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

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74 Thomas More’s Life of John Picus
Thy love and pity, thus, O heavenly King,
Our evil maketh matter of Thy goodness,
O love, O pity, our wealth aye providing,
O goodness serving Thy servants ⌐ in distress, ¬
O love, O pity, well nigh now thankless,
O goodness, ⌐ mighty, gracious and wise, ¬
And yet almost vanquished with our vice.
Grant, I Thee pray, such heat into mine heart 2
That to this love of Thine may be equal;
Grant me from Satan’s service to astart,°
With whom me rueth° so longe to have be thrall¦;
Grant me¦, ⌐ good Lord and Creator of all, ¬
The flame to quench of all sinful desire 3
And in Thy love set all mine heart afire;
That when the journey of this deadly life
My silly ghost hath finishèd, and thence
Departen must ⌐ without his fleshly wife, 4¬
Alone into his Lordés ⌐ high ¬ presence,¦
He may Thee find, ⌐ O well of indulgence, ¬
⌐ In Thy lordship ¬ not as a lord, but rather
As ⌐ a very tender loving ¬ father. ⌐ Amen. ¬ ¦
11 astart escape / 12 me rueth I regret
¦12 More omits excusso deposuisse iugo, “and let us cast off his yoke” (CW 1:380, 381). /
13 More omits precor, “I beg you” (CW 1:380, 381). / 20 More omits Promissi regni felici sorte
potitus, “coming to possess the happy lot of the promised kingdom” (CW 1:380, 381). /
23 More omits FINIS, “THE END” (CW 1:380, 381).
2. mine heart: The Latin is nostris cordibus, “our hearts” (CW 1:380, 381). In these last two stanzas,
More changes several first person plural to first person singular forms.
3. The flame . . . desire: The Latin is extingui vesanae incendia mentis, “that the flames of our mad minds
may be quenched” (CW 1:380, 381).
4. fleshly wife: A metaphor for the body.
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