¶I cannot tell (saith master Hall) whether I should call him a foolish wise man, or a wise foolish man, Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall. fol. CCxxvj. for vndoutedlie he beside his learning, had a great wit, but it was so mingled with taunting and mocking, that it seemed to them that best knew him, that hée thought nothing to be well spoken except he had mi|nistred some mocke in the communication. Inso|much as at his comming to the Tower, one of the officers demanded his vpper garment for his fee, meaning his gowne: and he answered, he should haue it, and tooke him his cap, saieng it was the vp|permost garment that he had. Likewise euen going to his death at the Tower gate, a poore woman cal|led vnto him, and be sought him to declare what he had doone with euidences of hirs in the time that he was in office (which after he was apprehended shée could not come by) and that he would intreat shée might haue them againe, or else she was vndoone.Sir Thomas Moore a scof|fer & mocker at the verie houre of his death. He answered, good woman, haue patience a little while, for the king is so good vnto me, that euen with|in this halfe houre he will discharge me of all busi|nesse, and helpe thée himselfe.
Also when he went vp the staiers on the scaffold, he desired one of the shirifes officers to giue him his hand to helpe him vp, and said; When I come downe againe, let me shift for my selfe as well as I can. Also the hangman knéeled downe to him, asking him forgiuenesse of his death (as the maner is) to whome he said, I forgiue thée, but I promise thee thou shalt neuer haue honestie by striking off my head, my necke is so short. Also euen when he should laie downe his head on the blocke, he hauing a great graie beard, stroked out his beard, and said to the hangman, I praie you let me laie my beard ouer the blocke, least you should cut it. Thus with a mocke he ended his life.
God had in most bountifull sort powred his bles|sings vpon this man, induing him with eloquence, wisedome and knowledge: but the grace of God withdrawne from him, he had the right vse of none, no not of reason as it should be rightlie vsed. God had extraordinarilie blessed his children, and namelie his thrée daughters, to whome he had giuen an admirable dexteritie in the science of toongs and arts, as Iohn Leland our reuerend antiquarie noteth in a proper and learned epigramme, saieng:
Desine facundas nimiùm laudare disertiNatas Hortensi maxima Roma tui [...] I. Lelandi M [...]ri|ades, siue Ch [...]i|taea coronaCandida tres Charites nam Mori cura politiObscurant multis nomina vestra modisNon illis studium Milesia vellera dextraCarpere, non facili ducere fila manu [...]Sed iuuat eloquij crebro monumenta LatiniVersare, & doctis pingere verba notis,Nec minùs authores Graecos euoluere HomerumEt quem dicendi gloria prima manetVt nec Aristotelis dicam quo pectore libr [...]Scrutentur, sophiae mystica dona deae.Turpe viris posthac erit ignorare MineruaeArtes, gre [...] adeò quas muli [...]bris amet.