Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/161

 divers fathers together at the grate, they shewed me that she had been with them, and shewed me divers things that some of them misliked in her; and in this talking, they wished that I had spoken with her, and said, they would fain see how I should like her. Whereupon, afterward, when I heard that she was there again, I came thither to see her, and to speak with her my self. At which communication had, in a little chappel, there were none present but we two: in the beginning whereof, I shewed that my coming to her was not of any curious mind, any thing to know of such things as folk talked, that it pleased God to reveal and show unto her, but for the great vertue that I had heard. so many years, every day more and more spoken and reported of hers; I therefore had a great mind to see her, and be acquainted with her, that she might have somewhat the more occasion to remember me to God in her devotion and prayers: whereunto she gave me a very good vertuous answer, That as God did of his goodness far better by her than she, a poor wretch, was worthy, so she feared that many folk yet beside that spoke of their own favourable minds many things for her, far above the truth, and that of me she had many such things heard, that already she prayed for me, and ever would; whereof I heartily thanked her. I said unto her, Madam, one Hellen, a maiden dwelling about Totnam, of whose trances and revelations there hath been much talking, she hath been with me of late, and shewed me that she was with you, and that after the rehearsal of such visions as she had seen, you shewed her that they were no revelations, but plain illusions of the Devil, and advised her to cast them out of her mind: and verily she gave therein good credence unto you, and thereupon hath left to lean any longer unto such visions of her own: whereupon she saith, she findeth your words true, for ever since she hath been the less visited with such things as she was wont to be before. To this she answered me, Forsooth, Sir, there is in this point no praise unto me, but the goodness of God, as it appeareth, hath wrought much meekness in her soul, which hath taken my rude warning so well, and not grudged to hear her spirit and her visions reproved. I liked her, in good faith, better for this answer, than for