge fyre / & agayne come ye my blessed chyldren possede ye the kyngdome y• hath ben prepared for you from y• fourmynge of the world / why is there nothyng then y• we lesse fere then hell or y• we lesse hope for then the kyngedome of god. What shall we say elles but y• there be many chrysten men in name but fewe in dede. But thou my sone en­force thy selfe to entre by the streygh gate y• ledeth to heuen & take no hede what thynge many men do: but what thyng y• verey law of nature / what thyng very reason what thynge our lorde hȳ selfe sheweth y• to be done for neyther thy glory shal be lesse yf y• be happy wt fewe nor thy payne more easy yf y• be wretched with many. Thou shalt hour .ij. specyally effectuall reme­dyes agaynst y• worlde & the deuyll with whiche two as wt .ij. whynges: thou shalt out of this vale of mise­rye be lyfte vp in heuen / that is to saye almes dede & prayer / what maye we do without the helpe of god or how shall he helpe vs yf he be not called vpon.

But ouer that certaynely he shall not here the whan thou callest on hym yf thou here not fyrst y• pore man whai. he calleth vpon y• and verely hit is accordynge that god sholde despyse the beynge a man whan thou beynge a man despysest a man. For hit is wryten in what mesure y• ye mete: hit shall be mete you agayne [Page] And in an other place of y• gospell hit is sayd blyssed be mercyfull men for they shall gete mercy / whan I styre the to prayer I styre y• not to y• prayer whiche stō deth in many wordes but to that prayer whiche in y• secrete chambre of the mynde / in the preuy closet of y• soule with very affecte speketh to god and in y• moost lyghtsome darkenes of contemplacion not onely pre­senteth the mynde to the father: but also vnteth hit wt him by inspekable wayes which onely they knowe y• haue assayed. Nor I care not how longe or how short thy prayer be / but how effectuall how ardente and rather interrupted & broken betwene with sighes then drawen on length with a contynuall rowe & nombre of wordes / yf thou loue thyne helth yf thou desyre to be sure from y• grennes of y• deuyll / frome the stormes of this worlde / frome thawayte of thyn enemyes yf y• long to be acceptable to god yf thou coueyte to be happy at the last: let no day passe the but thou ones at the lestwise present thy selfe to god by prayer and fallyng downe before hym flat to y• grounde with an humble affecte of deuout mynde not frome y• extremyte of thy lippes but out of y• inwardnes of thyn herte cry these wordes of y• prophete. Delicta iuuētutis mee ignorātias meas ne meminer [...]s sed secūdum misericordiā tuā memento mei ꝓpter bonitatē tuā dn̄e. The effen­ces of my youth and myn ignoraunces remembre not good lorde / but after thy mercy lorde for thy goodnes remembre me. whan y• shalt in thy prayer axe of god: both y• holy spyryte which prayeth for vs & eke thyn owne necessyte shall euery houre put in thy mynde / & also what thou shalte praye for: yu shall fynde mater [Page] ynough in y• redynge of holy scrypture which y• thou woldest now (settynge poetes fables & tryfles a syde) take euer in thyn hand I hartly pray y•. Thou mayst do not hynge more pleasaunte to god nothynge more profitable to thy selfe: then yf thyn hāde cease not day nor nyght to turne and rede the volumes of holy scry­pture. There lyeth pryuely in them a certayn heuēly strength quyk and effectual with a merueylous power transfourmeth & chaūgeth y• reders mynde in to the loue of god yf they be clene and lowly entreated. But I haue passed nowe y• boundes of lettre / y• ma­ter drawynge me forth & the grete loue y• I haue had to the / bothe euer before: & specyally: syth y• houre in which I haue had fyrst knowledge of thy moost holy purpose. Now to make an ende with this one thynge I warne y• (of which whan we were last togyther I often talked with y•) that y• neuer forget these .ij. thyn­ges / y• both y• sone of god dyed for y• & y• thou shalt also thy selfe dye shortly lyue y• neuer so longe / with these twayne as with two spurres y• one of fere y• other of loue: spurre forthe thyn hors thorugh y• shorte way of this momentarye lyfe to y• rewarde of eternall felicy­te syth we neyther ought nor maye prefexe our selfe onye other ende than the endles fruycion of y• infinite goodnes bothe to soule & body in euerlastynge peace. Fare well and fere god.

The mater or argument of the epistle of Picus to Andrewe Corncus.

THis Andrewe a worshypfull man and a espe­ciall frende of Picus hadde by his lettres gy­uen hym counceyll to leue the study of phylosophy as [Page] a thynge in which he thought Picꝰ to haue spent ty­me ynough & whiche: but yf it were applyed to y• vse of some actuall besmes: he iuged a thyng vayne & vn­profytable / wherfore he coūceyled Pycus to surceace of study and put hym selfe with some of y• grete pryn­ces of Italy / with whome ( as this Andrew sayd) he sholde be moche more fruytefully occupyed thē alway in the studye & lernyng of philosophye / to whom Picꝰ answered as in this present epestle appereth where he sayth these wordes (By this hit shold folowe y• hit were eyther seruyle or at the lestwyse not pryncely to make y• study of phylosophy other then mercennari) thus he meaneth. Mercēnary we cal all those thīges whiche we do for hyre or rewarde. Then he maketh philosophy mercēnary & vseth hit not as cōnynge but as marchaūdyse whiche studyeth hit not for pleasure of hit selfe: or for the instruccyon of his mynde in mor­tall vertue: but to applye hit to suche thynges where he may get some lucre or worldly aduauntage.

Iohan Picus erle of Myrandula to Andrewe Corneus gretynge.

Ye exhorte me by your letters to the cyuyle and actyue lyfe sayenge y• in vayne: and in maner to my rebuke & shame haue I so longe stu­dyed in philosophy. But yf I wolde at the last excer­cise y• lernynge in y• entretynge of some ꝓfitable actes & outwarde bysynes. Certaynly my welbeloued An­drewe I had cast awaye bothe cost and laboure of my study: yf I were to mynded that I coude fynde in my herte in this mater to assent vnto you & folowe your [Page] councell. This is a very deedly and monstrous per­suacyon which hath entred the myndes of men: bele­uynge that ye studyes of phylosophye are of estates & prȳces: eyther vtterly not to be touched: or at lest wise with extreme lyppes to be sypped (and rather to the pompe & ostentaciō of theyr wit) then to the culture & ꝓfyte of theyr myndes to be lytel & easely tasted. The wordes of Neoptolentꝰ they holde vtterly for a sure decree that phylosophy is to be studyed eyther neuer or not longe / but the sayenges of wyse men they repute for I apes & v [...]ry fables: that sure & stedfast felici­te stondeth onely in the goodnes of the mynde & that these outwarde thynges of ye body or of fortune lytle or nought pertayne vnto vs. But here ye wyll saye to me thus. I am contente ye studye / but I wolde haue you outwardly occupyed also. Ind I desyre you not so to embrace martha that ye sholde vtterly forsake Mary. Loue them & vse them both aswell study as worldly occupacion. Trewly my welbe loued frende in this poynt I gayne sey you not / they that so do I fynde no fault in nor I blame them not / but certaynly hit is not all one to sey we do well yf we do so: and to sey me do euyll but yf we do so / this is farre out of the way: to think that from contemplacyon to the a­ctyse lyuing that is to sey from the better to the worse is none errour to declyne And to thynke that it were shame to abyde styll in the better and not declyne.

Shall a man then be rebuked by cause that he desy­ryth and ensueth vertue only for hit selfe: by cause he studyeth ye mysteryes of god: by cause he ensercheth the counceyll of nature by cause he vseth continually [Page] this plesaūt ease & rest: sekynge none outwarde thyng dispising all other thynge: sych those thȳges are able suffyciently to satisfye ye desyre of theyr folowers. By this rakenynge hit is a thynge eyther seruyle or at ye lest wise not princely to make ye study of wysdom other then mercēnarye / who may well here this who may suffre hit. Certaynly he neuer studyed for wysedome which so studied therfore that in tyme to come eyther he myght not or wolde not study therfore / this man rather excercised ye study of marchaundyse then of wysedom. Ye wryte vnto me that hit is tyme for me now to put my selfe in houshoulde with some of the grete prynces of Italy but I se well yt as yet ye haue not knowen the opynion that phylosophres haue of them selfe which (as horace sayth) repute thē selfe kynges of kinges: they loue lyberte: they can not bere ye proud maners of estates: they can not serue. They dwell with them selfe and be content with the tranquyllyte of theyr owne mynde they suffyce them selfe & more / they seke nothynge out of them selfe: ye thynges that are had in honoure amonge ye ꝯmune people: amonge them be not holden honourable. All that euer the vo­luptuouse desyre of men thyrsteth for: or ambycyon sygheth for: they set at nought & despise. Which while hit belongeth to all men: yet vndoubtedly it ꝑteyneth moost proprely to them whome fortune hath so lybe­raly fauoured that they may lyue not onely well and plenteously but also nobly. These grete fortunes lyft vp a man hye and setteh hym out to the shewe: but of­tentymes as a fyerse and a skyttyssh hors they cast of theyr mayster. Certeynly alway they greue and vexe [Page] hym and rather tere hym then bere hym. The golden mediocrite the meane estate is to be desyred whiche shall bere vs as hit were in hādes more easeli. which shall obey vs & not maystre vs. I therfore abydyng fermely in this opynyō: set more by my litle house my study the pleasure of my bokes / y• rest and peace of my mynde: then by all your kynges palaces all your cōmune besynes / all your glory / all the aduauntage that ye hawke after and all the fauoure of the court. Nor I loke not for this fruyte of my study y• I may therby herafter be tossed in the flode and rombelyng of your worldly besynesse: but y• I may ones bryng forth the chyldren that I trauayle on: y• I may gyue out some bokes of my nowne to the cōmune proffyte which may sumwhat sauour: yf not of cōnyng yet at the lest wyse of wyt and dylygence. And by cause ye shall not thynk that my trauayle & dyligence in study is ony thyng remytted or slakked. I gyue you know­ledge y• after grete feruent labour with moch watch and infatygable trauayle I haue lerned both the he brew language and the chaldey and now haue I set hande to ouercome the grete dyffyculte of the Araby tonge. These my dere frende be thynges: whiche to apertaine to a noble prynce I haue euer thought and yet thynke. Fare ye well. wryten at Paris the .xv. daye of Octobre the yere of grace .M.CCCClxxxxij.

The argument of the epystle folowynge.

AFter that Iohan Fraunsces ye neuew of Pi­cus had (as hit apereth in ye fyrst epistle of Picꝰ to hym) begon a chaūge in his lyuynge: hit semeth by this lettre y• the cōpany of the court where he was cōuersaunt diuersly (as hit is there vnmanerly ma­ner) descanted therof to his rebuke as them thought: but as trueth was vnto theyr owne. Some of them iuged hit foly / some called hit ypocresy / some scorned him / some sclaundred hym / of all whiche demeanour (as we maye of this epistle cōiecture) he wrote vnto this erle Picus his vncle whiche in this lettre cōfor­ted & encourageth him as hit is in y• course therof euydent.

Iohan Picꝰ erle of Myrandula to Fraū ­sces his neuew gretynge in our lorde.

HAppy art thou my sone whan that oure lorde not onely gyueth the grace wel to lyue but also that whyle thou lyuest wel he gyueth y• grace to bere euyl wordes of euyll people for thy lyuynge well. Certaynly as grete a prayse as hit is to be commended of them y• are cōmendable as grete a cōmendaciō it is to be reproued of them y• are reprouable. Notwithston­dynge my sone I call the not therfor happy by cause this fals reprofe is worshypfull & gloryous vnto the / but for bycause y• our lorde Iesu chryst (which is not onely true but also trueth hit selfe) affermeth that oure rewarde shall be plenteous in heuen when men speke euyll to vs & speke all euyll agaynst vs lyuynge for his name. This is an Apostles dignyte: to be reputed dygne afore god to be defamed of wykked folke for his name. For we rede in the gospell of luke that [Page] the appostles went ioyfull and glad frome y• counseill house of the iewes bycause god had accepted theym as worthy to suffre wronge and repreffe for his sake. Let vs therfore Ioye and be glad yf we be worthy so grete worshyp before god y• his worshyp be shewed in our rebuke. And yf we suffre of y• world ony thyng that is greuous or bytter: let this swete voyce of our lorde be our consolacion. Simundus vos odio habet scitote [...]priorē me vobis habuit. Yf the worlde (sayth our lorde) hate you: knowe ye y• hit hated me before you. If y• worlde then hated him by whome y• worlde was made: we moost vyle & simple men and worthy (yf we cōsydre out wreched lyuynge well) all shame & reproufe: yf folke bakbyte vs & saye euyll of vs: shall we so greuously take hit y• lest they shold say euyll we sholde begyn to do euyll. Let vs rather gladly recey­ue these euyl wordes and yf we be not so happy to suffre for vertue & trueth as the olde seyntes suffred be­tynges / byndynges / pryson / swerdes / & deth. Let vs thynke at the lest wise we be well serued yf we haue ye grace to suffre chydynge / detraccion / & hatred of wik­ked men / lest y• yf all occasion of deseruynge be taken awaye ther be lefte vs none hope of rewarde / yf men for thy good lyuynge prayse the: thy vertue certaynly in y• hit is vertue maketh the lyke vnto chryst: but in that hit is praysed hit maketh the vnlike him: which for the reward of his vertue receyued y• opprobryouse deth of the crosse for which as the apopstle sayth god hath exalted hym and gyuen hym a name y• is aboue all names. More desyrefull is than to be condempned of the worlde and exalted of god then to be exalte [...] of [Page] the worlde and condempned of god / y• worlde cōdem­neth to lyfe: god exalteth to glorye: y• worlde exateth to a fall / god condempneth to y• iyre of hell / fynably yf y• worlde fawne vpon y•: vnneth hit may be but y• thy vertue (which all lyfte vpwarde sholde haue god alo­ne to please) shall somwhat vnto y• blandisshynge of y• worlde & fauoure of y• people inclyne. And so thoughe hit lese nothynge of y• integrite of our perfecciō yet hit leseth of the rewarde which reward whyle hit begyn­neth to be payde in y• worlde where all thynge is lytle hit shal be lesse ī heuē where al thing is grete. O hap­py rebukes which make vs sure: y• neither y• floure of our vertue shall wyther wt the pestile [...]t blast of vayn­glorye: nor our eternall rewarde be mynysshed for the vayn promocion of a lytell populate fame. Let vs my sone loue these rebukes & onely of y• ignomynye and reprefe of our lordes crosse. Let vs lyke feythfull ser­uaūtes with an holy ambyeyon be proude. we (sayth saynt Paule) preche chryst cruci [...]yed which is vnto y• iewes dispite / vnto y• gentyles foly / vnto vs y• vertue and wysedom of god. The wysdom of this worlde is folysshnes afore god & the foly of chryst is y•: by which he hath ouercome y• wysedom of y• worlde by whiche hit hath pleased god to make his beliuȳg people safe. If that thou doubte not but y• they be madde whiche bakbite thy vertue: which: the chrysten lyuynge y• is very wisedom reputeth for madnes / [...]sidre than how moche were thy madnes: yf thou sholdest for the iugement of madde men swarue frome the good instituciō of thy lyfe namely sith all errour is with amendemēt to be taken awaye & not with imitation & folowynge [Page] to be encreaced. Let theym therfore nyghe / let theym bawl / let them karke / go thou baldely forth thy iour­ney as thou hast begone and of the wyckednes & mysery cōsidre how moche thy selfe arte beholden to god whiche hath illumined y• syttynge in the shadowe of dethe and translatynge the out of the cōpany of them (which lyke drōken men with out aguyde wandre hyther and thyther in obscure derkenes) hath associate the to the chyldren of lyght. Let that same swete voy­ce of our lorde alwaye sowne in thyn eres. Sine mor­tuos sepclire mortuos suos tu me sequere. Let deed men alone with deed men: folowe thou me / deed be they that lyue not to god and in the space of this tem­porall dethe laboryously purchase them selfe eternall deth. Of whom yf y• axe wherto they drawe: wherto they referre theyr studyes / theyr werkes & theyr besynes & fynally what ende they haue appoynted them selfe in the adopcyon wherof they sholde be happy / eyther they shall haue vtterly nothynge to answere / or they shall bryng forth wordes repugnaunt in them self & contrary eche to other lyke the rauynge of bede­lem people. Nor they wot neuer them selfe what they do but lyke them that swyme in swyfte flodes they be borne forth with y• violēce of euyll custom as hit were with the boystious course of y• streme. And theyr wikkednes blyndynge them on this syde: & the deuyl prikkynge them forwarde on that syde: they renne for the hedlyng in to all mischiefe. As blynde guydes of blynde men / tyll that dethe set on them vnware & tyll that hit be sayd vnto them that chryst sayth in the gospell [Page] my frende this nyght y• deuylles shall take thy soule frome the: these goodes then that thou haste gedered whose shall they be. Then shall they enuy thē whom they despised. Then shal they cōmend them that they mokked then shall they coueyte to ensew them in ly­uyng whan they may not: whom whan they myght haue ensewed they pursewed / stop therfore thyn eres my moost dere sone & what so euer men sey of y• what so euer men thynke on y• accōpt hit for nothynge / but regarde onely y• iugemēt of god which shall yelde euery man after his owne werkes when he shall shewe hym selfe frome heuen wt y• aungels of his vertue: in flame of fyre doynge vēgeaūce vpon them that haue not knowen god nor obeyed his gospell wich (as the apostle seyth) shal suffre in deth eternall peyn. From y• face of our lorde & frome the glory of his vertue whan he shall come to be gloryed of his seyntes & to be made merueylous in all them y• haue beleued. Hit is wry­ten. Qolite timere qui corpꝰ possunt occidere sed qui animā potest mittere in gehennā. Fere not thē (seyth our lorde) that may slethe body: but fere hym y• may cast the soule in to helle. How moche lesse then be they to be fered: y• may neyther hurt soule nor body which yf they now bakbyte y• lyunnge vertuously they shall do the same neuer the lesse: yf (vertue forsaken) thou were ouer whelmed with vyce not for y• vyce displea­seth them but for y• y• vyce of bakbytynge alway pleaseth them flee yf thou loue thyn helth flee as ferre as thou mayst theyr companye / and retournynge to thy selfe oftentymes secretly pray vnto y• moost benygne father of heuen cryenge wt the prophete. Adtedn̄e leuaui [Page] animam meam deus meus in te cōfido non eru­bescam etiā si irrideant me inimici mei etenī vniuer­si qui sperant in [...]e non confunde [...]r̄. Cōfundantur mi­qua agētes suꝑuacue. vias tuas dn̄e demōstra mihi et semitas tuas edoce me. dirige me in veritate tua et doce me quia tu es deus saluator meus et in te spera­bo tota die. That is to saye. To y• lorde I lyfte vp my soule in the I trust I shall not be shamed & thoughe myne enemies mok me. Certaynly all they y• trust in the shall not be a shamed. Let them be a shamed that worke wyckednes in vayne. Thy weyes good lorde shewe me and thy pathes teche me directe me in thy trueth and teche me for thou arte god my sauyoure in the shall I trust all the daye. Remembre also my sone y• the dethe lyeth at hande. Remēbre that all the tyme of our lyfe is but a moment & yet lesse than a moment Remembre how cursed our olde enemy is: whiche of­fereth vs y• kyngdomes of this world that he myght beryue vs y• kyngdome of heuen / how false the flessh­ly plesures: which therfore embrace vs y• they might strangle vs. how disceyteful these worldly honoures: which therfore lyfte vs vp: y• they myght throwe vs downe / how deedly these rychesses: whiche the more they fede vs: y• more they poyson vs / how shorte how vncertayne how shadowe like false ymaginary hit is y• all these thȳges togyther may brynge vs: & though they flowe to vs as we wolde wyssh them. Remēbre agayne how grete thynges be ꝓmysed and prepared for thē: which [...]ispisynge these present thynges desire and longe for that coūtre whose kynge is y• godheed / whose law is charite / whose mesure is etnite. Occupi [Page] thy mynde with these meditacyons and suche other y• may waken the when thou slepest / kyndle y• when yu waxes colde / cōferme the when thou wauerest & exhibit y• whynges of the loue of god whyle thou laborest to heuenwarde that whan thou comest home to vs (which with grete desyre we loke for) we may se not onely hȳ that we coueyte but also suche a maner one as we coueyte. Fare well and loue god whom of olde thou hast begon to fere.

At ferare the .ij. day of Iuly the yere of our redempcion .M.CCCC.lxxxxij.

¶The interpretacion of Iohan Picꝰ vpon this psalme Conserua me domine.

COnserua me dn̄e qm̄ speraui in te. Dixi domino deus meꝰ es tu qm̄ bonorum meo (rum) nō eges Sāctis q̄ sunt in terra mirificauit voluntates suas. Multiplicate sūt infirmitates postea accelerauerūt. Non cōgregabo cōuenticula eo (rum) de sanguinibus: nec memor ero noīm eorū per labia mea. Dn̄s pars here­ditatis mee & calicis mei: tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam mihi. Funes ceciderunt mihi in preclaris etenī hereditas mea [...]clara est mihi. Ben̄dicam dūm qui tribuit mihi intelleccū insuꝑ et vs (que) ad noctem in­crepuerunt me renes met. Prouidebā dnm in conspe­ctu meo semper qm̄ a dextris est mihi ne commouca [...] [Page] Propter hoc letatum est cor meum et exultauit lingua mea insuper et caro mea requiescet in spe. Quoniam non derelinques animam meam in inferno nec dabis sanctū tuum videre corruptionem. Notas mihi fecisti vias vite adunplebis me leticia cum vultu tuo. Dele­ctationes in dextera tua vs (que) in finem. Conserua me domine. Kepe me good lorde. ¶If ony perfyte man loke vpon his owne estate there is one parell therin yt is to wyte lest he wax proude of his vertue and ther­fore Dauyd spekyng in ye person of a ryghteous man of his estate begynneth with these wordes. Conser­ua me domine. That is to saye kepe me good lorde whiche worde kepe me: yf it be well consydered ta­keth awaye all occasyon of pryde. For he that is able of hym self ony thynge to gete: is able of him self that same thynge to kepe. He that asketh then of god to be kepte in the state of vertue signifyeth in that askynge that from the begynnynge he gote not that vertue by hym selfe. He then whiche remembreth yt he attayned his vertue: nor by his owne power but by the power of god may not be proude therof but rather humbled before god after those wordes of thapostle.

Quid habes quod nō accepisti. What hast thou that thou hast not receyued and yf thou hast not receyued hit: why arte thou proude therof as though thou had dest not receyued it. Two wordes thē be there which we sholde euer haue in our mouthe: y• one. Miserere mei deus. Haue mercy on me lorde whan we remem­bre our vyce: that other. Conserua me deus. Kepe me good lorde when we remembre our vertue.

[Page] Quoniā speraui in te. For I haue trusted in ye. This one thynge is it that maketh vs obtayne of god oure petyciō y• is to wyte whan we haue a full hope & trust that we shall spede. Yf we obserue these two thynges in our req [...]estes y• is to wyte y• we requyre nothynge but that whiche is good for vs and y• we requyre hit ardently with a sure hope that god shall here vs / our prayers shall neuer be voide wherfore whan we misse the effecte of our petycyon eyther hit is for y• we aske such thȳge as is noyous vnto vs (for as christ sayth) we wot neuer what we aske and Iesus sayd what so euer ye shall aske in my name hit shall be gyuen you. This name Iesus signifyeth a sauyour and therfore there is nothynge asked in y• name of Iesus but that is holsome and helpyng to the saluacion of the asker) or elles god hereth not oure prayoure bycause that thoughe y• thynge y• we requyre be good yet we aske hit not well / for we aske hit with lytle hope. And he y• asketh doubtyngely asketh coldely & therfore saynt Iames biddeth vs aske in fayth nothyng doubtyng. Dixi dnō deus meus es tu. I haue sayd to our lorde my god arte thou. After that he hath warded & fen­ced him selfe agaynst pryd he descrybeth in these wordes his estate. All the estate of a ryghteous man standeth in these wordes. Dixi domino deus meꝰ es tu. I haue sayd to oure lorde my god arte thou. whiche wordes though they seme comune to all folke yet are there very few y• maye saye them truely / that thyng a man taketh for his god that he taketh for his chyefe good. And that thynge taketh he for his chyefe good which onely had thought all other thȳges [...]ak he thȳ ­keth [Page] hym selfe happy & whiche onely lakyng though he haue al other thynges he thinketh him self vnhappy. The negard then seyth to his money. Deus meꝰ es tu. My god art thou. For though honour fayle & helth and strenghte and frendes so he haue money he thynketh him selfe well. And yf he haue al those thinges y• we haue spoken of yf money fayle. he thinketh him selfe vnhappy. The gloton seyth vnto his flesshly lust y• ambyciouse man leyth to his vaynglory my god art thou. Se than how few may trewly sey these wordes I haue sayde to oure lorde my god arte thou. For onely he maye trewly saye it whiche is cōtent wt god alone: so y• yf there were offred hym all the kyng­domes of the worlde and all the good that is in erth and all the good that is in heuen he wolde not ones offende god to haue them all. In these wordes than / I haue seyd to our lord my god art thou / standeth all the state of a ryght wyse man. Quoniā bono (rum) meo (rum) non eges. For thou hast no nede of my good in these wordes he sheweth y• cause why he sayth onely to our lorde. Deꝰ meus es tu. My god art thou the cause is for that onely oure lorde hath no nede of oure good. There is no creature but y• it nedeth other creatures and though they be of lesse perfeccyon than hit selfe as phylosophers and diuynes ꝓuen: for yf these more imperfyte creatures were not / y• other that are more parfyte coude not be. For yf ony parte of y• hole vny­uersyte of creatures were distroyed & fallen to nought all the hole were subuerted. For certaynly one part of that vniuersyte perisshyng all parties perissh and all creatures be partis to y• vniuersyte of which vniuersite [Page] god is no parte but he is the begynnyng nothyng there vpon dependynge. For nothynge truely wanne he by y• creacyon of this worlde nor nothynge sholde he lese yf the worlde were adnychylate and turned to nought agayn. Than onely god is he whiche hath no nede of oure good / well ought we certaynly to be a shamed to take suche thynge for god as hath nede of vs / & suche is euery creature. Moreouer we shold not accept for god y• is to saye for the chyefe goodnes but onely y• thynge whiche is the moost souerayne goodnes of all thynges and that is not the goodnes of ony creature / onely therfor to our lorde ought we to saye my god art thou. Sanctis qui sunt in terra eius mi­rificauit voluntares suas. To his sayntes that are in y• londe of hym he hath made meruelous his willes. After god sholde we specially loue them which are ne­rest ioyned vnto god as be the holy aungelles & blys­sed sayntes that are in theyr coūtree of heuen therfore after that he had sayd to oure lorde my god arte thou he addeth therunto that oure lorde hathe made meruelous his wylles y• is to saye he hathe made merue­lous his loues and his desyres towarde his seyntes that are in the londe of hym that is to wyte in the coū ­tree of heuen whiche is called y• londe of god and the londe of lyuynge people. And veryly yf we inwardly cōsydre how grete is the felicite of that coūtree & how moche is y• misery of this worlde how grete is y• goodnes and charyte of those blessed citezyns: we shall cō ­tinually desyre to be hens that we were there. These thynges & such other whā we remēbre we shold euer more take hede y• our meditacions be not vnfruytfull [Page] but that of euery meditacyon we shold alwayes pur­chase one vertue or other / as for ensample by this meditacyon of the goodnes of that heuenly countree we sholde wynne this vertue that we sholde not one­ly strongly suffre deth and pacyently whan our tyme cometh or yf hit were put vnto vs for y• faith of chryst: vut also we sholde wyllyngely and gladly longe ther­fore desyrynge to be departed out of this vale of wret­chydnes y• we may reygne in y• heuenly coūtree with god & his holy sayntes. Multiplicate sunt infirmita­tes eorum postea accelerauerūt. Theyr infyrmytees be multyplyed and after they hasted. These wordes the ꝓphete speketh of wycked men. By infyrmytees he vnderstondeth Idoles & so hit is in y• hebriew text. For as good folke haue but one god whom they wor­shyp so euyll folke haue many goddes and Idoles for they haue many voluptuouse pleasurs many vayne desyres many dyuers passyons whiche they serue / & wherfore seke they many sondry pleasures? certainly for by cause they can fynde none y• can set theyr herte at rest & for y• (as y• prophete sayth) wycked men walk about in a circuet or cōpace wherof there is none ende Now after these wordes: theyr Idoles be multiplied hit foloweth. After they hasted y• is to say: after theyr Idoles after theyr passyons and beestly desyres they rō [...]e forth hedlynge vnaduysedly wtout ony consideracyon. And in this be we taught that we sholde as spe­dely ronne to vertue as they rōne to vyce & y• we shold with no lesse dylygence serue our lorde god than they serue theyr lorde y• deuyll. The iuste man cōsyderyng y• estate of euyll folke determineth fermly wt hym selfe [Page] (as we sholde also) that vtterly he wyll in no wyse fo­lowe them & therfore he saith. Non congregabo con­uenticulā eorum de sanguinibꝰ nec memor nominum. I shall not gather the cōgregacyon of them frome the blode nor I shall not remembre theyr names he sayth from the blode both bycause Idolatres were wont to gather the blode of theyr sacrefyce togyther and ther­aboute to do theyr serymonyes. And also for that all the lyfe of euyll men forsaken reason whiche stondeth all in the soule and folowen sensualyte that stondeth all in y• blode / the ꝓphete saith not ouely that he wyll not gather theyr cōgregacyon togyther from ye blode that is to say y• he wolde do no sacrefyce to those Ido­les but also that he wolde not remembre theyr names that is to say that he wolde not talke nor speake of y• voluptuouse delytes whiche are euyll peoples goddes which we myght yet lawfully do: shewynge vs by y•: that a parfyte man sholde abstayne not onley from vnlawfull pleasures but also frome lawfull / to thende y• he may all togyther hole haue his mynde in to heuen warde and the more purely entende vnto the contem­placion of heuēly thynges. And for as moche as some man wolde peraduenture thynke y• hit were foly for a man vtterly to depryue him selfe from all pleasures therfor y• ꝓphete addeth. Dn̄s pars hereditatꝭ mee. Our lorde is ye part of myn enheretaunce / as though he wolde saye meruayle the not though I forsake all thynge to thentent y• I may haue y• possessyon of god in whom al other thȳges also be possessed. This shold be the voyce of euery good chrysten man. Dn̄s pars hereditatis mee. God is the parte of myne enhere­taūce. [Page] For certaynly we chrysten people to whom god is promysed for an enheretaūce ought to be a shamed to desyre ony thyng besyde hym. But for y• some man myght happely repute hit for a grete [...]sumpcion y• a man sholde ꝓmyse hymselfe god for his enherytaun­ce therfore y• prophete putteth therto. Tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam michi. Thou good lorde arte he that shall restore myne enherytaunce vnto me. As though he wolde saye. O good lorde my god I know well that I am nothynge in respect of y• I wote well I am vnable to assende by myne owne strength / so hyghe / to haue y• in possessyon but thou arte he y• shalt drawe me to the by thy grace thou arte he that shalte gyue thy selfe in possession vnto me. Let a ryghteous man then consydre how grete a felicite hit is to haue god fall vnto hym as his enherytaunce hit foloweth in the psalme. Eunes ceciderunt michi in precla­ris. The cordes haue fall to me nobly. The partes and lottes of enherytaunces were of olde tyme met out and dyuyded by cordes or ropes. These wordes then the ropes or cordes haue fallen to me nobly be asmoche to say as the parte of lot of myne enherytaū ­ce is noble. But for as moche as there be many men which though they be called to this grete felycite (as in dede all christen people are) yet they set lytel therby and often tymes chaunge hit for a small symple dely­te therfore y• prophete saith suyngly. Hereditas me [...] [...]clara est michi. Myn enheritaūce is noble to me. As though he wolde say that as hit is noble in hit selfe so hit is noble to me that is to saye I reputed hit noble. And all other thynges in respecte of hit / I repute (as [Page] saynt Paule sayth / for donge / but for as moche as to haue this lyght of vnderstandynge whereby a man may know this gyft that is gyuen hym of god to be the gyft of god / therfore the prophete suyngely sayth. Būdicam dn̄m qui tribuit intellectū. That is to saye I shall blysse our lorde whiche hath gyuen me vnder stondinge but in so moche as a man oftētymes enten­deth after reason to serue god and y• notwithstondyng yet sensualite and the flessh repugneth: than is a man perfyte whan y• not his soule onely but also his flessh drawe forthe to godwarde after those wordes of the ꝓphete in an other psalme. Cor meū & caro mea ex­ultauerūt ī deū viuū. That is to saye my mynde & my flesshe both haue ioyed in to liuynge god & for this the prophete sayth here suyngely. [...]t vs (que) ad noctē mere puerūt me renes mei. My reynes or kidney hath chyden me vnto the nyght: that is to saye my reynes in which is wont to be the gretest inclinacyon to cōcupi­scence not onely nowe enclyne me not to synne but also chydeth me that is to say withdrawe me fro synne vnto the nyght that is to saye they so fersorth withdraw me from syn̄e that wyllyngly that afflyet and payne my body. Afflyccyō is in scrypture oftentymes signified by the nyght bycause hit is the moost dyscōforta­ble season. Then suyngly the prophete sheweth what is y• rote of this priuacion or takynge awaye of flesshly cōcupiscence in a mā sayenge. Prouidebā deū sem per in [...]spectu meo. I prouyded god alway before me sight / for yf a man had god alwaye before this eyen as a ruler of all his werkes & in all his werkes he sholde neyther seke his owne lucre his glorye nor his owne [Page] pleasure but onely to y• pleasure of god he shold shortly be perfyte. And for as moche as he y• so dooth prospe­reth in al thynge therfore it foloweth. Ipse a dextris est mihi ne cōmouear. He is on my ryght hand that I be not moued or troubled. Then the ꝓphete declareth how grete is ye felycite of a iuste man whiche shall be euerlastyngly blyssed bothe in body and in soule and therfore he sayth. Letatum est cor meum. My soule is glad knowyng yt after deth heuen is made redy for hym. [...]t caro mea requiescet in spe & my flesshe shall rest in hope that is to saye that thoughe it ioye not by and by as in receyuynge his gloryous estate medyat­ly after the dethe yet hit resteth in the sepulcre with this hope that hit shall aryse in the daye of Iudge­mente unmortall and shynynge with his soule. And also the ꝓphete more expressely declareth in the ver­se folowing. For where he sayd thus my soule is glad he addeth the cause sayenge. Quoniam non derelin­ques animam in inferno. For thou shalt not leue my soule in hell. Also where the prophete sayd that his flessh sholde rest in hope he sheweth the cause sayeng. Q [...] dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem.

Nor thou shalte not suffre thy saynt to se corrupcyon that is to saye thou shalte not suffre y• flesshe of a good man to be corrupted. For that that was corruptyble shall aryse incorruptible. And for as moche as chryst was the fyrst whiche entred paradise and opened the lyfe vnto vs and was the fyrst that rose agayne and the cause of our resurreccyon: therfore these wordes that we haue spoken of the resurreccyon ben pryn­cipally [Page] vnderstonden of christ as saynt peter y• apostle hath declared / & secondaryly they may be vnderston­den of vs in y• we be the mēbres of christ which onely neuer sawe corrupcyon for his holy body was in his sepulcre nothyng putrified / for asmoche thē as y• way of good lyuyng bryngeth vs to a ꝑpetuall lyfe of soule & body therfore y• ꝓphete sayth. Qotas michi fecisti vias vite. Thou hast made the wayes of lyfe knowen vnto me and bycause that all the felycyte of that ston­deth in the clere beholdynge and ftuycion of god / ther­fore hit foloweth. Adimplebis meleticus cum vultu tuo. Thou shalt fyll me full of gladnes with the chere & for that our felicite shall be euerlastynge therfore he sayth. Delectationes in dextra tua vs (que) in finē. Delectacion & Ioy shall be on thy ryght hande for euer: he sayth on thy ryght hand bycause y• our felycite is ful­fylled in the bysyon and fruytion of the humanyte of chryst which sytteth in heuen on ye ryght hande of his fathers maieste / after y• wordes of saint Iohan. Hee est tota merces vt videamꝰ deū quem misisti Iesum christum. That is all oure rewarde that we maye be holde god and Iesus chryst whome thou hast sent: to whiche rewarde he brynge vs that sytteth there and prayeth for vs. Amen.

¶Here begyn .xij. rules of Iohan Picus erle of Myrandula partely excytyng partely dy­tectynge a man in spyrytuall batayle.

WHo so to vertue estemeth the waye
Bycause we must haue warre contynuall
Agaynst ye worlde / ye flessh / ye deuyll / that aye
Enforce them selfe to make vs bonde & thrall
Let hym remembre that chese what waye he shall
Euen after the worlde / yet must he nede susteyn
Sorow / aduersite / labour / greyfe / and payne.

The seconde rule.

Thynke in this wretched worldes besy woo
The batayll more sharpe & lenger is Iwys
With more laboure and lesse fruyte also
In whiche the ende of laboure: labour is
And when the worlde hath left vs after this
Uoyde of all vertue: the rewarde when we dye
Is nought but fyre and payne perpetually

The thyrde rule.

Consydre well that foly it is and vayne
To loke for heuen with pleasure and delyght
Sith chryst our lorde and souereyne captayne
Ascended neuer but by manly fyght
And bytter passion / then were it no ryght
That ony seruaunt / ye wyll your selfe recorde
Sholde stonde in better condicyon then his lorde

The fourth rule.

Thynke how that we not onely sholde not grudge
But eke be glad and ioyfull of this fyght
And longe therfore all though we coude not Iudge
[Page] How that therby redounde vnto vs myght
Ony profyte but onely for delyght
To be confourmed and lyke in some behauour
To Iesu Chryst our blessed lorde & sauyoure
As often as thou dost warre and stryue.
By the resystence of ony synfull mocyon
Agaynst ony of thy sensuall wyttes fyue
Cast in thy mynde as oft with good deuocyon
How thou resemblest chryst / as with sowre pocyon
If thou payne thy tast: remembre therwithall
How chryst for the tasted eysell and gall
Yf thou withdrawe thyn handes and forbere
The rauen of ony thynge: remembre than
How his innocent handes nayled were
Yf thou be tempte wt pryde: thynke how that whan
He was in forme of god: yet of a bonde man
He toke the shap and humbled hym selfe for the
To the moost odiouse and vyle deth of a tree.
Consydre when thou arte moued to be wrothe
He who that was god / and of all men the best
Seynge hym selfe scorned scorged both
And as a thefe betwene .ij. theues threst
With all rebuke and shame: yet from his brest
Came neuer signe of wrath or of disdayne
But pacyently endured all the payne.
Thus euery snare and engyne of the deuyll
Yf thou this wyse peruse them by and by
[Page] There can be none so cursed or so euyll
But to some vertue thou mayst it applye
For ofte thou shalt: resystyng valyauntly
The fendes myght and socle fyery datte
Our [...]auyour cryst resemble in some parte

The fyft rule.

Remembre well that we in no wyse must
Neyther in the foresayd espyrytuell armoure
Nor ony other remedy put out trust
But ouely in the vertue strength of our sauyour
For he it is by whose myghty powre
The worlde was veynquyisshed & his prynce cast out
Whiche reygned before in all the et the about
In hym let vs trust to ouercome all euyll
In hym let vs put our hope and confydence
To [...]uddene [...] he flesshe and master y• deuyll
To hym be all honour and lowly reuerence
Oft sholde we requyre with all our dyligence
With prayer / with teeres / & lamentable playntes
The ayde of his grace and his holy sayntes

The syxte rule.

One synne vaynquysshed loke thou not tarye
But lye in a wayte for an other euery houre
For as a wood iyon the fende our aduersarye
Rynneth aboute sekynge whom he may deuoure
Wherfore contynually vpon thy towre
Lest he the vnpurueyed and vnredy catche
Thou must with the prophcie stonde & kepe watche

The .vii. rule

Enforce thy selfe not onely for to stonde
[Page] Unuayn [...]uysshed agaynst the deuyls myght
But ouer that take valyauntly on hande
To vaynquysshe hym and put hym vnto flyght
And that is whan of y• same dede thought or syght
By whych he wolde haue the with synne contract:
Thou takest occasyon of some good vertuouse acte.
Some tyme he secretly castyth in thy mynde
Some lawdable dede to stere the to pryde
As vayn glorye makyth many a man blynde
But let humylite be thy sure guyde
Thy good wark to god let hit be applyede
Thynke hit not thyn but a gyft of his
Of whose grace vndowtedly all goodnes is

The viii. rule

In tyme of batayle so put thy selfe in preace
As though thou shuldest after that victorye
Enioye for euer a perpetuall peace
For god of his goodnes and lyberall mercy
Maye graunt the gyfte / & eke thy proude enemy
Confounded and rebuked by thy batayle
Shall the nomore happely for very shame assayle
But when thou mayst ones y• triumphe obtayne
Prepare thy selfe and trymme the in thy gere
As thou sholdest incontinent fight agayn
For yf thou be redy the deuyll wyll the fere
Wherfore in ony wyse so euen thou the bere
That thou remembre and haue euer in memory.
In victory batayle in batayle victory
If thou thynke thy selfe well fenced and sure
Agaynst euery sotell suggestion of vyce
Consydre frayle glasse may no dystres endure
And grete aduenturers ofte curs the dyce
Ieopard not to farre therfore and ye be wyse
But euermore eschewe the occasyons of synne
For he that loueth parell shall peressh therin

The .x. rule.

In all temptacyon withstonde the begynnynge
The cursed infantes of wretched Babilon
To suffre them wax / is a Ieoperdous thynge
Bete out theyr braynes therfore at the stone
Perylous is the canker that catcheth the bone
To late cometh the medicine yf thou let the [...]ore
By longe contynuaunce encrease more & more.

The .xj. rule.

Though in the tyme of the batayle and warre
The conflecte seme bytter sharpe and sowre
Yet consydre hit is more pleasure farre
Ouer the deuyll to be a conqueroure
Then is in the vse of thy beestly pleasoure
Of vertue more ioye the conscience hath within
Then outwarde the body of all his fylthy synne
In this p [...]ynt many men erre for necligence
For they compare not the Ioye of the vyctory
To the sensuall pleasure of theyr concupiscence
But lyke rude beestes vnaduisedly
Lakkynge discrecyon they compare & applye
Of theyr fowle synne the voluptuouse delyght
To the laberous trauayle of the conflyct & fyght
And yet alas he that ofte hath knowen
What gryefe it is by longe experyence
Of his cruell enemye to be ouer throwen
Sholde ones at the lest wyse do his diligence
To proue and assaye with manly defence
What pleasure there is what honour peace & rest
In gloriouse victorye tryumphe and conquest

The .xij. rule.

Though thou be tempted dispayre the nothynge
Remembre the gloryous apostle saynt Poule
Whan he had seen god in his perfyte beynge
Lest suche reuelacyon sholde his herte extolle
His flesshe was suffred rebell agaynst the soule
This dyd almyghty god of his goodnes prouyde
To preserue his seruaunt fro y• daunger of pryde
And here take hede that he whom god dyd loue
And for his moost especiall vessell chose
Rauysshed in to the thyrde heuen aboue
Yet stode in peryll lest pryde myght hym depose
Well ought we then our hertes fence & close
Agaynst vaynglorye the mother of repryefe
The very crop and rote of all myschefe
Agaynst this pompe & wretched worldes glose
Consydre how crist the lorde souereyne powere
Humbled him selfe for vs vnto the crosse
And peraduēture deth with in one howre
Shal vs bereue: welth ryches and honowre
And bryng vs down ful low both smal & grete
To vyle caryon and wretched wormes mete

Here folow the .xii. wepens of spirytual batayle which euery man shuld haue at hand whē ye plesure of a synful temptacyon cōmeth to his mynde.

  • The plesure lytle & short
  • The folowers gryef & he­uynes
  • The losse of a bettyr thyng
  • This lyfe a dreme and a shadowe
  • The deth at out hand & vnware
  • ye fere of īpenitēt deꝑtyng
  • Eternal ioy etnal payne y• nature & dygnyte of mā
  • ye peace of a good mynde
  • The gret vn̄fytes of god
  • The peynful cros of cryst
  • The wytnes of martyrs and example of sayntes.

The .xii. wepens haue we more at lengh declared as hit folowyth.

The pleasure lytle and short

Consydre well the pleasure that thou hast
Stande hit in towchyng or in wanton syght
In vayne smell or in thy lycorouse tast
Or fynally in what so euer delyght
Occupyed is thy wretched appetyght
Thou shalt hit fynde when thou hast al cast
Lytle / symple / short / and sodenly past

The folowers gryefe & heuynes

Ony good wark yf thou iwth labour do
The labour goth / the goodnes doth remayne
If thou do euyl with pleasure ioyned therto
The pleasure which thyne euyll wark doth cōtayne
Glydeth his wey thou mast hym not restrayne
The euyl then in thy brest cleueth behynde
Wyth grudge of hert & heuynes of mynde

The losse of a better thyng.

When thou laborest thy plesure for to bye
Upon the pryce loke thou the well aduyse
[Page]Thou sellest thy soule therfore euyn by & by
To thy moost vttre dispitcouse enemyes
O mad merchaunt o folissh merchaundyse
To by a tryfle / o chyldysshe rekenynge
And pay therefore so dere a precyouse thyng

This lyfe a dreme and a shadow

This wretched life (the trust & confidence
Of whose contynuaunce maketh vs bolde to synne)
Thou perceiuest well by experience
Sith that houre in wiche hit dyde begynne
Hit holdeth on the course and wyll not lynne
But fast hit rynneth on and passen shall
As doth a dreme or a sadowe on the wall

Deth at our hand and vnware

Consydre well that euer nyght and daye
Whyle that we besyly prouyde and care
For oure disport reuell myrth and play
For plesaunt melody and deynty fare
Deth stelyth on ful [...]yly and vnware
He lieth at hand and shall vs entreprise
We not how soone nor in what maner wise

Fere of impenitent departynge

If thou sholdest god offende thynke how therfore
Thou were forthwith in very Ieoperdous case
For happely thou shouldest not lyue an houre more
Thy synne to clense / & thought thou haddest space.
Yet peraduenture sholdest thou lacke the grace
Well ought we then be a ferde to done offence
Impenitent lest we departen hens

Eternall rewarde eternall payne

Thou seest this worlde is but a thorowfare
Se thou behaue the wisely with thy hoost
[Page] Hens must thou nedes departe naked & bare
And after thy deserte loke to what coost
Thou arte conuayed at suche tyme as thy goost
From this wretched carkas shall dysseuer
Be hit Ioye or payne / endure hit thou shall for euer.

The nature and dygnite of man

Remembre how god hath made the resonable
Lyke vnto his Image and fygure
And for the suffred paynes intollerable
That he for aungell neuer wolde endure
Regarde o man thyne excellent nature
Thou that with aungell arte made to bene egall
For very shame be not the deuyllles thrall.

The peace of a good mynde.

Why louest thou so this brotle worldes Ioye
Take all the myrth take all the fantasies
Take euery game / take euery wanton [...]oye
Take euery sport that men can the deuyse
And amonge them all on warantyse
Thou shalt no pleasure comparable fynde
To thynwarde gladnes of a vertuous mynde

The grete benefyces of god.

By syde that god the bought & fourmed both
Many a benefyte hast thou receyued of his
Though thou haue moued hym often to be wroth
Yet he the kepte hath and brought vs vp to this
And dayly calleth vpon the to his blys
How mayst thou then to hym vnlouynge be
That euer hath ben so louynge vnto the.

The paynfull crosse of chryst.

Whan thou in flame of the temptacyon fryest
[Page]Thynke on the very lamentable payne
Thynke on the pyteouse crosse of wofull chryst
thynke on his blode vet out at euery vayne
Thynke on his precyous herte kerued in twayne
Thynke how for thy redempcyon all was wrought
Let hym not lese that he so dere hath bought

The wytnes of martyrs & example of sayntes

Synne to withstonde saye not thou lakkest myght
Suche allegacyons folye hit is to vse
The wytnes of sayntes & martyrs constant fyght
Shall the of slouthfull cowardyse accuse
God wyll the helpe yf thou do not refuse
Yf other haue stande or this: thou mayst eft soone
Nothynge impossible is that hath bene doone

The .xij. ꝓpertees or cōdicyons of a louer

To loue one alone and contempne all other for yt one

To thynke hym vnhappy that is not with his loue

To adourne hym selfe for the pleasure of his loue

To suffre all thyng thoughe hit were deth to be with his loue

To desyre also to suffre shame harme for his loue and to thynke that hurte swete

To be with his loue euer as he may yf not in dede yet in thought

To loue all thynge yt perteyneth vnto his loue

To coueite the prayse of his loue and not to suffre ony dysprayse

To beleue of his loue all thynges excellent & to desyre that all folke sholde thynke the same

To wepe often with his loue: in presence for Ioye in [Page] absence for sorowe

To languysshe euer and euer to burne in the desyre of his loue.

To serue his loue nothyng thynkynge of ony rewar­de or profyte.

The .xij. propertees we haue at length more openly expressed in balade as hit foloweth.

THe fyrst poynt is to loue but one alone
And for that one all other to forsake
For who so loueth many loueth none
The flode that is in many chanelles take
In eche of them shall feble stremes make
The loue that is deuyded amonge many
Unneth suffyseth that ony parte haue ony
So thou that hast thy loue set vnto god
In thy remembraunce this enprynt & graue
As he in souerayne dignyte is odde
So wyll he in loue no partynge felowes haue
Loue hym therfore with all that he the gaue
For body / sowle wytte / cōnynge / mynde & thought
Parte wyll he none but eyther all or nought

The seconde properte.

Of his loue lo the syght and company
To the louer so glad and pleasaunt is
That who so hath the grace to come therby
He iudgeth hym in perfyte Ioye and blys
And who so of that company doth mysse
Lyue he in neuer so prosperous estate
He thynketh hym wretched and infortunate
So sholde the louer of god esteme that he
whiche all the pleasure hath / myrth and disporte
That in this worlde is possible to be
Yet tyll the tyme that he maye ones resorte
Unto that blyssed to ioyfull heuenly porte
Where he of god may haue the glorious syght
Is voyde of parfyte ioye and delyght

The thyrde properte.

The thyrde poynt of a parfyte louer is
To make hym fresshe to se that all thynge bene
Apoynted well and nothynge set a mys
But all well fasshoned / propre / goodly / & clene
That in his parsone there be nothynge sene
In speche / apparayll / gesture / loke or pace
That may offende or mynysshe ony grace
So thou that wylte with god gete in to fauoure
Garnysshe thy selfe vp in as goodly wyse
As comely be as honest in behauoure
As hit is possyble for the to deuyse
I meane not hereby that thou sholdest aryse
And in the glasse vpon thy body prowle
But with fayre vertue to adourne thy [...]oule

The fourth properte.

If loue be stronge / hote / myghty / and feruent
There may no trouble greyfe or sorow fall
But that the louer wolde be well content
All to endure and thynke hit eke to small
Thoughe hit were deth so he myght therwithall
The ioyfull presence of that persone get
On whom he hath his herte and loue I set
Thus sholde of god the louer be content
Ony dystres or sorow to endure
Rather then to be from god absent
And glad to dye so that he maye be sure
By his departynge hens for to procure
After this valey darke / the heuenly / lyght
And of his loue the gloryouse blessed sight

The fyft properte.

Not onely a louer content is in his herte
But coueyteth eke and longeth to sustayne
Some laboure incommodite or smarte
Losse aduersyte / trouble / greyfe or payne
And of his sorowe Ioyfull is and fayne
And happy thynketh hym selfe that he may take
Some mysaduenture for his louers sake
Thus sholdest thou that louest god also
In thyne herte wysshe / coueyte and be glad
For hym to suffre trouble payne and woo
For whom yf thou be neuer so woo bestade
yet thou ne shalt susteyne (be not adrad)
Halfe the dolour gryefe and aduersyte
That he all redy suffred hath for the

The .vi. properte.

The parfyte louer longeth for to be
In presence of his loue both nyght & daye
And yf hit happely so be fall that he
May not as he wolde: he wyl yet as he may
Euer be with his loue that is to saye
where his heuy nyl be brought
He wyll be conuersaunt in mynd and thought
Lo in lyke maner the louer of god sholde
At the lest in suche wyse as he may
If he may not in suche wyse as he wolde
Be present with god and conuersaunt alway
For certes who [...]o lyst he may puruey
Though al y• worlde wolde hym therfro beryuen
To bere his body in erth his mynde in heuen

The .vii. properte

There is no page or seruaunt most or lest
That doth vpon his loue attende & wayte
There is no lytle worme no symple best
Ne none so small a tryfle or conceyte
Lase / gyrdell / poynt / or propre gloue strayte
But that yf to his loue hit haue ben nere
The louer hath hit precyous / leyfe / & dere
So euery relyque Image or pycture
That doth pertayne to goddes magnyfycence
The louer of god sholde wyth all besy cure
Haue hit in loue honoure and reuerence
And specyally gyue them preemynence
which dayly done his blessed body wyrche
The quyk relyques the mynystres of his chyrch

The .viii. properte

A very louer aboue all erthly thyng
Coueyteth and longeth euermore to here
Thonoure lawde commendacyon and praysyng
And euery thyng that may the fame clere
Of this loue / he may in no manere
Endure to here that ther [...]fro myghten vary
Or ony thyng sowne in to the contrary
The louer of god sholde coueyte in lyke wyse
To here his honoure worshyp laude and prayse
whose souereygne goodnes none herte may cōpryse
whom hell / erth / and all the heuen obayse
Whose parfyte louer ought by no maner wayes
To suffre the cursed wordes of blasphemy
Or ony thynge spoken of god vnreuerently

The .ix. properte.

A very louer beleueth in his mynde
On whom so euer he hath his herte I bent
That in that persone men may nothynge fynde
But honorable worthy and excellent
And eke surmountynge farre in his entent
All other that he hath knowen by syght or name
And wolde that euery man sholde thynke the same
Of god lyke wyse so wonderfull and hye
All thynge esteme & iudge his louer ought
So reuerence worshyp honour & magnyfye
That all the creatures in this worlde I wrought
In comparyson sholde he set at nought
And glad be yf he myght the meane deuyse
That all the worlde wolde thynken in lyke wyse

The .x. properte

The louer is of colour deed and pale
There wyll no slepe in to his eyen stalk
He sauoreth neyther mete / wyne / nor ale
He myndeth not what men about hym talke
But etc he drynke he syt lye downe or walke
He burneth euer as hit were with a fyre
In the feruent hete of his desyre
Here sholde the louer of god ensample take
To haue hym contynually in remembraunce
With hym in prayer and medytacyon wake
Whyle other playe / reuell / synge / and daunce
None erthly Ioy / disport / or vayne plesaunce
Solde hym delyte or ony thynge remoue
His ardent mynde from god his heuynly loue

The .xi. properte.

Dyuersly passyoned is the louers herte
Now plesaunt hope now drede and greuous fere
Now parfyte blysse now bytter sorowe smarte
And whether his loue be with hym or elles where
Oft from his eyen there falleth many a tere
For very Ioy / when they togyther be
Whan they be sondred: for aduersyte.
Lyke affeccyons feleth eke the brest
Of goddes louer in prayer and meditacyon
Whan that his loue lyketh in hym rest
With inwarde gladnes of pleasaunt cōtemplacyon
Out breke the teres for Igye and delectacyon
And whan his loue lyst efte to parte hym fro
Out breke the teres agayne for payne & woo

The .xii. properte.

A very louer wyll his loue obaye
His Ioye it is and all his appetyght
To payne hym selfe in all that euer he maye
That parsone in whom he set hathe his delyght
Dylygent to serue bothe day and nyght
For very loue / without ony regarde
To ony profyte gwerdon or rewarde
So thou lyke wyse that hast thyne herte I set
Upwarde to god so well thy selfe endeuere
So studyously that nothynge may the let
Not for his seruyce ony wyse disseuere
Frely loke eke thou serue that therto neuer
Trust of rewarde or profyte do the bynde
But onely faythfull herte & louynge mynde
wageles to serue .iij. thynges may vs moue
Fyrst yf the seruyce selfe be desyrable
Seconde yf they whom that we serue & loue
Be very good and very amyable
Thyrdely of reason be we seruysable
Without the gapynge after ony more
To suche as haue done moche for vs before
Serue god for loue then / not for hope of mede
What seruyce maye so desyrable be
As where all turneth to thyne owne spede
Who is so good so louely eke as he
Who hath all redy done so moche for the
As he that fyrst the made: and on the rode
Eft the redemed with his precyous blode

¶A prayer of Picus Mirandula vnto god

O holy god of dredefull magestee
Uerely one in .iij. and thre in one
Whom aungelles serue whose werk all creatures be
Whiche heuen and erth directest all alone
We the beseche good lorde with wofull mone
Spare vs wretches & wasshe away our gylt
That we be not by thy iust angre spylt
In stray [...] balance of rygorous iudgement
If thou sholdest our synne pondre and wey
Who able were to bere thy punysshment
The hole engyne of all this worlde I saye
The engyne that enduren shall for aye
With suche examynacyon myght not stande
Space of a moment in thyne angry hande
Who is not borne in synne originall
Who doth actuall synne in sondry wyse
But thou good lorde arte he that sparest all
With pyteouse mercy temperynge iustyce
For as thou doest rewardes vs deuyce
Aboue our meryte / so doest thou dispence
Thy punysshement farre vndre our offence
More is thy mercy farre then all our synne
To gyue them also that vnworthy be
More godly is and more mercy therin
Howbehit: worthy Inough are they perdee
Be they neuer so vnworthy: whom that he
Lyst to accept where so euer he taketh
Whom he vnworthy fyndeth worthy maketh
Wherfore good lorde that aye mercyfull arte
Unto thy grace and souerayne dygnyte
We sely wretches crye with humble herte
Oure synnes forget and our malygnite
With pyteous eyes of thy benygnyte
Frendly loke on vs ones thyne owne
Seruaūtes or synners whether hit lyketh the
Synners yf thou our cryme beholde certayne
Our cryme the warke of our vncorteyse mynde
But yf thy gyftes thou beholde agayne
Thy gyftes noble wonderfull and kynde
Thou shalte vs then the same persones fynde
Which are to the and haue be longe space
Seruauntes by nature chyldren by thy grace
But this thy goodnes wryngeth vs alas
For we whom grace had made thy chyldren dere
Are made thy gylty folke by our trespace
Synne hath vs gylty made this many a yere
But let thy grace / thy grace that hath no pere
Of our offence surmounten all the preace
That in our synne thyne honour may encreace
For though thy wisdom / though thy souerayn powre
May other wyse appere suffycyently
As thynges whiche thy creatures euery houre
All with one voyce declare and testyfye
Thy goodnes: yet thy synguler mercy
Thy pyteous herte thy garcyous indulgence
Nothynge so clerely sheweth as our offence
What but our synne hath shewed that myghty loue:
Whiche able was thy dredfull magestee
To drawe downe in to erth fro heuen aboue
And crucyfye god / that we poore wretches we
Sholde from our fylthy synne I clensed be
With blode and water of thyne owne syde
That stremed from thy blyssed woundes wyde
Thy loue and pyte thus o heuenly kynge
Our euyll maketh: mater of thy goodnes
O loue o pyte our welth ay prouydynge
O goodnes seruyng thy seruauntes in distres
O loue o pyte well nygh now thankles
O goodnes myghty gracyous and wyse
And yet almost now vaynquysshed with our vyce
Graunt I the praye suche hete in to myne herte
That to this loue of thyne may be egall
Graunt me fro sathanas seruyce to astert
With whom me rueth so longe to be thrall
Graunt me good lorde and creatour of all
The flame to quenche of all synfull desyre
And in thy loue set all myne herte a fyre
That whan the iournay of this deedly lyfe
My sely goost hath fynysshed and thense
Departen must: without his flesshly wyfe
Alone in to his lordes hygh presence
He may the fynde: o well of indulgence
In thy lordeshyp not as a lorde: but rather
As a very tendre louynge father.

Amen.

¶Enprynted at London in the Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne / by me Wynkyn de worde.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.