Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-06-20
Sir Thomas More.
BY JAMES PARTON.

By JAMES PARTON.
What subject for biography is this
grand old humorist, lawyer and martyr
of the reign of Henry VIII! First,
we see him merry, ingenious boy in
the house of his father, Judge of the
court of kings bench, and decorating
that house with what an old writer calls
"a goodly hangings of fine painted
cloth, with nine pageants, and verses
over every one of those pageants, which
verses expressed and declared what the
images In those pageants represented.
This series of pic es repre- ented nine
ages of man, and may have suggested
to Shakespeare his Seven Ages. The
following is one of the verses, which
doubtless describes the writer's own
boyhood
CHILDHOOD.
am called Childhood; in play is all my mind
10 cast quot, cokstele and bll,
top can set and drive it in his kind;
But would to God these hateful books all
Were in fire burnt to powder small;
Then might lead my life always in play.
Which life God send me to mine endless day,
Next We find him page in the palace
of Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of
Canterbury, great prince of the church
and one of the most trusted counselors
OF Henry VII. 1t was Morton who
placed the crown upon Henry's head
after the battle of Bosn worth field, and
so united the houses of York and Ian.
caster. The cardinal lived in magniti-
cent state, with a great retinue, and a
constant flow of distinguished guests.
with whom the young page was favor
lite for his grace, wit and humor. His
son.in-law records:
Enough he was young in years, vet
would he at Christmas suddenly some
times step in among the players, and .
never studying for the matter, make a
part of his own there presently among
them, which made the lockers. on more
sport than all the players beside"
The cardinal himself was we'll pleased
with him, and predicted that he would
prove "a marvellous man." There were
high conversations, it appears, at the
cardinals table, specimen of which
Sir Thomas More gives in the preface
to his Utopia. And, reader, what do
you think was the subject of that con,
versation, held nearly four hundred
years ago? T'amps! The guests were
very severe against them help these
poor fellows to employment, and give
their children better education" The
cardinals remarks will apply, perhaps.
to the present year of our Lord.
At seventeen. which was the year
IN which Columbus taught the Spanish
courtiers how to make an egg stand up
right Cardinal Morton sent his page
to Oxford University, where he met
WoIsey. then poor student, as we'll as
the great Erasmus, distinguished Wis
ltor. In due time he studied law, and
was admitted to the bar. Long he hes.
ltated whether he should not enter the
priesthood for, with all his gayety and
humor he was extremely religious in
the manner of that age, wore a hair
shirt, went to mass every day, tasted
severely, and prayed often. He livs
four years among the Carthusian monks
IN study and meditation, resolving at
last to marry and practice his profes-
sion.
An anecdote is related of his mar.
rage characteristic both of the man
and the age. Visiting family where
there were three daughters, he became
very much in love with the second.
Yet, writes his son. in law. "when
he considered that it would be both
great grief and some shame to see her
younger sister preferred before her in
marriage, he then, of certain pity.
framed his fancy to her, and soon after
married her."
The marriage, however, was every
way suitable and fortunate. He be.
came highly successful lawyer; so re.
noWned IN his profession that he was
retained IN almost every important
cause tor, besides his learning and
dlllgence, he was one of the first ora.
tors OF the day, and had great happi-
ness at repartee. He was, in fact. as ]
nave styled him, a humorist. one of the
long line of merry Englishmen who
nave cheered the sombre life Of their
island home.
A member of Parliament. next
where he speedily showed the metal he
was made of by firmly opposing bill
granting an unreasonable sum of money
to the king, Henry VII, a prince much
gwen to boarding. 4 gentleman who
heard the debate told the king that the
speech Of beardless boy had defeated
tne grant and in revenge, since More
himself had little property, the king de.
sised groundless charge against his
iather, and fined him hundred pounds
henry VIII. came to the throne-the
cause OF Sir Thomas More's great ad.
vancement, as we'll as of his downfall,