1

203. FROM MARGARET ROPER.

2
4
5    It is to me no litle comfort, sith I can not talke with
6you by such meanes as I wolde, at the lest way to delite my self
7amonge in this bitter tyme of your absens, by such meanes as I
8maye, by as often writinge to you, as shall be expedient and by
9readinge againe and againe your most fruteful and delectable
10letter, the faithfull messenger of your very vertuous and gostly
11minde, rid from all corrupt loue of worldly thinges, and fast knitt
12only in the loue of God, and desire of heauen, as becommeth a very
13true worshipper and a faithful seruaunt of God, which I doubt not,
14good father, holdeth his holy hand ouer you and shall (as he
15hath) preserue you both body and soule ( vt sit mens sana in corpore
16sano ) and namely, now when you haue abiected all erthly
17consolacions and resyned yourself willingly, gladly and fully for
18his loue to his holy protection.
19    Father, what thinke you hath ben our comfort sins your departinge
20from vs? Surely the experiens we haue had of your lyfe past
21and godly conuersacion, and wholesome counsaile, and verteous
22example, and a suretie not only of the continuaunce of the same,
23but also a great encrese by the goodnes of our Lorde to the great
24rest and gladnes of your hart deuoyd of all earthly dregges, and
25garnished with the noble vesture of heauenly vertues, a pleasant
26pallais for the Holy Spirite of God to rest in, who defend you
27(as I doubt not, good father, but of his goodnes he wyll) from
28all trouble of minde and of body, and gyue me your most louinge
29obedient dowghter and handmaide, and all vs your children and
30frendes, to folow that that we prayse in you, and to our onely
31comfort remembre and comin together of you, that we may in

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32conclusion mete with you, mine owne dere father, in the blisse
33of heauen to which our most mercifull Lord hath bought vs
34with his precious blood.
40

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41

209. FROM MARGARET ROPER.

42
44
45    I thinke my self neuer able to geue you sufficient
46thankes, for the inestimable coumforte my poore heart receyued

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47in the reading of your most louinge and godly letter, representing
48to me the cleare shynynge brightenesse of your soule, the pure
49temple of the Holy Spirite of God, which I doubte not shall perpetually
50rest in you and you in hym. Father, if all the worlde had
51be geuen to me, as I be saued it hadde ben a small pleasure, in
52comparison of the pleasure I conceyued of the treasure of your
53letter, which though it were writen with a cole, is worthy in mine
54opinion to be written in letters of golde.
55    Father, what moued them to shitte you vp againe, we can nothing
56heare. But surelie I coniecture that when they considered that
57you wer of so temperate minde, that you wer contended to abide
58there all your lyfe with such libertie, they thought it wer neuer
59possible to encline you to their will, except it were by restrayning
60you fro the Church, and the company of my good mother your
61deare wyfe and vs your childern and bedesfolke. But Father this
62chaunce was not straunge to you. For I shall not forgeat how you
63tolde vs when we were with you in the gardeine, that these thinges
64were lyke ynoughe to chaunce shortly after. Father, I haue many
65tymes rehearsed to mine owne coumfort and diuers others, your
66fashyon and wordes ye had to vs when we wer last with you: for
67which I trust by the grace of God to be the better while I lyue, and
68when I am departed out of this fraile lyfe, which, I praye God, I
69may passe and ende in his true obedient seruice, after the wholsome
70counsaile and fruitfull example of liuing I haue had (good
71Father) of you, whom I praye God geue me grace to folowe: which
72I shall the better thorowe the assistens of your deuoute praiers,
73the speciall staye of my frayltie. Father, I am sory I haue no lenger
74laysure at this time to talke with you, the chief comforte of my
75lyfe, I trust to haue occasion to write again shortly. I trust I haue
76your dayly prayer and blessing.