Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/186

that you may in this great matter (for which you stand in this trouble, and for your trouble all we also that love you) take such a waye by time, as standing with the pleasure of God, may content and please the king, whome ye have alwaye founden so singularly gracious unto you, that if ye should stiffly refuse to doe the thing that wer his pleasure, which, God not displeased, you might do, (as many great, wise, and well learned men, say that in this thing you may), it would both be a great blot in your worship in every wise mannes opinion, and as myself have heard some say (such as yourself have alway taken for well-learned and good) a perill unto your soul also. But as for that point (father) will I not be bolde to dispute upon, sith I truste in God, and your good minde, that ye will looke surely therto. And your learning I know for suche, that I wot well you can. But one thing is ther, which I and other your frendes fynd and perceive abrode, which, but if it be shewed you, you may peradventure to your greate perill, mistake, and hope for lesse harm (for as for good I wot well in this world of this matter ye looke for none) than I sore feare me, shall be likelye to fall to you. For I assure you father, I have received a letter of late from my sister Alington, by whiche I see well, that if ye change not your minde, you are likelye to lose al those frendes that are hable to do you any good. Or if ye leese not their good wils, you shal at the least wise lese the effect therof, for any good that they shal be hable to dooe you. With this my father smyled vpon me and saide: what maistres Eue (as I called you when you came first) hath my daughter Alington plaid the serpent with you, and with a letter set you a worke to come tempte your father again, and for the favour that you beare him, labour to make him sweare against his conscience, and so send him to the devil? And after that, he loked sadly agayne, and earnestly said vnto me Daughter Margaret, we two have talked of this thynge ofter than twyse or thryse. And the same tale in effect, that you tell me now therein, and the same feare too, have you twise told me before, and I have twise aunswered you too, that in this matter if it were possible for me to dooe the thing that might content the kinges grace, and God therewith not offended, then hath no man taken