they do their postures; and some, when they meet in taverns, take upon them among their cups to pass censures very freely on all writers; and with a supercilious liberty to condemn everything they do not like in which they have the advantage that a bald man has, who can catch hold of another by the hair, while the other cannot return the like upon him. They are safe as it were of gunshot, since there is nothing in them considerable enough to be taken hold of. And some are so unthankful, that even when they are well pleased with a book, yet they think they owe nothing to the author; and are like those rude guests, who after they have been well entertained at a good dinner, go away when they have glutted their appetites, without so much as thanking him that treated them. But who would put himself to the charge of making a feast for men of such nice palates, and so different tastes, who are so forgetful of the civilities that are done ? 10 But do you once clear those points with Raphael, and then it will be time enough to consider whether it be fit to publish it

9 This humorous remark reminds me of an anecdote which I heard from a Roman Catholic priest. During the disputes between the rival clergies in Ireland, a Protestant, intending to be very hard upon his adversaries, observed very angrily to a priest, "Why, you carry your iniquity so far, as sometimes to corrupt our wives." "It may be so," replied the priest, "but at any rate you cannot return us the compliment."

10 This will remind the reader of that apt comparison of a book to an ordinary, in the opening of Tom Jones, where the author observes that every one considers he has a right, when he pays for it, to damn his dinner as much as he pleases. And so, no doubt, he has; and if it helps his digestion, one cannot

10 SIR THOMAS MORE'S LETTER TO PETER Giles.

or not; for since I have been at the pains to write it, if he consents to the publishing it I will follow my friends' advice, and chiefly yours. Farewell, my dear Peter: commend me kindly to your good wife, and love me still as you used to do, for I assure you I love you daily more and more.

grudge it him. Sir Thomas More seems to forget that men sometimes buy books, which, at least in their opinion, gives them an absolute power over the author, to damn or praise him, just as the humour prompts.

THE DISCOURSES

OF

RAPHAEL HYT HLODAY,

OF THE

BEST STATE OF A COMMONWEALTH.

BOOK I.

HENRY the Eighth, the unconquered king of England, a prince adorned with all the virtues that become a great monarch;11 having some differences

From this one may judge how very few virtues Sir Thomas thought "a great monarch" ought to possess; for a more worthless tyrant than Henry VIII. history has scarcely recorded in its annals. The truth, no doubt, is, that the author, conscious he was about to write many offensive truths, was desirous of disarming, by flattery, the despot whom our "glorious constitution" allowed the power of life and death over him. "Under governments so much disposed towards encroachment on popular freedom," observes Dr. Vaughan, in his History of England, 66 as were those of the House of Tudor, it was not to have been expected that the liberty of the subject would always be held sacred, inasmuch as the powers of arresting obnoxious persons at pleasure, without being obliged to assign any cause for such acts, or being under the necessity of bringing such persons to trial, is that to which arbitrary princes have generally clung with the utmost tenacity." Chap. xi. p. 176. Even the acknowledgment, however, of Henry's numerous "virtues" could not save the writer from the executioner's axe; which is sufficient to show what value should be set on that farce, called the Constitution, in the time of the Tudors.

of no small consequence with Charles, the most serene Prince of Castile, sent me into Flanders, as his ambassador, for treating and composing matters between them. I was colleague and companion to that incomparable man Cuthbert Tonstal, whom the king made lately Master of the Rolls, with such an universal applause; of whom I will say nothing, not because I fear that the testimony of a friend will be suspected, but rather because his learning and virtues are greater than that they can be set forth with advantage by me, and they are so well known, that they need not my commendations, unless I would, according to the proverb, "Show the sun with a lantern." 12 Those that were appointed by the prince to treat with us, met us at Bruges, according to agreement; they were all worthy men. The margrave of Bruges was their head, and the chief man among them; but he that was esteemed the wisest, and that spoke for the rest, was George Temse, the provost of Casselsee; both art and nature had concurred to make him eloquent; he was very learned in the law; and as he had a great capacity, so by a long practice in affairs he was dexterous at them. After we had met once and again, and could not come to an agreement, they went to Brussels for some days, to receive the prince's plea

12 Lord Chesterfield considers the employment of proverbs vulgar; but Sir Thomas More, even though Theophrastos had long before intimated the same thing, would not be deterred from introducing into his work any form of speech that might tend to embellish it.

sure. And, since our business did admit of it, I went to Antwerp: while I was there, among many that visited me, there was one that was more acceptable to me than any other-Peter Giles, born at Antwerp, who is a man of great honour, and of a good rank in his town; yet it is not such as he deserves: for I do not know if there be anywhere to be found a more learned and a better bred young man for as he is both a very worthy person and a very knowing man; so he is so civil to all men, and yet so particularly kind to his friends, and is so full of candour and affection, that there is not, perhaps, above one or two to be found anywhere that is in all respects so perfect a friend as he is. He is extraordinarily modest, there is no artifice in him; and yet no man has more of a prudent simplicity than he has. His conversation was so pleasant, and so innocently cheerful, that his company did in a great measure lessen any longings to go back to my country, and to my wife and children, which an absence of four months had quickened very much. One day, as I was returning home from mass at St. Mary's, which is the chief church, and the most frequented of any in Antwerp, I saw him by accident talking with a stranger that seemed past the flower of his age; his face was tanned, he had a long beard, and his cloak was hanging carelessly about him, so that by his looks and habit I concluded he was a seaman. As soon as Peter saw me he came and saluted me; and, as I was returning his civility, he took me