Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/156

 sight in the date, in more than three wekes after. And this was in good faith the last boke that my cosin had of myne. Which being true as of trouth it shal be founde sufficeth for his declaracion in this behalfe. As touching myne owne self, I shal say thus much farther, that on my faith I neuer made any such booke, nor neuer thought to do. I red the said boke ones ouer, and neuer more. But I am for ones reading very farre of from many thinges, wherof I would haue metely suer knowledge ere euer I wold make an answere, though the matter and the booke both, concerned the porest man in a towne, and were of the simplest man's making to. For of many thinges which in that boke be touched, in some I knowe not the lawe, and in some I knowe not the fact. And therefore would I neuer be so childish, nor so plaie the proud arrogant fole, by whomsoeuer the booke had bene made, and to whemsoeuer the matter had belonged, as to presume to make an aunswere to the boke, concerning the matter wherof I neuer were sufficiently lerned in the lawes, nor fully enstructed in the factes. And then while the matter parteined unto the Kinge's Highnes, and the boke professeth openlie that it was made by hys honorable counsail, and by them put in print with his Grace's licens obteined thereunto, I verely trust in good faith that of your good mind toward me, though I neuer wrote you worde thereof, your selfe will both think and say so much for me, that it were a thing far vnlikely, that an answer shold be made therunto bi me. I wil by the grace of Almighty God, as long as it shal plese him to lend me life in this worlde, in all such places (as I am of my duety to God and the Kinge's grace bounden), truly say my mind, and discharge my conscience, as becometh a pore honest true man, whersoeuer I shal be by his Grace commaunded. Yet surely if it shold happen any boke to come abrode in the name of hys Grace or hys honorable counsail, if the boke to me semed such as my self would not haue giuen mine owne aduise to the making, yet I know my bounden duety, to bere more honour to my prince, and more reverence to his honorable counsaile, than that it could become me for many causes, to make an aunswere unto suche a boke, or to counsail and aduise any man cls to do it. And therefore as it is a thing