The Life of Sir Thomas More/Appendix 11

by William Roper

No. XI.

To this last Letter Maistres Margaret Roper wrote an answere and sent it to Sir Thomas More her father, the Copye whereof here followeth.

Myne owne good father; it is to me no little comfort, sith I cannot talk with you by such means as I would, at the least way to delight my selfe among in thys bytter time of your absens, by such meanes as I maye, by as often writing to you, as shal be expedient, and by reading again and againe your most fruitfull and delectable letter, the faithfull messenger of your very verteous and ghostly minde, rid from all corrupt loue of worldely thinges, and fast knitte onely in the loue of God and desire of heauen, as becometh a very true worshipper and a faithfull seruant of God, which I doute not good father holdeth his holy hand ouer you, and shall (as he hath) preserue you both body and soule; (ut sit mens sana in corpore sano) and namely, nowe when you haue abjected all earthly consolacions, and resined your selfe willingly gladly and fully for hys loue to hys holy proteccion. Father what thinke you hath bene our comfort syns your departing from us? Surely the experiens we haue had of your life past and godly conuersacion and wholesome counsail, and vertuous example, and a surety not onely of the continuance of that same, but also a grete encrese by the goodnes of our Lorde to the great reste and gladnes of your hart denoide of al earthly dregges and garnished wyth the noble vesture of heauenly vertues, a pleasant palles for the holy spirite of God to rest in, who defende you (as I doute not good father but of his goodnes he wyll) from all trouble of minde and of body, and gyue me your moste louing obedient daughter and handmaide, and all vs your children and frendes, to folow that that we praise in you, and to our onely comforte remembre and comin together of you, that we may in conclusion mete with you mine owne dere father in the blysse of heauen to which our most mercifull Lord hath bought us with his precious blood.

Your owne most loving obedient daughter and bedes-woman Margaret Roper, which desireth above al worldly thinges to be in John a Wood's stede^[1] to do you some service. But we live in hope that we shal shortly receve you againe. I pray God hartely we may, if it be his holy wil.

 

1. This John a Wood was his own servant that was suffered to be with him in prison.