I think I am the poorest chancellor

That ever was in England, though I could wish,

For credit of the place, that my estate were better.

LIEUTENANT It’s very strange.

MORE

It will be found as true.

I think, sir, that with most part of my coin

I have purchased as strange commodities

As ever you heard tell of in your life.

LIEUTENANT Commodities, my lord?

Might I without offence enquire of them?

MORE

Crutches, Master Lieutenant, and bare cloaks,

For halting soldiers and poor needy scholars,

Have had my gettings in the Chancery.

To think but what acheat the crown shall have

By my attainder! I prithee, if thou beest a gentleman,

Get but a copy of my inventory.

That part of poet that was given me

Made me a very unthrift;

For this is the disease attends us all:

Poets were never thrifty, never shall.

Enter Lady More, mourning, Daughters, [one of them Roper’s Wife,] Master Roper

LIEUTENANT O noble More!

My lord, your wife, your son-in-law and daughters.

MORE

Son Roper, welcome. Welcome, wife and girls.

Why do you weep? Because I live at ease?

Did you not see, when I was Chancellor

I was so cloyed with suitors every hour

I could not sleep nor dine nor sup in quiet.

Here’s none of this. Here I can sit and talk

With my honest keeper half a day together,

Laugh and be merry. Why then should you weep?

ROPER

These tears, my lord, for this your long restraint

Hope had dried up, with comfort that we yet,

Although imprisoned, might have had your life.

MORE

To live in prison: what a life were that?

The King, I thank him, loves me more than so.

Tomorrow I shall be at liberty

To go even whither I can,

After I have dispatched my business.

LADY MORE

Ah husband, husband, yet submit yourself.

Have care of your poor wife and children.

MORE

Wife, so I have, and I do leave you all

To His protection hath the power to keep

You safer than I can,

The father of the widow and the orphan.

ROPER

The world, my lord, hath ever held you wise,

And ’t shall be no distaste unto your wisdom

To yield to the opinion of the state.

MORE

I have deceived myself, I must acknowledge;

And as you say, son Roper, to confess the same

It will be no disparagement at all.

LADY MORE (offering to depart)

His highness shall be certified thereof, immediately.

MORE

Nay, hear me, wife. First let me tell ye how

I thought to have had a barber for my beard;

Now I remember that were labour lost:

The headsman now shall cut off head and all.

ROPER’S WIFE

Father, his majesty, upon your meek submission,

Will yet, they say, receive you to his grace,

In as great credit as you were before.

MORE

( ) wench. Faith, my lord the King

Has appointed me to do a little business.

If that were past, my girl, thou then shouldst see

What I would say to him about that matter.

But I shall be so busy until then

I shall not tend it.

BOTH DAUGHTERS Ah, my dear father!

LADY MORE Dear lord and husband!

MORE

Be comforted, good wife, to live and love my children,

For with thee leave I all my care of them.

Son Roper, for my sake that have loved thee well,

And for her virtue’s sake, cherish my child.—

Girl, be not proud, but of thy husband’s love.

Ever retain thy virtuous modesty.

That modesty is such a comely garment

As it is never out of fashion, sits as fair

Upon the meaner woman as the empress.

No stuff that gold can buy is half so rich,

Nor ornament that so becomes a woman.

Live all, and love together, and thereby

You give your father a rich obsequy.

BOTH DAUGHTERS

Your blessing, dear father.

MORE

I must be gone—God bless you—

To talk with God, who now doth call.

LADY MORE

Ah, my dear husband—

MORE

Sweet wife, goodnight, goodnight.

God send us all his everlasting light.

ROPER

I think before this hour

More heavy hearts ne’er parted in the Tower.

Exeunt [Lady More, Daughters, and Roper one way; More,

Lieutenant, and Servant as into the Tower]

Sc. 17 Enter the Sheriffs of London and their Officers at one door, the Warders with their halberds at another

FIRST SHERIFF

Officers, what time of day is’t?

OFFICER

Almost eight o’clock.

SECOND SHERIFF

We must make haste then, lest we stay too long.

FIRST WARDER

Good morrow, Master Sheriffs of London. Master

Lieutenant

Wills ye repair to the limits of the Tower,

There to receive your prisoner.

FIRST SHERIFF (to Officer)

Go back and tell his worship we are ready.

SECOND SHERIFF

Go bid the officers make clear the way,

There may be passage for the prisoner.

Enter Lieutenant and his guard, with More

MORE

Yet God be thanked, here’s a fair day toward

To take our journey in. Master Lieutenant,

It were fair walking on the Tower leads.

LIEUTENANT

An so it might have liked my sovereign lord,

I would to God you might have walked there still.

He weeps

MORE

Sir, we are walking to a better place.

O sir, your kind and loving tears