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THE LIFE AND ILLUSTRIOUS MARTYRDOM OF SIR THOMAS MORE by THOMAS STAPLETON Translated by PHILIP E. HALLETT Edited by Katherine Stearns and Emma Curtis CTMS Publishers at the University of Dallas © 2020 1 AbbreviAtions Corr The Correspondence of Sir Thomas More, ed. Elizabeth F. Rogers (Princeton University Press, 1947), followed by page numbers. CW The Complete Works of St. Thomas More, 15 vols. (Yale University Press, 1963–97), followed by volume and page numbers. CWE The Collected Works of Erasmus, 86 vols. (Toronto University Press, 1974–), followed by volume and page numbers. EE Erasmi Epistolae, ed. P. S. Allen et. al, 12 vols. (Oxford University Press, 1906–55), followed by letter number. EW Essential Works of Thomas More, ed. Gerard B. Wegemer and Stephen W. Smith. (Yale University Press, 2020), followed by page number. H (Hallett) Thomas Stapleton’sThe Life and Illustrious Martyrdom of Sir Thomas More, trans. and notes by Philip E. Hallett (Burns and Oates, 1966), followed by page number. R (Reynolds) Thomas Stapleton’sThe Life and Illustrious Martyrdom of Sir Thomas More, trans. by Philip E. Hallett; notes by E. E. Reynolds (Burns and Oates, 1966; Fordham UP, 1984), followed by page and note number. S Stapleton’s note 2 Contents Preface by Thomas Stapleton . 4 1. Birth, Education, and Studies. 6 2. His Youth . 8 3. His Public Career. 13 4. His Wide Learning and Literary Work . 19 5. The Many Learned and Famous Men Who Were His Friends . 25 6. His Holiness of Life . 37 7. His Contempt of Honors and Praise . 42 8. His Contempt of Riches . 48 9. How He Ruled His Household . 50 10. How He Educated His Children and Grandchildren . 52 11. Margaret Roper, His Eldest Daughter. 59 12. Wise and Devout Sayings of Thomas More . 62 13. His Quick Wit . 68 14. The Origin of the King’s Displeasure . 74 15. The First Attack on Thomas More . 77 16. His Imprisonment and Firmness under Trial . 82 17. His Two Interrogations in Prison . 91 18. His Trial and Condemnation. 95 19. After His Condemnation . 100 20. His Happy Death and Glorious Martyrdom. 104 21. The Learned and Famous Pay Tribute to Thomas More . 108 3 STAPLETON’s PreFACe will not deny, moreover, that I have long had a spe- cial attraction to my task. Similarity of name has or a long time many men of the highest renown made him dearer to me, and therefore after writ- 50 for learning and virtue have greatly desired to ing a life of Saint Thomas the Apostle, and of Saint Fhave a description of the life, the character, and Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury and martyr, it 5 the most noble martyrdom for the orthodox cath- is fitting that I should add an account of Thomas olic, apostolic and Roman faith, of Thomas More, More. Moreover, I first saw the light of this world in whose reputation for piety, learning, and wit is so the same month and year in which More, through 55 widely known. Several have actually attempted to the gate of martyrdom, entered into eternal light. write such a book, but have been prevented from Finally, I write of the life of Thomas More with 10 doing so either by death or by the pressure of other all the greater pleasure and confidence because I business. For the glory of God and for the edifica- have had access to abundant authentic information. tion of the reader, and, I will add, for the singular Many particulars I have committed to memory, but, 60 pleasure it gives me, I now begin my task, relying on lest they should die with me (and old age warns me the divine assistance and with a special trust in the that death may not be far distant), I have wished 15 prayers and intercession of More himself. It is not now to commit them to writing for the benefit of that I imagine that any words of mine can add to his posterity. Others, perhaps, may know many details praise. His glory in heaven is far beyond the powers of the life of this holy and great man of which I am 65 of human language or human imagination: his fame ignorant. But meanwhile I have thought it better to upon earth is such that, far from praising his virtues publish now the information I have gathered, and 20 as they deserve, I shall have the greatest difficulty in not to wait, perhaps in vain, for the appearance of doing them bare justice. such fuller information, for in that case both what Various motives have led me to write: first, the I have collected and what—​­possibly—​­they may 70 glory of God and my love for the Catholic Church, know will be finally lost. But now, when this work for his loyalty to which More laid down his life; of mine sees the light, if they have information of 25 next, pity for my country in its present deep afflic- which I was not in possession, they will have the tion and distress (More, in his lifetime, was its chief choice either of adding to my work or of writing an glory and proudest boast); then also the consola- entirely new life of Thomas More fuller and better 75 tion my work will give to right-minded men and the than mine. For my account of his life I have drawn just confusion it will cause to the wicked. For when from his Latin and his English writings (the latter 30 the greatness of Thomas More is displayed before far exceed the former in number and length), and them, his high excellence in all virtue and knowl- from the personal reminiscences of those who for edge, then those of our nation who are good and pi- many years lived either in the same house with him 80 ous will rejoice, and they will imitate one of whom or otherwise on terms of intimacy, and afterwards, they are so proud; the wicked, however, the here- on account of the ravages of that soul-destroying 35 tics and the apostates, will blush for shame and be schism, were fellow exiles with me for the faith, ei- covered with disgrace forever on account of his un- ther here in Belgium or in other parts of the world. just death. I have been moved, too, by the strong From these I have learned in great abundance 85 desire expressed by many learned and virtuous men, of the wise sayings and virtuous actions of with whom I have been on terms of familiar inter- Thomas More. For example, there was John Clem- 2 40 course during my long exile, to have a thoroughly ent, a doctor of medicine, of whom when he was authentic account of Thomas More’s life, and the yet a child More in his Utopia uses these words: true cause, the manner, and the circumstances of his For John Clement my boy, who as you know was 90 martyrdom. It was for this same reason that, more there present with us, whom I suffer to be away from than twenty years ago, Louis Paceus, a learned and no talk, wherein may be any profit or goodness (for 45 eloquent Spanish Dominican, devoted much toil to out of this young bladed and new shot-up corn, which preparing for publication a life of Thomas More,1 hath already begun to spring up both in Latin and but death hindered the completion of his work. I Greek learning, I look for plentiful increase at length 95 1 See Fernando Herrera’s Tomás Moro, 1500–1572) became a page and pupil in published in 1592. ​2 John Clement (ca. More’s household about 1514. ​ 4 Preface 5 of goodly ripe grain)—he,​­ I say, hath brought me into Harris’s manuscript collections, including many of a great doubt.3 More’s letters written in the martyr’s own hand, all 35 Also there was Doctor Clement’s wife Marga- of which Master Harris’s widow has handed over to ret,4 whom More brought up with his own daugh- me. In fine I have searched diligently all contempo- 5 ters and treated as his own child, as appears from rary writers who may have written something about the last letter he wrote before receiving the crown Thomas More, Erasmus in particular9 and his volu- of martyrdom, in which he bade farewell to her in minous correspondence, and other letters of More 40 these words: “I send now my good daughter Clem- printed separately by Episcopius at Basle in 1563,10 ent her algorism stone, and I send her and my god- Reginald Pole in his controversy with Henry VIII,11 10 son and all hers God’s blessing and mine.”5 John Cochlaeus writing against Sampson,12 Paul Jo- In addition there was John Harris with his wife vius’s Illustrious Men,13 William Paradinus in his Dorothy Coly—​­she is still living in Douai—​­of memoirs on English affairs,14 the letters finally of 45 whom the one was Thomas More’s private secretary, scholars like William Budé, Beatus Rhenanus, Je- the other the maid of Margaret Roper, More’s el- rome Busleyden, Peter Giles, Simon Grynaeus and 15 dest daughter. Also John Heywood,6 for many years others. In the last place I mention what has been a close friend of More’s; and lastly William Rastell,7 written upon the subject by Polydore Vergil,15 More’s nephew by his sister Elizabeth, a man of ir- by Roverus Pontanus in his Index of memorable 50 reproachable life and one of the supreme judges of events,16 by John Fontanus in his French history of England in the reign of her Royal Highness Queen our times, by Onuphrius in his Paul III,17 and by 20 Mary, a man who at the close of More’s life was on Lawrence Surius in his commentaries.18 most intimate terms with him, as his (More’s) letter Fully equipped, then, with help from all these to Thomas Cromwell shows.8 sources, I trust that I may be able to write of the 55 In the familiar intercourse which existed between life and illustrious martyrdom of Thomas More, us some years ago, owing to our common exile, not merely a brief compendium but a complete and 25 from time to time I gathered from all of them many even a worthy history.

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