Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/753

Rh The several letters her father wrote to her, will be a perpetual testimony of his high esteem for her great learning and distinguished abilities.

So fond was Sir Thomas of this his darling daughter, that his life in a manner was wrapped up in her's. Contrary to all expectation, she was restored to perfect health, after a very dangerous illness; had it been otherwise, her father solemnly protested he never would have meddled with any worldly matters after.

About 1528, in the 20th year of her age, she was very happily married to William Roper, of Eltham, in Kent, Esq.; a gentleman whom Erasmus stiles Eruditissimum Roperum, a lover of learning, and who studied the same things as they did; which produced a cordial and indissoluble friendship through the whole family, who lived all together, with happiness not to be expressed, till the time that Sir Thomas was taken into custody, imprisoned in the Tower, and at last cut off, in such a manner as to be the subject of amazement to all Europe.

By this gentleman she had two sons, and three daughters; of whose education she took the same care as had been taken of her own. The famous Roger Ascham tells us, that she was very desirous of having him for their tutor; but he would not then leave the university.

She was personally known to, and frequently corresponded with the great Erasmus, who highly valued her parts and learning, stiling her Britanniæ Decus; insomuch that when her father had sent him a very valuable present of a picture, representing himself and his whole family, drawn by Hans Holbein, Erasmus returned him his most grateful acknowledgements for such an acceptable present, in a Latin epistle