Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/103

 the avoiding of singularity, would he appear no otherwise than other men in his apparel and other behaviour. And albeit he appeared outwardly honourable like one of his calling, yet inwardly, he no such vanities esteeming, secretly next his body wore a shirt of hair. Which my sister More, a young gentlewoman, in the summer as he sat at supper singly in his doublet and hose, wearing thereupon a plain shirt without either ruff or collar, chancing to espy, began to laugh at it. My wife, not ignorant of his manner, perceiving the same, privily told him of it, and he being sorry that she saw it, presently amended it. He also sometimes used to punish his body with whips, the cords knotted, which was known only to my wife, his eldest daughter, whom, for her secrecy, above all other he specially trusted, causing her, as need required, to wash the same shirt of hair.

Now shortly upon his entry into the high office of the chancellorship, the king eftsoons again