The Life of Sir Thomas More/Appendix 10
No. X.
A third Letter of Sir Thomas More's to his daughter Mrs. Margaret Roper in answer to a Letter of hers to him persuading him to take the Oath of Succession.
Our Lorde blisse you.
If I had not ben my derely beloved daughter at a firme and fast point, I truste in Godde's greate mercy this good great while before, your lamentable letter had not a little abashed me, surely farre aboue al other thynges, of which I heare diuers times not a fewe terrible towarde me. But surely they all touched me neuer so nere, nor were so greuous unto me, as to se you my well beloued childe, in such vehement piteous maner, labour to parswade unto me, the thing wherein I haue of pure necessitie for respect unto myne owne soule, so often given you so precise aunswere before. Wherein as touching the pointes of your letter, I can make none aunswere. For I dout not but you well remembre, that the matters which moue my conscience, (without declaracion whereof I can nothing touche the pointes,) I haue sondry times shewed you that I will disclose theim to no man. And therefore, daughter Margaret, I can in this thing no further, but like as you labour me againe to folow your mind, to desire and praye you both againe, to leave of such labour, and with my former auns weres to hold your selfe content. A deadly grief unto me, and much more deadly than to here of mine owne death. (For the fere thereof, I thanke our Lorde, the fere of hell, the hope of heaven, and the passion of Christ dailye more and more aswage) is, that I perceive my good sonne your husband, and you my good daughter, and my good wife, and mine other good children and innocent frendes, in gret dyspleasure and daunger of great harme thereby. The let whereof while it lyeth not in my hand, I can no further but commit all to God. Nam in manu dei, (saieth the Scripture) cor regis est, et sicut diuisiones aquarum quocunque voluerit impellit illud. Whose hyghe goodnes I most humbly besech to enclyne the noble hart of the Kinge's Highnes to the tender fauour of you al, and to fauour me no better than God and my self know that my faithfull hart toward hym and my daily prayour for him do deserue, For surely if his Highnes might inwardly se my true minde suche as God knoweth it is, it wold (I trust) sone as wage his high displesure. Which while I can in this world neuer in such wise shew, but that his Grace may be parswaded to beleue the contrary of me, I can no further go, but put all in the handes of him for fere of whose displeasure for the sauegard of my soule stirred by mine owne conscience, (without insectacion, or reproche laieing to any other man's) I suffer and endure thys trouble. Out of which I beseche him to bring me, when his wil shal be, into his endles blisse of heaven, and in the mean while, giue me grace and you both in al our agonies and troubles, deuoutly to resorte prostrate unto the remembrance of that bitter agonye, which our Sauiour suffered before his passion at the Mount. And if we diligently so do, I verely trust we shal find therein great comfort and consolacion. And thus my dere daughter the blessed spirite of Christe for his tender mercy gouerne and guide you all, to his pleasure and your weale and comfortes both body and soule,
Your tender loving Father,
THOMAS MORE, Knight.