| − | '''Sir Thomas More''' (1478 - 1535) was an English lawyer, author, politician, statesman and leading [[Christian]] scholar and [[martyr]]. Whilst still very young, he wrote comedies; one of his first works was a translation of a Latin biography of [[Giovanni Pico della Mirandola]]. In 1516 he wrote his most famous work, ''Utopia''. In April, 1534, More refused to swear to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy, and was committed to the Tower of London on April 17. More was found guilty of treason and was beheaded alongside Bishop Fisher on July 6, 1535.<ref>http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/morebio.htm</ref> His last words on scaffold before being executed were:<ref>As quoted in a Paris newsletter date August 4, 1535, "qu'il mouroit son bon serviteur et de Dieu premierement." (that he died his good servant and of God first)</ref> | + | '''Sir Thomas More''' (1478 - 1535) was an English lawyer, author, politician, statesman and leading [[Christian]] scholar and [[martyr]]. Whilst still very young, he wrote comedies; one of his first works was a translation of a Latin biography of [[Giovanni Pico della Mirandola]]. In 1516 he wrote his most famous work, ''Utopia''. In April, 1534, More refused to swear to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy, and was committed to the Tower of London on April 17. More was found guilty of treason, only by corrupting the [[rule of law]] concerning whether consent should be inferred from silence, and was beheaded alongside Bishop Fisher on July 6, 1535.<ref>http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/morebio.htm</ref> His last words on scaffold before being executed were:<ref>As quoted in a Paris newsletter date August 4, 1535, "qu'il mouroit son bon serviteur et de Dieu premierement." (that he died his good servant and of God first)</ref> |
| | {{cquote|<br>I die the King's good servant, but [[God]]'s first.}} | | {{cquote|<br>I die the King's good servant, but [[God]]'s first.}} |
| | More was known for his sharp wit, even in the face of adversity, imprisonment, and execution by the King of England, as in:{{cquote|It profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world ... but for [[Wales]], Richard? — Sir Thomas More, in ''A Man For All Seasons''<ref>by Richard Bolt [https://testeverythingblog.com/but-for-wales-40bd21222aee]</ref>}} | | More was known for his sharp wit, even in the face of adversity, imprisonment, and execution by the King of England, as in:{{cquote|It profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world ... but for [[Wales]], Richard? — Sir Thomas More, in ''A Man For All Seasons''<ref>by Richard Bolt [https://testeverythingblog.com/but-for-wales-40bd21222aee]</ref>}} |