Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/174

 science should serue me, and that I shold first loke vnto God, and after God vnto him. Which moste gracious words was the first lesson also that euer his Grace gaue me at my first comming into his noble seruice. This mocion was to me very comfortable, and much I longed beside ani thing that my self either had sene, or by ferther seiche should hap to finde for the tone part or the tother, yet specially to haue some conferens in the matter, with some such of his Grace's learned counsel, as most for his part had labored, and most had found in the matter. Whereupon his Highnes assigned vnto me, the now most reuerent fathers Archbishoppes of Canterbury and York, with Maister Doctour Fox, now his Grace's Almoigner, and Maister Doctor Nicholas the Italion frere. Wherupon I not only sought and red, and as far forth as my pore witte and learning serued me, wel waied and considered euery such thing as I could find my self, or rede in any other man's labour that I could get, which any thing had written therin, but had also diligent conferens with his Grace's counsellers aforesaide: whose honours and worships I nothing mistrust in this point, but that they both haue and will report vnto hys Highnes, that they neuer found obstinate maner or fashion in me, but a minde as toward and as confirmable as reson could in a matter disputable require. Wherupon the Kinge's Highnes being farther aduertised both by them and by my self, of my pore oppinion in the matter, (wherin to haue bene able or mete to do him seruice, I wold as I then shewed his Highnes, haue ben more glad, than of al such worldly commodities, as I either than had, or euer shold come to) his Highnes graciously taking in gre my good mind in that behalf, vsed of his blessed dispocicion in the persecuting of his gret matter, only those (of whom his Grace had good nombre) whose consciens his Grace perceyueth, wel and fully perswaded vpon that part. And as well me as any other to whom hys Highnes thought the thing to seme otherwise, he vsed in his other busines: abiding of his aboundant goodnes neuerthelesse gracious Lord vnto euery man, nor neuer was willing to put any man in ruffle or trouble of his conscience. After this did I neuer nothing more therein nor neuer anye worde wrote I therein to thempairing of his Grace's part, neither before nor after: but setling my minde in quiet to serue his Grace in other thinges, I would not so