Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/180

 that can I not tell. But at night I hard that he had ben before them, but where he remained that night, and so forthe till he was sent hither, I neuer hard. I hard also that Maister Vicare of Croydon, and all the remenant of the priestes of London that were sent for, wer sworne: and that they had such fauour at the counsel's hande, that they were not lingered, nor made to dance any long attendance to their trauaile and cost, as sutours were sometime wont to be, but were spedde a pace to their gret comfort: so farre forth that Maister Vicar of Croidon, either for gladnes or for drines, or els that it might be sene, Quod ille notus erat pontifici, went to my Lorde's buttry barre, and called for drinke, and dranke valde familiariter. When they had played their pageant, and were gone out of the place, than was I called in againe. And than was it declared unto me, what a nombre bad sworne euer sins I went aside gladly without any sticking. Where in I laid no blame in no man, but for my own self answered as before. Now as well before as than, they somewhat laide unto me for obstinacye, that whereas before, sith I refused to swere, I woulde not declare any speciall part of that othe that grudged my conscience, and open the cause wherefore. For thereunto I had said unto them, that I fearid least the Kinge's Highnes would as they sayde, take displeasure inough toward me for the only refusel of the othe. And that if I should open and disclose the causes why, I should therwith but further exasperate hys Higlines, which I woulde in no whise do, but rather wold I abyde all the daunger and harme that might come toward me, than gyve hys Highnes any occasion of further displeasure, than the offring of the othe unto me of pure necessitie constrained Howbeit when they diuers times imputed this to me for stubbernes and obstinacy, that I would neither swere the othe, nor yet declare the causes why I declined thus farre toward them, that rather than I would be accompted for obstinate, I wold upon the Kinge's gracious licens, or rather his such commandement had, as might be my sufficient warrant, that my declaracion should not offend kis Highnes, nor put me in the daunger of anye of hys statutes, I woulde be content to declare the causes in writing, and ouer that to giue an othe in the beginning that if I might find those causes by any man in such wise answered, as I might thinke