"Ahead of His Time:
An Essay on the Life and Work of Thomas More" by Anatoly Varshavsky, Summary Automatic translate

This academic essay describes the life of the English Renaissance humanist. Created in 1967, it offers a detailed historical reconstruction of the statesman’s political development amidst the intrigues of the royal court.

The Chancellor’s resignation

The events begin in 1532, the twenty-third year of Henry VIII Tudor’s reign. Thomas More voluntarily resigns as Lord Chancellor. His wife is outraged by his loss of status. She reproaches her husband for his reluctance to govern and predicts financial hardship for the family. The family’s income drops to one hundred pounds sterling per year. The hero reacts to these changes with irony. He reassures his wife with jokes and plans to go fishing in the Thames.

The young humanist’s early years were full of memorable events. At the age of twenty, the student met Erasmus of Rotterdam at a dinner party. During a philosophical discussion, Erasmus exclaims, "You can only be More!" The young man replies, "But you, of course, are either Erasmus or the devil himself." The friends travel to Eltham Palace, where they meet nine-year-old Prince Henry. Erasmus writes a laudatory poem to the royal family. In his letters, the Dutch thinker extols the culture and climate of England, and the intellect of his comrade.

Historical context

The kingdom is ruled by Henry VII Tudor. The ruler won the crown at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses. To consolidate his power, he marries the Yorkist heiress, Elizabeth. The monarch displays remarkable cunning. He prefers to impose tribute on rebels rather than execute them. He amasses vast wealth through high taxes.

At this time, the world is rapidly changing. Blast furnaces and new machine tools are emerging in industry. Bartolomeu Dias circumnavigates Africa, Vasco da Gama reaches India, and Christopher Columbus blazes a western route to new continents. The flow of gold impacts the European economy. The English king seeks allies. He arranges a marriage for his son Arthur to the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. The young prince dies a few months later. The alliance between England and Spain is threatened. After the death of Henry VII, his youngest son ascends the throne. The ruler declares an amnesty and imprisons the tax collectors Empson and Dudley.

Early years and education

The future thinker was born in London to a judge. His date of birth is estimated between 1477 and 1478. He attended St. Anthony’s School on Threadneedle Street. His teacher, Nicholas Holt, instilled in his students a love of nature and clear expression.

His father arranged for the teenager to work as a page at Lambeth Palace with Lord Chancellor John Morton. In the wealthy household, the young man waited at table and listened to heated discussions on religion and politics. Morton predicted a bright future for the talented page. In 1492, the young man went to Oxford. There, he secretly read classical authors at night. The student studied Greek, a language many clergy called "the door to heresy."

His father demands that he abandon philosophy and pursue law. Under threat of losing his financial support, the young man transfers to law school. He submits to his father’s will. The young man writes satires about the lust for power.

Parliamentary struggle

By 1501, the young lawyer had gained renown. In 1504, he became a member of the House of Commons. Henry VII demanded a huge sum from Parliament — three-fifteenths of the tax. The official pretext was his daughter Margaret’s dowry and the expenses of knighting the late Prince Arthur. The Speaker of the House hoped for quiet compliance. However, the young MP delivered a bold speech, demonstrating the illegality of the extortion. Parliament reduced the sum to thirty thousand pounds.

The king is furious. Due to parliamentary immunity, the monarch takes revenge on the father of the rebellious lawyer. The judge is sent to the Tower and released only after paying a large fine. The young politician lives in anticipation of arrest until the death of the ruler in 1509.

Humanitarian ideas and everyday life

Under the new ruler, the atmosphere temporarily softens. Erasmus of Rotterdam stays at the lawyer’s house. In one week, he writes the satire "In Praise of Folly" and dedicates it to his hospitable host.

In 1510, the lawyer became the deputy sheriff of London, handling civil cases. The townspeople valued his integrity. After the death of his first wife, he married the widow Alice. An atmosphere of enlightenment permeated the household. The daughters studied Latin and ancient Greek. The family kept numerous pets: monkeys, foxes, exotic fish, and two parrots.

Outside the house, a social crisis is growing. Landowners are fencing off sheep pastures, depriving peasants of their plots. Wool becomes the nobility’s main source of wealth. The roads are filled with homeless people. A ballad about the fairytale land of Cockaigne, where rivers of milk flow, is sung. The peasants dream of equality and satiety.

Creation of the treatise

In the summer of 1515, London merchants sent a respected lawyer to Flanders to restore trade relations. Negotiations dragged on. In his free time, the ambassador met Peter Aegidius of Antwerp. During the long evenings, the diplomat wrote a treatise on a just government.

The book was published in Louvain, Belgium, in 1516. The text is structured as a conversation with the seasoned sailor Raphael Hythloday. The fictional Portuguese sailor traveled with Amerigo Vespucci and visited distant islands. The character delivers a speech against English customs, declaring that meek sheep have begun to devour men. Hythloday criticizes the cruel executions of thieves, the idleness of priests, and the greed of kings. The sailor identifies private property as the root of evil. The author inserts cautious retorts, pointing out that without personal gain, people will stop working.

At the pinnacle of power

Cardinal Wolsey tries to force the independent politician into government service. Conflicts erupt between them. Wolsey angrily calls his advisor a reckless fool. The politician replies, "Thank God the king has only one fool in his council." He declines an offer to serve as ambassador to Spain, citing the poor climate.

Henry VIII displays a false disposition. The ruler strolls with a thinker through the Chelsea gardens. The courtier soberly assesses the situation. He tells his son-in-law Roper that the monarch would easily sacrifice his head for a single French castle.

In 1529, the diplomat negotiated a favorable peace at Cambrai. Cardinal Wolsey’s influence declined. The king appointed Thomas More as Lord Chancellor. The new head of the judiciary compared his position to the sword of Damocles.

The Chancellor’s honesty is legendary. One day, Lady Alice bought someone else’s dog. The real owner filed a complaint. The judge placed the women at opposite ends of the room and ordered the dog to be called. The animal ran to its former owner. The Chancellor acknowledged the poor woman’s innocence and ordered his wife to buy the pet back for triple its value.

Conflict with the Crown

In 1521, Anne Boleyn appeared at court. Henry VIII decided to divorce Catherine of Aragon. The alliance with Spain was losing its value due to the growing power of Charles V’s empire. Pope Clement VII refused to grant the divorce, fearing the wrath of the Spanish emperor.

The royal secretary, Thomas Cromwell, proposes a radical solution. England must sever ties with Rome. The monarch will become the spiritual head of the country, seizing church revenues and monastic lands.

Opponents of the new order are trying to destroy the former chancellor. Rumors of bribery are spread. Investigators ask about money and gloves from a petitioner. The accused admits to having taken the gloves out of politeness but returns the money. He is accused of receiving a golden cup. The former official claims to have given a goblet of greater value in return. He filled another vessel with wine, drank to the health of the giver, and immediately returned the gift. The court finds him not guilty.

Cromwell is looking for new pretexts. In Canterbury, the clairvoyant Elizabeth Burton predicts the king’s imminent death if he divorces. A secretary accuses the former chancellor of a secret affair with a rebellious nun. Cromwell also brings a forged book criticizing the monarch’s actions, written in the style of the disgraced politician.

The defendant refutes the false accusations. He admits to speaking with a clairvoyant but believed her to be mentally ill. Archbishop Cranmer persuades the governor not to push the matter to the point of absurdity and to close the trial against the author of the social treatise.