matter of his marriage vsinâ⦠all the wayes and meanes ãâã could deuise to draw him to his part and as it was thought did the rather for that end soone afââ¦er create him Lord Chauncelââ¦our of England And the King said further vnto him that alââ¦hough at his going to Cambray he was in vtter despaire to obââ¦ne dispensation thereof yet ââ¦ow he had conceiued some goââ¦d hope to coÌpasse the same ââ¦eaging that albeââ¦t his Marââ¦iage as being agaynst the posiââ¦ue Law of the Church the ââ¦itten Law of God was holââ¦en by the dispensation yet is ââ¦here another thing found out ââ¦flate quoth the King wherby ââ¦his Marriage appeareth so direââ¦tly agaynst the law of Nature ââ¦hat it can in no wise by the Church be dispensable as Doââ¦or Stokesley whome he had then preferred to the Bishopricke of London can well instruct you with whome vpon this point I would haue you to confer So they conferred togeatherâ⦠But for all this Conference Syr Thomas More could not be induced to change his opinion therein Yet notwithstanding did the Bishop in his Report oâ⦠him to the King affirme falsely that he found Syr Thomas More in the Kings cause very forward as being desirous to find some good matter wherewith he might serue the Kings contentment in that case Now this Bishop Stokesley hauing a litle before byn by Cardinall Wolsey openly rebuked in the Sarre-chamber awarded ãâã the Flecte he not well brooââ¦ing this contumelious vsage ââ¦nd knowing that forasmuch ãâã the Cardinall for his backeââ¦ardnes in pursuing the Kings ââ¦uorse was falling out of his ââ¦ghnes fauour and that he had ââ¦ow espied a fit opportunity to ââ¦euenge his quarell agaynst the ââ¦ardinall and to incense the ââ¦ing further agaynst him at ââ¦ast preuayled so far that the Cardinall was soone after disââ¦laced from his office of high Chancellorship and the same was conferred vpon Syr Thomas ââ¦ore hoping therby so to win ââ¦im to his syde that he would ââ¦ield his consent for the matter ââ¦f diuorse Then was Syr Thomas More betweene the Dukes of ãâã and Nââ¦rfolke brought througâ⦠ãâã Hall to his place ãâã the Chancery and the Duke ãâã Norfolkâ⦠in the audience of ãâã the people there assembled ãâã wed that he was from the ãâã himselfe straitley charged ãâã speciall commiââ¦ion to ãâã theââ¦e openly in the presence ãâã them all how much all ãâã was beholding to Syr ãâã ãâã for his good seruice anâ⦠how worthily he deââ¦erued thâ⦠highest roome in the Kingdom and further how deere his Maiesty loued trusted him wherââ¦in quoth the Duke he hatâ⦠great cause to reioyce praysâ⦠Almighty God Whereunto Syr Thomas Morâ⦠amongst diuers other wise and ââ¦arned speches made answere ââ¦nd replyed that allthough he ââ¦ad good cause to take comfort ãâã his Highnes singular fauour ââ¦wards him to whome thereââ¦ore he acknowledged himselfe ââ¦ost deeply bounden yet neââ¦erthelesse he must for his owne ââ¦art needes confesse that in all ââ¦ose things by thâ⦠Duks Grace ââ¦here alleaged he had done noââ¦hing but what was his duty ââ¦nd furthermore said That he ââ¦as very vnfit for that dignity ââ¦herein considering how wise ââ¦nd worthy a Prelate had lately ââ¦efore taken so great a fall he ââ¦aid he had no great cause to reââ¦oyce And as they had before in ââ¦he Kings behalfe charged him ãâã minister Iustice vprightly ââ¦ndiffereÌtly to the people without corruption or affection ãâã did he likewise charge them agayne that if they saw him at any time to digresse in the least thing touching any part of hiâ⦠duty in that honourable Office euen as they would discharg their owne duty and fidelity ãâã God and the King they would not fayle to declaââ¦e the same to his Maââ¦esty who otherwise might haue iust caùse to lay the fault wholy vpon them and to their charge Now when he was Lord Chauncellour on a tyme being at leasure as seldome he was a Sonne in law of his who had marryed one of his daughters spake merrily vnto him saying When Cardinall Wolsey was Lord Chancellour not onely ââ¦iuers of his priuy ChaÌber but ââ¦uch also as were but his very ââ¦oor-keepers got much proffit ââ¦nd now sith I haue maryed one ââ¦f your daughters and giue my ââ¦ayly attendance vpon youâ⦠I ââ¦hinke I might of reason looke ââ¦or ãâã ãâã ãâã ââ¦oyle all ãâã ãâã ãâã you be so ãâã ãâã ãâã to heare euery ãâã ãâã pââ¦re as rich beâ⦠ãâã ãâã no doores shut ãâã ãâã which is to me no ãâã ãâã and discouraââ¦eÌt whereas otherwise some ââ¦or friendshippe some for kynââ¦red but most for profit would ãâã glad to haue my furtherance ãâã bring them to your presence And now as the case stands if ãâã should take any thing of them know I should do them much wrong for that they may do ãâã much for themselues as I ãâã able to do for theÌ Which thinâ⦠though it be in you very comâ⦠mendable yet to me your Sonâ⦠I find it nothing profitable You say well Sonne quoâ⦠Syr Thomas More I do not mâ⦠like that you are so scrupuloâ⦠of conscience for there be mââ¦ny other wayes wherein I maâ⦠both do you good and pleasurâ⦠your friend also for sometymâ⦠may I by my word stand yoâ⦠friend insteed and sometimâ⦠I may by my letters help hiâ⦠or if he haue a cause dependiâ⦠before me at your request I mâ⦠heare him before another oâ⦠his cause be not altogether ãâã the best yet may I moue the paâ⦠tyes to fall to some reasonabâ⦠end or compound by arbitrement Howbeit this one thing Sonne I assure thee on my Fayth that if the parties will at my hands call for iustice then if ââ¦it were my Father that stood on the one side and the Diuell on the other side his cause being good the Diuell surely should haue right So offered he to his Sonne as much fauour as he thought he could in reason require And that he would for no respect digresse neuer so litle froÌ iustice did plainely appeare by another of his Sonns in law one M. Giles Hââ¦ron who had a sorry suite depending before him in the ChaÌcery yet presuming much vpon his Fathers fauour would in no wayes be perswaded by him to come to an indifferent compositioÌ with his aduersary wherevpon in triall of the matter Syr Thomas Mââ¦re pronounced sentence agaynst him He vsed euery afternoone to sit in his open Hall to the end that whosoeuer had any suit vnto him they might the more boulder come to his presence and there to open theyr Complayints before him Also his manner was to read euery Bill himselfe before he would grant any Sub poena and hauing read it he would either set his hand vnto it or else cancell it Whensoeuer he passed throgh Westminster Hall to his place in Chancery by the Court of Kings BeÌââ¦h if his Father one of the Iudges therof had bin there set before he came he would go into the same Court there most reuerently vpon his
knees before the whole Assembly aske his Father blessing As likewise if his Father and he chanced to meet at the Lecture in Lincolnes Inââ¦e as oftentymes they did yet notwithstanding his high place Office would he offer in Argument the preheminence vnto his Father nor would himselfe accept thereof vntill his Father had refused it And for further declaration of his naturall affection loue towardes his Father when he lay sicke vpon his death bed he did not only according to his duty oftentymes come and visit him with all manner of comfort but also at his departure out of the world he tooke him about the Necke kissed imbraced him commending his soule into mercyfull hands of Almighty God and so departed Whilest he was Lord Chancellour he graunted but few Iniunctions yet were they by some of the Iudges of the Law misliked which M. Roper vnderstanding declared the same vnto Syr Thomas More who answered that they should haue litle cause to find fault with him therfore Whereupon he caused one M. Crooke chiefe of the six Clarkes to make a Docket conteyning the whole number and causes of all such Iniunctions as either in his tyme had already passed or at the present depended in any of the Kings Courts at Westminster before ââ¦im which done he one day inâ⦠all the Iudges to dinner with him in the Counsell ChaÌââ¦er at Westminster and after ââ¦ynner when he had broken with them what coÌplaynts he had heard of his Iniunctions moreouer had shewed them the ââ¦umber and causes of euery one ââ¦n order truly playnely they were all inforced to confesse ââ¦hat themselues in like cases could haue done no otherwise Then made he this offer vnto ââ¦hem That if the Iudges of eueââ¦y Court vnto whome the reformation of the rigour of the Law by reason of their Office most especially appertayned would vpon reasonable considerations in their owne discretions as he thought they werâ⦠bound to do in conscience mitigate and reforme the rigor of the law themselues there should from thenceforth be no more Iniunctions graunted out by him Whereunto when they refused to condescend then said he vnto them For asmuch as your selues my Lordes force me to that necessity of granting out Iniunctions for reliefe of the peoples iniuries you cannot hereafter any more iustly blame me After that he spake priuatly to M. Roper saying I perciue why they liked not so to do for they see that they may by the verdict of the Iury cast all quarrels vpon those whome they account their chiefe defence and therefore am I compelled to abide the aduenture of all such Reports Now in the tyme of his Chancellourshippe allthough he had but litle leasure to busy himselfe in the study of holy Scriptures and Controuersies in Religion with other such like Exercises being in a manner continually imployed about the affaires of the King and Kingdome yet did he take many watchfull paines in setting forth diuers profitable workes in the defence of Christian Religion agaynst Heresies that then were blowne abroad In so much that the Bishops to whose Pastorall care that Reformation chiefly beloÌged seeing themselues by his trauell wherein by their owne confession they were not any way able to compare with him in great part discharged of theââ¦r dutyes in that behalse considering that for all the Princes fauor his great Office he was no rich man nor had in yearly reuenewes aduaÌced himselfe as his worthynes deserued therefore at a Conuocation holden amongst themselues and others of the Clergy they agreed to recompence him with a summe of fiue thousand pounds for his paynes taken in their behalfe To the payment wherof euery Bishop Abbot and others of the Clergy according to the rates of their abilityes became liberall Contributaries hoping that this their liberality would giue him good content Wherevpon Bishop Tonstall of DurhaÌ Bishop Clarke of Bath D. Voysey Biââ¦hop of Exceter repayred vnto ãâã Tho. More declaring how ââ¦hankefully to their discharge ââ¦n Gods cause they reckoned ââ¦hemselues vnto him and albeit ââ¦hey could not according to his deserts so worthily requite his ââ¦ours therefore must refer ââ¦he same to Gods gracious goodââ¦esse yet for a small gratuity in ââ¦espect of his Estate so vneqúall ââ¦o his Worth in the Name of their whole Conuocation they presented vnto him the forsaid ââ¦umme desiring him to accept of it in good part But Syr Thoââ¦as More refusing this their tenââ¦er said vnto them That as it was no small comfort vnto him ââ¦hat so wise and learned men accepted of his weake labours for which he neuer intended to receiue any other reward but at the hands of God to whome alone all the thankes therof were chiefly to be ascribed So gaue he most humble thankes vnto all their Honours for their so friendly and honourable consideration and earnestly intreated them to returne euery man his money agayne Wherfore when after much pressing him to accept therof cold not preuaile they besought him that they might bestow it vpon his Wife and Children Not so my Lords quoth he had rather see it cast into the Thames then either I or any ãâã myne should haue the value ãâã one penny therof For my Lordes though your offer indeed be very fayre and friendly yet set I so much by my pleasure so litle by my profit that I would not in good fayth for so much and much more to haue lost so many a good nights sleepe as I spent vpon the same And yet I would wish for all that vpon conditioÌ that Heresies were suppressed that all my Bookes were burned my labour lost Thus departed they from him and were driuen to returne euery man his owne money agayne This Lord Chancellour although he was well knowne both to God and the world to be a man of most eminent Vertue though not so considered of euery man yet for the auoyding of singularity would he appeare to the ey of the world no otherwise then other men as well in his apparell as behauiour And albeit he appeared outwardly Honourable like to one of his Dignity Calling yet inwardly did he esteme all such thingâ⦠for meere vanity for next to hiâ⦠naked body he wore almost coÌtinually a shirt of hayre the ãâã a young Gentlewoman named M. rs More by chance on day ãâã pying as he sat in his doublet hose at dynner in the soÌmer tyme and seemed to smile therat his daughter Roper perceiuing the same being not ignorant of this his austerity gaue him priuate notice thereof and he did presently amend the fault seeming withall sorry that she had feene it He also wore another playne course shirt without ruffe or collar vpon his shirt of hayre And many tymes he likewise punished his body with whips made of knotted cordes the which thing was only knowne to his daughter Roper who for her secresy aboue all the rââ¦st he especially trusted for that as need required she did alwayes wash
his life he had vpon further consideration wââ¦thin two ââ¦ayes afââ¦r by another conu yance giuen the same immediatly to M. ãâã and his wââ¦e in present posseââ¦on So as the Staâ⦠had only auoyded the fiââ¦st cââ¦nueyance for faââ¦ting no more vnto the King theÌ had byn passed therââ¦n and the secoââ¦d conneyance passed to M. ãâã and his wife being dated two daââ¦es after falling without the compasse of the law was adââ¦dged good and valide Syr Thomas More being now prisoner in the Tower and one day looking fââ¦th at his window saw a Father of Syon named M. Rââ¦ynolds and three monkes of the Chââ¦rter house going out of the Tower to exââ¦cution for that they had refused the Oath of Supremaâ⦠wherupo he languiââ¦hing it were with desyre to beare them compââ¦ny sayâ⦠vnto his daââ¦ghter ãâã then preââ¦nt Looââ¦e ãâã ãâã thou not see that these blessed Fathers be now going as cherefully to their deathes as Bââ¦degromes to their marriages By whiââ¦h thou mââ¦yst see myne owne dââ¦re daughter what a great differenââ¦e there is between sââ¦ch as haue spent all theyr dayes in a religious hââ¦rd and penitentiall life and such as haue in this world like wretches as thy poore Father heere hath done consume all their tyme in pleasure and ease For which God oââ¦t of his gracious Gooââ¦nes wââ¦l ãâã ãâã them to remayââ¦e ãâã in this vale of misery aââ¦d ãâã but wiââ¦l speedââ¦y ãâã them hece into the ãâã of his euer lasting Dââ¦ty Wââ¦ras ââ¦ny siââ¦ly Fatheâ⦠ãâã who ãâã a moââ¦t wickeâ⦠ãâã hath ãâã the whole course of his ââ¦serable life most ãâã God tââ¦king him not worthy to ãâã so ââ¦oone thereunto lââ¦ueth here him ãâã the world to be furthââ¦r tryed plungeâ⦠and turmoyled in misery Within a whyââ¦e after M. Secretary came to him from the King and pretending much friendship towardes him said that the Kings Highnes was his good and gracious Lord not mynding any matter thence forward wherein he should haue cause of scruple to trouble his consââ¦ience As soone as ãâã ãâã was departed to expresse what comfoââ¦t the ãâã of his speaches he tooke a coale for pen inke tââ¦en he had none wrote theââ¦e lynes following ãâã ãâã looke ãâã ãâã ãâã Nor ãâã ãâã pleasantly begin to ãâã As ãâã thou wouldst my ruines all ãâã During my life thou shalt not me ãâã Truââ¦t I shall God to enter in a while Thy ãâã of Heauens sure and vniforme Euââ¦r after a calme looke I for a sterme Now Syr Thomas More had continued almost six weekes in the Tower before the Lady his wife could obteyne licence to visit him Who at her first comming to him like a good simple worldly woman bluntly saluted him in this manner What a good-care M. More I meruaââ¦le that you who haue ben alwayes hitherto taken for so wise a man will now so play the foole to ly here in this close filthy prison and be content to be thus shut vp amongst mice and rats when you mââ¦ght be abroad at your liberty with the fauour and good will both of the King and his Counsell if you would buâ⦠do as all the Bishops best leaââ¦ned of the Realme haue done And since you haue at Chelsey a right fayre house your Library your Bookes your Garden your Orchard all other necessaryes haÌdsome about you where also you might in the coÌpany of me your wife Children and houshold be merry ãâã muse what a Gods Name you meane thus foÌdly to tarry here After he had a while quietly heard her with a cheerefull couÌtenance he said vnto her I pray thee good ãâã Alice tell me one thinge What is that quoth she Is not this house as neere Heauen as myne owne whereto after her accustomed homely fashion not liking such speaââ¦hes she answered Tille-valle ââ¦valle How say you ãâã ãâã is it not so quoth he ãâã Deus bone ãâã man will your old Tricks neuer be left quoth she againe Well then M. rs Alice said he if it be so it is very well for I see no great cause why I should ioy much either in my gay house or in any thing belonging thereunto when as if I should but liue seauen yeares vnder ground and then rise againe and come thither I should not fayle to find some dwelling therein that would bid me get out of doores tell me it were ãâã ãâã myne What cause then haue I to loue such a house as would so soonâ⦠forget his old Master So as her perswasions moued him nothing at all Not loÌg after this there came vnto him the Lord Chancellour the Dukes of Norfolke and Suââ¦folke with Maister Secretary and diuers of the priuy Counsell at two seuer all tymes whâ⦠vsed all possible policy to procure him either precisely to coÌââ¦fesse the Supremacy or directly to deny it Whereunto ãâã appeareth by the booke of hiâ⦠Examinations they could ne uer bring him or iustly taxe him for the contrary Shortly heereupon one M ãâã created after wardes Lorâ⦠Rich that then was newly madâ⦠the Kings Soââ¦citour Syr Richard Southwell one M. Paââ¦mer seruant to the Secretary were sent vnto Syr Thomas More vnder colour of fetching hiâ⦠Bookes away from him Anâ⦠whilst Syr Richard Southwell anâ⦠M. Palmer were busy in pââ¦king them vp M. Rich pretending frieÌdly discourse with him amogst other things of set purpose as it seemed said thus vnto him For as much as it is well knowne M. More that you are a man both wise and well learned aswell in the lawes of the Realme as otherwise I pray you therefore let me in courtesy and good will be so bold to put you this case Admit there were Syr quoth he an Act of Parlament that all the Kingdome should take me for King would not you then M. More take me for King Yes marry quoth Syr Thomas More that would I Then I put case further quoth M. Rich Admit there were an Act of Parlament that all the Realme should take me for Pope would not you theâ⦠M. More take me for Pope For answere quoth Syr Thomas More to your first case the Parlament may well M. Rich meddle with the state of temporal Princes but to make answere to your later case Suppose the Parlament would make a law that God should not be God would you M. Rich then say that God were not God No Syr quoth he that would I not No more quoth Syr Thomas More as M. Rich after reported of him could the Parlament make the King supreme head of the Church And so M. Rich with the rest departed Now vpon the only report of this speach Syr Thomas More was indited of Treason vpon the Statute whereby it was made Treason to deny the King to be supreme head of the Church into which Inditement were put these heynous words ãâã Traitrously and ãâã Whereupon presently after he was brought froÌ the Tower ãâã answere the Inditement at the Kings Bench barre being there arraigned before the
being personally present vpon the Earth only vnto S. Peter the Apostle and his lawfull Successors Bishops of the same Sea by special prerogatiue It is not therefore ãâã inough for one Christian Catholike man to charge and conuince another Christian Catholike man say that this Realme of England being but a member a small part only of the Church of Christ hath power and authority to make a particular law disagreable to the generall law of Christs Vniuersall Catholique Church no more then the Citty of London being but one poore member in respect of the whole Kingdome might make a law agayââ¦st an Act of Parlament to bââ¦nd the whole Realme And further he shewed that it was coÌtrary both to the ancient Lawes Statutes of our owne Realme not theÌ repealled as they might well see in Magna Carta Quod ãâã libera sit habeat omnia iura integÌra libertates suas ãâã and contrary likewise to that sacred Oath which the Kings Highnes himselfe and enââ¦ry other Christian Prince of this realme with great Solemnity hath euer taken at their Coronation Alleaging moreouer that no more might this Realme of England refuse obedience to the Sea of Rââ¦me then the child might refuse Obedience to his naturall Father for as S. Paul sayth of the ãâã I haue regenerated you my Children in Christ so might holy S. Gregory Pope of Rome of whome by S. Augustine his messenger we Englishmen first receiued the Christian fayth truly say You are my Children beââ¦causâ⦠I haue giuen you euerlasting saluation a farre and better more noble Inheritance then any carnall Father can leaue to his Children by regeneration made you my Children in Christ. To this speach of Syr Thomas More the Lord Chancellor answered That seeing all the Bishops Vniuersities best learned of the Realme had to this Act of Parlament agreed it was very greatly to be admired that he alone agaynst them all would so stifly sticke and argue so vehemently against it To this Syr Thomas More a gaine replyed saying If the nuÌber of Bishops and Vniuersities be so materiall as your Lordship seemeth to take it then I see little cause my Lord why that thing should make any change at all in my CoÌscience For I nothing doubt though not in this Realme yet in Chââ¦istendome round about the nuÌber of learned men and Bishops to be farre greater who will defend and maintayne the contrary and therefore am I not bouÌden to conforme my coÌscience to the Councell of one Kingdome against the generall CouÌcell of Christendome Now when Syr Thomas More for the auoyding of the Inditement had taken as many exceptions as he thought fit the Lord Chancellour loath to haue the burden of that Iudgment wholy to depend vpon ââ¦fe there openly asked the aduise of the Lord Fitz-Iames then Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bââ¦nch and ioyned in commission with him whether this Inâ⦠were ãâã or no. Who like a ãâã man answered My Lordes quoth he by S. ãâã that was euer his oath I must needs coÌfesse that if the Act of Parlament be not vnlawfull then is not the Inditement in my conscience insufficient Whereupon the Lord Chancellour said to the rest of the Commissioners Loe my Lordes you all heare what my Lord chiefe Iustice sayth so immediatly he gaue Iudgment Which being done the commissoners yet further offered him curteously all fauourable audience if he would speake who answered I haue no more to say my Lords but that like as the Blessed Apostle S. Paul as we read in the Acts of the Apostles was present and consenteâ⦠to the death of S. Stephen kept their clothes that stoned him to death and are now both hoââ¦y Saintes in heauen so I verily trust and shall right hartily pray that though your Lordships haue now heere in earth byn Iudges to my Condemnation yet may we hereafter meete all togeather in euerlasting glory After his condemnation he departed from the Barre towardes the Tower agayne led by Sir William Kingston a tall strong and comely knight Constable of the Tower his very deere friââ¦d who wheÌ he had brought him a part of the way towardes the Tower with a heauy heart the teares running downe his cheekes bad him farwell The which Syr Thomas More seeing comforted him with as good words as he could saying Good M Kingston trouble not your selfe but be of good cheere for I will pray for you and my good Lady your wife that we may meete togeather in HeaueÌ where we shal be merry for euer and euer And a little after Syr William Kingstone meeting with M. Roper said In good fayth M. Roper I was ashamed of my selfe that at my departure from your Father I found my selfe so feeble and he so strong that he was fayne to coÌfort me who should rather haue comforted him As Syr Thâ⦠More came neere vnto the Tower his Daughter Roper desirous to see her Father once more before his death and to receaue his last blessing gaue attendance about the Tower-wharfe where he was to passe so soone as she saw him hastning vnto him without respect or care of herselfe pressed in among the throng of the Guard that with halbards went round about him and there openly in the sight of all asking him blessing on her knees imbrac't him tooke him about the necke and kissed him Who with a merry countenance nothing at all deiected gaue her his Fatherly blessing with many Godly wordes of comfort theÌ departed So remayned he in the Tower more then eight dayes after his condemnation from whence the day before he suffered he sent his shirt of hayre not willing to haue it seene to his said Daughter Roper and a Letter written with a cole printed in the aforesaid booke of his workes expressing playnly the feruent desyre he had to suffer on the Morrow in these wordes following I comber you good Margaret very much but I wold be sorry if it should be any longe then to Morrow for to Morrow is S. Thomas of Canterbury his Eue the Octaue of S. Peter therfore to Morrow long I to go to God it were a day very meete and conuenient for me I neuer liked you manner better towardes me then when you last imbraced me and when daughterly loue and deare charity haue no leasure to looke towards worldly courtesy Vpon the next Morrow according as he wished earely in the morning there came vnto him Syr Thomas Pope his singular good friend with a message from the King and Counsell that he must before nine of the clocke the same morning suffer death and that he should forth with prepare himself therto M. Pope quoth he for your good tydings I most hartily thanke you I haue alwayes ben much bound to the Kings highnes for the many benefits and honours that he hath still from tyme to tyme most bountifully heaped vpon me especially that it hath pleased his Maiesty to put me here in this