I pray God Almighty to be merciful to you, and I beg Him also in my own behalf that, as I proceed to the just defence of my reputation, He may suggest to me a true and modest oration, utterly free from all lying and obscenity,--that is, very unlike yours." On the point of the authorship of the _Regii Sanguinis Clamor_ Morus is emphatic enough.

He declares over and over again that _he_ was not the author, and he declares that Milton knew this perfectly well,--might have known it for two years, but had beyond all doubt known it before he had published the _Defensio Secunda_.

We shall bring together the passages that refer to this subject:-- I neither wrote it, nor ever pretended to have done so,--this I here solemnly declare, and make God my witness,--nor did I contribute anything to the writing of it....

The real author is alive and well, unknown to me by face, but very well known to several good men, on the strength of whose joint knowledge of the fact I challenge with righteous detestation the public lie which wriggles everywhere through your whole book....

Let the author answer for himself: I neither take up his quarrel, nor thrust my sickle into his corn....