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[104] 50 Thomas More’s Life of John Picus TWELVE RULES 1 OF JOHN PICUS EARL OF MIRANDULA, PARTLY EXCITING, PARTLY DIRECTING A MAN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE If We refuse the Way of Virtue for that° it is Painful, for the Like Cause ought We to refuse the Way of Sin. 2 Whoso° to virtue esteemeth hard the way 3 Because we must have war continual Against the world, the flesh, the devil, ⌐ that aye° Enforce° themself to make us bond and thrall,° ¬ Let him remember that choose what may he shall Even after the world, 4 yet must he need sustain° Sorrow, adversity, labour, grief, and pain. The Second Rule. Think 5 in this wretched worldès busy woe 6 The battle more sharp and longer is I wis° With more labour and less fruit also In which the end of labour labour is: ⌐ And when the world hath left us after this Void of all virtue: the reward when we die Is nought but fire ¬ and pain perpetually. 7 7 for that because / 10 Whoso Whoever / 12 aye ever, always / 13 Enforce exert / thrall slave / 15 sustain endure, suffer / 21 wis know 1. TWELVE RULES: Originally written in prose, Picus’ “Rules” are transformed by More into poetry. 2. If We . . . Way of Sin: This sentence was originally a sidenote in the 1557 edition, published after More’s death in 1535. Thus, it is an insertion by a later editor. 3. Whoso . . . the way: That is, “Whoever considers the way of virtue difficult…” The original reads: si homini videtur dura via virtutis, “if the way of virtue seems hard to someone” (CW 1:372, 373). 4. choose . . . the world: In other words, “whatever life one chooses, even the pursuit of worldly pleasures…” Such also is the sense of the Latin original: quamcunque elegerit vitam etiam secundum mundum (CW 1:372). 5. Think: More’s rendering of the Latin recordetur, “let him remember” (CW 1: 372, 373). Throughout the “Rules” More translates recordetur variously—as “think” as well as “let him remember” (e.g., earlier in 50.14) and “consider” (as found below in 50.30). The recurrence of recordetur and variations thereof underscores the meditative character of the “Rules.” 6. wretched . . . woe: More’s expansion of rebus mundi, “affairs of the world” (CW 1:372, 373). 7. And . . . perpetually: These three lines are More’s expansion of the Latin & tandem paena eterna, “and, finally, eternal punishment” (CW 1:372, 373). 5 10 15 20 25
5 10 15 20 25 The Third Rule. Twelve Rules of Spiritual Battle Consider ⌐ well ¬ that folly it is ⌐ and vain ¬ To look for heaven ⌐ with pleasure and delight ¬∆1 Since Christ our ⌐ Lord and sovereign ¬ captain 2 Ascended never but by manly° fight And bitter passion; then were it no right° That any servant, ⌐ ye will yourself record,° ¬ Should stand in better condition than his lord. 3 The Fourth Rule. Think how that we not only should not grudge But eke be ⌐ glad and joyful ¬ of this fight, Δ4 And long therefor although we could not judge How that thereby redound° unto us might Any ⌐ profit ¬Δ5 , but only ⌐ for delight ¬ To be conformed ⌐ and like in some behaviour ¬ To Jesu Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour. 6 As often as thou dost war and strive, By the resistance of any sinful motion,° 7 Against any of thy sensual wittès five,° Cast in thy mind 8 as oft ⌐ with good devotion ¬ How thou resemblest Christ: as with sour potion 7 manly courageous / 8 were it no right it is not fitting / 9 record remember / 17 redound result / 23 sinful motion temptation / 24 sensual wittès five five senses Δ1. To look . . . delight: Here More significantly alters the Latin original, which reads credere ad caelum posse perveniri nisi per huismodi pugnam, “to think one can reach heaven except by such a battle as this” (CW 1:372, 373). 2. our . . . captain: For the Latin caput nostrum, “our head” (CW 1:372, 373). 3. then were . . . his lord: An allusion to Matthew 10:24. Δ4. Think . . . this fight: More alters the original Latin recordetur non solum non esse aegre ferendam hanc pugnam sed optandam, “let him remember that he should not only not endure this battle unwillingly but should choose to bear it” (CW 1:372, 373). Δ5. And . . . profit: More expands and alters the Latin etiam si nullum inde nobis praemium perveniret…, “even if we got no reward from it…” (CW 1:372, 373). 6. To Jesu . . . Saviour: The Latin reads Christo deo & domino nostro, “to Christ, our God and our lord” (CW 1:372, 373). 7. As often . . . motion: More’s expansion of the Latin & quotiens resistendo alicui tentationi, “and whenever in resisting any temptation” (CW 1:372, 373). 8. Cast in thy mind: While the Latin has cogita and not recordetur (CW 1:372), the sense here is much the same, namely, “remember”—even “meditate upon”—the truth in question. 51
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