"Sith I perceive, my renowned Soveraigne, that it standeth not with your Highness' pleasure, to reforme this election, but have by the mouth of the most reverend father in God, the Legate, your High Chauncellor, given your most royall consent, and have of your benignitie determined farre above that I may beare, to enable and repute me meete; rather than you would seeme to impute unto your Commons any note of indiscretion for their unfit choice; I am therefore, and shall be alwaies readie obedientlie to conforme myself to the accomplishment of your soveraigne command; in most humble manner beseeching your most noble Majestie, that I may, with your Grace's favour, before: I enter further thereunto, make my humble intercession unto your Highness for two lowlie petitions; the one privatelie concerning myselfe, the other for the whole affemblie of the Commons House. For myself, gratious Soveraigne, that if it mishappen me, in any thing hereafter on the behalfe of your Commons in your Highness' presence to be declared, to mistake my message, and for lacke of good utterance, and mis-rehearsal to pervert and impaire theire prudent instructions, it may then like your noble Majestie, of your aboundant grace, with the eye of your accustomed pittie to pardon my simpleness, giving me leave to repaire againe to the Commons House, and there to confer with them, and to take theire substantial advice, what things, and in what wise I am to utter; to the intent their prudent devices and affaires be not by my simpleness and follie hindered and impaired which thing if it should mis-happe (as it were well liekelie) if your gratious benignitie releved not my oversight, it would be, during my life, a perpetual grudge and heaviness to my heart. The help and remedie, in manner afore remem

bered,

bered, is, most gratious Soveraigne, my first lowlie suit and humble petition to your noble grace.

"My other humble request, most excellent Prince, is, this. That, for as much as there be of your Commons, here by your Highness' commandment assembled, a great number which are, after accustomed manner, appointed to treat and devise of the common affaires amongst themselves apart: and albeit, most deare and liege Lord, that according to your prudent devise, by your honorable writs every where delared, there hath been as due diligence used, in sending up to your Highness' Court of Parliament, the most discrete persons, out of everie quarter, that men could esteeme fit; whereby it is not to be doubted, but that there be here present a verie substantial assemblie of right wise and politique persons, yet, most victorious Prince, sith amongst so manie wise men, neither is everie man wise alike, nor amonge so so manie all alike well witted, is everie man alike well spoken; and it often happeneth, that likewise as much follie is uttered with painted and polished speeches, so many men, boysterous and rude in language, yet give right good and substantial counsaile: sith also, in matters of great importance, the minde is often so occupied in the matter, that a man rather studieth what, than how to say, by reason whereof the wisest man, and best spoken in a whole countrie fortuneth sometimes, while his mind is fervent in the matter, somewhat to speake in such wise as he would after wish to have been uttered otherwise, yet his meaning no worse when he spoke it, than when he would so gladlie change it: Therefore, most gratious Soveraigne, considering that in your Highness' Court of Parliament, there is nothing uttered but matters of weight and importance, concerning the realme and royal estate,

it

it could not faile but to let and put to sylence from giving their advice and counsaile manie of the discreet Commoners, to the great hinderance of publique affaires, except everie man there were utterly discharged of all doubt and feare, how anie thing that should happen them to fpeake, should happen of your Highness to be taken: and in this point, though your well known and approved benignitie putteth everie man in right good hope, yet such is the weight of the matter, such the reverend dreade, that the timerous hearts of your natural subjects conceive towards your Highness' Majesty, most renowned Soveraigne, that they cannot in this pointe find themselves satisfied, except your gracious bountie herein declared, may put away the scruple of their timerous mindes.

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May it therefore like your aboundant Grace, our most benigne King, to give to all your Commons here assembled, your most gratious licence and pardon, freely without all doubt of your dreadful displeasure, everie man to discharge his conscience, and boldly in any thing incident amongst us to declare his advice; and whatsoever happen any man to say, that it may like your noble Majestie, of your inestimable goodness, to take all in good parte, interpreting every man's words, how uncomely so ever they be couched, to proceed yet of good zeale towards the profit of your realme, and the honour of your royal person; the prosper ous estate and preservation whereof, most excellent Soveraigne, is the thing which we all, your most humble loving subjects, according to our bounden dutie, of natural alleageance, most highlie desyré and pray for. for. Dixi."

At this Parliament Cardinal Wolsey found himselfe much agrieved with the burgesses thereof, that there was nothing said or done therein but

that

that it was immediately blowne abrode in every ale-house it fortuned at that Parliament a great subsidie to be demaunded, which the Cardinal, fearing would not passe the Commons House, determined for the furtherance thereof to be there personally himselfe before whose coming they themselves much debated, whether it weere better to receive him with a few of his Lords, or with all his traine. Most were of opinion the first were the best. At last Mr. More said in this manner. "Maisters, for as much as my Lord Cardinal lately, you wote well, laid to our charge the lightness of our tongues, for things uttered out of this house, it shall not be amisse, in my minde, to receive him with all his pompe, with all his maces, his pillars, his poll-axes, his crosses, his hatt, and the great seale too; to the intent, that if he finde the like fault hereafter with us, we may be the bolder, from ourselves, to lay the blame upon them whom he bringeth with him." Whereunto the whole House agreeing, he was received accordingly. Where, after he had, in a solemn oration, by many reasons proved, how necessarie it was the demaund to be granted; and further shewing that lesse would not serve to maintaine the Prince's purpose, he seeing the companie sit still silent; and aunswering nothing, contrarie to his expectation shewed themselves not verie forward to incline to his request, said unto them, Maisters, you have many wise and learned men among you; and sith I am from the King's own person sent hither unto you, for the preservation of yourselves and all the realme, I thinke it mete you give me some reasonable answere." Where everie man holding his peace, then began he to speake to one Mr. Marnee; who making no answere, he severallie asked the same question of divers others,

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accounted

accounted the wisest amongst them; to whom when none of them all woulde veeld so much as one word, being before agreed as the custom was, by theire Speaker to make answere, "Maisters," quoth the Cardinal, "unlesse it be the manner of your House, as of likelihoode it is, by the mouthe of the Speaker, whom you have chosen for trustie and wise, as indeed he is, in suche causes to utter your mindes, here is, without doubt, a marvelous obdurate silence;" and thereupon required aunswere of Mr. Speaker. Who first reverently upon his knees "excused the silence of the House, abashed with the presence of so noble a personage, able to amaze the wisest and best learned in the realme; and after many probable arguments, that for them to make auns were was neither expedient, nor agreeable to the auncient libertie of the House; in conclusion, for himselfe he shewed, that althoughe they had all with theire voices trusted him, yet except every one of them would put into his head all their several witts, he alone was unmeet, in so weightie a matter, to make his Grace auns were." Whereupon the Cardinal displeased, sodenlie arose and departed.

This the Cardinal forgot not; for the next daie sending for him, in his Gallerie of White-Hall, at Westminster, he uttered unto him what he conceived. "Would to God," quoth the Cardinal,

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you had been at Rome, Master More, when I made you Speaker. "Your Grace not offended, so would I my Lord" (quoth he): "for then should I have seene those holie places, that I have often and much desired." And after some walkes in silence, to winde such matters out of the Cardinal's head, he began to talke of the Gallerie, and saide, "I like this Gallerie of yours, my Lord, much better than that of Hampton Court." So,