at St. Giles's in the Fields, and there be hang'd, and burnt hanging. Which Sentence, according to Fox, was executed with Rigour enough: He was hang'd as a Traytor, and burnt as a Heretick.

Sir Thomas More's Execution, 26 Hen. VIII. 1535.

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IR Thomas More having remain'd a Prisoner in the Tower about a Week after his Sentence, on the 6th of July early in the Morning, his old Friend Sir Thomas Pope came to him with a Meffage from the King and Council, to acquaint him, That his Execution was appointed to be before Nine that Morning. Whereupon Sir Thomas faid, He thank'd him heartily for his good News. I have been, fays he, much obliged to his Majesty for the Benefits and Honours he has most bountifully confer'd upon me; yet I am more bound to his Grace, I do affure you, for confining me in this Place, where I have had convenient Place and Opportunity to put me in mind of my last End. I am most of all bound to him, that his Majefty is pleased to rid me out of the Miseries of this wretched World. Then Sir Thomas Pope acquainted him, it was the King's Pleasure he fhou'd not use many Words at the Place of Execution. Sir, faid he, you do well to acquaint me with the King's Pleasure; for I had otherwife defign'd to have made a Speech to the People; but it matters not, andĮ am ready to conform myfelf to his Highness's Pleasure. And I befeech you, Sir, you wou'd become a Suitor to his Majefty, that my Daughter Margaret may attend my Funeral. To which Pope reply'd, That the King was willing his Wife and Children, and other Friends fhould be prefent, Sir Thomas Pope being about to take his Leave, cou'd nor refrain from Tears. Whereupon Sir Thomas More

faid, Let not your Spirits be caft down, for I hope we shall fee one another in a better Place, where we fhall be free to live and love in Eternal Blifs. And to divert Pope's Grief, he took up his Urinal, and fhook it, faying merrily, I fee no Danger but that this Man may live longer, if the King pleases.

About Nine he was brought out of the Tower; his Beard was long, his Face pale and thin, and carrying a Red Crofs in his Hand, he often lift up his Eyes to Heaven; a Woman meeting him with a Cup of Wine, he refus'd it, faying, Chrift at his Paffion drank no Wine, but Gall and Vinegar. Another Woman çame crying, and demanded fome Papers fhe faid the had left in his Hands when he was Lord Chancellor. To whom he faid, Good Woman, have Patience but for an Hour, and the King will rid me of the Care I have for those Papers, and every thing elfe. Another Woman followed him, crying, He had done her much Wrong when he was Lord Chancellor. To whom he faid, I very well remember the Cause, and if I were to decide it now, I fhou'd make the fame Decree.

When he came to the Scaffold, it seem'd ready to fall; whereupon he faid merrily to the Lieutenant, Pray, Sir, fee me fafe up; and as to my coming down, let me shift for myself. Being about to fpeak to the People, he was interrupted by theSheriff, and thereupon he only defired the People to pray for him, and bear Witnefs he died in the Faith of the Catholick Church, a faithful Servant both to God and the King. Then kneeling, he repeated the Miferere Pfalm with much Devotion; and rifing up, the Executioner ask'd him Forgiveness. He kifs'd him, and faid, Pluck up thy Spirits, Man, and be not afraid to do thine Office; my Neck is very short, take heed therefore thou strike not awry for faving thine Honefty. Laying his Head the Block, he bid the Exécutioner stay till

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he had put his Beard afide, for that had committed no Treafon. Thus he fuffered with much Chearfulness; his Head was taken off at one Blow in the fame place where Bifhop Fisher had fuffer'd the Day before for much the fame Caufe.

His FAMILY and CHARACTER.

Sir Thomas More was Son of Sir John More Knight, one of the Juftices of the King's-Bench: He was born in Milk-ftreet in the City of London, Anno 1480, and received his Grammar Learning in St. Anthony's School there. After which, Cardinal John Moreton Archbishop of Canterbury, obferving his great Parts, took him into his Family, and foon after fent him to Chrift-Church in Oxford, when Grocynus read the Greek Tongue publickly there, whom he conftantly heard, and became a great Proficient in that Language, and in most other forts of Learning, by the Care of Linacer his Tutor. He removed from Oxford to an Inn of Chancery in London, called New-Inn, and from thence to Lincoln's-Inn, and was at length call'd to the Bar. He came afterwards into the Favour of Henry the Eighth, who highly valued him for his Parts and Learning, and prefer'd him to the Mastership of the Requefts, the Honour of Knighthood, the Treafurefhip of the Exchequer, Chancellorship of the Dutchy of Lancaster, twice join'd him Ambaffador with Cardinal Woolfey, viz. once to the Emperor Charles into Flanders, and once to the French King. And on the Removal of Cardinal Woolfey (being then Speaker of the Houfe of Commons) he had the Great Seal delivered him the 25th of October, 21 of Hen. VIII. and was declared Lord Chancellor of England; in which Office no Man ever gave that univerfal Satisfaction as Sir Thomas did. When his Sons complained

complained how little they got under him, I will do Justice, faid he, for your fakes, to all Men, and will leave you a Bleffing. No Subpoena was granted but what he faw, no Order but what he perus'd, neither the King or Queen cou'd corrupt him, nor. the whole Convocation faften any thing upon him, nor did he leave one Cafe undecided in Chancery. His Apothegms were grounded on Experience and Judgment: He would fay, 1. The World is undone by looking at things at a distance. 2. To aim at Honour here, is to fet a Coat of Arms over a PrifonGate. 3. He that is covetous when he is old, is like a Thief that feals when he is going to the Gallows. 4. The greatest Punishment in the World was to have our Wishes. 5. We go to Hell with more Pains than we might go to Heaven. 6. The more of any thing we have but Riches, the more good we are. are. 7. Who wou'd not fend his Alms to Heaven, who would not fend his Eftate whither he is to be banished? He wifh'd three things to Christendom. 1. An univerfal Peace. 2. An uniform Religion. 3. A Reformation rather of Lives than Religion. Mr. Cambden reports of him, That he us'd to compare the great Number of Women to be chofen for Wives, to a Bag full of Snakes, having amongst them but one Eel. If a Man puts his Hand into this Bag, he may chance to find the Eel; but 'tis a' hundred to one if he be not ftung with the Snake.

When Word was brought him, that the King had pardon'd all the Sentence but beheading, he faid merrily, God forbid the King fhou'd ufe any more fuch Mercies to any of my Friends or Pofterity. Being urg'd by a certain Courtier to change his Mind while he was in Prifon: To get rid of him, he told him, he had alter'd it; which this inconfiderate Gentleman haftening to acquaint the King with, was commanded to return and know wherein his.

Mind was chang'd. Sir Thomas told him, he had

now

now refolv'd his Beard fhould undergo the fame Fate with himfelf; whereas he intended fome time before to be fhav'd, that he might appear to the People as before.

He was a Man well vers'd in all kinds of Learning: His Utopia is admir'd by all the World: His Richard the Third is of fuch Credit with Hiftorians, that they place it in their Works, without the leaft Alteration; and he compos'd feveral other Pieces. His Monument is in Chelsea Church, where, 'tis faid, Bishop Fiber lies buried with him. in the fame Grave.

His Head having continued for fome Months upon London-Bridge, and being about to be thrown into the Thames to make room for others, his Daughter Margaret bought it, left (as fhe faid, when he was brought before the Council for it) it fhould be Food for Fifhes. She enclos'd it in. 2 Leaden Box, and kept it for a Relick.

His PERSON.

Sir Thomas was a Man of low Stature, well proportion'd, his Complexion inclining to be Aegmatick, his Colour white and pale, his Hair neither black nor yellow, but between both; his Eyes grey, his Countenance amiable and chearful, his Voice neither big nor fhrill, but speaking plainly and diftinctly, not very tuneable, though he delighted much in Mufick; he was pretty healthful, only as he grew in Years, he us'd to complain of a Pain in his Stomach, which was fuppofed to proceed from his writing much; he drank Water chiefly in his Youth, and liv'd abftemiously; but 'tis obfervable he was twice married, notwithstanding the Hazard he infinuates there is in Matrimony, when he compares it to a Bag of Snakes. And indeed let Men feem never

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