Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/80

 malice to punish them." Who smiling upon him said, "Why, Master Water-bailiff, would you have me punish them by whom I receive more benefit than by all you that be my friends? Let them a God's name speak as lewdly as they list of me, and shoot never so many arrows at me, as long as they do not hit me, what am I the worse? But if they should once hit me, then would it indeed not a little trouble me: howbeit I trust by God's help there shall none of them all once be able to touch me. I have more cause, I assure thee Master Water-bailiff, to pity them than to hebe [sic] angry with them." Such fruitful communication had he ofttimes with his familiar friends.

So on a time walking with me along the Thames side at Chelsea, in talking of other things he said unto me: "Now would to our Lord, son Roper, upon condition that three things were well established in Christendom, I were put in a sack and here presently cast into the Thames." What great things be those Sir, quoth I, that should move you so to wish? "Wouldst thou know, son Roper, what they be," quoth he? Yea marry with a good will, Sir, if it please you, quoth I. "In faith, son, they be these," said he. "The first is, That whereas the most part of Christian princes be at mortal war, they were all at universal peace. The second, that where the church of Christ is at this present sore afflicted