The following year was infamous for the judicial murder of
the insane, epileptic nun, Eliza Barton, and of those most ad-
mu^able men, barbarously sacrificed — ^I write it with regret —
rather to the unrelenting hatred of the new queen, than even
to the brute rage of Henry, — ^More and Fisher. The latter
nad been his tutor, whonijie once affected to love and revere,
above all men ; the former had been his intimate friend, with
whom he played practical jokes and jested, as with an equal ;
but who so well knew the tiger, with whom he was compelled to
play, that he once observed to his son-in-law. Roper, after
some unusual condescension on Henry's part, that the king,
his master, was, indeed, a very gracious master, but that, " to
win a small castle in France, he would very readily take his
head off his servant's shoulders."

It is reported that, when the news arrived that More's exe-
cution had taken place, Henry was playing at tables with Anne,
and that, on receiving the tidings, he started up, with a "Thou
art the cause of the death of this man," left the room, and shut
himself up in his own apartment, in great perturbation of
spirit. If, however, his repentance were true, it was no less
short-lived ; it did not prevent him from reducing the inno
cent wife and orphan children of his victim, as nearly as it was
in his power to do, to beggary and starvation. The pope, on
the 30th of August, in the succeeding year, 1535, thundered
his anathema, against Henry and Anne, unless they should



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350 FRIAR PKTTO.
