Читать книгу Chelsea, in the Olden & Present Times - George Sands Bryan - Страница 16

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Sir Thomas More purchased an estate at Chelsea, about the year 1520, and built himself a house, as Erasmus describes it, “neither mean nor subject to envy, yet magnificent and commodious enough.” The site of this house has been long disputed. The Rev. Dr. King, (who is noticed amongst the rectors of the Old Church), in his “Letter designed for Mr. Hearne,” relative to Sir Thomas More’s house, and which is in the British Museum, says, “As seven cities in Greece contended for the birthplace of Homer, so there are no fewer than four houses in this parish which lay claim to Sir Thomas More’s residence, viz.: that which is now the Duke of Beaufort’s; that which was lately Sir Joseph Alstone’s; that which was once Sir Reginald Bray’s, and afterwards William Powell’s, which is now built into several tenements; and that which was lately Sir John Danvers’s, which is also now pulled down; and on part of the ground a small street is built, called Danvers Street, and some other houses. Now of all these, in my opinion, Beaufort House bids fairest to be the place where Sir Thomas More’s stood.” He then proceeds to give his reasons for arriving at this conclusion, which, when considered in connection with the statements of other writers on the subject, clearly establishes the correctness of Dr. King’s opinion. Sir Thomas More’s house, therefore, we will conclude stood almost on the site of what is now called Beaufort Street, facing Battersea Bridge. After his death, however, very considerable alterations and additions were made by succeeding occupants, both in regard to the house and grounds attached to it. The house, in its altered state, was pulled down about 140 years ago.

Erasmus gives a pleasing description of the manner of More’s living with his wife and family at Chelsea. “There he conversed with his wife,” says he, “his son, his daughter-in-law, his three daughters and their husbands, with eleven grand-children. There is not a man living so affectionate to his children as he; he loveth his old wife as well as if she was a young maid.” Fox, in his Martyrology, however, throws a sad blast over the character of More. He states that More used to bind heretics to a tree in his garden, called “The Tree of Troth,” but this was denied by More himself. Henry VIII., to whom he owed his rise and fall, frequently came to Chelsea to visit him. Sometimes the king would ascend to the house-top with him to observe the stars and converse on astronomy. Amongst the illustrious foreigners entertained and patronised by Sir Thomas More, may be mentioned Hans Holbein, a celebrated painter, who lived with him for nearly three years painting portraits of him, his relations, and friends. It is generally admitted that he had a house in Chelsea for aged people, whom he daily relieved.

More delighted in telling the following “merrie story,” as he termed it:—A friar while preaching “spyed a poore wyfe of the paryshe whysperyng to her pew-fellow, and he fallyng angry thereto, cryde out unto her aloude, ‘Hold thy babble, I byd thee, thou wyfe in the red hood!’” He regularly attended Chelsea Church, and very often assisted at the celebration of Mass, and at times he would put on a surplice and join the quire.

The pathetic story of More’s wit was never so touchingly illustrated as on the day after he resigned the Great Seal. He went to Chelsea Church as usual with his wife and family, none of whom he had yet informed of his resignation. During the service, as was his custom, he sat in the choir, in a surplice. After service it was the custom for one of his attendants to go to her ladyship’s pew, and say, “My Lord is gone before.” But this day the Ex-Chancellor came himself, and making a low bow, said, “Madam, my Lord is gone.” Then, on their way home, to her great mortification, he unriddled his mournful pleasantry by telling her his lordship was gone, in the loss of his official dignities.

Sir Thomas had four children, three daughters and one son; the latter was the youngest. His first wife wished very much for a boy; at last she brought this son, who proved to be of slender capacity; upon which he said to her, “You have prayed so long for a boy, that now you have got one that will be a boy as long as he lives.” The good lady walked away from him.

By indefatigable application, More cleared the Court of Chancery of all its causes. One day, having ended a cause, he called for the next, and was told there was “no other depending in the Court.” He was delighted to hear it, and ordered it to be inserted on the records of the Court. It gave rise to the following epigram, not the worst in the English language:—

“When More some time had Chancellor been

No More suits did remain;

The same shall never More be seen

Till More be there again.”

The pitiful story of More’s daughter, Margaret, parting with her beloved father, on the morning of his cruel execution, is truly affecting. She followed him to the scaffold—embraced him, implored his blessing, wept upon his cheek, bidding him in anguish adieu. A second time she went forward to him, clung round his neck and kissed him, when at last, notwithstanding his apparent gravity, tears fell from his eyes * * * and soon afterwards she was severed from him for ever! It appears that his original intention to be interred in the Old Church, was unhappily not fulfilled. Dr. King states that “his body was buried in the chapel of St. Peter, in the Tower, and his head, after some months, was bought by his daughter, Margaret, and taken down from London Bridge, where it was fixed upon a pole, and was buried,” probably as stated, in St. Dunstan’s, near Canterbury. Aubery, however, asserts that “after he was beheaded, his trunke was interred in Chelsey Church, near the middle of the south wall, where was some slight monument erected, which being worne by time, Sir John Lawrence, of Chelsey, at his own proper costs and chardges, built to his memorie a handsome one, with inscription, of marble.” This statement, as regards the interment of Sir Thomas More’s body, does not accord with the opinion of most other writers on the subject.