had donne Sir THOMAS answered thereto yf my darling Frasmus hath translated those places with the like vvicked intent that Tindall hath donne he shall be no more my darling but the Diuells darling Finally long after hauing found in Erasmus's workes manie thinges necessarily to be amēded he counselled him as his friend in some latter booke to imitate the example of S. Augustin who did sett out a booke of Retractations to correct in his writing what he had vnaduisedly written in the heate of youth but he that was farre different from S. Augustin in humilitie would neuer follow his counsell and therefore he is censured by the Church for a Busie fellow manie of his bookes are condemned and his opinions accounted erroneous though he alwaies liued a Catholike Priest and hath written most sharpely against all those new Gospellers who then beganne to appeare in the world and in a letter to Iohn Fabius Bishopp of Vienna he sayth that he hateth these seditious opinions with the which at this day the world is miserably shaken neither doth he dissemble saith he being so addicted to pietie that if he incline to anie parte of the ballance he will bende rather to superstition then to impietie by which speach he seemeth in doubtfull words to taxe the Church with superstition and the new Apostolicall bretheren with impietie Now to conclude this matter of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's friends lett vs heare what Erasmus speaketh of him in an epistle to Vlderick Hutten MORE seemeth to be made and borne for friendshipp vvhereof he is a most sincere follovver and a fast keeper neither doth he feare to be taxed for that he hath manie friends vvhich thing Hesiodus prayseth nothing euerie man may attaine to his friendshipp he is nothing slovve in choosing most apt in nourishing and most constant in keeping them yf by chance he falles into ones amitie vvhose vices he cannot amende he 〈◊〉 the raines of friendshipp disioynting it by little and little rather then dissoluing it suddenly vvhome he findeth sincere and constant agreing vvith his ovvne good disposition he is so delighted vvith their companie and familiaritie that he seemeth to place his chiefe vvorldlie pleasure in such mens conuersation and although he be verie negligent in his ovvne temporall affaires yet none is more diligent then he in furthering his friends causes What neede I speake manie vvords yf anie vvere desirous to haue a perfect patterne of friendshipp none can make it better then MORE In his companie there is such rare aff abilitie and such svveete behauiour that no man is of so harsh a nature but that his talke is able to make him merrie no matter so vnpleasing but he vvith his vvitt can shake from it all tediousnesse declaring plainely in these words the most pleasant disposition of Sir THOMAS MORE whose onlie merrie ieastes and wittie sayings were able to fill a whole volume if they were all gathered togeather some of which Doctour Stapleton hath sett downe in two seuerall Chapters whereof I shall also mention some hereafter but the greatest number haue neuer bene sett downe in writing as daily faling from him in his familiar discourse All which shew plainely that he had a quiett conscience full of alacritie and a wittie conceipt able to please all men that resorted vnto him and who would not be glad of his companie who was by nature most affable in his Princes fauour verie high and stored with worldlie blessings as ample possessions wealth enough and pompe of the world euen at will He vsed when he was in the Cittie of London a Iustice of peace to goe to the Cessions at Newgate as other Iustices did amongst whome it happened that one of the ancient Iustices of peace was wont to chide the poore men that had their purses cutt for not keeping them more warily saying that their negligence was cause that there were so manie Cutt purses brought thither Which when Sir THOMAS had heard him often speake at one time especially the night after he sent for one of the chiefe Cutt purses that was in the prison and promised him that he would stand his good friend If he would cutt that Iustice's purse whilst he sate the next day on the Benche and presently make a signe thereof vnto him the fellow gladly promiseth him to doe it The next day therefore when they sate againe that thiefe was called amongst the first who being accused of his fact sayd that he would excuse himselfe sufficiently if he were but permitted in priuate to speake to some one of the Benche he was bidde therefore to choose one whome he would and he presently chose that graue olde man who then had his pouche at his gyrdle and whilst he roundeth him in the eare he cunningly cutts his purse and taking his leaue sollemnely goeth downe to his place Sir THOMAS knowing by a signe that it was dispatched taketh presently an occasion to moue all the Bench to distribute some almes vpon a poore needie fellowe that was there beginning himselfe to do it When the olde man came to open his purse he sees it cutt away and wondering sayd that he had it when he came to sitt there that morning Sir THOMAS replyed in a pleasant manner what will you charge anie of vs with fellonie He beginning to be angrie and ashamed of the matter Sir THOMAS calles the cutt purse and willes him to giue him his purse againe counselling the good man hereafter not to be so bitter a censurer of innocent mens negligence when as himself could not keepe his purse safe in that open assemblie For these his wittie ieastes he may well be sayd to haue bene neither hatefull to the Nobilitie nor vnpleasing to the people Yf we reade his letters they shew greate eloquence a pure latine phrase and a religious minde for alwaies they expresse either humilitie in himselfe zeale of Gods honour loue to his neighbour compassion of the afflicted or a deare affection to his wife and children so that it may be sayd that he had pectus verè candidum a verie sincere hart and surely they breathe out matter either of wonderfull deuotion or admirable wisedome THE FOVR THE CHAPTER THE PIOVS HOME-employmente of Sir THOMAS MORES and his godly councels giuen to his vvyfe and children 1. Sir Th. Mores home-entertainements and deuotions 2. His beehauiour towardes his wyfe and children and councels giuen them 3. Sir Th. More studiously vvrote agaynst beresyes in midst of his affayres 4. A vievv of many vvitts and pithy speeches of S. T. Mores 5. Sir Th. Mores profound skill in diuinytye 1. ALthough he liued à Courtier and a lay married man yet when he came home he would both in the morning and in the euening before he went to bedde say in his Chappell certaine praiers deuoutely vpon his knees with his wife children and familie and because he was desirous sometimes to be solitarie and would sequester himselfe from the world to
Chaūcellourship worth yearely the sūme of 100. pound thereof had he some by his wife some left by his father some he purchased and some fees had he of Temporall men so may euerie man soundly guesse that he had no greate parte of his liuing of the Clergie to make him partiall to them Now touching rewardes or lucre which rose to him by his writing for which good Father Tindall sayd he wrote his bookes and not for anie affection he bare to the Clergie no more then Iudas betrayed Christ for anie fauour he bare to the Bishopps Scribes and Pharisies it is a most shamefull lye and slaunder as may appeare by his refusall of the 4. or 5. thousand pound offered him by the Clergie Concerning Tindall's false translation of the New Testament first it is to be considered as these good bretheren partely denye the very Text it selfe and whole bookes of the sacred Scripture as the booke of the Machabies and certaine others and Luther S. Iames's Epistle also and as they adulterate and commaculate and corrupt the whole Corps of the same with their wrong and false expositions farre disagreeing from the Comment of the ancient Fathers and Doctours and from the fayth of the whole Catholike Church So haue they for the aduancing and furthering of the sayd heresies of a sett purpose peruerted mistranslated the sayd holie Scripture And after such shamefull sorte that amōgst other their mischieuous practises whereas in the Latine Epistle of S. Paul is read in the olde translation fornicarij in the new they haue Sacerdotes that is priests for the good deuotion they beare to the sacred Order of Priesthood And their patriarche Luther with his translation of the sayd holie Scripture into the Dutch toung hath wonderfully depraued corrupted and defiled it as we could by diuerse proofes easily shewe whome his good schollar Tindall in his English translatiō doth matche or rather passe wherein he turneth the word Church into Congregition Priest into Senior or elder which word Congregation absolutely of itselfe as Tindall doth vse it doth no more signifye the Congregation of Christiā men then a fayre flocke of vnchristian geese neither this word Presbyter for Elder signifyeth any whitt more a Priest then an eldersticke manie other partes of his Translation are sutable to this as where in spight of Christ's and his holie Saints images he turneth Idolls into Images and for the like purpose of setting forth his heresie Charitie into Loue Grace into Fauour Confession into repentance and such like for which as also for diuerse of his false faythlesse hereticall assertions as well that the Apostles left nothing vnwritten that is of necessitie to be belieued That the Church may erre in matter of Fayth That the Church is only of chosen elects Touching the manner and order of our election Touching his wicked and detestable opinion against the free wil of man Touching his fond and foolish paradoxes of the elect though they doe abhominable haynous actes yet they doe not sinne and that the elect that doth once hartily repent can sinne no more he doth so substantially pleasantly confute and ouerthrowe Tindall that yf these men that be enuenomed and poysoned with these pestilent heresies would with indifferent mindes reade the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE' 's answer there were good hope as it hath God be thanked chanced to manie alreadie of their good speedie recouerie But alacke the while and woe vpon the subtle craft of the cursed diuell that so blindeth them and the wretched negligent and little regarde that these men haue to their soule 's health that can be content to sucke in the deadlie poyson of their soules by reading and crediting these mischieuous bookes yet will not once vouchsafe to take the holesome depulsiue Triacle not to be fetched from Geneua but euen readie at home at their hands in Sir THOMAS MORE' 's bookes against this dreadfull deadlie infection But to returne now againe to the sayd Tindall Lord what open fowle and shamefull shifts doth he make for the defence of his wrong and pestiferous assertions with what spitefull shamefull lyes doth he belye Sir THOMAS MORE and wretchedly depraueth his writings not being ashamed though his playne manifest wordes lye open to the sight of all men to the cōtrarie to depraue his answers And amongst other that he should affirme that the Church of Christ should be before the Gospell was taught or preached which things he neither writeth nor once thought as a most absurde vntruth but that it was as it is very true before the written Gospell And the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE seing that by Tindall's owne confession the Church of God was in the world manie hūdred yeares before the written lawes of Moyses doth well thereof gather and conclude against Tindall that there is no cause to be yeelded but that much more it may be so and is so indeede in the gracious time of our redemption the holie Ghost that leadeth the Chnrch from time to time into all truth being so plentiefully effused vpon the same The Church of Christ is and euer hath bene in manie things instructed necessarie to be belieued that be not in anie Scripture comprized These manie other strong reasons to proue the common knowne Catholike Church and none other to be the true Church of Christ And seing we doe not knowe the verie bookes of Scripture which thing Luther himselfe confesseth but by the knowen Catholike Church we must of necessitie take the true and sound vnderstanding of the sayd Scriptures and all our fayth from the sayd Church which vnderstanding is confirmed in the sayde Church from the Apostles time by infinite miracles and with the consent of the olde Fathers and holie martyrs with manie other substantiall reasons that Sir THOMAS MORE here layeth downe haue so appaled and amazed Tindall that he is like a man that were in an inexplicable labyrinth whereof he can by no meanes gett out And Tindall being thus brought oftentimes to a bay and vtter distresse he scuddeth in and out like a hare that had twentie brace of grayhounds after her and were afeared at euerie foote to be snatched vpp And as Sir THOMAS MORE merrily yet truly writeth he did winde himself so wilily this way and that way and so shifteth him in out and with his subtile shifting so bleareth our eyes that he maketh vs as blinde as a catt and so snareth vs vp in his matters that we can no more see where about he walketh then ys he went visible before vs all naked in a nett in effect playeth the verie blinde hobbe about the house sometimes when there is no other shift then Tindall is driuen to excuse himselfe and his doings as he doth for the word Presbyter which he translated first Senior then 〈◊〉 wherein for excuse of his fault at great length he declareth 4. fayre vertues in himselfe malice ignorance errour and follie And where
England from Richard 〈◊〉 the vsurper and also most happily procured the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke to be vnited by marriage In this famous mans house this youth learned most diligently aboundance of wisedome and vertue and now he beganne to shew to the world what man he was likelie to proue For the Cardinall often would make triall of his pregnant witt especially at Christmas merriments when hauing plaies for recreacion this youth would suddenly steppe vp amongst the players and neuer studying before vpon the matter make often a parte of his owne inuention which was so wittie and so full of ieasts that he alone made more sporte and laughter then all the players besides for which his towardlienesse the Cardinall delighted much in him and would often say of him vnto diuerse of the Nobilitie who at sundrie times dined with him that that boy there wayting on him whosoeuer should liue to see it would proue a maruelous rare man But when this most reuerend Prelate sawe that he could not profitt so much in his house as he desired where there were manie distractions of publike affaires hauing great care of his bringing vp he sent him to the Vniuersitie and placed him in Canterbury-Colledge at Oxford now called Christs-church where in two yeares space that he remained there he profited exceedingly in Rhetorick Logick and Philosophie and shewed euidently what wonders witt and diligence can performe when they are ioyned as seldome they are in one painefull student There his whole minde was sett on his booke for in his allowance his father kept him verie short suffering him scarcelie to haue so much monie in his owne custodie as would pay for the mending of his apparrell euen no more then necessitie required and of his expences he would exact of him a particular accounte which course of his fathers he would often both speake of and praise it when he came to riper yeares affirming that by this meanes he was curbed from all vice and withdrawen from manie idle expences either of gayming or keeping naughtie companie so that he knew neither play nor other riott wherein most yong men in these our lamentable daies plunge themselues too timely to the vtter ouerthrow as well of learning and future vertue as their temporall estates This strictnesse of his father in creased in him also a great reuerence and obedience after vnto him againe in so much that in all his life after he was so dutiefull vnto him that he neuer offended nor contradicted him in anie the least worde or action still shewing towards him admirable deedes of humilitie euen at that time when in the eye of the world he farre surpassed his father in dignitie which may be seene by asking him blessing euerie day duly euen after he was Lord Chancellour of England and when he and his father mett publikely at Lincolnes-Inne or other where he would still offer him the place of precedence though the Iudge by reason of his sonne 's office did still refuse it such was the pietie and submissiue minde of this humble man such againe was the prouident care of the father towards his sonne that one can hardly guesse which of the two were more worthie the father of such a sonne or the sonne of such a father yet I iudge the father more happie that enioyed such an admirable sonne and wish that my Children may imitate in this kinde their vertuous Anncestours 4. When this towardlie youth was come to the age of eighteene yeares he beganne to shew to the world his ripenesse of witt for he wrote manie wittie and goodlie Epigrammes which are to be seene in the beginning of his English Workes he composed also manie prettie and elegant verses of the Vanitie of this life and the inconstancie thereof which his father caused to be sett vp with pictures and pageants which are also in the beginning of his greate English Volume he translated for his exercise one of Lucian's Orations out of Greeke into Latine which he calleth his first fruits of the Greeke toung and thereto he added another Oratiō of his owne to answer that of Lucian's for as he defended him who had slaine a tyrant he opposeth against it another with such forcible arguments that this seemeth not to giue place to Lucian either in inuention or eloquence As concerning his diuerse Latine Epigrammes which he either translated out of Greeke into Latine or else composed of his owne manie famous authours that then liued doe make mention of them with great praise For 〈◊〉 Rhenanus in his epistle to Bilibaldus Pitcheimerus writeth thus THOMAS MORE is maruelous in euerie respect for he compoundeth most eloquently and 〈◊〉 most happily how sweetly doe his verses slowe from him hovv nothing in them seemeth constrained hovv easie are all things there that he speaketh of nothing is hard nothing rugged nothing obscure he is pure he is vvittie he is elegant besides he doth temper all things vvith mirth as that I neuer read a merrier man I could thinke that the Muses haue heaped vpon him alone all their pleasant conceipts and vvittie merriments moreouer his quippes are not biting but full of pleasantnesse and verie proper yea rather anie thing then stinging for he 〈◊〉 but vvithout mordacitie he 〈◊〉 yet vvithout contumelie The like iudgement of his Epigrammes doth that famous Poëte Leodgarius à Quercu publike Reader of Humanitie in Paris giue and that not so much by his words as by his deedes For he hauing gathered of the Epigrammes of diuerse famous men a Collection he hath sett out more Epigrammes of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's then of anie other writer yet because rarenesse of anie excellent qualitie is still enuyed by some man or other one Brixius a German wrote a booke against these Epigrammes of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's which he called Antimorus with such commendation that Eramus earnestly besought Sir THOMAS that he would not ouerwhelme his friend Brixius with such an answer as his rashnesse deserued adding this of this his foolish booke Antimorus I heare vvhat learned men speake of Brixius novv after he hath vvritten his Antimore vvhich as I heare it not vvillingly of him so vvould I lesse vvillingly he are thē so speake of you vvherefore seing I perceaue hovv hard a matter it is to temper an ansvver to so spitefull a booke but that you must giue some scope vnto your passions I deeme it best for you not to regard but vvholy to contemne the matter yet this I vvould not counsell you my best friend to doe if there vvere anie thing in that malitious Antimore vvhich did truly blemish your fame so that it vvere necessarie for you to vvipe it avvay c. Which friendlie counsell Sir THOMAS MORE in some sorte followed for although he had answered Brixius fully in a little treatise which alreadie he had published before Erasmus his letter came to his hands yet vpon the receipt thereof he endeauoured by
or his vvisedome for marking and setting forth all the fountaines from vvhence either the happinesse or mischiefes of anie Common vvealth do arise or the elegancie and force of his stile vvho hath vvith such pure Latine and such vigour of speach comprized so manie and sundrie matters especially one that is so much distracted both vvith publike and priuate affayres Buslidian a great Counsellour of Charles the Fift Emperour in a letter to Sir THOMAS sayth In the happie description of your Vtopian Common-vvealth there is nothing missing vvhich might shevv most excellent learning togeather vvith an absolute knovvledge of all humane things For you excell in sundrie sciences and haue such great and certaine knovvledge 〈◊〉 besides that you affirme euerie matter in writing as though you had tryed euerie thing by experience before and you write most eloquently vvhat soeuer you affirme a maruelous and rare happienesse and the more rare by hovv much the fevver can attaine therevnto And further in the sayd letter he affirmeth that this Vtopian Common wealth farre exceedeth the Lacedemonian the Athenian yea euen that of the Romans it selfe in that it seeketh not so much to make manie lawes as it laboureth to prouide good and vpright Magistrates by whose prototypon that is the patterne of their honestie the example of their manners and behauiour and the pourtraicture of their Iustice the whole state and true gouernement of euerie perfect 〈◊〉 wealth may be framed Paulus louius in his booke of the praises of learned men speaketh thus Mores fame vvill alvvaies laste in his Vtopia for he therein hath described a kingdome vvell gouerned vvith holesome lavves and much flourishing vvithriche peace she vving hovv he loathed the corrupt manners of this vvicked age and endeauouring by a pleasant fiction to leade the right pathe to a blessed and most happie life c. Finally Hutten Uiues Grapheus and Lacius affirme that Sir THOMAS had an incomparable witt greater then a man's witt pene diuinum yea almost diuine About this time he also wrote for his exercise the historie of king Richard the third both in Latine and English which is so well penned that if our Chronicles of England were halfe so well sett out they would entice all English men to reade them ouer often These his workes sett out at that time when he was most employed in other mens affayres shew how diligent and industrious he was For thus he writeth in his Vtopia VVhilst I daily either pleade other mens causes or heare them sometimes as an arbiter othervvhiles as a Iudge vvhilst this man I visite for friendshipp another for businesses and vvhilst I busie my selfe abroad about other mens matters all the vhole day I leaue no time for my selfe that is for studie For vvhen I come home I must discourse vvith my vvife chatte vvith my children speake vvith my seruants and seing this must needes be donne I number it amongst my affaires and needefull they are vnlesse one vvill be a stranger in his ovvne house for vve must endeauour to be affable and pleasing vnto those vvhome either nature chance or choice hath made our companions but vvith such measure it must be donne that vve doe not marre them vvith affabilitie or make them of servants our maisters by too much gentle entreatie and fauour vvhilst these things are doing a day a moneth a yeare passeth VVhen then can I finde anie time to vvrite for I haue no yet spoken of the time that is spent in eating and sleeping vvhich things alone bereaue most men of halfe their life As for me I gett only that spare time vvhich I fleale from my meate and sleepe vvhich because it is but small I proceedst vvly yet it being somevvhat I haue novv at the length preuailed so much as I haue finished and sent vnto you Peter my Vtopia Besides all this to shew the more his excellent partes of readie vtterance pleasant conceipts and sharpenesse of witt euen to the admiration of all men he read a lecture in S. Laurence church at Lothburie where Sir Iohn More his father lieth buried out of S. Augusten's bookes De Ciuitate Dei not so much discussing the points of Diuinitie as the precepts of morall philosophie and historie where with these bookes are replenished And he did this with such an excellent grace that whereas before all the flower of English youthes went to heare the famous Grocinus who was lately come out of Italie to teache Greeke in the publike vniuersitie vnder whome as also that famous Grammarian Linaore Sir THOMAS himself had profited greatly of whome he had Aristotle's workes interpreted in Greeke now all England almost left his lecture and flocked to heare Sir THOMAS MORE 7. It fortuned shortly after that a shippe of the Popes arriued at Southampton which the King claimed as a forfeyture yet the pope's legate so wrought with the king that though it was seysed on yet he obtained to haue the matter pleaded by learned Councell For the Pope's side as their principall man was chosen Sir THOMAS MORE and a day of hearing being appointed before the Lo Chancellour and other the chiefe Iudges in the Starre-chamber Sir THOMAS argued so learnedly and forcibly in defence of the pope's parte that the afore sayd forfeyture was restored and he amongst all the audience so highly commended for his admirable and wittie arguing that for no intreatie would the king anie longer forbeare to vse him Wherefore he brought him perforce to the Court and made him of his Priuie Counsell as Sir THOMAS testifyeth himselfe in a letter to that worthie prelate Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester saying I am come to the Court extreamely against my vvill as euerie bodie knovveth and as the king himself often tvviteth me in sporte for it And hereto do I hang so vnseemely as a man not vsing to ride doth sitt vnhansomely in his saddle But our Prince vvhose speciall and extraordinarie fauour tovvards me I knovve not hovv I euer shal be able to deserue is so affable and courteous to all men that euerie one vvho hath neuer so little hope of himselfe may finde somevvhat vvhereby he may imagine that he loueth him euen as the Cittizens vviues of London doe vvho imagine that our ladies ' picture neare the tovver doth smile vpon them as they pray before it But I am not so happie that I can perceaue such fortunate signes of deseruing his loue and of a more abiect spriut then that I can persvvade myselfe that I haue it already yet such is the vertue and learning of the king and his daily increasing industrie in both that by hovv much the more I see his Highnesse increase in these kinglie ornaments by so much the lesse troublesome this Courtier 's life seemeth vnto me And indeede king Henrie's Court for the first twentie yeares was a seate of manie excellent witts a pallace of rare vertues according as Erasmus Wittnesseth thereof in an
your loue because I see you rather haue testifyed vvhat your loue tovvards me did suggest then the authoritie of a Censor Hovvsoeuer the matter is I cannot expresse hovv much I ioye that you haue cast your vvhole account in liking my doings For I almost persvvade myself all those things to be true vvhich you speake thereof knovving you to be most farre from all dissembling and my self more meane then that you should neede to flatter me and more deare to you then that I should expecte a mocke frō you Wherefore vvhether that you haue sene the truth vnfainedly I reioyce hartily in your Iudgement or vvhether your 〈◊〉 to me hath blinded your iudgement I am for all that no lesse delighted in your loue and truly vehement and extraordinarie great must that loue be vvhich could bereaue 〈◊〉 of his iudgement And in another letter he sayth You deale very courteously vvith me in that you giue me in your letter such hartie thankes because I haue bene carefull to defende the causes of your friendes amplifying the small good turne I haue done you therein by your great bountie but you deate somevvhat too fearefully in regarde of the loue vvhich is betvveene vs if you imagine that you are indebted vnto me for anie thing I haue donne and do not rather challenge it of right to be due vnto you c. The Amber vvhich you sent me being a precious sepulcher of flyes vvas for manie respects most vvellcome vnto me for the matter thereof may be compared in coulour and brightnesse to anie precious stone and the for me is more excellent because it representeth the figure of a a hart as it vvere the hieroglificke of our loue vvhich I interprete your meaning is that betvveene vs it vvill neuer fly avvay and yet be alvvaies vvithout corruption because I see the fly vvhich hathvvings like Cupide the sonne of Venus and is as fickle as he so shutt vp here and inclosed in this glevvie matter of Amber as it cannot flye avvay and so embalmed and preserued therevvith as it cannot perish I am not so much as once troubled that I cannot sende you the like guift againe for I knovve you do not expect anie enterchange of tokens and besides I am vvilling still to be in your debt yet this troubleth me somevvhat that my estate and condition is so meane that I am neuer able to shevv myself vvorthie of all and singuler your friendshipp VVherefore though I cannot giue testimonie myselfe herein before other men yet must be satisfyed vvith mine owne inward testimonie of minde and your gentle acceptance He dedicated one of his bookes vnto him saying in this wise When I considered to vvich of all my friends I should dedicate these my Collections out of manie Authors I thought you most fitt for the same in respect of the familiar conuersation vvhich of long time hath bene betvveene vs as also in respect of the sinceritie of your minde because you vvould be alvvaies readie to take thankefully vvhatsoeuer in this vvorke should seeme gratefull vnto you and whatsoeuer should be barren therein you vvould make a courteous construction thereof vvhatsoeuer might be vnpleasing you vvould be vvilling to pardon I vvould to God I had as much vvitt and learning as I am not altogeather destitute of memorie As for Bishopp Tunstall he was a learned man and wrote a singuler booke of the reall presēce And although during king Henrie's raigne he went with the sway of the time for who almost did otherwise to the great griefe of Sir THOMAS MORE yet liuing to the time of Q. Elizabeth whose Godfather he was when she berayed the fonte in his olde age seing her take strange courses against the Church he came from Durham and stoutely admonished her not to change religiō which if she presumed to doe he threatned her to leese Gods blessing and his She nothing pleased with his threates made him be cast into prison as most of the Bishops were where he made a glorious ende of a Confessour and satisfyed for his former crime of Schisme contracted in the time of king Henrie's raigne Sir THOMAS MORE' 's friendshipp with the glorious Bishop of Rochester was neither short nor small but had long continued and ended not with their famous martyrdomes See how good Bishop Fisher writeth vnto him Lett I pray you our Cambridge men haue some hope in you to be fauoured by the king's Maiestie that our schollars may be stirred up to learning by the countenance of so vvorthie a prince VVe haue fevv friends in the Court vvich can or vvill commende our causes to his royall Maiestie and amongst all vve accounte you the chiefe vvho haue alvvaies fauoured vs greatly euen vvhen you vvere in a meaner place and novv also shevv vvhat you can doe being raised to the honour of knighthood and in such great fauour vvith our prince of vvhich vve greately reioyce and also doe congratulate your happinesse Giue furtherance to this youth vvho is both a good schollar in Diuinitie and also a sufficient preacher to the people For he hath hope in your fauour that you can procure him greate furtherance and that my commendations vvill helpe him to your fauour To this Sir THOMAS MORE answereth thus This Priest Reuerend Father vvhome you vvrite to be in possibilitie of a Bishopricke if he might haue some vvorthie suiter to speake for him to the king I imagine that I haue so preuayled that his Maiestie vvill be no hindrance thereto c. Yf I haue anie fauour vvith the king vvhich truly is but litle but vvhatsoeuer I haue I vvill employ all I can to the seruice of your Fatherhood and your schollars to vvhome I yeelde perpetuall thankes for their deare affections tovvards me often testifyed by their louing letters and my house shall be open to them as though it vvere their ovvne Farevvell vvorthie and most courteous prelate and see you loue me as you haue donne His loue and friendshipp with yong Poole afterwards a famous Cardinal may be seene by their letters he maketh mention of him with great praise in a letter he wrote to his welbeloued daughter Margaret Rooper in this wise I cannot expresse in vvriting nor scarcely can conceyue it by thought hovv gratefull to me your most eloquent letters deare daughter Margarett are Whilst I vvas reading them there happened to be vvith me Reinald Poole that most noble youth not so noble by birth as he is singularly learned and excellently endevved vvith all kinde of vertue to him your letter seemed as a miracle yea before he vnderstoode hovv neare you were besett with the shortenesse of time and the molestation of your vveake infirmitie hauing notvvithstanding sent me so long a letter I could scarce make him belieue but that you had some helpe from your Maister vntill I tolde him seriously that you had not only neuer a maister in your house but also neuer another man that needed not your helpe rather in
vvriting anie thing then you needed his And in another to Doctour Clement a most famous phisitian and one that was brought vp in Sir THOMAS his owne house he sayth thus I thanke you my deare Clement for that I finde you so carefull of my health and my childrens so that you prescribe in your absence vvhat meates are to be auoided by vs. And you my friend Poole I render double thankes both because you haue vouchsafed to sende vs in vvriting the counsell of so great a phisitian and besides haue procured the same for vs from your mother a most excellent and noble matrone and vvorthie of so great a sonne so as you do not seeme to be more liberall of your counsell then in beslovving vpon vs the thing it selfe vvhich you counsell vs vnto VVherefore I loue and praise you both for your bountie and fidelitie And of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's friendship Cardinal Poole boasteth much after his martyrdome in his excellent booke De vnitate Ecclesiae saying yf you thinke that I haue giuen scope to my sorrowe because they were my best beloued friends that were putt to death meaning Sir THOMAS MORE and Bishop Fisher I do both acknowledge and professe it to be true most willingly that they both were deare vnto me aboue all others For how can I dissemble this seing that I doe reioyce more of their loue towards me then if I should boaste that I had gotten the dearest familiaritie withall the princes of Christendome His frienshipp also with Doctour Lea afterwards the worthie Archbishopp of Yorke was not small nor fayned although he had written an excellent booke against Erasmus his Annotations vpon the new Testament Erasmus being then Sir THOMAS his intire friend and as it were the one halfe of his owne hart For Sir THOMAS writeth thus vnto him Good Lea that you request of me not to suffer my loue to be diminished tovvards you trust me good Lea it shall not though of myselfe I incline rather to that parte that is oppugned And as I could vvish that this Cittie vvere freed from your siege so vvill I alvvaies loue you and be glad that you do so much esteeme of my loue He speaketh also of Lupset a singular learned man of that time in an epistle to Erasmus Our friend Lupsett readeth with great applause in both toungs at Oxford hauing a great auditorie for he succeedeth my Iohn Clement in that charge What familiaritie there was betwixt him and Doctour Collett Grocine Linacre and Lillie all singuler men we haue spoken of heretofore VVilliam Montioy a man of great learning and VVilliam Lattimer not Hugh the heretike that was burnt but another most famous for vertue and good letters were his verie great acquaintance as also Iohn Croke that read Greeke first at Lipsia in Germanie and was after King Henrie's Greeke maister to whome he writeth thus VVhatsoeuer he vvas my Crocus that hath signifyed vnto you that my loue is lessened because you haue omitted to vvrite vnto me this great vvhile either he is deceaued or else he seeketh cunningly to deceaue you and alshough I take great comfort in reading your letters yet am I not so proude that I should chalenge so much interest in you as though you ought of dutie to salute me euerie day in that manner nor so vvayvvard nor full of complaints to be offended vvith you for neglecting a little this your custome of vvriting For I vvere vniust if I should exact from other men letters vvhereas I knovve myselfe to be a great sluggard in that kinde Wherefore be secure as concerning this for neuer hath my loue vvaxed so colde tovvards you that it neede still to be kindled and heated vvith the continuall blovving of missiue epistles yet shall you do me a great pleasure if you vvrite vnto me as often as you haue leasure but I vvill neuer persvvade you to spende that time in saluting your friends vvhich you haue allotted for your ovvne studie or the profiting of your schollars As touching the other parte of your excuse I vtterly refuse it fo there is no cause vvhy you should feare my nose as the trunke of an elephant seing that your letters may vvithout feare approche in the sight of anie man neither am I so long snovvted that I vvould haue anie man feare my censuring As for the place vvhich you requirre that I should procure you both M. r Pace and I vvho loue you dearely haue putt the king in minde thereof 4. But now as concerning the familiaritie he had with the most famous men of other nations it may be likewise seene by his letters to them as to that famous Iohn Cochlee who was Luther's scourge he writeth thus It cannot be expressed most vvorthie Sir how much I holde myself indebted vnto you for certifying me so often of those occurrences vvhich happen in your Countrie For Germanie novv daily bringeth forth more monsters yea prodigious things then Africk vvas vvont to doe For vvhat can be more monstrous then the Anabaptists yet hovv haue those kinde of plagues risen forth and spread for manie yeares togeather I for my parte seing these sects daily to grovve vvorse and vvorse do expect shortly to heare that there vvill arise some vvho will not sticke to preache that Christ himselfe is to be denyed neither can there arise so absurde a knaue but he shall haue fauourers the madnesse of the people is so greate In which letter he foretelleth of Dauid George the Hollander who called himself Christ and had diuerse followers at Basile So was there in England the like desperate fellowe called Hackett whose disciples were Arden and Coppinger At another time he writeth thus vnto the same man I vvould haue you persvvade yourself deare Cochlie that I haue not receaued anie letter from anie of my friends these manie yeares more gratefull then your last vvere to me and that for tvvo causes especially the first for that I perceaue in them your singular loue vnto me vvhich though I haue sufficiently found heretofore yet do these shevv it most plentifully and I account it as a great happinesse for to left passe your benefitts donne me vvho vvould not highly esteeme the friendshipp and fauour of such a friend Secondly because in these letters you certifye me of the nevves of manie actions of Princes c. Afterwards he had also intire familiaritie with Budaeus which was often renewed by letters and once by personall meeting in France when the kings of England and France had a parlie togeather For Budaeus was in great fauour with his king Francis yea one of his priuie Councell as Sir THOMAS was to king Henrie all which may be perceaued by his letter to Budeus in this manner I knovve not my good Budie vvhether it vvere good for vs to possesse anie thing that vvere deare vnto vs except vve might still keepe it For I haue imagined that I should be a happie man if I
themselues to be fine either in wearing that which was vneasie or in stroaking vp their hayre to make themselues high foreheads he would tell them that if God gaue them not hell he should doe them great iniurie for they tooke more paynes to please the world and the diuell then manie euen vertuous men did to cleanse their soules and please God Manie such speaches tending to deuotion and care of their soules had he euerie day at dinner and supper after the reading was done as is before sayd with such heauenlie discourses flowing with eloquence that it might well be sayd of him which the Queene of Saba sayd of Salomon Blessed art thou and blessed by thy Lord God and blessed are all they that attende and wayte on thee For no doubt there was the spirite of God in that familie where euerie one was busied about somewhat or other no cardes no dice no companie keeping of the men with the women but as it were in some religious house all chaste all courteous all deuout their recreations was either musike of voices or viols for which cause he procured his wife as I haue sayd to play thereon to draw her minde from the worlde to which by nature she was too much addicted but so as Sir THOMAS would say of her that she was often penny-wise and pound-foolish sauing a candle's ende and spoyling a veluett gowne Of her also he meant it when in his bookes of Comfort in Tribulation he telleth of one who would rate her husband because he had no minde to sett himself forward in the world saying vnto him Tillie vallie tillie vallie will you sitt and make goslings in the ashes my mother hath often sayd vnto me it is better to rule then to be ruled Now in truth answered Sir THOMAS that is truly sayd good wise for I neuer found you yet willing to be ruled And in another place of the same booke he calleth this wife of his a iollie Maister-woman 3. For all his publike affayres and housholde exercises he neuer left of to write learned bookes either of deuotion or against heresies which now beganne to spreade themselues from Germanie into Flanders from thence into England by manie pestiferous pampheletts and bookes against which Sir THOMAS MORE laboured with his penne more then anie other English man whatsoeuer in regarde of his zeale to God and the honour of his immaculate spouse the Catholike Church as appeareth by his foure bookes of Dialogues a worke full of learning and witt where he argueth most profoundly of the Inuocation of Saints pilgrimages relikes and Images he teacheth also substantially how we may knowe which is the true Church and that that Church cannot erre After he had ended this booke there was a lewde fellow sett out a pamphlett intituled the Supplication of Beggers by which vnder pretence of helping the poore he goeth about to cast out the Clergie and to ouerthrowe all Abbies and religious houses bearing men in hand that after that the Gospell should be preached beggars and bawdes should decrease thiefes and idle people be the fewer c. Against whome Sir THOMAS wrote a singular booke which he named A Supplication of the soules in Purgatorie making them there complaine of the most vncharitable dealing of certaine vpstarts who would perswade all men to take from thē the spirituall almes that haue bene in all ages bestowed vpon these poore soules who feele greater miserie then anie beggar in this world and he proueth most truly that an ocean of manie mischieuous euents would indeede ouerwhelme the realme Then sayth he shall Luther's gospell come in then shall Tindall's Testament be taken vp then shall false heresies be preached then shall the Sacraments be sett at naught then shall fasting and praier be neglected then shall holie Saints be blasphemed then shall Almightie god be displeased then shall he vvithdravve his grace and lett all runne to ruine then shall all vertue be had in derision then shall all vice raigne and runne forth vnbrideled then shall youth leaue labour and all occupation then shall folkes waxe idle and fall to vnthristinesse then shall vvhores and thieues beggars and bavvdes increase then shall vnthriftes flocke togeather and eache beare him bolde of other then shall all lavves be laughed to scorne then shall seruants sett naught by their maisters and vnrulie peop'e rebelle against their gouernours then vvill rise vp riseling and robberie mischiefe and plaine insurrection vvhereof vvhat the ende vvill be or vvhen you shall see it onely God knovveth And that Luther's new Gospell hath taken such effect in manie partes of Christendome the woefull experience doth feelingly to the great griefe of all good folkes testifye to the world Of all which and that the land would be peopled to the deuouring of one another he writeth particularly more like one that had seene what had ensued alreadie then like one that spoke of things to come He wrote also a laboursome booke against Tindall refuting particularly euerie periode of his bookes a short treatise also against young Father Fryth in defence of the reall presence which that heretike did gainesay and for that was after burnt Against Fryer Barnes his church he wrote also an Apologie and a defence thereof vnder the name of Salem and Byzanze which are all sett forth togeather with that most excellent peece of worke comprised in three bookes of Comfort in Tribulation which subiect he handleth so wittily as none hath come neare him either in weight of graue sentences deuout considerations or fit similitudes seasoning alwaies the troublesomnesse of the matter with some merrie ieastes or pleasant tales as it were sugar whereby we drinke vp the more willingly these wholesome druggs of themselues vnsauorie to flesh and bloud which kinde of writing he hath vsed in all his workes so that none can euer be wearie to reade them though they be neuer so long 4. Wherefore I haue thought it not a misse to sett downe in this place amongst a thousand others some of his Apophthegmes which Doctour Stapleton hath collected in two whole Chapters Doe not thinke saith Sir THOMAS MORE that to be alwaies pleasant which madde men doe laughing For one may often see a man in Bedlem laugh when he knockes his head against the wall vttering this to condemne them that esteeme all things good or badde which the common people iudge to be Againe A sinner saith he cannot taste spirituall delights because all carnall are first to be abandoned By an excellent similitude he teacheth vs why few doe feare death thus Euen as they which looke vpon things afarre of see them confusedly not knowing whether they be men or trees euen so he that promiseth vnto himselfe long life looketh vpon death as a thing farre of not iudging what it is how terrible what griefes and dangers it bringeth with it And that none ought to promise himselfe
long life he proueth thus Euen as two men that are brought out of prison to the gallowes one by a long way about the other by a direct short path yet neither knowing which is which vntill they come to the gallowes neither of these two can promise himself longer life the one then the other by reason of the vncertaintie of the way euen so a yong man cannot promise himself longer life then an olde man Against the vanitie of worldlie honour he speaketh thus Euen as that criminall person who is to be lead to execution shortly should be accounted vayne if he should engraue his Coate of Armes vpon the prison gate euen so are they vaine who endeauour to leaue with great industrie monuments of their dignitie in the prison of this world By a subtile dilemma he teacheth vs why we are not to thinke that we can behurt by the losse of our superfluous goods in this manner he that suffereth anie losse of his goods he would either haue bestowed them with praise and liberalitie and so God will accept his will in steede of the deede itselfe or else he would haue waisted them wickedly and then he hath cause to reioyce that the matter of sinning is taken away To expresse liuely the follie of an olde couetous man he writeth thus a thiefe that is to dye to morrow stealeth to day and being asked why he did so he answered that it was a great pleasure vnto him to be maister of that money but one night so an olde miser neuer ceaseth to encrease his heape of coyne though he be neuer so aged To expresse the follie and madnesse of them that delight wholy in hording vp wealth he writeth in the person of the soules in purgatorie thus in his booke of the Supplication of the Soules We that are here in purgatorie when we thinke of our bags of golde which we horded vp in our life time we condemne laugh at our owne follie no otherwise then if a man of good yeares should sinde by chance the bagg of Cherrie stones which he had carefully hidde when he was a childe In his booke of Comfort in tribulation that men should not be troubled in aduersitie he writeth thus The mindes of mortall men are so blinde and vncertaine so mutable and vnconstant in their desires that God could not punish men worse then if he should suffer euerie thing to happen that euerie man doth wish for The fruit of tribulation he describeth thus all punishment inflicted in hell is only as aiust reuenge because it is no place of purging In purgatorie all punishmēts purge only because it is no place of meritt but in this life euerie punishment can both purge sinne and procure meritt for a iust man because in this life there is place for both He sayth also that they which giue themselues to pleasure and idlenesse in this time of pilgrimage are like to him who trauelling to his owne house where there is abundance of all things would yet be an hosteler in an Inne by the way for to gett an Innekeepers fauour and so ende his life there in a stable Speaking of ghostlie Fathers that seeke to please their penitents he sayth Euen as a mother sendeth forth her childe to schoole with sayre words and promises that hath slept too long in the morning and therefore feareth the rodde when he weepeth and blubbereth she promiseth him all will be well because it is not so late as he imagineth or that his maister will pardon him for that faulte this time not caring what he endureth when he cometh thither indeede so she send him merrie from home with his bread butter in his hand euen so manie Pastours of soules speake pleasing things to their sheepe that are riche and delicate they promise them when they are dying and feare hell that all things shall be well with them telling them that either they haue not offended God so grieuously as they feare or that God being mercieful will easily forgiue thē nothing carefull whether after this life they feele hell or no so that they make them not sadde in this world shew thēselues gratefull vnto thē here Pleasure sayth he doth not only withdrawe wicked men from prayer but also affliction sometimes yet this is the difference that affliction doth sometimes wrest some short praier from the wickedest man aliue but pleasure calleth away euen one that is indifferent good from all prayer Against impenitent persons and such as differre the amending of their life till the latter ende of their dayes he sayth thus A lewde fellowe that had spent all his life in wickednesse was wont to bragge that he could be saued yf he spoke but three wordes at the hower of his death riding ouer a bridge that was broken his horse stumbling and not being able to keepe himself from tumbling into the water as he saw himself fall headlong into it casting away the bridle he sayd the Diuell Take All and so with his three wordes he perished in the riuer He that is lightened with a true vision differeth from him that hath an illusion euen as a man awake differeth from him that dreameth Euen as he that passeth ouer a narrow bridge by reason of his feare often falleth especially if others say vnto him you fall which other wise he would safely passe ouer euen so he that is fearefull by nature and full of pusillanimitie often falleth into desperation the diuell crying vnto him thou art damned thou art damned which he would neuer harken to nor be in anie danger if he should take vnto him a good hart and by holesome counsell feare nothing the diuell's outcrye The prosperitie of this world is like the shortest winter's day and we are lifted vp in it as an arrowe shott vp on high where a hote breath doth delight vs but from thence we fall suddenly to the earth and there we sticke fast either bemired with the durt of infamie or staruing with colde being pluckt out of our feathers Againe he sayth As it is a hard thing to touche pitch and not to be defiled there with a drye sticke to be putt into the fire and not to burne to nourish a snake in our bosome and not to be stung with it so a most hard thing it is to be rich and honoured in this world and not to be strucke with the darte of pride and vaine glorie Lett there be two beggars saith he who haue long time begged togeather one of whome some rich man hath entertayned in his house putt him in silke giuen him money in his purse but with this condition as he telles him that with in a short space he will thrust him out of his doores and take all that away from him againe if he in the meane while being thus gallant should chance to meete with his fellow beggar would he be so foolish as for all
builde them vp againe at his owne charge He telleth that heretikes vse to frame Catholikes arguments very weake and friuolous that they may the more easily confute them euen as little children make houses of tyleshardes which they cast downe with great sporte againe presently Of their contumelious speaches against himself he sayth I am not so voyde of reason that I can expect reasonable matter from such vnreasonable men When they sayd his writings were nothing but ieasting toyes he sayth I scarce belieue that these good brethren can finde anie pleasant thing in my bookes for I write nothing in them that may be pleasing vnto them When the heretike Constantine had broken prison in his house he bad his man goe locke the doore fast and see the place mended sure least he should come back againe and when the heretikes reported that he was sone for this that he could not for anger eate in three daies he answered that he was not so harsh of disposition to finde fault with anie man for rising and walking when he sate not at his ease All his English workes were sett out togeather in a great volume whilst Q. Marie raigned by Iudge Rastall Sir THOMAS his sister's sonne by which workes one may see that he was verie skillfull in Schoole-Diuinitie and matters of Controuersie for he argueth sharpely he confirmeth the truth profoundly and citeth both Scriptures and Fathers most aptely besides he vrgeth for the aduerse parte more a great deale then anie heretike euer did that wrote before him But to see how he handleth Luther vnder the name of one Rosse would do anie man good faining that Rosse wrote his booke from Rome against the most ridiculous and scurrilous pāphlett which Luther had made against King Henrie the eighth who of good zeale had sett out with great praise a booke in defence of the Seauen Sacraments the Pope's authoritie for which Pope Leo the tenth gaue him the tile of Defender of the Faith Wherefore in defence of his Soueraigne whome Luther had most basely rayled at calling him often Thomistical asse that he would beray the king's Crowne who was not worthie to wipe his shoes with manie other scurrilous speaches Sir THOMAS painteth out the sowle mouthed fellowe in his liuelie coulours and made him so enraged that it stung him more then anie other booke that euer was sett out against him Finally in euerie one of his bookes whensoeuer he toucheth anie controuersie he doth it so exactly that one may see that he had diligently read manie great Diuines and that he was very well seene in S. Thomas the father of all Diuinitie this may be an euident signe which his Secretarie Iohn Harris a man of sound iudgement and great pietie reported of him that on a time an hereticall booke newly printed and spread abroad was brought to Sir THOMAS which when he read being in his boate going frō Chelsey to London he shewed certaine of the author's arguments with his fingar to M. r Harris saying Loe here how the knaue's argument is taken out of the obiections of S. Thomas in 2. 2. in such and such an article but the lewde fellow might haue seene the solutions which are presently added there He maintayned also in a learned Disputation with Fa Atphonsus the Franciscan Q. Catherin's ghostlie Father Scotus his opinion of Attrition and Contricion as more safely to be followed then that of Occhamus by all which it may be gathered that he had great in sight in the diuersitie of Scholasticall opinions He wrote also a booke in Latine against Pomeran the heretike and indeede laboured very much rather to reduce such men vnto the Catholike Faith then to punish them for their reuolte yet in his epitaphe he sayth of himself that he was to theeues murtherers and heretikes grieuous and Simon Grineus a Luther an boasteth in his translation of Produs dedicated to my grandfather how courteously Sir THOMAS his father vsed him whē he was in Englād THE FIFTH CHAPTER K. HENRIES FIRST scruples in his Mariage Sir THOMAS MORES care in the education of his children 1. The ambition of Cardinall Wolsey occasion of K. Henry his fall 2. K. Henry communicates his scruple about his marriage with S. T. More 3. S. T. Mores pradiction of the fall of England from religion 4. He reduceth his sonne Roper miraculously from heresy 5. He obtaineth his daughter Margarets health of God by prayer 6. S. T. Mores domestique schoole 7. His delight and contentment in the studies of his children 8. How his daughter Margaret proued excellent for her sex in learning 1. VVhile Sir THOMAS MORE was Chācellour of the Duchie the Sea of Rome chanced to be vacant and Cardinall Wolsey a man of vnsatiable ambition who had crept vp in the fauour of Charles the Fift so that the Emperour still writing vnto him called him Father and the other called him sonne hoped now by his meanes to attaine to the popedome but perceauing himself of that expectation frustrate and disappoynted because the Emperour in the time of their election had highly commended another to the whole Colledge of the Cardinalls called Adrian who was a Flemming and had bene sometime his schoole maister a man of rare learning singular vertue who therevpō allthough absent and little dreaming of it was chosen Pope and then forth with going from Spayne where he was then resident came on foote to Rome Before he entred into the Cittie putting of his hose and shoes barefoote and bare leggd he passed through the streetes towards his pallace with such humilitie deuotion that all the people not without cause had him in greate reuerence and admiracion but as I sayd Cardinall Wolsey a man of contrarie qualities waxed therewith so wroth and stomacked so the Emperour for it euer after that he studyed still how he might reuenge himselfe anie wates against him which as it was the beginning of a lamentable tragedie so the ende thereof we cannot yet see although there haue bene almost one hundred yeares sithence This VVolsey therefore not ignorant of King Henrie's vnconstant mutable disposition inclined to withdrawe his affections vpon euerie light occasion from his owne most noble vertuous and lawfull wife Q. Catherine the Emperour 's owne aunte and to fixe this amourous passions vpon other women nothing comparable vnto her either in birth wisedome vertue fauour or externall beautie this irreligious prelate meaning to make the king's lightnesse an instrument to bring about his vnconscionable intent endeauoured by all the meanes he could to allure the king to cast his fancie vpon one of the French king's sisters the king being fallen in loue alreadie he not suspecting anie such thing with the ladie Anne Bullen a woman of no nobilitie no nor so much as of anie worthie fame This French matche he thought to plott to spite the Emperour because at that time there was great warres
I pray thee Megg see that I vnderstande by you vvhat your studies are For rather then I vvould suffer you my children to liue idely I vvould my self looke vnto you vvith the losse of my temporall estate bidding all other cares and businesses Farevvell amongst vvhich there is nothing more svveete vnto me then thy self my dearest daughter Farevvell It seemeth also by another letter of his how carefull he was that his children might be learned and diligent and he prayseth them for it thus Thomas More sendeth greeting to his most deare daughters Margarett Elizabeth and Cecilie and to Margarett Gigs as deare to him as if she vvere his ovvne I cannot sufficiently expresse my best beloued vvenches hovv your eloquent letters haue exceedingly pleased me and this is not the least cause that I vnderstande by them you haue not in your iourneys though you change places often omitted anie thing of your custome of exercising yourselues either in making of Declamations composing of ver ses or in your Logike exercises by this I persvvade my selfe that you dearely loue me because I see you haue so great a care to please me by your diligence in my absence as to perfourme these things vvhich you knovve hovv gratefull they are vnto me in my presence And as I finde this your minde and affection so much to delight me so vvill I procure that my returne shall be profitable vnto you And persvvade yourselues that there is nothing amongst these my troublesome carefull affaires that recreateth me so much as vvhen I reade somevvhat of your labours by vvhich I vnderstande those things to be true vvhich your most louing maister vvriteth so louingly of you that vnlesse your ovvne epistles did shevv euidently vnto me hovv earnest your desire is tovvards learning I should haue iudged that he had rather vvritten of affection then according to the truth but novv by these that you vvrite you make him to be belieued and me to imagine those things to be true of your vvittie and acute disputacions vvhich he boasteth of you almost aboue all beliefe I am therefore maruelous desirous to come home that vve may heare them and sett our schollar to dispute vvith you vvho is slovve to belieue yea out of all hope or conceipt to finde you able to be ansvverable to your master's prayses But I hope knovving hovv steadfast you are in your affections that you vvill shortly ouercome your maister yf not in disputing at least in not leauing of your strife Farevvell deare vvenches And thus you may coniecture how learned his daughters were to whome for this respect Erasmus dedicated his Commentarie vpon Ouide de nuce Levvis Viues also writeth great commendations of this schoole of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's in his booke to Q. Catherine of England And both Erasmus dedicated Aristotle in Greeke and Simon Grineus who although an heretike yet in respect of his learning had bene kindely vsed by Sir THOMAS MORE as he writeth himself did dedicate Plato and other bookes in Greeke vnto my grandfather Iohn More as to one that was also very skillfull in that toung See what Grineus speaketh vnto him There vvas a great necessitie why I should dedicate these bookes of Proclus full of maruelous learning by my paynes sett out but not vvithout the singular benefitt of your father effected vnto you to vvhome by reason of your fatherlike vertues all the fruite of this benefitt is to redounde both because you may be an ornamēt vnto them and they also may doe great good vnto you vvhome I knovve to be learned and for these graue disputacions sufficiently prouided and made fitt by the continuall conuersation of so vvorthie a father and by the companie of your sisters vvho are most expert in all kinde of sciences For vvhat Authour can be more gratefull to those desirous mindes of most goodlie things such as you and the Muses your sisters are vvhome a diuine heate of spiritt to the admiration and a nevv example of this our age hath driuen into the sea of learning so farre and so happily that they see no learning to be aboue their reache no disputations of philosophie aboue their capacitie And none can better explicate entangled questions none sifte them more profoundly nor none conceaue them more easily then this authour Lett vs see another letter to his daughter Margarett only You aske monye deare Megg too shamefully fearefully of your father vvho is both desirous to giue it you and your letter hath deserued it vvhich I could finde in my hart to recompence not as Alexander did by Cherilus giuing him for euerie verse a Philippine of golde but if my abilitie vvere ansvverable to my vvill I vvould bestovve tvvo Crovvnes of pure golde for euerie sillable thereof Here I sende you as much as you requested being vvilling to haue sent you more but that as I am glad to giue so I am desirous to be asked and favvned on by my daughters thee especially vvhome vertue and learning hath made most deare vnto me Wherefore the sooner you haue spent this money vvell as you are vvont to doe and the sooner you aske me for more the sooner knovve you vvill doe your father a singular pleasure Farevvell my most beloued daughter This daughter was likest her father as well in fauour as witt and proued a most rare woman for learning sanctitie and secrecie and therefore he trusted her with all his secretts She wrote two Declamations in English which her father and she turned into Latine so elegantly as one could hardly iudge which was the best She made also a treatise of the Foure Last things which her father sincerely protested that it was better then his and therefore it may be neuer finished his She corrected by her witt a place in S. Cyprian corrupted as Pamelian and Iohn Coster testifye in steede of nisi vos sinceritatis restoring neruos sinceritatis To her Erasmus wrote an epistle as to a woman not only famous for manners and vertue but most of all for learning We haue heretofore made mention of her letter that Cardinal Poole so liked that when he had read it he would not belieue it could be anie womans in answer whereof Sir THOMAS did sende her the letter some parte whereof we haue seene before the rest is this which though there were no other testimonie of her extraordinarie learning might suffice In the meane time saith her father I thought vvith myself hovv true I found that novv vvhich once I remember I spoke vnto you in ieaste vvhen I pittied your hard happe that men that read your vvritings vvould suspect you to haue had helpe of some other man therein vvhich vvould derogate somevvhat from the praises due to your vvorkes seing that you of all others deserue least to haue such a suspition had of you for that you neuer could abide to be decked vvith the plumes of other birds But you svveete Megg are rather to be praised for
which doth demonstrate his vprightnesse his munificence his singular perfections and his diuine wisedome For what could millions of golde haue stoode him in steede but to cumber his conscience when he lost all from himselfe and his posteritie by reason of the malice of a spitefull queene who pursued him and his to death to their vtter temporall ouerthrowe shewing perfectly that saying non est malitia super malitia mulieris For the king could not by his fall promise himself anie great increase of goods as he had gotten by the Cardinall's ouerthrow 2. Now the Bishops of England at this time considering with themselues that for all his prince's fauour he was neither a rich man nor in yearelie reuenues aduanced as his worthinesse deserued weighing with themselues what paines and trauailes he had taken in writing manie learned bookes for the defence of the true Catholike faith against manie heresies secretely sowen abroad in the realme to whose pastorall charge the reformation of them principally appertained there being not one Clergie man that had matched his writings either in the greatnesse of the volumes the soundnesse of the arguments to conuince the aduersarie or the paines taken to reduce them They called therefore a Conuocation togeather whether most of the Clergie came where they concluded to offer vnto him the summe of foure thousand pound at the least thereby to recompence in parte his trauailes there in sustayned To the paymēt whereof euerie Bishop Abbott and the rest of the Clergie after the rate of their abilities were liberall contributours hoping that this summe would contente him Wherefore his deare friends Tunstall Bishopp of Durham and Clarke B. of Bath and as is supposed Ueysey of Exeter came to Sir THOMAS and spoke thus vnto him how that they held themselues bound to consider him for his paynes taken and bestowed to discharge them in Gods quarrell and albeit they could not according to his deserts requite him so worthily as they willingly would but must referre that only to the goodnesse of God yet for a small parte of recompence in respect of his estate so vnequall to his worth they presented vnto him that summe in the name of the whole Conuocation desiring him to take it in good parte And though this were a bountiefull deede in respect of those prelates yet little knew they Sir THOMAS his magnificent disposition who answered them in this manner That like as it was no small comfort vnto him that so wise and learned men accepted so well of his simple doings for which he neuer purposed to receaue anie rewarde but at the hands of God alone to whome the thankes thereof was chiefely to be ascribed so gaue he most humble thankes vnto their Lordshipps all for their so bountiefull friendlie consideration but he purposed not to receaue anie thing from them And when they with great importunitie pressed still vpon him that few would haue supposed he could haue refused it they could not for all that fasten anie whitt vpon him Then they besought him that he would be content they might bestowe it vpon his wife and children Not so my Lords quoth he I had rather see it cast all into the Thames then I or anie of mine should haue there of one pennie For though your offer my Lords be indeede very honourable yet sett I so much by my pleasure and so little by my profitt that I would not in good faith for much more monie haue lost the rest of so manie nights sleepe as was spent vpon the same and yet for all this I could wish that vpon conditiō all heresies were suppressed all my workes were burnt and my labour vtterly lost Thus they were fayne to departe and restore to euerie one his owne againe By which wise and vertuous answer euerie one may see that all his paines that he tooke were only in respect of Gods honour and not for either vaine glorie or any earthlie commoditie Yea he cared not what anie sayd of him contēning the peoples dispraise as a blast of winde For the heretikes hauing gotten it by the ende that the Clergie had offered him a great summe of monie and measuring other men by their owne couetous humours reported and wrote in pamphletts that he was bribed by the Clergie to write whome he answered mildely by a flatt deniall that he was not made richer by one pennie from the Clergie Yet some of those heretikes had spent him somewhat and besides he being Bigamus twice married could neuer hope for anie spirituall promotion The water baylife of London who had bene sometime his seruant hearing where he had bene at dinner certaine marchants somewhat drunke with this new poison liberally to rayle against Sir THOMAS in that he was so bitter against Luthemns waxed sore discontented therewith knowing wel that he little deserued anie euill reporte wherefore he hastily came to Sir THOMAS and tolde him what he had heard and were I Sir sayd he in such fauour and authoritie with my prince as you are such men should not be suffered so villanously falsely to misreporte and slander me Wherefore you may doe well Sir to call them before you and to their shame to punish them for their vndeserued malice But Sir THOMAS smiling on him sayd why M. r Water bailife would you haue me punish those by whome I reape more benefitt then by all you that are my friends lett them in Gods name speake as lewdely of me as they list and shoote neuer so manie boltes at me as long as they hitt me not what am I the worse but if they should once hitt me then would it not a little grieue me howbeit I trust by Gods grace and helpe there shall none of them all be able to touche me I haue more cause I assurethee to pittie them then to be angrie with them Loe to what heighth of perfection had he now attained that he was neither allured by hopefull gaines nor deterred one iotte from his dutie by euill toungs or slaunders al waies carrying one and the same alacritie in all his crosses and aduersities 3. When that one of the house of the Manners by the king's fauour was come lately to a noble dignitie who had bene before a great friend of Sir THOMAS but perceauing that the world beganne somewhat to frowne vpon him for that he was not so forward as other men to egge the king to the diuorce and being desirous to picke a quarrell against him sayd vnto him my Lord Honores mutant Mores Sir THOMAS readily after his merrie fashiō replyed It is so indeede my Lord but Mores signifyeth in English manners not more he was therewith so putt out of Countenance that he wist not what to say In like manner he wittily twitted another man whome he had lent monie vnto of whome he asking his due bad him remember that he should die God knoweth how soone and then he should haue
Threasurer of the exchecker and employed in manie embassages yet because vveake forces are easily oppressed vvith small matters I am so troubled daily vvith businesses that I haue not as much as once leasure to visite your Fatherhood or to excuse myself therefore by letter and scarcely was I able to write this vnto you by vvhich I vvas to commende this my little booke of Vtopia vnto your most reuerende Fatherhood vvhich an Antwerpian friend of mine loue svvaying his iudgement hath thought fitt to be published and hath putt it in printe vvithout my priuitie being rather budled vp then polished vvhich I vvas emboldened to sende to you though it be vnvvorthie of your learning experience and dignitie relying on your courteous nature vvhich is 〈◊〉 to conster to the best euerie man's endeauoures also trusting in your tryed loue tovvards me by which I hope though the vvorke itself should not like you that yet for the authors sake you vvill fauour it Farevvell most honourable prelate A little after this time he wrote thus to Erasmus I haue a good vvhile expected if anie man could accuse me of anie thing since the deposing myself of the Chancellourshipp and as yet no man hath come forth to complaine of ante my iniustice either I haue bene so innocent or so craftie that my aduersaries must needes suffer me to glorie in the one if they cannot abide I should do so in the other Yea this the king's ma estie also as vvell in priuate discourse often as also tvvice in publike hath 〈◊〉 for that vvhich shamefastnesse vvill not suffer me to speake of myself he commaunded the most noble Duke of Norfolke high Threasurer of England vvhen my successour an excellent man vvas settled in my place to testifye this to all the assemblie that he had hardly at my earnest intreatie suffered me to lett the office goe and not content vvith that singular fauour in my behalfe he caused the same againe to be spoken of in his ovvne presence vvhen in the audience of a publike meeting of the Nobilitie and people my successour recited his first speach as the custome is in the assemblie of all the Estates vvhich vve call the Parlement He writeth also to Erasmus in another letter thus That vvhich I haue from a childe vnto this day almost continually vvished my most deare Desiderius that being freed from the troublesome businesses of publike affayres I might liue some vvhile only to God and myselfe I haue novv by the especiall grace of almightie God and the fauour of my most indulgent prince obtayned And then hauing spoken somewhat of the weakenesse of his health he goes on saying Hauing these things often in my head either that I vvas to depose myself of the office or that I should fayle in the performāce of my dutie therein seing that I could not dispatche those affaires but that I must endanger my life and so dispatche myself of the office hovvsoeuer I purposed at the last to forgoo the one rather then both Wherefore because I vvould as vvell be carefull of the publike vvellfare as of mine ovvne health I vvas an earnest suiter to my Prince and at last haue obtayned by his singular courtesie that because I beganne to grovv vvearie and euen readie to lye vnder my burden I might be ridde of that though a most honourable office vvhereto his fauour had raised me aboue all my deseruing as it vvas vvholy vvithout my seek ng I beseeche therefore all the Saints in heauen that by their intercession almightie God vvould recompence this most fauourable affection of the King 's tovvards me and that he vvould giue me grace to spend the rest of my age in his seruice profitably and not idely or 〈◊〉 affording me health of bodie that I may be the better able to take paines And to Cochleus he writeth thus I haue bene lately 〈◊〉 for some moneths togeather not so much to the sight of others as to mine ovvne feeling which infirmitie I can scarce shake of novv vvhen I haue left of my office for then I could not exercise my function of 〈◊〉 vnlesse I should endanger my health daily The care of my recouerie but especially the due respect I had not to hinder publike iustice moued me thereto vvhih I thought I should greatly hinder if being sicklie I should be 〈◊〉 to vndertake businesses as I did vvhen I vvas stronger That leasure vvhich the fauourable benignitie of my most gracious prince hath vouchsafed to grant me I haue purposed to dedicate vvholy to my studie and the honour of God And as for his contempt of worldlie honour he writeth thus to Erasmus You vvill not belieue hovv vnvvillingly I vndertake embassages neither can there be anie thing more displeasing vnto me then the function of an Embassadour Of his Vtopia he writeth that he iudged the booke no better worthie then to lye alwaies hidden in his owne iland or else to be consecrated to Vulcan Of his poetrie he sayth my epigrammes neuer pleased my minde as you well knowe my Erasmus and if other men had not better liked them then myself they should neuer hauebene putt out in printe THE EIGHT CHAPTER THE FIRST OCCASION and beginning of Sir THOMAS his troubles 1. Hovv he prepared himself to suffer for Christ as yf he foresavv he should so do 2. A vvorthie lesson for statesmen giuen by Sir Thomas More to Cromvvell 3. The vnfortunate marriage of Queen Anne Bolain 4. Sir Tho. More refuseth to be present at Queen Annes coronation the beginning of hers and the Kings indignation 5. The holy Nunne of Canterbury first occasion of calling Sir Thom. More into Question about Q. Anne 6. Diuers accusations procured against Sir T. More all easily auoided by his innocente life 7. His first examination before the Kings deputies 8. His mery hart and braue resolution after this examination 1. THe yeare immediately before his troubles he spent most in spirituall exercises and in writing of bookes against heretikes of whome in another letter he speaketh thus That which I professe in my epitaphe that I haue bene troublesome to heretikes I haue donne it with a little ambition for I so hate these kinde of men that I would be their sorest enemie that possible they could haue if they will not repente for I finde them such men and so to encrease euerie day that I euen greatly feare the world will be vndonne by them Yet for all his hatred to them no heretike suffered death whilst he was Lo Chancellour as Erasmus confesseth in the aboue mentioned letter And indeede it seemeth he would not haue them suffer death because he writeth to that effect in the lawes of his Vtopia Writing another time to Cochlie he sayth I vvould to God my Cochlie I had such skill in holie Scriptures and Diuinitie that I vvere able to vvrite against these plagues of the vvorld fruitfully and vvith good effect Erasmus also
Lordshipps haue in the matter of this marriage hitherto kept your selues virgins yet take heede you keepe your virginitie still for some there be that by procuring your Lordshipps first to be present at the Coronatiō next to preache for the setting forth thereof sinally to write bookes in defence of it are desirous to deflowre you and when they haue deflowred you they will not sayle soone after to deuoure you As for myself it lyeth not in my power but that they may deuoure me but God being my good Lord I will prouide so that they shall neuer deflower me In which speach he most liuely prophecieth both of all the Bishopp's fall to Schisme which after besell and his owne death which followed not long after These wordes of his it is probable that they came to Q. Anne's eares who as impatient as an Herodias not abiding that anie in the realme should finde fault with her greate catche she incensed King Henrie more against Sir THOMAS MORE then anie other man And a moneth after this sollemnitie was not past but she gott him to be sent prisonner to the Tower little knowing that her Fortune's wheele would soone turne after When the king perceaued he could not winne Sir THOMAS to the bent of his lust by no manner of benefitts then loe the fayre sun-shine day of his fauours became ouercast and there ensued a terrible storme he now going about by terrours and threates to driue him to consent vnto it full little imagining that he was a steadie rocke against which noe waues of his rage could preuaile But marke how Sir THOMAS prepared himself for this valiant combatt hauing giuen ouer his office of Chancellourshipp he neuer busied himself in State-matters anie more but gaue himself wholy during that yeare which was betweene that and his troubles not only to confute heretikes as I haue sayd but also addicted himselfe to great acts of mortisication prayer and pietie he lessened his familie placing his men in other seruices he soulde his housholde stuffe to the value of one hundred pounds he disposed his Children into their owne houses As he lay by his wife's side manie nights he slept not forethinking the worst that could happen vnto him and by his praiers and teares he ouercame the frayltie of his flesh which as he confesseth of himself could not endure a fillipp He hired a pursiuant to come suddenly to his house when he was one time at dinner and knocking hastily at his doore to warne him the next day to appeare before the Commissioners to arme his familie the better to future calamitie imitating herein the acte of S. Iohn the Almes-giuer who hired a man to come to him at meales to tell him that his graue was not yet finished and that he should take order for it for the hower of death was vncertaine 5. But see how the beginning of this trouble grew first by occasion of a certaine Nunne called Elizabeth Berton dwelling in Canterburie who for her vertue and holinesse was not a little sett by amongst the common people vnto whome for that cause manie religious persons Doctors of Diuinitie and diuerse lay men of good worshipp vsed to resorte she affirming to them constantly that she had reuelations oftentimes from God charging her to giue the king warning of his wicked life and of his abusing of the sword and authoritie committed from almightie God vnto him She moreouer knowing that my Lo of Rochester Bishopp Fisher was of a singular and rare vertuous life and of admirable learning repaired to Rochester and there disclosed vnto him all her reuelations desiring his aduise and counsell therein which the holie Bishopp perceauing might well stande with the lawes of God and his holie Church aduised her as she before had warning to doe and intended it to goe to the king herselfe and lett him vnderstande all the circumstances thereof which she perfourmed stoutely telling him all the reuelations and so returned to her cloyster againe In a short space after he making a iourney to the Nunnes of Sion by meanes of one Fa Reynold a priest of that house there she happened to enter into talke with Sir THOMAS MORE concerning such secretts as had bene reuealed vnto her some parte thereof touching deepely the matter of the king's supremacie which shortly after this followed and about the vnlawfullnesse of the king's marriage Sir THOMAS though he might well at that time without danger of anie lawe of which there was then none freely talke with her therein yet notwithstanding he demeaned himself so discreetely in all his talke with her that he deserued no blame but rather great cōmendations as it was proued after most euidently when it was sore layd to his charge 6. After the diuorce was pronounced there was sett out a booke by authoritie from the Councell which layde downe the reasons why this diuorce was donne wherein amongst other matters it was sayde that therefore the king would not stay for the Pope's sentence because he had already appealed from him to the next Generall Councell Strayte after it was rumoured abroad that Sir THOMAS MORE had answered and refuted this booke of which slaunder Sir THOMAS purged himselfe by a letter to M. r Cromevvell now Secretarie and in the king's greate fauour shewing by manie arguments that he neither would nor could confute that booke which letter is at large in the latter ende of Sir THOMAS his workes But for all his purging himselfe accusations still came thicke and threefolde vpon him For the king by thereates and sifting of his former deedes would either winne him to his minde or else finde some occasion to except against his doings and had he not bene a man of singular integritie free from all bribes and corruption in all his offices euerie light matter would haue bene layde now heaure vpon him as of some things he was indeede accused which addes more to his honour and reputation There was one Parnell that grieuously complayned against Sir THOMAS because when he was Lo Chancellour at the suite of one M. r Vaughan his aduersarie he had made a decree against him for which at his wife's handes Sir THOMAS had taken a greate guilt Cuppe as a bribe for the clearing of which accusation Sir THOMAS being called before the bodie of the Councell the whole matter was in grieuous manner layde to his charge and when Sir THOMAS confessed the taking thereof saying that for as much as that Cuppe was giuen him long after the decree for a new yeares guift he at her importunitie of courtesie refused not to take it Then the Lo of Wiltshire Q. Anne's father who was the preferrer of the suite hated Sir THOMAS both for his religion and for that he had not consented to his daughter's marriage with much ioy sayd vnto the other Lords Loe did I not tell you that you should finde the matter true
vvhich thinke as I doe I am not boūd to cōforme my selfe to these alone hauing the Doctours of the Church on my side vvho could not be dravven neither for hopes nor feares Finally to the last he wisely answered that although to denye the decree of a generall Councell vvere a damnable acte yet to vvithstande a statute of one realme's making vvhich contradicteth the constant opinion of the vvhole Church is neither a rash deede nor an obstinate but most laudable and Christianlike All which disputation my aunte Rooper sett downe in a letter to her sister Alington printed togeather with Sir THOMAS his letters After all this my aunte Rooper sought to fright him with the danger of death which might perhaps moue him to relente when he cannot hinder his mishappes but now he might preuēt all being yet not too late wherevnto how hūbly he speaketh of his owne frailtie and how confidently he relyeth vpon Gods mercie may be seene at large whose wordes are so humble so zealous so godlie that they are able to pierce anie mans hart that will reade them in the latter ende of his workes they breathe out an Angelicall spiritt farre different from the presumptuous speaches of either heretike or desperate man Lord helpe me yf God for my manie and grieuous sinnes vvill suffer me to be damned his Iustice shal be praised in me but I hope he vvill procure for me that his mercie shall haue the vpper hand nothing can happen but that vvhich God pleaseth and vvhat that is though it should seeme euill vnto vs yet it is truly the best 4. At another time when he had questioned with my aunte Rooper of his wife childrē and state of his house in his absence he asked her at last how Q. Anne did In sayth Father sayd she neuer better there is nothing else in the Courte but dancing and sporting Neuer better sayd he alas Megg alas it pittieth me to remember vnto what miserie poore soule she will shortly come these dances of hers will proue such dances that she will spurne our heads of like foote bals but it will not be lōg ere her head will dance the like dance And how prophetically he spoke these words the ende of her Tragedie proued it most true M. r Lieutenant coming into his chamber to visite him rehearsed the manie benefitts and friendshipps that he had often receaued from him and therefore that he was bound to entertaine him friendly and make him good cheare but the case standing as it did he could not doe it without the king's displeasure wherefore he hoped that he would accept of his good will of the poore fare he had whereto he answered I verily belieue you good M. r Lieutenant and I thanke you most hartily for it and assure yourselfe I doe not mislike my fare but whensoeuer I doe then spare not to thrust me out of your doores Now whereas the oath of Supremacie and marriage was comprized in few wordes in the first Statute the Lo Chancellour and M. r Secretarie did of their owne heads adde more wordes vnto it to make it seeme more plausible to the king's eares and this Oath so amplifyed they had exhibited to Sir THOMAS and others of which their deede Sir THOMAS sayde to his daughter I may tell thee Megg that they who haue committed me hither for refusing an oath not agreable with their owne statute are not able by their owne law to iustifye mine imprisonment wherefore it is great pittie that anie Christian prince should be drawen to followe his affections by flexible counsell and by a weake Clergie lacking grace for want of which they stande weakely to their learning abuse themselues with flatterie so shamefully Which wordes coming to the Councell's eares they caused another Statute espying their ouersight to be enacted with all these conditions Another time looking out of his windowe to beholde one M. r Reynolds a religious learned and vertuous Father of Sion and three monkes of the Cbarterhouse going forth of the Tower to their executiō for now king Henry beganne to be fleshed in bloud hauing putt to death the Nunne and diuerse others and manie after for the Supremacie and his marriage Sir THOMAS as one that longed to accompanie them in that iourney sayde to his daughter thē standing besides him Loe doest not thou see Megg that these blessed Fathers be now as chearefully going to death as if they were bridegroomes going to be married whereby good daughter thou maist see what a great difference there is betweene such as haue in effect spentall their daies in a straight hard and penitentiall life religiously and such as haue in the world like worldlie wretches as thy poore father hath donne consumed all their time in pleasure and ease licentiously For God considering their lōg continued life in most sore and grieuous pennance will not suffer them anie longer to remaine in this vale of miserie but taketh them speedily hence to the fruitiō of his euerlasting deitie whereas thy sillie father who hath most like a wicked Caytife passed forth most sinfully the whole course of his miserable life God thinketh him not worthie to come so soone to that eternall felicitie but leaueth him still in the world further to be plunged and turmoiled with miserie By which most humble and heauenlie meditation we may easily guesse what a spirite of Charitie he had gotten by often meditation that euerie sight brought him new matter to practise most heroicall resolutions Within a while after this M. r Secretarie coming to him from the king who still gaped more for Sir THOMAS his relenting then all his other subiects pretended much friendshipp towards Sir THOMAS and for his comfort tolde him that the king was his good and gratious Lord and minded not to vrge him to anie matter wherein he should haue anie cause of scruple from thenceforth to trouble his consciēce As soone as M. Secretarie was gone to expresse what comfort he receaued of his words he wrote with a coale as he did vsually manie other letters because all his Inke had bene taken from him by the king's expresse commaundement certaine wittie verses which are printed in his booke All the while Sir THOMAS was in the Tower he was not idle but busied himself in writing with a coale for the most parte spirituall treatises as the Three bookes of Comfort in Tribulation where in a dialogue manner vander the names of two Hungarians fearing the Turkes running ouer their Countrie who had made great preparations therefore he paynteth out in liuelie coulours both the danger that England stoode then in to be ouerwhelmed with heresie and how good Catholikes should prepare themselues to loose libertie life and lands and whatsoeuer can be most deare vnto them rather then to forsake their fayth It is a most excellent booke full of spirituall and forcible motiues expressing liuely Sir THOMAS his singular resolution to apply all those
picked out this worthie lay man such as I suppose all Christendome had not the like who should be as his especiall Embassadour for the laytie as was the famous Bishop of Rochester for the Clergie such were these two for learning as they could reache into all matters such for excellencie of witt that no subtile dealing could entrappe them vnawares easily foreseing anie danger such for vertue and integritie of life that God of his great mercie would not suffer such men in so great a poynt as this to be deceaued And lett no man thinke this was no Martyrdome yea rather it was greater then that of those who would not denye the fayth of Christ according as that worthie Bishopp Confessour Denis of Alexandria sayth that that Martyrdome which one suffereth to preserue the vnitie of the Church is more then that which one suffereth because he will not doe sacrifice to Idolls for in this a man dyeth to saue his owne soule in the other he dyeth for the whole Church WHo vvith as curious care should vievve Each vertue of thy breast As vvas thy face pervsed by him Whose pencell it exprest With ease might see much to admire But hard to putt in shapes As Xeuxes could expresse to life The fruitfull bunche of grapes He sooner should his ovvne life ende Then he could finish thine Such store of matter vvould arise And gemmes of vertue shine There must be dravve a brovve Of Shamefastnesse and Grace Then tvvo bright eyes of Learning and Religion therevvith place And then a nose of honour must Be reared breathing svveete fame Tvvo rosie cheekes of Martyrdome With lillies of good name A golden mouth for all men pleades But only for himselfe A chinne of Temperance closely shaued From care of vvorldlie pelfe The more that he shall looke into The more he leaues vnvievved And still more shevves of noble vvorth Wherevvith he vvas endevved But loe the fatall Axe vpreared And at his verie Chinne By enuie hath a seuerance made That More might not be seene MORE like a Saint liued he most worthie Martyr ended MORE fitt for heauen which novv he hath vvhereto his vvhole life tended OF SIR THOMAS MORE' 's Bookes AMong his Latine Workes are his Epigrammes partly translated out of Greeke and partely of his owne making so wittily deuised and penned as they may seeme nothing inferiour or to yeelde to anie of the like kinde written in our daies and perchance not vnworthie to be compared with those of like writers of olde These Epigrammes as they are learned and pleasant so are they nothing biting or contumelious He also wrote elegantly and eloquently the life of king Richard the Third not only in English which booke is abroad in printe though corrupted and vitiated but in Latin also not yet printed He did not perfect nor finish that booke neither anie sithence durst take vpon him to sett penne to paper to finish it neither in the one or other toung all men being-deterred driuen from that enterprise by reason of the incomparable excellencie of that worke as all other paynters were afrayde to perfect finish the image of Venus paynted but imperfectly by Apelles for hisexcellēt workemanshipp therein But the booke that carrieth the price of all his other Latin bookes of wittie inuention is his Utopia he doth in it most liuely and pleasantly painte forth such an exquisite plattforme patience and example of a singular good Common-wealth as to the same neither the Lacedemonians nor the Athenians nor yet the best of all other that of the Romans is comparable full prettily and probably deuising the sayd Countrie to be one of the Countries of the New-found Lands declared to him in Antvverpe by Hythlodius a Portingall and one of the sea-companions of Americus Uesputius that first sought out and found those lands such an excellent and absolute an estate of a Commō Wealth that sauing the people were vn-Christened might seeme to passe anie estate and Common wealth I will not say of the olde Nations by me before mentioned but euen of anie other in our time Manie great learned men as Budeus Ioannes Paludanus vpon a feruent zeale wished that some excellent Diuines might be sent thither to preache Christ's Gospell yea there were here amongst vs at home sundrie good men learned Diuines very desirous to take the voyage to bring the people to the fayth of Christ whose manners they did so well like And this sayd iollie inuention of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's seemed to beare a good countenance of truth not only for the creditt Sir THOMAS was of in the world but also for that about the same time manie strange and vnknowne nations and Countries were discouered such as our forefathers neuer knew especially by the wonderfull nauigation of the shippe called Victoria that sayled the world round about whereby it was foūd that shipps sayle bottome to bottome that there be Antipodes which thing Lactantius and others doe flattely denye laughing thē to scorne that so did write Againe it is found that vnder the Zodiake where Aristotle and others say that for the immoderate excessiue heate there is no habitation is the most temperate and pleasant dwelling and the most fruitfull countrie in the world These and other considerations caused manie wise and learned men nothing lesse to mistrust then that this had bene nothing but an Inuentiue drift of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's owne imagination for they tooke it for a verie sure true storie wherein they were deceaued by Sir THOMAS as too wittie and as well learned as they were In this booke amongst other things he hath a very goodlie processe how there might be fewer theeues in England and a maruelous opinable probleme of sheepe that whereas men were wont to eate the sheepe as they doe in other countries now contrariewise sheepe in England pittiefully doe deuowre men women and children houses yea townes withall Like a most thankefull man he maketh honourable mention of Cardinall Morton Archbishop of Canterburie and Lo Chancellour of England in whose house as we haue sayd himselfe was in his tender youth brought vpp albeit it be by the dissembled name of the sayd Hythlodius whome he imagineth to haue bene in England and to haue bene acquainted with the sayd Cardinall And as this booke in his kinde is singular and excellent contayning and describing a Common wealth farre passing the Common-wealthes deuised and vsed by Lycurgus Solon Numa Plato and diuerse others So wrote he in-another kinde sorte a booke against Luther no lesse singular and excellent King Henry the Eight had written a notable and learned booke against Luther's booke De Captiuitate Babylonica most euidently and mightily refuting his vile and shamefull heresies against the Catholike Fayth and Christ's holie Sacraments which did so grieue Luther to the hart that hauing no good substantiall matter to helpe himselfe withall he fell to scoffing and sawcie ieasting at the king's booke
in his answer for the same vsing nothing throughout the sayd Answer but the figure of Rhetorike called savvce-malepert and played the very varlett with the king To whome Sir THOMAS MORE made reply and doth so discipher and lay open his wily wrested handling of the Sacred Scripture his monstrous opinions and maniefolde contradictions that neither he nor anie of his generation durst euer after putt penne to paper to encounter and reioyne to his reply in which besides the deepe and profound debating of the matter itselfe he so dresseth Luther with his owne scoffing and ieasting rhetoricke as he worthily deserued But because this kinde of writing albeit a meete Couer for such a Cuppe and verie necessarie to represse beate him with his owne follie according to the Scripture Responde stulto secundùm slutitiam eius seemed not agreable and correspondent to his grauitie and dignitie the booke was sett forth vnder the name of one Gulielmus Rosseus only suppressing his owne name He wrote also and printed another proper and wittie treatise against a certaine Epistle of Iohn Pomeran one of Luther's stādard-bearers in Germanie And after he was shutt vp in the Tower he wrote a certaine expositiō in Latine vpon the Passion of Christ not yet printed which was not perfited and is so plainely and exquisitely trāslated into English by his neece M. rs Bassett that it may seeme originally to haue bene penned in English by Sir THOMAS MORE himselfe Some other things he wrote also in Latine which we pretermitt and now we will somewhat talke of his English Workes which all besides the life of Iohn Picus Earle of Mirandula the foresayd life of king Richard the Third and some other prophane things concerne matters of religion for the most parte The first booke of this sorte was his Dialogues made by him when he was Chancellour of the Dutchie of Lancaster which bookes occasioned him afterwards as according to the olde prouerbe One businesse begetteth another to write diuerse other things For whereas he had amongst manie other matters touched and reproued William Tindall's adulterate and vitious translation of the New Testament Tindall being not able to beare to see his new religion and his owne doings withall to haue so fowle an ouerthrowe as Sir THOMAS MORE gaue him after great deliberation with his Euangelicall bretheren tooke in hand to answer some parte of his dialogues especially touching his aforesayd corrupt Translation but what small glorie he wanne thereby is easie to be seene of euerie man that with indifferent affection will vouchsafe to reade Sir THOMAS MORE' 's reply whereof we shall giue you a smal taste but first we will note vnto you the integritie sinceritie and vprightnesse of the good and gracious nature and disposition of the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE in his writing not only against Tindall but generally against all other Protestants First then it is to be considered in him that he doth not as manie other writers doe against their aduersaries all Protestants doe against him other Catholikes wreathe and wreste their wordes to the worst and make their reasons more feeble and weake then they are but rather enforceth them to the vttermost and oftentimes further then the partie himself doth or perhaps could doe And he was of this minde that he sayde he would not lett while he liued wheresoeuer he perceaued his aduersarie to say well or himselfe to haue sayd otherwise indifferently for both to say and declare the truth And therefore himselfe after the printing finding the bookes diuulged and commonly read of the Debellation of Salem and Bizanze albeit manie had read the place and found no faulte therein yet he finding afterwards that he mistooke certaine wordes of the Pacifyer without anie man's controulement meerely of himselfe reformed them The like he counselled his learned friends especially Erasmus to doe and to retract manie things that he had written whose counsell wherein he had a notable president in the worthie Doctour S. Augustine yf Erasmus had followed I trowe his bookes would haue bene better liked of by posteritie which perchance shall be fayne either vtterly to abolish some of his workes or at least to redresse and reforme them Here is now further to be considered in his writings that he neuer hunted after praise or vayne glorie nor anie vile and filthie gaine or commoditie yea so that enuenomed and poysoned bookes might be once suppressed abolished he wished his owne on a light and fayre fyre Yet did the Euangelicall bretheren after he had abandoned the office of Lo Chancellour as they otherwise spread and writt manie vaine and false rumours to the aduancement of their new Gospel and oppressing of the Catholike lay to his charge in their bookes that he was partiall to the Clergie and for his bookes receaued a great masse of monie of the sayd Clergie And Tindall and diuerse others of the good bretheren affirmed that they wist well that Sir THOMAS MORE was not lesse worth in monie plate and other moueables then twentie thousand markes but it was found farre otherwise when his house was searched after he was committed to the Tower where a while he had some competent libertie but after on a suddaine he was shutt vp very close at which time he feared there would be a new more narrower search in all his houses because his minde gaue him that folkes thought he was not so poore as it appeared in the search but he tolde his daughter M. ris Rooper that it would be but a sporte to them that knew the truth of his pouertie vnlesse they should finde out his wiue's gay gyrdle and her goulde beades The like pouertie of anie man that had continued so long a Chancellour with the king and had borne so manie great offices hath I trowe seldome bene founde in anie lay man before and much lesse since his time As for his partialitie to the Clergie sauing the reuerence due to the sacred Order of priests by whome we are made Christian men in Baptisme and by whome we receaue the other holie Sacraments there was none in him and that they felt that were naught of the Clergie that had so little fauour at his hands that there was no man that anie medling had with them into whose hands they were more loath to come then into his but for fees annuities or other rewardes or anie commoditie that should encline him to be euer propēse partiall to the Clergie none cā be shewed First touching anie fees he had to his liuing after that he had left the Chaūcellourship he had not one groate grāted him since he first wrote or begāne to write the Dialogues that was the first booke that euer he wrote in matters of religion And as for all the lands and fees he had besides those of the king's guift was not nor should be during his mother in lawe's life who liued after he relinquished the office of
that he sayd he had amended his fault in translating Elder for Senior this is a like amending as yf he would where a man were blinde on the one eye amende his sight by putting out the other As Sir THOMAS MORE answered Tindall touching his vnknowen Church so did he also Fryer Barnes for in that point both agreed and would haue the Church secrett and hidd in hugger mugger but in the meane season they handle the matter so hansomely and so artificially that their owne reasons plucke downe their vnknowne Church And albeit they would haue vs belieue the Church were vnknowen yet doe they giue vs tokens and markes whereby it should he knowen And in pervsing the vnknowne Church they fall into manie foolish and absurde paradoxes that Sir THOMAS MORE discouereth And this vnknowē Church would they faynereare vp in the ayre to plucke downe the knowen Catholike Churh on the earth and so leaue vs no Church at all which Church to ouerthrowe is their finall and onlie hope for that standing they well knowe their malignant Church cannot stande being by the Catholike Church both now manie hundred yeares condemned These and manie other things doth Sir THOMAS more at large full well declare and setteth the limping and halting goodwise of the Bottle at Bottleswharfe at disputation with F. Barnes in which the indifferent reader shall see that she did not so much limpe and halte as did the lame and weake reasons that F. Barnes brought against her of his vnknowen Church which she vtterly ouerthroweth but yet as they doe both Tindal and Barnes agree as we haue sayd in their secrett vnknowen Church so in other points touching their sayd Church as in manie other articles besides they doe iarre and disagree and not so much the one from the other as from themselues as Sir THOMAS MORE sheweth more at large For sayth he as they that would haue built vp the Tower of Babylon had such a stoppe throwen vpon them that suddenly none knewe what another sayd surely so God vpon these heretikes of our time that goe busily about to rayse vp to the skye their sowle silthie dunghill of all olde and new false skinking heresies gathered togeather against the true Catholike fayth of Christ that himself hath hitherto taught his true Catholike Church God I say when the Apostles went about to preache the Catholike fayth sent downe the holie spirit of vnitie Concorde and truth vnto them with the guift of speach and vnderstanding so that they vnderstood euerie man and euerie man vnderstood them sent amongst these heretikes the spiritt of errour and lying of dissension and diuision the damnable diuell of hell which so entangleth their toungs and distempereth their braynes that they neither vnderstande one another nor anie of them well himselfe The bookes of the sayd Tindall and Barnes are more farced and stuffed with ieasting and rayling then with anie good substantiall reasoning and notwithstanding that a man would thinke that Tindall were in fonde scoffing peerelesse yet as Sir THOMAS MORE declareth Barnes doth farre ouerrunne him and oftentimes fareth as if he were from a Fryer waxen a fidler and would at a tauerne goe gett him a pennie for a sitt of mirth yet sometimes will the foole demurely and holily preache and take so vpon him as if he were Christ's owne deare Apostle as doe also the residue of the bretheren that write and especially Tindall who beginneth the preface of this booke with the grace of our Lord and the light of his spiritt c. with such glorious and glistering salutations as if it were S. Paul himselfe but Sir THOMAS MORE doth accordingly dresse him and doth discouer to the world Fr. Luther's and Tindalls and such other false fayned and hypocriticall holinesse in their so high and sollemne salutations and preachings and concludeth not more pleasingly that when a man well considereth these their salutations and preachings he may well and truly iudge those their counterfitt salutations and sermons to be a great deale worse then Fryer Frapp who first gapeth then blesseth and looketh holily and preacheth ribaudrie was wont at Christmas to make And thus will we leaue Tindall and Barnes and speake of some other of their fraternitie amongst whome there was one that made The Supplication of Beggars the which Sir THOMAS MORE answered very notably before he wrote against Tindall and Barnes this Supplication was made by one Simon Fish for which he became penitent returned to the Church againe and abiured all the whole hill of those heresies out of the which the fountaine of his great zeale that moued him to write sprang After this Sir THOMAS MORE wrote a letter impugning the erroneous writing of Iohn Frith and whereas after he had giuen ouer the office of Lo Chancellour the heretikes full fast did write against him and found manie faultes with him and his writings he made a goodlie and learned Apologie of some of his answers which sayd Apologie we haue alreadie touched especially that they layd to his charge the slender recitall and misrehearsall of Tindall Barne's arguments and sheweth that they were calumnious slaunders and that himself vsed Tindall and Barnes after a better manner then they vsed him For Tindall rehearseth Sir THOMAS MORE' 's arguments in euerie place fayntely and falsely and leaueth out the pith and strengthe the proofe that most maketh for the purpose And he fareth therein as if there were one hauing a day of challenge pointed in which he should wrastle with his a duersarie would finde the meane by craft before the day to gett his aduersarie into his owne hands and there keepe him and dyett him with such a thinne dyet that at the day he bringeth him forth feeble faynt and famished and almost starued and so leane that he can scarce stande on his legs and then is it easie you wote well to giue the sillie foole the fall And yet when Tindall had donne all this he tooke the fall himselfe but euerie one may see that Sir THOMAS MORE vseth not that play with Tindall nor with anie of those folke but rehearseth their reasons to the best that they can make it themselues and rather enforceth and strengtheneth it as we haue before declared rather then taketh anie thing therefrom Whereas now they found farther faulte with the length of his booke he writeth amongst other things that it is lesse maruell that it seemes to them long and tedious to reade within whome it irketh to do so much as to looke it ouer without and euerie way seemeth long to him that is wearie before he beginne But I finde some men to whom the reading of the booke is so farre from being tedious that they haue read the whole booke ouer thrice and some that make tables thereof for their owne remembrance and are men that haue as much witt and learning both as the best of all this blessed Bretherhood that
euer I heard of And for the shortnesse of Barnes's booke that the aduersaries did commende he 〈◊〉 that he woteth not well whether he may call them lōg or short sometimes they be short in deede because they would be darke and haue their false follies passe and repasse all vnperceaued sometimes they vse some compendiors eloquence that they conuey and couche vp togeather with a wonderfull breuitie foure follies fiue lyes in lesse then as manie lines but yet for all this I see not in effect anie men more lōg then they for they preache sometimes a very long processe to a little purpose and sith that of their whole purpose they proue neuer a whit at all were their writings neuer so shorte yet were their worke too long at last all togeather Besides manie other things his aduersaries layde to his charge that he handled Tindall Frith and Barnes vngodly and with vncomelie wordes to which he this answereth now when that against all the Catholike Church both that now is and euer hath bene before frō the Apostles daies hitherto both temporall and spirituall lay men and religious and against all that good is Saints Ceremonies Seruice of God the verie Sacrament of the Altar these blasphemous heretikes in their vngracious bookes so villanously wrest and raile were not a man weene you farre ouerseene and worthie to be accounted vncourteous that would in writing against their heresies presume without great reuerence to rehearse their worshipfull names yf anie of them vse their wordes at their pleasure as euill and as villanous as they list against myself I am content to forbeare anie requiting thereof and giue them no worse words againe then yf they spake me fayre nor vsing themselues towards all other folke as they doe fayrer words will I not giue them thē yf they spake me fowle for all is one to me or rather worse then better for the pleasant oyle of heretikes cast vpon my head can doe my minde no pleasure but contrariewise the worse that folke write of me for hatred they beare to the Catholike Church and fayth the greater pleasure as for mine owne parte they doe me but surely their rayling against all other I purpose not to beare so patiently as to forbeare to lett them heare some parte of like language as they speake howbeit how to matche them therein I neither can though I would but I am content as needes I must to giue them therein the maisterie wherein to matche them were more rebuke then honestie for in their rayling is all their roste meate sawced all their pott seasoned and all their pye meate spiced and all their wafers and all their pottage made He addeth further yf they sayth he will not be heretikes alone themselues and holde their toungs and be still but must needes be talking corrupte whome they can lett them yet at the leastwise be reasonable heretikes and honest and write reason and leaue rayling and then lett all the bretheren finde faulte with me yf I vse them not after that in wordes as fayre and as milde as the matter may suffer About this time there was one that had made a booke of the Spiritualtie and the Temporaltie of which booke the bretheren made greate store and blamed Sir THOMAS MORE that he had not in writing vsed such a softe and milde manner and such indifferent fashion as the same person did By which occasion Sir THOMAS MORE discourseth vpon the same booke the authour whereof pretendeth to make a pacification of the aforesayd diuision and discorde and openeth manie faultes and follies and false slaunders against the Clergie vnder a holie conclusion and pretence of pacificatiō in the sayd bookes To which discourse of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's there came an answer afterwards in printe vnder the title of Salem and Bizanze to the which Sir THOMAS MORE replyed and so dressed this prettie proper politike pacifyer that he had no 〈◊〉 nor anie man for him afterwards to encounter with the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE The pleasant and wittie declaration of the title of the sayd booke of Sir THOMAS MORE' 's because the booke is seldome and rare to be gott I will now gentle reader sett before thine eies The sayd title is framed in this sorte The debellation of 〈◊〉 and Bizanze sometime two greate townes which being vnder the Turke were betweene Easter and Michelmas last 1533. by a maruelous metamorphose and enchantment turned into Englishmen by the wonderfull inuentiue witt and witchcraft of Sir Iohn 〈◊〉 the Pacifyer and so conueyed by him hither in a dialogue to defende his diuision against Sir THOMAS MORE knight but now being thus betweene Mi helmas and 〈◊〉 next ensuing the debellation vanquished they are fledde hence and are become two townes againe with these olde names changed Salem into Hierusalem and Bizanze into Conslantinople the one in Greece the other in Syria where they may see them that will and winne them that can and yf this Pacifyer conuey thē hither againe and ten such townes embatteled with them in Dialogues Sir THOMAS MORE hath vndertaken to putt himselfe in aduenture against them all but yf he lett them tarrie still there he will not vtterly forsweare it but he is not in the minde age now coming on and he waxing vnweldie to goe thither to giue the assaulte to such wellwalled townes without some such lustie companie as shal be likelie to leape vt a little more lightly This is the title of the aforesayd booke and that indeede Sir THOMAS MORE hath most valiantly discomfited the Pacifyer and ouerthrowen his two great townes may easily appeare to such as will vouchsafe to reade Sir THOMAS MORE' 's answer the circumstances and particulatities whereof to sett downe would make our present treatise to growe too bigg I will only shew you one declaration or two whereby you may make some ayme to iudge of the whole doing of the sayd Pacifyer yf it were so sayth the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE that one found two men standing togeather and would steppe in betweene thē and beare them in hand that they were about to fight and would with the word putt one partie backe with his hand and all to buffett the other about the face and then goe forth and say he had parted a fray and pacifyed the parties some men would say as I suppose he had as lief his enemie were lett alone with him and thereof abide the aduenture as haue such a friēd steppe in to parte them Another of a man that were angrie with his wife and happely not without cause now sayth Sir THOMAS MORE yf the authour of this booke would take vpon him to reconcile them and helpe to make thē at one and therein would vse this way that when he had them both togeather before him would tell all the faultes of the wife and sett among them some of his owne imagination then would goe about to auoyde his wordes vnder
the fayre figure of Some-say which he commonly vseth in his booke of Pacifyng either by forgettfullnesse or by the figure of playne follie then would tell her husband's parte-verse too and say vnto him that he himselfe had not dealt discreetely with her but hath vsed to make her too homelie with him hath suffered her to be idle and hath giuen way to her being too much cōuersant amongst her gossips and hath giuen her ouergay geare and sometimes giuen her euill wordes and called her as I snppose cursed queane and shrewe and some say that behinde your backe she calles you knaue and Cuckolde were not there a proper kinde of pacification And yet is this the liuelie patterne and image of M. r Pacifyer's doings with the which and with the spinning of fine lyes with flaxe fetching them out of his owne bodie as the spyder doth the Cobbewebbe fayning and finding faulte with Sir THOMAS MORE for these matters and wordes whereof he sayth the playne contrarie he had greate cause to be ashamed howbeit litle shame could cleaue to his cheekes but that he would soone shake it away while his name was not at his booke We haue now one booke more written in matter of religion and that is of the B. Sacramēt of the altar by the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE We tolde you before of a letter of his wherein he impugneth the heresie of Iohn Frith albeit he was prisonner in the Tower of London he found the meanes to make answer to that letter and to conuey it beyond the seas where it was printed and it was afterwards brought into this realme as Sir THOMAS MORE did certainely vnderstande who minded when the booke came to his hands to answer it but now in the meane season came there from beyond the seas an Answere made to the same letter by another and printed without the Authour's name entituled The Supper of the Lord. But I beshrewe quoth Sir THOMAS MORE such a Sewer that serueth in such a supper as he conueyeth away the best dish and bringeth it not to the borde as this man would if he could cōueye from the B. Sacrament Christ's owne flesh and bloud and leaue vs nothing there in but for a memoriall only bare bread and wine But his handes are too lumpish and this messe too great for him especially to conuey cleane sith the man hath his hart bent thereto and therefore his eye sett thereon to see where it becometh This naughtie namelesse authour Sir THOMAS MORE doth not only by the authoritie of the Sacred Scripture and holie ancient Fathers but by his owne reasons and textes that himself bringeth forth plainely and euidently conuince Now haue we besides other excellent and fruitfull bookes which he made being prisoner in the Tower as his Three bookes of Comfort in Tribulation a Treatise to receaue the B. Sacrament Sacramentally and virtually both a treatise vpon the Passion with notable Introductions to the fame He wrote also manie other godlie and deuout Instructions and prayers and surely of all the bookes that euer he made I doubte whether I may preferre anie of them before the sayd Three bookes of Comfort in Tribulation yea or anie other man 's either heathen or Christian that haue written as manie haue either in Greeke or Latine of the sayd matter And as for heathen I doe this worthie man plaine iniurie and doe much abase him in matching and comparing him with them especially in this poynt seing that were they otherwise neuer so incomparable they lacked yet and knewe not the very especiall and principall ground of Comfort and Consolation that is the true fayth of Christ in whome and for whome and whose glorie we must seeke and fetche all our true comfort and consolation well lett them passe and lett vs further say that as the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE notably passeth manie learned Christians that haue of the same matter written before so lett vs adde that it may well be doubted all matters considered and weighed yf anie of the rest may seeme much to passe him There is in these bookes so wittie pithie and substantiall matter for the easying and remedying and patiētly suffering of all manner of griefes and sorrowes that may possibly encomber anie man by anie manner or kinde of tribulatiō whether their tribulation proceede from anie inward temptation or ghostlie enemie the diuell or anie outward temptation of the world threatening to bereaue or spoile vs of our goods lande honour libertie and freedome by grieuous sharpe imprisonment and finally of our life withall by anie painefull exquisite and cruell death against all which he doth so wonderfully and effectually prepare defende and arme the reader that a man cannot desire or wishe anie thing of any more efficacie or importāce therevnto to be added In the which booke his principall drift and scope was to stirre and prepare the mindes of Englishmen manfully and couragiously to withstande and not to shrinke at the imminent and open persecution which he foresawe and immediately followed against the vnitie of the Church and the Catholike Fayth of the same albeit full wittily and wisely that the bookes might the saser goe abroad he doth not expressely meddle with those matters and couereth the matter vnder the name of an Hungarian and of the persecution of the Turkes in Hungarie and of the booke translated out of the Hungarian toung into Latine and then into the English toung Of these bookes then there is great account to be made not only for the excellent matter comprised in thē but also for that they were made when he was most straytely shutt vpp and enclosed from all cōpanie in the Tower in which sorte I doubte whether a man shall finde anie other booke of like worthinesse made by anie Christian and yet yf anie such be found much Surely should I yeelde to the same But there is one thing wherein these bookes of Sir THOMAS MORE by speciall prerogatiue surmounte or else I am deceaued all other of this sorte and that is that they were for the most parte written with noe other pēne then a coale as was his treatise vpon the Passion which Coppies yf some men had them they might would esteeme more then other bookes written with golden letters and would no lesse accounte of it then S. Hierome did of certaine bookes of the martyr Lucian written with his owne hand that by chāce he happened on and esteemed them as a pretious lewell And yet is there one thing that in the valuing and praysing of these bookes he is not as manie great Clerkes are like to a whettstone that being blunt and dull itselfe whetteth other things and sharpeth them it was not so with this man for though he wrote these bookes with a dead blacke coale yet was there a most hote burning coale such an one as purifyed the lippes of the holie prophett Esaias that directed his hand with the black coale
praise of his Dialogue His ansvver to the Supplication of beggars The Supplication of soules of Purgatory The vvefull effects of heresy Against Tindal Frith and Barnes Apology Debellation of Salem Bizance Comfort in tribulation 4. A vievv of many vvitty pithy speeches of S Th. Mores The vulgar no true judge of things Sinners distasted Why fevv do feare death No man sure of long life VVorlds vanity VVorldly lesses hurt not The fally of old misers Madnes of couetous mē Fruicts of tribulation Hovv fonde it is to loue this vvorld Against Confessours that ffatter their ghostly Childre Afflictiō more profitable then pleasure Against differring of a mēdment Visions and illusions Pusillanimity a daungerous tēptation Danger of prosperity Of riches and honours All riches of this 〈◊〉 none of our ovvne Couetousnesse Bad marchants A prediction of heresy Riche are not goods The vvorst affection Almes deeds An the vvorld a prison To suffer for God The vvorld no recōpenser Heresy impudēt Prayer Detraction Ingratitude Faith the mistresse of reason No truth among heretikes Better preuent then redresse Hereticall trāslations Auoid heresy Fasting Desire of heauen Monastl call life Faith and good vvorkes Bad life no miracle School-diuinity Heretikes Impugning of heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their 〈◊〉 His hatred against he resy in good earnest 5. His profound skill in diuinyty None handled Luther more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thomas More 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thomas 〈◊〉 And other school 〈◊〉 His epistle against Pomeranus 1. Cardinal Wolley his ambition Pope Adriās humility Wolsey the author of K. H. 8. tail Longlād B. of Lōdō Wolseys instrumēt 2. K. Henry commnnicateth vvith 〈◊〉 T. More his scruple concerning his first marriage Sir Tho. Mores discreet ansvver to the kings scruple His most vpright consciēce and constant real of the truth 3. He foresavv in spirit the fall of religion in England 4. The miraculous reductiō of his senno Roper from heresy by his prayers The hot spirit of heresy The great piety and charity of his sayd 〈◊〉 M. Roper 5. Another miraculous cure vvrought by prayer vpon his daughter Marga. rot 6. Sir Tho. Mores domestiqs schoole Modesty the ornament of vvomen Learning to be desired for vse not for praise In vvhat cōsisteth deiectiō of spirit What ornamēt Sir Tho. More required in his children A vvomā may attaine to learning as vvell as a man The end to vvhich all learning must be directed He 〈◊〉 it may by all 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 from his children 7. The delight Sir T. M. bad in his childrēs learning they 〈◊〉 Astronomy He discourieth pleasan̄tly He willeth thē to write with care and premeditation His earnest care of his childrēs good employmēt The care his children had to please him in their studies Bookes dedicated by learned men to his children He payes his daughters letters with gold 8. The learning and pioty of his daughter Marga. ret The esteē that the B. of excester had of her learning Some of her writings 〈◊〉 of Ensebius Her skill in Astronomy Why humanity is best studied in our yonger yeares 1. His three wishes for the good of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peace 〈◊〉 in religion End of the kings contronersie He neuer asked anything of the King Liberality to his parish Churche His merciful workes to his poor neighbours The beginning of K. 〈◊〉 Separation from the Church Scruple of his mariage with Q. Catheriu Cōmissioneirs 〈◊〉 Rome about it The dispensatiō questiōd And supplied by a new cōfirmatiō K. Henry appeals to a generall councel and fall from the Pope His iniurie to S. Thomas of Canterburies body Q. Anne Bolēs incontinēcy 3. Cardinall Wolseys disgrace downfall Sir Tho. Mores embassage for peace happy successe therin Bishop Stokelies quirk in Q. Catharins marriage His conference with Sir Thomas about it Stokesly vndermines the Cardinall For backwardnes in the kings diuorce forwardnes for a frenche matche The Cardinal discontented Arrested and depriued of all honours riches Sir 〈◊〉 More elected I. Chauncelor Only worthy of the place in Cardinal Wolseys indgement 4. The honourable ceremony with whiche he was 〈◊〉 The Duke of Norfolks oratiō on behalf of Sir Tho. More Of his worthinesse for so great a place The first lay man that euer was mad Lord Chauncellour Good reasons why that ould custom was altered Sir Tho. Moros modest and discreet reply He acknowledgeth his owne vnworthinesse The Dukes loue And the kings fauour and bounty Which he esteems beyond his deserts Al which encrease in him a full purpose to discharge will so great a charge And desireth fauorable interpretation of his endeuours A wise ponderation of his predecessour Cardinals example The danger of highe honours A warning to vse them well Commō ioy of S. Thomas his promotion 〈◊〉 The behaueour of S. Thomas in the dignity of L. Chancellour Towards his father the aunclentest iudge of the realme Towards all 〈◊〉 especially the poorer sort No accesse to bribery Means how great men may do fauours in iustice Notable integrity Euen against his owne kinred Long delayes in law the misery of poor clients remedied by Sir Thomas A pleasaūt tale of a table 6. King Hēry desire Sir Thomas to allow his diuorce Sir Thomas noble and discreet refusall Accepted for the time by the king 1. The death of Sir Iohn More Sir Thomas neuer enioyed his fathers iohericance Rare pouerty in a L. high Chancellour Yet could it not stop Q Annes malice against him 2. 〈◊〉 table 〈◊〉 in cause of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A liberal reward 〈◊〉 him nobly by the Bishops of Enggland As nobly and 〈◊〉 mously refused by him only for Gods sake The heretiks calumny against him True glorie to be hated by heretakes Perfect patience always ioined with true perfectiō 〈◊〉 Cheerfull mirth An vnmānerly reprehēsiō mannerly returnd on the reprehender A bold debtour 〈◊〉 told his owne A mery arbitrement between his Lady a beggar A pleasaunt cēsure of a witlesse writing A mery mistaking 4. His earnest deuotiō in the seruice of God He vsed to sing in his sur plice in his parishe churche To cary the crosse in procession on foote 〈◊〉 communicated before any importāt businesse 5. patience in temporall lesser An excellent resignatiō to the prousdence of God More care to 〈◊〉 his neighbours losses then his owne Godly care of his poor seruants God rewardeth true resignation euen In this world Vanity of iudgement of wordthing 6. S. Thomas resigned vp his office of I. 〈◊〉 The neerer his end the more replenished with the loue of God A notablo record that no cause was left vndecyded in the Chācery A parlement called for Q Annes marriage Sir Tho. More sues to depose his office The king graciously accepteth his desire How merely he 〈◊〉 the matter to his wife A pleasaūt ieast to diuers her from sorow 7. 〈◊〉 dispositiō of his 〈◊〉 after his resignement Of his seruants all well recommended Of his children liuing with him An in cōparable resolutiō after so great an honour to 〈◊〉 cheerfully
so low an estate Honourable pouerty of so great 〈◊〉 personage 8. How 〈◊〉 and confidently he deposed his office An excellent letter to 〈◊〉 shop 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 parpose Great offices 〈◊〉 vndertaken and as dangrous to be given ouer A 〈◊〉 valuar 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S 〈◊〉 Mores humble estimation of himself He sends his 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 His innocence in his office Testified in priuat and publik by the King The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of As thaÌ„kfull to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as for the office itself Another 〈◊〉 for his weak health ConteÌ„pt of all vaioglory 1. His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 1 Hatred to heresie Yet in his 〈◊〉 no heretik pur to death 2. Continuall talk of spirituall matters 3. Desire to suffer for Christ 〈◊〉 A notable lesson for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to M. r 〈◊〉 But not kept by the sayd M. CroÌ„well Bad Counsellours make bad Princes The reward of bad couÌ„sel exaÌ„plified in CroÌ„well Of good Counsellours in S. Tho. More 3. The 〈◊〉 of Q. Anne 〈◊〉 CraÌ„mers good qualities He concludes the mariage to be lawful The cause of EnglaÌ„ds separation froÌ„ Rome Sir Tho. Mores propheticall ghesse of the oath of supremacy 4. Sir Tho. M. refused to be at Q. Annes coronatioÌ„ His couÌ„sel and predictioÌ„ to the Bishops his good fâ—â—nds A notable story wonderfully and prophetically applied His purpose rather to be denoured then 〈◊〉 Q Annes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thomas And the kings displeasure Sir Thomas disposeth him self more immediatly to suffer death A ChristiaÌ„ 〈◊〉 5. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occasioÌ„ of calling into question for Q. Anne The holy Nunne of Kent Warned by reuelation to rebuke K. HeÌ„ry Conferreth her reuelations with B. Fisher Her talk with Sir Thomas More Waryly handled by him Accusations pronounced against Sir Thomas That he impugned the K. mariage Quarrels picked against his ChauÌ„cellourship A supposed bribe pleasantly consuced A contteous refusall of an honest reward Another of like nature Sir Tho. More a wise marchaÌ„t traffiking for heauen 7. Sir T. M. his first 〈◊〉 A parlament to attaint true 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The Kings deputies 〈◊〉 examin Sir Tho. M. The 〈◊〉 saires words 〈◊〉 winne Sir Tho. Fairly answered with a mild and constant refusall The Deputies threats Sir T. M. accused for autour of the kings book for the Pope His constant reply and euident 〈◊〉 Wise 〈◊〉 wary counsel of Sir Tho. to the King The king acknowledgeth obligatioÌ„ of his crowne to Rome 8. His merry hart after his examination A fail giuen to the 〈◊〉 The Kings indignatioÌ„ against Sir Tho. Prndent and politikaduise in so bad a cause Proceeding against Sit Tho. M. disterred A braue answer to a frinds feare 1. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Sir Tho. M. cited to takesit His preparation before his going His discreet behaue our in that cause He refuseth the sath for conscieÌ„co sake All the clergy but Bishop fisher and D. Wilson did take the oath Vnder what coÌ„ditioÌ„s Sir T. M of 〈◊〉 to set 〈◊〉 his reason of refusall Sir T. M offer proceede h not of uncertaly but because he was certain his reasons were unanswerable All Christendom of more autority then all england The oath of 〈◊〉 2. Sir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prisonmeÌ„t First in Westminster Then by Q. Anne importunity in the Tower His vvillingnesse to leese all for Christ. The vpper garment the porters fee. His mans oath His wonderfull courage 3. His 〈◊〉 with his daughter 〈◊〉 PreueÌ„ted with prayers The coÌ„fort he found in his emprisonment Fiue reasons vsed by his daughter to make him 〈◊〉 1. Obedience to the King 2. Autority of wise meÌ„ 3 Only B. Fisher of his mind 4. Him self a lay man 5. against a pariament Sir T. M. answers All the saints of God acknowleged the Popessupremacy Why he 〈◊〉 touche i that point in his writings 〈◊〉 with which many deceaue their owne coÌ„sciences He knew not of B. Fishers mind The Doctours of the Church greater then Doctours of England And generall CouÌ„cels then a ParlameÌ„t His trust in Gods mercy against the fear of death A heaueÌ„ly resignation 4. Sir T. M. Prophecieth Q. Annes death His plesant answer to his 〈◊〉 honest excuse The 〈◊〉 constaÌ„cy andignorance of the oath makers His meditation vpon the martyrdom of 24. religious meÌ„ Maister Secretary Cromwells visit Sir T. M. writ in the tower his book of comfort 5. A prety dialogue between Sir T. M. and his wife Her worldly obiectioÌ„ His heauenly answer Prison as neer heauen as our owne house Eternity to be preferred before temporallity An other visit 6. M. Rich his sophisticall case A poor ground for an inditement of treasoÌ„ 7. A remarkably accident at the taking away his bookes His mery ieast vpoÌ„ it 8. How great care he took not to offend the king The substance of his inditement 1. The arrangement of Sir Th. More His Iudges His 〈◊〉 The iudges chargos His Christian resolution 2. Sir Th. his 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 1. How sincerly he had always told the K. his mind touching the 〈◊〉 The durance of his emprisonment and afflictioÌ„s 2. Why he refused to tell his iudgemeÌ„t of the law of supremacy Lay men not touched withthat law No law can punish fileÌ„ce that is without malice 〈◊〉 his silence were malicious ObedieÌ„ce first to God and then to man 3. That he neuer counselled or induced B. Fisher. The contents of his letters to the said Bishop 4. The law of supremacy like a two ed ged sword 3. M. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against Sir T 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Sir Tho. Mores oath to contrary By iust exceptioÌ„ against the witnesse vnworthy of credit Yf it had been true that had been no malice Malice in law The improbability of M. Rich his deposition M. Rich his witnesses do faile him 4. The Excepted against by Sir Thomas The act of parlament against Gods law No lay man can be head of the churche Against the lawes of the realme Against the kings owne oath Against the peculiar obligation of England to Rome Against all Christendom that euer 〈◊〉 5. The 〈◊〉 of S. Tho. More By yfs ands 〈◊〉 no proofes The sentence Mitigated by the king 6. Sir Thomas fully deliuereth his iudgement of the act of suoremacy to be vnlawfull Against all the churche of God 〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉 Sir Tho. Mores blessed charity to his Iudges The truth of this relation froÌ„ present witnesses of credit 1. The manner of Sir Thomas his 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 His soÌ„ne asketh him blessing Great costancy courtesy and 〈◊〉 2. His childrens 〈◊〉 to him His daughter Matgarets laudable passion A ponderation vpon this mutuall passioÌ„ of Father daughter Cardinal Pooles estimatio of Sir Thomas his death 3. How deuoutly cheerfully he 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 A pleasaunt coÌ„ceipt vpoÌ„ a leight courtyer His last letters To Antony BoÌ„uise To his daughter Margaret His desito dy vpoÌ„ the octaue of S. Peter which was also S. Thom. of Canterburys commemoratioÌ„ An blessing to his heire God graÌ„ted him his desires to dy the day he wished His heir-shirt and discipline 4. Aduertisment giuë him of the day of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the K. Most welcome vnto him The K. willed him to vse but few words at his exequution His wise childreÌ„ permitted to be at his 〈◊〉 His com fortable courage He put on his best apparell that day Liberally to his executioÌ„ 5. The for me of his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Persons hired to disgrace him A good 〈◊〉 He freeth one from the teÌ„tation of despairo by his prayers His 〈◊〉 at his death His prayers 〈◊〉 couereth his eyes himself His happy 〈◊〉 6. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 The place of his buriall A notable accideÌ„t about his windnig sheet His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His head His martyrdom encouraged many other to the like M. r Gardiner Euen his 〈◊〉 Parish priest 7. A 〈◊〉 vpon the blessing which he gaue to his 〈◊〉 children A praisa of M. Iohn More sonne heire to Sir Thomas The 〈◊〉 dealing of K. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir Tho. Mores heires With the Lady his widow M. Iohn More coÌ„mitted to the tovver for denial of the oath The imprisonment of his daughter Margaret 8. The fauour and physiognomie of 〈◊〉 Tho. 〈◊〉 1. Cardinal Pooles lamentatioÌ„ vpon Sir Tho. Mores death 2. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 3. Doctour Cochleus of Germany Iob 12. 4. Bishop Iouius of Italy 5. W Paradin a 〈◊〉 historiaÌ„ of France 6. Riuius a ProtestaÌ„t 7. Charles the Emperour 8. Circumstances notable in the death of Sir Tho. More From the kings part From Sir Thomas Mores part Nota. An apology for his mery 〈◊〉 A fit coÌ„parison between 〈◊〉 seuerity and Sir T. M. his pleasauÌ„t disposition 10. Sir Tho. More a lay man martyr for Ecclesiasticall autority neuer before questioned Epigrammes History of K. Richard the 3 in English and Latin His 〈◊〉 Many deemed Vtopia to be a true nation and country Sheep deuour men in England Sir Tho. More his book against Luther His epistle against Pomeranus His English writings The dialog with the messinger Great sincerity in his writing and loue of the truth He writt neither for 〈◊〉 nor report His 〈◊〉 almost incredible in so greate a man Sir Tho. M no partiall 〈◊〉 to the clergy Tindals false traÌ„slation of the scripture CoÌ„suted learnedly by Sir Th. M. The wilfulnes of heretikes Tindal falsifieth Sir T. M. words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The notable disagreemeÌ„t of heretikes among theÌ„acute selues Hereticall scoffing Heretikes Hypoctisy Against the supplication of beggars Against Iohn Frith Sir Tho. Mores Apologie How heretikes recite the catholik argumeÌ„ts Touching the length of Sir Tho. Mores bookes Heretiks blaspheming the fathers would theÌ„selues be reuerently handled WheÌ„ heretikes railings are to be neglected Heretikes excellent railours The pacificatioÌ„ CoÌ„futed by Sir T. M. The debellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Bizance How the Pacifier 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in controuersy Sir T. M. his book of the blessed Sacrament The heretiks supper of the Lord wants the best dishe Sir Tho Mores bookes written in the tower Comfort in tribulation Of CoÌ„munion Of the Passion The 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of Comfort The said book a preparation against the persequutioÌ„ which he did forsee Written when 〈◊〉 had no book about him Written with 〈◊〉 Like Esaias his cole that purified his lippes