through his son-in-law, Mr Roper, to furnish him with an explicit account of what had passed at any time between himself and the Nun,[1] with an intimation that, if honestly made, it would be accepted in his favour.
These advances were met by More in the spirit in which they were offered. He heartily thanked Cromwell, 'reckoning himself right deeply beholden to him;'[2] and replied with a long, minute, and evidently veracious story, detailing an interview which he had held with the woman in the chapel of Sion Monastery. He sent at the same time a copy of a letter which he had written to her, and described various conversations with the friars who were concerned in the forgery. He did not deny that he had believed the Nun to have been inspired, or that he had heard of the language which she was in the habit of using respecting the King. He protested, however, that he had himself never entertained a treasonable thought. He told Cromwell that 'he had done a very meritorious deed in bringing forth to light such detestable hypocrisy, whereby every other wretch might take warning, and be feared to set forth their devilish dissembled falsehoods under the manner and colour of the wonderful work of God.'[3] More's offence had not been great. His acknowledgments were open and unreserved; and Cromwell laid his
- ↑ Sir Thomas More to Cromwell: Burnet's Collectanea, p. 350.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
that I thought it expedient for you to write unto his Highness, and to recognize your offence and to desire his pardon, which his Grace would not deny you now in your age and sickness.—Cromwell to Fisher: Suppression of the Monasteries, p. 27.
