ore; bishops, abbots,
priors, heads of colleges swore[713] with scarcely an exception,--the
nation seemed to unite in an unanimous declaration of freedom. In one
quarter only, and that a very painful one, was there refusal. It was found
solely among the persons who had been implicated in the late conspiracy.
Neither Sir Thomas More nor the Bishop of Rochester could expect that their
recent conduct would exempt them from an obligation which the people
generally accepted with good will. They had connected themselves, perhaps
unintentionally, with a body of confessed traitors. An opportunity was
offered them of giving evidence of their loyalty, and escaping from the
shadow of distrust. More had been treated leniently; Fisher had been
treated far more than leniently. It was both fair and natural that they
should be called upon to give proof that their lesson had not been learnt
in vain; and, in fact, no other persons, if they had been passed over,
could have been called upon to swear, for no other persons had laid
themselves open to so just suspicion.

Their conduct so exactly tallied, that they must have agreed beforehand on
the course which they would adopt; and in following the details, we need
concern ourselves only with the nobler figure.

The commissioners sate at the archbishop's palace at Lambeth; and at the
end of April, Sir Thomas More received a summons to appear before
them.[714] He was at his house at Chelsea, where for the last two years he
had lived in deep retirement, making ready for evil times. Those times at
length were come. On the morning on which he was to present himself, he
confessed and received the sacrament in Chelsea church; and "whereas," says
his great-grandson, "at other times, before he parted from his wife and
children, they used to bring him to his boat, and he there kissing them
bade them farewell, at this time he suffered none of them to follow him
forth of his gate, but pulled the wicket after him, and with a heavy heart
he took boat with his son Roper."[715] He was leaving his home for the last
time, and he knew it. He sat silent for some minutes, and then, with a
sudden start, said, "I thank our Lord, the field is won." Lambeth Palace
was crowded with people who had come on the same errand with himself. More
was called in early, and found Cromwell present with the four
commissioners, and also the Abbot of Westminster. The oath was read to him.
It implied that he should keep the statute