Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/112

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56
THE LIFE OF

of Rome, and so[1] married the Lady Anne Bullen. Which Sir Thomas More understanding, said unto me, God give grace, son, that these matters within a while be not confirmed with oaths. I, at that time, seeing no likelihood thereof, yet fearing least for his fore-speaking it would the sooner come to pass, waxed therefore for his so saying much offended with him.

It fortuned not long before the[2] coming of Queen Anne through the streets of London from the Tower to Westminster to her coronation, that he received a letter from the Bishops of Durham, Bath, and Winchester, requesting him both to keep them company from the Tower to the coronation, and also to take twenty pounds, that by the bearer thereof they had sent him, to buy him a gown withal; which he thankfully receiving, and at home still tarrying, at their next meeting said merrily unto them; "My lords, in the letters which you lately sent me you required two things of me: the one, sith I was so well content to grant you, the other therefore I thought I might be the bolder to deny you. And like as the one, because I took you for no beggars, and myself I knew to be no rich man, I thought I might the rather fulfil; so the other did put me in remem-

  1. On St. Erkenwalde's day, or April 30, 1533, Hall—St. Paul's, or Jan. 25, G. Wyat, Esq.
  2. May 31, 1533.