THE DEVOTED DAUGHTER. prevalence of the extraordinary malady called the sweating sickness, which commenced in 1483, and re-appeared at intervals five times till 1528, Mar- garet was seized with this disorder, and her life was despaired of. The anguish of her father was almost beyond -bounds : he abandoned himself to the most violent grief, and retreating to his private chapel, he threw himself upon his knees in supplication to Heaven to spare his child. She recovered ; and he declared upon her restoration to health that had the disorder proved fatal, it was his deter- mination to have resigned all business, and for ever to have abjured the world. Shortly after, in the same year, she gave her hand to William Roper, of Well-Hall, Eltham, Kent, who had been a fellow student and a valued friend. He had all the most desirable qualities that could be wished for, being sincerely religious, well -informed, charitable, clever, and possessing the utmost sweetness of tem- per. In conjunction with him, she still prosecuted her studies, and applied to the attainment of philo- sophy and theology, the latter subject having been especially recommended to them by her father. Her two sisters were almost immediately married -Elizabeth to a gentleman namedDancy, Cecilia to one . named Giles Herond ; Margaret Gigs was wedded to her learned tutor, Dr. Clement ; while John More, at the age of nineteen, married a pretty young heiress, Anne Crisacre, who was but fifteen. A large family circle was now gathered round Sir 13
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