[83] “Indeed, it was he who pushed me to write the Praise of Folly, that is to say, he made a camel frisk.”—Erasmus to Ulrich von Hutten, 1519.
[84] “He had a purpose to be a priest, yet God had allotted him for another estate, not to live solitary, but that he might be a pattern to married men: how they should carefully bring up their children, how dearly they should love their wives, how they should employ their endeavour wholly for the good of their country, yet excellently perform the virtues of religious men, as piety, charity, humility, obedience and conjugal chastity.”—Cresacre More.
[85] Erasmus to Ulrich von Hutten.
[86] “It is clear that Sir Thomas had a little Utopia of his own in his family. He was making an experiment in education, and he was delighted with its success. The fame of his learned daughters became European through the praises of Erasmus, and was so great in England that in 1529, when they were all married ladies, they were invited by the king to hold a kind of philosophical tournament in his presence.... More will ever stand foremost in the ranks of the defenders of female culture.”—Rev. T. E. Bridgett, Life and Writings of Sir Thomas More.
[87] “He most warily retired from every opposition but that which conscience absolutely required. He displayed that very peculiar excellence of his character, which, as it showed his submission to be the fruit of sense of duty, gave dignity to that which in others is apt to seem to be slavish.”—Sir James Mackintosh, Life of More.
[88] “Parliament is discussing the revocation of all synods and other constitutions of the English clergy, and the prohibition of holding synods without express license of the king. This is a strange thing. Churchmen will be of less account than shoemakers, who have the power of assembling and making their own statutes.”—Chapuys, Letters and Papers of Henry VIII. (Rolls Series).
[89] Chapuys, Letters and Papers of Henry VIII. (Rolls Series).
[90] Lives of the Chancellors.
[91] Letters and Papers of Henry VIII. (Rolls Series).
[92] Roper.