VII. 's ministers, even brought false charges against his

subjects for the purpose of wringing money from them for the king. I
67: 15. pick a thank. Qet the thanks. Analogous to "pick a quarrel.' ' A pick-thank was a sycophant.
"Tales devis'd . . . By smiling pick-thanks and base newsmongers."
— Shakspere, 1 Henry IV., Ill, ii, 23.
67 : 17. wherewith to take the contrary party in a trip.
As a literal translation of More's Latin is, whereby a false accusation may be directed, probably " trip " here means offence. Cf.
"By this we gather You have tripp'd since."
— Shakspere, Winter's Tale, I, ii, 75. |
68 : 3. writhen. Twisted, distorted.
"Wrethen in fere so well and cunningly."
— The Flower and the Leaf, 57.
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NOTES
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68 : 7. Crassus. Marcus Lucinius Crassus, a Roman of great wealth, who was elected consul with Pompey in 70 B.C., and with him and Caesar made the First Trium- virate ten years later.
69 : 9. wealth. Welfare. " Some wise men also ween that his drift covertly conveyed lacked not in helping forth his brother Clarence to his death, which he resisted openly ; howbeit, somewhat, as men deemed, more faintly than he that were heartily minded to his wealth." — More, Richard III., 6.
69 : 11. to feed his sheep. Lupton refers (93) to Ezekiel, xxxiv, 2 : " Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? "
70 : 8. the hardy and courageous Fabrice. Sampson says (67), " More exactly ' the upright and high-minded Fabricius.' " Caius Fabricius, a Roman general and con- sul, was noted for his frugality and incorruptibility. Lupton points out (94), however, that the saying here attributed to him is ascribed by Valerius Maximus to