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

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66 Thomas More’s Life of John Picus
And glad to die, so that he may be sure
By his departing hence for to procure,
After this valley dark, the heavenly light,
And of his love the glorious blessed sight.
The Fifth Property.
Not only a lover content is in his heart
But coveteth eke and longeth to sustain
Some labour, incommodity,° or smart,°
Loss, adversity, trouble, grief, or pain:
And of his sorrow joyful is and fain,°
And happy thinketh himself that he may take
Some misadventure for his lover’s sake.
Thus shouldest thou, that lovest God also,
In thine heart wish, covet and be glad
For Him to suffer trouble, pain and woe:
For Whom if thou be never so woe bestead,°
Yet thou ne shalt° sustain (be not adread)°
Half the dolour,° grief and adversity
That He already suffered hath for thee.
The Sixth Property.
The perfect lover longeth for to be
In presence of his love both night and day,
And if it haply so befall that he
May not as he would, he will yet as he may
Ever be with his love, that is to say,
Where his heavy body nil° be brought
He will be conversant° in mind and thought.
Lo in like manner the lover of God should,
At the least in such wise as he may,
10 incommodity disadvantage, inconvenience / smart pain (typically physical) / 12 fain glad
/ 19 woe bestead surrounded or beset by sorrow (OED s.v. bested, bestead pa. pple. 4) / 20 thou
ne shalt you will not / adread frightened / 21 dolour physical suffering / 31 nil will not /
32 conversant present
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