The Life of Sir Thomas More/Appendix 15

by William Roper

No. XV.

Syr Thomas More was behedded at the Towre-hill, in London, on Tewesdaye the Syxte Daye of July, in the Yere of oure Lorde 1535, and in the xxvii. Yere of the Raign of King Henry theyght. And on the Daye nexte before, beynge Mundaye, and the Fyfte Day of July, he wrote with a Cole a Letter to his Daughter Maystresse Roper, and sente it to her (which was the laste thynge that ever he wrote.) The copye whereof here followeth.

Oure Lorde blesse you good daughter, and youre good housbande, and youre lyttle boye, and all yours, and all my chyldren, and all my godde-chyldren and all oure frendes. Recommende me whan ye maye, to my good daughter Cicily, whom I beseche oure Lorde to coumforte. And I sende her my blessyng, and to all her children, and praye her to praye for me. I sende her an handkercher: and God coumfort my good sonne her husbande^[1]. My good daughter Daunce hathe the picture in parchemente, that you deliuered me from my Ladye Coniers, her name is on the backeside. Shewe her that I hartelye praye her, that you maye sende it in my name to her agayne, for a token from me to praye for me. I lyke spesiall wel Dorothy Coly, I pray you be good vnto her. I woulde wytte whether thys be she that you wrote me of. If not yet I praye you bee good to the tother, as you maye in her affliccion, and to my good daughter^[2] Joone Aleyn too. Geue her I praye you some kynde auns were, for she sued hither to me this day to pray you be good to her. I comber you good Margaret much, but I would be sory if it should be any longer than to morow. For it is Saint Thomas Even, and the Vtas of Saint Peter: and therfore to morrow long I to go to God: it were a day verye mete and conuenient for me. I neuer liked your maner toward me better, than when you^[3] kissed me laste: for I loue when doughterly loue and deere charitye hath no leysure to loke to worldlye curtesy. Farewell my dere chylde, and pray for me, and I shall for you and all youre frendes, that we maye merelye mete in heauen. I thanke you for youre gret cost. I sende now to my good daughter^[4] Clement her algorisme stone, and I send her and my godsonne and all hers God's blessing and myne. I praye you at time conuenient recommende me to my good sonne John More. I liked wel his ^[5]naturall fashion. Our Lord blesse hym and his good wyfe my louing doughter, to whom I praye him to be good as he hathe greate cause: and that if the lande of myne come to his hande, he breake not my wyll concernynge hys sister Daunce. And oure Lord blisse Thomas and Austen^[6] and all that they shal haue.

 

1. Giles Heron.
2. This was none of hys doughters nor no kynne vnto him, but one of Maistres Roper's maydes.
3. This he meant by her kissing him on the Tower-wharf when he came from judgment.
4. This was not his daughter, but he hadde brought her vp from a chylde with his own daughters.
5. This he ment by that his sonne asked hym blessinge when he came from judgment.
6. These were his sonne's children.