imperfection; which, by an instrument or brief, found upon search in the treasury of Spain and sent to the commissioners in England, was supplied. And so should judgment have been given by the pope accordingly, had not the king, upon intelligence thereof, before the same judgment, appealed to the next general council; after whose appellation the cardinals upon that matter sat no longer. It fortuned, before the matter of the said matrimony brought in question, when I in talk with Sir Thomas More (of a certain joy) commended unto him the happy estate of this realm, that had so catholic a prince that no heretic durst show his face; so virtuous and [1]learned a clergy, so grave and sound a nobility, and so loving obedient subjects all in one faith agreeing together. "Troth it is indeed, son Roper, quoth he, (and went far beyond me in commending all degrees and estates of the same,) and yet, son Roper, I pray God, said he, that some of us, as high as we seem to sit upon the mountains treading heretics under our feet like ants, live not the day that we gladly would wish to be at league
- ↑ The Kynge our Soveraigne lorde that now is, and long mote be, hath in his time as prudently and as vertuously provided for this Realme that it should have suche Prelates and Ordinaries as should in learning, wisedome, justice and living bee meet and convenient therfore, as any Prince hath, (nomber for nomber,) that hath raigned over this Realme, I dare boldly say this hundred yere.—More's English Works, p. 890, col. 1.
