Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/96

 Divine Camenes, whose honour he procurde, As tender parent doth his daughters weale, Lamented, and for thankes, all that they can, Do cherish hym deceast, and sett hym free, From dark oblivion of devouring death."                      Probably written by SIR THOMAS WYAT.

34. A Letter written from prison, with a coal. The writer, ''Sir Thomas More'', whose works, both in prose and verse, were considered models of pure and elegant style, had been Chancellor of England, and the familiar confidant of Henry VIII, by whose order he was beheaded in 1535.

"Myne own good doughter, our Lorde be thanked I am in good helthe of bodye, and in good quiet of minde: and of worldly thynges I no more desyer then I haue. I beseche hym make you all mery in the hope of heauen. And such thynges as I somewhat longed to talke with you all, concerning the worlde to come, our Lorde put theim into your myndes, as I truste he doth and better to by hys holy spirite: who blesse you and preserue you all. Written wyth a cole by your tender louing father, who in hys pore prayers forgetteth none of you all, nor your babes, nor your nources, nor your good husbandes, nor your good husbandes shrewde wyues, nor your fathers shrewde wyfe neither, nor our other frendes. And thus fare ye hartely well for lacke of paper. THOMAS MORE, knight."--''Johnson's Hist. E. Lang.'', p. 42.

35. From More's Description of Richard III.--Probably written about 1520.

"Richarde the third sonne, of whom we nowe entreate, was in witte and courage egall with either of them, in bodye and prowesse farre vnder them bothe, little of stature, ill fetured of limmes, croke backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hard fauoured of visage, and such as is in states called warlye, in other menne otherwise, he was malicious, wrathfull, enuious, and from afore his birth euer frowarde. * * * Hee was close and secrete, a deep dissimuler, lowlye of counteynaunce, arrogant of heart--dispitious and cruell, not for euill will alway, but after for ambicion, and either for the suretie and encrease of his estate. Frende and foo was muche what indifferent, where his aduauntage grew, he spared no mans deathe, whose life withstoode his purpose. He slew with his owne handes king Henry the sixt, being prisoner in the Tower."--SIR THOMAS MORE: Johnson's History of the English Language, p. 39.

36. From his description of Fortune, written about the year 1500.

"Fortune is stately, solemne, prowde, and hye:   And rychesse geueth, to haue seruyce therefore.    The nedy begger catcheth an half peny:    Some manne a thousaude pounde, some lesse some more.    But for all that she kepeth euer in store,    From euery manne some parcell of his wyll,    That he may pray therefore and serve her styll.      Some manne hath good, but chyldren hath he none.    Some manne hath both, but he can get none health.    Some hath al thre, but vp to honours trone,    Can he not crepe, by no maner of stelth.    To some she sendeth chyldren, ryches, welthe,    Honour, woorshyp, and reuerence all hys lyfe:    But yet she pyncheth hym with a shrewde wife." SIR THOMAS MORE.

V. ENGLISH OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

37. ''Example for the reign of Henry VII, who was crowned on Bosworth field, 1485, and who died in 1509.''

"Wherefor and forasmoche as we haue sent for our derrest wif, and for our derrest moder, to come unto us, and that we wold have your advis and counsail also in soche matters as we haue to doo for the subduying of the rebelles, we praie you, that, yeving your due attendaunce vppon our said derrest wif and lady moder, ye come with thaym unto us; not failing herof as ye purpose to doo us plaisir. Yeven undre our signett, at our Castell of Kenelworth, the xiii daie of Maye."--HENRY VII: Letter to the Earl of Ormond: Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 147.

38. Example for the short reign of Richard III,--from 1485 to 1483.

"Right reverend fader in God, right trusty and right wel-beloved, we grete yow wele, and wol and charge you that under oure greate seale, being in your warde, ye do make in all haist our lettres of proclamation severally to be directed unto the shirrefs of everie countie within this oure royaume."--RICHARD III: Letter to his Chancellor.