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Renaissance portrait of Sir Thomas More seated in dark robes trimmed with fur, wearing a gold chain of office and black cap against a green draped background.
historyextra.com
King Henry VIII and Thomas More shared a complex and eventually deadly relationship. More served as the Lord Chancellor and was the king’s most trusted advisor from 1529 to 1532. While More was responsible for the administration of justice in England, he also performed a less dignified duty for the monarch. He wrote responses filled with profanity to defend the king against his critics. More was known for his excellent rhetorical skills, but he was not afraid to use swear words or crude references to feces. He used these tools to protect Henry VIII’s honor.
Dr. Joanne Paul, a historian who specializes in Tudor and Renaissance history, has spoken about this side of More. She noted that More could be quite scatological, meaning his insults often involved waste or bodily functions. Paul explained that More knew exactly when to hold back and when to unleash these harsh words. This skill was particularly important during his defense of the king against Martin Luther, a German priest who became a key figure in the Protestant Reformation.
The conflict began in 1520 when Martin Luther published three works. In these texts, Luther criticized the Catholic Church and proposed new religious doctrines. He argued that there should only be two sacraments, rather than the seven recognized by the Catholic Church. Henry VIII was a very pious man at this time and remained loyal to the Pope. Consequently, the king published his own work, titled Defence of the Seven Sacraments, likely with significant help from More. This book defended the traditional seven sacraments against Luther’s teachings.
In 1523, Luther responded to Henry VIII’s book with a furious attack. He called the king a “pig, dolt, and liar.” Luther also used extremely violent language. He suggested that the king should have his tongue and his hand cut off. He even said the king should be burned at the stake. Dr. Paul noted that Luther’s language was very aggressive and uncouth. However, as a monarch, Henry VIII could not reply in such a crude manner. The king had to maintain a sense of royal dignity.