VOLUME 1 CONTENTS. CHAP. I. Biographers of Sir Thomas More. . . . . Mr. Roper. . . . . Mr. More. . . . . The knight's ancestry. . . . . Sir John More. . . . . Sir Thomas' mother. . . . . . His birth. . . . . Anecdote of his infancy. . . . . His school-education. . . . . Cardinal Morton Morels early talents. . . . . Specimen of his early wit and reflection. . . . . He is sent to Oxford. . . . . His first acquaintance with Erasmus. . . . . Wolsey. . . . . More studieth the law. . . . . He is made reader at Furnival's-inn and reads a public lecture. . . . . His verses on Elizabeth, queen to Henry VII. . . . . He discovers some inclination for the monastic state. . . . . Erasmus' early high opinion of him. . . . . Dean Colet. . . . . More's letter to him. . . . . Colet's high opinion of More. . . . . More marries Jane Colte. . . . . His family by her. . . . . He renews his application to the law. . . . . Henry VII. . . . . More's early patriotism. . . . . He offends the king. . . . . Henry's revenge. . . . . More escapes Dr. Fox's snare. . . . . His application in retirement. . . . . Four juvenile poems by him. . . 5 CHAP. II. Accession of Henry VIII. . . . . Consummation of his marriage with Catharine of Arragon. . . . . More re-appears in the world and writes verses on the coronation. . . . . Anecdote of Emson and Dudley. . . . . More's attachment to Erasmus.. . . . . He is made one of the under-sheriffs. . . . . His high estimation as a lawyer. . . . . He replies to Dorpius. . . . . His second wife. . . . . Henry desires to engage him in his service. . . . . He accompanies Tonstall to Flanders. . . . . His letter to Erasmus on his embassy. . . . . Busleiden and Aegidius. . . . . More's letter to Warham. . . . . He pleads a cause for the pope. . . . . Is knighted, &c. . . . . His account of his first advancement. . . . . Henry's earlier court. . . . . The king's intimacy with More. . . . . Luther. . . . . Erasmus persecuted. . . . . Afore expected the reformation. . . . . Edward Lee attacks Erasmus. . . . . More defends him. . . . . Brixius attacks More. . . . . Erasmus defends him. . . . . More's letter to the university of Oxford. . . . . He is made speaker of the commons. . . . . His speech on the occasion. . . . . Anecdotes of Wolsey and More. . . . . Wolsey withes to send him to Spain. . . . . Progress of Luther. . . . . Henry writes against him and More is suspected. . . . . Luther's reply and Ross rejoinder. . . . . Erasmus unites against Luther. . . . . More is exhorted to write. . . . . His character in the Ciceronjanus. . . . . He is made chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster. . . . . Anecdote of the king and More. . . . . More is sent on foreign embassies. . . . . His success at Qambray. . . . . His loss by fire, and letter to his wife. . . 78 CHAP. III. Cardinal Wolsey. . . . . His advancement, and quarrel with the emperor Charles. . . . . Anecdotes of More and Wolsey. . . . . The king's scruples regarding his marriage. . . . . His inconsistency. . . . . More's conduct in the matter. . . . . Wolsey's fall. . . . . More made chancellor. . . . . The duke of Norfolk's speech and More's on the occasion. . . . . More's improvement in the office. . . . . His respect to his father and impartiality to his family. . . . . Anecdotes of his chancellorship. . . . . He clears the chancery of causes. . . . . He is offered money by the bishops for his writings. . . . . Is again importuned by Henry on the divorce. . . . . He determines to resign the seal. . . . . Which he at last effects. . . . . Henry's promise to him. . . . . More's contempt of worldly grandeur. . . . . His wife is more concerned. . . . . Anecdotes of her. . . . . More provides situations for his attendants, and calls together his family. . . . . His poverty. Death of his father , and his filial affection. . . . . His letters to Erasmus on his resignation. . . . . His monumental-inscription. . . . . his buildings and charity at Chelsea. . . . . The remarks of Fox and others on More's persecution of heterodoxy. . . . . State of the times. . . . . More's own refutation of his calumniators. . . 95 CHAP. IV. More's anticipation of his fate. . . . . He withdraws from public business. . . . . His remark on Henry's second marriage, and advice to Cromwell. . . . . His behaviour to the bishops. . . . . Malignant scrutiny on his conduct. . . . . The nun of Kent. . . . . More's letter to Cromwell, and a curious anecdote. . . . . More accused of misprision of treason. . . . . Conduct of the committee for examining him. . . . . More's firmness. . . . . His letter to the king. . . . . He is accused of ingratitude. . . . . His reply. . . . . Anecdote on his return home. . . . . The king's conduct. . . . . More's name erased from the bill. . . . . Acts passed in parliament. . . . . Henry's triumph in his new titles. . . . . Opinions if the Romish party, and of their adversaries. . . . . More refuseth the oath of succession. . . . . He is cited to appear at Lambeth. . . . . His foreboding and letter to his daughter. . . . . Cranmer's arguments and his curiam letter. . . . . More and Fisher committed to the Tower, and attainted. . . . . More's sentiments on the king's marriage and the pope's primacy. . . 141 CHAP. V. Henry Fill and Constantius. . . . . More's firmness. . . . . Anecdotes. . . . . Mrs. Roper visiteth him. . . . . His pains to meet his fate in a becoming manner. . . . . His reflection on the execution of Reynolds, &tc. . . . . His verses on Cromwell's promise. . . . . Lady More visiteth him, and some of the privy-council. . . . . His two letters to his daughter. . . . . His books taken from him. . . . . Rich's conversation with More. . . . . More arraigned. . . . . The commissioners and jury. . . . . Morefs answer to the indictment. . . . . His answer to Rick. . . . . The jury find him guilty. . . . . His arguments as to the insufficiency of the indictment. . . . . The chancellor's answer, and More's reply. . . . . Sentence passed upon him. . . . . Farther proceedings. . . . . More's courage and constancy. . . . . His meeting with his children. . . . . Anecdote. . . . . last letter to his daughter. . . . . Sir Thomas Pope sent to him. . . . . More's preparation For death. . . . . His last jokes, and execution. . . . . His burial. . . 193 CHAP. VI. Anecdote. . . . . Queen Ann and Cranmer indolent in More's cause. . . . . Effects of More's execution. . . . . Sentiments of the Emperor Charles, Cardinal Pole, and Paulus Jovius. . . . . More's religion, bigotry, &c. . . . . Not so extravagant as some, in his notions of the papal power. . . . . His propensity to jesting, and witty sayings. . . . . His behaviour at his death natural. . . . . His disinterestedness, and integrity while chancellor, and virtue as a patriot minister. . . . . Queen Catharine's opinion of More. . . . . His greatness of mind, excellent temper, and good management of his family. . . . . Other traits of his character. . . . . His learning, modesty, and benevolence. . . . . His Utopia, History of Richard III, epigrams, letters, and controversial writings. . . . . Burnet's character of him as a writer. . . . . The editions of Morels English and Latin works. . . . . His personal peculiarities. . . . . His family. . . . . Erasmus' encomium on More's house. . . . . Mrs. Roper. . . . . Her letter to her father in prison. . . . . Her daughter Basset. . . . . More's letter to Gonellus. . . . . The death of Erasmus and view of his character. . . . . More's remonstrances with him misrepresented. . . 237 APPENDIX. Erasmus Rot. Ulrico Hutteno 297 Erasmus Rot. Gulielmo Rubeao 306 Gulielmus Covrinus Nucerinus Philippo Montano 310 Clarorum et Doctorum Vtrorum varia Epigrammata in laudem Thorns Mori 328

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