這樣的父親，這樣的女兒－Thomas More 和他的女兒瑪格麗特

Edward Matthew Ward (1816–1879) Sir Thomas More's Farewell to his Daughter




托馬斯•莫爾 （St. Thomas More又作Sir Thomas More ， 1478年 2月7日 — 1535年 7月6日 ）是英國的空想社會主義者 ，聖人也是《 烏托邦 》一書的作者。1478年， 莫爾生於倫敦的一個法學家庭，畢業於牛津大學 ，曾當過律師 、國會議員、財政副大臣、國會下院議長、大法官。1535年因反對亨利八世兼任教會首腦而被處死。1935年，在他逝世四百年後，被羅馬天主教會的教皇Pius XI冊封為聖人，在1980年與主教費舍爾一起被John Paul II尊為守護上帝的殉道者。7月6日，他殉難的日子將被所有天主教徒所銘記。在英國曆史上最偉大100個名人中評選中名列第37位。

The daughter of Thomas More saving his head after his execution.

[感想] 自己很為Thomas More的正直大義感動; 也為他女兒Thomas Magaret 知書達理勇敢而感動，

Thomas More為英國國王亨利八世的大法官和好友，為了捍衛自己的信仰無懼被砍頭，當時Thomas More 要被國王砍頭， 多少親友背他而去，連他的妻子都不理解， 隻有他的女兒Magaret理解他的父親， 最後也是Magaret去Tower of London收拾他父親被砍的頭，並把他父親的頭發保留至今。這也得益於THomas More平日對他兒女（一個兒子三個女兒）一視同仁給與很好的教育，拉丁，詩歌，音樂，數學，幾何，天文．．．在那個年代他女兒可能是全英國學識最高的女性。  

有其父也必有其女，父親與女兒之間有一種特別的愛和特別的傳承

　每個民族都有／都需要那麽些硬骨頭，就像樹林中，有些樹就是特別樹幹粗壯筆直，他們是樹林中的驕傲，也像自然界中有些花兒就是與有眾不同的嬌豔，　很難想象樹林中都是些七歪八倒的樹，那還是樹林？蒼白無力的花兒還是花？

這麽美麗的故事成為畫家文學家的靈感源泉，卻為什麽沒有寫成歌劇呢？

下麵是Thomas More 在被砍頭的前夜給他的愛女寫的信



Sir Thomas More's Last Letter 

Sir Thomas More's last letter, on "such little pieces of paper as he could obtain by stealth, on which he wrote with a coal," was written from prison on the day before his execution for treason. It was to his daughter Margaret, and shows Thomas More's great love for his family. It is also apparent from this letter that More was completely at peace with his impending death, and longed to "go to God" on the following day.

Monday, July 5th, 1535.—

MY GOOD DAUGHTER:
Our Lord bless you, good daughter, and your good husband, and your little boy, and all yours, and all my children, and all my god-children and all our friends. Recommend me when ye may to my good daughter Cecily, whom I beseech Our Lord to comfort; and I send her my blessing and to all her children, and pray her to pray for me. I send her a handkercher, and God comfort my good son, her husband. My good daughter Daunce hath the picture in parchment that you delivered me from my Lady Coniers, her name on the back. Show her that I heartily pray her that you may send it in my name to her again, for a token from me to pray for me.

I like special well Dorothy Colly. I pray you be good unto her. I would wot whether this be she that you wrote me of. If not, yet I pray you be good to the other as you may in her affliction, and to my good daughter Jane Aleyn too. Give her, I pray you, some kind answer, for she sued hitherto me this day to pray you be good to her.

I cumber you, good Margaret, much, but I would be sorry if it should be any longer than to-morrow, for it is St. Thomas's even, and the utas of St. Peter; and therefore, to-morrow long I to go to God. It were a day very meet and convenient for me.

I never liked your manner towards me better than when you kissed me last; for I love when daughterly love and dear charity hath no leisure to look to worldly courtesy. Farewell, my dear child, and pray for me, and I shall for you and all your friends, that we may merrily meet in heaven. I thank you for your great cost. I send now my good daughter Clement her algorism stone, and I send her and my godson and all hers God's blessing and mine. I pray you at time convenient recommend me to my good son John More. I liked well his natural fashion. Our Lord bless him and his good wife, my loving daughter, to whom I pray him to be good, as he hath great cause; and that, if the land of mine come to his hands, he break not my will concerning his sister Daunce. And the Lord bless Thomas and Austin, and all that they shall have.

 William Frederick Yeames(1835 – 1918): The Meeting Of Sir Thomas More With His Daughter After His Sentence Of Death

Thomas More's family　－by Hans Holbein
National Portrait gallery