Hen. 8. into the belly of the gaping crocodile; and the least oppofition overthrows these great pretenders, especially if you give them line and space enough to bounce and tumble up and down, and tire themselves out. Great he judged was the influence religion had upon humane focieties, whether we confider the nature of the thing, or the bleffing of God; without which they are foapy bubbles, quickly diffolved. Cicero could fay that Rome ought more of its grandeur to religion, than either to strength or ftratagems; we have not exceeded the Spaniards in number, nor the Gaules in ftrength, nor the Carthaginians in craft, nor the Græcians in art, &c. but we have overcome all nations by our piety and religion. He esteemed all common-wealths happy, but those wherein preachers, like the Græcian fophifters, described in Plato all whatsoever pleased the great beaft [the multitude] holy, juft, and good; and whatsoever the great beaft difliked, evil, unjuft, prophane. He married himself to vertue, and not to an estate: he likes a younger fifter, yet out of civility he embraceth the elder. Happy he was in his modeft wives, happier in his hopeful children. His government of his family was exact, enjoyning all his children to take Vertue for their meat, and Play for their fauce. His proficiency in the law was admirable, his practice fucceffeful, his judgment folid, his integrity eminent; his determinations in the fheriffs court, his activity for the stilyard, his practice in the courts • He married mr. Colt's daughter of New-hall. of of justice, raised him to a place in parliament: Hen. where he was fo good a patriot, that he difpleafed king Henry the feventh; and fo wife a man, that he awed king Henry the eight: the one by Fox demands one fubfidie and three fifteens, and the beardlefs boy (as the courtiers called fir Thomas) difappointed him; the other made a motion by Wolfey, which he overthrew, so that the cardinal wifhed him at Rome. He retires to his ftudies to avoid Henry the feventh's displeasure, and improves them to gain his fon's favour, who by his cardinal invited him to court, and employed him abroad to France to recover his debts; to Flanders, to confirm the peace. Employments he avoided a while, to keep his city-intereft; and in cafe of controverfie with the king, to prevent their jealoufie: his bufinefs was fo urgent, that you would think he had not no leafure; and his writings fo exact, that you would think he had no bufinefs. Not a minute of his time efcaped employment. His history of Richard the third is faithful, his Utopia is judicious and elegant, his lectures at St. Laurence were learned and pious. His popularity in parliament commended him to his majesty: his ftrong arguments for the popeship in ftar-chamber, brought him to him against his modeft inclination, as much as against Wolfey's intereft. His ability fet him on the council-table, his integrity placed him in the exchequer his fervices promoted him to the dutchy of Lancaster, his dexterity and prudence made him the king's bofome friend, and his familiar * On St. Aug. de civitate Dei. He was made Chancellour of that Dutchy. Hen. 8. familiar all his fpare hours; whofe questions in every art and science were not more useful, than fir Thomas his anfwers were fatisfactory. His advice was his majefties and his queen's oracles in counsel; his discourse was their recreation at table. He was not more delightful to the king at court, than he was ferviceable to him in appeafing tumults, &c, in the city. He was the king's favourite at White-hall, and the peoples darling at Westminster, where he was speaker as well with the unanimous confent of the one, as with the approbation of the other; and between both, impartial, equally careful of prerogative and priviledges; neither awed from right by power, nor flattered with popularity. He declined foreign fervices with as much dexterity as he ma naged domeftick ones. He served the king faithfully, but trufted him not, as one that enjoyed and fufpected fortune, faying, If his Head could win King Henry a Castle in Wales, it would off. The king and kingdome trufted him, who * was that one found Councellour the King had. The cardinal told him he was the verieft fool in the council: he replied, God be thanked my Master bath but one fool bere. His honour was fet off by a grave condefcention, and a grave humility. Did he argue? he was very moderate, civil, and modeft. Did he reprove? he was pitiful, grave, and prudent. Was he with the king at the univerfity? he was ready and eloquent. Was he abroad? he heard Queen Catherine faid fo. the the lectures attentively, and difputed accurately.* Hen. 8. To his friend as Dr. Tunftal, none more faithful: to learned men as Erafmus, none more civil: to devout men fuch as bishop Fisher,none more firm; to hopeful men, fuch as Powle, there was none more. encouraging: to painful men, fuch as Grocinus, Linacer, Crocus, Lupfel, Lilly, Cocklee, Budlera, Dorpin, Bewald, Lufcar, Grannould, Vives, Groclenius, Buflidian, Ægidius, Rhenanus, none more familiar, constant, or liberal: in his confcience none more fatisfied and fedate: in his dif course none more innocent and pleasant: in his heart none more devout and fincere. His meditations were frequent; his retirements to a chappel, built of purpose, daily; his prayers conftant and zealous; his converfation with his wives, loving and debonnair, taking them off their cares to reading and mufick. His fervants were always employed either in his, or God's fervice, fuffering them not by idleness to be at leifure for fin, nor by wanton converse to be tempted to it. His table-talk after the chapter was pleafing and useful, his counsels useful, his converse exemplary; his family instructions to bear afflictions patiently, to withstand temptations refolvedly, to mind heavenly matters devoutly, to go plainly and foberly, to recreate themselves moderately and vertuously, were effectual. There went a bleffing along with all his fervants, and happiness with his whole family. His apothegms were grounded on experience and judgement. He would fay, 1. He was not always + A fellow at Bruges would undertake to answer any question: Sir Thomas put up this a "Averia capta in Withernamia fint irreplegiabilia," to that Thrafos great a mazement. Cattle taken in Withernam are not reprievable. Hen. 8.always merry that laughed. 2. The world is undone by looking on things at diftance. 3. To aim at bonour here, is to set up a Court of arms over a prifon-gate. 4. If I would employ my goods well, I may be contented to loose them; if ill, I should be glad. 5. He that is covetous when he is old, is as a thief that steals when he is going to the gallows. 6. Bags of gold to us when faints, will be but as a bag of pebble-ftones when men. 7. The greatest punishment in the world were to have our wishes. 8. Pufillanimity is a great temptation. 9. Affliction undoes many; Pleafure most. 10. We go to hell with more pain than we might go to heaven with. Of herefie he faid, Like as before a great storm the fea fwelleth, and bath uuwonted motions without any wind stirring fo may we see here many of our Englishmen, which a few years ago could not endure to bear the name of an Heretick or Schifmatick, now to be contented both to fuffer them, and to praise them fomewhat, yea, to learn by little and little, as much as they can be fuffered, to finde fault, and to tax willingly the church, the clergy, and the ceremonies. 11. The more of any thing else we have, but riches, the more good we are. 12. Who would not fend his alms to heaven? Who would not fend his eftate whether he is to be banished? 13. Some men bate hypocrifie and love impudence. 14 When any detracted others at his table, he faid, Let any man think as he pleafeth, I like this room well. 15. It's eafter to prevent than redrefs. Indeed throughout his works he argueth fharply, he reafoneth profoundly, he urgeth aptly, ftateth exactly, expreffeth himself elegantly, and discourseth learnedly. He would rather convince than punish; yet he would rather punish than |