The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History Part 2, Book 2 · Biography 3
I. P. MIRANDVLA
The Life of John Picus Earl of Mirandula, who dyed, Anno Christi, 1494.
IOhn Picus was born Anno Christi, 1463. of an ancient and Honorable Family in Italy, that derived their pedigreee from Constantine the Great: a little before his Mother was delivered of him, there appeared in her Bed-chamber a round flame of fire hanging (as it were) on the wall for a little while, and then vanishing away, concerning which there were many conjectures: When he had passed over his childhood, under the care and tuition of his Mother, he was placed under able and learned School-masters, where he applyed himself with so much ardour, and diligence to his book, that in a short time, he became a very good Orator and Poet. He was of a very quick apprehension, rich phansie, excellent invention, and sound memory, A strong memory.insomuch as having heard sundry verses once read over, after a little meditation, he was able to repeat them forwards and backwards, to the great admiration of all that heard him: When he was fourteen years old, his Mother, desiring to fit him (being her youngest Son) for the entrance into Popish Orders, as the way to preferment, sent him to Bononia to study the Civil Law: when he had spent 2 years in that study, wherein he made a very good progress, perceiving that it depended most upon precidents, and traditions, he grew weary of it, yet as young as he was, in that space he made an excellent Epitome of the Popes Epistles and Decretals, which was excellently well approved of by learned men. But being exceeding desirous to search out the secrets of Nature, he left these beaten paths, & betook himself to the study of Philosophy, and for his furtherance therein, he travelled to all the Famous Universities of Italy and France, acquainting His travels.himself with the most learned men in them; and took such extraordinary pains in his study, that in a little time he became an exquisite Philosopher, and an excellent Divine; and so having spent seven years in these Studies, being ambitiously desirous of renown and credit in the world, Ambition.he went to Rome, where he publikely set up nine hundred questions of Logick, Mathematicks, Philosophy, Divinity, &c. not onelyonly out of Latine Authors, but Greek, Hebrew, Chalde, Arabick, as also out of the Hebrew Cabala, & the old Philosophers, Pythagoras, Trimegistus, Orpheus, &c. Besides some of Naturall Magick. He also set up seventy two more questions, not formerly discussed by any Authors, but found out by himself, in Philosophy, and Metaphysicks, and withall he promised to bear the charges of such learned men as should come out of other Countries to dispute with him upon those questions. But this doing, procuring him much envie, caused that his Antagonists would never suffer him to come to a Envie.publike disputation upon them: yet privately they scanned them over very curiously, and complained that divers of them were contrary to the true Faith: But he not enduring the least disgrace, in twenty days space published a learned Apology, wherein he justified his questions, as being nothing at all contrary to the Catholick Faith: Concluding with that of St. Augustine: Errare possum, haereticus esse non possum, quando alterum sit hominis proprium, alterum perversae, & obstinatae voluntatis: I may err, but I will not be an heretick, the first being proper to man, but the other a property of His Character.an obstinate, and perverse will: He was of excellent beauty, tall of stature, of a comly countenance, lively eies, and his hair of a yellowish colour, of a noble stock, and great riches, insomuch that many Ladies, and gentlewomen fell in love with him whilest he was at Rome, and so inveagled him, being of a tractable, and courteous disposition, that he began to give over himself in this his heat of youth, to unlawfull pleasures with them: But it pleased God by the malice of his adversaries, & the troubles which he met with by their means, to awaken him from his sensuall delights, and to stir him up to shake off, and avoid all these provocations, and incentives to wickedness, and to choose celestiall, instead of fleshly pleasures: and laying aside his hunting after vain glory, and popular applause, to dedicate, and devote himself to the glory of God, and the good of his Church: resolving Conversion.for the time to come, so to carry himself, through Gods assistance, that his adversaries should have nothing to object against him.
His same being spred abroad, many great schollers repaired to him, some to dispute with him, and to try whether his learning was answerable to the report that went of it, others to learn, and be instructed of him: And whereas he had written some love verses in his youth, he burnt them all, and some other unprofitable writings: then he addicted himself seriously to the study of the Scriptures, and being twenty eight years old, he wrote Scriptures studied.a learned Tractate of the six first days work of God, and another of the Sabbath, for the publick benefit of the Church. He was wonderfully affected with the Elegancy of the Scriptures, in their Originals, especially of Paul's Epistles, which he preferred before all humane Eloquence whatsoever; professing that the writings of Tully, Demosthenes, &c. were not to be compared with them. Then he wrote his Book De Ente & uno, stuffed with abundance of learning: He wrote much also for interpreting the old Testament, and reconciling seeming differences: He justified the translation of Hierom against the calumnies of the Jews: He also defended the Septuagint translation, principally in reference to the Psalms: He wrote also about the true computation of Times: He wrote much in defence of the Catholick Faith, against Mahumetans, Iews, and other opposers of it: many other excellent works he had begun, but being cut off by an immature death, he left them unfinished: and his writing was so bad, that few could collect his sence by it: He read over whole Libraries Industry.both of Latine and Greek Authors with admirable celerity, and yet culled out the most usefull things as he went through them: He was so versed in the ancient Fathers, as if he had made them his only study all his life long: He was so well acquainted with Modern Writers, that if any difficulty was proposed to him out of them, he could presently resolve it, as if he had been of their Counsel in writing: He was an acute and excellent Disputant, which he much delighted in: He always preferred those disputations which were Humility.privately undertaken, with an humble and peaceable mind, to find out the truth, rather then to get the Victory: But could not endure such publick disputations as were undertaken to shew learning, or to win applause from the common people, professing that they did very much hurt: He had a very great Library of Ancient and Modern Writers, of all sorts and Languages: He was of such an indefatigable Spirit, that he was never a weary of his study: Three years before his death, he retired himself from the pleasures, profits and honors of the world, & that he might live a more private life, He made over almost all his estate in the Earldoms of Mirandula and Concordia, to his Brothers Son: a great part of his Mony, Plate and Jewels he distributed amongst the poor: He Charity.kept a frugall Table, which he well contented himself with: He was constant in his daily prayers unto God: He relieved the poor every day: He Prayer.gave much mony to poor maids, for preferring them in marriage: He imployed an intimate friend to enquire out the wants and necessities of poor House-keepers, whom he bountifully relieved: He kept under his body by fasting, &c. He was of a cheerfull countenance, and of so composed a mind, that he was scarce ever seen angry: He was very humble, being so far from seeking and affecting great honors, and offices, that he could not be Humility.perswaded to accept of them: His usual discourse amongst his friends was of the vanity and uncertainty of all Earthly things, and of the stability of Heavenly things, and therefore he would often call upon them to love the Lord above all, &c. He did so little regard these outward things, that he was often blamed by his friends for too much neglect of them: He was always most cordially affected to his friends, whom he chose for the similitude of manners and learning, Love to his friends.rather then for other outward respects of kindred, &c. Angelus Policianus, and Marcilius Ficinus were two of his most intimate friends: But falling into a violent Feavour, which contemned all means of cure, in thirteen days space he quietly departed, Anno Christi, 1494. and of his Age 32.
Collected out of his life, Written by his Nephew, whom he brought up and made his Heire, and out of Boisardus his Bibliotheca.