Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-07-27
WHOLE NO. 30.

legalizing the Queens divorce had pas
sed the parliament, and the oath to sup
port il and acknowledge the king supre-
macy in Church as well as State. was TO
be rendered, and refusing to subscribe it
was made misprision OF treasure. When
the question came to be settled by More,
whether he would 90 wrong to save his
life or please his king-whether he could
obey god or man--whether the laws of
kings and parliaments, or the law of
God should be supreme, he did not long
hesitate though the struggles circumstances
against love OF life and of friends must
have been severe. No man had more 10
live for. On the one side were
home, friends, honors. rewards on
the other, death and clear con-
science. He was summoned 10 take the
oath. He refused and was sent pris-
oner to the Tower. His wife could not
appreciate his lofty conscientionsness and
integrity. She visited him, and reproech-
ed him for lying in that miserable prison.
when merely subscribing paper would
restore him TO such comfortable home.
This seemed little to disturb bis firm pur
pose. But. when Margaret. his . dear
Meg" wrote 10 him to subscribe, il cut
him TO the heart, He sent for her. She
came 10 him in prison. There lie attempt
ed to make her understand how contempti-
BILE were disgrace. suffering and death,
when to. be escaped only by the sacrifice
of the glory of incorruptible integrity Of
peace of conscience and, the appreciation
of God. And he succeeded at last, in in
fnsing his own spirit into the mind Of his
daughter, and making her share his lofty
magnanimity.
The day OF his trial came. AS a mark
of disgrace, he was arrRyed in a course
sack. They had starved him so long in
prison, that he walked with ditficulty.--
They had hoped thus to subdue him. or
incapaeitate him from using his mastery
eloquence and learning. !, The Judge was
the base, venal, and servile Audley the
jury was packed and overawed. HH
The kings attorney having made out
as he thought, his case, the judge before
charging the jury, asked More ii he had
anything to say. More stood up, weak
haggard and the crowded hall was silent
as death. The frabric Of accusation and
testimony which they had piled up with so
much labor, he demolished and scat
tered with the greatest ease. He exposed
the sophistry oftheir pleadings. The ef
feet of his defence was read by his accru
sers in the eyes of the jury. aud they fear
ed a sentence of acQuittal. More had
cautiously abstained from nttering word
against the divorce or The kings suprema-
cy. He had simply held his peace, and
that he argued could not be trcason The
attorney. seeing that additional testimony
was needed, volunteered as a witness, and
swore TO a faisehood. He said More ut
tered words of treason to him when he
visited him in the Tower. The Judge
charged the jury to find the prisonerguil-
ty, and they obeyed him. e
He was now led back TO the Tower.
with The edge Of the sheriffss axe turned
towards him, the formal emblem OF death.
As he walked out Of the hall, he was heard
TO soy, {" Thank God, have got The vic.
tory" Few, perhaps, understood him:
but his virtue, his integrity, his innocence
had triumphed. This filed his heart with
sustaining Joy. When he was marched
back 10 the Tower, there stood his beloy-
ed Margaret waiting at the gate She
broke through the gsard in spite Of their
pole-axes, and locked her arms around
her father neck, exclaiming, MY father,
o my father" More soothed her grief.
and pored consolation into her breaking
heart, the officials all the while standing
still, and not daring 10 disturb majestic
innocence and fiiial love. Some oil the
resgh men had TO wipe from their iron
features the trickling tears After Mar
garet was parted from her either. and the
guards were again moving on, she broke
through them the second time, and again
clung around her fathers neck. More was
now for the first time overcome by bis
feelings, and wept Ikea child. %
His execution soon followed. His calm,
ness and courage did not forsake him. He
stands on the records Of history, one OF
the most remarkable exhibitions Of moral
sublimity, Of faithfulnessto conscience, Of
infexibls integrity. Few characters shino
out from the past with 1nstre 40 pure
and attractive. Would that his example
might increase the number Of those who
dare 20 do rightin in spite Of all temptations,
aud all sacrifices. Those who, like him
are faithful. even 70 the loss Of all things,
are ever admired Of earth, the beloved Of
Heaven.
TAnxo BACK ALL THE HARD TnIses
SArD.-We learn from the Rochester Ad-
yertiser. that whig appears IN the col