Section 817

Thomas More." In 1497 More went to Oxford. He had rooms in St. Mary's Hall, but carried on his studies at Canterbury Collej^e (afterwards Christ Church). Here he became intimately acquainted with Erasmus, who resided there during the greater part of 1497 and 1498, and formed a friendship which continued during life. It was also at Oxford that More composed the greater number of his English poems, which, though deficient in harmony and ease of versification, are spoken of by Ben Jonson as models of English literature. After More left Oxford he prosecuted the study of the law, and soon acquired great celebrity for his legal knowl- edge. He was appointed reader at Furnival's Inn, where he delivered lectures on law for three years; and about the same time he also delivered lectures at St. Lawrence's church in the Old Jewry, on the work of St. Augustine, De Civitate Dei. It must be remem- bered that religion, morals, and law were then taught together without distinction ; yet More, in his lectures, did not so much discuss the points of divinity as the precepts of moral philosophy and history. It is, how- ever, well known that More also did delight to touch on questions of theology, for he was always fond of it, and for some time thought of taking orders. "He mani- fested," says Mackintosh, " a predilection for monastic life, and is said to have practiced some of those austeri- ties and self-inflictions which prevail among the gloom- ier and sterner orders" (Life, in Works, i, 405). He re- solved indeed at one time to turn monk, and actually became a laj^-brother of the Carthusian convent (the Charter-House) in London, where he is said to have passed several years. But he finally relinquished the ecclesiastical life, influenced perhaps by the general cor- ruption of the priestly orders, or, as Erasmus has it, he preferred to be a chaste husband rather than an impure priest. More was called to the bar, though at what time is uncertain. He appears to have acquired an ex- tensive practice. He came to be generally regarded as one of the most eloquent speakers of his day ; indeed, his reputation became so great towards the latter part of the reign of Henry VII that it is said that there was no case of consequence before any court of law in which he was not engaged as counsel. About 1502 he first entered upon public ofiice. He was then made an un- der-sheriff of London, an office at that time of great legal responsibility. Only two years later he was elected to Parliament, in which he opposed a subsidy which had been demanded by Henry VII for the marriage of his eldest daughter. In consequence of this opposition More incurred the displeasure of Henry VII, a prince who never forgave an injury; and had not the king died soon afterwards, INIore would have been obliged to leave the countr}'. Notwithstanding all opposition at court. More flourished, and gained constantly in reputation and friends. His graceful and varied learning, coupled as it was with sprightly, inexhaustible wit, so that Erasmus could write of him that " with More you might imagine yourself in the Academy of Plato," no doubt contributed in a large measure to his rapid advance- ment, " His professional practice became so consider- able," says Mackintosh, "that about the accession of Henry VIII (1509) it produced £400 a year, probably equivalent to an annual income of £5000 in the present day." With the accession of Henry VIII to the Eng- lish throne More's most auspicious days began. He be- came a favorite of his royal master, always so quick to detect in his surroundings whatever and whoever was likely to prove serviceable to him. King " Harry" re- marked ^lore's talents, and not only gladly consulted him on affairs of state, but sought him as the compan- ion of his amusements and convivial hours. According to the account of Erasmus, the circle there collected must have been one of the most brilliant and engaging that the world has ever seen, and it was adorned by virtues which to other associations, high in intellect, have often been wanting. j\Iore was appointed to sev- eral important civil offices, and even employed as envoy