Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/171

 good maister Cromwel (as I by mouth declared vnto you some part, for all could I neyther than saye nor now write) it thoroughly parceth my pore hart, that the Kinge's Highnes (whose gracious fauour toward me farre aboue al the thinges of thig worlde I have evermore desired, and wherof, both for the conscience of mine own true faithful hart and deuocion toward him, and for the manifold benefites of his high goodnes continually bestowed upon me, I thought my self alway sure) should conceue any such opinion of me, as to think that in my communicacion, either with the nunne or the freres, or in my letter written unto the nunne, I had any other maner minde than might weil stand with the duty of a tender loving subject toward hys natural prince: or that his Grace shold recken in me any maner of obstinate hart against his pleasure, in any thinge that euer I said or did concerning his gret mater of his mariage or concerning the primacy of the Pope. Neuer would I wishe other thing in this world more life than that his Highnes in these thinges.all thre, as parfitelly knew my dealing and as thorougly saw my mind, as I do my selfe, or as God doth himself, whose sight passeth deper into my thoughte than mine owne. For, Sir, as for the first matter, that is to wytte my letter or communicacion (with the nunne) the whole discourse whereof, in my former letter I haue as plainly declared vnto you as I possible can, so pray I God to withdraw that scruple and dout of my good minde out of the Kinge's noble brest: and none otherwise, but as I not only thought none harme, but also purposed good: and in that thing most, in which (as I perceue) hys Grace conceueth moste greife and suspicion, that is to witte in my letter which I wrote vnto her. And therfore, Sir, sith I haue by writing declared the trouth of my dede, and am redy by mine othe to declare the trouth of mine entent. I can deuise no ferther thing by me to be done in the mater but onely beseche Almighty God to put into the Kinge's gracious minde, that as God knoweth the thing is in dede, so hys noble Grace maye take it. Nowe towching the second point, concerning his Grace's great matter of his mariage, to thentent that you maye see cause wyth the better conscience too make sute vnto his Highnes for me, I shall as playnely declare you my demeanure in that mat-