the rest; whereby no doubt was this lampe of England prefigured.

One tyme as his nourse (and this is much to be noted) ridd over a water, having this young babe in her armes, she was by reason of the stumbling of her horse, in daunger of drowning. And that she might the better save herselfe and her child, on a sudden (she) did cast the child from her over the hedge. She after coming to the place with great feare, found the child without bruse or hurt, smiling and laughing on her. This, no question, was no obscure presage of his future holiness.

2. The childe encreasing in age, his father, for his great care and wisdome, provided him a maister, one Nicholas Holt, a learned and discreet man, in

3 No obscure presage.] This is modest enough, and yet neither Roper nor Harpsfield tells us any thing of this story. But Fanaticism is not wont to stop at these low flights.

It may be worth the reader's remarking, that by means of the successive lives which have been written of Sir Thomas More, we possess a curious specimen of the aversion which Popery has against reforming itself; or rather of its propensity to accumulate falshoods and forgeries, even amid surrounding reformation and refinement. Sir Thomas More is deservedly a favourite character with Romish biographers. Yet in Roper and Harpsfield, his earliest historians, there is scarcely any thing fanatical. Stapleton, who wrote (A. D. 1588), about thirty years afterwards, and at a distance from the scene of action, being in exile at Douay, has detailed several miraculous stories: but Mr. More, Sir Thomas's great-grandson, whose Life of his ancestor came out in the year 1627, goes much further. We shall content ourselves with citing one very short specimen.

"It was also credibly reported, that two of John Haywood's sons, Jasper and Ellis, having one of the teeth of Sir Thomas More betweene them, and either of them being desirous to bave it to himselfe, it suddenly, to the admiration of both, parted in two." More's Life of Sir Thomas More, p. 304. See also p. 276, &c. May not we easily believe that, but for the iniquity of the times, in another generation Sir Thomas More would have been canonized?

St. Anthonies schoole in London. There he learned the principles of the Latyn tongue; where in short tyme he farr exceeded all his equals. His father, seeing his towardness, provided that for his better education, he should be brought up in the house of the wise and learned prelate Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterburie; who being a man of deep judgment sone espied his pregnant and quicke wit. On a Christmas tyme, Thomas, being verie young, upon a sudden amongst the players, without any fore-thinking on the matter, he would play a part with them; and with a verie good grace and liking. For he did it so fitly and so pleasantly, that all the auditours had more pleasure and admiration at him, than all the rest. But especiallie the Cardinal, who afterwardes would often tell the nobles sitting at table with him, where young Thomas waited on him, "Whosoever liveth to trie it, shall see this childe prove a notable and rare man." So the Bishop, having conceaved such expectation, was verie careful to have him auns werable unto it; that this goodly bud might grow to a faire flowre, and in tyme burgion forth his expected fruit.

So he caused this youth to be sent to Oxforde; where for the short tyme of his abode (being not there fullie two years) he wonderfullie profited in the knowledge of Latyn and Greeke tongues, and noe little in the knowledge of Phylosophie. His maister in the Greek was Thomas Linacre of great fame and experience. In the tyme of his abode there his father so used the matter, to the end he should onelie follow his learning and studie, that he allowed him but onelie necessaries; no not a pennie he would give him to spend in waste or pastimes. So shortened of money, the fit and forceable instrument to effect everie evell, he was rid of manye oc

casions that hinder good proceedings. This fruga litie of his father he afterwards often remembered and commended.

3. The father minding that the sonne should tread after his steppes, called young Thomas from the Universitie, and caused him to settle his minde whollie upon the studie of the lawes of this realme. Which studie he commenced first at New Inne, one of the Inns of Chauncerie. After, he was admitted to Lyncolnes Inne, where he made such encrease of his cunning, that in little tyme he attaigned to that degree, which his elders in manie yeares studie could not atchieve, to be an utter barrister.-Now is the common-lawe of this realme so intricate, various and obscure, as it would requier a whole and entire man, all his life tyme or most part thereof, to come to anye excellencie therein. After this, by the whole bench of Lyncolnes Inne it was thought meet to make him reader in Furnivals Inn, wherein he spent three yeares and more to great profit of divers. But though his profit berein was both substantial and speedic, yet continuallie he allotted himselfe tyme to followe his studies commenced in Oxforde.

He red openly in St. Laurence churche in London, St. Austins booke De civitate Dei, and that

* He red openly.] About this time it was almost come to a custom for men of distinguished parts and learning in that University" (Oxford)" to set up voluntary lectures, by way "to of exposition or comment on some celebrated writer; to which the students would repair more or less, according to the opi nion they had of the men, and their performances. Amongst others, we are certain Mr. Thomas More did read upon St. Austin's book, De Civitate Dei, while a very young man, to a great auditory; the seniors and grave divines not being ashamed to learn divinity from 50 young a layman." Knight's Life of Dean Colet, p. 30. We have already seen mention made of

A

performed so profoundly and exactlie, that all that heard him gave him singular commendations. His lesson was much frequented, and honored with the presence of the chiefe and best learned in the citie. Master Grocine, a man of great learning, would often come to hear him. This Grocine read at the same tyme the bookes of Dionysius Areopagita, but with a lesse auditorie than master More had. More in his reading proved himselfe a divine, a philosopher, an historian: for he must be furnished with these arts, that will read and expound these bookes of St. Austines, as he did.

He was seene in geometrie, arithmitique, musick, and spake French well: the knowledge whereof, though he were in France some tyme, according to a laudable custome of our countrie, especiallie in the better sort, to send their children thither to learne the language and guise of that countrie, yet the most he got was by his own industrie here in England. In poetrie he had a good grace. In his verse, whether it were English or Latyn, he shewed as much pietie and devotion, as witte and art. His epigrams were so well liked of amongst learned men, as Beatus Rhenanus and Leodegarius a Querca preferred him before all the poets of that time. His felicitie in prose was much greater, yea even at this tyme, thoughc he

the Lecture read in St. Paul's Church, London, by William Grocine, upon the Books of Dionysius Areopagita, De Hierarchia Ecclesiastica. See Vol. I. Supplementary Extracts. Indeed, says Dr. Knight, "it is plain that the Public Lecturers, both in the Universities, and the Cathedral Churches, took the liberty of reading upon any book, rather than the holy Scriptures, till Dr. Colet reformed that practice, and both in Oxford, and in St. Paul's, brought in the more useful way of reading and expounding St. Paul's Epistles, or some other parts of Scripture." Knight's Life of Colet, p. 67. See also Life of W. Cecil, Lord Burghly, edited by Arthur Collins,

were young, and much occupied and distracted with other studies.

4. You have hearde of his learning, and of what expectation his beginnings were. If haplie virtue paced not equallie with these studies and rare knowledge, it might happe all these good parts to be drowned. For knowledge without virtue is as a ring in a swines nose; or as a good dish of meat of a sluts cooking. Of such knowledge St. Paule telleth us the effect, scientia inflat, knowledge doth puffe up, that is, makes us proud, disdainful, and ministereth occasions of many synnes. But his age and virtue equallie encreased.

In his youth or tender years he used to weare a cilice or hair-shirt, and lay many nights on the ground, often on a borde; or else he used a blocke under his head. His sleepe was very short, seldom or never above foure or five houres. He had great delight to heare Gods word preached; and for that, exceedingly loved Doctor Collet, Deane of Paules, who was a very spirituall and devoute man in his speache and sermons. He made and translated many spirituall works in this age; as the Life of John Picus, Earle of Mirandula; his Epistles, and the Twelve Rules of a good life of the same Earles. He made a very devoute booke intituled De quatuor novissimis, wherein he describeth vice and virtue even to the quick: but this work was never finished.

It seemed probable by some apparent conjectures that he had a mind to be a priest, or to have accepted the habit of some religion. For he continued, after his reading above-said, some foure yeares or more very orderly in great devotion and prayer in the Charter House in London amongst the Monks, but without any manner of vow or