life of john picus earl of mirandola - The Center for Thomas More ...

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Picus’ First Letter to Francis
failing, after a thousand incommodities, after a thousand jeopardies
of his life, he may at last have a little the more gathered together. Of
the court and service of this world 1 there is nothing that I need to
write unto thee, the wretchedness whereof the experience itself hath
taught thee and daily teacheth. In obtaining the favour of the princes,
in purchasing the friendship of the company, in ambitious labour for
offices and honours, what an heap of heaviness there is! How great
anguish, how much business and trouble, I may rather learn of thee
than teach thee, which holding myself content with my books and rest,
of a child have learned to live within my degree, and as much as I may
dwelling with myself nothing out of myself labour for or long for.
Now then, these earthly things slipper,° uncertain, vile, and common
also to us and brute beasts, sweating and panting we shall unneth°
obtain; and look we then to heavenly things and godly (which neither
eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor heart hath thought) 2 to be drawn
slumbering and sleeping maugre our teeth,° 3 ¦ as though neither God
might reign nor those heavenly citizens live without us? Certainly if
this worldly felicity were got to us with idleness and ease, then might
some man that shrinketh from labour rather choose to serve the world
than God. But now if we be forlaboured in the way of sin as much as
in the way of God, and much more (whereof the damned wretches
cry out, Lassati sumus in via iniquitatis—“We be wearied in the way of
wickedness”) 4 then must it needs be a point of extreme madness if
we had not leuer labour there where we go from labour to reward,
than where we go from labour to pain. I pass over how great peace
and felicity it is to the mind when a man hath nothing that grudgeth
his conscience nor is not appalled with the secret touch of any privy
crime. 5 This pleasure undoubtedly far excelleth all the pleasures that
in this life may be obtained or desired.
What thing is there to be desired among the delights of this world,
which in the seeking weary us, in the having blindeth us, in the losing
12 slipper unstable / 13 unneth scarcely, with difficulty / 16 maugre our teeth in spite of all we
could do
¦ 16 More omits a diis, “by the gods” (CW 1:342, 343).
1. Of the court and service of this world: More’s rendering of militia saeculi, “worldly offices” (CW
1:342, 343).
2. which neither…thought: 1 Corinthians 2:9.
3. maugre our teeth: More’s translation of propemodum inviti, “almost reluctance” (CW 1:342, 343).
As Edwards points out, “More uses the same phrase in Pageant Verses [CW 1:5.78]. It is proverbial”
(CW 1:230).
4. Lassati…wickedness: Wisdom 5:7.
5. secret…crime: More’s expansion of the Latin culpa, “guilt” (CW 1:342, 343).
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The wretchedness of
the court
[79]
Pain ought to be taken
rather for heavenly
than earthly things
The way of sin more
painful than the way
of virtue
Spiritual pleasure
[80]