ACCOUNT OF BOOKS.
469
Sir T. More gave in the courfe of his ftudies, and at his entrance both into domeftic and public life, (Irong marks of the characfter which dilHnguifhed him to the laft.
- • At the time of his refiding
at Lincoln's-Inn as a Undent, he read a public ledlure in St. Aaftin de civitate Dei', to which aim oil all the learned men of the city of London reforted. The repu- tation which he acquired by thefe public ledures, procured him the place of reader at Furnivai's-lnn : in which he continued with the fame reputation for fome time : and then giving himfelf up to devotion in the Charter-houfe, he lived there as a religious about four years, though without any vow, abftrafted entirely from the
world, and from all fcience.
It is wonderful how a man of his turn of mind, of fuch prodigious lively parts, and fo much aflivity and facetioufnefs, could feclude himfelf fo long from bufinefs and affairs to be (hut up in a cloiller. But in order to take oiF the fur- prife, we mull recoiled the piety that was then in fafhion ; to which he had likewife notwith- ftanding his pleafantry fup-
pofed abfurdly by the world to
be incompatible a ftrong and
natural inclination. He was fated however at laft with this inaftive ufelefs way of life : and having been often prelTed by Mr. Colt, of New-Hall in Eflex, who de- lighted much in his company, to live with him, our author left the Charter-houf?, and went to make him a vint. His friend had three daughters, who were all accom- plilhed, handfome, and well-beha- ved young ladies; and giving him his choice of thefe for a wife, the
confequence of this vifit was, that he married the eldeft, merely for being fuch, that it might be no vexation or difgrace to her to be pafTed by; but his fancy led him to prefer the fecond. Upon his marriage with this lady, who lived with him about feven years, he took a hodfe in Buckler's-bury, and profecuted his ftudy and prac- tice of the law at Lincoln's Inn.
Whilft he was thus employed in fitting himfelf for his profeffion, he was eiecled a burgefs, before he was two and twenty years of age, in the reign of Henry VIL The deiign of the king in calling this parliament, was to demand a fubfidyand three fifteenths, for the marriage of his eldeft daughter to the King of Scotland : And whea it was moved in the houfe of com- mons, though the majority were againft the demand, yet many of the members being afraid of the king's difpleafure, and others hav- ing reaibns not more juftifiable nor important, they made no oppofi- tion to it. Here was therefore a fair occaiion for Mr. More to fhew his courage and integrity in defence of liberty and his country ; and this occafion he rook. He argued with fuch ftrength and clearnefs againft thisunjuftand arbitrary impofilion, though he was then fo very young, that his majefty's demand was in the end rejefted. Upon this Mr. Tyler, one of the king's privy council, who was prefent in the houfe of commons when this fpeech was made, went immediately to the king, and told him * that a beard- lefs boy had difappointed all his purpofe.'
This was giving his country a
very early pledge indeed of that
H h 3 patriotifaa
