Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/15

 loved well milk and fruit, and especially eggs. He had great pleasure to behold the form and fashion of beasts and fowls. There was not lightly any kind of birds that he had not in his house. He kept an ape, a fox, a weasel, a ferret, and other beasts more rare. If there had been any strange thing brought out of other countries, and worthy to be looked on, he was desirous to buy it, and ail this was to the contentation and pleasure of such as came to him; and himself now and then would take recreation in beholding them ."

Some additional particulars relating to Mr. Roper from the same source will not be misplaced here. It appears that "When he was married he was a zealous Protestant; and withal liked so well of himself and his divine learning, that he thirsted very sore to divulge his doctrine to the world, and thought himself able to defend it against any; so he much longed to be pulpited. His zeal was so great in Luther's new religion, he could have been contented, so that he might have satisfied his mad affection, to have foregone a good portion of his lands, which by inheritance were fair and ample; for his father was the King's Attorney General, and had procured for him the Prothonotary's office in the King's Bench, which hitherto hath continued in