Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/212

 cion, that I know very well that the tyme shall come when God shall declare my trueth toward his Grace before hym and all the worlde. And whereas it myghte happely seme to be but small cause of coumfort, because I might take harme here fyrste in the mean whyle, I thanked God that my case was such here in this matter, thorowe the clearenesse of myne owne conscience, that though I myght haue payne, I coulde not haue harme. For a man maye in such a case lese his head and haue none harme. For I was very sure that I had no corrupt affection, but that I had alway fro the begynning truely vsed my self, lookyng fyrst vpon God, and next vpon the King, accordinge to the lesson that 'hys Hyghnes taught me at my fyrst cumming to his noble seruice, the most verteous lesson that ever prince taught his servant,' whose Highnes to haue of me now such opinion is my great heauines. But I haue no meane as I said to helpe it, but only comfort my self in the meane time with the hope of that joyful day, in which my trouthe towarde hym shall well be knowen. And in this matter further I could not goe, nor other aunswer therto I coulde not make. To thys it was sayd by my Lord Chauncellor and Master Secretary both, that the Kyng myght by his lawes compell me to make a plain answer therto, either the tone way or the tother. Wherto I answered that I woulde not dispute the Kynge's authoritie, what his Highnes myght dooe in such: a case. But I sayd that verely, vnder correction, it semed to me sumwhat hard. For if it so wer that my conscience gaue me agaynste the statute (wherein how my conscience geueth me I make no declaracion) than I, nothing doing nor nothing saying agaynst the statute it wer a very hard thing, to compell me to say, either precisely with it agaynste my conscience to the losse of my soule, or precisely agaynst it to the destruction of my body. To this Maister Secretary said, that I had ere this when I was Chauncellour, examined heretikes and theues, and other malefactours, and gaue me a great praise aboue my deserving in that behalf. And he sayd that I than as he thought, and at the least wise bishops, did vse to examine heretikes, whether they beleued the Pope to be head of the church, and vsed to compell them to make a precise answer therto. And why shoulde not than the