Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/14

 redness, saving that some little red sparkes every where appeared. His hair was blackish yellow, or rather yellow blackish, his beard thin; his eyes grey and speckled, which kind of eyes do commonly betoken a good and sharp wit, and as physicians say are least cumber'd with diseases and faults; his were not great, nor yet glittering, yet much pleasing. His countenance was conformable to his nature and disposition, pleasant and amiable, somewhat resembling to the fashion of one that would seem to smile. His voice was neither boisterous nor big, nor yet too small and shrill; he spake his words very distinctly and treatably, without any manner of hastiness or stuttering; and albeit he delighted in all kind of melody, yet he seemed not of his own nature to be apt to sing himself. He enjoyed the health of his body very well: and although he was never a strong man, yet he was able to go through with any labour and pains meet and convenient for him to dispatch his business. A little before he gave over his office of Lord Chancellor, he began to be troubled with a little sickness, and after he was shut up in the Tower it much increased. When he was a young man, he used and delighted in drinking of water; his common drink was very small ale; and as for wine he did but sip of it, and that only for company's sake, or for pledging his friends. He delighted more to feed on beef, and salt meats, coarse bread, and that very well leavened, than upon fine meats and bread. He