Geoffrey Chamber gentleman Edvvard Stockmore gentleman William Browne gentleman Iaspar Leake gentleman Thomas Billington gentleman Iohn Parnel gentleman Richard Bellame gentleman George Stoakes gentleman These I say going togeather and staying scarce one quarter of an hower for they knew what the king would haue donne in that Case returned with their verdict Guiltie Wherefore the Lo Chancellour as Chiefe Iudge in that matter beganne presently to proceede to Iudgemēt which Sir THOMAS hearing sayd vnto him My Lord when I was towards the law the manner in such cases was to aske the prisonner before sentence whether he could giue anie reason why Iudgement should not proceede against him Vpon which words the Lo Chancellour staying his sentence wherein he had alreadie partely proceeded asked Sir THOMAS what he was able to say to the contrarie who forthwith made answer in this sorte For as much as my Lords this Inditement is grounded vpon An acte of Parlement directly repugnant to the lavves of God and his holie Church the supreme gouernement of vvhich or of anie parte thereof no Temporall person may by anie lavv presume to take vpon him that vvhich rightfully belongeth to the Sea of Rome vvhich by speciall prerogative was granted by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ himself to S. Peter and the Bishops of Rome his successours only vvhilst he liued and vvas personally present here vpon earth it is therefore amongst Catholike Christiās insufficient in lavv to charge anie Christian man to obey it And for proofe of this sound assertion he declared amongst manie reasons sound authorities that like as this realme alone being but one member and a small parte of the the Church might not make a particular lavv disagreing with the generall lavv of Christ's vniuersall Catholike Church no more then the Cittie of London being but one member in respect of the vvhole realme may enact a lavv against an Act of Parlement to binde thereby the vvhole kingdome So shevved he further that this lavv vvas euen contrarie to the lavves and statutes of this our realme not yet repealed as they might euidently see in Magna Charta vvhere it is sayd that Ecclesia Anglicana libera sit habeat omnia iura integra libertates suas illaesas And it is contrarie also to that sacred oath vvhich the king's highnesse himself and euerie other Christian prince alvvaies receaue vvith great sollemnitie at their Coronatiōs Moreouer he alleaged that this realme of England might vvorse refuse their obedience to the Sea of Rome then anie childe might to their naturall father For as S. Paul sayd to the Corinthians I haue regenerated you my children in Christ so might that vvorthie Pope of Rome S. Gregorie the Great say to vs Englishmen yee are my Children because I haue giuen you euerlasting saluation For by S. Augustin and his follovvers his immediate messengers England first receaued the Christian Faith vvhich is a farre higher and better inheritance then anie carnall father can leaue to his children for a sonne is only by generation vve are by regeneration made the spirituall Children of Christ and the Pope To these wordes the Lo Chancellour replied that seing all the Bishopps Vniuersities best learned men of this realme had agreed to this Act it was much marueled that he alone should so stiffely sticke thereat and so vehemently argue there against it To which wordes Sir THOMAS answered that if the number of Bishopps and vniuersities vvere so materiall as his Lordshipp seemeth to make it then doe I my Lord see little cause vvhy that thing in my conscience should make anie change for I do not doubt but of the learned and vertuous men that are yet aliue I speake not only of this realme but of all Christendome about there are ten to one that are of my minde in this matter but if I should speake of those learned Doctours and vertuous Fathers that are alreadie dead of vvhome manie are Saints in heaven I am sure that there are farre more vvho all the vvhile they liued thought in this Case as I thinke novv And therefore my Lord I thinke myself not bound to conforme my conscience to the Councell of one realme against the generall consent of all Christendome 5. Now when Sir THOMAS had taken as manie exceptions as he thought meete for the auoyding of this Inditement and alleaging manie more substantiall reasons then can be here sett downe the Lo Chancellour hauing bethought himselfe and being loath now to haue the whole burthen of this Condemnatiō to lye vpon himselfe asked openly there the aduise of my Lo Chiefe Iustice of England Sr. Iohn Fitz Iames whether this Inditement were sufficient or no who wisely answered thus my Lords all by S. Gillian for that was euer his oath I must needes confesse that if the Act of Parlement be not vnlawfull then the Inditement is not in my conscience insufficient An answere like that of the Scribes and Pharisies to Pilate Yf this man were not a malefactour we would neuer haue deliuered him vnto you And so with yfs and ands he added to the matter a slender euasion Vpon whose words my Lo Chancellour spoke euen as Caiphas spoke in the Ievvish Councell Quid adhuc desideramus testimonium reus est mortis so presently he pronounced this sentence That he should be brought back to the Tower of London by the helpe of William Bingston Sheriffe and from thence drawen on a hurdle through the Cittie of London to Tyburne there to be hanged till he be halfe dead after that cutt downe yet aliue his priue partes cutt of his bellie ripped his bowells burnt and his foure quarters sett vp ouer foure gates of the Cittie his head vpon London-bridge This was the Iudgement of that worthie man who had so well deserued both of the king and Countrie for which Paulus Iouius calleth king Henrie another Phalaris The sentence yet was by the king's pardon changed afterwards only into Beheading because he had borne the greatest office of the realme of which mercie of the king's word being brought to Sir THOMAS he answered merrily God forbidde the king should vse anie more such mercie vnto anie of my friends and God blesse all my posteritie from such pardons 6. When Sir THOMAS had now fully perceaued that he was called to Martyrdome hauing receaued sentence of death with abolde and constante countenance he spoke in this manner Well seing I am condemned God knovves hovv iustly I vvill freely speake for the disburthening of my Conscience vvhat I thinke of this lavve When I perceaued that the king's pleasure vvas to sifte out from vvhence the Popes authoritie vvas deriued I confesse I studyed seauē yeares togeather to finde out the truth thereof I could not reade in anie one Doctour's vvritings vvhich the Church allovveth anie one saying that auoucheth that alay man vvas or could euer be the head of the Church To this my Lo
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Sr. THOMAS MOORE WHO WAS LORD CHANCELOR OF ENGLAND TO KING HENRY THE EIGHT Printed for N.Y. 1642 The Preface to the Reader 1. AS I cannot but daily thinke of the rare and admirable vertues both of nature and grace which did shine most perspicuously in the blessed life and glorious death of that worthie Champion of Christs Church Sr. THOMAS MORE so also haue I often had an earnest desire especially for the spirituall behoofe of my selfe and my Children who are as small brookes deriued by naturall propagation frō that spacious sea of rare perfections or like tender twigs drawing sappe from the fruitfull roote of his noble excellēcies to giue them a taste according to my poore abilitie of some few of his most heroical vertues professing my self vtterly vnable to sett downe his life in writing as he deserueth 2. For if that Apelles the principall paynter that euer liued was thought only fitt to drawe with his pencell the pourtraicture of Alexander the Great or if Lysippus the most curious engrauer was the onlie man which was suffered to carue in brasse the beauteous feature of the same so worthie a personage for feare least that some vnskillfull workeman might rather blemish his fauour then anie waies grace it what courage can I haue to vndertake a worke of so great difficultie as this who know myselfe a verie puney in comparison of so manie famous men that haue vndergone this businesse alreadie finding in the verie beginning of this mine enterprise my small capacitie ouerwhelmed with the plentie and copiousnesse of this subiect and yf I should boaste my witt and skill to be equall with learned Stapleton's who at large and with great diligence and dexteritie hath sett forth the life of this great seruant of God in his booke intituled The three Thomases I should vanish away in mine owne pride knowing my self right well most vnworthie to be compared vnto him or if I should challenge vnto my selfe more certaintie of the matter related then my great vncle Mr. William Rooper could haue euerie one might iudge me both vaine and arrogant of whose sinceritie none that euer knewe him or heard of him can doubte I being the third in descent from S. THOMAS and he his owe sonne-in law with whome he had familiarly conuersed y space of sixteene yeares togeather as he himself confesseth yet for all this I haue now at last ventured to discourse a little of the life and death of this glorious Martyr for so without enuie I hope I may call him non vt electus ex multis sed quasi relictus ex omnibus not as one that may be thought fitt to sett his life forth with good grace but as he who only vpon a naturall affection to his Ancestour trusting chiefly of Gods ayde and this Saint's holie praiers is emboldened to say somewhat thereof this being one propertie of affection to suppose that whosoeuer hath spoken or whatsoeuer hath bene sayd of him whome we loue all that we thinke nothing if we ourselues haue not sayd somewhat in his praise although alas we are often the vnfittest men for that purpose we being not able to vtter what we conceaue because our passion taketh away much of our conceipt and therefore we vtter for the most parte either broken words or vnperfect sentences more intelligible to him that searcheth the secretts of mens harts then to others that heare them spoken or reade them in our writings 3. But one may aske me why I should challenge more affection to this man then anie other of my kinne of whome few or none haue endeauoured to write any thing hitherto I answer that though I haue had more cause perhaps then anie man else to loue him and honour him which is best knowen to my selfe and not fitt to be related vnto all men secretum meum mihi yet will I not ascribe to my selfe so great a priuiledge of louing him best I being the yongest and meanest of all my familie lett this suffice him that is a curious searcher of this my deede that as Doctour Stapleton was moued to take paines in setting forth the actions of S. THOMAS MORE because he was borne in the verie same moneth and yeare wherein he suffered his glorious martyrdome so was I borne anew and regenerated by the holie Sacrament of Baptisme on the verie same day though manie yeares after on which Sr. THOMAS MORE entred heauen triumphant to witt on the sixt day of Iuly And therefore haue I had some speciall confidence of his particular furtherance and blessing For how I pray you could I euer haue hoped to haue liued as heyre of Sr. THOMAS his familie and to enioye at this time some parte of his inheritance all which by his attaynder he had lost vtterly from himself and his children if his praiers had not as it were begged it at Gods hands besides I was the yongest of thirteene children of my father the last meanest of fiue sonnes foure of which liued to mens estate and yet it hath bene Gods holie pleasure to bestowe this in heritance vpon me which though perhaps I haue no cause to boaste of because it may be a punishment vnto me for my faultes if I vse it not well and a burden which may weighe me downe full deepe yet will the world coniecture it to be a great blessing of God and so I ought to acknowledge it And although I knowe myself the vnfittest and vnworthiest of all the foure to manage this estate yet they either loathed the world before the world fawned on thē liuing in voluntarie contempt thereof and dyed happie soules in that they chose to be accounted abiect in the sight of mē or else they vtterly cast of all care of earthlie trash by professing a strayte and religious life for feare least the dangerous perills of worldlie wealth might gaule their soules and the number of snares which hang in euerie corner of this world might entrappe thē to the endangering of their eternall saluation and left me poore soule to sinke or swime or as I can wade out of these dangerous whirle pooles amongsts which we wordlings are ingulphed the multitude of which eminent perils doe force me to cry first and chiefly to CHRIST IESVS saying with his Apostles Lord saue me for I am in danger of drowning and then also to craue the especiall assistance of Sr. THOMAS MORE his prayers by whose intercession I hope to wafte this my poore barke vnto her assured hauen of heauen though shaken and crushed with winde and weather 4. But none of vs must thinke that his assistance is all we must putt our owne helping hands thereto Nāgenus proauos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco his meritts are not our warrant yea rather his exāples haue layde a greater loade on the backes of his posteritie in that we are bound to imitate his actions more then
tell this reason thereof because she dyed soone after she had brought forth this childe but to haue bene a woman of more then ordinarie vertue that which Doctor Clement reporteth from SIR THOMAS his owne mouth of a vision which she had the next night after her marriage seemeth in my iudgement forcible to argue in which she sawe in her sleepe as it were ingrauen in her wedding ring the number and fauour of all her children she was to haue whereof the face of one was so darke and obscure that she could not well discerne it and indeede afterwards she suffered of one of her children an vntimelie deliuerie but the face of one of her other she beheld shining most gloriously whereby no doubt Sir THOMAS his fame and sanctitie was foreshened and presignifyed She brought forth before him to Sir Iohn two daughters one called Iane afterwards married to à noble gentleman Mr. Richard Staffretō Elizabeth wife to the worthie gētleman Mr. Iohn Rastall Iudge Rastall's father Sir Iohn after his first wife's death married successiuely two others whereof the last as I haue heard was called Alice one of the Mores of Surrey and great aunte to Sir William More whose sonne now liuing is Sir George lieftennant of the Tower a man little inferiour to his noble Anncestours if his religion were answerable to theirs This Ladie outliued her sonne in law Sir THOMAS dwelling vpon her Iointure in Hartfordshire at a Capitall messuage then called More-place now Gubbons in the parish of Northmimes but being a little before her death thrust out of all by king Henry's furie she dyed at Northall a mile from thence and lieth buried in the church there 2. Sir THOMAS MORE was borne at London in Milke-streete where the Iudge his father for the most parte dwelt in the yeare of our Lord 1480. in the twentieth yeare of Edvvard the Fourth Shortly after his birth God would shew by another signe how deare this babe was vnto him For his nurce chancing to ride with him ouer à water and her horse stepping aside into a deepe place putt both her and her Childe in great danger and ieopardie whose harmes she seeking suddenly to preuent threw the infant ouer a hedge into a fielde neere adioyning and after by God's helpe escaping safe also when she came to take him vp againe she found him to haue no hurt at all but sweetely smiled vpon her that it might well be sayd of him Angelis suis Deus mandauit de te ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum and not his foote only but his whole bodie 3. This was no doubt a happie presage of his future holinesse and putt his parents in minde that he was that shining Childe of whome his mother had that former vision wherefore his father had the greater care to bring him vp in learning as soone as his tender age would permit it and so he putt him to the Free-schoole of London called S. Anthonies where he had a famous and learned man called Nicolas Holt for his maister vnder whome when he had rather greedily deuoured then leasurely chewed his Grammar rules he outstripped farre both in towardnesse of witt and diligence of endeauours all his schoole fellowes with whome he was matched And being borne to farre greater matters his father procured him to be placed shortly after in the house of the most worthie prelate that then liued in England both for wisedome learning and vertue whose like the world scarcely had Cardinall Morton Archbishopp of Canterburie and Lord high Chancellour of England whose graue countenance and carriage was such that he easily allured all men to honour and loue him a man as Sir THOMAS MORE describeth him in his Vtopia of incomparable iudgement a memorie more then is credible eloquent in speach and which is most to be wished in Clergiemen of singular wisedome and vertue so that the King and the Common wealth relyed chiefly vpon this mans counsell as he by whose policie King Henrie the Seauenth both gott the Crowne of England from Richard the third the vsurper and also most happily procured the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke to be vnited by marriage In this famous mans house this youth learned most diligently aboundance of wisedome and vertue and now he beganne to shew to the world what man he was likelie to proue For the Cardinall often would make triall of his pregnant witt especially at Christmas merriments when hauing plaies for recreacion this youth would suddenly steppe vp amongst the players and neuer studying before vpon the matter make often a parte of his owne inuention which was so wittie and so full of ieasts that he alone made more sporte and laughter then all the players besides for which his towardlienesse the Cardinall delighted much in him and would often say of him vnto diuerse of the Nobilitie who at sundrie times dined with him that that boy there wayting on him whosoeuer should liue to see it would proue a maruelous rare man But when this most reuerend Prelate sawe that he could not profitt so much in his house as he desired where there were manie distractions of publike affaires hauing great care of his bringing vp he sent him to the Vniuersitie and placed him in Canterbury-Colledge at Oxford now called Christs-church where in two yeares space that he remained there he profited exceedingly in Rhetorick Logick and Philosophie and shewed euidently what wonders witt and diligence can performe when they are ioyned as seldome they are in one painefull student There his whole minde was sett on his booke for in his allowance his father kept him verie short suffering him scarcelie to haue so much monie in his owne custodie as would pay for the mending of his apparrell euen no more then necessitie required and of his expences he would exact of him a particular accounte which course of his fathers he would often both speake of and praise it when he came to riper yeares affirming that by this meanes he was curbed from all vice and withdrawen from manie idle expences either of gayming or keeping naughtie companie so that he knew neither play nor other riott wherein most yong men in these our lamentable daies plunge themselues too timely to the vtter ouerthrow as well of learning and future vertue as their temporall estates This strictnesse of his father increased in him also a great reuerence and obedience after vnto him againe in so much that in all his life after he was so dutiefull vnto him that he neuer offended nor contradicted him in anie the least worde or action still shewing towards him admirable deedes of humilitie euen at that time when in the eye of the world he farre surpassed his father in dignitie which may be seene by asking him blessing euerieday duly euen after he was Lord Chancellour of England and when he and his father mett publikely at Lincolnes-Inne or other
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
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
his French historie Onuphrius Patauinus in Paulo III. an Italian Nicolas Cardinall of Capua in his French letters Iohn Secundus of Hague yea Carion and Sleidan himselfe speake honourably of Sir THOMAS MORE 's death 6. But of all Protestants Iohn Riuius speaketh most passiionately of K. Henrie's cruell fact and Sir THOMAS's pietie in these wordes lib. 2. de Conscientia He that is in a Prince's Courte ought freely yf he be asked his Iudgement rather to tell his minde plainely what is most behoofefull for his Prince's good then to speake placentia tickeling his eares with flatterie neither ought he to praise things which are not prayse worthie nor to dispraise matters that are worthie of high commendations yea although he be in danger of getting no fauour by perswading it but rather punishment and disgrace for gainesaying men's appetites then bringing Papinianus that great lawyer for a liuelie example thereof who chose rather to dye then to iustifye the Emperour Caraculla's killing of his owne brother against his owne conscience he addeth Such a man was lately in our memorie that singular and excellent for learning and pietie yea the onlie ornament and glorie of his Countrie THOMAS MORE who because he would not agree nor approue by his consent against his owne conscience the new marriage of the king of England who would needes be diuorced from his first wife and marrie another he was first cast into prison one that had singularly well deserued of the king himselfe and of England and when he constantly continued in his opinion which he truly thought to be most iust most lawfull and godlie emboldened to defende it by a sincere conscience he was putt to death by that wicked parricide that most hatefull and cruell tyrant a crueltie not heard of before in this our age Oh ingratitude and singular impietie of the king's who could endure first to consume and macerate with a tedious and loathsome imprisonment such a sincere and holie good man one that had bene so careful of his glorie so studious of his Countrie 's profitt he that had perswaded him alwaies to all Iustice and honestie dissuaded him from all contraries and not conuinced of anie crime nor found in anie fault he slew him oh miserable wickednesse not only being innocent but him that had deserued high rewardes and his most faythfull and trustie Councellour Are these thy rewardes o king is this the tankes thou returnest him for all his trustie seruice and good will vnto thee doth this man reape this commoditie for his most faythfull acts and employments But oh MORE thou art now happie and enioyest eternall felicitie who wouldest leese thy head rather then approue anie thing against thine owne conscience who more esteemest righteousnesse iustice and pietie then life itselfe and whilst thou art depriued of this mortall life thou passest to the true and immortall happinesse of heauen whilst thou art taken away from men thou art raysed vp amongst the numbers of holie Saints and Angells of blisse 7. Last of all I will recounte what the good Emperour Charles the Fift sayd vnto Sir Thomas Eliott then the king's Embassadour in his Court after he had heard of Bishopp Fisher and Sir THOMAS MORE 's martyrdomes on a time he spoke of it to Sir Thomas Eliott who seemed to excuse the matter by making some doubt of the reporte to whome the Emperour replyed It is too true but yf we had had two such lights in all our kingdomes as these men were we could rather haue chosen to haue lost two of the best and strongest townes in all our Empire then suffer ourselues to be depriued of them much lesse to endure to haue thē wrongfully taken from vs. 8. And though none of these should haue written anie thing hereof yet the matter it selfe speaketh abundantly that the cause was most vniust the manner thereof most infamous and Sir THOMAS MORE 's patience most admirable his pietie his learning his vertues incomparable famous was he for his noble martyrdome infamous king Henry for his most vniust condemnation These things doe aggravate king Henry's faulte First that he killed him by a law wherein he neuer offended either by word or deede and by that which concerned not Temporall policie but religion only not rebellious against the king but fearefull to offende his owne Conscience which though he refused to approue yet did he neuer reproue it or anie other man for taking it Secondly that he putt to death so rare a man so beloued of all so vertuous so wise so courteous and wittie which might be motiues sufficient euer to pardon a guiltie offender Thirdly for beheading a man that had donne him so much seruice yea the whole kingdome such good offices his faythfull Counsellour for twentie yeares togeather his expert Embassadour his iust Lo Chancellour the verie flower of his realme Manie things also doe amplifye and increase Sir THOMAS MORE 's immortall glorie first in that to all the king's demaunds he had behaued himselfe so sincerely and impartiall opening his minde ingenuously so that the king seemed still to like him though his opiniō were contrarie to his liking Secondly that he had suffered alreadie the losse of all his goods being condemned to perpetual imprisonment and only for silence Thirdly in that he tooke all crosses for the loue of God most patiently Fourthly that he dyed for a controuersie in religion neuer before called in question by anie precedent example Finally that he only of all the Councell would not flatter the king nor keepe either goods dignitie or life with the dāger of the losse of his soule All which proue what a rare man how admirable and vertuous a Christian and how glorious a martyr he is 9. But because one bauld English Chronicler Hall tearmeth him a scoffing man because his writings and doings were full of wittie ieastes calling him a wise foolish man or a foolish wiseman lett vs see by his owne writings the reason why he hath vsed so manie pleasant tales in his bookes and it is this Euen as some sicke men sayth he will take no medicines vnlesse some pleasant thing be putt amongst their potions although perhaps it be somewhat hurtefull yet the phisician suffereth them to haue it So because manie will not willingly hearken to serious and graue documents except they be mingled with some fable or ieaste therefore reason willeth vs to doe the like And in his greate Volume page 1048. he sayth that ieastes are as it were sawce whereby we are recreated that we may eate with more stomake but as that were an absurde bankett in which there were few dishes of meate and much varietie of sawces and that an vnpleasant one where there were no sawce at all euen so that life were spent idely wherein nothing were but mirth and iolitie and againe that tedious and vncomfortable wherein no pleasure or myrth were to be expected Which mirth as it may become all