he had done his own devotions to 17 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 otherwhiles in the night would he have him up into the leads, there to consider with him the diversities, courses, motions and 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. When he perceived them so much in his talk to delight that he could not once in a month get leave to go home to his wife and his children, (18 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 restraint of his liberty, began thereupon somewhat to dissemble his nature, and so by little and little from his former mirth to disuse himself, that he was of them from thenceforth at such seasons no more so ordinarily sent for.

17 Morum in primis accivit Rex, quem sic in intimis habet ut a se nunquam patiatur discedere, sive serijs utendum est, nihil illo consultius, sive visum est Regi fabulis amanioribus laxare animum, nullus comes festivior.-Erasmi Epist.

18 Thus he represents to his friend Peter Giles the manner of his treating them: Nempe reverso domum, cum uxore fabulandum est, garriendum cum liberis.

Then died one Master Weston 19 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. Who being very loath to take this room upon him, made an oration, not now extant, to the king's highness for his discharge thereof. Whereunto when the king would not consent, he spoke unto his grace in form following.

66

Sith, I perceive, most redoubted sovereign, that it standeth not with your pleasure to reform this election, and cause it to be changed, but

19 Quum antea Regi tantum esset a consilijs, nuper nec ambiens, nec expetens, ultroneo favore Principis humanissimi et eques auratus factus est, et munus habet apud Britannos cum honorificum imprimis tum etiam Salarij non penitendi quod appellatur a Thesauris.

Est quod Moro gratuleris. Nam Rex hunc nec ambientem nec flagitantem munere magnifico honestavit, addito Salario nequaquam penitendo. Est enim Principi suo a Thesauris. Erasmi Epist.

Sir Thomas himself thus enumerates his Promotions: 'When, says he, I was firste of the Kinge's Counsaile, and after bis ' under Treasurer, and in the time while I was Chauncellour ' of the Duchy of Lancaster.'-English Works, p. 868, col. 1.

Whilst he was Under Treasurer of the Exchequer His friend Cuthbert Tonstall dedicated to him his book De Arte supputandi, for which he gives him the following reason: 'Cui aptiora hæc quam tibi esse possunt, qui totus in supputationibus excutiendis, occupatus in Regni ærario post Præfectum primas tenes?'

C

have, by the mouth of the most reverend Father in God the Legate your Highness Chancellor, thereunto given your most royal assent, and have of your benignity determined, far above that I may bear, to enable me, and for this office to repute me meet; rather than you should seem to impute unto your Commons, that they had unmeetly chosen: I am therefore, and always shall be, ready obediently to conform myself to the accomplishment of your highness' pleasure and commandment. In most humble wise beseeching your most noble Majesty that I may, with your grace's favour, before I farther enter there into, make my humble intercession unto your highness for two lowly petitions: the one privately concerning myself, the other the whole assembly of your Commons' house. For myself, most gracious sovereign, that if it mishap me, in any thing hereafter that is on the behalf of your Commons in your high presence to be declared, to mistake my message, and in lack of good utterance by my mis-rehearsal to pervert or impair their prudent instructions, that it may then like your most noble majesty, of your abundant grace, with the eye of your wonted pity to pardon my simpleness, giving me leave to repair again unto the Commons' House, and there to confer with them, and to take their substantial advice what things and in what wise I shall on their behalf utter and speak before your noble grace, to the

intent their prudent devices and affairs be not by my simpleness and folly hindered or impaired. Which thing if it should so happen, as it were well likely to mishap in me if your grace's benignity relieved not my oversight, it could not fail to be during my life a perpetual grudge and heaviness to my heart. The help and remedy whereof in manner aforesaid remembered, is (most gracious sovereign) my first lowly suit and humble petition unto your noble grace.

"Mine other humble request, most excellent prince, is this. Forasmuch as there be of your Commons here, by your high commandment assembled for your Parliament, a great number, which are, after the accustomed manner, appointed in the Commons' House to treat and advise of the common affairs among themselves apart: and albeit, most dear liege lord, that according to your prudent advice, by your honourable writs every where declared, there hath been as due diligence used in sending up to your highness' Court of Parliament the most discreet persons out of every quarter, that men could esteem meet thereto. Whereby it is not to be doubted but that there is a very substantial assembly of right wise, meet and politique persons. Yet, most victorious prince, sith, among so many wise men, neither is every man wise alike, nor, among so many men alike well witted, every man alike well spoken, and it often happeth that likewise

as much folly is uttered with painted polished speech, so, many, boisterous and rude in language, see deep indeed, and give right substantial counsel; and sith also in matters of great importance the mind is often so occupied in the matter, that a man rather studieth what to say, than how; by reason whereof the wisest man and best spoken in a whole country, fortuneth while his mind is fervent in the matter, somewhat to speak in such wise as he would afterward wish to have been uttered otherwise, and yet no worse will had he when he spake it, than he hath when he would so gladly change it. Therefore, most gracious sovereign, considering that in all your high Court of Parliament is nothing treated but matter of weight and importance concerning your realm and your own royal estate, it could not fail to let and put to silence, from the giving of their advice and counsel, many of your discreet Commons, to the great hinderance of the common affairs, except that every one of your Commons were utterly discharged of all doubt and fear how any thing that it should happen them to speak should happen of your highness to be taken. And in this point, though your well known and proved benignity putteth every man in good hope, yet such is the weight of the matter, such is the reverend dread that the timorous hearts of your natural subjects conceive towards your highness our most redoubted king and undoubted