Here is co[n]teyned the lyfe of Iohan Picus erle of Myrandula a grete lorde of Italy an excellent connynge man in all sciences, [and] verteous of lyuynge with dyuers epystles [and] other werkes of ye sayd Iohan Picus full of grete science vertue [and] wysedome, whose lyfe [and] werkes bene worthy [and] dygne to be redde and often to be had in memorye.

Iohan Pic{us} erle of Myrandula to Fraū∣sces his neuew gretynge in our lorde.

HAppy art thou my sone whan that oure lorde not onely gyueth the grace wel to lyue but also that whyle thou lyuest wel he gyueth y^• grace to bere euyl wordes of euyll people for thy lyuynge well. Cer¦taynly as grete a prayse as hit is to be commended of them y^• are cōmendable as grete a cōmendaciō it is to be reproued of them y^• are reprouable. Notwithston∣dynge my sone I call the not therfor happy by cause this fals reprofe is worshypfull & gloryous vnto the / but for bycause y^• our lorde Iesu chryst (which is not onely true but also trueth hit selfe) affermeth that oure rewarde shall be plenteous in heuen when men speke euyll to vs & speke all euyll agaynst vs lyuynge for his name. This is an Apostles dignyte: to be repu¦ted dygne afore god to be defamed of wykked folke for his name. For we rede in the gospell of luke that

the appostles went ioyfull and glad frome y^• counseill house of the iewes bycause god had accepted theym as worthy to suffre wronge and repreffe for his sake. Let vs therfore Ioye and be glad yf we be worthy so grete worshyp before god y^• his worshyp be shewed in our rebuke. And yf we suffre of y^• world ony thyng that is greuous or bytter: let this swete voyce of our lorde be our consolacion. Simundus vos odio habet scitote ••priorē me vobis habuit. Yf the worlde (sayth our lorde) hate you: knowe ye y^• hit hated me before you. If y^• worlde then hated him by whome y^• worlde was made: we moost vyle & simple men and worthy (yf we cōsydre out wreched lyuynge well) all shame & reproufe: yf folke bakbyte vs & saye euyll of vs: shall we so greuously take hit y^• lest they shold say euyll we sholde begyn to do euyll. Let vs rather gladly recey∣ue these euyl wordes and yf we be not so happy to suf¦fre for vertue & trueth as the olde seyntes suffred be∣tynges / byndynges / pryson / swerdes / & deth. Let vs thynke at the lest wise we be well serued yf we haue y^e grace to suffre chydynge / detraccion / & hatred of wik∣ked men / lest y^• yf all occasion of deseruynge be taken awaye ther be lefte vs none hope of rewarde / yf men for thy good lyuynge prayse the: thy vertue certaynly in y^• hit is vertue maketh the lyke vnto chryst: but in that hit is praysed hit maketh the vnlike him: which for the reward of his vertue receyued y^• opprobryouse deth of the crosse for which as the apopstle sayth god hath exalted hym and gyuen hym a name y^• is aboue all names. More desyrefull is than to be condempned of the worlde and exalted of god then to be exalte•• of

the worlde and condempned of god / y^• worlde cōdem∣neth to lyfe: god exalteth to glorye: y^• worlde exateth to a fall / god condempneth to y^• iyre of hell / fynably yf y^• worlde fawne vpon y^•: vnneth hit may be but y^• thy vertue (which all lyfte vpwarde sholde haue god alo∣ne to please) shall somwhat vnto y^• blandisshynge of y^• worlde & fauoure of y^• people inclyne. And so thoughe hit lese nothynge of y^• integrite of our perfecciō yet hit leseth of the rewarde which reward whyle hit begyn∣neth to be payde in y^• worlde where all thynge is lytle hit shal be lesse ī heuē where al thing is grete. O hap∣py rebukes which make vs sure: y^• neither y^• floure of our vertue shall wyther w^t the pestile••t blast of vayn∣glorye: nor our eternall rewarde be mynysshed for the vayn promocion of a lytell populate fame. Let vs my sone loue these rebukes & onely of y^• ignomynye and reprefe of our lordes crosse. Let vs lyke feythfull ser∣uaūtes with an holy ambyeyon be proude. we (sayth saynt Paule) preche chryst cruci••yed which is vnto y^• iewes dispite / vnto y^• gentyles foly / vnto vs y^• vertue and wysedom of god. The wysdom of this worlde is folysshnes afore god & the foly of chryst is y^•: by which he hath ouercome y^• wysedom of y^• worlde by whiche hit hath pleased god to make his beliuȳg people safe. If that thou doubte not but y^• they be madde whiche bakbite thy vertue: which: the chrysten lyuynge y^• is very wisedom reputeth for madnes / ••sidre than how moche were thy madnes: yf thou sholdest for the iuge¦ment of madde men swarue frome the good instituciō of thy lyfe namely sith all errour is with amendemēt to be taken awaye & not with imitation & folowynge

to be encreaced. Let theym therfore nyghe / let theym bawl / let them karke / go thou baldely forth thy iour∣ney as thou hast begone and of the wyckednes & my¦sery cōsidre how moche thy selfe arte beholden to god whiche hath illumined y^• syttynge in the shadowe of dethe and translatynge the out of the cōpany of them (which lyke drōken men with out aguyde wandre hy¦ther and thyther in obscure derkenes) hath associate the to the chyldren of lyght. Let that same swete voy∣ce of our lorde alwaye sowne in thyn eres. Sine mor∣tuos sepclire mortuos suos tu me sequere. Let deed men alone with deed men: folowe thou me / deed be they that lyue not to god and in the space of this tem∣porall dethe laboryously purchase them selfe eternall deth. Of whom yf y^• axe wherto they drawe: wherto they referre theyr studyes / theyr werkes & theyr besy¦nes & fynally what ende they haue appoynted them selfe in the adopcyon wherof they sholde be happy / eyther they shall haue vtterly nothynge to answere / or they shall bryng forth wordes repugnaunt in them self & contrary eche to other lyke the rauynge of bede∣lem people. Nor they wot neuer them selfe what they do but lyke them that swyme in swyfte flodes they be borne forth with y^• violēce of euyll custom as hit were with the boystious course of y^• streme. And theyr wik¦kednes blyndynge them on this syde: & the deuyl prik¦kynge them forwarde on that syde: they renne for the hedlyng in to all mischiefe. As blynde guydes of blyn¦de men / tyll that dethe set on them vnware & tyll that hit be sayd vnto them that chryst sayth in the gospell

my frende this nyght y^• deuylles shall take thy soule frome the: these goodes then that thou haste gedered whose shall they be. Then shall they enuy thē whom they despised. Then shal they cōmend them that they mokked then shall they coueyte to ensew them in ly∣uyng whan they may not: whom whan they myght haue ensewed they pursewed / stop therfore thyn eres my moost dere sone & what so euer men sey of y^• what so euer men thynke on y^• accōpt hit for nothynge / but regarde onely y^• iugemēt of god which shall yelde eue¦ry man after his owne werkes when he shall shewe hym selfe frome heuen w^t y^• aungels of his vertue: in flame of fyre doynge vēgeaūce vpon them that haue not knowen god nor obeyed his gospell wich (as the apostle seyth) shal suffre in deth eternall peyn. From y^• face of our lorde & frome the glory of his vertue whan he shall come to be gloryed of his seyntes & to be made merueylous in all them y^• haue beleued. Hit is wry∣ten. Qolite timere qui corp{us} possunt occidere sed qui animā potest mittere in gehennā. Fere not thē (seyth our lorde) that may slethe body: but fere hym y^• may cast the soule in to helle. How moche lesse then be they to be fered: y^• may neyther hurt soule nor body which yf they now bakbyte y^• lyunnge vertuously they shall do the same neuer the lesse: yf (vertue forsaken) thou were ouer whelmed with vyce not for y^• vyce displea∣seth them but for y^• y^• vyce of bakbytynge alway plea¦seth them flee yf thou loue thyn helth flee as ferre as thou mayst theyr companye / and retournynge to thy selfe oftentymes secretly pray vnto y^• moost benygne father of heuen cryenge w^t the prophete. Adtedn̄e le¦uaui

animam meam deus meus in te cōfido non eru∣bescam etiā si irrideant me inimici mei etenī vniuer∣si qui sperant in ••e non confunde••r̄. Cōfundantur mi∣qua agētes su{per}uacue. vias tuas dn̄e demōstra mihi et semitas tuas edoce me. dirige me in veritate tua et doce me quia tu es deus saluator meus et in te spera∣bo tota die. That is to saye. To y^• lorde I lyfte vp my soule in the I trust I shall not be shamed & thoughe myne enemies mok me. Certaynly all they y^• trust in the shall not be a shamed. Let them be a shamed that worke wyckednes in vayne. Thy weyes good lorde shewe me and thy pathes teche me directe me in thy trueth and teche me for thou arte god my sauyoure in the shall I trust all the daye. Remembre also my sone y^• the dethe lyeth at hande. Remēbre that all the tyme of our lyfe is but a moment & yet lesse than a moment Remembre how cursed our olde enemy is: whiche of∣fereth vs y^• kyngdomes of this world that he myght beryue vs y^• kyngdome of heuen / how false the flessh∣ly plesures: which therfore embrace vs y^• they might strangle vs. how disceyteful these worldly honoures: which therfore lyfte vs vp: y^• they myght throwe vs downe / how deedly these rychesses: whiche the more they fede vs: y^• more they poyson vs / how shorte how vncertayne how shadowe like false ymaginary hit is y^• all these thȳges togyther may brynge vs: & though they flowe to vs as we wolde wyssh them. Remēbre agayne how grete thynges be {pro}mysed and prepared for thē: which ••ispisynge these present thynges desire and longe for that coūtre whose kynge is y^• godheed / whose law is charite / whose mesure is etnite. Occupi

thy mynde with these meditacyons and suche other y^• may waken the when thou slepest / kyndle y^• when y^u waxes colde / cōferme the when thou wauerest & exhi¦bit y^• whynges of the loue of god whyle thou laborest to heuenwarde that whan thou comest home to vs (which with grete desyre we loke for) we may se not onely hȳ that we coueyte but also suche a maner one as we coueyte. Fare well and loue god whom of olde thou hast begon to fere.

At ferare the .ij. day of Iuly the yere of our redempcion .M.CCCC.lxxxxij.