Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/173

 Fox nowe his gracyous almoygner, and to reade wyth hym a booke that then was in making for that matter. After whych booke redde, and my pore oppinion eftstones declared vnto hys Hyghnes thereupon, his Hyghnes lyke a prudent and a verteouse prynce assembled at a nother tyme at Hampton Court, a good nombre of very well learned menne. At which tyme as farre euer I harde, there were (as was in so greate a matter moste lykely to be) dyuers oppinions amonge theim. Howbeit I neuer harde, but that they agreed at that time vpon a certayn forme in whych the booke shoulde be made, whych was afterwarde at Yorke Place in my Lorde Cardynalles chamber redde, in the presence of dyuers bishoppes and many learned men. And they all thought that there appeared in the booke good and reasonable causes that myght well moue the Kynge's Hyghnesse, beying so vertuouse a prynce to conceue in hys mynde a scrupple agaynsts hys maryage: whyche while he coulde not otherwyse auoyde, he dyd well and vertuousely for the acquieting of his conscience, to sewe and procure to haue hys doubte decyded by judgement of the church. After thys the sute beganne, and the legates sate vppon the matter. During all which time I neuer meddled there, nor was a manne mete to do, for the mater was in hande by an ordynarye proces of the spyrytuall lawe, wherof I coulde lyttle skil. And yet while the legates wer sitting vpon the mater, it plesed the Kinge's Highnes to send me in the company of mi Lorde of London, now of Duresme, in embassiate aboute the peace, that at our being there was concluded at Cameraye, betweene his Highnes and the Emperour and the Frenche Kinge. And after my comming home, hys Hyghnes of hys onelye goodnes (as farre vnworthy as I was thereto) made me as you well knowe hys Chauncellour of this relme. Sone after which time, hys Grace moued me agayne yet eftsones, to loke and consider his gret matter, and wel and indifferently to ponder such thinges as I shold find therin. And if it so wer that therupon it should hap me to se such thinges as shoulde parswade me to that part, he would gladly use me among other of his counsailours in that matter. And neuerthelesse he graciously declared vnto me, that he would in no wise, that I should other thing do or say therin, than vpon that that I shold pcrceiue mine own con-