Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/164

 end of this my needless advertisement unto you, whom the blessed Trinity preserve and increase in grace, and put in your mind to recommend me and mine unto him in your devout prayers. At Chelsey, this Tuesday, by the hand of

Your hearty loving Brother and Beadsman,

THOMAS MORE, .'

At the receipt of this letter, she answered my servant, that she heartily thanked me: soon after this there came to mine house the Prior of the Charter-house at Schene, and one brother Williams with him, who nothing talked to me, but of her, and of the great joy that they took in her vertue, but of any of her revelations, they had no communication. But at another time brother Williams came to me, and told me a long tale of her being at the house of a Knight in Kent, that was sore troubled with temptations to destroy himself; and none other thing we talked of, nor should have done of likelyhood, though we had tarried together much longer, he took so great pleasure, good man, to tell the tale, with all the circumstances at length. When I came again another day to Sion, on a day in which there was a profession, some of the Fathers asked me how I liked the Nun? And I answered, that, in good faith, I liked her very well in her talking; howbeit, quoth I, she is never the nearer tried by that, for I assure you, she were likely to be very bad, if she seemed good, e're I should think her other, till she happened to be proved naught; and in good faith, that is my manner indeed, except I were set to search and examine the truth, upon likelyhood of some cloaked evil; for in that case, although I nothing suspected the person my self, yet no less than if I suspected him sore, I would as far as my wit would serve me search to find out the truth, as your self hath done very prudently in this matter; wherein you have done, in my mind, to your great laud and praise, a very meritorious deed, in bringing forth to light such detestable hypocrisy, whereby every other wretch may take warning, and be feared to set forth their