SirThomasMore, sonofSirJohnMore, a justiceoftheKing's Bench, wasbornin 1478, inMilkStreet, inthecityofLondon. AfterhisearliereducationatSt. Anthony's School, inThreadneedleStreet, hewasplaced, as a boy, inthehouseholdofCardinalJohnMorton, ArchbishopofCanterburyandLordChancellor. Itwasnotunusualforpersonsofwealthorinfluenceandsonsofgoodfamiliestobesoestablishedtogetherin a relationofpatronandclient. Theyouthworehispatron's livery, andaddedtohisstate. Thepatronused, afterwards, hiswealthorinfluenceinhelpinghisyoungclientforwardintheworld. CardinalMortonhadbeeninearlierdaysthatBishopofElywhomRichardIII. senttotheTower; wasbusyafterwardsinhostilitytoRichard; andwas a chiefadviserofHenryVII., whoin 1486 madehimArchbishopofCanterbury, andninemonthsafterwardsLordChancellor. CardinalMorton--oftalkatwhosetabletherearerecollectionsin "Utopia"- -delightedinthequickwitofyoungThomasMore. Heoncesaid, "Whoevershalllivetotryit, shallseethischildherewaitingattableprove a notableandrareman."
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Attheageofaboutnineteen, ThomasMorewassenttoCanterburyCollege, Oxford, byhispatron, wherehelearntGreekofthefirstmenwhobroughtGreekstudiesfromItalytoEngland--WilliamGrocynandThomasLinacre. Linacre, a physician, whoafterwardstookorders, wasalsothefounderoftheCollegeofPhysicians. In 1499, MoreleftOxfordtostudylawinLondon, atLincoln's Inn, andinthenextyearArchbishopMortondied.
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More's earnestcharactercausedhimwhilestudyinglawtoaimatthesubduingoftheflesh, bywearing a hairshirt, taking a logfor a pillow, andwhippinghimselfonFridays. Attheageoftwenty-oneheenteredParliament, andsoonafterhehadbeencalledtothebarhewasmadeUnder-SheriffofLondon. In 1503 heopposedintheHouseofCommonsHenryVII.'s proposalfor a subsidyonaccountofthemarriageportionofhisdaughterMargaret; andheopposedwithsomuchenergythattheHouserefusedtograntit. Onewentandtoldthekingthat a beardlessboyhaddisappointedallhisexpectations. Duringthelastyears, therefore, ofHenryVII. Morewasunderthedispleasureoftheking, andhadthoughtsofleavingthecountry.
Thenameofthebookhasgivenanadjectivetoourlanguage--wecallanimpracticableschemeUtopian. Yet, undertheveilof a playfulfiction, thetalkisintenselyearnest, andaboundsinpracticalsuggestion. Itistheworkof a scholarlyandwittyEnglishman, whoattacksinhisownwaythechiefpoliticalandsocialevilsofhistime. Beginningwithfact, MoretellshowhewassentintoFlanderswithCuthbertTunstal, "whomtheking's majestyoflate, tothegreatrejoicingofallmen, didprefertotheofficeofMasteroftheRolls;" howthecommissionersofCharlesmetthematBruges, andpresentlyreturnedtoBrusselsforinstructions; andhowMorethenwenttoAntwerp, wherehefound a pleasureinthesocietyofPeterGileswhichsoothedhisdesiretoseeagainhiswifeandchildren, fromwhomhehadbeenfourmonthsaway. ThenfactslidesintofictionwiththefindingofRaphaelHythloday (whosename, madeoftwoGreekwords [Greektext] and [Greektext], means "knowingintrifles"), a manwhohadbeenwithAmerigoVespucciinthethreelastofthevoyagestothenewworldlatelydiscovered, ofwhichtheaccounthadbeenfirstprintedin 1507, onlynineyearsbeforeUtopiawaswritten.
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Designedlyfantasticinsuggestionofdetails, "Utopia" istheworkof a scholarwhohadreadPlato's "Republic," andhadhisfancyquickenedafterreadingPlutarch's accountofSpartanlifeunderLycurgus. Beneaththeveilofanidealcommunism, intowhichtherehasbeenworkedsomewittyextravagance, therelies a nobleEnglishargument. SometimesMoreputsthecaseasofFrancewhenhemeansEngland. SometimesthereisironicalpraiseofthegoodfaithofChristiankings, savingthebookfromcensureas a politicalattackonthepolicyofHenryVIII. Erasmuswroteto a friendin 1517 thatheshouldsendforMore's "Utopia," ifhehadnotreadit, and "wishedtoseethetruesourceofallpoliticalevils." AndtoMoreErasmuswroteofhisbook, "A burgomasterofAntwerpissopleasedwithitthatheknowsitallbyheart."