life of john picus earl of mirandola - The Center for Thomas More ...
life of john picus earl of mirandola - The Center for Thomas More ...
life of john picus earl of mirandola - The Center for Thomas More ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
5<br />
10<br />
15<br />
20<br />
25<br />
Picus’ Second Letter to Francis<br />
ing praise thee, thy virtue certainly, in that it is virtue, maketh thee like<br />
unto Christ; but in that it is praised it maketh thee unlike Him, Which<br />
<strong>for</strong> the reward <strong>of</strong> His virtue received the ⌐ opprobrious ¬ death <strong>of</strong> the<br />
cross; <strong>for</strong> which, as the apostle saith, 1 God hath exalted Him and given<br />
Him a name that is above all names. <strong>More</strong> desireful is it, then, to be<br />
condemned <strong>of</strong> the world and exalted <strong>of</strong> God, than to be exalted <strong>of</strong><br />
the world and condemned <strong>of</strong> God. <strong>The</strong> world condemneth 2 to <strong>life</strong>,<br />
God exalteth to glory: the world exalteth to a fall, God condemneth to<br />
the fire <strong>of</strong> hell. 3 Finally, if the world fawn upon thee, unneth it may be<br />
but that thy virtue (which all lifted upward 4 should have God alone to<br />
please) shall somewhat unto the blandishing <strong>of</strong> the world and favour<br />
<strong>of</strong> the people incline. And so, though it lose nothing <strong>of</strong> the integrity<br />
⌐ <strong>of</strong> our perfection ¬ , yet it loseth <strong>of</strong> the reward; which reward while<br />
it beginneth to be paid in the world where all thing is little, it shall be<br />
less in heaven, where all thing is great. O happy rebukes, which make<br />
us sure that neither the flower <strong>of</strong> our virtue 5 shall wither with the<br />
pestilence blast <strong>of</strong> vainglory, nor our eternal reward be diminished <strong>for</strong><br />
the vain promotion <strong>of</strong> a little popular 6 fame! Let us, my son, love these<br />
rebukes, and only <strong>of</strong> the ignominy and repro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> our Lord’s cross let<br />
us like faithful servants with an holy ambition be proud. “We,” saith<br />
Saint Paul, 7 “preach Christ crucified, which is unto the Jews despite,<br />
unto the Gentiles folly, unto us the virtue° and wisdom <strong>of</strong> God.” <strong>The</strong><br />
wisdom <strong>of</strong> this world is foolishness a<strong>for</strong>e God, 8 and the folly <strong>of</strong> Christ<br />
is that by which He hath overcome 9 the wisdom <strong>of</strong> the world, by which<br />
it hath pleased God to make His believing people safe.<br />
If that you doubt not but that they be mad which backbite thy virtue,<br />
which the Christian living, that is very wisdom, reputeth° <strong>for</strong> madness,<br />
consider then how much were thy madness if thou shouldst <strong>for</strong> the<br />
judgment <strong>of</strong> mad men swerve from the good institution <strong>of</strong> thy <strong>life</strong>,<br />
22 virtue power / 27 which…reputeth who consider<br />
1. as the apostle saith: Cf. Philippians 2:9.<br />
2. condemneth: <strong>The</strong> Latin is crucifigit, “crucifies” (CW 1:356, 357).<br />
3. the fire <strong>of</strong> hell: Latin Gehennam (CW 1:356).<br />
4. all lifted upward: <strong>The</strong> Latin has tota sursum erecta, “totally directed on high” (CW 1:238).<br />
5. flower <strong>of</strong> our virtue: <strong>More</strong>’s rendering <strong>of</strong> iustitiae flos, “flower <strong>of</strong> righteousness” (CW 1:358, 359).<br />
6. popular: <strong>More</strong>’s usage, apparently to denote what is “vulgar” or “common,” antedates the <strong>earl</strong>iest<br />
found in OED (s.v. popular a. 2c).<br />
7. saith Saint Paul: 1 Corinthians 1:23–24.<br />
8. wisdom…God: Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:19.<br />
9. hath overcome: <strong>The</strong> Latin is vincit, “overcomes” (CW 1:358).<br />
39<br />
[90]<br />
Happy rebukes<br />
[91]