Mr. Roper's life of his venerable father-in-law is one of the few pieces of natural biography that we have in our language, and must be perused with great pleasure by those who love antient times, antient manners, and antient virtues. Of Sir Thomas More's difinterestedness and integrity in his office of Chancellor, Mr. Roper gives this inftance: That after the refignation of it "he was not able fufficiently to finde meat, drink, "fuell, apparel, and fuch other neceffary charges; "and that after his debts payed he had not I "know (his chaine excepted) in gold and filver left him the value of one hundred pounds."

Mr. Roper thus describes Sir Thomas More: "He was a man of fingular worth, and of a "cleare unspotted confcience, as witneffeth "Erafmús, more pure and white than the "whiteft fnow, and of fuch an angelical wit, "as England, he fayth, never had the like be"fore nor never fhall again. Univerfally as "well in the lawes of our realme (a studie in "effect able to occupy the whole lyfe of a man)

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as in all other sciences right well studied, he was in his days accounted a man worthie famous memory."

This excellent man is thus described by Erafmus, in a letter to Ulderic Haller:

"More

"More feems to be made and born for "friendship, of which virtue he is a fincere "follower and very strict obferver. He is not "afraid to be accufed of having many friends, "which, according to Hefiod, is no great praise. "Every one may become More's friend; he is "not flow in chufing; he is kind in cherishing, " and constant in keeping them. If by accident "he becomes the friend of one whofe vices he "cannot correct, he flackens the reins of friend

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fhip towards him, diverting it rather by little "and little, than by entirely diffolving it. "Thofe perfons whom he finds to be men of

fincerity, and confonant to his own virtuous "difpofition, he is fo charmed with, that he ap

pears to place his chief worldly pleasure in "their converfation and company. And al"though More is negligent in his own temporal . concerns, yet no one is more affiduous than " himself in affifting the fuits of his friends. Why should I fay more? If any person were "defirous to have a perfect model of friendship, "no one can afford him a better than More. "In his converfation there is fo much affability " and fweetness of manner, that no man can be "of so auftere a difpofition, but that More's "conversation must make him cheerful; and no "matter fo unpleasing, but that with his wit he 66 can take away from it all disgust."

Erafmus

Erafmus fays again of this excellent man foon after his execution:

"All men, even those who diflike him for

differing from them in religion, must lament "the death of Sir Thomas More; fo great was "his courtesy to all, fo great his affability, so "fweet his difpofition. Many perfons favour "only their own countrymen: Frenchmen "favour a Frenchman; Scotchmen favour a "Scotchman; but More's general benevolence

hath imprinted his memory fo deep in all "men's hearts, that they bewail his death as "that of their own father or brother. I myself "have seen many perfons weep for More's "death, who had never feen him, nor yet re"ceived any kindness from him. Nay, as I "write, tears flow from my eyes, whether I "will or not. How many perfons has that axe "wounded, which fevered More's head from "his body!"

"Therefore," adds Erafmus,

"when my

"friends have congratulated me that I had a "friend like More placed in fo eminent a station, "I was used to say that I would never congra"tulate him upon his increase of dignity till he himself told me that I might.".

VOL. I.

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Sir

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Sir Thomas More used to fay of ungrateful perfons, that they wrote good turns done to them in the duft, but engraved injuries upon marble. Of the folly of those who were overanxious for the dignities of the world, he obferved, "As a criminal who is about to be "led to execution would be accounted foolish, "if he fhould engrave his coat of arms upon "the gate of the prifon; even fo are they vain, "who endeavour with great industry to erect monuments of their dignity in the prison of this world."

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"The King, Henry the Eighth," fays Mr. More, in the Life of his Grandfather, " used of particular love to come on a fuddain to Chelfey, where Sir Thomas More lived, and "leaning upon his fhoulder, to talke with him "of fecrett counfel in his garden, yea, and "to dine with him upon no inviting."

"It happened one day," fays Mr. Aubrey, in his Manufcript Lives, "that a mad Tom of "Bedlam came up to Sir Thomas More as he "was contemplating, according to his custom,

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on the leads of the gate-house of his palace at "Chelsea, and had a mind to have thrown him "from the battlements, crying out, Leap, Tom,

leap. The Chancellor was in his gown, and ❝befides,

" befides, ancient and unable to struggle with "fuch a strong fellow. My Lord had a little "dog with him. Now, (faid he,) let us first "throw the dog downe, and see what sport that "will be: fo the dog was thrown over. Is not "this fine fport (faid his Lordship)? Let us "fetch him up and try it again. As the mad"man was going down, my Lord fastened the " door, and called for help."

When Sir Thomas was Lord Chancellor, he conftantly fat at mass in the chancel of Chelsea church, while his Lady fat in a pew; and because the pew stood out of fight, his Gentleman Ufher ever after service opened it, and faid to Lady More, "Madam, my Lord is gone." On the Sunday after the Chancellor's place was taken from him, (of which he had not apprized his wife,) the family went to church as ufual; when, after the service, Sir Thomas himfelf came to his wife's pew, and faid,

Madam, my Lord is gone," to her great astonishment and indignation.

More's fpirit and innocent mirth did not forfake him in his last moments. As he was going up the fcaffold to be beheaded, he found the stairs of it fo weak and crazy, that it was nearly ready to fall: he turned about to the Lieutenant of the Tower and faid, " Pray, Master Lieu