Utopia

Sir Thomas More, son of Sir John More, a justice of the King’s Bench, was born in 1478, in Milk Street, in the city of London. After his earlier education at St. Anthony’s School, in Threadneedle Street, he was placed, as a boy, in the household of Cardinal John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor. It was not unusual for persons of wealth or influence and sons of good families to be so established together in a relation of patron and client. The youth wore his patron’s livery, and added to his state. The patron used, afterwards, his wealth or in-fluence in helping his young client forward in the world. Cardinal Morton had been in earlier days that Bishop of Ely whom Richard 3. sent to the Tower; was busy after-wards in hostility to Richard; and was a chief adviser of Henry 7. who in 1486 made him Archbishop of Can-terbury, and nine months afterwards Lord Chancellor. Cardinal Mor­ton of talk at whose table there are recol-lections in “Uto­pia”delighted in the quick wit of young Thomas More. He once said, “Whoever shall live to try it, shall see this child here waiting at table prove a notable and rare man.”