whosoever shall live to see it, will prove a marvellous man.' Whereupon for his better furtherance in learning he placed him at Oxford; where when he was both in the Greek and Latin tongues sufficiently instructed, he was then, for the study of the law of the realm, put to an Inn of Chancery, called New Inn. Where for his time he very well prospered, and from thence was admitted to Lincoln's Inn, with very small allowance; continuing there his study until he was made and accounted a worthy utter barrister,

After this, to his great commendation, he read for a good 10 space a public lecture of St. Augustine De Civitate Dei in the church of St. Lawrence in the old Jewry, whereunto resorted Doctor Grocyn, an excellent conning man, and all the chief learned of the city of London. Then was he made reader of Furnival's Inn, so remaining by the space of three years and more. After which time he gave himself to devotion and prayer in the Charterhouse of London, religiously living there without vow about four years; until he resorted to the house of one Master Colte, a gentleman of Essex, that had oft invited him thither, having three daughters whose honest conversation and 20 virtuous education provoked him there specially to set his affection. And albeit his mind most served him to the second daughter, for that he thought her the fairest and best favoured, yet when he considered that it would be both great grief and some shame also to the eldest to see her younger sister preferred before her in marriage, he then, of a certain pity, framed his fancy toward her, and soon after married her; never the more discontinuing his study of the law at Lincoln's Inn, but applying still the same until he was called to the Bench, and had read there twice, which is as often as any Judge of the 30 law doth ordinarily read.

Before which time he had placed himself and his wife at Bucklersbury in London, where he had by her three daughters and one son, in virtue and learning brought up from their youth; whom he would often exhort to take virtue and learning for their meat, and play for their sauce. Who, ere

ever he had been reader in Court, was in the latter time of King Henry the Seventh made a burgess of the Parliament; wherein was demanded by the King (as I have heard reported) about three fifteenths for the marriage of his eldest daughter, that then should be the Scottish Queen. At the last debating whereof he made such arguments and reasons there against, that the King's demands were thereby clean overthrowen; so that one of the King's privy chamber, named Master Tyler, being present thereat, brought word to the King out of the 10 Parliament house, that a beardless boy had disappointed all his purpose. Whereupon the King, conceiving great indignation towards him, could not be satisfied until he had some way revenged it. And forasmuch as he nothing having, nothing could lose, his grace devised a causeless quarrel against his father; keeping him in the Tower until he made him pay to him a hundred pounds fine.

Shortly hereupon it fortuned that this Sir Thomas More coming in a suit to Doctor Fox, bishop of Winchester, one of the King's privy council, the Bishop called him aside, and 20 pretending great favour towards him, promised that if he would be ruled by him, he would not fail into the King's favour again to restore him; meaning, as it was afterwards conjectured, to cause him thereby to confess his offence against the King, whereby his highness might with the better colour have occasion to revenge his displeasure against him. But when he came from the Bishop, he fell in communication with one Master Whitforde, his familiar friend, then chaplain to that Bishop, and after a father of Sion, and showed him what the Bishop had said unto him, desiring to have his advice 30 therein. Who, for the Passion of God, prayed him in no wise to follow his counsel; 'for my lord, my master', quoth he, 'to serve the King's turn will not stick to agree to his own father's death.' So Sir Thomas More returned to the Bishop no more; and had not the King soon after died, he was determined to have gone over the sea, thinking that being in the King's indignation he could not live in England without great danger.

After this he was made one of the under-sheriffs of London; by which office and his learning together (as I have heard him say) he gained without grief not so little as four hundred pounds by the year: sith there was at that time in none of the King's courts of the laws of this realm any matter of importance in controversy wherein he was not with the one party of counsel. Of whom, for his learning, wisdom, knowledge and experience, men had such estimation, that before he came to the service of King Henry the Eighth, at the suit and instance of the English merchants, he was, by the King's 10 consent, made twice ambassador in certain great causes between them and the merchants of the Steelyard. Whose wise and discreet dealing therein, to his high commendation, coming to the King's understanding, provoked his highness to cause Cardinal Wolsey, then Lord Chancellor, to procure him to his service. And albeit the Cardinal, according to the King's request, earnestly travailed with him therefore, among many other his persuasions alleging unto him, how dear his service must needs be unto his majesty, which could not with his honour with less than he should yearly lose thereby, seem to 20 recompense him: yet he, loath to change his estate, made such means unto the King by the Cardinal to the contrary, that his grace for that time was well satisfied.

Now happened there after this a great ship, of his that was then Pope, to arrive at Southampton. Which the King claiming for a forfeiture, the Pope's ambassador, by suit unto his grace, obtained that he might for his master the Pope have counsel learned and wise in the laws of this realm; and the matter in his own presence (being himself a singular civilian), in some public place to be openly heard and discussed. At 30 which time there could none in our law be found so meet to be of counsel with this ambassador as Sir Thomas More; who could report to that ambassador in Latin all the reasons and arguments by the learned counsel on both sides alleged. Upon this the counsellors on either part, in presence of the Lord Chancellor and other the judges in the Star Chamber, had

audience accordingly. Where Sir Thomas More, not only declared to the ambassador the whole effect of all their opinions, but also in defence on the Pope's side argued so learnedly himself, that both was the aforesaid forfeiture to the Pope restored, and himself, amongst all the hearers, for his upright and commendable demeanour therein, so greatly renowned, that for no entreaty would the King from henceforth be induced any longer to forbear his service.

At whose first entry thereunto he made him Master of the 10 Requests, having then no better room void, and, within a month after, knight and one of his privy council. And so from time to time was he by the King advanced, continuing in his singular favour and trusty service twenty years and above. A good part whereof used the King upon holy days when he had done his own devotions, to send for him into his traverse, and there-sometimes in matters of astronomy, geometry, divinity, and such other faculties, and sometimes of his worldly affairs-to sit and confer with him. And other whiles, would he in the night have him up into his leads, there 20 to consider with him the diversities, courses, motions, and other operations of the stars and planets. And because he was of a pleasant disposition, it pleased the King and Queen, after the council had supped, at the time of their supper, for their pleasure commonly to call for him to be merry with them. Whom when he perceived so much in his talk to delight, that he could not once in a month get leave to go home to his wife and children (whose company he most desired), and to be absent from the court two days together but that he should be thither sent for again; he much misliking this distraint of 30 liberty, began thereupon somewhat to dissemble his nature, and so, by little and little, from his accustomed mirth to disuse himself, that he was of them from thenceforth at such seasons no more so ordinarily sent for. Then died one Master Weston treasurer of the Exchequer, whose office after his death, the King of his own offer without any asking freely gave unto Sir Thomas More. In the fourteenth year of his grace's reign

there was a Parliament holden, whereof Sir Thomas More was chosen Speaker. . . .

And such entire favour did the King bear him, that he made him Chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster upon the death of Sir Richard Wingfield who had that office before. And for the pleasure he took in his company would his grace suddenly sometimes come home to his house at Chelsea to be merry with him. Whither, on a time, unlooked for he came to dinner to him, and after dinner, in a fair garden of his, walked with him by the space of an hour, holding his arm about his neck. 10 As soon as his grace was gone, I rejoicing thereat said to Sir Thomas More, how happy he was whom the King had so familiarly entertained; as I never had seen him do to any other, except Cardinal Wolsey, whom I saw his grace once walk with arm in arm. 'I thank our Lord, son,' quoth he, 'I find his grace my very good lord indeed, and I do believe he doth as singularly favour me, as any subject in this realm. Howbeit, son Roper, I may tell thee, I have no cause to be proud thereof; for if my head could win him a castle in France (for then was the war between us), it should not fail 20 to go.'

This Sir Thomas More, amongst all other his virtues, was of such meekness, that if it had fortuned him with any learned men resorting to him from Oxford, Cambridge, or elsewhere (as there did divers, some for desire of his acquaintance, some for the famous report of his wisdom and learning, and some for suits of the Universities), to have entered into argument (wherein few were comparable to him) and so far to have discoursed with them therein, that he might perceive they could not without some inconvenience hold out much further 30 disputation against him; then, lest he should discomfort them (as he that sought not his own glory, but rather would seem conquered than to discourage students in their studies, ever showing himself more desirous to learn than to teach), would he by some witty device courteously break off into some other matter and give over. Of whom, for his wisdom and learning,