scholar rather hard to digest. However, throughout his life he
always made the best of things, and if he ever went to bed hungry, well,
nobody but himself was any the wiser. Law was the study his father
wished him specially to follow, but he was eager too to learn Greek,
which had lately been introduced into the University, and to improve his
Latin style. He also wrote verses, as was beginning to be the fashion
with young men, and worked out problems in arithmetic and geometry,
while, after his regular work was done, he would carry a French or Latin
chronicle to his small window, and pore over the history of bygone
times. In his spare moments he would play some old music on the flute or
practise on the viol.

* * * * *

After two years, when, according to his son-in-law Roper, 'he was both
in the Greek and Latin tongues sufficiently instructed, he was then, for
the study of the law of the realm, put to an Inn of Chancery, called New
Inn, where for his time he prospered very well, and from thence was
admitted to Lincoln's Inn, with very small allowance, continuing there
his study until he was made and accounted a worthy barrister.' Like the
other youths of his own age--Thomas was eighteen when he was admitted to
Lincoln's Inn--he attended classes where law was taught by professors,
or 'readers,' and took part in the proceedings of mock trials, old
French being the language used. When the trial was over, the reader and
other teachers gave their opinions as to the way in which the scholars
had pleaded, and pointed out the mistakes they had made. We may be sure
that young More delighted in this 'exercise,' and he evidently excelled
in it, for he was soon given a 'readership' himself.

* * * * *

It was during the year following his admission to Lincoln's Inn that
More met for the first time his lifelong friend, the celebrated Erasmus.
Erasmus, the most learned and witty man of his time, came over from
Holland to stay with his former pupil, lord Mountjoy, in his country
house, and while there the young lawyer was invited also to pay a visit
and to make acquaintance with the famous scholar. In spite of the ten
years difference in their ages--More was then twenty-one and Erasmus
ten years older--they took pleasure in almost exactly the same things,
and in their walks through the woods and about the neighbouring villages
would discuss merrily, in Latin of course,