did when Charles the Fift landed in England to see Queene Catherine his aunte And whensoeuer he had occasion either in England or beyond the sea to visite anie vniuersitie he would not only be present at their readings and disputations but would also learnedly dispute there amongst them himself to the great admiration of all the Auditorie for his skill in all sciences But when at Brugges in Flanders an arrogant fellow had sett vp a Thesis that he would answer whatsoeuer question could be propounded vnto him in anie art whatsoeuer Sir THOMAS made this question to be putt vp for him to answer thereto whether Aueria capta in Withernamia sunt irreplegebilia adding that there was one of the English Embassadours retinue that would dispute with him thereof This Thraso or Braggadocio not so much as vnderstanding those tearmes of our Common Law knew not what to answer to it and so he was made a laughing stocke to the whole Cittie for his presumptuous bragging 3. Now as he was vngrateful to vaine proude men so was he an intire and speciall good friend to all the learned men in Christendome and first he affected especially that famous man Cuthbert Tunstall lately Bishopp of London and then of Durham of whome Sir THOMAS speaketh in his epitaphe made by himself whilst he was in good health and state thus Then whome the whole world hath not a man more learned wise or better He speaketh also of him in his Vtopia thus The King sent me Embassadour into Flanders as a Collegue to that excellent person Cuthbert Tunstall vvhome lately he hath chosen to the congratulation of all men his Maister of the Rovvles of vvhose singular praises I vvill not speake for that I feare I should be suspected because he is so deare a friend vnto me but for that his vertues and learning are greater then I can expresse and also more knovven then that I should neede to goe about to declare them except I vvould seeme to sett a torche to lighten the sunne In this embassage manie things delighted me much first the long and neuer interrupted familiaritie vvhich I had vvith Tunstall then vvhome as there is none more learned so also no man more graue in his life and manners no man more pleasant in his manner of carriage and conuersation He wrote vnto him diuerse letters which may testifye what intire-friendshipp there was betweene these two excellēt men as this Although euerie letter vvhich I receaue frō you most vvorthie friend is verie gratefull vnto me yet that vvhich you vvrote last vvas most vvellcome for that besides the other commendations vvhich the rest of your letters deserue in respect of their eloquence and the friendshipp they professe tovvards me these last of yours yeelde a peculiar grace for that they containe your peculiar testimonie I vvould it vvere as true as it is fauourable of my Common Wealth I requested my friend Erasmus that he vvould explane to you the matter thereof in familiar talke yet I charged him not to presse you to reade it not because I vvould not haue you to reade it for that is my chiefe desire but remembring your discrete purpose not to take in hand the reading of anie nevv vvorke vntill you had fully satisfyed yourselfe vvith the bookes of ancient Authours which if you measure by the profitt you haue taken by them surely you haue alreadie accomplished your taske but if by affection then you vvill neuer bring your sayd purpose to a perfect ende Wherefore I vvas afrayed that seing the excellent vvorkes of other men could not allure you to their reading you vvould neuer be brought to condescende vvillingly to the reading of my trifles and surely you vvould neuer haue donne it but that your loue tovvards me droue you more thereto then the vvorth of the thing itselfe Therefore I yeelde you exceeding thankes for reading so diligently ouer my Vtopia I meane because you haue for my sake bestovved so much labour And no lesse thankes truly do I giue you for that my vvorke hath pleased you for no lesse do I attribute this to 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 east your vvhole account in liking my doings For I almost persvvade myself all those things to be true which 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 affectiō 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 Tunstall 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 deale 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 forme 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
matter wherein he might truly serue his grace to his contentment but yet he could not This Bishopp hauing bene lately by the Cardinall in the Starre-Chamber openly disgraced and awarded to the Fleete not brooking this contumelie sought by all meanes to wreake his anger against the Cardinall and picked a quarrell at him to the king because he beganne to waxe colde in the diuorce For so it was that Wolsey was sent ouer into France to treate a marriage betweene king Henry and the king of France's sister and finding their willing acceptance it was likelie to come to that issue which he hoped for Yet God so wrought to crosse him that this verie inuention which he had first plotted to reuenge himself on Charles the Emperour this same was the pitt wherein he fell and whereby all his dignitie creditt and wealth was taken away so that of him it may well be sayd incidit in foueam quam fecit For whilst he was contriuing for the king a marriage in France the king himself little to his knowledge had knitt the knott in England with a meane woman in respect of a prince a priuate knight's daughter and of meaner conditions then anie gentlewoman of worth Wherefore Wolsey returning and finding his embassage crossed beganne to repine at the king for disgracing him so much and now wished that he had neuer beganne to putt such scruples into Longlands head which Stokeley soone finding and himself hauing deuised a new knott in a rush to bring the king in better liking of himself for his forwardnesse and into more dislike of the Cardinall so wrought with his Maiestie that he sent for the Cardinal back being now on his way gone to be enstalled in the archbishoprick of Yorke so that by Sir William Kinston he was arreasted of high treason hauing confiscated all his goods before so that he that had bene one of the greatest prelates of Christendome had not now one dish to be serued in at the table who yf he had loued God halfe so well as he adored his prince could neuer haue come to such miserie for that he dyed either with sorrowe or poisō shortly after But the king caused in his place of Chancellourshipp Sir THOMAS MORE to be placed that with that bayte saith Card Poole corrupted he might the more easily be brought to the bente of the king's bowe who behaued himself so excellently in the place as one may say that none euer before him did better although he was the first lay man that euer possessed that roome as Card Poole noteth yea VVolsey himself hearing that Sir THOMAS MORE should haue it though he was very loath to leese it himselfe and withall bore Sir THOMAS no more good will then needes he must yet professed he to manie that he thought none in England more worthie of it then Sir THOMAS such was his fame that none could enuie it though it were neuer so vnaccustomed a case 4. The manner how Sir THOMAS MORE was installed in this high Office how the king did extraordinarily grace him therein and how modestly notwithstanding he accepted therereof is very remarkable For being lead betweene the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke through VVestminister hall vp to the Starre chamber and there honourably placed in the high Iudgement-seate of Chancellour the Duke of Norfolke who was the chiefe peere and Lo Threasurer of England by the king's order spoke thus vnto the people there with great applause and ioy gathered togeather The king's Matie vvhich I pray God may proue happie and fortunate to the vvhole realme of England hath raised to the most high dignitie of Chancellourshipp Sir THOMAS MORE a man for his extraordinarie vvorth and sufficiencie vvell knovven to himself and the vvhole realme for no other cause or earthlie respect but for that he hath plainely perceaued all the guifts of nature and grace to be heaped vpon him vvhich either the people could desire or himself vvish for the discharge of so great an office For the admirable vvisedome integritie innocēcie ioyned vvith most pleasant facilitie of vvitt that this man is endevved vvithall haue bene sufficiētly knovven to all English-men from his youth and for these manie yeares also to the king's Maiestie himself This hath the king abundantly found in manie and vveightie affayres vvhich he hath happily dispatched both at home and abroad in diuerse offices vvhich he hath born in most honourable embassages vvhich he hath vndergone in his dailie counsell and aduises vpon all other occasiōs He hath perceaued no man in his realme to be more wise in deliberating more sincere in opening to him what he thought nor more eloquent to adorne the matter vvhich he vttered VVherefore because he savv in him such excellent endovvments and that of his especiall care he hath a particular desire that his kingdome and people might he gouerned vvith all equitie and iustice integritie and vvisedome he of his ovvne most gratious disposition hath created this singular man Lo Chancellour that by his laudable performance of this office his people may enioy peace and iustice and honour also and fame may redounde to the vvhole kingdome It may perhaps seeme to manie a strange and vnvsuall matter that this dignitie should be bestovved vpon a lay man none of the Nobilitie and one that hath vvife and children because heretofore none but singular learned prelates or men of greatest Nobilitie haue possessed this place but vvhat is vvanting in these respects the admirable vertues the matchlesse guifts of vvitt vvisedome of this man doth most plentifully recompence the same For the king's Maiestie hath not regarded hovv great but vvhat a man he vvas he hath not cast his eyes vpon the nobilitie of his bloud but on the vvorth of his person he hath respected his sufficiencie not his profession finally he vvould shevv by this his choyce that he hath some rare subiects amongst the rovve of gentlemen and lay men who deserue to manage the highest offices of the realme vvhich Bishops and Noble men thinke they only can deserue The rarer therefore it vvas so much both himself held it to be the more excellēt to his people he thought it vvould be the more gratefull VVherefore receaue this your Chancellour vvith ioyfull acclamations at vvhose hands you may expect all happinesse and content Sir THOMAS MORE according to his wonted modestie was somewhat abashed at this the Dukes speach in that it sounded so much to his praise but recollecting himself as that place and time would giue him leaue he answered in this sorte Although most noble Duke and you right honble Lords and vvorshipfull gentlemen I knovve all these things vvhich the kings Maiestie it seemeth hath bene pleased should be spoken of me at this time and place and your Grace hath vvith most eloquent vvordes thus amplifyed are as farre from me as I could vvish vvith all my hart they vvere in me
behaued himselfe in his office of the Chācelour-shipp for the space of two yeare and a halfe so wisely that none could mende his doings so vprightly that none could take exception against him or his iust proceedings and so dexterously that neuer anie man did before or since that which he did For he had taken such order for the dispatching of all mens Causes that on a time sitting as Iudge there and hauing finished one cause he called for the next to be heard whereto was answered that there was not one Cause more depending This he caused to be sett downe vpon recorde whereas at this day there are little fewer then a thousand if not more whereof some lye in the suddes by the space of diuerse yeares When as I say Sir THOMAS had deserued high commendations of euerie one and now perceaued that the king was fully determined to proceede to the vnfortunate marriage of Anne Bullen and for that cause a Parlement was called wherein Sir THOMAS being the chiefe Officer of the higher house was with diuerse Bishops and Noble men commaunded by the king to goe downe to the lower house to shew vnto them both what manie vniuersities beyond the seas Oxford and Cambridge at home had donne in that behalfe with their publike zeales testifying the same All which matters at the king's commaunde he opened to the Lower house not shewing his minde therein yet doubting as good cause he had least further attemps should after follow which contrarie to his conscience by reason of his office he was likelie to be putt vnto he made great suite to the Duke of Norfolke his singular good friēd that he would be a meanes to the king that he might be discharged with his Maiesties fauour of the Chancellourshipp wherein for certaine infirmities of his bodie he pretended himself vnable anie longer to serue The Duke being often thereto by Sir THOMAS sollicited at length obtayned of the king when at a time cōuenient by his Maiestie appointed Sir THOMAS repaired to the king to yeelde vp vnto him the great Seale of England which his Maiestie courteously receaued at his hands with greate praise thankes for his worthie seruice in that office at which time it pleased his highnesse to say thus vnto him That for the seruice he had hitherto done vnto him in anie suite that he should hereafter haue vnto him that either should concerne Sir THOMAS his honour that very word it liked his Highnesse to vse vnto him or that should appertaine to his profitt he should not fayle to finde him a good gracious Lord. But how true these wordes proued lett others be Iudges when the king not only not bestowed vpon him the value of one pennie but tooke from him and his posteritie all that euer he had either giuen by himselfe or left him by his father or purchased by himselfe The next morning being holieday few yet knowing what had bene donne he went to Chelsey church with my Ladie and his children and familie after masse was donne because it was a custome that one of my Lord's gentlemen should then goe to my Ladie 's pewe and tell her my Lord was gone before then did he himselfe come making vnto her a courtesie with his cappe in his hād sayd may it please yòur Ladieshipp to come forth now my Lo is gone whereto she imagining it to be but one of his ieastes as he vsed manie vnto her he sadly affirmed vnto her that it was true for he had resigned vp his office and the king had graciously accepted it This was the way that he thought fittest to breake this matter vnto his wife who yet was full sorie to heare it it may be she spoke then those wordes which I haue rehearsed before Tilli vally what will you doe Mr. MORE will you sitt and make goslings in the ashes it is better to rule then to be ruled But to requite her braue minde he beganne to finde fault with her dressing for he saw a greate fault about her for which she chiding her daughters that none of them could espye it they still saying they could finde none Sir THOMAS merrily sayd Doe you not perceaue that your mothers nose standeth somewhat awry at which wordes she stept away from him in a rage All which he did to make her thinke the lesse of her decay of honour which else would haue troubled her sore 7. Shortly after this he called all his seruāts togeather manie of whome were Gentlemen of good sorte and fashion tolde them that he could not maintaine them as he gladly would and therefore demaunded them what course of life they would betake themselues to and if they purposed to serue any Noble man he would vndertake to place them to their contentment who with eyes full of teares affirmed that they had rather serue him for nothing thē most men for a great stipende but when to this he would not agree he settled them all in places most fitt for their turnes either with Bishops or Noblemen His bardge he gaue to my Lo Audley who succeeded him in his office and with it his eight watermen His foole Patison he gaue to the Lo Mayor of London vpon this condition that he should euerie yeare wayte vpon him that should haue that office After this he called before him all his Children and asking their aduise how he might now in the decay of his abilitie so empaired by the surrender of his office that he could not hereafter as he had donne and gladly would beare out the whole charges of them all himselfe for all his Children with their children had hither to dwelt with him for that they could not be able to continue togeather as he could wish they should When he saw them all silent and none to shew him their opinion therein then will I sayd he shew vnto you my minde I haue bene brought vp at Oxford at an Inne of Chācerie at Lincolnes-Inne and in the king's Courte from the lowest degree to the highest and yet haue I in yearelie reuenues at this present little left me aboue a hundred pound by the yeare so that now if we looke to liue togeather we must be content to be Contributours togeather But my consell is that we fall not to the lowest fare first we will not therefore descend to Oxford-fare nor to the fare of New-Inne but we will beginne with Lincolnes Inne dyett where manie right worshippfull men of great accounte and good yeares doe liue fullwell which if we finde ourselues after the first yeare not able to maintayne then will we the next yeare come downe to Oxford fare where manie great learned and ancient Fathers Doctours are continually conuersant which if our purses stretch not to maintaine neither then may we after with bag and wallett go a begging togeather hoping that for pittie some good folkes will giue vs their charitie and at euerie mans
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Sr. THOMAS MOORE WHO WAS LORD CHANCELOR OF ENGLAND TO KING HENRY THE EIGHT Printed for N.Y. 1642 The Preface to the Reader 1. AS I cannot but daily thinke of the rare and admirable vertues both of nature and grace which did shine most perspicuously in the blessed life and glorious death of that worthie Champion of Christs Church Sr. THOMAS MORE so also haue I often had an earnest desire especially for the spirituall behoofe of my selfe and my Children who are as small brookes deriued by naturall propagation frō that spacious sea of rare perfections or like tender twigs drawing sappe from the fruitfull roote of his noble excellēcies to giue them a taste according to my poore abilitie of some few of his most heroical vertues professing my self vtterly vnable to sett downe his life in writing as he deserueth 2. For if that Apelles the principall paynter that euer liued was thought only fitt to drawe with his pencell the pourtraicture of Alexander the Great or if Lysippus the most curious engrauer was the onlie man which was suffered to carue in brasse the beauteous feature of the same so worthie a personage for feare least that some vnskillfull workeman might rather blemish his fauour then anie waies grace it what courage can I haue to vndertake a worke of so great difficultie as this who know myselfe a verie puney in comparison of so manie famous men that haue vndergone this businesse alreadie finding in the verie beginning of this mine enterprise my small capacitie ouerwhelmed with the plentie and copiousnesse of this subiect and yf I should boaste my witt and skill to be equall with learned Stapleton's who at large and with great diligence and dexteritie hath sett forth the life of this great seruant of God in his booke intituled The three Thomases I should vanish away in mine owne pride knowing my self right well most vnworthie to be compared vnto him or if I should challenge vnto my selfe more certaintie of the matter related then my great vncle Mr. William Rooper could haue euerie one might iudge me both vaine and arrogant of whose sinceritie none that euer knewe him or heard of him can doubte I being the third in descent from S. THOMAS and he his owe sonne-in law with whome he had familiarly conuersed y space of sixteene yeares togeather as he himself confesseth yet for all this I haue now at last ventured to discourse a little of the life and death of this glorious Martyr for so without enuie I hope I may call him non vt electus ex multis sed quasi relictus ex omnibus not as one that may be thought fitt to sett his life forth with good grace but as he who only vpon a naturall affection to his Ancestour trusting chiefly of Gods ayde and this Saint's holie praiers is emboldened to say somewhat thereof this being one propertie of affection to suppose that whosoeuer hath spoken or whatsoeuer hath bene sayd of him whome we loue all that we thinke nothing if we ourselues haue not sayd somewhat in his praise although alas we are often the vnfittest men for that purpose we being not able to vtter what we conceaue because our passion taketh away much of our conceipt and therefore we vtter for the most parte either broken words or vnperfect sentences more intelligible to him that searcheth the secretts of mens harts then to others that heare them spoken or reade them in our writings 3. But one may aske me why I should challenge more affection to this man then anie other of my kinne of whome few or none haue endeauoured to write any thing hitherto I answer that though I haue had more cause perhaps then anie man else to loue him and honour him which is best knowen to my selfe and not fitt to be related vnto all men secretum meum mihi yet will I not ascribe to my selfe so great a priuiledge of louing him best I being the yongest and meanest of all my familie lett this suffice him that is a curious searcher of this my deede that as Doctour Stapleton was moued to take paines in setting forth the actions of S. THOMAS MORE because he was borne in the verie same moneth and yeare wherein he suffered his glorious martyrdome so was I borne anew and regenerated by the holie Sacrament of Baptisme on the verie same day though manie yeares after on which Sr. THOMAS MORE entred heauen triumphant to witt on the sixt day of Iuly And therefore haue I had some speciall confidence of his particular furtherance and blessing For how I pray you could I euer haue hoped to haue liued as heyre of Sr. THOMAS his familie and to enioye at this time some parte of his inheritance all which by his attaynder he had lost vtterly from himself and his children if his praiers had not as it were begged it at Gods hands besides I was the yongest of thirteene children of my father the last meanest of fiue sonnes foure of which liued to mens estate and yet it hath bene Gods holie pleasure to bestowe this in heritance vpon me which though perhaps I haue no cause to boaste of because it may be a punishment vnto me for my faultes if I vse it not well and a burden which may weighe me downe full deepe yet will the world coniecture it to be a great blessing of God and so I ought to acknowledge it And although I knowe myself the vnfittest and vnworthiest of all the foure to manage this estate yet they either loathed the world before the world fawned on thē liuing in voluntarie contempt thereof and dyed happie soules in that they chose to be accounted abiect in the sight of mē or else they vtterly cast of all care of earthlie trash by professing a strayte and religious life for feare least the dangerous perills of worldlie wealth might gaule their soules and the number of snares which hang in euerie corner of this world might entrappe thē to the endangering of their eternall saluation and left me poore soule to sinke or swime or as I can wade out of these dangerous whirle pooles amongsts which we wordlings are ingulphed the multitude of which eminent perils doe force me to cry first and chiefly to CHRIST IESVS saying with his Apostles Lord saue me for I am in danger of drowning and then also to craue the especiall assistance of Sr. THOMAS MORE his prayers by whose intercession I hope to wafte this my poore barke vnto her assured hauen of heauen though shaken and crushed with winde and weather 4. But none of vs must thinke that his assistance is all we must putt our owne helping hands thereto Nāgenus proauos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco his meritts are not our warrant yea rather his exāples haue layde a greater loade on the backes of his posteritie in that we are bound to imitate his actions more then
complexion nor very rich by disposition verie neare and worldlie I haue heard it reported he woed her for a friend of his not once thinking to haue her himselfe but she wisely answering him that he might speede if he would speake in his owne behalfe telling his friend what she had sayd vnto him with his good liking he married her and did that which otherwise he would perhaps neuer haue thought to haue donne And indeede her fauour as I thinke could not haue bewitched or scarce euer moued anie man to loue her but yet she proued a kinde and carefull mother-in-law to his children as he was alwaies a most louing father vnto them and not only to his owne but to her daughter also who was married to Mr. Alington and mother to Sir Giles Alington He brought vp togeather with this owne children as one of them Margarett Gigs after wife to Doctour Clement a famous phisitian and she proued also very famous for her manie excellent partes as learning vertue and wisedome All these he bred most carefully to learning and godlie exercises often exhorting them to take vertue for their meate and play for their sawce getting them good meanes to maintaine them by his practise in the law which he had first studied in an Inne of Chancerie called New-Inne where he profited exceedingly and from thence went to Lincolnes-Inne of which house his father then was where he allotted him small allowance for the reasons before alleaged and as it seemed then his great patron the good Cardinal was dead 3. But he plyed that studie whereto he gaue himself being apt to anie that in short time he was made and accounted a worthie Outer-barister yea still proceeding with most notable fame he became a double reader to which few but rare and singular lawyers doe euer attaine Euerie one beganne to admire him both for a man of iudgement vprightnesse and other excellent partes a readie deliuerie boldenesse in a iust cause and diligence in his Clients case and no great taker of money vnlesse he had througly deserued For which causes euerie man striued to haue him of their Counsell in all suits The Cittie of London chose him within a while Iudge of the Shrief's Court some say Recorder of London which I thinke not yea there was not at that time anie matter of importance in anie of the King's Courts of this realme but he was of counsell to one of the parties still choosing the iustest side and therefore for the most parte he went away victorious By all which meanes he gott yearely as he tolde his sonne Rooper without anie grudge of conscience to the value of foure hundred pounds which was a large gaynes in those daies when lawyers spedde not so well as now they doe neither were they then so plentiefull but his fame exceeded all other Wherefore he was chosen twice Agent for the Stillyard-marchents which busines he dispatched with singuler dexteritie 4. King Henrie the Seauenth then raigning was a prince of singuler vertues as wisedome and religion if that couetousnesse the roote of all mischiefe had not seized vpon him towards his latter daies which caused him to lay vpon his subiects manie Impositions and to raise sore exactions by two Caterpillers of the Common-wealth Emson and Dudley who in the beginning of Henrie the Eighth's raigne were rewarded according to their deserts for their wicked counsell to teache other men by their deathes how Iniustice and rapine is punished by God This King I say had called to geather a Parlement wherein he demaunded one Subsidie and three Fifteenes for the marriage of his eldest daughter the Ladie Margaret's Grace who then should be as she was in deede shortly after bestowed vpon the King of Scotts It chanced that Sir THOMAS was then one of the Burgesses For manie had now taken notice of his great sufficiencie When the consent of the Lower house was demaunded to these impositions most of the rest either holding their peace or not daring to gainesay them though they were vnwilling to grant them Sir THOMAS making a graue speache brought forth such vrgent arguments why these exactions were not to be granted that herevpon the King's demaunde was crossed and his request denyed so that one Mr. Tiler one of the King 's priuie Chamber went presently from the house and tolde his Maiestie that a beardelesse boy had disappointed him of all his expectation wherevpon the king conceaued great indignation against him and could no way be satisfyed vntill he had in some sorte reuenged it But for as much as he hauing yet but a litle could not loose much the king deuised a Causelesse quarrell against Sir Iohn More his most innocent father and clapt him vp in the Tower of London keeping him there prisoner vntill he had forced him against all Iustice to pay one hundred pounds as a fyne for a Causelesse offence Manie also then counselled Sir THOMAS MORE to aske the king mercie that his father might be released amongst whome was Doctour Fox then Bishopp Winchester one of the king's priuie Councell who pretended great loue towards Mr. More purposing indeede to gett the king thereby a better meanes to reuenge his displeasure against him But when Sir THOMAS had asked the Bishop's Chaplaine Doctour Whittford a verie holie and graue man afterward a Father of Sion he that translated the Follovving of Christ into English what he were best to doe he requested him for the passion of Christ not to follow his Lord's aduise saying moreouer that the Bishop would not sticke to agree to the dearh of his owne father if it were to serue the king's turne For which cause he returned no more to my Lo of Winchester but determined to haue gone ouer sea thinking he could not liue in England without great danger standing now in the king's displeasure and therefore he studied the French toung at home sometimes recreating his tyred spiritts on the violl where he also perfected himself in most of the Liberall Sciences as Musike Arithmetike Geometrie and Astronomy and grew to be a perfect historian his chiefe helpe in all these labours being his happie memorie of which he modestly speaketh thus I would I had as good a witt and as much learning vt memoria non vsquequaque destituor as my memorie doth not altogeather fayle me But king Henrie dying shortly after and his sonne king Henrie the Eighth striuing at the beginning of his raigne to winne the applause of his people cast Emson and Dudley into prison and attaynted them of high treason for giuing pernicious counsell to his father their prince and when they were going to execution Sir THOMAS asked Dudley whether he had not donne better then they to whome with a sorrowfull hart he answered O Mr. MORE God was your good friend that you did not aske the king forgiuenesse as manie would haue had you donne for if you had donne
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 whatsoeuer 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 vp 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 mised 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 bestovving vpon vs the thing itselfe 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 Ecclesia 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 Greek maister
to whome he writeth thus VVhat soeuer 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 although 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 greate 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 for 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 Mr. 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 lett 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 might but once see Budeus whose beautiefull picture the reading of his vvorkes had represented vnto me And vvhen God had granted me my vvishe it seemed to me that I vvas more happie then happinesse itselfe yet after that our businesse vvere so vrgent that I could not fullfill my earnest desire to enioy your svveete conuersation often and that our familiaritie scarce begunne vvas broken of vvithin a vvhile the necessarie affaires of our Princes calling vs from it so as it is novv hard to say vvhether vve shall euer againe see one another each of vs being enforced to vvayte vpon our ovvne Prince by hovv much the more ioyfull our meeting vvas by so much the more vvas my sorrovv in the parting vvhich you may lessen somevvhat if that you vvould please to make me often present by your letters yet dare I not craue them of you but my desire to haue them is greate Another friend he had called Martin Dorpe a famous reader in Louaine and a singular good man whome by letters fraught with sound arguments he brought to the loue of the Greeke toung being altogeather before auerted therefore thus he speaketh of him in a letter to Erasmus I cannot lett Martin Dorpius passe vnsaluted vvhome I respect highly for his excellent learning and for manie other respects but for this not a little because he gaue you occasion to vvrite your Apologie to Brixius his Moria He mentioneth also Iohn Lascarus as a deare friend of his as also Philipp Beroalde in a letter of his to Budeus in this manner Commende me hartily to Lascarus that excellent and most learned man for I imagine that you vvould of yourselfe remember me to Beroaldus though I should not putt you in minde thereof for you knovve him to be so deare vnto me as such a one ought to be then vvhome I haue scarcelie found a more learned man or a more pleasant friend Hierome Buslidian who built the Colledge called Trilingue in Louaine we haue mentioned before when we spake of his learned Vtopia of whome thus he speaketh in a certaine letter of his to Erasmus Amongst other things vvich delighted me much in my Embassage this is none of the least that I gott acquaintance vvith Buslidian vvho entertained me most courteously according to his great vvealth and exceeding good nature vvhere he shevved me his house built most artificially and enriched vvith costlie housholde stuffe replenished vvith a number of monuments of antiquitie vvherein you knovv I take great delight finally such an exquisite librarie yea his hart and breast more stored then anie librarie so that it astonished me greatly And presently after in the same letter he speaketh of Peter Giles as followeth But in all my trauailes nothing happened more to my wish then the acquaintance and conuersation vvith Peter Giles of Anwerp a man so learned
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 vnthriftinesse 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 people rebelle against their gouernours then vvill rise vp rifeling 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 amisse 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 be hurt 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 finde 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 a iust 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
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 Mr. 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 Alphonsus the Franciscan Q. Catherin's ghostlie Father Scotus his opinion of Attrition and Contricion as more safely to be followed then that Occhamus by all which it may be gathered that he had great insight 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 Lutheran boasteth in his translation of Proclus 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 praediction 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. WHile 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 waies 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 and mortall enmitie betweene the French king and Charles the Fift For the better compassing whereof the Cardinal requested Longland Bishopp of London who was the king's ghostlie father to putt a scruple into king Henrie's head that he should as it were another S. Iohn Baptist though the case were nothing like tell his Maiestie that it was not lawfull for him like another Herode to marrie his brothers wife And although K. Henrie's conscience had bene quiett now aboue twentie yeares togeather yet was he not vnwilling to hearken herevnto but entertayning it opened his scruple to Sir THOMAS MORE whose counsell he required herein shewing him certaine places of Scripture that somewhat seemed to serue the turne and his appetite VVhich when Sir THOMAS had seriously perused and had excused himself saying he was vnfitt to meddle with such matters being one that neuer had professed the studie of Diuinitie The king not satisfyed with this answer knowing well his iudgement to be found in whatsoeuer he would apply himselfe vnto pressed him so sore that in conclusion he condescended to his Maiesties request being as it were a commaunde and for that the cause was of such weight and importance hauing neede of greate deliberation he besought his Maiestie to giue him sufficient respite aduisedly to consider of it with which the king very well satisfyed sayd that Tunstall and Clarke two worthie Bishops one of Durham the other of Bathe with others the learnedest of his priuie Councell should also be his Coadiutours Sir THOMAS taking his leaue of the king went and conferred with them about those places of Scripture adding thereto for their better meanes to search out the truth the expositions of the ancient Fathers and Doctours of the Church and at his next coming to the Courte talking with the king about this matter he spake thus To deale sincerely with your Maiestie neither my Lo of Durham nor my Lo of Bathe though I knowe them both wise vertuous learned and honourable prelates nor my self with the rest of your Councell being all your Grace's owne seruants and subiects for your manifolde benefitts daily bestowed vpon vs so much bound vnto your Highnesse none of vs I say nor we all togeather are in my iudgement meete counsellers for your Maiestie herein but if your princelie disposition purpose to vnderstande the verie truth hereof you may haue such counsellers as neither for respect of their owne worldlie commoditie nor feare of your princelie authoritie will be enclined to deceaue you and then he named S. Hierome S. Austine and diuerse others both Greeke and Latine Fathers shewing him moreouer what authorities he had gathered out of them that he neede not haue anie further scruple thereof and that marrying of a new wife whilst his owne was aliue was wholy repugnāt to their doctrine and the meaning of the Scriptures All
since the sonne to be Lo Chancellour and the father Sir Iohn More to be one of the ancientest Iudges of the king's Bench if not the eldest of all for now he was neare 90. yeare olde Yea what a gratefull spectacle was it to see the sonne aske the father blessing euerie day vpon his knees before he sate in his owne seate a thing expressing rare humilitie exēplar obediēce submissiue pietie Shortly beganne euery one to finde a great alteration betweene the intolerable pride of the precedent Chancellour VVolsey who would scarce looke or speake to anie and into whose onlie presence none could be admitted vnlesse his fingars were tipped with golde and on the other side this Chancelour the poorer and the meaner the suppliant was the more affably he would speake vnto him the more attentiuely he would hearken to his cause and with speedie tryall dispatche him for which purpose he vsed commonly euerie afternoone to sitt in his open hall so that if anie person whatsoeuer had anie sute vnto him he might the more boldely come vnto him and there open to him his complaints VVhich his open manner of extraordinarie fauour to all my vncle Dauncy his sonne in law seemed merrily on a time to finde faulte with saying that when Card VVolsey was Chancellour not only diuerse of his inner chāber but such as were but his doorekeepers got great gaines by him and sith I haue married one of your daughters I might of reason looke for some commoditie but you are so readie to doe for euerie poore man and keepe no doores shutt that I can finde no gaines at all which is to mee a great discouragement whereas else some for friendshipp some for profitt some for kindred would gladly vse my furtherance to bring thē to your presence now yff I should take anie thing of them I should doe them great wrōg because they may freely preferre their causes to you themselues which thing though it is in you Sir very commendable yet to mee I finde it nothing profitable which word Sir THOMAS answered thus I do not mislike sonne that your conscience is so scrupulous but there be manie other waies wherein I may both doe yourself good and pleasure your friends for sometimes by my worde I may stand your friend in steede some time I may helpe him greately by my letter if he hath a Cause depending before me I may heare him before another man at your intreatie yf his Cause be not all the best I may moue the parties to fall to some reasonable ende by arbitrament but this one thing I assure thee on my fayth that if the parties will at my hands call for iustice and equitie thē although it were my father whome I reuerence dearely that stoode on the one side and the diuell whome I hate extreamely were on the other side his cause being iust the diuel of me should haue his right What saying was this to expresse the loue to Iustice which he alwaies bore and his deedes shewed it so that no malitious toung euer could picke the least quarrell against him for the least touch of iniustice as shal be more at large spoken of when euerie light matter came to be sifted narrowly after he fell from the king's fauour and that he would for no respect of alliance digresse one iotte from equitie well appeared by another sonne in law of his my vncle Heron for when he hauing a Cause in the Chancerie before Sir THOMAS and presuming to much on his fauour because he euer shewed himself the most affectionate father to his children that was in the world by reason whereof he would by no meanes be perswaded to agree to anie indifferent order at last Sir THOMAS made a flatt decree against him wherein he liuely expressed the practise of his former saying Now at his coming to this Office he found the Court of Chancerie pestered and clogged with manie and tedious Causes some hauing hung there almost twentie yeares Wherefore to preuent the like which was a great miserie for poore suiters first he caused Mr. Crooke chiefe of the Six Clarkes to make a Dockett containing the whole number of all Iniunctions as either in his time had already past or at that time depēded in anie of the king's Courts at Westminster Then bidding all the Iudges to dinner he in the presence of them all shewed sufficient reason why he had made so manie Iniunctions that they all confessed that they rhemselues in the like case would haue donne no lesse Then he promised them besides that if they themselues to whome the reformation of the rigour of the law appartained would vpon reasonable consideracions in their owne discretion as he thought in conscience they were bound mitigate and reforme the rigour of the lawe there should then from him no Iniunctions be granted to which when they refused to condescende then sayd he for as much as yourselues my Lords driue me to this necessitie you cannot hereafter blame me if I seeke to relieue the poore people's iniuries After this he sayd to his sonne Rooper secretly I perceaue sonne why they like not this for they thinke that they may by a verdict of a Iurie cast of all scruple from themselues vpon the poore Iurie which they account they chiefe defence Wherefore I am constrayned to abide the aduenture of their blame He tooke great paines to heare causes at home as is sayd arbitrating matters for both the parties good lastly he tooke order with all the atturneys of his Courte that there should no sub poenas goe out whereof in generall he should not haue notice of the matter with one of their hands vnto the Bill and if it did beare a sufficient cause of complaint then would he sett his hand to it to haue it goe forward if not he would vtterly quash it and denye a sub poena And when on a time one of the atturneyes whose name was Mr. Tubbe had brought vnto Sir THOMAS the summe of the cause of his Client requested his hand vnto it Sir THOMAS reading it and finding it a matter friuolous he added in steede of his owne hand thereto these wordes A tale of a Tubbe for which the atturney going away as he thought with Sir THOMAS his name vnto it found when his Client read it to be only a ieaste 6. Shortly after his entrie into the Chancellourshipp the king againe importuned him to weighe and consider his great matter thinking that now he had so bound him vnto him that he could not haue gainesayde him but he valüing more the quiett of his conscience and the iustice of the cause then anie prince's fauour in the world fell downe vpon his knees before his Maiestie and humbly besought him to stande his gracious Soueraigne as he had euer found him since his first entrance into his princelie seruice adding that there was nothing in the world had bene so grieuous
which would greatly aggrauate the king's displeasure against him and forthwith they shewed him a Catalogue of the Nobilitie and manie others who had taken it and had subscribed their names therevnto Yet because he would not blame anie man's conscience therein he was commaunded to walke into the gardin a while and presently all the Clergie men some Bishops manie Doctours and priests were called in who all tooke it except Bishop Fisher and one Doctour Wilson without anie scruple stoppe or stay the vicar of Croyden saith Sir THOMAS called for a cuppe of beere at the butterie barre quia erat notus Pontifici and he drunke valde familiariter After all these had soone dispatched the matter for which they were sent for Sir THOMAS was called in againe and the names of all that had taken the oath were shewed him whereto for himselfe he answered as before then they often obiected vnto him obstinacie because he would neither take it nor giue anie reason why he refused it to which he replied that his deniall only would prouoke the King's indignation sufficiently against him and therefore he was loath anie further to aggrauate his displeasure shewing what vrgent necessitie drew him vnto it howbeit if his Maiestie would testifye that his expressing the causes wherefore he refused it would not prouoke against him his further anger he would not sticke to sett them downe in writing and if anie man could satisfye those reasons to the content of his conscience he would take the oath most willingly Then Cranmer my Lo archbishop vrged him that seing he was not certaine of his conscience but that it was a thing certaine that he must obey his Prince therefore was he to reiect that doubtfull conscience of his and sticke to the latter which was vndoubted Yet if this argument were of anie force then in all controuersies of religion we may soone be resolued to to follow whatsoeuer anie king commaundeth vs. And when the Abbott of Westminster had sayd that he might very well suspect his owne conscience to be erroneous because he alone would seeme to controle all the wisedome of the whole realme who had made and taken it Thereto Sir THOMAS answered that if he alone should stand against so worthie a kingdome he had great cause to feare his owne conscience but if that of his side he could produce a farre greater number of as learned men as they he thought himselfe not then bound to reforme his conscience by follovving the consent of one kingdome against the generall receaued opinion of the vvhole Christian vvorld When Mr. Secretarie seemed greately to pittie him Sir THOMAS added yf anie hard thing happened vnto himselfe he could not preuent it without he should endanger his owne soule Then asked they him whether he would sweare to the succession to which he answered that he was willing enough to doe that if the oath were sett downe in such wordes as he might safely take it Thereto my Lord Chancellour sayd see Mr. Secretarie he will not sweare to that neither but vnder a certaine forme of words No truly replied Sir THOMAS except I finde that I may sweare it without danger of periurie and with a safe conscience 2. When he had thus behaued himselfe he was cōmitted to the custodie of the abbott of Westminster for the space of foure daies during which time the king consulted with his councell what order were meete to be taken with him And at the first albeit they were resolued that he swearing an oath not to be knowen whether he had sworne to the Supremacie or no or what he thought thereof he should be discharged yet did Q. Anne by her importunate clamours so sore exasperate the king against him that contrarie to the king's former resolution but indeede for the greater honour of God and his martyr the king caused againe the oath of Supremacie to be ministred vnto him who although againe he made thereto a discreete qualifyed answer neuerthelesse he was forthwith committed to the Tower when as he went thither wearing a chaine of golde about his necke Sir Richard Winkefield who had the charge of his conueyance thither aduised him to sende home his chaine to his wife or some of his children nay Sir sayd he that I will not for if I were taken in the fielde by mine enemies I would they should fare somewhat the better for me rather choosing to haue it lost in the Tower then that king's officers should gett it at home when he should leese all or else esteeming nothing lost but gayned which was lost for Christ At his lāding Mr. Lieftenant was readie to receaue him at the Tower-gate where the porter demaunded of him his vpper garment marry porter sayd he here it is and gaue him of his cappe saying I am sorie it is not better for thee Nay Sir quoth he I must haue your gowne which forthwith he gaue him and then was conueyed to his lodging where he called vnto him Iohn Wood his man there appointed to attende him who could neither write nor reade and sware him before Mr. Liefetenant that if he should heare or see him at anie time speake or write anie thing against the king the Councell or the State of the realme he should open it to Mr. Lieutenant that he might straightwaies reueale it againe to the Councell This was his peaceable and constant carriage in aduersitie bearing all his troubles with great alacritie that both God was much pleased with his willingnesse euerie man admired much his patience For if aduersitie will trie mens wisedome and true fortitude surely Sir THOMAS was a most wise man that nothing happened vnto him which he did not in a manner foresee and truly stoute that nothing could daūte his courage or abate his magnanimitie 3. When he had remained with great chearefullnesse about a moneths space in the Tower his daughter Margaret longing sore to see her father made earnest sute and at last gott leaue to goe to him at whose coming after they had sayde togeather the Seauen Psalmes and Letanies which he vsed alwaies after to say with her when she came thither before he would fall in talke of anie worldlie matters to the intent he might commende all his wordes to almightie God's honour and glorie amongst other speaches he sayd thus vnto her I belieue Megg that they who haue putt me here thinke they haue donne me a high displeasure but I assure thee on my fayth mine owne good daughter that if it had not bene for my wife you my children whome I accounte the chiefe parte of my charge I would not haue fayled long ere this to haue closed myselfe in as strayte a roome as this and strayter too now since I am come hither without mine owne deserte I trust that God of his goodnesse will discharge me of my care and with his gracious helpe supply the want of my
the Tower in the bellfrie or as some say as one entreth into the vestry neare vnto the bodie of the holie Martyr Bishopp Fisher who being putt to death iust a fortnight before had small respect donne vnto him all this while But that which happened about Sir THOMAS winding sheete was reported as a miracle by my aunte Rooper Mrs Clement Dorothie Colly Mr. Harrys his wife Thus it was his daughter Margarett hauing distributed all her monie to the poore for here father's soule whē she came to burie his bodie at the tower she had forgotten to bring a sheete and there was not a penny of monie left amongst them all wherefore Mris Harrys her mayde went to the next Drapers shoppe and agreing vpon the price made as though she would looke for some monie in her purse and then try whether they would trust her or no she found in her purse the same summe for which they agreed vpon not one penny ouer or vnder though she knew before certainly that she had not one Crosse about her This the same Dorothie affirmed constantly to Doctour Stapleton when they both liued at Doway in Flanders in Q. Elizabeth's raigne His shirt wherein he suffered all embrued with his bloud was kept very carefully by Doctour Clements wife liuing also beyond the seas as also his shirt of hayre His head hauing remayned some moneth vpon London-bridge being to be cast into the Thames because roome should be made for diuerse others who in plentiefull sorte suffered martyrdome for the same Supremacie shortly after it was bought by his daughter Margarett least as she stoutly affirmed before the Councell being called before them after for the same matter it should be foode for fishes which she buried where she thought fittest it was very well to be knowen as well by the liuelie fauour of him which was not all this while in anie thing almost diminished as also by reason of one tooth which he wanted whilst he liued herein it was to be admired that the hayres of his head being almost gray before his Martyrdome they seemed now as it were readish or yellow His glorious Martyrdome and his death strengthened manie to suffer couragiously for the same cause because he was an eminent mā both for dignitie learning and vertues so that Doctour Stapleton boldly affirmeth that he was wonderfully both admired and sought to be imitated by manie as he himself had heard when he came first to the yeares of vnderstanding and discretion And truly German Gardiner an excellent learned and holie lay man coming to suffer death for the same Supremacie some eight yeares after auouched at his ende before all the people that the holie simplicitie of the blessed Carthusians the wonderfull learning of the Bishopp of Rochester and the singular wisedome of Sir THOMAS MORE had stirred him vp to that courage but the rest seemed not so much to be imitated of lay men being all belonging to the Clergie as this famous man being clogd with wife and childrē Yea his death so wrought in the minde of Doctour Learcke his owne Parish-priest that he following the example of his owne sheepe afterwards suffered a most famous Martyrdome for the same cause of Supremacie 7. Thus haue we according to our poore Talent laboured to sett downe briefely the life and death of Sir THOMAS MORE my most famous great Grandfather whose prayers and intercessions I daily craue both for myselfe and all my little ones who are also parte of his charge because he gaue them his blessing in his most affectionate letter viz God blesse Thomas and Augustine all that they shall haue immediate or mediate those which they shall haue vsque ad mille generationes This hath bene our comfort that the tryall thereof hath bene euidently shewed in that Edvvard Thomas Bartholomevv my father's bretheren being borne after Sir THOMAS my great Grandfather's death and hauing not this blessing so directly as my father and my vncle Augustine had they haue both degenerated from that religion and those manners which Sir THOMAS MORE had left as it were a happie depositum vnto this Children and familie For although mine vncle Bartholomevv dyed yong of the plague in London and therefore might haue by the grace of God excuse and remorse at his ende yet Thomas the yonger's courses were farre different from all the rest for he liued and dyed a professed minister and for all that very poore bringing vp his children whereof his eldest sonne is yet liuing in no commendable profession as for mine vncle Edvvard who is yet aliue although he were endowed with excellēt guifts of nature as a readie witt toung at will and his penne glibbe yet God knowes he hath drowned all his Talents in selfe conceipt in no worthie qualities and besides is buried aliue in obscuritie for his forsaking God for his base behauiour My father only right heyre of his father and Grandfather though he not long enioyed anie of their Lands was a liuelie patterne vnto vs of his constant fayth his worthie and vpright dealings his true Catholike simplicitie of whome I haue a purpose to discourse vnto my children more at large that they may knowe in what hard times he liued and how manfully he sustayned the combatt which his father and Grandfather had left vnto him as their best inheritance For all their land was takē away by two Acts of Parlement immediately after Sir THOMAS's death the one Acte was to to take away the lande which the king had giuē him and this was somewhat tolerable the other most violent tyrannicall to frustrate vtterly a most prouidēt Conueyance which Sir THOMAS had made of all his lands and inheritance which he had settled vpon my father being a childe of two yeares olde or more without anie fraude or couin euen when as yet no Statute had bene made about the Oath of Supremacie and therefore before Sir THOMAS could committ such a faulte against such a Statute much lesse Treason hauing reserued to himself only an estate for tearme of his life yet all this was taken away contrarie to all order of lawe and ioyned to the Crowne but that land which he had conueyed to my vncle Rooper and mine aunte for tearme of their liues in recompence of their marriage monie that they kept still because that was donne two daies before the first Conueyance The ladie More also his wife was turned out of her house at Chelsey immediately and all her goods taken from her the king allotting her of his mercie a pension of twentie pounds by the yeare a poore allowāce to maintaine a Lo Chancellour's Ladie My grādfather was committed also to the Tower and for denying the same Oath was condēned yet because they had sufficiently fleeced him before and could now gett no more by his death he gott at last his pardon and libertie but liued not manie yeares after leauing my father to
the education of his mother called before her marriage Anne Cresacre the last of her familie by whose match he enioyed after a competent liuing to keepe him out of needie life Mine aunte Rooper because she was a woman was not so hardly dealt withall but only threatened very sore both because she kept her father's head for a relike and that she meant to sett her father's workes in printe yet for all that after a short imprisonment she was at last sent home to her husband Thus all his friends felt in parte the king's heauie anger for his vndaunted courage 8. Sir THOMAS was of a meane stature well proportioned his complexion tending to phlegmatike his coulour white and pale his hayre neither black nor yellow but betweene both his eies gray his countenance amiable chearefull his voyce neither bigg nor shrill but speaking plainely and distinctly it was not very tunable though he delighted much in musike his bodie reasonable healthfull only that towards his latter ende by vsing much writing he complained much of the ache of his breast In his youth he drunke much water wine he only tasted of when he pledged others he loued salte meates especially powdered beefe milke cheese eggs and fruite and vsually he eate of corse browne bread which it may be he rather vsed to punish his taste then for anie loue he had thereto for he was singular wise to deceaue the world with mortifications only contēting himselfe with the knowledge which God had of his actions pater eius qui erat in abscondito reddidit ei THE TWELFTH CHAPTER THE IVDGEMENT vvhich all nations made of the death of Sir THOMAS MORE 1. Cardinall Pooles lamentation vpon his death 2. Erasmus of Roterdam in Holland 3. Doctour Iohn Cochlaeus of Germanie 4. Paulus Iouius Bishop in Italy 5. William Paradin a learned historian of France 6. Iohn Riuius a learned Protestant 7. Charles the fift Emperour K. of Spanie 8. Circunstances vvorthe ponderacion in his death 9 An apology for his mery apophthegmes and pleasaunt conceipts 10. The first lay man martyred for defence of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction 1. NOw lett vs see what most of the learned men of Christendome not only Catholikes but euen Protestants thought and wrote of king Hērie for Sir THOMAS MORE 's death who were not likelie being free from all partialitie but to speake their mindes sincerely not fearing him as his subiects nor hating him for anie priuate respects First Cardinall Pole then liuing in the Courte of Rome and writing to the king in the defence of Ecclesiasticall vnitie sayth thus by the figure of Apostraphe of the complaints of other men Thy father Oh England thy ornament thy defence was brought to his death being innocent in thy sight by birth thy childe by condition thy Cittizen but thy father for the manie benefits donne vnto thee for he shewed more euident signes of his fatherlie loue towards thee then euer anie louing father hath expressed to his onlie and truly beloued childe yet in nothing hath he more declared his fatherlie affection then by his ende for that he left his life for thy sake especially least he should ouerthrowe and betray thy saluation Wherefore that which we reade in the ancient stories of Greece as touching Socrates whome the Athenians condemned most vniustly to take poyson so thou hast now seene thy Socrates beheaded before thine eies a while after his death when in a playe there was recited out of a Tragedie these wordes You haue slayne you haue slayne the best man of all Greece Vpon these their words euerie man so lamented the death of Socrates calling to minde that iniustice although the Poet himselfe dreamed least of him that the whole theater was filled with nothing else but teares and howling for which cause the people presently reuenged his death by punishing grieuously the chiefe authours thereof those that were of them to be found were putt to death presently and they that could not be found out were banished There was also a statua erected in his honour in the verie markett place Yf they therefore at the only hearing of these wordes vpon the stadge tooke an occasiō to be reuenged of that most innocent man's slaughter what more iust cause mayst thou London haue of compassion and reuenge hearing the like words to these not pronounced only by anie stage-player at home but by most graue and reuerende men in all places of Christendome when as they speake most seriously exprobrating often vnto thee thine ingratitude saying You haue slayne you haue slayne the best English-mā aliue This spoke this learned and wise Cardinall who could testifye this of his knowledge by reason he conuersed often with the greatest States of Christendome being a man famous amongst them for his nobilitie of bloud for his dignitie his learning and excellent vertues for which none haue cause to suspecte him to be partiall 2. Erasmus as may be easily guessed by the stile although he wrote it not in his owne name because he had then manie friends in England sayth thus This is Euident that neither MORE nor the Bishopp of Rochester erred yf they haue erred at all of any malice they had against the king but for sincere conscience sake This they perswaded themselues wholy this was infixed in their marrowes that the matter which they defended was good and lawfull and honourable for the king and holesome for all the whole kingdome Yf it had bene lawfull for them to haue dissembled it they would haue donne it willingly but they tooke their death most patiently peaceably praying to God for the king and the whole realme's safetie In haynous offences a simple and pure conscience and a minde not desirous of hurting anie but of well deseruing excuseth much the faulte besides due respect honour hath bene alwaies had euen amōgst barbarous nations to eminent learning and excellent vertue The verie name of a philosopher rescued Plato from being beheaded by the Aeginetes hauing transgressed the lawes of their Cittie Diogenes without anie feare came into Philipp king of Macedonia's armie and being brought before him for a spye of their enemies freely reproched the king to his face of madnesse that being not content with his owne kingdome he would cast himselfe into danger to leese all yet was he sent away without anie harme at all donne to him and not only so but had a great rewarde giuen him for no other cause but that he was a philosopher And as the courtesies of Monarches shewed vnto learned men doe gett them greate fame so to haue vsed such men hardly hath bene occasion that they haue bene much hated and enuied For who doth not hate Antonie for hauing Cicero's head cutt of who doth not detest Nero for putting Seneca to death yea Octauius incurred some infamie for Ouid's bannishment amongst the Getes When Levvis the Twelueth of France now being peaceably settled in his kingdome would haue bene diuorced
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 sayth 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 or griefes and sorrowes that may possibly en comber 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 safer 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 and so enflamed incensed his hart withall to heauēward that the good and holesome instructions and counsell that he gaue to other men in his bookes he himselfe afterward in most patient suffering the losse of his goods and landes imprisonment death for the defence of iustice and of the Catholike Fayth experimented worthily practised in himselfe And these be in effect the bookes he made either in Latine or English which his English bookes yf they had bene written by him in the Latine toung also or might be with the like grace that they now haue be translated into the Latine speach they would surely much augmente and increase the estimation which the world already hath in forraine Countries of his incomparable witt learning and vertue FINIS The end and scope of this vvork Though beyond my ability and capacity Yet vndertaken out of zeale and loue to the memory of S. Th. M. And for speciall cause knovvn to my self alone As also for being borne on the day of his martyrdom And by his prayers hauing the honour to be the heyre of his family Not presuming only vpō his merits VVhich lay à greater burden of imitation vpon vs But trusting vpō his prayers and setting his life death as a sampler before our eyes S. Thom. Moores parētage and nobility S. Iohn Moor Knight father of Sir Thomas and his virtues Descēded of aūciēt gentry Sir Tho. Moores mother a very virtuous gentle vvoman Her visiō concerning her children and especially Sir Thomas Sir Iohn Moore his secōd vvife out liued Sir Thomas 2. The place and time of S. Th. Mor. birthe An euidēt dāger strangely escaped in his childhood 3. His first studies imployments In S. Anthonies schoole in London In Cardinal Moortōs house The praise of the L. Cardinal S. Thom. Moore his tovvardlynes in the Cardinals retinevv The Cardinal sendeth him to Oxenford Brought vp there neerly austerly by his father The great reuerēce vvhich he alvvays bare to his father 4. His first vvorkes and vvritings Hovv much esteemed of by learned men Aquarrel stirred up betvveen him and Germanus Brixius Easily giuen ouer by S. Th. Moor. 5. His Mortificatiōs Hearshirt Watching fasting Exercises amōg the Charthusians Not permitted by God to take an ecclesiasticall course To be a paterne of maried men 6. His deuotiōs prayers At dayly masse His dayly orisons Much pleased vvith the life of Picus Mirandula His diligence in frequenting good preachers Doctour Colets excellent employments Doctour Colet chosē by S. Th. M. for his ghostly father S. Th. his letter to D. Colet hauing left London He professeth vvhat spirituall comfort he receaued from D. Colet Populous cities fuller of dāgers of sinne then the country life The plesure and innocēce of a coūtry life Cities stād more in need of skilfull pastours thē coūtry mansions Preachers that liue not vvell edyfy no thing He inuiteth D. Colet to returne to the city to help soules The inestimable profit of a good ghostly father Sir Tho. Mo. learned more by prayer then by study 7. His sober diet And plaine apparell 8. He dissembled his virtuous mortification by pleasunt and