LORD CROMWELL.

WHEN the articles of impeachment against Cardinal Wolfey were fent down to the Lower House, Thomas Cromwell, who had been a fervant of the Cardinal, defended his old and difgraced Master with fuch ability, that the charges of high treafon brought against him were thrown out. "Upon this honeft beginning," fays Lord Herbert, "Cromwell ob"tained his first reputation."

"Mr. Cromwell, (now highly in the King's "favour,)" fays Mr. More, in his very entertaining Life of his Grandfather, "came of a "meffage from the King to Sir Thomas; "wherein when they had thoroughly talked to"gether, before his going away, Sir Thomas "faid to him, Mr. Cromwell, you are entered "into the fervice of a moft noble, wife, and "liberal Prince. If you will follow my poor "advice, you fhall in your counfell-giving to his "Majeftie ever tell him what he ought to doe, "but never what he is able to doe; so shall you "fhewe yourself a true and faithful servant, and a right worthie counsellour: for if a Lion "knew his own ftrength, hard were it for anie 66 man to rule him. But," adds Mr. More, "Cromwell

"Cromwell never learned this leffon; for he "ever gave that counfell to his Prince which "he thought would best please him, and not "what was lawful."

Cromwell's reafons for ferving his cruel and rapacious Sovereign in diffolving the Monasteries and Abbeys in England, are fuch as might have fuggefted themselves to every unprincipled minion. of authority who wished to glofs over the injustice of his proceedings, and are thus ftated by Lord Herbert: "First, faid he, in regard to the Clergy,

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as they have taken an oath to the Pope, they

are only the King's half subjects. Secondly, "With respect to expelling the Monks, he said, "that was nothing more than to restore them. "to their firft inftitution of being lay and la

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bouring perfons. And thirdly, he added, That "the particular aufterities practised by them as "members of religious houfes, they might practife, if they pleased, in any other fituation."

"Henry," adds Lord Herbert, finding "Cromwell no longer neceffary, gave way to "the frivolous accufations of his enemies, and "brought him to the block, at which he fuffered "unlamented; though (according to the fame "noble historian) he had been noted, in the ex"ercife of his places of judicature, to have used

"much

"much moderation; and in his greatest pomp, "to have taken notice of, and to have been "thankful to, mean perfons of his old acquaint 66 ance."

SIR THOMAS MORE.

IN how different a manner do Princes appre ciate the merits of their fervants!-When that honour to human nature, Sir Thomas More, was beheaded by his cruel and ungrateful Sovereign, Charles the Fifth faid to Sir Thomas Ellyot, "If I had been mafter of fuch a fervant, of "whofe doings ourselves have had thefe many

years no fmall experience, I would rather have "loft the best citie of my dominions than have "loft fuch a worthie Counsellor."

Sir Thomas, who well knew the disposition of Henry, faid one day to his fon Mr. Roper, who had complimented him upon feeing the King walk with his arm about his neck, “I "thanke our Lord, I find his Grace a very "good lorde indeed, and I do believe he doth

as fingularly favour me as any subject within "this realme. Howbeit, fon Roper, I may "tell thee, I have no caufe to be proud thereof; "for if my head would winne him a castle in "France, yt fhould not fayle to go."

Mr. Roper's life of his venerable father-in-law is one of the few pieces of natural biography, that we have in our language, and must be perused with great pleasure by thofe who love antient times, antient manners, and antient virtues. Of Sir Thomas More's difinterestedness and integrity in his office of Chancellor, Mr. Roper gives this inftance :-"That after the refignation of it "he was not able fufficiently to finde meat, drink, "fuell, apparel, and fuch other neceffary charges; "and that after his debts payed he had not I "know (his chaine excepted) in gold and filver " left him the value of one hundred pounds."

•

Mr. Roper thus defcribes Sir Thomas More: "He was a man of fingular worth, and of a "cleare unspotted confcience, as witneffeth "Erafmus, more pure and white than the "whiteft fnow, and of fuch an angelical wit, "as England, he fayth, never had the like be"fore nor never fhall again. Univerfally as "well in the lawes of our realme (a studie in "effect able to occupy the whole lyfe of a man) "as in all other sciences right well ftudied, he

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was in his days accounted a man worthie "famous memory."

This excellent man is thus defcribed by Erafmus, in a letter to Ulderic Haller:

"More

"More feems to be made and born for "friendship, of which virtue he is a fincere "follower and very ftrict obferver. He is not "afraid to be accused of having many friends, "which, according to Hefiod, is no great praise. "Every one may become More's friend; he is "not flow in chufing; he is kind in cherishing, "and constant in keeping them. If by accident "he becomes the friend of one whofe vices he "cannot correct, he flackens the reins of friend"ship towards him, diverting it rather by little " and little, than by entirely diffolving it. "Thofe perfons whom he finds to be men of "fincerity, and confonant to his own virtuous. "difpofition, he is fo charmed with, that he apદ pears to place his chief worldly pleasure in "their converfation and company. And al66 though More is negligent in his own temporal concerns, yet no one is more affiduous than “ himself in assisting the fuits of his friends. "Why should I fay more? If any person were "defirous to have a perfect model of friendship, "no one can afford him a better than More. "In his converfation there is fo much affability "and sweetness of manner, that no man can be "of fo auftere a difpofition, but that More's "converfation must make him cheerful; and no "matter fo unpleafing, but that with his wit he can take away from it all difguft."

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Erafmus