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
time hath bene betvveene vs as also in respect of the sinceritie of your minde because you vvould be alvvaies readie to take thankefully vvhatsoeuer in this vvorke should seeme gratefull vnto you and whatsoeuer should be barren therein you vvould make a courteous construction thereof whatsoeuer might be vnpleasing you vvould be vvilling to pardon I vvould to God I had as much vvitt and learning as I am not altogeather destitute of memorie As for Bishopp Tunstall he was a learned man and wrote a singuler booke of the reall presēce And although during king Henrie's raigne he went with the sway of the time for who almost did otherwise to the great griefe of Sir THOMAS MORE yet liuing to the time of Q. Elizabeth whose Godfather he was when she berayed the fonte in his olde age seing her take strange courses against the Church he came from Durham and stoutely admonished her not to change religiō which if she presumed to doe he threatned her to leese Gods blessing and his She nothing pleased with his threates made him be cast into prison as most of the Bishops were where he made a glorious ende of a Confessour and satisfyed for his former crime of Schisme contracted in the time of king Henrie's raigne Sir THOMAS MORE 's friendshipp with the glorious Bishop of Rochester was neither short nor small but had long continued and ended not with their famous martyrdomes See how good Bishop Fisher writeth vnto him Lett I pray you our Cambridge men haue some hope in you to be fauoured by the king's Maiestie that our schollars may be stirred vp to learning by the countenance of so vvorthie a prince VVe haue fevv friends in the Court vvich can or vvill commende our causes to his royall Maiestie and amongst all vve accounte you the chiefe vvho haue alvvaies fauoured vs greatly euen vvhen you vvere in a meaner place and novv also shevv vvhat you can doe being mised to the honour of knighthood and in such great fauour vvith our prince of vvhich vve greately reioyce and also doe congratulate your happinesse Giue furtherance to this youth vvho is both a good schollar in Diuinitie and also a sufficient preacher to the people For he hath hope in your fauour that you can procure him greate furtherance and that my commendations vvill helpe him to your fauour To this Sir THOMAS MORE answereth thus This Priest Reuerend Father vvhome you vvrite to be in possibilitie of a Bishopricke if he might haue some vvorthie suiter to speake for him to the king I imagine that I haue so preuayled that his Maiestie vvill be no hindrance thereto c. Yf I haue anie fauour vvith the king vvhich truly is but litle but vvhatsoeuer I haue I vvill employ all I can to the seruice of your Fatherhood and your schollars to vvhome I yeelde perpetuall thankes for their deare affections tovvards me often testifyed by their louing letters and my house shall be open to them as though it vvere their ovvne Farevvell vvorthie and most courteous prelate and see you loue me as you haue donne His loue and friendshipp with yong Poole afterwards a famous Cardinal may be seene by their letters he maketh mention of him with great praise in a letter he wrote to his welbeloued daughter Margaret Rooper in this wise I cannot expresse in vvriting nor scarcely can conceyue it by thought hovv gratefull to me your most eloquent letters deare daughter Margarett are Whilst I vvas reading them there happened to be vvith me Reinald Poole that most noble youth not so noble by birth as he is singularly learned and excellently endevved vvith all kinde of vertue to him your letter seemed as a miracle yea before he vnderstoode hovv neare you were besett with the shortenesse of time and the molestation of your vveake infirmitie hauing notvvithstanding sent me so long a letter I could scarce make him belieue but that you had some helpe from your Maister vntill I tolde him seriously that you had not only neuer a maister in your house but also neuer another man that needed not your helpe rather in vvriting anie thing then you needed his And in another to Doctour Clement a most famous phisitian and one that was brought vp in Sir THOMAS his owne house he sayth thus I thanke you my deare Clement for that I finde you so carefull of my health and my childrens so that you prescribe in your absence vvhat meates are to be auoided by vs. And you my friend Poole I render double thankes both because you haue vouchsafed to sende vs in vvriting the counsell of so great a phisitian and besides haue procured the same for vs from your mother a most excellent and noble matrone and vvorthie of so great a sonne so as you do not seeme to be more liberall of your counsell then in bestovving vpon vs the thing itselfe vvhich you counsell vs vnto VVherefore I loue and praise you both for your bountie and fidelitie And of Sir THOMAS MORE 's friendship Cardinal Poole boasteth much after his martyrdome in his excellent booke De vnitate Ecclesia saying yf you thinke that I haue giuen scope to my sorrowe because they were my best beloued friends that were putt to death meaning Sir THOMAS MORE and Bishop Fisher I do both acknowledge and professe it to be true most willingly that they both were deare vnto me aboue all others For how can I dissemble this seing that I doe reioyce more of their loue towards me then if I should boaste that I had gotten the dearest familiaritie withall the princes of Christendome His frienshipp also with Doctour Lea afterwards the worthie Archbishopp of Yorke was not small nor fayned although he had written an excellent booke against Erasmus his Annotations vpon the new Testament Erasmus being then Sir THOMAS his intire friend and as it were the one halfe of his owne hart For Sir THOMAS writeth thus vnto him Good Lea that you request of me not to suffer my loue to be diminished tovvards you trust me good Lea it shall not though of myselfe I incline rather to that parte that is oppugned And as I could vvish that this Cittie vvere freed from your siege so vvill I alvvaies loue you and be glad that you do so much esteeme of my loue He speaketh also of Lupset a singular learned man of that time in an epistle to Erasmus Our friend Lupsett readeth with great applause in both toungs at Oxford hauing a great auditorie for he succeedeth my Iohn Clement in that charge What familiaritie there was betwixt him and Doctour Collett Grocine Linacre and Lillie all singuler men we haue spoken of heretofore VVilliam Montioy a man of great learning and VVilliam Lattimer not Hugh the heretike that was burnt but another most famous for vertue and good letters were his verie great acquaintance as also Iohn Croke that read Greeke first at Lipsia in Germanie and was after King Henrie's Greek maister
how pure a Latine stile he attayned vnto his singular epistles yet extant to diuerse personages doe euidently shewe so that one would imagine he had spent all his life time in Humanitie only And although his aptnesse for eloquence seemed farre to disagree from the serious studies of the Common Law of this land so that few could suppose such a witt would haue had the patience to haue taken a lawbooke in hand yet such was his obedience to his father that at his cōmaund he studied the Law diligently 7. He vsed to eate at his meales but of one dish which was most commonly powdered biefe or some such like salte meate although his table was alwaies furnished with much varietie and what meate he first tasted on the same would he for that time make his whole refection of In his youth he abstained wholy from wine and in his latter yeares he would taste thereof but first it must be well alayed with water as Erasmus to Huttenus wittnesseth He had noe care what apparrell he wore in so much that being once tolde by his secretarie Mr. Harris that his shoes were all torne he bad him tell his man that looked vnto him thereof to buy him new whome for this cause he called his Tutour for he bought and made all his apparrell at his owne discretion Sir THOMAS neuer busying his head about such matters choosing rather to be in all things at the discretion of other men then at his owne guiding that he might in all his actions exercise the chiefe vertues of a Christian man obedience and humilitie Yea although he were most wise and dexterous in discerning truth from falshood and vertue from cloaked vice yet would he for the most parte in his greatest affaires and studies aske his man Harris his aduise and counsell and if he thought the contrarie better he would willingly submitt himselfe to his opinion And indeede Harris was a man of good vnderstanding and iudgement and a very trustie seruant 8. These were the foundations on which he layde his future building which by how much the more it was to be raysed to splendour and beautie by so much he layd his ground-worke of humilitie the lower and whatsoeuer hardnesse he vsed secretely still kept he in outward semblance a singular alacritie being merry in companie and full of ieastes especially eschewing the vice of singularitie yea he was verie cunning in dissembling his vertues so that few came to knowe what holie exercises he practised euen as in his writings he often fayned matters cunningly to haue heard them of others which he himself had inuented as in his preface to his Vtopia he artificially discourseth as though Raphaël Hithlodius had tolde that whole storie vnto him commento periucundo as Paulus Iouius doth testifye So he fayned as though an Englishman called Rosse had pleasantly confuted Luther's booke as he discoursed with his hoste in Italie who afterward published all their communication in printe by which meanes Luther could neuer learne who he was that answered him after his owne furious fashion which angred him sore lastly his three bookes of Comfort in tribulation a worke most excellent and diuine he inuented to haue bene spoken by two Hungarian kinsmen about the Turkes persecution but thereby he most liuely represented the terrible stormes of crueltie which king Henrie the eight and heresie would raise in our poore distressed Countrie THE SECOND CHAPTER SIR THOMAS MORES his mariage first preferment and serious vvritings vvith his danger in time of K. Henry 7. and entry into fauour vvith King Henry 8. 1. S. Thomas Mores first mariage and wife 2. His second mariage vvith a vvidowe 3. His integrity in profession of the lavve 4. He offendeth K. Henry 7. by crossing in parlament an iniust imposition 5. The beginning of his fauour vvith King Henry the eight 6. His studious employments amidst his serious offaires 7. The first honours bestovved by K. Henry 8. vpon S. Thomas 8. He is by the K. made speaker of the lovver hovvse of parlament 9. Cardinal vvolseys proposition in parlament frustrated by S Thom. More 10. Sir Tho. made chauncellour of the Duchy of Lancaster 1. SIR THOMAS MORE hauing determined by the aduise and direction of his ghostlie father to be a married man there was at that time a pleasant conceipted gentleman of an ancient familie in Essex one Mr. Iohn Colie of Nevvhall from whome Sr. Henry Colt that now liueth is lineally descended that inuited him to his house being much delighted in his companie and proffered vnto him the choyce of anie of his daughters who were yong gentlewomen of verie good carriadge and complexions and very religiously inclined whose honest and sweete conuersation whose vertuous education enflamed Sir THOMAS not a little and although his affection most serued him to the second for that he thought her the fayrest and best fauoured yet when he thought with himselfe that this would be a griefe and some blemish in the eldest to see her yonger sister preferred before her he of a kinde of compassion settled his fancie vpon the eldest and soone after married her with all her friends good liking Now when he began to be clogged with wife and familie children also began to growe fast vpō him for his wife whose name was Iane Colt as long as she liued with him which was but some six yeares brought vnto him almost euerie yeare a childe for whose maintenance he applyed himself busily to the practise of the law and because he would haue his wife neare vnto his father he placed her in Bucklers-bury By her he had one sonne called Iohn More my owne grandfather who was his youngest childe and three daughters his eldest daughter Margarett a woman of singular witt and wisedome rare pietie and extraordinarie learning was wife vnto William Rooper of Eltham in the Countie of Kent Esquier whose grandchilde now liuing is Sir William Rooper his second daughter called Elizabeth was afterward matched with Sir Iohn Dancy's sonne and heyre the third called Cicilie was married to Mr. Giles Heron of shakclvvell in the Countie of Middlesex esquier his sonne my grandfather married Anne Cresacre sole daughter and heyre of E'dvvard Cresacre deceased of Baronborough in the Countie of Yorke esquier whome Sir THOMAS bought of the King being his warde vpon errour for another bodie 's land lying in the same towne as was afterware proued 2. My great grandmother hauing brought forth these foure children dyed soone after and within two or three yeares he married a widdow called Mris Alice Middleton by whome he had no children this he did not of anie concupiscence for he would often affirme that Chastitie is more hardly kept in wedlock then in a single life but because she might haue care of his children that were verie yong from whome of necessitie he must be verie often absent she was of good yeares of no good fauour nor
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
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
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