Margaret Roper, the favorite child of Sir Thomas More when he had brought him from Westminster to the Old Swan towards the Tower, there with a heavy heart, the tears running down his cheeks, bade him farewell. Sir Thomas More, seeing him so sorrowful, comforted him with as good words as he could, saying, "Good Mr. Kingston, trouble not yourself, but be of good cheer. For I will pray for you, and my good lady your wife, that we may meet in heaven together, where we shall be merry for ever and ever." Soon after, Sir William Kingston, talking with me of Sir Thomas More, said, "In faith, Mr. Roper, I was ashamed of myself, that at my departure from your father, I found my heart so feeble and his so strong, that he was fain to comfort me which should rather have comforted him." When Sir Thomas More came from Westminster to the Tower ward again, his daughter, my wife, desirous to see her father, whom she thought she should never see in this world after, and also to have his final blessing, gave attendance about the Tower wharf, where she knew he should pass by, ere he could enter into the Tower. There tarrying for his coming home, as soon as she saw him, after his blessings on her knees reverently received, she, hasting towards, without consideration or care of herself, pressing in amongst the midst of the throng and the company of the guard, that with halberds and bills were round about him, hastily ran to him, and there openly in the sight of all of them embraced and took him about the neck and kissed him, who, well liking her most daughterly love and affection towards him, gave her his fatherly blessing, and many godly words of comfort besides; from whom after she was departed, she, not satisfied with the former sight of her dear father, having respect neither to herself, nor to the press of the people and multitude that were about him, suddenly turned back again, and ran to him as before, took him about the neck, and divers times together most lovingly kissed him, and at last with a full heavy heart was fain to depart from him; the beholding whereof was to many of them that were present thereat so lamentable, that it made them for very sorrow to mourn and weep. So remained Sir Thomas More in the Tower more than a seven-night after his judgment. From whence the day before he suffered he sent his shirt of hair, not willing to have it seen, to my wife, his dearly beloved daughter, and a letter, written with a coal, contained in the aforesaid book of his works, showing plainly the fervent desire he had to suffer on the morrow in these words: "I cumber you, good Margaret, much, but I would be sorry if it should be any longer than to-morrow. For to-morrow is St. Thomas' even, and the octave of St. Peter, and therefore to-morrow long I to go to God, that were a day very meet and convenient for me. And I never liked your manners better than when you kissed me last. For I like when daughterly love and dear charity hath no leisure to look to worldly courtesy." and council with the And so upon the next morning, being Tuesday, St. Thomas' A messenger even, and the octave of St. Peter, in the year of our Lord from the king God 1537, according as he in his letter the day before had wished, early in the morning came to him Sir Thomas Pope, death warrant his singular friend, on message from the king and his council, that he should before nine of the clock in the same morning suffer death, and that therefore forthwith he should prepare himself thereto. "Mr. Pope," saith he, "for your good tidings I most heartily thank you. I have been always bounden much to the king's highness for the benefits and honors which he hath still from time to time most bountifully heaped upon me, and yet more bounden I am to his grace for putting me into this place, where I have had convenient time and space to have remembrance of my end, and so help me God most of all, Mr. Pope, am I bound to his highness, that it pleased him so shortly to rid me of the miseries of this wretched world. And therefore will I not fail most earnestly to pray for his grace both here and also in another world."... "Mr. Pope," quoth he, "you do well that you give me. warning of his grace's pleasure. For otherwise had I purposed at that time somewhat to have spoken, but of no matter wherewith his grace or any other should have had cause to be offended. Nevertheless, whatsoever I intend I am ready obediently to conform myself to his grace's commandment. And I beseech you, good Mr. Pope, to be a mean unto his highness, that my daughter Margaret may be present at my burial." "The king is well contented already," quoth Mr. Pope, "that your wife, children, and other friends shall have free liberty to be present thereat." "O how much beholden," then said Sir Thomas More, "am I to his grace, that unto my poor burial vouchsafeth to have so gracious consideration." Wherewithal Mr. Pope, taking his leave of him, could not refrain from weeping, which Sir Thomas More perceiving, comforted him in this wise: "Quiet yourself, good Mr. Pope, and be not discomforted. For I trust that we shall once in heaven see each other merrily, where we shall be sure to live and love together in joyful bliss eternally." Upon whose departure Sir Thomas More, as one that had been invited to a solemn feast, changed himself into his best apparel; which Mr. Lieuof the person tenant espying, advised him to put it off, saying, that he that should have it was but a worthless fellow. tenant," quoth he, "shall I account him a worthless fellow, "What, Mr. Lieuthat will do me this day so singular a benefit? Nay, I assure you, were it cloth of gold I would account it well bestowed on him, as St. Cyprian did, who gave his executioner thirty pieces of gold." And albeit at length, through Mr. Lieutenant's persuasions, he altered his apparel, yet, after the example of that holy martyr St. Cyprian, did he of that little money that was left him, send one angel of gold to his executioner. The executioner always received the clothing executed The execution And so was he brought by Mr. Lieutenant out of the Tower, on Tower Hill and from thence led towards the place of execution, where going up the scaffold, which was so weak that it was ready to fall, he said to Mr. Lieutenant, "I pray you, I pray you, Mr. Lieutenant, see me safe up, and for my coming down let me shift for myself." Then desired he all the people thereabouts to pray for him, and to bear witness with him, that he should then suffer death in and for the faith of the holy Catholic church, which done he kneeled down, and after his prayers said, he turned to the executioner, and with a cheerful countenance spake unto him: "Pluck up thy spirits, man, and be not afraid to do thine office. My neck is very short; take heed, therefore, thou shoot not awry, for saving thine honesty." So passed Sir Thomas More out of this world to God upon of Charles V the very same day in which himself had most desired. Soon The criticism after whose death came intelligence thereof to the Emperor Charles, whereupon he sent for Sir Thomas Eliott, our English ambassador, and said unto him, "My Lord Ambassador, we understand that the king, your master, hath put his faithful servant and wise councilor Sir Thomas More to death." Whereunto Sir Thomas Eliott answered, that he understood nothing therof. "Well," said the Emperor, "it is very true, and this will we say, that if we had been master of such a servant, of whose doings ourselves have had these many years no small experience, we would rather have lost the best city of our dominions, than have lost such a worthy councilor." Which matter was by Sir Thomas Eliott to myself, to my wife, to Mr. Clement and his wife, to Mr. John Haywood and his wife, and divers others of his friends accordingly reported. IV. THE REIGN OF EDWARD VI A curious chronicle of events in London in the early years of Edward VI exists, from whose confused wording, illiterate expressions, and reckless spelling can still be gathered the story of the pulling down of sacred images, opposition to the mass in its old form, tearing down of some churches, and cessation of church holidays; all of which was evidently disapproved of by the author. Item the v. day after in September beganne the kynges vys- 208. Extracts ytacion at Powlles, and alle imagys pullyd downe; and the ix. from the Grey Friars day of the same monyth the sayd visytacion was at sent Bryddes, Chronicle and after that in dyvers other paryche churches; and so all (1547–1548) imagys pullyd downe thorrow alle Ynglonde att that tyme, and all churches new whytte-lymed, with the commandmenttes wryttyne on the walles. And at that tyme was the byshoppe of London put into the Flette, and was there more than viij. dayes; and after hym was the byshoppe of Wenchester put there also. Item at this same tyme was pullyd up alle the tomes, grett stones, alle the auteres, with the stalles and walles of the qweer The crucifix in St. Paul's Cathedral destroyed and auteres in the church that was some tyme the Grey freeres, Thys yere the iiijth day of November bagan the parlement Item the xvij. day of the same monythe at nyghte was pullyd and images downe the Rode in Powlles with Mary and John, with all the images in the churche, and too of the men that labord at yt was slayne and dyvers other sore hurtte. Item also at that same time was pullyd downe thorrow alle the kynges domynyon in every churche alle Roddes with alle images. Also the newyeresday after preched doctor Latemer that some tyme was byshop of Wysseter preched at Powlles crosse, and too sondayes followyn, etc. Also this same tyme was moche spekyng agayne the sacrament of the auter, that some callyd it Jacke of the boxe, with divers other shamfulle names; and then was made a proclamacyon agayne it, and so contynewyd; and at Ester followyng there began the commonion and confession but of thoys that wolde, as the boke dothe specifythe. And at this tyme was moche prechyng agayne the masse. And the sacrament of the auter pullyd downe in dyvers placys thorrow the realme. Item after Ester beganne the servis in Ynglyshe (at Powles at the commandment of the dene at the tyme, William May), and also in dyvers other pariche churches. Item also at Wytsontude beganne the sermons at sent Mary spyttylle. Item also this yere was Barkyng chappylle at the Towre hylle pullyd downe, and sent Martyns at the chambulles end, sent Nicolas in the chambulles, and sent Ewyns, and within the gatte of Newgate thoys were put unto the churche that some tyme was the Grey Freres; and also Strand churche also pullyd downe to make the protector duke of Somerset's place larger. Abolition of the chantries Item this yere was alle the chaunterys put downe. . |