Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A11051
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The mirrour of vertue in worldly greatnes. Or The life of Syr Thomas More Knight, sometime Lo. Chancellour of England
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Roper, William, 1496-1578.
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1626
(1626)
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STC 21316; ESTC S116166
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42,917
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178
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deuised to allure his Maiesty who was alâ⦠ready contrary to the Cardinaâ⦠mynd and knowledge fallen iâ⦠loue with the Lady Anne Bullen to affect the French Kings Sister Which thing because of thâ⦠wars and hatred that was theâ⦠ââ¦etweene the French King and ââ¦e Emperour whome the Carââ¦inall now mortally hated he eryâ⦠earnestly indeauoured to ââ¦rocure And for the better furââ¦ering this his purpose he reââ¦uested one Langland Bishop of ââ¦incolne and Ghostly Father to ãâã Henââ¦y to put a scruple into ââ¦he K. head that it was not lawâ⦠for him to mary his Brothers ââ¦ife which thing the King not ââ¦ry to heare of related first to ãâã Thomas More required his ââ¦ounsell therein and with all ââ¦ewed himsome places of Scriture which seemed somewhat ãâã serue his purpose Syr Thomaââ¦ââ¦ore perusing the said places ââ¦ereupon as one that had neââ¦r professed Diuinity excused ââ¦mselfe vnto his Maiesty and said he was farre vnfit to meddle with such affaires The King not satisfied with this answere pressed and vrged him the more which he perceauing said vnto his Maiesty that for asmuch as such a busines required good aduise and deliberation he besought his Highnes to giue him sufficient respit to coÌsider aduisedly of the same Wherwith the King well contented replyed That Tonstall Clark Bishops of Durham Bath with others learned of his priuy CouÌsell should also be dealers therin So Syr Thomas More departed and conferred those places of Scripture with the Expositions of diuers of the ancient Fathers and Doctours of the Church and at his comming to Court talking with the King of the aforesaid matter he said To be playne with your Grace neither my Lord of Durham nor my Lord of Bath though I hold ââ¦hem to be both learned verââ¦uous holy Prelates nor my ââ¦elfe with any other of your Counsell being all your Maieââ¦ties owne seruants so greatââ¦y bound vnto you for your maââ¦ifold benefits dayly bestowed vpon vs be in my iudgment fit Counsellors for your Grace heââ¦ein But if your Maiesty desyre ââ¦o vnderstand the Truth such Counsellors may be found as ââ¦either for respect of worldâ⦠commodity nor for feare of ââ¦our Princely authority will ââ¦ny way be drawne to deceiuââ¦ââ¦ou And then he named vnto the King S. Hierome S. Augustine and diuers others auncient Fathers Doctors of the Church both Greeke an Latin and further shewed his Maiesty what authority he had gathered forth of them of which although the King as not fitting to his purpose did not very well like yet were they by Syr Thomas Moreâ⦠so wisely alleaged and so tempred with discretion that the King at that tyme tooke it in good part and had oftentimes conference with him againe about the same matter After this there were certayne questions propounded to thâ⦠Kings Counsell whether in this case the King needed to haue any scruple at all and if he had what was the best way to freâ⦠him of it The greater part of the Counsell were of opinion that there was good cause of scruple and that for his Maiesties discharge therin it was fit suite should be made vnto the Sea of Rome where the King thought that by his liberality he might with ease obtayne his purpose TheÌ was there procured from Rome a commission for the try all of this Mariage wherein Cardinall Campegius and Cardinall Wolsey were ioyned commissioners who for the determination therof sate at the Blacke-Fryers in London where a Libell was put in for the anulling of the said Mââ¦triomony affirming the Mariage betweene the King and Qââ¦eene to be vnlawfull Then againe for proofe therof to be lawfull there was produced ãâã dispensation in which after diuers disputations thereupoÌ holden there appeared an imperfection which notwithstanding by an other instrument or Breuâ⦠found out vpon search in thâ⦠Treasury of Spayne sent oueâ⦠to the commissioners in EnglaÌdâ⦠was supplyed so should iudgmeÌt haue ben giuen by the Popâ⦠accordingly had not the King vpon intelligence therof beforâ⦠the same Iudgment appealed to a Generall CouÌcell After whose Appellation the Cardinalls satâ⦠no more vpon that businesse It happened before the saâ⦠matter of Mariage brought in Question that M. Roper being one day in discourse with Syâ⦠Tho. More did with a kind of ââ¦oy congratulate with his said Father for the happy Estate of the Realme that had so Cathoââ¦ique a Prince as no Heretique durst shew his face so vertuous and learned a Clergy so graue and sound a Nobility and so loââ¦ing and obedient Subiects all ââ¦n one fayth agreeing togeather Troth it is so indeed Sonne Roââ¦er quoth he and then commended all degrees and estates of the same far beyond M. Roper And yet Sonne Roper quoth he I pray God that some of vs as high as we seeme to sit vpon the Mountaynes treading Heretiââ¦ques vnder our feete like Ants ââ¦ue not to see the day when we gladly would wish to be in league and composition with those whome you call Heretiques to let them haue their Churchâ⦠quietly to themselues vpon coÌâ⦠dition that they would be content to let vs haue ours quieâ⦠to our selues Then M. Roper produceâ⦠many reasons to the contrary saw no cause why any shoulâ⦠say so Well well Sonne Ropâ⦠quoth he I pray God some ãâã vs liue not till that day and ãâã no more To whome M. ãâã replyed By my troth Syr thââ¦s ãâã desperatly spoken seeming ãâã be halfe angry with Syr ãâã More who perceiuing the ãâã said merily vnto him Well ãâã SoÌne Ropââ¦r It shall not be then since you will not haue it soâ⦠Thus was he of so excellent ãâã temper that those who liued were coÌtinually coÌuersant with him in his house for the space ãâã twenty yeares and vpwardes ââ¦ould neuer perceiue him to be ââ¦nce moued or to make the ââ¦ast shew of anger But to returne agayne where ââ¦eft After the supplying of the ââ¦spensation sent vnto the comââ¦ioners into England as is ââ¦efore rehearsed the King taââ¦ng the businesse to himselfe as ââ¦t then mynding to proceed ââ¦y further in the matter assiââ¦ed the Bishop of Durham and ãâã Thomas More to go Embassaââ¦urs to Cambray a place neiââ¦er Imperiall nor French to ââ¦eat a Peace betweene the Emââ¦rour the FreÌch King himââ¦fe in the concluding wherof ââ¦r Tho. More so worthily manââ¦ged the busines that he procured therby much more benefit for the Kingdome then was at that tyme by the King and his CouÌsell thought possible could be coÌpassed For whose good seruice in that Embassy the King when he after made him Lord Chauncellour caused the Duke of Norfolke to declare openly to the people how much all ââ¦ngland was bounden vnto him as you shall see heeââ¦after more ãâã large Now vpon the coÌming home of the Bishop of Durham and Syâ⦠Thomas More from Cambray aforsayd the King began to reneâ⦠agayne his old suite and waâ⦠very earnest in persuading Syâ⦠Thomas More to agree vnto thââ¦
being personally present vpon the Earth only vnto S. Peter the Apostle and his lawfull Successors Bishops of the same Sea by special prerogatiue It is not therefore ãâã inough for one Christian Catholike man to charge and conuince another Christian Catholike man say that this Realme of England being but a member a small part only of the Church of Christ hath power and authority to make a particular law disagreable to the generall law of Christs Vniuersall Catholique Church no more then the Citty of London being but one poore member in respect of the whole Kingdome might make a law agayââ¦st an Act of Parlament to bââ¦nd the whole Realme And further he shewed that it was coÌtrary both to the ancient Lawes Statutes of our owne Realme not theÌ repealled as they might well see in Magna Carta Quod ãâã libera sit habeat omnia iura integÌra libertates suas ãâã and contrary likewise to that sacred Oath which the Kings Highnes himselfe and enââ¦ry other Christian Prince of this realme with great Solemnity hath euer taken at their Coronation Alleaging moreouer that no more might this Realme of England refuse obedience to the Sea of Rââ¦me then the child might refuse Obedience to his naturall Father for as S. Paul sayth of the ãâã I haue regenerated you my Children in Christ so might holy S. Gregory Pope of Rome of whome by S. Augustine his messenger we Englishmen first receiued the Christian fayth truly say You are my Children beââ¦causâ⦠I haue giuen you euerlasting saluation a farre and better more noble Inheritance then any carnall Father can leaue to his Children by regeneration made you my Children in Christ. To this speach of Syr Thomas More the Lord Chancellor answered That seeing all the Bishops Vniuersities best learned of the Realme had to this Act of Parlament agreed it was very greatly to be admired that he alone agaynst them all would so stifly sticke and argue so vehemently against it To this Syr Thomas More a gaine replyed saying If the nuÌber of Bishops and Vniuersities be so materiall as your Lordship seemeth to take it then I see little cause my Lord why that thing should make any change at all in my CoÌscience For I nothing doubt though not in this Realme yet in Chââ¦istendome round about the nuÌber of learned men and Bishops to be farre greater who will defend and maintayne the contrary and therefore am I not bouÌden to conforme my coÌscience to the Councell of one Kingdome against the generall CouÌcell of Christendome Now when Syr Thomas More for the auoyding of the Inditement had taken as many exceptions as he thought fit the Lord Chancellour loath to haue the burden of that Iudgment wholy to depend vpon ââ¦fe there openly asked the aduise of the Lord Fitz-Iames then Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bââ¦nch and ioyned in commission with him whether this Inâ⦠were ãâã or no. Who like a ãâã man answered My Lordes quoth he by S. ãâã that was euer his oath I must needs coÌfesse that if the Act of Parlament be not vnlawfull then is not the Inditement in my conscience insufficient Whereupon the Lord Chancellour said to the rest of the Commissioners Loe my Lordes you all heare what my Lord chiefe Iustice sayth so immediatly he gaue Iudgment Which being done the commissoners yet further offered him curteously all fauourable audience if he would speake who answered I haue no more to say my Lords but that like as the Blessed Apostle S. Paul as we read in the Acts of the Apostles was present and consenteâ⦠to the death of S. Stephen kept their clothes that stoned him to death and are now both hoââ¦y Saintes in heauen so I verily trust and shall right hartily pray that though your Lordships haue now heere in earth byn Iudges to my Condemnation yet may we hereafter meete all togeather in euerlasting glory After his condemnation he departed from the Barre towardes the Tower agayne led by Sir William Kingston a tall strong and comely knight Constable of the Tower his very deere friââ¦d who wheÌ he had brought him a part of the way towardes the Tower with a heauy heart the teares running downe his cheekes bad him farwell The which Syr Thomas More seeing comforted him with as good words as he could saying Good M Kingston trouble not your selfe but be of good cheere for I will pray for you and my good Lady your wife that we may meete togeather in HeaueÌ where we shal be merry for euer and euer And a little after Syr William Kingstone meeting with M. Roper said In good fayth M. Roper I was ashamed of my selfe that at my departure from your Father I found my selfe so feeble and he so strong that he was fayne to coÌfort me who should rather haue comforted him As Syr Thâ⦠More came neere vnto the Tower his Daughter Roper desirous to see her Father once more before his death and to receaue his last blessing gaue attendance about the Tower-wharfe where he was to passe so soone as she saw him hastning vnto him without respect or care of herselfe pressed in among the throng of the Guard that with halbards went round about him and there openly in the sight of all asking him blessing on her knees imbrac't him tooke him about the necke and kissed him Who with a merry countenance nothing at all deiected gaue her his Fatherly blessing with many Godly wordes of comfort theÌ departed So remayned he in the Tower more then eight dayes after his condemnation from whence the day before he suffered he sent his shirt of hayre not willing to haue it seene to his said Daughter Roper and a Letter written with a cole printed in the aforesaid booke of his workes expressing playnly the feruent desyre he had to suffer on the Morrow in these wordes following I comber you good Margaret very much but I wold be sorry if it should be any longe then to Morrow for to Morrow is S. Thomas of Canterbury his Eue the Octaue of S. Peter therfore to Morrow long I to go to God it were a day very meete and conuenient for me I neuer liked you manner better towardes me then when you last imbraced me and when daughterly loue and deare charity haue no leasure to looke towards worldly courtesy Vpon the next Morrow according as he wished earely in the morning there came vnto him Syr Thomas Pope his singular good friend with a message from the King and Counsell that he must before nine of the clocke the same morning suffer death and that he should forth with prepare himself therto M. Pope quoth he for your good tydings I most hartily thanke you I haue alwayes ben much bound to the Kings highnes for the many benefits and honours that he hath still from tyme to tyme most bountifully heaped vpon me especially that it hath pleased his Maiesty to put me here in this