Council gave authority for the publication of a book, in which the reafons why this divorce was granted were laid down; an answer was foon published, with which Sir Thomas More was charged as the author, of which report however he fufficiently cleared himself, in a letter to Mr. Cromwel, then fecretary, and a great favourite with King Henry. In the parliament held in the year 153, there was an oath framed, called the Oath of Supremacy, in which all English fubjects fhould renounce the Pope's authority, and fwear alfo to the fucceffion of Queen Ann's children. This oath Sir Thomas More abfolutely refufed from a principle of confcience; and after various expoftulations he was fent to the Tower, and the lieutenant had strict charge to prevent his writing, or holding converfation with any perfons but thofe fent by the fe. cretary. Audley, his fucceffor in the Chancellorfhip, the duke of Norfolk, and Mr. Cromwel paid him frequent vifits in his confinement, and pressed him to take the oath, which he ftill refused. About a year after his commitment to the Tower, he was arraigned at the King's Bench Bar, for refufing the Oath of Supremacy, and wilfully and obftinately oppofing the King's fecond marriage. He went to the court leaning on his ftaff, because he had been much weakened by his imprisonment; his judges were, Audley, Lord Chancellor ; James, Chief Juftice; Sir John Baldwin, Sir Richard Leifter, Sir John Port, Sir John Spelman, Sir Walter Luke, Sir Anthony Fitzherbert. The King's attorney opened against him with a very opprobrious fpeech; the chief evidence were Mr. fecretary Cromwel, to whom he had uttered fome difrefpectful expreffions of the King's authority, the duke of Suffolk, and earl of Wiltshire. replied to the accufation with great compofure and ftrength He ftrength of argument; and when one Mr. Rich fwore against him, he boldly afferted that Rich was perjured, and wished he might never fee God's countenance in mercy, if what he afferted was not true; befides that, Rich added to perjury, the basenefs of betraying private converfation. But notwith ftanding his defence, the jury, brought in their verdict, guilty; and he had fentence of death pronounced against him, which he heard without emotion. He then made a long fpeech addreffed to the Chancellor, and obferved to Mr. Rich, that he was more forry for his perjury, than for the fentence that had just been pronounced against him. Rich had been fent by the fecretary to take away all Sir Thomas's books and papers, during which time fome converfation paffed, which Rich mifreprefented in order to advance himself in the king's favour. He was ordered again to the Tower till the King's pleasure fhould be known. When he landed at TowerWharf, his favourite daughter Margaret, who had not feen him fince his confinement, came there to take her laft adieu, and forgetting the bashfulness and delicacy of her fex, preffed through the multitude, threw her arms about her father's neck, and often embraced him; they had but little converfation, and their parting was fo moving, that all the fpectators diffolved in tears, and applauded the affection and tenderness of the lady, which could enable her to take her farewel under fo many disadvantages. Some time after his condemnation, Mr. fecretary Cromwel waited on Sir Thomas, and entreated him to accept his Majefty's pardon, upon the condition of taking the oath, and expreffed great tenderness towards him. This vifit, and feeming friendship of Cromwel, not a little affected him. He revolved in his mind the propofal which he made, made, and as his fate was approaching, perhaps his refolution ftaggered a little. But calling to mind his former vows, his confcience, his honour, he recovered himself again, and ftood firmly prepared for his fall. Upon this occafion it was that he wrote the following verfes, which we here infert as a fpecimen of his poetry. Ey flattering fortune, loke thou ne'er fo fayre, On the 6th of July, 1534, in the fifty-fourth year of his age, the fentence of condemnation was executed upon him on Tower Hill, by fevering his head from his body. As he was carried to the fcaffold, fome low people cruelly infulted him, to whom he gave cool and effectual anfwers. Being now under the fcaffold, he looked at it with great calmness, and obferving it too flenderly built, he faid pleasantly to the Lieutenant, "I pray you, "Sir, fee me fafe up, and for my coming down "let me fhift for myfelf." When he mounted on the fcaffold, he threw his eyes round the multitude, defired them to pray for him, and to bear him witness that he died for the holy catholic church, a faithful fervant both to God and the King. His gaiety and propenfion to jefting did not forfake him in his laft moments; when he laid his head upon the block, he bad the executioner ftay till he had removed afide his beard, faying, "That had never committed treafon." When the executioner asked his forgiveness, he kiffed him, him, and said, "Thou wilt do me this day a greater benefit than any mortal man can be "able to give me ; pluck up thy fpirit man, "and be not afraid to do thy office, my neck "is very fhort, take heed therefore that thou ftrike "not awry. Thus by an honeft, but mistaken, zeal, fell Sir Thomas More; a man of wit and parts equal to all his cotemporaries; of integrity unfhaken; of a generous and noble difpofition; of a courage intrepid. Wood thinks him but an indifferent divine, and that he was very ignorant of antiquity and the learning of the Fathers; but he allows him to be a ftatesman beyond any that fucceeded him. His works, befides those we have already mentioned, are chiefly thefe, A Merry Jeft, How a Serjeant will learn to play a Friar, written in Verfe. Verfes on the hanging of a Painted Cloth in his Father's House. Lamentations on Elizabeth Queen of Henry VII, 1503. Verfes on the Book of Fortune. Supplication of Souls, writ in answer to a book called the Supplication of Beggars. A Confutation of Tindal's Answer to More's Dialogues, printed 1533. The Debellation of Salem and Bizance, 1533. In answer to another book of Tindal's. Treatise on the Paffion of Chrift. Godly Meditation. Devout Prayer. Letters while in the Tower, all printed 1557. Progymnafmata. Refponfio Refponfio ad Convitia Martini Lutheri, 1523. Quod pro Fide Mors fugienda non eft, written in the Tower 1534. Precationes ex Pfalmis. HENRY HOWARD, Earl of SURRY. W A S fon of Thomas, duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth, daughter of Edward, duke of Buckingham. The father of our author held the highest places under King Henry VIII. and had fo faithfully and bravely ferved him, that the nobility grew jealous of his influence, and by their united efforts produced his ruin. After many excellent fervices in France, he was conftituted Lord Treasurer, and made General of the King's whole army defign'd to march against the Scots: At the battle of Flodden, in which the Scots were routed and their Sovereign flain, the earl of Surry remarkably diftinguished himself; he commanded under his father, and as foon as the jealoufy of the Peers had fastened upon the one, they took care that the other should not escape. He was the first nobleman (fays Camden) that illuftrated his high birth with the beauty of learning. He was acknowledged by all, to be the gallanteft man, the politeft lover, and the most compleat gentleman of his time. He received his education at Windfor with a natural fon of Henry VIII. and became firft eminent for his devotion to the beautiful Geraldine, Maid of Honour to Queen Catherine. She first inspired him with poetry, and that poetry has conferred immortality on her: So transported was he with his paf fion, |