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
sendeth greeting The marchant of Bristow brought vnto me your letters the next day after he had receaued them of you vvith the vvhich I vvas exceedingly delighted For there can come nothing yea though it vvere neuer so rude neuer so meanely polished from this your shoppe but it procureth me more delight then anie other mens vvorkes be they neuer so eloquent your vvriting doth so stirre vp my affection tovvards you but excluding these your letters may also very vvell please me for their ovvne vvorth being full of fine vvitt and of a pure Latine phrase therefore none of them all but ioyed me exceedingly yet to tell you ingeniously vvhat I thinke my sonne Iohn's letter pleased me best both because it vvas longer then the other as also for that he seemeth to haue taken more paynes then the rest For he not only paynteth out the matter decently and speaketh elegantly but he playeth also pleasantly vvith me and returneth my ieastes vpon me againe very vvittily and this he doth not only pleasantly but temperately vvithall shevving that he is mindefull vvith vvhome he ieasteth to vvitt his father vvhome he endeauoureth so to delight that he is also afeared to offende Hereafter I expect euerie day letters from euerie one of you neither vvill I accept of such excuses as you complaine of that you had no leasure or that the Carrier vvent avvay suddenly or that you haue no matter to vvrite Iohn is not vvont to alleage anie such things nothing can hinder you from vvriting but manie things may exhort you thereto vvhy should you lay anie faulte vpon the Carrier seing you may preuent his coming and haue them readie made vp and sealed two daies before anie offer themselues to carrie them And hovv can you vvant matter of vvriting vnto me vvho am delighted to heare eyther of your studies or of your play vvhome you may euen then please exceedingly vvhen hauing nothing to vvrite of you vvrite as largely as you can of that nothing then vvhich nothing is more easie for you to doe especially being vvomen and therefore pratlers by nature and amongst vvhome daily a great storie riseth of nothing But this I admonish you to doe that vvhether you vvrite of serious matters or of trifles you vvrite vvith diligence and consideration premeditating of it before neither vvill it be amisse if you first indite it in English for then it may more easily be translated into Latine vvhilst the minde free from inuenting is attētiue to finde apt and eloquent vvordes And although I putt this to your choice vvhether you vvill do so or no yet I enioyne you by all meanes taht you diligently examine vvhat you haue vvritten before you vvrite it ouer fayre againe first considering attentiuely the vvhole sentence and after examine euerie parte thereof by which meanes you may easily finde out if anie solecismes haue escaped you vvhich being putt out and your letter vvritten fayre yet then lett it not also trouble you to examine it ouer againe for sometimes the same faultes creepe in at the second vvriting vvhich you before had blotted out By this your diligence you vvill procure that those your trifles vvill seeme serious matters For as nothing is so pleasing but may be made vnfauorie by prating garrulitie so nothing is by nature so vnpleasant that by industrie may not be made full of grace and pleasantnesse Farevvell my svvetest Children From the Court this 3. of September Another letter to his daugter Margarett only Thy letters dearest Margarett vvere gratefull vnto me vvhich certifyed me of the state of Shaw yet vvould they haue bene more gratefull vnto me if they had tolde me vvhat your and your brother's studies vvere vvhat is read amongst you euerie day hovv pleasantly you conferre togeather vvhat themes you make and hovv you passe the day away amongst you in the svveete fruits of learning And although nothing is vvritten from you but it is most pleasing vnto me yet those things are most sugred svveete vvhich I cannot learne of but by you or your brother And in the ende I pray thee Megg see that I vnderstande by you vvhat your studies are For rather then I vvould suffer you my children to liue idely I vvould my self looke vnto you vvith the losse of my temporall estate bidding all other cares and businesses Farevvell amongst vvhich there is nothing more svveete vnto me then thy self my dearest daughter Farevvell It seemeth also by another letter of his how carefull he was that his children might be learned and diligent and he prayseth them for it thus Thomas More sendeth greeting to his most deare daughters Margarett Elizabeth and Cecilie and to Margarett Gigs as deare to him as if she vvere his ovvne I cannot sufficiently expresse my best beloued vvenches hovv your eloquent letters haue exceedingly pleased me and this is not the least cause that I vnderstande by them you haue not in your iourneys though you change places often omitted anie thing of your custome of exercising yourselues either in making of Declamations composing of verses or in your Logike exercises by this I persvvade my selfe that you dearely loue me because I see you haue so great a care to please me by your diligence in my absence as to perfourme these things vvhich you knovve hovv gratefull they are vnto me in my presence And as I finde this your minde and affection so much to delight me so vvill I procure that my returne shall be profitable vnto you And persvvade yourselues that there is nothing amongst these my troublesome carefull affaires that recreateth me so much as vvhen I reade somevvhat of your labours by vvhich I vnderstande those things to be true vvhich your most louing maister vvriteth so louingly of you that vnlesse your ovvne epistles did shevv euidently vnto me hovv earnest your desire is tovvards learning I should haue iudged that he had rather vvritten of affection then according to the truth but novv by these that you vvrite you make him to be belieued and me to imagine those things to be true of your vvittie and acute disputacions vvhich he boasteth of you almost aboue all beliefe I am therefore maruelous desirous to come home that vve may heare them and sett our schollar to dispute vvith you vvho is slovve to belieue yea out of all hope or conceipt to finde you able to be ansvverable to your master's prayses But I hope knovving hovv steadfast you are in your affections that you vvill shortly ouercome your maister yf not in disputing at least in not leauing of your strife Farevvell deare vvenches And thus you may coniecture how learned his daughters were to whome for this respect Erasmus dedicated his Commentarie vpon Ouide de nuce Levvis Viues also writeth great commendations of this schoole of Sir THOMAS MORE 's in his booke to Q. Catherine of England And both Erasmus dedicated Aristotle in Greeke and Simon Grineus who although an heretike yet in respect of
and with S. Paule Cupio dissolui ess cum Christo But these speaches though they liked Sir THOMAS well yet pleased they my vncle Rooper but a little Now after the reporte made of this their examinacion of Sir THOMAS to the King by the Lo Chauncellour and the rest king Henry was so highly displeased with Sir THOMAS MORE that he plainely tolde them that he was resolutely determined that the foresayd parlement-bill should vndoubtedly proceede against them Yet to this the Lo Chancellour and the rest sayd that they had perceaued that all the vpper house was so powerfully bent to heare Sir THOMAS speake in his owne defence that if he were not putt out of the Bill it would vtterly be ouerthrowen and haue no force against the rest Which words although the king heard them speake yet needes would he haue his owne will therein adding that he would be personally present himselfe at the passing of it But the Lo Aud ley and the rest seing him so vehemently bent vpon it fell downe vpon their knees and besought his Maiestie not to doe so considering that if he in his owne presence should be confronted and receaue an ouerthrowe it would not only encourage his subiects euer after to contemne him but also redounde to his his honour for euer throughout all Christendome and they doubted not in time but to finde some other fitter matter against him For in this Case of the Nunne they sayd all men accounted him so cleare and innocent that for his behauiour therein euerie one reckoned him rather worthie of praise thē of reproofe At which words of theirs the king was contented at their earnest perswasion to condescende to their petition yet was not his displeasure against Sir THOMAS anie whitt asswaged but much more incensed On the next morning Mr. Cromevvell meeting my vncle Rooper in the parlement house tolde him that his father was putt out of the bill which message he sent presently to Chelsey and when my aunte Roper toulde her father thereof he answered In fayth Megg quod differtur non aufertur knowing as it were the verie bottome of the King's hart and all his Counsells imagining that this was not anie fauour donne vnto him but that they might finde afitter matter to worke on as it shortly after proued Within a while after the Duke of Norfolke fell into familiar talke with Sir THOMAS and amongst other speaches he sayd vnto him By the masse Mr. More it is perillous striuing with princes therefore I could wish you as a friēd to encline to the king's pleasure for by God bodie Mr. More Indignatio principis mors est Is that all my Lord sayd Sir THOMAS in good faith then there is no more differēce betweene your Grace and me but that I shall dye to day and you to morrow Yf therefore the anger of a prince causeth but a temporall death we haue greater cause to feare the eternall death which the king of heauen can condēne vs vnto if we sticke not to displease him by pleasing an earthlie king THE NINTH CHAPTER THE REFVSALL OF the oath of supremacy cause of Sir THOMAS MORES imprisonment in the Tovver 1. The oath of supremacy and succession refused by Sir Thomas 2. His imprisonment first in vvestminster after in the Tovver 3. A notable discourse betvveen him and his daughter Margarit Roper 4. Some other passages of his in the time of his durance 5. A prety dialogue betvveen him and his vvife the Lady More 6. Maister Riche his sophisticall case put to Sir Thomas More 7. His bookes and meanes of vvriting taken from him 8. His great care to giue no occasion of offence to the King 1. NOw in this parlement in the yeare 1534. whē as Queen Elizabeth had bene borne the September before and Q. Anne had bene proclaimed Queen the 12th of April before that and Q. Catherine declared the widowe only of prince Arthur there was I say at this parlement an oath framed whereby all English subiects should both renounce the Pope's authoritie and sweare also to the succession of Q. Anne's children accounting the Ladie Marie illegitimate within a moneth or thereabouts after the enacting of this statute all the Clergie as well Bishops as priests yet no lay man but Sir THOMAS MORE were summoned to appeare at Lambeth before the Lo Archbishop Cranmer the Lo Chancelour Audley Mr. Secretarie Cromevvell the Abbott of Westminster with others appointed Commissioners by the King to tender this oath vnto them On the same morning that Sir THOMAS was to goe thither as he was accustomed before he tooke anie matter of importance in hand he went to Chelsey church and there was Confessed and receaued at masse deuoutly the blessed Sacrament and whereas euer at other times before he parted from his wife and children they vsed to bring him to his boate and there kissing them bad them Farewell at this time he suffered none of them to follow him forth of his gate but pulled the wickett after him and with a heauie hart as by his countenance appeared he tooke boate with his sonne Rooper and their men in which sitting sadly a while as it were with Christ in his agonie in the gardin at the last sodainely he rounded my vncle in the eare and sayd I thanke our Lord sonne the field is wonne whereto my vncle answered at randon as not knowing then his meaning I am very glad thereof But one may easily knowe what he meant and so my vncle afterward perceaued that the burning loue of God wrought in him so effectually that it now had conquered all carnall affections trusting to that saying of our Sauiour Beholde and haue confidence I haue conquered the vvorld How wisely he behaued himself at Lambeth may be seene in a letter of his sent after to my aunte Rooper which is sett out in printe in the latter ende of his English Workes with others his most singular letters wherein he liuely describeth to his children all his troubles sheweth what a heauenlie spiritt he had to endure all for Gods sake trusting still chiefely to Gods goodnesse not to his owne strength the effect whereof is this After he vvas called before them he requested of them to see the oath vvhich vvhen he had read vnto himselfe he ansvvered that he neither vvould finde faulte vvith the oath nor with the authors of it nor vvould blame the conscience of anie man that had taken it but for himselfe he could not take it vvithout endangering his soule of eternall damnation vvhich if they doubted of he vvould svveare vnto them that that vvas the chiefe cause of his refusall in vvhich second oath if they doubted to trust him hovv then could they trust him in the former Which he hauing sayd my Lo Chancelour replyed that all there were hartily sorie he should make such an answer for they constantly affirmed that he was the first mā that denyed to take it
as great sorrovv and saddenesse For vvhat can be more grieuous vnto me then to be depriued of your most sweete cōuersatiō whose vvholesome counsell I vvas vvont to enioye vvith vvhose delight some familiaritie I vvas recreated by vvhose vveightie sermons I haue bene often stirred vp to deuotion by vvhose life and example I haue bene much amended in mine ovvne finally in vvhose very face and countenance I vvas vvont to rest contented VVherefore as I haue found myselfe greatly strengthened vvhilst I enioyed these helpes so novv doe I see myselfe much vveakened and brought almost to nothing being depriued of them so long For hauing heretofore by follovving your footestepps almost escaped out of hells mouth so novv like another Euridice though in a contrarie manner for she vvas left there because Orpheus looked back vpon her but I am in the like daunger because you doe not looke vpon me fall back againe by a certaine violence and necessitie into that obscure darkenesse I vvas in before For vvhat I pray you is there here in this Cittie vvhich doth moue anie man to liue vvell and doth not rather by a thousand deuises dravv him back and vvith as maine allurements svvallovv him vp in all manner of vvickednesse vvho of himself vvere othervvise vvell disposed and doth endeauour accordingly to clime vp the painefull hill of Vertue VVhithersoeuer that anie man cometh vvat can he finde but fayned loue and the honie poyson of venemous flatterie in one place he shall finde cruell hatred in another heare nothing but quarrells and suits VVhithersoeuer vve cast our eyes vvhat can vve see but victualing houses fishmongers butchers cookes puddingmakers fishers o fovvlers vvho minister matter to our bellies and sett forvvard the seruice of the vvorld and the prince thereof and deuill yea the houses themselues I knovve not hovv do bereaue vs of a great parte of our sight of heauen so as the heighth of our buildings and not the circle of our horizon doth limite our prospect For vvhich cause I may pardon you the more easily that you doe delight rather to remaine in the countrie vvhere you are For there you finde a companie of plaine soules voyde of all crafte vvherevvith cittizens most abounde vvhithersoeuer you looke the earth yeeldeth you a pleasant prospect the temperature of the ayre refresheth you and the cleare beholding of the heauens doth delight you you finde nothing there but bounteous guifts of nature and saintelie tokens of innocencie Yet I vvould not haue you so carried avvay vvith those contentments that you should be stayed from hastening hither For yf the discommodities of the Cittie doe as they may very vvell displease you yet may the countrie about your parish of Stepney vvhereof you ought also not to haue the least care afforde you the like delights to those vvhich that affordes you vvherein novv you keepe from vvhence you may vpon occasions come to London as into your Inne vvhere you may finde great matter of meritt The countrie people is most commonly harmelesse or at the least not loaden vvith great offences and therefore anie phisician may minister phisick vnto them but as for cittizens both because they are manie in number as also in regarde of their inueterate custome in sinning none can helpe them but he that is verie skillfull There come into the pullpett at Paules diuerse men that promise to cure the diseases of others but vvhen they haue all donne and made a fayre and goodlie discourse their life on the other side doth so iarre vvith their saying that they rather increase then assvvage the griefes of their hearers For they cannot persvvade men that they are fitt to cure others vvhen as themselues god vvote are most sicke and crazie and therefore vvhen they feele their sores touched and handled by those vvhome they see are full of loathsome sores themselues they cannot but haue a great auersion from them But if such a one be accounted by learned men most fitt to cure in vvhome the sicke man hath greatest hope vvho doubteth then but you alone are the fittest in all London to cure their maladies vvhome euerie one is vvilling to suffer to touche their vvoundes and in vvhome vvhat confidence euerie one hath and hovv readie euerie one is to doe vvhat you prescribe both you haue heretofore sufficiently tryed and novv the desire that euerie bodie hath of your speedie returne may manifest the same Returne therefore my deere Colett either for Stepney's sake vvhich mourneth for your absence no lesse then children doe for the absence of their louing mother or else for London's sake in respect it is your natiue countrie vvhereof you can haue no lesse regarde then of your ovvne parents and finally although this be the least motiue returne for my sake vvho haue vvholy dedicated myself to your directions and do most earnestly long to see you In the meane vvhile I passe my time vvith Grocine Linacre and Lillie the first being as you knovve the directour of my life in your absence the second the maister of my studies the third my most deare Companion Farevvell and see you loue me as you haue donne hitherto London 21. Octob. By this letter it may clearely beseene how he gaue himselfe from his youth to the true rules of deuotion and thereby sought to profitt as well in holinesse as in learning For if Christ hath pronounced them happie that hunger and thirst after iustice surely he shewed in this letter a great earnestnesse of desire to attaine to perfection And his example may moue all his to follow therein his footestepps that their chiefe and principall endeauour in their youth be to seeke out a skillfull phisitian of the soule who both can and will guide vs in the path of Catholike doctrine and dutie and when we haue found such a one to follow his counsell precisely and make the secretts of our harts knowen to him This dutiefulnesse of the ghostlie childe to so rare a father made Colett also admire this yong man's towardlienesse so that this Doctour would professe to manie and at sundrie times say that there was but one witt in England and that was yong THOMAS MORE althoug manie flourishing youthes at that time liued in England which were of hopefull expectation And no doubt but God did further him with particular grace and towardlinesse because he was so extraordinarily deuout so that I doe imagine it may be sayd of Sir THOMAS MORE which S. Thomas of Aquine wittnesseth of himselfe that he learned more by praier and spirituall exercises then euer he could doe by anie studie For to what studie soeuer Sir THOMAS applyed himselfe he grew in short time most famous therein And first how great a Poet he was accounted euen in his youth we haue already partly spoken of then what Declamations he made full of all Rhetoricall eloquence to the amazement of all his auditorie manie haue wittnessed who heard them and haue read them
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
for the better performance of so great a charge And although this your speach hath caused in me greater feare then I can vvell expresse in vvords yet this incōparable fauour of my dread Soueraigne by vvhich he shevveth hovv vvell yea hovv highly he conceaueth of my weakenesse hauing commanded that my meanesse should be so greatly conmended cannot be but most acceptable vnto me and I cannot choose but giue your most noble Grace exceeding thankes that vvhat his Maiestie hath vvilled you briefly to vtter you of the abundance of your loue vnto me haue in a large and eloquent Oration dilated As for myself I can take it no othervvise but that his Maiesties incomparable fauour tovvards me the good vvill and incredible propension of his Royall minde vvhere vvith he hath these manie yeares fauoured me continually hath alone vvithout anie desert of mine at all caused both this my nevv honour and these your vndeserued commendations of me For vvho am I or vvhat is the house of my father that the kings Highnesse should heape vpon me by such a perpetuall streame of affection these so high honours I am farre lesse then anie the meanest of his benefitts bestovved on me hovv can I then thinke my self vvorthie or fitt for this so peerelesse dignitie I haue be dravven by force as the king's Maiestie often professeth to his Highnesse's seruice to be a Courtier but to take this dignitie vpon me is most of all against my vvill yet such is his Highnesses benignitie such is his bountie that he highly esteemeth the small dutiefulnesse of his meanest subiects and seeketh still magnificently to recompence his seruants not only such as deserue vvell but even such as haue but a desire to deserue vvell at his hands In vvhich number I haue alvvaies vvished myself to be reckoned because I cannot challenge myself to be one of the former vvhich being so you may all perceaue vvith me hovv great a burden is layde vpon my backe in that I must striue in some sorte vvith my diligence and dutie to corresponde vvith his royall beneuolence and to be ansvverable to that great expectation vvhich he and you seeme to haue of me vvherefore those so high praises are by so much more grieuous vnto me by hovv much I knovve the greater charge I haue to render myself vvorthie of and the fevver meanes I haue to make them good This vveight is hardly sutable to my vveake shoulders this honour is not correspondent to my poore deserts it is a burden not a glorie a care not a dignitie the one therefore I must beare as manfully as I can and discharge the other vvith as much dexteritie as I shal be able The earnest desire vvhich I haue alvvaies had and doe novv acknovvledge myself to haue to satisfye by all meanes I can possible the most ample benefitts of his Highnesse vvill greatly excite and ayde me to the diligent performance of all vvhich I trust also I shall be more able to doe if I finde all your goods wills and vvishes both fauourable vnto me and conformable to his royall munificence because my serious endeauours to doe vvell iojned vvth your fauourable acceptance vvill easily procure that vvhatsoeuer is performed by me though it be in it self but small yet vvill it seeme great and praise vvorthie For those things are alvvaies atchieued happily vvhich are accepted vvillingly and those succeede fortunately vhich are receaued by others courteously As you therefore doe hope for great matters and the best at my hands so though I dare not promise anie such yet do I promise truly and affectionately to performe the best I shall be able When Sir THOMAS had spoken these wordes turning his face to the high Iudgement seate of the Chancerie he proceeded in this manner But vvhen I looke vpon this seate vvhē I thinke hovv greate and vvhat kinde of personages haue possessed this place before me vvhē I call to minde vvho he vvas that sate in it last of all a man of what singular wisedome of vvhat notable experience vvhat a prosperous and fauourable fortune he had for a great space and hovv at the last he had a most grieuous fall and dyed in glorious I haue cause enough by my predecessours example to thinke honour but slipperie and this dignitie not so gratefull to me as it may seeme to others for both is it a hard matter to follovv vvith like paces or praises a man of such admirable vvitt prudence authoritie and splendour to vvhome I may seeme but as the lighting of a candle vvhen the sunne is dovvne and also the sudden and vnexpected fall of so great a man as he vvas doth terribly putt me in minde that this honour ought not to please me too much nor the lustre of this glistering seate dazel mine eyes VVherefore I ascende this seate as a place full of labour and danger voyde of all solide and true honour the vvhich by hovv much the higher it is by so much greater fall I am to feare as vvell in respect of the verie nature of the thing it selfe as because I am vvarned by this late fearefull example And truly I might euen now at this verie first entrāce stumble yea faynte but that his maiestie's most singular fauour tovvards me and all your good vvills vvhich your ioyfull countenance doth testifye in this most honourable assemblie doth somevvhat recreate and refresh me othervvise this seate vvould be no more pleasing to me then that svvord vvas to Damocles vvhich hung ouer his head tyed only by a hayre of a horse's tale vvhen he had store of delicate fare before him seated in the chayre of state of Denis the Tirant of Sicilie this therefore shal be alvvaies fresh in my minde this vvill I haue still before mine eies that this seate vvill be honourable famous and full of glorie vnto me if I shall with care and diligence fidelitie and vvisedome endeauour to doe my dutie and shall persvvade myself that the enioying thereof may chance to be but short vncertaine the one vvhereof my labour ought to perfourme the other my predecessour's example may easily teache me All vvhich being so you may easily perceaue vvhat great pleasure I take in this high dignitie or in this most noble Dukes praising of me All the world tooke notice now of Sir THOMAS's dignitie whereof Erasmus writeth to Iohn Fabius Bishopp of Vienna thus Concerning the new increase of honour lately happened to THOMAS MORE I should easily make you belieue it if I should shew you the letters of manie famous men reioycing with much alacritie and congratulating the king the realme himself and also me for MORE 's honour in being made Lo Chancellour of England 5. Now it was a comfortable thing for anie man to beholde how two great roomes of VVestminster hall were taken vp one with the sonne the other with the father which hath as yet neuer bene heard of before or
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
till at lenght the cause of mistaking being knowen they all fell a laughing 4. And although he neuer left his mirth in outward apparance yet still did he vse the like mortifications which he was wont yea he exercised actes of humilitie that he made most worldlie men to wonder at him On the sunnedaies euen when he was Lord Chancellour he wore a surplice and soung with the singers at the high Masse and matins in his parish church of Chelsey which the Duke of Norfolke on a time finding sayd God bodie God bodie my Lo Chancelour a parish Clarke you disgrace the king and your office Nay sayd Sir THOMAS smilingly your Grace may not thinke I dishonour my prince in my dutiefulnesse to his Lord and ours hauing in his minde that saying of Dauid in the like case dancing before the Arke of God when his wife Michol laughed at him Vilior fiam in oculis meis I will still thinke meanely of myselfe whatsoeuer others shall thinke of me He often would also in publike processions carrie the crosse before the rest thinking himself happie if he could anie way shew loue and readinesse in almightie Gods seruice and when manie counselled him in the long processions in Rogation weeke to vse a horse for hie dignitie and age he would answer it beseemed not the seruant to follow his maister prauncing on cockhorse his maister going on foote He neuer vndertooke anie businesse of importance but he prepared himself first by Confession and receauing the blessed Sacrament deuoutely trusting more of the grace of God deriued to vs by these holie Sacraments then he did to his owne witt iudgement and practise yet euerie of them was in him extraordinarie so that he liued a most worthie life in all the course of his actions neuer changed with anie prosperitie nor dismayde with anie aduersitie 5. As when his barnes of Corne hay were burnt he neuer altered his countenance or shewed the least signe of sorrowe only saying Fiat voluntas Dei he hath bestowed much more vpon vs and therefore may he take away what he pleaseth besides he wrote a most patient letter to my Ladie which is thus Mris Alice I commende me vnto you hauing heard by my sonne Heron that ours some of our neighbour's barnes vvith all the corne in them are burnt although vve may be sorrovvfull for the losse of so much good corne abstracting from Gods holie disposition yet seing that it hath bene his diuine pleasure to suffer it vve ought not only patiently but also vvillingly to receaue his gentle rodd God gaue vs all that vve haue and seing he hath taken parte of it avvay by this chance his blessed vvill be donne lett vs neuer murmure or grudge for this accident but take it in good parte and giue God thankes as vvell for aduersitie as for prosperitie Perhapps this losse may be a greater benefitt of God then the gayne of so much vvould haue bene for he knovveth vvhat is most expedient for vs. Be therefore of good courage I pray thee and taking all our familie vvith you goe to the Church and giue God thankes as vvell for these things vvhich he hath giuen vs as for that he hath taken avvay and for all that vvhich he hath left vs vvhich he can easily encrease vvhen he seeth it fittest for vs and if he pleaseth to take more from vs his blessed vvill be fullfilled lett it be diligently enquired out vvhat our neighbours haue lost and desire them not to be sadde for anie thing for I vvill not see anie of them endamaged by anie mischance of my house although I should thereby not leaue myself so much as one spoone I pray thee bee chearefull vvith all my children and familie Also take counsell of our friends hovv Corne is to be prouided for that which is needefull for you and for seede corne this next yeare if perhaps it be fitt that vve sovve anie fielde our selues but vvhether vve do so or no I do not thinke it expedient presently to giue ouer all care of husbandrie and lett out our farme to others vntill vve haue better and at more leasure considered of it yet if vve haue more vvorkemen in our house then vve haue neede of such may be dismissed if they can be cōmodiously placed vvith other maisters but I vvill not suffer anie to be sent avvay to runne at randon vvithout a place to dvvell in At my returne to the king I see things go so as it is likelie I shall stay vvith him a good vvhile yet because of this misfortune perhaps I shall gett leaue to come and see you some time this next vveeke vvhen as vve vvill cōferre more at leasure about these our housholde affaires Farevvell from the Court. At Woodstock 13. Sept. 1539. But marke how God rewarded this his patience for it was in October next that he was made Lo Chancellour by which office he might easily haue purchased manie faire houses if his minde had aymed at worldlie riches and not rather thirsted after heauenlie rewards Some haue not stucke to say that if Sir THOMAS had bene so happie as to haue dyed of his naturall death about this time he had bene a very fortunate man liuing and dying in all mens fauour in the highest iudgements of the world and prosperous also to his posteritie for he had left them a fayre and great inheritance especially by the king's gracious guift But in my minde they are all carnally wise that affirme this and no way haue tasted of heauenlie wisedome For the last Scene of this Tragedie is the best and not to be wished to haue bene omitted for all the land king Henry enioyed though you adde the abbeylands and all after which now his fingars endes beganne to itche For that Card. Wolsey had shewed already a president thereof by getting leaue of the Pope to dissolue certaine small Abbyes for the building and maintenance of that great College of Christ-Church in Oxford which for that cause as I thinke is S. Peter's worke and lieth still vnfinished 6. Though in all his life time Sir THOMAS had shewed liuelie examples of manie excellent vertues as pietie zeale of God's honour wisedome Iustice liberalitie contempt of the world riches yea what not yet his most heroicall vertues towards his ende he hath expressed more liuely and exactly as his magnanimitie cōtempt of honours of wife children possessions life it selfe and whatsoeuer can be of vs desired and in steede thereof hath chosen disgraces extreame aduersities imprisonment losse of dignities goods and inheritance and hath taken vp his Crosse and followed Christ in sheding of his bloud to his honour no champion is crovvned till he hath gotten the victorie And beholde he most gloriously triumpheth ouer the flesh by forsaking his life and leauing it the world by despising it and the diuell by resisting manfully all his temptations When Sir THOMAS had
doore to sing a Salue regina whereby wee shall still keepe companie and be merrie togeather O worthie resolution see how he expresseth his loue towards his Children but more towards God taking patiently whatsoeuer might befall him And he that prouideth for the worst will the better be prepared to endure lesser Crosses But what an admirable thing is this that whereas he was by the king taken into his Maiestie's seruice from a verie worshipfull liuing as I haue sayd foure hundred pounds by the yeare to deale in the greatest and weightiest Causes that concerned his Highnesse and the realme he had spent with painefull cares trauells troubles as well beyond the seas as with in this kingdome in effect the whole substance of his life yet with all the gayne he gott thereby being neuer himself a wastefull spender he was not now able after the resignement of his offices to finde for himself and those that necessarily belonged vnto him sufficient meate drinke fewell apparrell and such needefull charges all the lands which he euer purchased being as my vncle Rooper well knew not aboue the value of twentie markes by the yeare and after his debts payde he had not of my vncle's owne knowledge his Chayne excepted in golde and siluer left him the worth of one hundred pounds Wherefore his Children went to their owne liuings all but my vncle Rooper my aunte who liued in the house next vnto him 8. And how really he had desired himselfe to resigne vp his place of Chancellourshipp partely for the aboue mentioned consideratiō and partely also for his owne content quiett enioying of himself may well appeare in that he so much liked and highly commended the like deede in William Warrham that worthie Archbishopp of Canterburie immediately before Card. Wolsey as by this letter vnto him is to be seene I haue alvvaies esteemed your most reuerend Fatherhood happie in your courses not only vvhen you executed vvith great renovvne the office of Chancellourshipp but also more happie novv vvhen being ridde of that great care you haue betaken yourself to a most vvished quiettnesse the better to liue to yourself and to serue God more easily such aquietnesse I say that is not only more pleasing then all these troublesome businesses but also more honourable farre in my iudgement then all those honours vvhich you then enioyed For manie men and amongst those some vvicked men also may oftentimes be raised to great offices but vvhen you had that high Office of Chancellourshipp vvhich as all others of the like kinde are is of that nature that the more authoritie and povver one hath vvhilst he doth beare it the more slaunders he is subiect vnto hauing left it to resigne such an office voluntarily vvhich yet your Fatherhood could scarce gett leaue to doe vvith all the meanes you could vse none but a modest minded man vvould nor anie but a guiltlesse man dare doe Wherefore manie and amongst them myself doe applaude and admire this your acte vvhich proceeded from a minde I knovve not vvhether more modest in that you vvould vvillingly forsake so magnificent a place or more heroicall in that you could contemne it or more innocent in that yon feared not to depose yourself from it but surely most excellent and prudent it vvas to do so for vvhich your rare deede I cannot vtter vnto you hovv I reioyce for your sake and hovv much I congratulate you for it seing your Fatherhood to enioye so honourable a fame and to haue obtayned so rare a glorie by sequestring yourselfe farre from all vvorldlie businesses from all tumult of Causes and to bestovve the rest of your daies vvith a peaceable conscience for all your life past in a quiett calmenesse giuing yourselfe vvholy to your booke and to true Christian philosophie vvhich pleasing and contented state of yours my ovvne miserie causeth me daily more and more to thinke of vvho although I haue no businesses vvorth the talking of and yet he was then one of the King 's priuie Counsell Threasurer of the exchecker and employed in manie embassages yet because vveake forces are easily oppressed vvith small matters I am so troubled daily vvith businesses that I haue not as much as once leasure to visite your Fatherhood or to excuse myself therefore by letter and scarcely was I able to write this vnto you by vvhich I vvas to commende this my little booke of Vtopia vnto your most reuerende Fatherhood vvhich an Antwerpian friend of mine loue svvaying his iudgement hath thought fitt to be published and hath putt it in printe vvithout my priuitie being rather hudled vp then polished vvhich I vvas emboldened to sende to you though it be vnvvorthie of your learning experience and dignitie relying on your courteous nature vvhich is vvont to conster to the best euerie man's endeauoures also trusting in your tryed loue tovvards me by which I hope though the vvorke itself should not like you that yet for the authors sake you vvill fauour it Farevvell most honourable prelate A little after this time he wrote thus to Erasmus I haue a good vvhile expected if anie man could accuse me of anie thing since the deposing myself of the Chancellourshipp and as yet no man hath come forth to complaine of anie my iniustice either I haue bene so innocent or so craftie that my aduersaries must needes suffer me to glorie in the one if they cannot abide I should do so in the other Yea this the king's maiestie also as vvell in priuate discourse often as also tvvice in publike hath vvittnessed for that vvhich shamefastnesse vvill not suffer me to speake of myself he commaunded the most noble Duke of Norfolke high Threasurer of England vvhen my successour an excellent man vvas settled in my place to testifye this to all the assemblie that he had hardly at my earnest intreatie suffered me to lett the office goe and not content vvith that singular fauour in my behalfe he caused the same againe to be spoken of in his ovvne presence vvhen in the audience of a publike meeting of the Nobilitie and people my successour recited his first speach as the custome is in the assemblie of all the Estates vvhich vve call the Parlement He writeth also to Erasmus in another letter thus That vvhich I haue from a childe vnto this day almost continually vvished my most deare Desiderius that being freed from the troublesome businesses of publike affayres I might liue some vvhile only to God and myselfe I haue novv by the especiall grace of almightie God and the fauour of my most indulgent prince obtayned And then hauing spoken somewhat of the weakenesse of his health he goes on saying Hauing these things often in my head either that I vvas to depose myself of the office or that I should fayle in the performāce of my dutie therein seing that I could not dispatche those affaires but that I must endanger my life
grandchildren though they liue not in great abundance yet haue they God be blessed sufficient to maintaine the estate of honest Gentlemen which God of his mercie continue 3. Now had King Henry also chosen an Archbishop of Canterbury for his owne tooth promoted by the King as I haue heard say at a beare-bayting soone after VVarham's death his name was Thomas Cranmer Anne Bullen's Chaplaine a man wholy bent to fullfill the king's pleasure in all things By his counsell Q. Marie was after disinherited and all men were sworne to the succession of Q. Anne's issue and to renounce the Pope's authoritie by acknowledging king Henry and his Successours supreme head of the church of England Vnto this man there was Commission granted vnder the great Seale to determine the marriage who had a conscience large enough to putt in execution what the king did fancie sitting at S. Albans about this new match all things were easily accorded The king pretended that he could gett no iustice at the Pope's hands wherefore from thenceforth he sequestred himself and his kingdome from the Sea of Rome marrying Q. Anne in priuate for she was not sollemnely carried through London before she was great with childe of Q. Elizabeth Thus euerie man may see the cause of our breach from Rome the vnion whereof had cōtinued more then nine hundred yeares euer since holie Pope Gregorie first conuerted vs would haue remayned God knowes how long if that either king Henry would not haue cast his liking vpon a wanton damsell or else the Pope's conscience could haue stretched to dispense with a king to haue two wiues togeather for the king still would praise his former wife and tearme her a vertuous woman only forsooth scruple of cōscience was pretēded but he could not see anie cause of scruple in breaking his promise vpon his appeale whereby he professed he would stay vntill the determination of a generall Counsell to which from the Pope he had already appealed As soone as Sir THOMAS had heard that king Henry was married he sayd to my vncle Roper God giue grace sonne that these matters within a while be not confirmed with oathes My vncle then although he saw likeliehood thereof yet fearing alwaies that that would fall out which Sir THOMAS foretolde waxed for these wordes verie sore grieued For he had manie times had experience that he spoke prophetically of diuerse things 4. Before that Q. Anne should be carried in triumphe from the Tower to Westminster through the streetes of London with manie pagents sumptuous shewes which proued after but a may-game Sir THOMAS receaued a letter from three greate Bishops Durham VVinchester Bath requesting him both to keepe them companie to her Coronation and also to take twentie pounds which by the bearer thereof they had sent him to buy him a gowne the money he thankefully receaued yet stayde he still at home and at their next meeting he sayd merrily thus vnto them In the letter my Lords which you lately sent me you requested two things of me the one whereof I was well content to graunt you that the other I might the bolder denye and like as the one because I tooke you for no beggars and my selfe I knew to be no rich man I thought the rather to fullfill so the other putt me in minde of an Emperour that ordained a law that whosoeuer had committed a certaine offence which now I remember not except she were a virgin should suffer death for it such reuerence had he to virginitie now it happened that the first that offended in that crime was a virgin which the Emperour hearing of was in a perplexitie as he that by some example would fayne haue that law putt in execution Wherevpon when his counsell had sitt long debating this case very sollemnely suddenly rose there vp one plaine man of the Counsell and sayd why make you so much adoe my lords about so small a matter lett her be deflowred and after deuoured So though your Lordshipps haue in the matter of this marriage hitherto kept your selues virgins yet take heede you keepe your virginitie still for some there be that by procuring your Lordshipps first to be present at the Coronatiō next to preache for the setting forth thereof finally to write bookes in defence of it are desirous to deflowre you and when they haue deflowred you they will not fayle soone after to deuoure you As for myself it lyeth not in my power but that they may deuoure me but God being my good Lord I will prouide so that they shall neuer deflower me In which speach he most liuely prophecieth both of all the Bishopp's fall to Schisme which after befell and his owne death which followed not long after These wordes of his it is probable that they came to Q. Anne's eares who as impatient as an Herodias not abiding that anie in the realme should finde fault with her greate catche she incensed King Henrie more against Sir THOMAS MORE then anie other man And a moneth after this sollemnitie was not past but she gott him to be sent prisonner to the Tower little knowing that her Fortune's wheele would soone turne after When the king perceaued he could not winne Sir THOMAS to the bent of his lust by no manner of benefitts then loe the fayre sun-shine day of his fauours became ouercast and there ensued a terrible storme he now going about by terrours and threates to driue him to consent vnto it full little imagining that he was a steadie rocke against which noe waues of his rage could preuaile But marke how Sir THOMAS prepared himself for this valiant combat hauing giuen ouer his office of Chancellourshipp he neuer busied himself in State-matters anie more but gaue himself wholy during that yeare which was betweene that and his troubles not only to confute heretikes as I haue sayd but also addicted himselfe to great acts of mortification prayer and pietie he lessened his familie placing his men in other seruices he soulde his housholde stuffe to the value of one hundred pounds he disposed his Children into their owne houses As he lay by his wife's side manie nights he slept not forethinking the worst that could happen vnto him and by his praiers and teares he ouercame the frayltie of his flesh which as he confesseth of himself could not endure a fillipp He hired a pursiuant to come suddenly to his house when he was one time at dinner and knocking hastily at his doore to warne him the next day to appeare before the Commissioners to arme his familie the better to future calamitie imitating herein the acte of S. Iohn the Almes-giuer who hired a man to come to him at meales to tell him that his graue was not yet finished and that he should take order for it for the hower of death was vncertaine 5. But see how the beginning of this trouble
Christ in S. Matthew then which there can be imagined nothing more precious which without doubt he enioyeth for all eternitie 7. Now there was another parlement called where in there was a bill putt into the Lower house to attaynte the nunne and manie other religious men of high treason and Bishopp Fisher with Sir THOMAS MORE of misprision of treason which bill the King supposed would be so terrible to Sir THOMAS that it would force him to relente and condescende vnto him But therein he was much deceaued for first Sir THOMAS sued that he might be admitted into the Parlement to make his owne defence personally which the king not liking of graunted the hearing of this Cause to my Lo of Canterburie the Lo Chancellour the Duke of Norfolke and Mr. Cromvvell who appointing Sir THOMAS to appeare before them my vncle Roper requested his father earnestly to labour vnto them that he might be putt out of the parlement bill who answered then that he would but at his coming thither he neuer once entreated them for it when he came into their preseÌ„ce they entertained him very courteously requesting him to sitt downe with them which in no case he would then the Lo Chancellour beganne to tell him how manie waies the king's maiestie had shewed his loue and fauour towards him how gladly he would haue had him continue in his office how desirous he was to haue heaped still more and more benefittes vpon him and finally that he could aske no worldlie honour and profitt at his Highnesse's hands but that it was probable that he should obtaine it hoping by these words declaring the king's affection towards him to stirre Sir THOMAS vp to recompence the king with the like by adding his consent vnto the king's which the Parlement the Bishopps and manie Vniuersities had already consented vnto Wherevnto Sir THOMAS mildely made this answer that there vvas no man liuing that vvould vvith better vvill doe anie thing vvhich should be acceptable to his Highnesse then he vvho must needes confesse his manifolde bountie and liberall guifts plentifully bestovved vpon him hovv be it he verily hoped that he should neuer haue heard of this matter anie more considering that from the beginning he had so plainely and truly declared his minde vnto his maiestie vvhich his highnesse of his benigne clemencie had euer seemed like a gracious prince very vvell to accept of neuer minding as he sayd vnto him to molest him anie more therevvith since vvhich time sayd he I neuer found anie further matter to moue me to anie change and if I could sayd he there is not one in the vvhole vvorld vvhich vvould haue bene more ioyfull for it Many speaches hauing passed to and fro on both sides in the ende when they saw euidently that they could not remoue him from his former determination by no manner of perswasion then beganne they more terribly to threaten him saying the king's maiestie had giuen them in commaunde expressely yf they could by no gentle meanes winne him that they should in his name with greate indignatioÌ„ charge him that neuer there was seruant so villanous to his Soueraigne nor anie subiect so trayterous to his prince as he For by his subtile and sinister sleights he had most vnnaturally procured and prouoked the king to sett forth a booke of the assertion of the Seauen Sacraments and for the maintenance of the Pope's authoritie so that he had caused his Maiestie to putt a sword in to the Pope's hands to fight against himselfe to his greate dishonour in all the partes of Christendome Now when they had displayed all their malice threates against him my Lord sayd Sir THOMAS these terrours be frights for children and not for me but to ansvver that vvhere vvith you chiefely burtheÌ„ me I belieue the king's Highnesse of his honour vvill neuer lay that booke to my charge for there is none that can in that point say more for my discharge then himselfe vvho right vvell knovveth that I neuer was procurer promotour nor counseler of his Maiestie therevnto only after it vvas finished by his Grace's appointment and the consent of the makers of the same I only sorted out and placed in order the principall matters therein wherein vvhen I had found the Popes authoritie highly aduanced and vvith strong arguments mightily defended I sayd thus to his Grace I must putt your Highnesse in remembrance of one thing and that is this the Pope as your Maiestie vvell knovveth is a Prince as you are in league with all other Christian princes it may hereafter fall out that your Grace and he may varie vpon some points of the league vvhere vpon may grovve breache of amâ—tâ—e and vvarre betvveene you both therefore I thinke it best that that place be amended and his authoritie more slenderly touched Nay quoth his Grace that shall it not vve are so much bound to the Sea of Rome that vve cannot doe to much honour vnto it Then did I further putt him in minde of our statute of Praemunire vvhereby a good parte of the Pope's authoritie pastoral cure vvas payred avvay to vvhich his Maiestie ansvvered vvhatsoeuer impediment be to the contrarie vve vvill sett forth that authoritie to the vttermost For vve haue receaued from that Sea our Crovvne Imperiall vvhich till his Grace vvith his ovvne mouth so tolde me I neuer heard before Which things vvell considered I trust vvhen his Maiestie shal be truly informed thereof and call to his gracious remembrance my sayings and doings in that behalfe his Highnesse vvill neuer speake more of it but vvill cleare me himselfe with which wordes they with great displeasure dismissed him parted 8. Then tooke Sir THOMAS his boate to Chelsey wherein by the way he was verie merrie and my vncle Rooper was not sorrie to see it hoping that he had gotten himself discharged out of the bill When he was landed and come home they walked in his gardin where my vncle sayd vnto him I trust Sir all is well because you are so merrie It is so indeede soÌ„ne I thanke God Are you then Sir putt out of the parlement Bill sayd my vncle by my troth sonne I neuer remembred it Neuer remembred that sayd he that toucheth you and vs all so neare I am verie sorie to heare it For I trusted all had bene well when I saw you so merrie Wouldst thou knowe sonne why I am so ioyfull In good Faith I reioyce that I haue giueÌ„ the diuell a fowle fall because I haue with those Lords gone so farre that without great shame I can neuer goe back This was the cause of his ioye not the ridding himself of troubles but the confidence he had in God that he would giue him strength willingly to suffer anie thing for Christs sake that he might say with Christ IESVS Desiderio desideraui c. I thirst greatly to drinke of the Cuppe of Christ's passion
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
Supremacie and marriage was comprized in few wordes in the first Statute the Lo Chancellour and Mr. Secretarie did of their owne heads adde more wordes vnto it to make it seeme more plausible to the king's eares and this Oath so amplifyed they had exhibited to Sir THOMAS and others of which their deede Sir THOMAS sayde to his daughter I may tell thee Megg that they who haue committed me hither for refusing an oath not agreable with their owne statute are not able by their owne law to instifye mine imprisonment wherefore it is great pittie that anie Christian prince should be drawen to followe his affections by flexible counsell and by a weake Clergie lacking grace for want of which they stande weakely to their learning abuse themselues with flatterie so shamefully Which wordes coming to the Councell's eares they caused another Statute espying their ouersight to be enacted with all these conditions Another time looking out of his windowe to beholde one Mr. Reynolds a religious learned and vertuous Father of Sion and three monkes of the Charterhouse going forth of the Tower to their executiō for now king Henry beganne to be fleshed in bloud hauing putt to death the Nunne and diuerse others and manie after for the Supremacie and his marriage Sir THOMAS as one that longed to accompanie them in that iourney sayde to his daughter thē standing besides him Loe doest not thou see Megg that these blessed Fathers be now as chearefully going to death as if they were bridegroomes going to be married whereby good daughter thou maist see what a great difference there is betweene such as haue in effect spent all their daies in a straight hard and penitentiall life religiously and such as haue in the world like worldlie wretches as thy poore father hath donne consumed all their time in pleasure and ease licentiously For God considering their lōg continued life in most sore and grieuous pennance will not suffer them anie longer to remaine in this vale of miserie but taketh them speedily hence to the fruitiō of his euerlasting deitie whereas thy sillie father who hath most like a wicked Caytife passed forth most sinfully the whole course of his miserable life God thinketh him not worthie to come so soone to that eternall felicitie but leaueth him still in the world further to be plunged and turmoiled with miserie By which most humble and heauenlie meditation we may easily guesse what a spirite of Charitie he had gotten by often meditations that euerie sight brought him new matter to practise most heroicall resolutions Within a while after this Mr. Secretarie coming to him from the king who still gaped more for Sir THOMAS his relenting then all his other subiects pretended much friendshipp towards Sir THOMAS and for his comfort tolde him that the king was his good and gratious Lord and minded not to vrge him to anie matter wherein he should haue anie cause of scruple from thenceforth to trouble his consciēce As soone as M. Secretarie was gone to expresse what comfort he receaued of his words he wrote with a coale as he did vsually manie other letters because all his Inke had bene taken from him by the king's expresse commaundement certaine wittie verses which are printed in his booke All the while Sir THOMAS was in the Tower he was not idle but busied himself in writing with a coale for the most parte spirituall treatises as the Three bookes of Comfort in Tribulation where in a dialogue manner vnder the names of two Hungarians fearing the Turkes running ouer their Countrie who had made great preparations therefore he paynteth out in liuelie coulours both the danger that England stoode then in to be ouerwhelmed with heresie and how good Catholikes should prepare themselues to loose libertie life and lands and whatsoeuer can be most deare vnto them rather then to forsake their fayth It is a most excellent booke full of spirituall and forcible motiues expressing liuely Sir THOMAS his singular resolution to apply all those holesome medicines to himself now being readie to practise in deede whatsoeuer he setteth downe in wordes 4. When he had remained a good while in the Tower my Ladie his wife obtained leaue to see him that he might haue more motiues to breake his conscience who at the first comming to him like a plaine rude woman and somewhat worldlie too in this māner beganne bluntely to salute him What the good yeare Mr. More I maruell that you who haue bene hitherto alwaies taken for a wise man will now so play the foole as to lie here in this close filthie prison and be content to be shutt vp thus with mice and ratts when you might be abroad at your libertie with the fauour and good will both of the king and the Councell if you would but doe as all the bishopps best learned of his realme haue donne and seing you haue at Chelsey a right fayre house your librarie your bookes your gallerie your gardine your orchard and all other necessaries so handsome about you where you might in companie of me your wife your Children and housholde be merrie I muse what a Gods name you meane here still thus fondly to tarrie After he had a good while heard her he sayd vnto her with a chearefull countenance I pray thee good Mris Alice tell me one thing What is that sayth she Is not this house as neare heauen as mine ovvne she āswering after her custome Tillie vallie tillie vallie he replyed how sayst thou Mris Alice is it not so indeede Bone Deus man will this geare neuer be left Well then Mris Alice if it be so I see no great cause vvhy I should much ioye either of my fayre house or anie thing belonging therevnto vvhen if I should be but seauen yeares buried vnder the ground and rise and come thither againe he might haue sayd but seauen moneths I should not fayle to finde some therein that vvould bid me gett me out of doores and tell me plainely that it vvere none of mine what cause haue I then to like such a house as vvould so soone forgett his Maister Againe tell me Mris Alice how long doe you thinke may we liue and enioye it Some twentie yeares sayd she Truly replyed he yf you had sayd some thousand yeares it had bene somewhat and yet he vvere a very bad marchant that vvould putt himself in danger to leese eternitie for a thousand yeares hovv much the rather if vve are not sure to enioy it one day to an ende And thus her perswasions moued him but a little thinking of those wordes of Iob to his wife tempting him quasi vna ex stultis mulieribus locuta est Not long after this came there to him at two seuerall times the Lord Chancellour the Duke of Norfolke and Suffolke with Mr. Secretarie and certaine others of the Priuie Councell to procure him by all meanes and policies they could either to confesse
second before the Lo Chancellour Duke of Suffolke Earle of Wiltshire and others before whome he compared that Oath to a two-edged sword for if he should take it his soule should be wounded yf he refused it his bodie That he had written letters to Bishopp Fisher to perswade him therein because their answers were alike vpon all which it was concluded that Sir THOMAS was a traytour to his Prince and realme for denying the king's supreme Iurisdiction in ecclesiasticall gouernement presently after this Inditement was read the Lo Chancellour and the Duke of Norfolke spoke to this effect vnto him you see now how grieuously you haue offended his Maiestie Yet he is so merciefull that yf you will lay away your obstinacie and change your opinion we hope you may obtaine pardon of his highnesse Whereto the stoute Champion of Christ replyed Most noble Lords I haue great cause to thanke your Honours for this your courtesie but I beseech Almightie god that I may continue in the minde I am in through his grace vnto death by which three words he exercised the actes of three vertues humanitie pietie and fortitude shewing himself a Ciuile man a godlie Christian and a noble Confessour of Christ's truth 2. After this he was suffered to saye what he could in his owne defence and then he beganne in this forte When I thinke hovv long my accusation is and vvhat haynous matters are-layed to my charge I am stroken vvith feare least my memorie and vvitt both vvhich are decayed togeather vvith the health of my bodie through a long impediment contracted by my imprisonmēt be not novv able to ansvver these things on the suddaine as I ought and othervvise could After this there was brought him a chaire in which when he was sate he beganne againe thus There are foure principall heads yf I be not deceaued of this my Inditement euerie of vvhich I purpose God vvilling to ansvver in order To the first that is obiected against me to vvitt that I haue bene an enemie of a stubbernesse of minde to the king's second marriage I confesse that I alvvaies tolde the king my opinion therein as my conscience dictated vnto me vvhich I neither euer vvould nor ought to haue concealed for vvhich I am so farre from thinking myself guiltie of high treason as that of the contrarie I being demaunded my opinion by so great a prince in a matter of such importance vvherevpon the quietnesse of a kingdome dependeth I should haue basely flattered him against mine ovvne cōscience and not vttered the truth as I thought then I should vvorthily haue bene accounted a most vvicked subiect and a perfidious trayter to God yf herein I had offended the king if it can be an offence to tell one's minde plainely vvhen our prince asketh vs I suppose I haue bene alreadie punished enough for this falte vvith most grieuous afflictions vvith the losse of all my goods and committed to perpetuall imprisonment hauing bene shutt vp alreadie almost these 15. monethes My second accusation is that I haue transgressed the Statute in the last parlement that is to say being a prisonner and tvvice examined by the Lords of the Councell I vvould not disclose vnto them my opinion of a malignant perfidious obstinate and trayterous minde vvhether the king vvere supreame head of the Church or no but ansvvered them that this lavv belonged not not to me vvhether it vvere iust or vniust because I did not enioye anie benefice from the churche yet I then protested that I neuer had sayd or donne anie thing against it neither can anie one vvord or action of mine be produced to make me culpable yea this I confesse vvas then my speach vnto their Honours that I hereafter vvould thinke of nothing else but of the bitter passion of our blessed Sauiour and of my passage out of this miserable vvorld I vvishe no harme to anie and yf this will not keep me aliue I desire not to liue by all vvhich I knovve that I could not transgresse anie lavv or incurre anie crime of treason for neither this Statute nor anie lavv in the vvorld can punish anie man for holding his peace for they only can punish either words or deedes God only being Iudge of our secrett thoughts Of which words because they were vrgent indeede the king's Atturnie interrupted him and sayd Although we haue not one word or deede of yours to obiect against you yet haue we your silence which is an euident signe of a malicious minde because no dutiefull subiect being lawfully asked this question will refuse to answer To which Sir THOMAS replyed saying my silēce is no signe of anie malicious minde vvhich the king himself may knovv by manie of my dealings neither doth it conuince anie man of breache of your lavv For it is a maxime amongst the Ciuilians and Canonists Qui tacet consentire videtur he that holdeth his peace seemeth to consente And as for that you say no good subiect will refuse to ansvver directly I thinke it verily the dutie of a good subiect except he be such a subiect as vvill be an euill Christian rather to obey God then man to haue more care of offending his Conscience then of anie other matter in the vvorld especially if his Conscience procure neither heauie scandall nor sedition to his Prince or Coūtrie as mine hath not donne for I here proteste vnfaynedly that I neuer reuealed it to anie man liuing I novv come to the third Capitall matter of my Inditement vvhereby I am accused that I malitiously attempted trayterously endeauoured and perfidiously practised against this Statute as the vvordes thereof affirme because I vvrote eight sundrie packetts of letters vvhilst I vvas in the Tovver vnto Bishopp Fisher by vvhich I exhorted him to breake the same lavve and induced him to the like obstinacie I vvould haue these letters produced and read against me vvhich may either free me or conuince me of a lye But because you say the Bishopp burnt them all I vvill here tell the truth of the vvhole matter some vvere only of priuate matters as about our olde friendshipp and acquaintance one of them vvas in ansvver to his vvhereby he desired of me to knovve hovv I had ansvvered in my examinations to this Oath of Supremacie touching which this only I vvrote vnto him againe that I had already settled my conscience lett him settle his to his ovvne good liking and no other ansvver I gaue him God is my vvittnesse as God I hope shall saue this my soule and this I trust is no breache of your lavves The last obiected crime is that being examined in the tovver I did say that this lavv vvas like a tvvo-edged svvord for in cōsenting thereto I should endanger my soule in refusing it I should leese my life vvhich ansvver because B. Fisher made the like it is euidently gathered as you say that vve both cōspired togeather
Whereto I replye that my ansvver there vvas but Conditionall yf there be danger in both either to allovve or disallovve this Statute and therefore like a tvvo-edged svvord it seemeth a hard thing that it should be offered to me that neuer haue hitherto contradicted it either in vvord or deede These vvere my vvordes What the Bishopp ansvvered I knovve not Yf his ansvver vvere like mine it proceeded not from anie Conspiracie of ours but from the likenesse of our vvitts learning To conclude I vnfaynedly auouche that I never spake vvord against this lavv to anie liuing man although perhaps the king's Maiestie hath bene tolde the contrarie 3. To this full answer the Atturnye did not replye anie more but the word Malice was in the mouth of all the Courte but noe man could produce either word or deede to proue it yet for all this clearing of himself for a last proofe to the Iurie that Sir THOMAS was guiltie Mr. Rich was called forth to giue euidence vnto them vpon his oath which he did forthwith affirming that which we haue spokē of before in their Communication in the Tower against whome now sworne and forsworne Sir THOMAS beganne in this wise to speake Yf I were a man my Lords that did not regarde an oath I needed not at this time in this place as is well knowē vnto euerie one to stande as an accused person And yf this oath Mr. Rich which you haue taken be true then I pray that I neuer see God in the face which I would not say were it otherwise to gaine the whole world Then did he recite before all the Courte the whole discourse of all their Communication in the Tower according as it was truly sincerely adding this In good fayth Mr. Rich I am more sorie for your periurie then for mine owne perill and knowe you that neither I nor anie man else to my knowledge euer tooke you to be a man of such creditt as either I or anie other would vouchsafe to communicate with you in anie matter of importance You knowe that I haue bene acquaynted with your manner of life and conuersation a long space euen from your youth to this time for we dwelt long togeather in one parish where as yourself can well tell I am sorie you compelle me to speake it you were alwaies esteemed very light of your toung a greate dycer and gamester not of anie commendable fame either there or at your house in the Temple where hath bene your bringing vp Can it therefore seeme likelie to your Hon ble Lordshipps that in so weightie a Cause I should so vnaduisedly ouershoote myselfe as to trust Mr. Rich a man alwaies reputed of me for one of so little truth and honestie so farre aboue my Soueraigne Lord the king to whome I am so deepely indebted for his manifolde fauours or anie of his noble and graue Counsellours that I would declare only to Mr. Rich the secretts of my Conscience touching the king's Supremacie the speciall poynt and onlie marke so long sought for at my hands which I neuer did nor neuer would reueale after the Statute once made either to the king's highnesse himselfe or to anie of his noble Councellours as it is well knowen to your Honours who haue bene sent for no other purpose at sundrie seuerall times from his Maiesties person to me in the tower I referre it to your iudgements my Lords whether this can seeme a thing credible to anie of you And yf I had donne as Mr. Rich hath sworne seing it was spoken but in familiar secret talke affirming nothing but only in putting of Cases without anie vnpleasing circumstances it cannot iustly be taken to be spoken maliciously and where there is no malice there can be no offence Besides this my Lords I cannot thinke that so manie worthie Bishops so manie honourable personages so manie worshippfull vertuous and well learned men as were in the Parlemēt assembled at the making of that law euer meant to haue anie man punished by death in whome there could be found no malice taking malitia for maleuolentia for if malitia be taken in a generall significacion for anie sinne no man there is that can excuse himselfe thereof Wherefore this very word malitiously is only materiall in this Statute as the word forcible is in the Statute of forcible entrie for in that Case if anie enter peaceably and putt his aduersarie out forcibly it is no offence but if he enter forcibly he shall be punished by that Statute Besides all the vnspeakable goodnesse of the king's highnesse towards me who hath bene so manie wayes my singular good Lord and gracious Soueraigne he I say who hath so dearely loued trusted me euen from my first coming into his royall seruice vouchsafing to grace me with the dignitie of being one of his Priuie Councell and hath most liberally aduanced me to offices of great Creditt and worshipp finally with the chiefe dignitie of his Maiestie's high Chancellour the like whereof he neuer did to anie Temporall man before which is the highest office in this noble realme and next to his royall person so farre aboue my meritts and qualities honouring and exalting me of his incomparable benignitie by the space of these twentie yeares and aboue shewing his continuall fauours towards me and now at last it hath pleased his Highnesse at mine owne humble suite to giue me licence with his Maiestie's fauour to bestowe the residue of my life in the seruice of God for the better prouision of my soule to discharge and disburthen me of that weightie dignitie before which he had still heaped honours more and more vpon me all this his highnesse's bountie so long and so plentiefully powred vpon me were in my minde matter sufficient to conuince this slaunderous accusation so wrongfully by this man surmized and vrged against me which I committ to your Lordshipps honourable consideracions whether this oath be likelie or not to be true Mr. Rich seing himselfe so euidently to be disproued and his Creditt so fowlely defaced caused Sr. Richard Southvvell Mr. Palmer who in the time of their communication were in the same chamber with them two to be there sworne what words had passed betweene them wherevpon Mr. Palmer vpon his deposition sayd that he was so busie in the thrusting vp of Sir THOMAS's bookes in to a sacke that he tooke no heede to their talke Sr. Richard Southvvell also sayde likewise that because he was appointed only to looke to the conueying of the bookes he gaue no eare vnto them And after all this Sir THOMAS alleaged manie other reasons in his owne defence to the vtter discreditt of Mr. Riche's foresayde euidence and for proofe of the clearenesse of his owne Conscience 4. But for all that euer he could doe or say the Iurie of Twelue men whose names were Sr. Thomas Palmer Sr. Thomas Peirt George Louell esquier Thomas Burbage esquier
discomforted for I trust we shall once see eache other full merrily where we shall be sure to liue and loue togeather in eternall blisse And further to putt him out of his melancholie Sir THOMAS MORE tooke his vrinall in his hand and casting his water sayd merrily I see no danger but this man may liue longer yf it had pleased the king After which words they parted and when he was gone Sir THOMAS as one that had bene inuited to a sollemne bankett changed himselfe into his best apparrell putt on his silke Chamlett gowne which his intire friend Mr. Antonie Bonuise a noble Cittizen of the State of Luca in Italie to whome he wrote the letter as is late spoken of before gaue him whilst he was in Tower Mr. Lieutenant seing him prepare himselfe so to his death counselled him for his owne benefitt to putt them of againe saying that he who should haue them was but a Iauill What Mr. Lieutenant sayd Sir THOMAS shall I accounte him a Iauell who will doe me this day so singular a benefitt Nay I assure you were it cloath of golde I would thinke it well bestowed on him For S. Cyprian that famous Bishop of Carthage gaue his executioner thirtie pieces of golde because he knewe he should procure vnto him an vnspeakable good turne Yet for all this Mr. Lieutenant so pressed him that at last being loath for friendshipps sake to denye him so small a matter he altered his gowne and putt on a gowne of Friese but yet he sent of that little mony which was left him one Angell of golde to the hangman in token that he maliced him nothing but rather loued him exceedingly for it 5. He was therefore brought about nine of the clocke by Mr. Lieutenant out of the Tower his beard being long which fashion he neuer had before vsed his face pale and leane carrying in his hands a read Crosse casting his eyes often towards heauen As he thus passed by a good woman's house she came forth and offered him a cuppe of wine which he refused saying Christ at his passion drunke no wine but gall and vinager There came another woman after him crying vnto him for certaine bookes which she had giuen to his custodie when he was Lo Chancellour To whome he sayd Good woman haue patience but for one hower's space and by that time the king's Maiestie will ridde me or the care I haue for thy papers and all other matters whatsoeuer Another woman suborned thereto as some thinke by his aduersaries to disgrace him followed him also crying out against him that he had donne her great iniurie when he had bene Lo Chancellour to whome he gaue the answer that he remembred her cause very well and that if he were now to giue sentence thereof he would not alter what he had already donne Last of all there came a Cittizen of Winchester who in times past hauing bene greately troubled with grieuous temptatiōs of despayre was brought by a friend of his to Sir THOMAS MORE when he was Lo Chancellour who though he could not before by anie holesome counsell alter this his minde yet Sir THOMAS MORE promising him to pray for him he was for the space of three yeares free from all such temptations When Sir THOMAS was committed and he could gett no leaue to haue accesse vnto him his temptations grew so greate that he often sought to haue bene the cruell murderer of himselfe but now hearing Sir THOMAS was to be executed he came to London and ranne to Sir THOMAS as he was carryed to execution desiring him with great earnestnesse that he would helpe him by his praiers for his temptation was come againe vnto him and he could not possibly ridde himself thereof to whome Sir THOMAS spake thus goe and praye for me and I will carefully pray for you He went away with confidence and he neuer after was troubled with the like againe Being now brought to the scaffolde whereō he was to be beheaded it seemed to him so weake that it was readie to fall wherefore he sayd merrily to Mr. Lieutenant I pray you Sir see me safe vp and for my coming downe lett me shift for my selfe When he beganne to speake a little to the people which were in great troopes there to heare and see him he was interrupted by the Sheriffe Wherefore briefely he desired all the people to pray for him and to beare wittnesse with him that he there dyed in and for the fayth of the holie Catholike Church a faythfull seruant both of God and the king Hauing spoken but this he kneeled downe and pronounced with great deuotion the Miserere psalme which being ended he chearefully rose vp and the executioner asking him forgiuenesse he kissed him saying Thou wilt doe me this day a greater benefitt then euer anie mortall man can be able to giue me pluck vp thy spiritt man and be not afrayed to do thy office my neck is very short take heede therefore that thou strike not awry for sauing thy honestie When the executioner would haue couered his eyes he sayd I will couer them myselfe and presently he did so with a cloath that he had brought with him for the purpose then laying his head vpon the blocke he bad the executioner stay vntill he had remoued aside his beard saying that that had neuer committed anie treason So with great alacritie and spirituall ioy he receaued the fatall blow of the axe which no sooner had seuered the head from the bodie but his soule was carryed by Angels into euerlasting glorie where a Crowne of martyrdome was putt vpon him which can neuer fade nor decay And then he found those words true with he had often spoken that a man may leese his head and haue no harme yea I say vnspeakeable good and endelesse happinesse 6. When newes of his death was brought to the king who was at that time playing at tables Anne Bullen looking on he cast his eye vpon her and sayd thou art the cause of this man's death and presenrly leauing his play he be tooke himself to his chamber and therevpon fell into a fitt of melancholie but whether this were from his hart or to seeme lesse cruell then he was indeede I can hardly coniecture for on the one side the remembrance of his faythfull seruice so manie yeares employed for the whole realme's benefitt could not but make the king sorrowfull and on the other side the vnmerciefull dealing with his sonne and heyre his small allowance to his wife his pittielesse crueltie against all his children sheweth that he had an implacable hatred against him because that he would not consent vnto his lustfull courses of which we will speake more largely when we haue discoursed of his buriall His head was putt vpō Lōdon-bridge where as trayters heads are sett vp vpon poles his bodie was buried in the Chappell of S. Peter which is in
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
a booke of the Spiritualtie and the Temporaltie of which booke the bretheren made greate store and blamed Sir THOMAS MORE that he had not in writing vsed such a softe and milde manner and such indifferent fashion as the same person did By which occasion Sir THOMAS MORE discourseth vpon the same booke the authour whereof pretendeth to make a pacification of the aforesayd diuision and discorde and openeth manie faultes and follies and false slaunders against the Clergie vnder a holie conclusion and pretence of pacificatiō in the sayd bookes To which discourse of Sir THOMAS MORE 's there came an answer afterwards in printe vnder the title of Salem and Bizanze to the which Sir THOMAS MORE replyed and so dressed this prettie proper politike pacifyer that he had no list nor anie man for him afterwards to encounter with the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE The pleasant and wittie declaration of the title of the sayd booke of Sir THOMAS MORE 's because the booke is seldome and rare to be gott I will now gentle reader sett before thine eies The sayd title is framed in this sorte The debellation of Salem and Bizanze sometime two greate townes which being vnder the Turke were betweene Easter and Michelmas last 1533. by a maruelous metamorphose and enchantment turned into Englishmen by the wonderfull inuentiue witt and witchcraft of Sir Iohn Somesay the Pacifyer and so conueyed by him hither in a dialogue to defende his diuision against Sir THOMAS MORE knight but now being thus betweene Michelmas and Allhallovvntide next ensuing the debellation vanquished they are fledde hence and are become two townes againe with these olde names changed Salem into Hierusalem and Bizanze into Constantinople the one in Greece the other in Syria where they may see them that will and winne them that can and yf this Pacifyer conuey thē hither againe and ten such townes embatteled with them in Dialogues Sir THOMAS MORE hath vndertaken to putt himselfe in aduenture against them all but yf he lett them tarrie still there he will not vtterly forsweare it but he is not in the minde age now coming on and he waxing vnweldie to goe thither to giue the assaulte to such wellwalled townes without some such lustie companie as shal be likelie to leape vt a little more lightly This is the title of the aforesayd booke and that indeede Sir THOMAS MORE hath most valiantly discomfited the Pacifyer and ouerthrowen his two great townes may easily appeare to such as will vouchsafe to reade Sir THOMAS MORE 's answer the circumstances and particularities whereof to sett downe would make our present treatise to growe too bigg I will only shew you one declaration or two whereby you may make some ayme to iudge of the whole doing of the sayd Pacifyer yf it were so sayth the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE that one found two men standing togeather and would steppein betweene thē and beare them in hand that they were about to fight and would with the word putt one partie backe with his hand and all to buffett the other about the face and then goe forth and say he had parted a fray and pacifyed the parties some men would say as I suppose he had as lief his enemie were lett alone with him and thereof abide the aduenture as haue such a friēd steppe in to parte them Another of a man that were angrie with his wife and happely not without cause now sayth Sir THOMAS MORE yf the authour of this booke would take vpon him to reconcile them and helpe to make thē at one and therein would vse this way that when he had them both togeather before him would tell all the faultes of the wife and sett among them some of his owne imagination then would goe about to auoyde his wordes vnder the fayre figure of Some-say which he commonly vseth in his booke of Pacifyng either by forgettfullnesse or by the figure of playne follie then would tell her husband's parte-verse too and say vnto him that he himselfe had not dealt discreetely with her but hath vsed to make her too homelie with him hath suffered her to be idle and hath giuen way to her being too much cōuersant amongst her gossips and hath giuen her ouergay geare and sometimes giuen her euill wordes and called her as I suppose cursed queane and shrewe and some say that behinde your backe she calles you knaue and Cuckolde were not there a proper kinde of pacification And yet is this the liuelie patterne and image of Mr. Pacifyer's doings with the which and with the spinning of fine lyes with flaxe fetching them out of his owne bodie as the spyder doth the Cobbewebbe fayning and finding faulte with Sir THOMAS MORE for these matters and wordes whereof he sayth the playne contrarie he had greate cause to be ashamed howbeit litle shame could cleaue to his cheekes but that he would soone shake it away while his name was not at his booke We haue now one booke more written in matter of religion and that is of the B. Sacramēt of the altar by the sayd Sir THOMAS MORE We tolde you before of a letter of his wherein he impugneth the heresie of Iohn Frith albeit he was prisonner in the Tower of London he found the meanes to make answer to that letter and to conuey it beyond the seas where it was printed and it was afterwards brought into this realme as Sir THOMAS MORE did certainely vnderstande who minded when the booke came to his hands to answer it but now in the meane season came there from beyond the seas an Answere made to the same letter by another and printed without the Authour's name entituled The Supper of the Lord. But I beshrewe quoth Sir THOMAS MORE such a Sewer that serueth in such a supper as he conueyeth away the best dish and bringeth it not to the borde as this man would if he could cōueye from the B Sacrament Christ's owne flesh and bloud and leaue vs no thing there in but for a memoriall only bare bread and wine But his handes are too lumpish and this messe too great for him especially to conuey cleane sith the man hath his hart bent thereto and therefore his eye sett thereon to see where it becometh This naughtie namelesse authour Sir THOMAS MORE doth not only by the authoritie of the Sacred Scripture and holie ancient Fathers but by his owne reasons and textes that himself bringeth forth plainely and euidently conuince Now haue we besides other excellent and fruitfull bookes which he made being prisoner in the Tower as his Three bookes of Comfort in Tribulation a Treatise to receaue the B. Sacrament Sacramentally and virtually both a treatise vpon the Passion with notable Introductions to the same He wrote also manie other godlie and deuout Instructions and prayers and surely of all the bookes that euer he made I doubte whether I may preferre anie of them before the sayd Three bookes
religion End of the kings controuersie He neuer asked anything of the King Liberality to his parish Churche His mercifull workes to his poor neighbours 2. The beginning of K. Hēries separation from the Church Scruple of his mariage with Q. Catherin Cōmissioneirs frō Rome about it The dispensatiō questiōd And supplied by a new cōfirmatiō K. Henry appeals to a generall councel and falls from the Pope His iniurie to S. Thomas of Canterburies body Q. Anne Bolēs incontinēcy 3. Cardinall Wolseys disgrace downfall Sir Tho. Mores embassage for peace happy successe therin Bishop Stokelies quirk in Q. Catharins marriage His conference with Sir Thomas about it Strokesly vndermines the Cardinall For backwardnes in the kings diuorce forwardnes for a frenche matche The Cardinal discontented Arrested and depriued of all honours riches Sir Tho. More elected L Chauncelor Only worthy of the place in Cardinal Wolseys iudgement 4. The honourable ceremony with whiche he was enstalled The Duke of Norfolks oratiō in behalf of Sir Tho. More Of his worthinesse for so great a place The first lay man that euer was mad Lord Chauncellour Good reasons why that ould custom was altered Sir Tho. Mores modest and discreet reply He acknowledgeth his owne vnworthinesse The Dukes loue And the kings fauour and bounty Which he esteems beyond his deserts Al which encrease in him a full purpose to discharge well so great a charge And desireth fauorable interpretation of his endeuours A wise ponderation of his predecessour Cardinals example The danger of highe honours A warning to vse them well Commō ioy of S. Thomas his promotion 5. The behaueour of S. Thomas in the dignity of L. Chancellour Towards his father the auncientest iudge of the realme Towards all sutours especially the poorer sort No accesse to bribery Means how great men may do fauours in iustice Notable integrity Euen against his owne kinred Long delayes in law the misery of poor clients remedied by Sir Thomas A pleasaūt tale of a table 6. King Hēry desire Sir Thomas to allow his diuorce Sir Thomas noble and discreet refusall Accepted for the time by the king 1. The death of Sir Iohn More Sir Thomas neuer enioyed his fathers inheritance Rare pouerty in a L. high Chancellour Yet could it not stop Q. Annes malice against him 2. His admirable zeal in cause of catholike religion A liberal reward profered him nobly by the Bishops of Enggland As nobly and magnanimously refused by him only for Gods sake The heretiks calumny against him True glorie to be hated by heretikes Perfect patience always ioined with true perfectiō 3. Cheerfull mirth An vnmānerly reprehēsiō mannerly returnd on the reprehender A bold debtour pretily told his owne A mery arbitrement between his Lady a beggar A pleasaunt cēsore of a witlesse writing A mery mistaking 4. His earnest deuotiō in the seruice of God He vsed to sing in his surplice in his parishe churche To cary the crosse in procession on foote Cōfessed communicated before any importāt businesse 5. Patience in temporall lesser An excellent resignatiō to the prouidence of God More care to supply his neighbours losses then his owne Godly care of his poor seruants God rewardeth true resignation euen in this world Vanity of iudgement of worldlings 6. S. Thomas resigned vp his office of L. Chancellour The neerer his end the more replenished with the loue of God A notable record that no cause was left vndecyded in the Chācery A parlement called for Q Annes marriage Sir Tho. More sues to depose his office The king graciously accepteth his desire How merely he insinuated the matter to his wife A pleasaūt ieast to diuere her from sorow 7. Prouident dispositiō of his houshold after his resignement Of his seruants all well rec2ommended Of his children liuing with him An incōparable resolutiō after so great an honour to beare cheerfully so low an estate Honourable pouerty of so great a personage 8. How earnestly and cōsideratly he deposed his office An excellent letter to Archbishop Warrhā to such a purpose Great offices dāgerously vndertaken and as dangerous to be giuen ouer A true valuatiō of virtuous actions S. Thom. Mores humble estimation of himself He sends his Vtopia to the Archbishop His innocence in his office Testified in priuat and publik by the King The chief cause of his resignemēt to serue God more freely As thākfull to the K. for permitting his resignement as for the office it self Another cause for his weak health Contēpt of all vainglory 1. His remote preparatiō to Martyrdome 1 Hatred to heresie Yet in his tyme no heretik pur to death 2. Continuall talk of spirituall matters 3. Desire to suffer for Christ 2. A notable lesson for all statesmen giuē to M. Cromwel But not kept by the sayd M. Crōwell Bad Counsellours make bad Princes The reward of bad coūsel exāplified in Crōwell Of good Counsellours in S. Tho. More 3. The mariage of Q. Anne Archbis Crāmers good qualities He concludes the mariage to be lawful The cause of Englāds separation frō Rome Sir Tho. Mores propheticall ghesse of the oath of supremacy 4. Sir Tho. M. refused to be at Q. Annes coronatiō His coūsel and predictiō to the Bishops his good frinds A notable story wonderfully and prophetically applied His purpose rather to be deuoured then defloured Q. Annes hatred to Sir Thomas And the kings displeasure Sir Thomas disposeth him self more immediatly to suffer death A Christiā stratagem 5. The first occasiō of calling into question for Q. Anne The holy Nunne of Kent Warned by reuelation to rebuke K. Hēry Conferreth her reuelatiōs with B. Fisher Her talk with Sir Thomas More Waryly handled by him 6. Accusations procured against Sir Thomas That he impugned the K. mariage Quarrels picked against his Chaūcellourship A supposed bribe pleasantly confuted A courteous refusall of an honest reward Another of like nature Sir Tho. More a wise marchāt traffiking for heauen 7. Sir T. M. his first examination A parlament to attaint true men of treasō The Kings deputies to examin Sir Tho. M. The Deputies faires words to winne Sir Tho. Fairly answered with a mild and constant refusall The Deputies threats Sir T. M. accused for autour of the kings book for the Pope His constant reply and euident refutatiō Wise wary counsel of Sir Tho. to the King The king acknowledgeth obligatiō of his crowne to Rome 8. His merry hart after his examination A fall giuen to the diuel The Kings indignatiō against Sir Tho. Prudent and politik aduise in so bad a cause Proceeding against Sir Tho. M. differed A braue answer to a frinds feare 1. The oath of supremacy Sir Tho. M. cited to take it His preparation before his going His discreet behaueour in that cause He refuseth the oath for consciēce sake All the clergy but Bishop fisher and D. Wilson did take the oath Vnder what cōditiōs Sir T. M offered to set downe his reason of refusall Sir
which though king Henrie did not very well like of because it was disgustfull to his passionate lust yet the manner of Sir THOMAS his discourse and collection was so wisely tempered by his discreete communication that he tooke them at that present in good parte and often had conference of them againe By which manner of Sir THOMAS his counsell and sincere carriage one may easily gather what vnspotted conscience this vpright man had who for no hope of gaine or anie feare of disgrace would once swarue from the true dictamen of his Conscience and if the rest of king Henrie's counsell had bene as backward to hinder this beginning of dissolution as Sir THOMAS was no alteration of religion had by all likelyhood happened in England for from this onlie spring of K. Henrie's intemperance proceeded all the succeeding calamities which haue daily increased yet haue not anie hope of amendement All which change Sir THOMAS MORE either like a very wise man foresawe long before or rather like a prophete prophecied thereof to my vncle Rooper who on a time of a certaine ioy beganne to commende to his father-in-lawe the happie estate of this realme that had so Catholike and zealous a prince that no heretike durst shew his face so learned and vertuous a Cleargie so graue and sounde a Nobilitie such louing and obedient subiects all agreing togeather in one faith and dutiefulnesse as though they had cor vnum animam vnam but one hart and one soule Sir THOMAS thus replyed againe Truth it is indeede sonne Rooper as you say and going through all estates with his commēdations of them he went farre beyond my vncle and yet sonne quoth he I pray God that some of vs as high as wee seeme to sitt now vpon the mountaines treading heretikes vnder our feete like antes doe not liue the day that we gladly would wish to be in league with them to suffer them to haue their churches quietly to themselues so that they would he content to lett vs haue ours peaceably to our selues VVhen mine vncle Rooper had tolde him manie reasons why he had no cause to say so well sayd he I pray God some of vs liue not till that day and yet shewed he noe reason for all these his speaches whereat my vncle sayd in a choller By my troath Sir it is very desperately spoken I cry God mercie saith my vncle I vsed vnto him that very word By which speach Sir THOMAS perceauing him to be somewhat angrie sayd merrily well sonne Rooper it shall not be so it shall not be so But yet himself founde the predictiō too true for he liued vntil the fiueteenth yeare of Q. Elizabeth's raigne when he saw religion turned topsie turuie and no hope of anie amendement This spiritt of prophecie no doubt was a signe of Gods loue vnto Sir THOMAS being so deare in his sight that he would make him partaker of some parte of his secretts but that which he wrought in the conuersion of this his sonne in lawe was not a signe only but an euident demonstratiō of God's great fauour vnto him For when Mr. VVilliam Rooper was a yong man he vsed austeritie to himselfe more then discretion afforded and by this meanes he grew wearie of the Catholike fasts and religious discipline and hearing of a new and easie way to heauen which the preachers of nouelties did promise to their followers he beganne to reade diligently the bookes of heresies which came ouer and were spread in euerie place of England in so much that being wearie of Auricular Confession fasting the lent and vigiles he grew vehement in his new opinions and zealous in breaking of them to others so as that he would be alwaies talking what a readie way to heauen was now found out no bodie needing to sue to Saints or mens prayers but Gods eare was open still to heare and his mercie readie to forgiue anie sinner whatsoeuer when he shall call to him by fayth which was only necessarie to saluation and hauing that only which he assured himself of he needed not doubt but that he was an elect and saued soule so that it was impossible for him to sinne or fall out of God's fauour Of this dangerous poison of securitie he hauing druncke a full draught he came on a time to Sir THOMAS to request him because he was highly in the king's fauour that he would gett him a licence to preache what the spiritt had taught him for he was assured that God had sent him to instruct the world not knowing god wote anie reason of this his mission but only his priuate spirit to whome Sir THOMAS in a smiling manner replyed Is it not sufficient sonne Rooper that we that are your friēds should knowe that you are a foole but that you would haue your follie proclamed to the world After this he often disputed with him about matters of religion yet neuer could he bring him to hearken to anie reason euerie day seeming more obstinate then other vntill at length he sayd in sober sadnesse I see sonne noe disputation will doe thee good henceforth therefore I will dispute with thee no more only will I pray for thee that God will be so fauourable as to touch thy hart and so committing him to God they parted And he earnestly powred out his deuotions before the Diuine mercie for that intent And beholde my vncle not long after being inspired with the light of grace beganne to detest his heresies and as another S. Austin was wholy conuerted so that euer after he was not only a perfect Catholike but liued and dyed a stoute and valiant Champion thereof whose almes in charitable vses was so great that it is sayd that he bestowed euerie yeare to the value of fiue hūdred pounds especially in his latter daies in which he enioyed an office of great gayne and commoditie and after his death I haue heard it reported by thē that were seruants in his house that whilst his bodie lay vnburied for three or foure daies there was heard once a day for the space of a quarter of an hower the sweetest musike that could be imagined not of anie voices of men but angelicall harmonie as a token how gratious that soule was to Almightie God and to the quires of Angells Now this was a more speciall fauour which God grāted to Sir THOMAS his deuout prayers then the raysing of a dead man to life by how much more the death of the soule is of more danger then the death of the bodie yet it is certaine also that this glorious man begged also corporall life for some of his deare friends On a time his daughter Margaret wife to this William Rooper fell sicke of the sweating sickenesse of which manie dyed at that time who lying in so great extremitie of the disease that by no inuentions nor deuises that anie cunning phisiciā could vse at that time hauing cōtinually about her most
learned wise and expert that could begotten she could by no meanes be kept from sleepe so that euerie one about her had iust cause to despaire of her recouerie giuing her vtterly ouer her father as he that most loued her being in noe small heauinesse at last sought for remedie of this her desperate case from God wherefore going as his custome was into his new building there in his Chappell vpon his knees most deuoutly euen with manie teares besought Almightie God vnto whome nothing was impossible of his goodnesse if it were his blessed will that at his meditation he would vouchsafe gratiously to graunt this his humble petition where presently came into his minde that a glister was the onlie way to helpe her which whē he tolde the phisicians they confessed that it was the best remedie indeede much marueling of thēselues they had not remembred if which was immediately ministred vnto her sleeping for else she would neuer haue bene brought to that kinde of medicine And although whē she awaked throughly Gods markes an euident and vndoubted token of death plainely appeared vpon her yet she contrarie to all expectations was as it were miraculously and by her fathers feruēt prayer restored to perfect health againe whome if it had pleased God at that time to haue taken to his mercie her father solemnely protested that he would neuer haue medled with anie worldlie matters after such was his fatherlie loue and vehement affection vnto this his Iewell who most neerely of all the rest of his Children expressed her fathers vertues although the meanest of all the rest might haue bene matched with anie other of their age in England either for learning excellent qualities or pietie they hauing bene brought vp euen frō their infancie with such care and industrie and enioying alwaies most vertuous and learned maisters So that the schoole of Sir THOMAS MORE 's children was famous ouer the whole world for that their witts were rare their diligence extraordinarie and their maisters most excellent men as aboue the rest Doctour Clement an excellent Grecian and phisician who was after reader of the phisicke-lecture in Oxford and sett out manie bookes of learning After him one William Gūnell who read after with greate praise in Cambridge and besides these one Drue one Nicolas and after all one Richard Hart of whose rare learning and industrie in this behalfe lett vs see what may be gathered out of Sir THOMAS his letters vnto them and first to Mr. Gunnell thus I haue receaued my deare Gunnell your letters such as they are vvont to be most elegant full of affection Your loue towards my children I gather by your letter their diligence by their owne for euerie one of their letters pleaseth me very much yet most especially I take ioy to heare that my daughter Elizabeth hath shevved as greate modestie in her mother's absence as anie one could doe if she had bene in presence lett her knovve that that thing liked me better then all the epistles besides for as I esteeme learning vvhich is ioyned vvith vertue more then all the threasures of kings so vvhat doth the fame of being a great schollar bring vs if it be seuered from vertue other then a notorious and famous infamie especially in a vvoman vvhome men vvill be readie the more vvillingly to assayle for their learning because it is a rare matter and argueth a reproche to the sluggishnesse of a man vvho vvill not stick to lay the fault of their naturall malice vpon the qualitie of learning supposing all their ovvne vnskillfullnesse by comparing it vvith the vices of those that are learned shal be accounted for vertue but if anie vvoman on the contrarie parte as I hope and vvishe by your instruction and teaching all mine vvill doe shall ioyne manie vertues of the minde vvith a little skill of learning I shall accounte this more happinesse then if they vvere able to attaine to Craesus's vvealth ioyned vvith the beautie of fayre Helene not because they vvere to gett great fame thereby although that inseparably follovveth all vertue as a shadovve doth the bodie but for that they should obtaine by this the true revvarde of vvisedome vvhich can neuer be taken avvay as vvealth may nor vvill fade as beautie doth because it dependeth of truth and iustice and not of the blasts of mens mouthes then vvhich nothing is more foolish nothing more pernicious for as it is the dutie of a good man to eschevv infamie so it is not only the propertie of a proude man but also of a vvretched and ridiculous man to frame their actions only for praise for that mans minde must needes be full of vnquietnesse that alvvaies vvauers for feare of other mens iudgements betvveene ioye and saddenesse But amongst other the notable benefitts vvhich learning bestovveth vpon men I accounte this one of the most profitable that in getting of learning vve looke not for praise to be accounted learned men but only to vse it in all occasions vvhich the best of all other learned men I meane the philosophers those true moderatours of mens actiōs haue deliuered vnto vs from hand to hand although some of them haue abused their sciences ayming only to be accounted excellent men by the people Thus haue I spoken my Gunnell somevvhat the more of the not coueting of vaine glorie in regarde of those vvordes in your letter vvhereby you iudge that the high spiritt of my daughter Margarett's vvitt is not to be deiected vvherein I am of the same opinion that you are hut I thinke as I doubt not but you are of the same minde that he doth deiect his generous vvitt vvhosoeuer accustometh himself to admire vaine and base obiects and he rayseth vvell his spiritts that embraceth vertue and true good they are base minded indeede that esteeme the shadovve of good things vvhich most men greedily snatch at for vvant of discretiō to iudge true good from apparent rather then the truth it self And therefore seing I holde this the best vvay for them to vvalke in I haue not only requested you my deare Gunnell vvhome of yourself I knovve vvould haue donne it out of the intire affection you beare vnto them neither haue I desired my vvife alone vvhome her mother lie pietie by me often and manie vvaies tryed doth stirre them vp thereto but also all other my friēds I haue intreated manie times to perswade all my children to this that auoyding all the gulphes and dovvnefalls of pride they vvalke through the pleasant meadovves of modestie that they neuer be enamoured of the glistering hue of golde and siluer nor lament for the vvant thereof vvhich by errour they admire in others that they thinke no better of themselues for all their costlie trimmings nor anie meaner for the vvant of them not to lessen their beautie by neglecting it vvhich they haue by nature nor to make it anie more by vnseemelie art to thinke vertue their chiefe happinesse