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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Thomas More Biography MORE, Sir Thomas, author and statesman, born in London, England, Feb. 7, 1478; beheaded July 6, 1535. He was the son of Sir John More, justice of the queen's bench, and became a page in the house of Cardinal Morton, archbishop of Canterbury. He entered Oxford in 1497, where he demonstrated much ability as a student. Afterward he became a student of law, completing the course at Lincoln's Inn. Even as a youth it was said of him. "There is but one wit in England, and that is young Thomas More." His diligent study, both in and out of educational institutions, won for him a profound scholarship, and his earnest piety and good humor made him many friends. A profound student of Latin and Greek, he was supported vigorously by progressive scholars when he championed the introduction of the study of Greek into the universities of England. He had won the lasting friendship of Erasmus while at Oxford, and soon after completing his educational studies was recognized as a leading scholar. With the accession of Henry VIII. to the throne, he was promoted rapidly. He became undersheriff of London, served in parliament, and was made ambassador to Holland. In rapid succession he rose until he became treasurer of the exchequer, was made speaker of the house of commons, and in 1529 succeeded Wolsey as lord chancellor. Not only did Henry favor him politically, but he also showed a friendship for his society, and paid him a number of visits at Chelsea. When Henry sought to divorce Catharine of Aragon, the two became estranged, and, when the monarch formed a marriage contract with Anne Boleyn, he refused to acknowledge its validity. The attack made by Henry upon papal supremacy did not cause More to deviate from the dictates of his conscience, but he supported the established system of religion. His refusal to take the oath to acknowledge Henry as head of the church caused his imprisonment, and neither the eminence of his position nor his former intimacy with the king saved him from a cruel death. He was accordingly committed to the Tower, tried for treason, and executed.. Though imprisoned and endangered, his ready wit did not leave him, a fact nicely illustrated by his statement as he climbed the scaffold to bow beneath the headman's ax, when he said, "I pray you see me safely up; and for my coming down let me shift for myself." The writings that have made Sir Thomas More famous are "Life of Edward V." and "Utopia." The former is written in a most remarkable literary style and is regarded by many as the finest example of good English. The latter was written in Latin, but has been translated by various writers. It is a romantic description of the ideal state of a republic on an island, where the laws, political and social, are in strict accord with philosophical perfection. The Teachers' and Pupils' Cyclopędia, Vol. III. (Kansas City: Bufton Book Co., 1909) 1199-1200. |