Sir Thomas More [27]
it to the doctor, sir?
MORE.
No, save thy labour; we'll cossen him of a fee:
Thou shalt see me take a dram tomorrow morning,
Shall cure the stone, I warrant; doubt it not.--
Master Lieutenant, what news of my Lord of Rochester?
LIEUTENANT.
Yesterday morning was he put to death.
MORE.
The peace of soul sleep with him!
He was a learned and a reverend prelate,
And a rich man, believe me.
LIEUTENANT.
If he were rich, what is Sir Thomas More,
That all this while hath been Lord Chancellor?
MORE.
Say ye so, Master Lieutenant? what do ye think
A man, that with my time had held my place,
Might purchase?
LIEUTENANT.
Perhaps, my lord, two thousand pound a year.
MORE.
Master Lieutenant, I protest to you,
I never had the means in all my life
To purchase one poor hundred pound a year:
I think I am the poorest Chancellor
That ever was in England, though I could wish,
For credit of the place, that my estate were better.
LIEUTENANT.
It's very strange.
MORE.
It will be found as true.
I think, sir, that with most part of my coin
I have purchased as strange commodities
As ever you heard tell of in your life.
LIEUTENANT.
Commodities, my lord!
Might I (without offence) enquire of them?
MORE.
Croutches, Master Lieutenant, and bare cloaks;
For halting soldiers and poor needy scholars
Have had my gettings in the Chancery:
To think but what a cheat the crown shall have
By my attainder! I prithee, if thou beest a gentleman,
Get but a copy of my inventory.
That part of poet that was given me
Made me a very unthrift;
For this is the disease attends us all,
Poets were never thrifty, never shall.
[Enter Lady More mourning, Daughters, Master Roper.]
LIEUTENANT.
Oh, noble More!--
My lord, your wife, your son-in-law, and daughters.
MORE.
Son Roper, welcome;--welcome, wife, and girls.
Why do you weep? because I live at ease?
Did you not see, when I was Chancellor,
I was so clogged with suitors every hour,
I could not sleep, nor dine, nor sup in quiet?
Here's none of this; here I can sit and talk
With my honest keeper half a day together,
Laugh and be merry: why, then, should you weep?
ROPER.
These tears, my lord, for this your long restraint
Hope had dried up, with comfort that we yet,
Although imprisoned, might have had your life.
MORE.
To live in prison, what a life were that!
The king (I thank him) loves me more then so.
Tomorrow I shall be at liberty
To go even whether I can,
After I have dispatched my business.
LADY MORE.
Ah, husband, husband, yet submit yourself!
Have care of your poor wife and children.
MORE.
Wife, so I have; and I do leave you all
To his protection hath the power to keep you
Safer than I can,--
The father of the widow and the orphans.
ROPER.
The world, my lord, hath ever held you wise;
And 't shall be no distaste unto your wisdom,
To yield to the opinion of the state.
MORE.
I have deceived myself, I must acknowledge;
And, as you say, son Roper, to confess the same,
It will be no disparagement at all.
LADY MORE.
His highness shall be certified thereof
Immediately.
[Offering to depart.]
MORE.
Nay, hear me, wife; first let me tell ye how:
I thought to have had a barber for my beard;
Now, I remember, that were labour lost,
The headsman now shall cut off head and all.
ROPER'S WIFE.
Father, his majesty, upon your meek submission,
Will yet (they say) receive you to his grace
In as great credit as you were before.
MORE.
........
Has appointed me to do a little business.
If that were past, my girl, thou then shouldst see
What I would say to him about that matter;
But I shall be so busy until then,
I shall not tend it.
DAUGHTER.
Ah, my dear father!
LADY MORE.
Dear lord and husband!
MORE.
Be comforted, good wife, to live and love my children;
For with thee leave I all my care of them.--
Son Roper, for my sake that have loved thee well,
And for her virtue's sake, cherish my child.--
Girl, be not proud, but of thy husband's love;
Ever retain thy virtuous modesty;
That
MORE.
No, save thy labour; we'll cossen him of a fee:
Thou shalt see me take a dram tomorrow morning,
Shall cure the stone, I warrant; doubt it not.--
Master Lieutenant, what news of my Lord of Rochester?
LIEUTENANT.
Yesterday morning was he put to death.
MORE.
The peace of soul sleep with him!
He was a learned and a reverend prelate,
And a rich man, believe me.
LIEUTENANT.
If he were rich, what is Sir Thomas More,
That all this while hath been Lord Chancellor?
MORE.
Say ye so, Master Lieutenant? what do ye think
A man, that with my time had held my place,
Might purchase?
LIEUTENANT.
Perhaps, my lord, two thousand pound a year.
MORE.
Master Lieutenant, I protest to you,
I never had the means in all my life
To purchase one poor hundred pound a year:
I think I am the poorest Chancellor
That ever was in England, though I could wish,
For credit of the place, that my estate were better.
LIEUTENANT.
It's very strange.
MORE.
It will be found as true.
I think, sir, that with most part of my coin
I have purchased as strange commodities
As ever you heard tell of in your life.
LIEUTENANT.
Commodities, my lord!
Might I (without offence) enquire of them?
MORE.
Croutches, Master Lieutenant, and bare cloaks;
For halting soldiers and poor needy scholars
Have had my gettings in the Chancery:
To think but what a cheat the crown shall have
By my attainder! I prithee, if thou beest a gentleman,
Get but a copy of my inventory.
That part of poet that was given me
Made me a very unthrift;
For this is the disease attends us all,
Poets were never thrifty, never shall.
[Enter Lady More mourning, Daughters, Master Roper.]
LIEUTENANT.
Oh, noble More!--
My lord, your wife, your son-in-law, and daughters.
MORE.
Son Roper, welcome;--welcome, wife, and girls.
Why do you weep? because I live at ease?
Did you not see, when I was Chancellor,
I was so clogged with suitors every hour,
I could not sleep, nor dine, nor sup in quiet?
Here's none of this; here I can sit and talk
With my honest keeper half a day together,
Laugh and be merry: why, then, should you weep?
ROPER.
These tears, my lord, for this your long restraint
Hope had dried up, with comfort that we yet,
Although imprisoned, might have had your life.
MORE.
To live in prison, what a life were that!
The king (I thank him) loves me more then so.
Tomorrow I shall be at liberty
To go even whether I can,
After I have dispatched my business.
LADY MORE.
Ah, husband, husband, yet submit yourself!
Have care of your poor wife and children.
MORE.
Wife, so I have; and I do leave you all
To his protection hath the power to keep you
Safer than I can,--
The father of the widow and the orphans.
ROPER.
The world, my lord, hath ever held you wise;
And 't shall be no distaste unto your wisdom,
To yield to the opinion of the state.
MORE.
I have deceived myself, I must acknowledge;
And, as you say, son Roper, to confess the same,
It will be no disparagement at all.
LADY MORE.
His highness shall be certified thereof
Immediately.
[Offering to depart.]
MORE.
Nay, hear me, wife; first let me tell ye how:
I thought to have had a barber for my beard;
Now, I remember, that were labour lost,
The headsman now shall cut off head and all.
ROPER'S WIFE.
Father, his majesty, upon your meek submission,
Will yet (they say) receive you to his grace
In as great credit as you were before.
MORE.
........
Has appointed me to do a little business.
If that were past, my girl, thou then shouldst see
What I would say to him about that matter;
But I shall be so busy until then,
I shall not tend it.
DAUGHTER.
Ah, my dear father!
LADY MORE.
Dear lord and husband!
MORE.
Be comforted, good wife, to live and love my children;
For with thee leave I all my care of them.--
Son Roper, for my sake that have loved thee well,
And for her virtue's sake, cherish my child.--
Girl, be not proud, but of thy husband's love;
Ever retain thy virtuous modesty;
That