Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

a sort of fraud, is abhorred by the Utopians. Every man may endeavor to convert others to his views by the force of amicable and modest argument, without bitterness against those of other opinions; but whoso adds reproach and violence to persuasion, is to be condemned to banishment or slavery.'

Such liberal views were extremely rare in the days of Sir Thomas More, and in later life were lamentably departed from by himself in practice; for in persecuting the Protestants, he displayed a degree of intolerance and severity which were strangely at variance, both with the opinions of his youth, and the general mildness of his disposition.

The descriptive parts of the work are beautiful beyond any thing that had hitherto appeared in the language; but as the style in which the whole performance is dressed in English is bishop Burnet's, and not Sir Thomas More's, we do not deem it necessary to make any quotation from it.

The following is the letter to his wife, to which we have already alluded:

Mistress Alice, in my most hearty wise, I recommend me to you. And whereas I am informed by my son Heron of the loss of our barns and our neighbour's also, with all the corn that was therein; albeit (saving God's pleasure) it is a great pity of so much good corn lost; yet since it has liked him to send us such a chance, we must and are bounden not only to be content, but also to be glad of his visitation. He sent us all that we have lost; and since he hath by such a chance taken it away again, his pleasure be fulfilled! Let us never grudge thereat, but take it in good worth, and heartily thank him, as well for adversity as for prosperity. And peradventure we have more cause to thank him for our loss than for our winning, for his wisdom better seeth what is good for us than we do ourselves. Therefore, I pray you be of good cheer, and take all the household with you to church, and there thank God, both for that he has given us and that he has taken from us, and for that he has left us; which, if it please him, he can increase when he will, and if it please him to leave us yet less, at his pleasure be it!

I pray you to make some good onsearch what my poor neighbours have lost, and bid them take no thought therefore; for, if I should not leave myself a spoon, there shall no poor neighbour of mine bear no loss by my chance, happened in my house. I pray you be, with my children and your household, merry in God; and devise somewhat with your friends what way were best to take, for provision to be made for corn for our household, and for seed this year coming, if we think it good that we keep the ground still in our hands. And whether we think it good that we so shall do or not, yet I think it were not best suddenly thus to leave it all up, and to put away our folk from our farm, till we have somewhat advised us thereon. Howbeit, if we have more now than ye shall need, and which can get them other masters, ye may then discharge us of them. But I would not that any man were suddenly sent away, he wot not whither.

At my coming hither, I perceived none other but that I should tarry still with the king's grace. But now I shall, I think, because of this chance, get leave this next week to come home and see you, and then shall we farther devise together upon all things, what order shall be best to take.

And thus as heartily fare you well, with all our children, as ye can wish. At Woodstock, the third day of September, by the hand of Thomas More.

To this letter we shall add our author's account of Richard the Third,

which was closely followed by Shakspeare in his tragedy of the same

name.

CHARACTER OF RICHARD III.

Richard, the third son, of whom we now entreat, was in wit and courage egal1 with either of them; in body and prowess, far under them both; little of stature, illfeatured of limbs, crook-backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hardfavoured of visage. He was malicious, wrathful, envious, and from afore his birth ever froward. It is for truth reported, that the duchess his mother had so much ado in her travail, that she could not be delivered of him uncut; and that he came into the world with the feet forward, as men be born outward; and (as the fame runneth) also not untoothed (whether men of hatred report above the truth, or else that nature changed her course in his beginning, which, in the course of his life, many things unnaturally committed.)

None evil captain was he in the war, as to which his disposition was more meetly than for peace. Sundry victories had he, and sometime overthrows, but never in default for his own person, either of hardiness or politic order. Free was he called of dispense, and somewhat above his power liberal. With large gifts he get him unsteadfast friendship, for which he was fain to pil and spoil in other places, and get him stedfast hatred. He was close and secret; a deep dissimuler, lowly of countenance, arrogant of heart; outwardly coumpinable where he inwardly hated, not letting to kiss whom he thought to kill; dispitious and cruel, not for evil will alway, but oftener for ambition, and either for the surety and increase of his estate. Friend and foe was indifferent, where his advantage grew; he spared no man's death, whose life withstood his purpose. He slew with his own hands king Henry VI., being prisoner in the Tower.

Contemporary with Sir Thomas More though greatly inferior to him in intellect, was Alexander Barclay, an English clergyman. He was born at Barclay in Somersetshire, and educated at Oriel College, Oxford. After having completed his studies at home, he travelled abroad, visiting Holland, Germany, France, and Italy; and on his return to England he was preferred, first to Baddow Magna, in Essex, and afterward to Allhollows, Lombard St., London. He died at a very advanced age at Croydon, but in what year is uncertain.

Besides a curious work in prose and verse, entitled The Ship of Fooles, in which is described a great variety of human absurdities, Barclay translated many Latin works, including Sallust's History of the Jugurthine War, which was among the earliest English versions of classical authors produced in England.

JOHN FISCHER, a fellow-martyr with Sir Thomas More, and somewhat his seniour in years, was born at Beverley in Yorkshire, in 1459. He lost his father when very young; but by the assiduous care of his mother, he was prepared for college in his native place, and educated at the university of Cambridge. In consequence of his extensive learning and exemplary virtues, he was selected, in 1495, by the Countess of Richmond, mother of king Henry the Seventh, as her chaplain and confessor; and such were his wisdom and piety, that she committed herself entirely to his government and

1 Equal.

direction. In 1501, he took the degree of doctor of divinity, and was immediately after made vice-chancellor of the university of Cambridge. In 1504, he was elevated to the See of Rochester; and, notwithstanding, it was the poorest See in the kingdom, yet such was his attachment to it, that he could never be induced to change it for a richer.

In 1505, Fischer accepted the headship of Queen's College, Cambridge, and when Luther appeared as the advocate of religious liberty, he boldly stood forth as the champion of Rome. Though long favored by the king, he finally, in 1527, fell under his displeasure, for siding with queen Catherine in the affair of her divorce. When the question of the king's, supremacy was agitated in 1531, he opposed it with great freedom and warmth, in consequence of which he was committed to the Tower, where he would doubtless have been permitted to linger out the remainder of his life, had not pope Paul the Third, pleased with his devotion to the Romish church, created him a cardinal. This so incensed the king that he caused him to be condemned for high treason, and he was, accordingly, beheaded on the 22d of June, 1535, in the seventy-eighth year of his age.

As Fischer was the literary opponent of Erasmus, the opinion of that illustrious scholar with regard to his merits, should carry great weight. He represents him as 'a man of great and extensive powers of mind, and for integrity, sweetness of temper, and greatness of soul, far superior to all the men of his age.' The English writings of Fischer consist of sermons, and a few small tracts on religious subjects. From a funeral sermon occasioned by the death of the Countess of Richmond, and preached in 1509, we extract the following remarkable portraiture of that pious lady's daily devotions:

In prayer, every day at her uprising, which commonly was not long after five of the clock, she began certain devotions, and so after them, with one of her gentlewomen, the matins of our lady, which kept her tol then she came into her closet, where then with her chaplain, she said also matins of the day, and after that daily heard four or five masses upon her knees; so continuing in her prayers and devotions unto the hour of dinner, which of the eating day, was ten of the clock, and upon the fasting day, eleven. After dinner full truly she would go her stations to three altars daily; daily her dirges and commendations she would say, and her even songs before supper, both of the day and of our lady, beside many other prayers and psalters of David throughout the year; and at night before she went to bed, she failed not to resort unto her chapel, and there a large quarter of an hour to occupy her devotions. No marvel, though all this long time her kneeling was to her painful, and so painful that many times it caused in her back pain and desease. And yet, nevertheless, daily when she was in health, she failed not to say the crown of our lady, which after the manner of Rome, containeth sixty and three aves, and at every ave to make a kneeling. As for meditation, she had divers books in French, wherewith she would occupy herself when she was weary of prayer. Wherefore divers she did translate out of the French into English. Her marvellous weeping they can bear witness of, which here before have heard her confession, which be divers and many, and at many seasons in the year, lightly every third day. Can also record the same

There is an omission here.

tho that were present at any time when she was houshilde,' which was full nigh a dozen times every year, what floods of tears there issued forth of her eyes!

THOMAS ELYOT, a gentleman of eminent learning, and a distinguished physician of the reign of Henry the Eighth, was descended from an ancient family in the county of Suffolk, and was the son of Sir Richard Elyot; but the period of his birth has not been preserved. He was educated at St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, and was particularly distinguished for his attainments in philosophy and logic. After having passed some years at the university, and having also acquired a thorough knowledge of his profession, he travelled upon the continent; and upon his return to England he was introduced at court. His unusual genius and extensive learning recommending him to the favor of Henry the Eighth, who, with all his faults, was a great patron of men of letters, his majesty conferred upon him the honor of knighthood, and employed him in several important embassies, one of which was to Rome in 1532, relating to the king's divorce from queen Catherine; and another, four years after, to the emperor Charles the Fifth of Spain. He died on the 25th of March, 1546, and was buried in the church of Carlton in Cambridgeshire, where a magnificent monument was soon after erected to his memory.

Mr. Wood remarks that 'Sir Thomas Elyot was an excellent grammarian, poet, rhetorician, philosopher, physician, and historian; and distinguished as much for his candor, and the innocence and integrity of his life, as for his accomplishments. He was admired and beloved by all the men of learning who were his contemporaries; and his memory is celebrated by them in their respective works, particularly by Leland.'

2

Of the numerous productions of Elyot, the most popular are, The Castle of Health, and The Governor. The former is a professional work, and contains many sound precepts with regard to diet and regimen; and the latter is devoted chiefly to the subject of education. He recommends that children be taught to speak Latin from their infancy; and he deprecates 'cruel and yrous schoolmasters, by whom the wits of children be dulled, whereof we need no better author to witness than daily experience.' Mr. Hallam observes, in reference to this passage, that, 'all historians concur to this savage ill-treatment of boys in the schools of this period. The fierceness of the Tudor government, the religious intolerance, the polemical brutality, the rigorous justice, when justice it was, of our laws, seemed to have engendered a hardness of character, which displayed itself in severity of discipline, when it did not even reach the point of arbitrary or malignant cruelty.'

The following brief passage from 'The Castle of Health,' gives a very fair idea of Elyot's style, and at the same time of the habits recommended by the medical men of that period :

*

*

* The muscles are best exercised with holding of the breath in a long time, so that he which doth exercise hath well digested his meat and is not troubled with much wind in his body. Finally, loud reading, counterfeit

1 Received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

2 Irascible.

battle, tennis or throwing the ball, running, walking, adde(d) to shooting, which, in my opinion, exceeds all the other, do exercise the body commodiously. Alway remember that the end of violent exercise is difficulty in fetching of the breath; of moderate exercise, alteration of breath only, or the beginning of sweat. Morcover, in winter, running and wrestling is convenient; in summer, wrestling a little, but not running; in very cold weather, much walking; in hot weather rest is more expedient. They which seem to have moist bodies, and live in idleness, they have need of violent exercise. They which are lean and choleric must walk softly, and exercise themselves very temperately. The plummets, called of Galen, alteres, which are now much used with great men, being of equal weight and according to the strength of him that exerciseth, are very good to be used.

At the period at present under consideration bishop Latimer distinguished himself as a zealous Reformer, not less than Sir Thomas More, and bishop Fischer did as Romanists.

HUGH LATIMER was born at Thirkesson, Leicestershire, in 1470. His father rented a small farm, and though he had a family of seven children, yet by industry and frugality he succeeded in bringing them all up at home, and finally establishing them respectably in life. Hugh, his only son, was early sent to the grammar-school of his native place, and the facility with which he acquired knowledge was such, that his father at once resolved to educate him for the church. With this view, as soon as suitable preparations had been made, he sent him to the university of Cambridge, where he greatly distinguished himself in scholastic learning; and having taken the degree of master of arts, he entered into priest's orders as a devoted advocate of Popery. He remained attached to the Romish church, however, but a few years; for forming an acquaintance with Thomas Bilney, a celebrated defender of the doctrines of the Reformation, he became convinced of his error, and thenceforth boldly maintained both in private and in the pulpit, the views of the Protestant party. His preaching at Cambridge gave great offense to the Romish clergy, at whose instigation cardinal Wolsey instituted a court of bishops and deacons to execute the laws against heretics. Before this court Bilney and Latimer were summoned, when the recantation of the former, who was regarded as the principal offender, caused both to be liberated. Bilney afterward disclaimed his abjuration, and was burnt. This, however, did not abate the boldness of Latimer, who not only continued to preach openly in favor of Protestantism, but even wrote to Henry the Eighth, remonstrating with that arbitrary sovereign against the prohibition of the use of the Bible in English. This boldness, although it failed to produce the desired result, gave no offense to the king, who soon after prosented Latimer to a living in Wiltshire, and in 1535, appointed him bishop of Worcester. The fall of Anne Boleyn was followed by the passing of the six articles establishing the doctrines of Popery, in consequence of which Latimer resigned his bishopric.

During the latter part of Henry's reign the bishop suffered imprisonment; but being liberated after the accession of Edward the Sixth, he became

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »