Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/168

 incrites or qualities able and mete therfore, your High lies had of your incomparable goodnes honored and exaltyd me) ye were so good and gracious vnto me, as at my pore humble sute to discharge and disburden me, giuing me licens with your gracious fauour to bestow the residue of my life to come, about the prouision for my soule in the seruice of God, and to be your bedesman and pray for you, it plesed your Highnes ferther to saye vnto me, that for the seruice which I before had done you (which it than liked your goodnes far aboue my deseruing to commend) that in any sute that I should after haue to your Grace, that either should concerne mine honour, (the word it liked your Highnes to vse vnto me) or that shold perteine vnto my protite, I should finde your Highnes good and gracious lorde vnto me. So is it now gracious Souerain the worldly honour is the thing whereof I haue resigned both the possession and the desire, in the resignacion of your most honorable office. And worldly profite I trust experiens proueth, and daily more and more shal proue that I neuer was very gredy thereon. But now is my most humble sute vnto your excellent Highnes, to beseche the same somwhat to tender my pore honesty: howbeit principally, that of your accustomed goodnes, no sinister informacion moue your noble Grace to haue any more distrust of my troth and deuocion toward you, than I haue or shal during my life geue cause. For in this matter of the nunne of Canterbury, I haue vnto your trusty counseller maister Thomas Cromwel by my writing as plainly declared the trouth, as I possible can. Which my declaraeion, of his duti toward your Grace, and his goodnes toward me, he hath I understand declared vnto your Grace. In any part of al which my dealing whither any other man may peradventure put any doubt or moue any scruple of suspicion, that can I neither tell, nor lieth in my hand to let. But vnto my self, it is not possible any part of my said demeanure to seme euil, the very clerenesse of mine own conscience knoweth in all the matter my mind and entent so good. Wherfore, most gracious Soueraine, I neither wil, nor yet can wel become me, with your Highnes to reson or argue the matter, but in my most humble maner prostrate at your gracious fete, I only beseche your Grace, with your owne highe prudence and your accustomed goodnes, consider and way the