rius Lancastriæ, tandem Angliæ, miro Principis favore factus est. Sed interim in publico regni Senatu lectus est Orator populi; pæterea legatus regis nonnunquam fuit alias alibi; postremò veró Cameraci comes et collega junctus principi legationis Cuthberto Tunstallo, tum Londinensi mox Dunelmensi episcopo, quo viro vix habet orbis hodie eruditius, prudentius, melius. Ibi inter summos orbis Christiani monarchas rursus refecta fœdera, redditamque mundo diu desideratam pacem, et lætisismus vidit, et legatus interfuit. Quam Superi pacem firment faxtinque perennem! In hoc officiorum vel honorum cursu quum ita versaretur ut neque princeps optimus operam ejus improbaret, neque nobilibus esset invisus, nec injucundus populo, furibus autem, homocidis, [ ]* molestus, pater ejus tandem Joannes Morus, eques, et in eum judicum ordinem a principe cooptatus, qui regius consessus vocatur, homo civilis, suavis, innocens, mitis, misericors, æquus, et integer, annis quidem gravis, sed corpore plusquam pro ætate virido, postquam eò productam sibi vitam vidit, ut filium videret Anglia Cancellarium, satis in terrâ jam se moratum ratus, libens emigravit in cœlum. At filius, defuncto patre, cui quamdiu supererat comparatus et juvenis vocari consueverat, et ipse quoque sibi videbatur, amissum jam patrem requirens, et editos ex se liberos quatuor ac nepotes undecim respiciens, apud animum suum cæpit persenescere. Auxit hunc affectum animi subsecuta statim, velut adpetentis senii signum, pectoris valetudo deterior. Itaque mortalium harum rerum satur, quam rem a puero a "This blank was filled up, or intended to be filled up, with the word hereticisque. As the blank, however, is perfectly plain, and no symptom of erasure appears on the marble, it may be supposed that More, from farther reflection, rather chose to have space vacant for the word, than actually to inscribe it. Another explanation has been given. It is conjectured that in the reparation of the monument by one of More's descendants, the obnoxious word was omitted. The perfect smoothness of the marble seems, however, to favour the former supposition."-Macdiarmid, p. 17. penè semper optaverat, ut ultimos aliquot vitæ suæ annos obtineret liberos, quibus hujus vitæ negociis paulatim se abducens, futuræ posset immortalitatem meditari, eam rem tandem (sic cœptis annuit Deus) indulgentissimi principis incomparabili beneficio resignatis honoribus impetravit; atque hoc sepulchrum sibi, quod mortis eum nunquam cessantis abrepere quotidie commonefaceret, translatis huc prioris uxoris ossibus, extruendum curavit. Quod ne superstes frustra sibi fecerit, neve ingruentem trepidus mortem horreat, sed desiderio Christi libens oppetat, mortemque ut sibi non omnino mortem, sed januam vitæ fælicioris inveniat, precibus eum piis, lector optime, spirantem precor defunctumque prosequere. Chara Thomæ jacet hic Joanna uxorcula* Mori, Qui tumulum Alicia hunc destino, quique mihi. Charior incertum est, hæc sit, an hæc fuerit. (Translation.) THOMAS MORE, Born in the city of London, of no distinguished but of an honest family, was somewhat versed in letters; in his youth he pleaded at the bar some years, and discharged the office of under-sheriff in that city; afterwards by the redoubted King Henry VIII. (to whom alone among kings accrued the glory, before unknown, of being deservedly entitled Defender of the Faith, as indeed he proved himself as "The longer and more laboured commendation of Alice is outweighed in tenderness by the single word of endearment uxorcula, applied to the long-departed companion of his youth,”—Mackintosh, well by the sword as the pen,) he was called to court, chosen a privy-councillor, knighted, and made subtreasurer, chancellor of Lancaster, and at length of England, by the distinguished favour of his prince. In the meantime, he had been chosen speaker of the commons, and appointed envoy to various courts, and, last of all, to Cambray, being associated with Cuthbert Tunstall, the chief of that embassy, then Bishop of London, and since of Durham; a man, than whom the world can scarcely boast one more learned, or of more prudence and virtue. There he had the satisfaction to witness, and to negotiate, the renewal of the leagues between the chief princes of Christendom, and the restoration to the world of long-wished for peace; which blessing may Heaven confirm and long preserve! When he had so traversed this career of duties and honours, that neither could his good king disapprove, nor the peers of the land, to whom he was no object of envy, nor the people, to whom his services were grateful, discommend, though he had been severe to thieves, murderers, and [ ]. At length his father, Sir John More, who had been appointed by his majesty a judge in the king's bench, a man of courteous and pleasant manners, harmless, gentle, full of compassion, just and uncorrupt, old indeed in years, yet fresh for his age in bodily strength, after living to see his son chancellor of England, thinking he had tarried long enough on earth, passed willingly to heaven. The son, on the death of his father, compared to whom, while he lived, he was called a young man, and indeed seemed so to himself, being now deprived of his father, and beholding four children of his own, and eleven grand-children, began to fancy himself growing old, and this fancy was strengthened by the immediate succession of a disorder in his breast, a symptom as it were of approaching age. Having, then, tasted plentifully of this world's pursuits-the thing he had always wished for from a boy, that he might enjoy some of his latter years free, and withdrawing himself by degrees from the business of the world, might have leisure to meditate on immortality —that thing at last, (God allowing,) by the incomparable kindness of his most indulgent king, having resigned his honours, he hath obtained; and he hath erected this monument, as a constant memorial of his ever-approaching death, having removed thither the remains of his first wife. That he may not have done this in vain while yet he lived, that he dread not the approach of death, but meet it cheerfully for the love of Christ, and that he find death not so much death, as the gate of a happier existence, do thou, good reader, assist him with thy pious prayers, as well now while he liveth, as after his decease. Jane, More's dear wife, within this tomb reclines, The next-ah! virtue in a step-dame rare! Had not religion's sacred law denied, No. 3. (See page 232.) Sir Thomas More to Secretary Crumwell. RIGHT WORSHIPFUL-After my most hearty recommendation, with like thanks for your goodness in accepting of my rude long letter: I perceive, that, of your further goodness and favour towards me, it liked your mastership to break with my son Roper of that, that I had had communication, not only with * divers that were of acquaintance with the lewd nun of Canterbury, but also with herself; and had, over that, by my writing, declaring favour towards her, giving her advice and counsel; of which my demeanour, that it liketh you to be content to take the labour and the pain to hear, by mine own writing, the truth, I very heartily thank you, and reckon myself therein right deeply beholden to you. It is, I suppose, about eight or nine years ago since I heard of that housewife first; at which time, the Bishop of Canterbury that then was-God assoil his soul! sent unto the king's grace a roll of paper, in which were written certain words of hers, that she had, as report was then made, at sundry times, spoken in her trances; whereupon it pleased the king's grace to deliver me the roll, commanding me to look therein, and afterwards show him what I thought thereon. Whereunto, at another time, when his highness asked me, I told him, that in good faith I found nothing in these words that I could any thing regard or esteem; for seeing that some part fell in rhyme, and that, God wot, full rude also; for any reason, God wot, that I saw therein, a right simple woman might, in my mind, speak it of her own wit well enough. Howbeit, I said, that because it was constantly reported for a truth, that God wrought in her, and that a miracle was showed upon her, I durst not, nor would not, be bold in judging the matter. And the king's grace, as methought, esteemed the matter as light as it after proved lewd. From that time, till about Christmas was twelvemonth, albeit that continually there was much talking of her, and of her holiness, yet never heard I any talk rehearsed, either of revelation of hers, or miracle, saving that I heard say divers times, in my lord Cardinal's days, that she had been both with his lordship, and with the king's grace, but what she said, either to the one or to the other, upon my faith * Lewd in the acceptation of this age signified ignorant. |