so perhaps you should haue bene in the like case with vs now So that to shunne present dangers by offending God or our Countrie is not alwaies the safest way euen for our bodilie good the contrarie turning oftentimes to our great fame glorie and profitt 5. These great partes of nature and diligence which euerie one noted in Sir THOMAS MORE coming to the yong king's eare vvho was at that time greedie to entertaine all rare men into his seruice he caused Cardinal VVolsey then Lo Chancellour to moue him to come to the Court and albeit the Cardinal laboured earnestly with him to effect it alleadging how deare his seruice would be to his Maiestie who could not with his honour allowe him lesse then he should loose by changing his former estate but rather would enlarge his meanes and recompence him fully yet loath to change his estate which was certaine made such meanes to the king by the Cardinall as that his Maiestie was at that time satisfyed to forbeare him Yet did the king vse him in diuerse Embassages first sending him in to France to challenge certaine debts which the king of England demaunded to be due vnto him that had bene there vniustly kept back in which charge he satisfyed both the kings fully such was his wise demeanour and sufficiencie After this he was also sent Embassadour into Flanders to confirme a league betwixt England and Burgundie which he happily finishing the king offered him at his returne a yearelie pension which Sir THOMAS refused as he writeth to Erasmus in these words VVhen I returned from my embassage of Flanders the king's Maiestie vvould haue giuen me a yearlie pension vvhich surely if one vvould respect honour and profitt vvas not to be little esteemed yet haue I as yet refused it and I thinke I shall refuse it still because either I should be fayne to forsake my present meanes vvhich I haue alreadie in the Cittie and I esteeme it more then a better or else I must keepe it vvith some dislike of the Cittizens betvveene vvhome and his Highnesse if there should happen anie controuersie as sometimes it doth chance about their priu iledges they might suspect me as not sincere and trustie vnto them in respect I am obliged to the king vvith an annuall stipende 6. About this time he compounded his famous booke of Vtopia in latine so much praised and extolled by all the learned men of that age about the yeare of our Lord 1516. being six and thirtie yeares of age This booke was of all Nations so much applauded that very shortly after it was translated both into French Italian Dutch and English The iudgement of diuerse learned men concerning which worke I thinke good to sett downe here in English as Doctour Stapleton reciteth them in his Three Thomases in Latine And first Budaeus a singular writer in those daies sayth thus of it in an epistle to Lupsetus VVe are beholding to Thomas More for the discouery of Vtopia vverein he hath diuulged to the vvorld in this our age a patterne of a happie life and a perfect rule of good behauiour This age and our posteritie shall haue this historie as a Seminarie of most holesome doctrine and profitable instructions from vvhence they may transporte and accommodate euerie one to their ovvne Citties and Countries these excellent ordinances and decrees Iohn Paludan to Peter Giles speaketh thus thereof you may see in Vtopia as in a looking-glasse vvhatsoeuer belongeth to a perfect Communion VVealth England truly hath manie excellent learned men For what may we coniecture of the rest if More alone hath perfourmed so much being first but a yong man and then full of businesses both publike and domesticall and lastly professing anie thing rather then learning Peter Giles also to Hierome Buslidian speaketh thus and giueth it this praise So manie vvonders doe here meete togeather that I am in a doubt vvhich first to admire vvhether his most happie memorie vvhich could almost vvord for vvord relate so manie different things againe hauing but heard them once tolde or his vvisedome for marking and setting forth all the fountaines from vvhence either the happinesse or mischiefes of anie Common vvealth do arise or the elegancie and force of his stile vvho hath vvith such pure Latine and such vigour of speach comprized so manie and sundrie matters especially one that is so much distracted both vvith publike and priuate affayres Buslidian a great Counsellour of Charles the Fift Emperour in a letter to Sir THOMAS sayth In the happie description of your Vtopian Common-vvealth there is nothing missing vvhich might shevv most excellent learning togeather vvith an absolute knovvledge of all humane things For you excell in sundrie sciences and haue such great and certaine knovvledge of things besides that you affirme euerie matter in writing as though you had tryed euerie thing by experience before and you write most eloquently vvhatsoeuer you affirme a maruclous and rare happienesse and the more rare by hovv much the fevver can attaine therevnto And further in the sayd letter he affirmeth that this Vtopian Common wealth farre exceedeth the Lacedemonian the Athenian yea euen that of the Romans itselfe in that it seeketh not so much to make manie lawes as it laboureth to prouide good and vpright Magistrates by whose prototypon that is the patterne of their honestie the example of their manners and behauiour and the pourtraicture of their Iustice the whole state and true gouernement of euerie perfect Commō wealth may be framed Paulus Iouius in his booke of the praises of learned men speaketh thus Mores fame vvill alvvaies laste in his Vtopia for he therein hath described a kingdome vvell gouerned vvith holesome lavves and much flourishing vvith riche peace shevving hovv he loathed the corrupt manners of this vvicked age and endeauouring by a pleasant fiction to leade the right pathe to a blessed and most happie life c. Finally Hutten Viues Grapheus and Lacius affirme that Sir THOMAS had an incomparable witt greater then a man's witt pene diuinum yea almost diuine About this time he also wrote for his exercise the historie of king Richard the third both in Latine and English which is so well penned that if our Chronicles of England were halfe so well sett out they would entice all English men to reade them ouer often These his workes sett out at that time when he was most employed in other mens affayres shew how diligent and industrious he was For thus he writeth in his Vtopia VVhilst I daily either pleade other mens causes or heare them sometimes as an arbiter othervvhiles as a Iudge vvhilst this man I visite for friendshipp another for businesses and vvhilst I busie my selfe abroad about other mens matters all the vhole day I leaue no time for my selfe that is for studie For vvhen I come home I must discourse vvith my vvife chatte vvith my children
speake vvith my servants and seing this must needes be donne I number it amongst my affaires and needefull they are vnlesse one vvill be a stranger in his ovvne house for vve must endeauour to be affable and pleasing vnto those vvhome either nature chance or choice hath made our companions but vvith such measure it must be donne that vve doe not marre them vvith affabilitie or make them of seruants our maisters by too much gentle entreatie and fauour vvhilst these things are doing a day a moneth a yeare passeth VVhen then can I finde anie time to vvrite for I haue not yet spoken of the time that is spent in eating and sleeping vvhich things alone bereaue most men of halfe their life As for me I gett only that spare time which I steale from my meate and sleepe which because it is but small I proceed slovvly yet it being somevvhat I haue novv at the length preuailed so much as I haue finished and sent vnto you Peter my Vtopia Besides all this to shew the more his excellent partes of readie vtterance pleasant conceipts and sharpenesse of witt euen to the admiration of all men he read a lecture in S. Laurence church at Lothburie where Sir Iohn More his father lieth buried out of S. Augusten's bookes De Ciuitate Dei not so much discussing the points of Diuinitie as the precepts of morall philosophie and historie where with these bookes are replenished And he did this with such an excellent grace that whereas before all the flower of English youthes went to heare the famous Grocinus who was lately come out of Italie to teache Greeke in the publike vniuersitie vnder whome as also that famous Grammarian Linacre Sir THOMAS himself had profited greatly of whome he had Aristotle's workes interpreted in Greeke now all England almost left his lecture and flocked to heare Sir THOMAS MORE 7. It fortuned shortly after that a shippe of the Popes arriued at Southampton which the King claimed as a forfeyture yet the pope's legate so wrought with the king that though it was seysed on yet he obtained to haue the matter pleaded by learned Councell For the Pope's side as their principall man was chosen Sir THOMAS MORE and a day of hearing being appointed before the Lo Chancellour and other the chiefe Iudges in the Starre-chamber Sir THOMAS argued so learnedly and forcibly in defence of the pope's parte that the afore sayd forfeyture was restored and he amongst all the audience so highly commended for his admirable and wittie arguing that for no intreatie would the king anie longer forbeare to vse him Wherefore he brought him perforce to the Court and made him of his Priuie Counsell as Sir THOMAS testifyeth himselfe in a letter to that worthie prelate Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rothester saying I am come to the Court extreamely against my vvill as euerie bodie knovveth and as the king himself often tvviteth me in sporte for it And hereto do I hang so vnseemely as a man not vsing to ride doth sitt vnhansomely in his saddle But our Prince vvhose speciall and extraordinarie fauour tovvards me I knovve not hovv I euer shal be able to deserue is so affable and courteous to all men that euerie one vvho hath neuer so little hope of himselfe may finde somevvhat vvhereby he may imagine that he loueth him euen as the Cittizens vviues of London doe vvho imagine that our ladies ' picture neare the tovver doth smile vpon them as they pray before it But I am not so happie that I can perceaue such fortunate signes of deseruing his loue and of a more abiect spiritt then that I can persvvade myselfe that I haue it already yet such is the vertue and learning of the king and his daily increasing industrie in both that by hovv much the more I see his Highnesse increase in these kinglie ornaments by so much the lesse troublesome this Courtier 's life seemeth vnto me And indeede king Henrie's Court for the first twentie yeares was a seate of manie excellent witts a pallace of rare vertues according as Erasmus wittnesseth thereof in an epistle to Henrie Gilford a gentleman of an ancient familie For thus he writeth The fragant odour of the most honourable fame of the Court of England vvhich spreades it selfe ouer all the vvorld it hauing a king singularly endevved vvith all princelie excellencies a Queene most like vnto him and a number of sincere learned graue and vvise personages belonging vnto it hath stirred vp the prince of Berghes to putt his sonne Antony to no other schoole but that Within a while after the king had created him one of his high Councellours of state perceauing euerie day more and more his fidelitie vprightnesse dexteritie wisedome dubbted him knight and after Mr. Weston's death he made him Threasurer of the exchequer a place of great trust of which increase of honour Erasmus writeth to Cochleus saying VVhen you vvrite next to MORE you shall vvish him ioy of his increase of dignitie and good fortune For being before only of the king's priuie Councell novv of late by the beneuolencc and free guift of his most gracious prince he neither desiring nor seeking for it is not only made knight but Threasurer of the king's Exchequer an office in England both honourable and also commodious for the purse Yea king Henrie finding still more and more sufficiencie in Sir THOMAS vsed him with particular affection for the space of twentie yeares togeather during a good parte whereof the king's custome was vpon holie daies when he had donne his deuotions to sende for Sir THOMAS into his Trauerse and there some times in matters of Astronomie Geomitrie and Diuinitie and such other sciences to sitt and conferre with him otherwhiles also in the cleere nights he would haue him walke with him on the leads there to discourse of the diuersitie of the courses motions and operations of the starres as well fixed as the planetts And because he was of a verie pleasant disposition it pleased his Maiestie and the Queene at supper time commonly to call for him to heare his pleasant ieastes But when Sir THOMAS perceaued his wittie conceipts so much to delight him that he could scarce once in a moneth gett leaue to goe home to his wife and children whome he had now placed at Chelsey three miles frō London by the water side and that he could not be two daies absent from the Court but he must be sent for againe he much misliking this restrainte of his libertie beganne therevpon to dissemble his mirth and so by little and little to disvse himselfe that he from thēceforth at such seasons was no more so ordinarily sent for The great respect which the Cittie of London bare vnto him caused the king as a speciall man to sende Sir THOMAS to appease the apprentises which were risen vp in a mutine against the strangers that dwelt then amongst them vpon a May day and
they haue raised in England and else where Thus did he by his words and deedes shew throughout the whole course of his life that all his thoughts trauailes and paines were only for the honour of God without respect either of his owne glorie or regarde of any earthlie cōmoditie For it may be seene by manie things as well deedes as letters how much he contemned the honours which were heaped vpon him daily by his Prince's speciall bountie and fauour towards him and my vncle Rooper testifyeth from his owne mouth in his latter daies that he professed vnto him that he neuer asked of the king for himselfe the value of one penny The like may be sayd of his contempt of riches and worldlie wealth but a fitter place to speake thereof may be had hereafter All which excellent endowments of his minde proceeded no doubt from the speciall fauour of Almightie God and the feruent zeale of this his seruat to attaine to perfectiō of all vertues He built a Chappell in his parish Church at Chelsey where the parish had all ornaments belonging therevnto abundantly supplyed at his charge and he bestowed there on much plate often speaking those wordes Good men giue it and badde men take it away He seldome vsed to feaste noble men but his poore neighbours often whome he would visite in their houses and bestowe vpon them his large liberalitie not groates but Crownes of golde yea more then that according to their wants He hired a house also for manie aged people in Chelsey whome he daily relieued and it was my aunte Rooper's charge to see them want nothing And when he was a priuate lawyer he would take no fees of poore folkes widowes nor pupills 2. A little before he was preferred to the dignitie of Chancellourshipp there were questions propounded to manie whether the king in the case of his first marriage needed haue anie scruple at all and if he had what way were best to deliuer him from it The most parte of his Counsell were of opinion that there was good cause of scruple because Q. Catherine was married before to Prince Arthur king Henrie's elder brother wherefore she was not to be wife to two brothers and therefore to ease the king's minde suite was to be made to the pope and the Sea of Rome where the king hoped by liberall guifts to obtaine what he desired but in this as after it appeared he was farre deceaued After this there was a Commission procured from Rome for triall and examination of this marriage in which the Cardinalls Wolsey and Campegius were ioyned togeather who for the determination hereof sate at the Black Fryers at London where a bill was putt in for the annulling of the former matrimonie alleadging that that marriage was vtterly vnlawfull but on the orher side for proofe that it was lawfull and good a Dispensation was brought forth which was of verie good force as touching the power which the Pope had to dispēce in a law that was neither contrarie to Gods positiue law in the olde Testament but rather agreable thereto nor to the law of Nature and it was commaunded in Leuiticus that if the brother dyed without issue the next in kindred to him in a manner should be forced to marrie his wife But there was found an imperfection in the Dispensation yet that same was lawfully supplyed by a publike Instrument or briefe found in the Threasure of Spaine which was sent immediately to the Commissioners in England and so should iudgement haue bene giuen by the Pope accordingly that the first marriage stoode in force had not king Henry vpon intelligence thereof before the iudgement was pronounced appealed to the next Generall Councell Hincillae lachrimae hence came the deadly enmitie betweene the king and the Pope hence proceeded that bitternesse of king Henry that he commaunded none should appeale to Rome nor none should so much as goe thither no Bishops nor Spirituall men should haue anie Bulles of authoritie frō thence all spirituall Iurisdiction beganne now neuer before thought of to be inuested from God immediately vpon the Imperiall Crowne of England but this not all at once yea he grew afterwards vnto such height of malice that he caused the name of Pope to be raized out of euerie booke that could be found either printed or written He caused S. Thomas of Canterburie to be attaynted of high treason after he had bene three hūdred yeares accoūted a blessed Martyr of the whole Church yea so acknowledged by king Henry the second who was cause of his death but this king most strangely cast his sacred bones out of his renowned shreene after numbers of miracles and caused them to be burnt This was the strange passe king Henry was brought vnto doting on Anne Bullen though God knowes she had no qualities wherefore he should so doate on her as appeared euidently when for fowle matters he after a short time cutt of her head and proclaymed himself in open Parlement to be a Cuckolde which no doubt he neuer had bene if he had kept himself to his first vertuous wife Q. Catherine but all these things happened a good while after and manie other extreame violences and ensuing miseries as we doe see and feele as yet 3. Whilst those things were a doing as is beforesayd about the king's diuorce and nothing yet brought to anie conclusion the king sent Tunstall bishopp of Durham Sir THOMAS MORE Embassadours to Cambray to treate of a peace betweene him and the French king and Charles the Emperour in which iourney Sir THOMAS so worthily behaued himself that he procured in our league with the sayd Princes farre more benefitts to our realme then at that time was thought possible by the king and all his Councell insomuch that his Maiestie caused it afterwards openly to be declared to the people when he was made Chancellour how much all England was bound to Sir THOMAS MORE And now at his returne the king againe was verie earnest with him to haue him agree to his second marriage for which cause also it is thought and Cardinall Poole testifyeth it in a letter he made him the rather Lo Chancellour telling him that though the dispensation was good in respect of the lawes of the Church yet now it was found out to haue bene against the lawe of nature in which no dispensatiō could be had as Doctour Stokeley whome for that quirke foūd out he had lately preferred to the Bishopricke of London was able to instruct him with whome he willed Sir THOMAS to conferre in that point But for all the conferences he could haue with him Sir THOMAS could no way induce himselfe to change his former opinion therein Yet the Bishopp relating to the king their Conference so fauourably reported of Sir THOMAS MORE 's carriage therein that he sayd he found him verie toward and desirous to finde out good
his learning had bene kindely vsed by Sir THOMAS MORE as he writeth himself did dedicate Plato and other bookes in Greeke vnto my grandfather Iohn More as to one that was also very skillfull in that toung See what Grineus speaketh vnto him There vvas a great necessitie why I should dedicate these bookes of Proclus full of maruelous learning by my paynes sett out but not vvithout the singular benefitt of your father effected vnto you to vvhome by reason of your fatherlike vertues all the fruite of this benefitt is to redounde both because you may be an ornamēt vnto them and they also may doe great good vnto you vvhome I knovve to be learned and for these graue disputacions sufficiently prouided and made fitt by the continuall conuersation of so vvorthie a father and by the companie of your sisters vvho are most expert in all kinde of sciences For vvhat Authour can be more gratefull to those desirous mindes of most goodlie things such as you and the Muses your sisters are vvhome a diuine heate of spiritt to the admiration and a nevv example of this our age hath driuen into the sea of learning so farre and so happily that they see no learning to be aboue their reache no disputations of philosophie aboue their capacitie And none can better explicate entangled questions none sifte them more profoundly nor none conceaue them more easily then this authour Lett vs see another letter to his daughter Margarett only You aske monye deare Megg too shamefully fearefully of your father vvho is both desirous to giue it you and your letter hath deserued it vvhich I could finde in my hart to recompence not as Alexander did by Cherilus giuing him for euerie verse a Philippine of golde but if my abilitie vvere ansvverable to my vvill I vvould bestovve tvvo Crovvnes of pure golde for euerie sillable thereof Here I sende you as much as you requested being vvilling to haue sent you more but that as I am glad to giue so I am desirous to be asked and favvned on by my daughters thee especially vvhome vertue and learning hath made most deare vnto me Wherefore the sooner you haue spent this money vvell as you are vvont to doe and the sooner you aske me for more the sooner knovve you vvill doe your father a singular pleasure Farevvell my most beloued daughter This daughter was likest her father as well in fauour as witt and proued a most rare woman for learning sanctitie and secrecie and therefore he trusted her with all his secretts She wrote two Declamations in English which her father and she turned into Latine so elegantly as one could hardly iudge which was the best She made also a treatise of the Foure Last things which her father sincerely protested that it was better then his and therefore it may be neuer finished his She corrected by her witt a place in S. Cyprian corrupted as Pamelian and Iohn Coster testifye in steede of nisi vos sinceritatis rectoring neruos sinceritatis To her Erasmus wrote an epistle as to a woman not only famous for manners and vertue but most of all for learning We haue heretofore made mention of her letter that Cardinal Poole so liked that when he had read it he would not belieue it could be anie womans in answer whereof Sir THOMAS did sende her the letter some parte whereof we haue seene before the rest is this which though there were no other testimonie of her extraordinarie learning might suffice In the meanetime saith her father I thought vvith myself hovv true I found that novv vvhich once I remember I spoke vnto you in ieaste vvhen I pittied your hard happe that men that read your vvritings vvould suspect you to haue had helpe of some other man therein vvhich vvould derogate somevvhat from the praises due to your vvorkes seing that you of all others deserue least to haue such a suspition had of you for that you neuer could abide to be decked vvith the plumes of other birds But you svveete Megg are rather to be praised for this that seing you cannot hope for condigne praise of your labours yet for all this you goe forvvard vvith this your inuincible courrage to ioyne vvith your vertue the knovvledge of most excellent sciences and contenting yourself vvith your ovvne pleasure in learning you neuer hunte after vulgar praises nor receaue them vvillingly though they be offered you And for your singular pietie and loue towards me you esteeme me and your husband a sufficient and ample theater for you to content you vvith vvho in requitall of this your affection beseech God and our Ladie vvith as hartie praiers as possible vve can povvre out to giue you an easie and happie childbirth to encrease your familie vvith a childe most like yourself except only in sexe yet yf it be a vvench that it may be such a one as vvould in time recompēce by imitation of her mothers learning and vertues vvhat by the condition of her sexe may be vvanting such a vvenche I should preferre before three boyes Farevvell dearest daughter But see I pray you how a most learned bishopp in Englād was rauished with her learning and witt as it appeareth by a letter which her father wrote vnto her to certifye her thereof Thomas More sendeth hartie greeting to his dearest daughter Margarett I vvill lettt passe to tell you my svveetest daughter hovv much your letter delighted me you may imagine hovv exceedingly it pleased your father vvhen you vnderstande vvhat affection the reading of it raysed in a stranger It happened me this euening to sitt vvith Iohn Lo Bishopp of E'xeter a learned man and by all mens iudgement a most sincere man As vve vvere talking togeather and I taking out of my pockett a paper vvhich vvas to the purpose vve vvere talking of I pulled out by chāce therevvith your letter The handvvriting pleasing him he tooke it from me and looked on it vvhen he perceaued it by the salutaciō to be a vvomans he beganne more greedily to read it noueltie inuiting him therevnto but vvhen he had read it and vnderstood that it was your vvriting vvhich he neuer could haue belieued if I had not seriously affirmed it such a letter I vvill say no more yet vvhy should not I reporte that vvhich he sayd vnto me so pure astile so good Latine so eloquent so full of svveete affections he vvas maruelously rauished vvith it vvhen I perceaued that I brought forth also an Oration of yours vvhich he reading and also manie of your verses he vvas so moued vvith the matter so vnlooked for that the verie countenance and gesture of the man free from all flatterie and deceipt bevvrayed that his minde vvas more then his vvords could vtter although he vttered manie to your greate praise and forthvvith he drevv out of his pockett a portegué the which you shall receaue enclosed herein I could not possibly shūne the taking of it but he vvould needes