1532.

Tuesday 31st, 1532.

Who coulde have thoughte that those ripe Grapes whereof dear Gaffer ate foe plentifullie, fhould have ended his Dayes? This Event hath filled the Houfe with Mourning. He had us all about his Bed to receive his Bleffing; and 'twas piteous to see Father fall upon his Face, as Jofeph on the Face of Jacob, and weep upon him and kifs him. Like Jacob, my Grandfire lived to fee his duteous Son attayn to the Height of earthlie Glorie, his Heart unspoyled and untouched.

July, 1532.

The Days of Mourning for my Grandfire are at an End; yet Father ftill goeth heavilie. This Forenoon, looking forthe of my Lattice, I faw him walking along the River Side, his Arm caft about Will's Neck; and 'twas a dearer Sight to my Soul than to see the King walking there with his Arm around Father's

1532.

Father's Neck. They seemed in such earnest Converse, that I was avised to ask Will, afterwards, what they had been saying. He told me that, after much friendly Chat together on this and that, Father fell into a Mufe, and presently, fetching a deep Sigh, fays,

"Woulde to God, Son Roper, on Con"dition three Things were well established "in Christendom, I were put into a Sack, "and caft presently into the Thames." Will fayth,

"What three foe great Things can they "be, Father, as to move you to fuch a "With?"

66

"In Faith, Will," answers he, they be these.-First, that whereas the most Part "Christian Princes be at War, they were "at univerfall Peace. Next, that whereas "the Church of CHRIST is at present fore "afflicted with divers Errors and Herefies, "it were well settled in a godly Uniformitie.

66

66

Laft, that this Matter of the King's Mar

'riage were to the glory of GoD, and the "Quietness

"Quietness of alle Parties, brought to a

66

good Conclufion.”

Indeede, this laft Matter preys on my Father's Soul. He hath even knelt to the King, to refrain from exacting Compliance with his Grace's Will concerning it; movinglie reminding him, even with Tears, of his Grace's own Words to him on delivering the Great Seal, "First look unto God, and, "after GOD, unto me." But the King is heady in this Matter; ftubborn as a Mule or wild Afs's Colt, whofe Mouths must be held with Bit and Bridle, if they be to be governed at alle; and the King hath taken the Bit between his Teeth, and there is none dare ride him. Alle for Love of a brown Girl, with a Wen on her Throat, and an extra Finger!

1532.

How fhort a Time agone it seemeth that, July 18. in my Profperity, I fayd, "We shall never "be moved; Thou, LORD, of Thy Good"nefs, haft made our Hill foe ftrong!" ".... Thou didst turn away thy Face, and "I was troubled!"

K

Thus

1532. 28th.

Thus fayth Plato of Him whom he foughte, but hardly found: "Truth is his

66

Body, and Light his Shadow." 'A marvellous Saying for a Heathen.

"GOD is

Hear alfo what St. John fayth : "Light; and in him is no Darkness at all." "And the Light was the Life of Men and "the Light fhineth in Darkness, and the "Darkness comprehended it not."

:

Hear alfo what St. Augufiine fayth: "They

are the most uncharitable towards Error, “who have never experienced how hard a "Matter it is to come at the Truth."

Hard, indeede! Here's Father agaynft Will, and agaynft Erafmus, of whom he once could not speak well enough; and now he fays, that if he upholds fuch and fuch Opinions, his dear Erafmus may be the Devil's Erafmus, for what he cares. And here's Father at Iffue with half the learned Heads in Chriftendom concerning the King's Marriage. And yet, for alle that, I think Father is in the Right.

He taketh Matters foe to Heart that e'en

his Appetite fails. Yesterday he put aside his old favourite Dish of Brewis, faying, "I "know not how 'tis, good Alice; I've loft "my Stomach, I think, for my old Relishes," .. and this, e'en with a Tear in his Eye. But 'twas not the Brewis, I know, that made it start.

He hath refigned the Great Seal! And none of us knew of his having done foe, nor e'en of his meditating it, till after Morning Prayers to-day, when, infteade of one of his Gentlemen stepping up to my Mother in her Pew with the Words, Madam, my Lord "is gone," he cometh up to her himself, with a Smile on's Face, and fayth, low bowing as he spoke, "Madam, my Lord is gone." She takes it for one of the manie Jefts whereof the miffes the Point; and 'tis not till we are out of Church, in the open Ayr, that the fully comprehends my Lord Chancellor is indeede gone, and the hath onlie her Sir Thomas More.

A Burft of Tears was no more than was

1532.

Aug.

to