The Apology of Sir Thomas More, Knight
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
1 The Apology of Sir Thomas More, Knight by Sir Thomas More Page and line numbers correspond to The Complete Works of St. Thomas More (Yale University Press), volume 9. A complete concordance to this work can be found at www.thomasmorestudies.org/publications.html#Concordance. Spelling standardized, punctuation modernized, and glosses added by Mary Gottschalk ©CTMS 2014 Punctuation The only punctuation marks found in the original printed version of A Dialogue of Comfort are the period, comma, question mark, slash, or “virgule” ( / ), and parentheses. Quotation marks, semicolons, dashes, exclamation points, italics, and suspension points have been added with the goal of making the text more readily understood by present-day readers. Many commas needed to be inserted and many removed in deference to current rules about restrictive and nonrestrictive phrases. Italics are added for titles and, occasionally, for emphasis. As for the suspension points ( … ), these are substitutes for many of More’s slashes. He often used a slash where we would use a semicolon, a dash, or italics; but he also, quite often, used one to indicate whether a certain phrase was meant to be connected more closely with the one preceding it or with the one following it; to call attention to parallel elements in different phrases; or simply to facilitate serious reflection. He also quite often used a slash for dramatic purposes—to indicate, perhaps, a coming sly comment, or some possibly surprising conclusion. The evident thoughtfulness with which More punctuated this book leads one to suspect that he anticipated its being often read aloud, and wanted to make sure the reader got the cadence right. He writes as though he were speaking. 2 Chapter page 1 3 2 6 3 7 4 10 5 14 6 28 7 30 8 33 9 40 10 46 11 52 12 54 13 57 14 61 15 63 16 66 17 66 18 67 19 71 20 72 21 74 22 77 23 84 24 87 25 94 26 95 27 97 28 102 29 103 30 104 31 105 32 106 33 107 34 110 35 111 36 116 37 120 38 126 39 128 40 129 41 135 42 137 43 140 44 143 45 145 46 150 47 155 48 163 49 167 50 170 3 Sir Thomas More, Knight, to the Christian Readers The First Chapter So well stand I not (I thank God), good reader, in mine own conceit, and thereby so much in mine own light, but that I can 5 somewhat with equal judgment and an even eye behold and consider both myself and mine own. Nor I use not to follow the condition of Aesop’s ape, that thought her own babes so beauteous and so far passing in all goodly feature and favor; nor the crow that accounted her own birds the fairest of all the fowls that 10 flew. But like as some (I see well) there are, that can somewhat less than I, that yet for all that put out their works in writing: so am I not so blind upon the other side but that I very well perceive very many so far in wit and erudition above me, that in such matter as I have anything written, if other men as many 15 would have taken it in hand as could have done it better, it might much better have become me to let the matter alone than by writing to presume anything to meddle therewith. And therefore, good reader—since I so well know so many men so far excel and pass me in all such things as are required in 20 him that might adventure to put his works abroad, to stand and abide the judgment of all other men—I was never so far overseen as either to look or hope that such faults as in my writing should by mine oversight escape me could by the eyes of all other men pass forth unspied; but shortly should be both by good and well- 25 learned perceived… and among so many bad brethren as I wist well would be wroth with them, should be both sought out and sifted to the uttermost flake of bran, and largely thereupon controlled and reproved. But yet against all this fear this one thing recomforted 30 The which is a sure anchor me: that since I was of one point very fast and sure—that such things as I 3 equal: impartial, unbiased 4 I use not: do I make it a practice 11 can: know 22 overseen: mistaken 23 look: expect 28 controlled: criticized 4 write are consonant unto the common Catholic faith and determinations of Christ’s Catholic Church, and are clear confutations of false, blasphemous heresies by Tyndale and Barnes put forth unto the contrary—any great fault and intolerable should they none find, of such manner sort and kind as the readers should in their 5 souls perish and be destroyed by; of which poisoned faults mine adversaries’ books be full. Now, then, as for other faults of less weight and tolerable, I nothing doubted nor do but that every good Christian reader will be so reasonable and indifferent as to pardon in me the thing 10 that happeth in all other men; and that no such man will over me be so sore an auditor, and over my books such a sore controller, as to charge me with any great loss by gathering together of many such things as are with very few men aught regarded; and to look for such exact circumspection and sure sight to be by me 15 used in my writing as, except the prophets of God, and Christ and his apostles, hath never, I ween, been found in any man’s else No man is perfect before—that is to wit, to be perfectly in in all points. every point clean from all manner of faults—but hath always been held for a 20 thing excusable, though the reader in a long work perceive that De arte poetica the writer have, as Horace saith of Homer, here and there sometime fallen in a little slumber; in which places as the reader seeth that the writer slept, so useth he of courtesy, if he cannot sleep, yet for company 25 at the leastwise to nap and wink with him, and leave his dream unchecked. Which kind of courtesy if I should show how often I have used with Tyndale and Barnes both, winking at their tolerable faults, and such as I rather thought negligently escaped them of oversight or folly than diligently devised of 30 wily falsehood or malice—if I would add all those faults to their others, then should I double in length all my books, in which the brethren find for the special fault that they be too long already. But albeit that when I wrote I was (as I have told you) emboldened and encouraged by the common custom of all indifferent readers— 35 which would, I wist well, pardon and hold excused such tolerable oversight in my writing as men may find some in any man’s, 3 false: incorrect / despicable 26 wink: close his eyes 5 manner sort and kind: a type and nature 28 winking at: turning a blind eye to 9 nothing: not at all 37 may: can 10 indifferent: impartial, unbiased 12 sore: stern, severe 14 aught: at all 17 ween: suppose 21 though: even if 23 sometime: occasionally 25 useth he: is he wont 5 almost, that ever wrote before—yet am I now much more glad and bold when I see that those folk which would fainest find my faults cannot yet happen on them… but after long seeking and searching for them, for all their business taken thereabout, are fain to put for faults in my writing such things as, well 5 considered, shall appear their own faults for the finding. For they find first for a great fault that my writing is over-long, and therefore too tedious to read. For which cause, they say, they will never once vouchsafe to look thereon. But then say they further, that such places of them as are looked 10 on by those that are learned and can skill be soon perceived for naught, and my reasons of little force. For they boast much that they hear sometimes divers parts of my books answered and confuted fully in sundry of some men’s sermons, though my name be forborne; and then they wish me there, they say, for that it would do 15 their hearts good to see my cheeks red for shame. And over this, they find a great fault that I handle Tyndale and Barnes, their two new gospelers, with no fairer words nor in no more courteous manner. And over this, I write, they say, in such wise that I show myself 20 suspect in the matter and partial toward the clergy. And then they say that my works were worthy much more credence if I had written more indifferently, and had declared and made open to the people the faults of the clergy. And in this point they lay for an example the goodly and godly, 25 mild and gentle fashion used by him, whosoever he was, that now lately wrote the book of The Division between the Temporalty and the Spiritualty; which charitable, mild manner they say that if I had used, my works would have been read both of many more and with much better will. 30 And yet they say, besides all this, that I do but pick out pieces at my pleasure, such as I may most easily seem to soil, and leave out what me list, and such as would plainly prove the matter against me.