The argument & mater of the fyrst epystle of Picus vnto his neuew Iohan Fraunsces

HIt apereth by this epistle y• Iohan Fraunsces the neuew of Picꝰ had broken his mynde vnto Picus and had made hym of counceyll in some secrete godly purpose whiche he entended to take vpon hym / but what this purpose sholde be: vpon this lettre can we not fully perceyue. Nowe after y• he thus entended / there fell vnto hym many impedunentes & diuers occasyons whiche withs[…]ode his entent and in maner letted hym & pulled hym bak / wherfore Picꝰ cōforteth hym in this epystle and exorteth hym to perseueraūce / by suche meanes as are in the epystle euydent and playne ynough. Notwithstondynge in y• begynnyng of this lettre where he sayth that the fleshe shall (but yf we take good hede) make vs dronke in the cuppes of Cerces and mysshappe vs in to the lykenes a fygure of bruyte beestes: those wordes yf ye perceyue theym not: be in this wyse vnderstonden. There was somtyme in a woman called Circes whiche by enchauntemente as vyrgyll maketh mencyon vsed with a drynke to turne as many men: as receyued hit in to dyuers likenes a fygures of sondrye beestes / some in to lyones / some in to beeres / some in to swyne / some in to wolfes / which afterwarde walked euer tame aboute her house and wayted vpon her in suche vse or seruyce as she lyst to put vnto them. In lykewyse the flesshe yf it make vs dronke in y• wyne of voluptuous pleasure or make the soule leue the noble vse of his reason & enclyne vnto sensualite and affeccions of y• body: then the flesshe chaūgeth vs from the figure of reasonable men in the lykenes of vnreasonable beestes / and y• dyuersly: after the cōuenience & symylytude betwene our sensuall affeccyons and the brutysshe proprytees of sondry beestes. As the proude harted man in to a lyon / the Irous in to a beere / the lecherouse in to a gote. The drōken gloten in to a swyne / the rauenous extorcyoner in to a wolfe the false desceyuoure in to a foxe / mokkynge gester in to an ape. From which beestly shappe may we neuer be restored to our owne lykenes agayn: vnto the tyme we haue cast vp agayne the drynke of the bodely affeccyons by which we were in to these fygures enchaunted. Whan there cometh somtyme a monstrouse beest to the towne we ronne and are glad to paye some money to haue syght therof / but I fere yf men wolde loke vpon them selfe aduysedly: they sholde se a more monstrouse beest nerer home: for they sholde perceyue themselfe by y• wretched inclinacion to diuers beestly passyons chaunged in theyr soule not in to the shap of one but of many beestes / y• is to saye of all thē whose brutysh appetytes they folow. Let vs thē beware as picꝰ cōcelleth vs y• we be not drōkē in y• cuppes of cereꝭ y• is to say in y• sensuall affecciōs of y• flessh lest / we deforme y• image of god in our soules after whose image we be made & make our selfe worse then idolatres for yf he be odiouse to god whiche turneth y• image of a beest in to god: how moche is he more odious which corneth the ymage of god in to a beest.