Utopia by Sir Thomas More of the Renaissance
             During most of the 1600s, Europe was dominated by three major ruling families. They were the Tudors, the Hasburgs, and Bourbons. The Hasburgs ruled over Spain, Portugal, the majority of Italy, the southern Netherlands, and the immense empire in South America. The Bourbons ruled over France and the Tudors over England. Europe of the 1600s was harshly divided between Catholic and Protestant. The big wars of the later part of the sixteenth century were religious wars. All of Europe, at one time or another was affected by the Renaissance. Art, literature, music and entertainment were all parts of life that were changed by the Renaissance. One important writer of this time was Sir Thomas More (Holmes 248).
             Thomas More was born in Milk Street, London, on February 7, 1478. His father was Sir John More and was a prominent judge in the town. He went to school at Saint Anthony's School which was located in London. When he was young, he acted as a page in the Archbishop Morton's home. Archbishop Morton said that Thomas More would be a "marvelous man". Thomas went on to study at Oxford University and while he was there he wrote comedies and studied Greek and Latin literature. In 1494, More returned to London and was accepted to Lincoln's Inn in 1496 and he became a barrister by 1501. In 1504, Thomas More entered Parliament in England. He served his country and also served the Church throughout his life and was regarded by many as a very good person. In 1534, Thomas refused to swear to the Act of Succession, and the Oath of Supremacy, and was sent to the Tower of London on April 17. More was found guilty of treason and he was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His final words on the scaffold were: "The King's good servant, but God's First." More was beatified in 1886 and then was canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935. One of
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