Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/179

 me in a printed rol. After which redde secretly by my self, and the othe considred with the acte, I shewed unto them, that my purpose was not to put any faute, either in the act or any man that made it, or in the othe or any man that sware it, nor to condempne the conscience of any other man. But as for my selfe in good fayth my conscience so moued me in the matter, that though I would not deny to swere to the succession, yet unto that othe that there was offred me, I could not swere without the jubarding of my soule to perpetual dampnacion. And that if they doubted whither I did refuse the othe only for the grudge of my conscience, or for any other fantasy, I was redy therein to satisfy them be mine oth. Which if they trusted not, what should they be the better to give me any othe. And if they trusted that I would therein swere true, than trusted I that of their goodnes they would not moue me to swere the othe that they offred me, perceiving that for to swere ít, was against my conscience. Unto this my Lord Chaunceller saide, that they all were verye sorye to here me saye thus, and se me thus refuse the othe. And they sayde all, that on theyre faythe I was the very fyrst that ever refused it: which would cause the Kinge's Highnes to conceue great suspicion of me and great indignacion toward me. And therwith they shewed me the roll, and let me se the names of the Lordes and the Commons which had sworne and subscribed their names alredy. Which notwithstanding when they saw that I refused to swere the same my self, not blaming any other man that had sworne, I was in conclusion commanded to goe downe into the gardein. And thereupon I taried in the olde burned chambre that loketh into the gardein, and would not goe downe because of the heate. In that time saw I Mayster Doctour Lattemer come into the gardein, and there walked he with diuers other doctours and chapleins of my Lorde of Canterburye. And very mery I saw him, for he laughed, and toke one or twaine aboute the nekke so handsomely, that if they had ben women, I would have went he had been waxen wanton. After that came Maister Doctour Wilson forth from the Lordes, and was with twoo gentilmen brought by me, and gentilmanly sent streight unto the Towre. What time my Lord of Rochester was called in before theim,