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Feb. 3rd installment
(prior articles below)
Events of particular historic importance in showing the
statesmanship of Thomas More are his “Petition for Free Speech,” his defense of
the liberty of the House of Commons, and his work in expanding access to the
courts of justice.
More’s “Petition for Free Speech” in1523 is the first recorded
argument that has come down to us defending the political necessity of free
speech. Although it was sometimes the custom to ask the king not to punish
members of parliament for expressing their mind, More’s speech went far beyond
the pragmatic question of punishment. He gave a reasoned argument why it is in
the best interest of the king and of the country to encourage free speech. More
argued that good counsel required the free exchange of ideas. As a philosopher,
More understood the need for public deliberation, and he explained that, since
in discussing issues “of great importance, the mind is often so occupied in the
matter” rather than the manner of expression, a proper examination of issues
would not be possible unless the members of the House of Commons “were utterly
discharged of all doubt and fear” about how they might express their judgments.
In these and other words, More sketched the reasons for the free deliberation of
political issues.
More's defense of the liberty of the House of Commons, which also
took place in 1523, is commemorated by a life-size mural in England's
Parliament. (See painting above.) This painting is one of eight in the “Building
of Britain” series in St. Stephen's Hall, and it depicts a famous incident that
occurred in 1523 when, as Speaker of the House of Commons, More ingeniously and
courageously resisted Lord Chancellor and Cardinal Wolsey's attempt to violate
the Commons’ tradition of free deliberation.
Throughout his career as a judge, More worked hard to expand
access to justice and to ease the rigor of the common law by considering,
through equity, the actual circumstances of individual persons. This did not
make him popular with the common law judges since he issued many subpoenas
requiring a review of their decisions. When complaints against More increased,
he invited all the judges involved to dinner. Over wine afterwards, he went
through each subpoena he had issued and explained his reasons for having done
so, thus winning back the judges’ good will.
As a judge, More became well respected among the people for fair
and quick judgments. Although no evidence yet exists about its origin, there is
a common rhyme testifying to this reputation. The poem probably refers to More’s
work as a judge while he was the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster:
When More sometime had Chancellor been, No more suits did remain.
The like will never more be seen
Till More be there again
More's impartiality as a judge was also well-known. When, for
example, his son-in-law complained that More did not favor his own family, More
replied: “Son, I assure you on my faith that, if the parties will at my hands
call for justice, then, even if my father stood on one side and the devil on the
other, his cause being good, the devil should have right.” (The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
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Jan. 27th installment
(prior articles below)
At the beginning of his career, More was well aware of “kings’
games...played upon scaffolds” and the ever-present dangers of a courtier’s
life. Even at the height of his favor with King Henry, More made the telling
comment that “if my head could win [King Henry] a castle in France...it should
not fail to go.” In the poems of his youth, More wrote about the dangers of
unchecked kingly power: “A king in his first year is always very mild indeed...Over a long time a greedy
king will gnaw away at his people...It is a mistake to believe that a greedy
king can be satisfied; such a leech never leaves flesh until it is drained.” The
barb of the ending is typical of More’s vivid and incisive approach as a youth.
As this example shows, the younger More wrote with less tact than the older and
practiced statesman who lived in dangerous political conditions.
In his early political writings, More regularly used the word
“citizen” instead of “subject,” and he pointed out the dangers associated with
monarchy. Chief among these was flattery. As he later warned Cromwell: Tell the
king "what he ought to do, but never what he is able to do. So shall you show
yourself a true faithful servant and a right worthy Councilor. For if a lion
knew his own strength, it would be hard for any man to rule him.” As this
statement implies, More was also aware of the dangers of one person possessing
unlimited power. Indeed, More’s coronation ode to King Henry warned that
“unlimited power has a tendency to weaken good minds, and even in the case of
the very gifted.”
In contrast, Henry's example of the model king was the chivalric
warrior Henry V, the historic figure that seemed to dominate Henry VIII’s
imagination of himself as a ruler. This led the new King Henry to plan war with
France almost immediately and,
against the counsel of his advisors, to lead the troops himself - thus
needlessly endangering his life and thus the stability of the English nation.
This pursuit of glory through military conquest was in opposition to More’s
pursuit of a worldwide peace.
(The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
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Jan. 20th installment
(prior articles below)
From 1511 to 1518, More was a very active citizen of London. He
developed one of the largest and most lucrative law practices in the city.
More took on greater responsibilities in governing Lincoln's Inn,
and was elected to the prestigious Doctors' Commons. He also represented the
city's business interests in foreign embassies, and still found time to write
and to correspond with Europe's leading intellectuals.
In 1518 he joined Henry VIII's service with reluctance and well
aware of the serious risks involved. Besides thedanger and substantial loss of
income, this career meant he would have less time for his family and for his own
study and writing; it also meant he would be a subject of the king rather than a
free citizen of London. Yet, “in the interests of Christendom,” More took on
what he saw as his civic duty.
Once engaged in the King's court, More rose rapidly in
responsibilities and duties. He soon became Henry's private secretary and close
advisor. Henry knighted him already in 1521 in recognition of his wide range of
services.
The confidence of both King and Commons was shown when More
became Speaker of the House of Commons in 1523, an important session in the
history of British liberties. In 1525 Henry gave Sir Thomas full responsibility
for his extensive and lucrative Duchy of Lancaster. As Chancellor of this duchy,
More assumed the full scope of administrative and judicial duties of a political
ruler. Nonetheless, in 1526, More was given even greater responsibilities when
Henry appointed him to his Royal Council's subcommittee of four, the four who
oversaw all the major concerns of the realm, excluding matters of war.
And yet so strongly was More concerned with peace that he also
served as a peace ambassador to France during those years. These peace efforts
came to fruition in the Peace of Cambrai in the summer of 1529. Years later,
when writing the epitaph for his grave, More would briefly mention his service
as king's counselor, knight, and chancellor, but, as noted earlier, he wrote at
surprising length about his work for peace (
Selected Letters , p. 181). A few months after that peace was confirmed, Sir
Thomas was chosen by Henry VIII to be the Lord Chancellor of England, the
highest office of the land
(The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
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Jan. 13th installment
(prior articles below)
Saint Thomas More worked hard to acquire a broad range of
experience as a young lawyer and local politician. As a young lawyer he was
known to be the first in court each day, a habit that continued after he joined
the king’s service. His first cases were humble and eminently practical ones. He
worked, for example, on legal contracts for the construction of London sewers, a
project much needed to prevent the frequent flooding of the Thames River. He
also worked closely with London’s businessmen and merchants, who came to so
value his judgment and skills that they chose him as their spokesmen in
Parliament and their negotiator for contracts.
Not surprisingly, then, More was soon a prominent citizen of
London, immersed in the life of his city, his profession, and his country. He
was selected for Parliament in 1504, married in 1505, and lectured in law at
Furnivall’s Inn from 1503 to 1506. In 1507, he was elected Financial Secretary
of Lincoln’s Inn and became a member of the influential Mercers’ Guild in 1509;
in 1510, he was elected to Parliament again and became undersheriff of London.
It was in this later capacity that More received the widest range of practical
experience and eventually became beloved by his fellow Londoners for his
“marriage of wit and wisdom” and for being “the best friend the poor ever had.
By 1510, More was blessed with four children and a wife, Jane
Colt, whom he dearly loved, even if the first years of marriage had brought
unforeseen misunderstandings. Like any young lawyer, he worked hard to develop
his law practice, and in 1511, he was asked to give the prestigious Autumn
lectures at Lincoln’s Inn. In that same year, just when life seemed happiest,
Jane died. Deeply grieved, More had the additional difficulties of taking care
of four children under the age of six. His solution went against the
expectations of many, but within one month, More married Alice Middleton.
Although she was older than he by seven years and shared few of his interests,
More knew her to be a good and loving woman, as she proved to be.
Even with the experienced and efficient help of Alice, More found
balancing the demands of family and profession to be quite difficult. More’s
sense of duty towards his family was so great that he was willing to give up his
political positions rather than see his children neglected. He found many ways
to show that he was indeed a “tender, loving father.” And in devising the
curriculum for his children, he was explicit about what was most important, “Put
virtue in the first place..., learning in the second; and in their studies
esteem most whatever may teach them piety towards God, charity to all, and
modesty and Christian humility in themselves,” because “the whole fruit [of
education] should consist in the testimony of God and a good conscience.” He
also pointed out that an important end of education is that one come to “love
good advice.”
(The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
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Jan. 6th installment (prior articles below)
Erasmus, who knew leaders from around the world, marveled at
More’s affable and self-effacing manner. Thomas More was, Erasmus wrote, “born
for friendship,” a person who delighted in conversation with others and who
could deal with every type of person at any level.
More’s best friend was Antonio Bonvisi, an Italian
merchant-banker who risked his own reputation and safety, standing by More even
in his time of disgrace. During More’s imprisonment, for example, he supplied
More with food, wine, and warm clothing. Among the last of his letters, More
writes a moving tribute to this best of friends who was a source of comfort and
encouragement for over forty years Such a friend More considered to be the gift
of a good and merciful God. Such a friend More tried to be to others. Even after
his trial, speaking to the judges whom he had known for most of his life and who
had just condemned him as a traitor, More expressed the hope that they might all
be merry together in heaven.
Saint Thomas More’s study of history and of human nature led him
to see that working for peace and justice required capacities and skills which
needed the hard work of education to perfect. More saw education as essential to
effective leadership because the leader always and everywhere would need what
More called a “good mother wit.” Why? Because only a person of practiced good
judgment can avoid the deceptions of appearances and of flatterers. To achieve
such a judgment, More indicated that a deep study of philosophy, literature,
history, and theology would be necessary - the very education he sought for
himself and that he gave his daughters and son. Giving his daughters the same
education as his son made More a educational reformer of his times. He stated
explicitly that both men and women “are equally suited for the knowledge of
learning.” According to Erasmus, More succeeded in this educational reform
because More himself combined “so much real wisdom with such charm of character”
that his contemporaries came to see the advantages of such an education, an
education that was soon accepted among the leading families not only in England,
but throughout Europe and eventually the United States.
(The Center for Thomas More Studies)Read about Thomas
More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
or
www.thomasmoresocietyofamerica.org
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Dec. 30th installment (prior articles below)
Called to the bar around 1501, Saint Thomas More angered his
father by not immersing himself in his legal career. Instead, More proceeded to
master Greek while pursuing studies in philosophy, theology, history, and
literature, and while also considering a priestly vocation. More’s friend
Erasmus tells us that John More became so angry with his son that young More was
almost disinherited. Even in these
early years, however, More seemed to realize that, whatever profession he would
choose, he needed the philosopher’s understanding of human nature, the
historian’s appreciation of his country, the theologian’s perspective on
eternity, and the poet’s skill to move the heart.
More mastered Greek in three years, to such a degree that he
joined Erasmus in translating the dialogues of Lucian. More explained his
special love for these comic dialogues in this way: Lucian “everywhere
reprimands and censures our human frailties with very honest and at the same
time very entertaining wit. And this he does so cleverly and effectively that
although no one pricks more deeply, nobody resents his stinging words.” This
same approach can be seen later in More’s own diplomatic style.
In these years, More carefully studied Plato, Aristotle, Cicero,
and the Greek and Roman historians. Along with the classical authors, he gave
special attention to the Bible and the Church Fathers, while also working to
master writing and speaking skills, skills which soon became as important as his
legal expertise. His particular interests were shown in the series of public
lectures which he gave in 1501 on Augustine’s City of God . These lectures were
given “not from the theological point of view, but from the standpoint of
history and philosophy” — indicating More’s conscious efforts to think through
the philosophic and historical issues facing the city of his own day. More’s
study of the classical and Judeo-Christian authors led him to formulate a
rarely-held position in those days, a position that rested upon the conviction
that each person is essentially free. For example, in his History of Richard III
he states clearly that Parliament (not the king) is “the supreme and highest
authority in England.” In a Latin poem written before he joined the King’s
service, he expresses more fully his view of political freedom and authority,
whereby “The Consent of the People Both Bestows and Withdraws Sovereignty”
(Complete Works, vol. 3.2, #121).
Such writings indicate that More’s many years of study resulted
in a coherent political philosophy that would guide him throughout his career in
the King's service. The depth of this study can be seen in More's famous Utopia
, which gives a playful but profound analysis of the nature and limits of
political life, drawing heavily upon the Greek, Roman, and Christian classics.
(The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
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Dec. 23rd installment (prior article below)
Born in 1477 in the heart of London, Thomas More learned service
to his country as part of a long established family tradition. On both his
mother’s and father’s side, civic service was a way of life. His grandfather
Thomas Granger, for example, was a lawyer actively involved in London, serving
as an alderman and eventually as sheriff. More's father was a well-known and
respected lawyer, then a judge. In London, More learned the importance of
citizens’ vigilant involvement in government, a lesson he would appreciate even
more deeply after studying the Greek and Roman philosophers and statesmen.
Saint Thomas More was 41 when he finally accepted the invitations
to join King Henry’s service. He could have done so earlier, but he knew that
his young and growing family would need him most in those early years of his
career; he knew that his own character and thought were not yet sufficiently
developed to face the wiles of the court; and he knew that Henry had tyrannical
leanings.
Thomas’s father, however, had begun preparing his talented son
for a life of statesmanship far earlier than young Thomas ever imagined. After
sending him to the best grammar school in London, St. Anthony’s on Threadbare
Street, John More apprenticed Thomas to no one less than Lord Chancellor and
Archbishop John Morton at Lambeth Palace. There, while waiting on tables and
learning what a courtier must know, Thomas witnessed the ways and dealings of
the greatest leaders of England. In the process, he impressed Morton, who
predicted that “this child here waiting at the table, whosoever shall live to
see it, will prove a marvelous man.” Morton admired, for example, how during
theatre performances, More would “suddenly sometimes step in among the players
and, never studying for the matter, make a part of his own there presently among
them which made the lookers-on more sport than all the players beside.” Such
“wit and towardness” led Morton to send Thomas to Oxford to study at his own
Canterbury Hall (now Christ Church College).
Young Thomas had studied at Oxford for two years when John More
decided that his son should return to London to complete his education at the
inns of court, where Thomas would study a wider range of subjects needed for his
success later in life. Studies at New Inn prepared him for entry to Lincoln’s
Inn, where he actively participated as a student, then lecturer, and then
officer until the end of his life. Even while he was Lord Chancellor, for
example, More was called upon to assist the Master of Revels in the Inn’s
celebrations, and he continued to participate in its professional and social
events. (The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org
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Dec. 9th installment
Saint Thomas More was the sixteenth century statesman who served
as Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII before being executed for
defending the ancient liberties of his country and for refusing to compromise
his conscience.
Coming from humble roots, Thomas More achieved uncommon
professional success, and he attributed that success to the depth and excellence
of the education that he received. A principled politician known as "the best
friend the poor ever had" and dedicated to God and His laws, he was an
intellectual with a great sense of humor; he was the first in history to give a
defense for free speech; he was the first to use the word "integrity" in the
English language, and although he worked for a monarch, he showed the
superiority of parliamentary government based on the people's consent.
More was a dedicated family man who studied throughout his life
and carefully attended to his children’s education. He was also a shrewd
professional and entrepreneur. A master of diplomatic speech, famous for the
range of his irony and wit, More has been known, even in his own lifetime, as "a
man for all seasons.”
(The Center for Thomas More Studies)
Read about Thomas More at: www.thomasmorestudies.org or
www.thomasmoresocietyofamerica.org
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