Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/44

 for his parte, did in his dayes help the King and the realme to spend many a fayre penny.'

To the Cardinal's vanity and influence Sir Thomas imputed the gay and pompous dress and apparel then in fashion among the bishops and clergy, which he disliked himself, and which gave great offence to other serious and well-disposed people. 'for oughte (says he) that I can see, a greate parte of the proude and pompous apparaile that many priestes [used] in years not long paste, they were by the pride and oversyght of some few forced in a maner agaynst their own willes to weare.I wote well it is worne out with manye whiche intende hereafter to bye no more suche agayne.'

As to the present edition of this Life of Sir Thomas, I assure the reader it's an exact copy of a MS. of it which I had from a neighbouring gentleman. It is very fairly written in the hand in common use in K. Henry VIII. and Q. Elizabeth's reign, about the beginning of which it seems to have been composed by M. Roper, who was then about 65 years old. I've compared it with the late edition of this Life by Mr. Hearne from his Non-pareil MS. and excepting in two places, where that MS. seems to claim the preference, it's very plain, that this is much more complete and perfect than the other, as representing intelligibly what in Hearne's edition is downright nonsense. I'll only give two or three instances out