PRESENTS TO JUDGES. CCV 



More, when the custom seems to have been waning, pre 

 sents were, without any offence, offered to that righteous 

 man; (6) and it is mentioned by the biographer of Sir 



Cancellarium fore benevolum et benefacientera materiis dicti Domini Hen- 

 rici in curiis Domini regis pendentibus pretium viu. 



&quot; Declarant etiam executores predict! quod ipsi dederant Domini Archi. 

 Cantuarige Cancellario Anglise, J. saultauri ad similitudinem Cervi jacentis 

 facti, quod erat dicti domini nuper comitis, appretiatum ad 40. 16s. Qd. 

 ad intentionem ut ipse Dom. Archi. et Cane, suum bonum Dominum et 

 auxilium dictis executoribus favorabiliter ostenderet et faceret in certis ma 

 teriis que versus eosdem executores ad grave prcjudicium et impedimentum 

 debite executionis testament! et ultime voluntatis dicti Domini nuper 

 comitis subtiliter movebantur ; ad valentiam sicut predicitur.&quot; 



This paper is called, Declaracio Thomas Huggeford, Nicoli Rody et 

 Willi. Berks wel presbyter. These were executors and feoffees of Richard 

 Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and this declaration was made in the 21st 

 year of Henry the Sixth, to account for certain plate, jewels, and so forth, 

 which had come into their hands as his executors. Copied by me from 

 some work, which I cannot, at present, find. B. M. 



(b} His integrity in his office was sufficiently proved by the reduced state 

 of his circumstances when he resigned the seals ; but there are two or three 

 anecdotes which will serve to illustrate this part of his character. 



After his fall, the Earl of Wiltshire, the father of Anne Boleyne, preferred 

 a complaint against him to the council, for having taken a bribe from one 

 Vaughan. Sir Thomas confessed that he had received the cup from the 

 hands of Vaughan s wife, but immediately ordering the butler to fill it with 

 wine, he drank to her, and when she had pledged him, says he, &quot; as freely 

 as your husband hath given this cup to me, even so freely give I the same 

 to you again, to give your husband for his new year s gift.&quot; 



At another time one Gresham having a cause depending in Chancery, 

 sent Sir Thomas a fair gilt cup, the fashion of which pleased him so well, 

 that he caused one of his own, of more value to be delivered to the mes 

 senger for his master, nor would he receive it on any other condition. 



Being presented by a lady with a pair of gloves, and forty pounds in 

 angels in them, he said to her, &quot; Mistress, since it were against good man 

 ners to refuse your new year s gift, I am content to take your gloves, but as 

 for the lining, I utterly refuse it.&quot; 



The following anecdote of More is given by Lord Bacon in his Essays : 

 A person who had a suit in Chancery sent him two silver flagons, not 

 doubting of the agreeableness of the present. On receiving them, More 

 called one of his servants, and told him to fill those two vessels with the 



