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looke to worldlie Curtesie." And soe uppon the next morninge, beinge tuesday, St Thomas even, and the Utas of St Peeter in the yeare of our Lord God 1535, accordinge as he in his letter the day before had wished, earlie in the morninge came to him Sir Thomas Pope, his singular frend, on messadge from the Kinge and his Councell, that hee should before nyne of the clocke in the same morninge suffer death, and that therefore fourthwith he should prepare himselfe thereto. "Mr. Pope," sayth hee, "for your good tydinges I most hartily thanke you. I have beene allwayes bounden much to the Kinge's Highnes for the benefitts and honors which he hath still from tyme to tyme most bountifully heaped upon mee, and yete more bounden I ame to his Grace for puttinge me into this place, where I have had convenient tyme and space to have remembraunce of my end, and soe helpe me God most of all, Mr. Pope, am I bound to his Highnes, that it pleased him soe shortlie to ridd me of the miseries of this wretched world. And therefore will I not fayle most earnestlye to praye for his Grace both here, and alsoe in an other world. The Kinge's pleasure is further," quoth Mr. Pope, "that at your Execution you shall not use many words." "Mr. Pope," (quoth hee) "you do well that you give mee warninge of his Grace's pleasure. For otherwise had I purposed at that tyme somewhat to have spoken, but of noe matter wherewith his Grace, or any other should have had cause to be offended. Neverthelesse what soever I intend I am readie obediently to conforme my self to his Grace's Commaundment. And I beseech you, good Mr Pope, to be a meane unto his Highnes, that my daughter Margerette may be present at my buriall." "The King is well contented allreadie" (quoth Mr Pope) "that your Wife, Children, and other frendes shall have free libertie to be present thereat." "O how much behoulden," then said Sir Thomas Moore, "am I to his Grace, that unto my poore buriall vouchsafeth

less fellow.

Everything

worn by the person exe

cuted belonged to the executioner.

to have so gratious Consideration." Wherewithall Mr Pope takeinge his leave of him could not refrayne from weepinge, which Sir Tho. Moore perceavinge, comforted him in this wise, "Quiete your selfe, good Mr Pope, and be not discomforted. For I trust that we shall once in heaven see each other full merily, where we shall bee sure to live and love togeather in joyfull blisse eternally." Upon whose departure Sir Tho. Moore, as one that had beene invited to a solempne feast, chaunged himselfe into his best apparell; which Mr Lieuetenaunt espyinge, advised him to put it off, sayinge, That he that should have it was but a Javill. e. a worth"What Mr Lieuetenaunt" (quoth he) "shall I accompte him a Javill, that will doe mee this daye so singular a benefitt? Naye, I assure you, weare it cloath of gould I would accompte it well bestowed on him, as St Cyprian did, who gave his executioner xxx peeces of gold." And albeit at length, through Mr Lievetenaunte's perswasions, he altered his apparell, yete, after the example of that holy Martyr St Ciprian, did hee of that litle money that was left him, send one Angell of gold to his Executioner. And soe was he brought by Mr Lieuetenaunt out of the Towre, and from thence ledd towardes the place of execution, where goeinge upp the Scaffold, which was soe weake that it was readie to fall, he sayde to Mr Lievetenaunt, "I pray you, I pray you, Mr Lievetenaunt, see mee safe upp, and for my cominge downe lett mee shift for my selfe." Then desired hee all the people thereaboutes to pray for him, and to beare witnesse with him, that he should then suffer death in and for the faith of the holie Catholique Church, which done hee kneeled downe, and after his prayers sayed, hee turned to the executioner, and with a cheerefull Countenance spake unto him, "Plucke upp thie spirittes, man, and be not affrayed to do thine office, my necke is verye short. Take heede therefore thou scute not awrie for savinge thine honestie." Soe passed Sir Thomas Moore out of this world to

66

A gold coin

worth about ten shillings.

God uppon the verie same daye in which himselfe had
most desired. Soone after whose death came intelligence
thereof to the Emperor Charles, whereuppon he sent for Sir
Thomas Eliott, our Eenglish Embassodor, and sayd unto
him, "My Lord Embassodor, wee understand that the Kinge
your Master hath putt his faithfull servaunt and grave wise
Councellor Sir Thomas Moore to death." Where unto Sir
Thomas Eliott answeared, that hee understood nothinge
thereof. "Well," sayd the Emperor, "it is verye true, and
this will we saye, that if wee had bine Mr. of such a servaunt,
of whose doinges our selves have had these many yeares
noe small experience, wee would rather have lost the best
Cittie of our Dominiones, then have lost such a worthie
Councellor." Which matter was bye Sir Thomas Eliott to
my selfe, to my wife, to Mr. Clement and his wife, to Mr.
John Haywood and his wife, and divers others of his
frends acordingely reported.

William Roper, Life of Sir Thomas More (prefixed to More's
Utopia, edited by J. R. Lumby, Cambridge, 1879), lii-lvi.

These two extracts, one from an injunction issued by the authority of Henry VIII,

and the other from a parliamentary statute, are

48. Henry VIII and the English Bible

"Every person or proprietary of any parish church within this realm shall, on this side of the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula next coming, provide a book of the whole Bible, both in Latin and also in English, and lay the same in the quire, for every man that will to read and look therein; and shall discourage no man from the reading any part of the Bible, but rather comfort, exhort, and admonish every man to read the same, as the very word of God and the spiritual food of ment towards man's soul; ... ever gently and charitably exhorting them, that, using a sober and modest behaviour in the reading and Reformation, inquisition of the true sense of the same, they do in nowise

of interest as showing the

uncertain attitude of the govern

that essential

part of the

stiffly or eagerly contend or strive one with another about the same, but refer the declaration of those places that be in controversy to the judgment of them that be better learned."

Royal injunction issued 1536 (J. Lewis, History of the English
Translations of the Bible, 103, 104, London, 1739).

Cap. I. Recourse must be had to the catholick and apostolick church for the decision of controversies; and therefore all books of the Old and New Testament in English, being of Tindal's false translation, or comprising any matter of Christian religion, articles of the faith, or holy scripture, contrary to the doctrine set forth sithence Anno. Dom. 1540, or to be set forth by the king, shall be abolished. No printer or bookseller shall utter any of the aforesaid books. No persons shall play in interlude, sing, or rhime, contrary to the said doctrine. No person shall retain any English books or writings concerning matter against the holy and blessed sacrament of the altar, or for the maintenance of anabaptists, or other books abolished by the king's proclamation. There shall be no annotations or preambles in Bibles or New Testaments in English. The Bible shall not be read in English in any church. No women or artificers, prentices, journeymen, servingmen of the degree of yeomen or under, husbandmen, nor labourers, shall read the New Testament in English. Nothing shall be taught or maintained contrary to the King's instructions. And if any spiritual person preach, teach, or maintain anything contrary to the King's instructions or determinations, made or to be made, and shall be thereof convict, he shall for his first offence recant, for his second abjure and bear a fagot, and for his third shall be adjudged an heretick, and be burned and lose all his goods and chattels.

34 H. VIII. c. i. Statutes at Large (Cambridge, 1763), V, 129.

the free use of the English Bible.

L

ANONYMOUS. The chronicle from which this extract was taken

formed a part

of the Regis

ter-book of the fraternity of Grey

49. Protestant Revolution under
Edward VI (1547)

Item the 5th day after in September began the king's visitation at Paul's and all images pulled down: and the 9th day of the same month the said visitation was at St. Bride's, and after that in divers other parish churches; and so all images pulled down through all England at that time, and all churches new white-limed with the commandments written on the walls. And at that time was the bishop of London put into the Fleet, and was there more than eight Henry VIII. days; and after him was the bishop of Winchester put there

Friars. In 1539 they made a

forced surrender of

their possessions to

November.

I.e. yet.

also.

Item at this same time was pulled up all the tomes, great stones, all the altars, with the stalls and walls of the quire and altars in the church that was some time the Gray friars and sold, and the quire made smaller. . . .

Item the 17th day of the same month at night was pulled down the Rode in Paul's with Mary and John, with all the images in the church, and two of the men that laboured at it was slain and divers others sore hurt. Item also at that time was pulled down through all the king's dominion in every church all Roddes with all images, and every preacher preached in their sermons against all images. Also the newyears day after preached doctor Latemer that some time was bishop of Worcester preached at Paul's cross, and two Sundays following, etc. Also this same time was much speaking again the sacrament of the altar, that some called it Jack of the box, with divers other shameful names: and then was made a proclamation against such sayers, and it both the preachers and others spake against it, and so continued; and at Easter following there began the communion, and confession but of those that would, as the book doth specify. And at this time was much preaching against the mass. And

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