for fear of tiring you. Written by remain yours, FOR H. Rex. LET. VI. the hand of him who would willingly THE reasonable request of your laft letter, with the pleafure I alfo take to know them, caufes me to fend you now this news. The legat, now we most defire, arrived at Paris on Sunday or Monday laft paft; fo that I truft by the next Monday to hear of his arrival at Calais: And then I truft, within a while after, to enjoy that which I have fo long longed for, to God's pleasure and our both comforts. No more to you at this prefent, mine awne darling, for lake of time, but that I would you were in myne arms or I in yours; for I think it long fince I kyft you. Written after the killing of an hart, at XI of the clock; minding with God's grace tomorrow, mightily tymely to kill another by the hand of him, which I truft fhortly fhall be yours, LE T. VII. Henry R. LE T. V. OR a prefent fo valuable that nothing could be more (confidering the whole of it) I return you my moft hearty thanks, not only on account of the costly diamond, and the fhip in which the folitary damfel is toffed about; but chiefly for the fine interpretation and too humble fubmiffion which your goodness hath made to me. For I think it would be very difficult for me to find an occafion to deferve it, if I was not affifted by your great humanity and favour, which I have fought, do feek, and will always feek to preferve by all the fervices in my power; and this is my firm intention and hope, according to the motto, Aut illic aut nullibi (either here or no where.) The demonftrations of your affection are fuch, the fine thoughts of DARLING, though I have skant leafure, yet remembring my proyour letter fo cordially expreffed, that mife, I thought it convenient to certithey oblige me for ever to honour, fie you breevly in what cafe our aflove, and ferve you fincerely, befeech- faires ftand. As touching a lodging ing you to continue in the fame firm for you, we have gotten wone by my and conftant purpofe; and affuring Lord Cardinal's means, the like whereyou, that I will not only make you a of could not have been found hereafuitable return, but out-do you in loy- bouts for all caufes, as this bearer alty of heart if it be poffible. I defire fhall more fhew you. As touching you alfo,that if at any time before this I our other affairs, I enfure you there have in any fort offended you, you would can be no more done, or more diligive me the fame abfolution which you gence ufed, nor all manner of dangers afk, affuring you, that hereafter my better both forefeen and provided for, heart shall be dedicated to you alone, fo that I truft it shall be hereafter to I with my body was fo too, God can both our comforts, the fpeciallities do it if he pleafes; to whom I pray whereof were both to long to be writonce a-day for that end, hoping that at length my prayers will be heard. I ne, and hardly by meffenger to be declared. Wherefor till you repaire with the time may be short, but I fhall hydder, I keep fomething in ftore, think it long till we shall fee one another. Written by the hand of the trufting it fhall not be long to. For I have caufed my Lord your father to fecretary, who in heart, body, and make this provifions with speed. And will, is thus, for lake of tyme, darling, I make an end of my letter, writeing with the hand of him which I would were yours, H. R. LET. Your loyal aud most affured Servant. H. no other (AB) feeks Rex. LET. VIII. Original. this world, that is, my miftrefs cured; however, in default of him, I fend you Time (good sweetheart) is wonly the fecond and the only one left, pray to understand off your good health and profperity, whereof to know I would be as glad as in manner myne awne, praying God, that and it be his pleafure to fend us fhortly togydder, for promife you I long for it, howbeit, truft it shall not be long to; and feeing my darling is abfent, I can no lefs do than to fend her fome flesh reprefenting my name, which is harts flefhe for Henry, prognofticating, that hereafter God willing you must enjoy fome of mine, which if he pleafed I wolde were now. As touching your filters matter, I have caufed Walter Welche to write to my Lord mine mind therein, whereby I truft that Eve fhall not have power to deceave Adam. For farely, whatsoever is faid, it cannot fo ftand with his honour, but that he must needs take her his natural daughter now in her extreame neceflity. No more to you at this time, mine own darling, but that with a wifhe I would we were togydder one evening with the hand of your, TH H. R. LE T. IX. HERE came to me in the night the most afflicting news poffible. For I have reafon to grieve upon three accounts. First, Because I heard of the fickness of my mitrefs, whom I efteem more than all the world, whofe health I defire as much as my own, and the half of whofe fickness I would willingly bear to have her cured. Se condly, Because I fear I fhall fuffer yet longer that tedious abfence which has hitherto given me all poffible uneafinefs, and as far as I can judge, is like to give me more. I pray God he would deliver me from fo troublesome a tormentor. The third reafon is, because the phyfician in whom I truft moft is abfent at prefent, when he could do me the greatest pleasure. For I fhould hope by him and his means, to obtain one of my principal joys in . VOL. X. No. 59. ing God that he may foon make you well, and then I fhall love him more than ever. I beseech you to be governed by his advices with relation to your illaefs; by your doing which I hope fhortly to fee you again, which will be to me a greater cordial than all the precious ftones in the world. Written by the fecretary who is, and always will be, Your loyal and most affured Servant. LET. X. Original. laft letters myne awne Darling, Walter Welche, Mafter Brown, Johr. Care, Yrion of Brearton, John Cocke the pothecary, be fallen of the fwett in this houfe, and thankyed be God all well recovered, fo that as yet the pleague is not fully ceafed here, but I truft shortly it shall by the mercy of God; the rest of us yet be well, and I truft fhall paffe it, either not to have it, or at the leaft as eafily as the reft have don. As touching the matter of Wylton, my Lord Cardinal hath had the nunys before him, and examined them, Matter Bell being prefent, which hath certified me that for a truth, that the hath confeffed her felt (which we would have had Abbeffe) to have had two children by two fundry priests; and furder, fince hath been keeped by a fervant of the Lord Broke, that was, and that not long ago. Wherefor I would not for all the gold in the word clog your confcience nor mine to make her ruler of a boufe which is of fo ungodly demeanour; nor I truft you would not that neither for brother nor fifter I fhould fo deftain mine honour or confcience: And as touching the pryoreffe, or Dame Elleners eldell fitter, though there is not any evident cafe proved against them, and that the pryoreffe is fo old, that of many years fhe have him. H. R. she could not be as he was named; as much to be yours, as you do to yet notwith tanding to do you pleafure, I have don that neither of them shall have it, but that fome other good LE T. XII. Original. and well difpofed woman fall have it: DARLING, I heartily recom Whereby the house shall be the bet- De votre feul H. R. LET. XI. Original. ARLING, thefe fhall be only to advertise you, that this bearer and his fellow be difpatched with as many things to compaffe our matter, and to bring it to paffe as our wits could imagine or devife, which brought to paffe, as I truft by their diligence it shall be, fhortly you and I thall have our defired end, which fhould be more to my hearts cafe, and more quietneffe to my minde, than any other thing in this world, as with Gods grace thortly I truft fhall be proved, but not fo foon as I would it were, yet I will affure you there fhall be no time loft that may be wone, and further cannot be done, for ultra pfe non eft effe: Keep him not too long with you, but defire him for your fake to make the more speed, for the fooner we fhall have word from him, the fooner fhall our matter come to paffe; and thus, upon truft of your fhort repair to London, I make an end of my letter, mine awne fweetheart. Writne with the hand of him which defyreth that mend me to you, afcertaining you, that I am not a little perplexed with fuch things as your brother shall on my part declare unto you, to whom I pray you give full credence, for it were too long to write. In my last letters I writ to you that I trufted shortly to fea you, which is better known at London than with any is about me, whereof I not a little mervelle, but lake of defcreet handling muft needs be the caufe thereof. No more to you at this tyme, but that I trust fhortly, our meeting fhall not depend upon other mens light handlings but upon your awne. Writne with the hand of him that longeth to be yours. H. R. LE T. XIII. Original. M be to advertife you of the great ellingness that I find here fince your departing, for I affure you, methinketh the tyme longer fince your departing now laft then I was wont to do a whole fortnight; I think your kindnefs and my fervence of love caufeth it, for otherwife I would not thought it poffible, that for fo little a while it fhould have grieved me, but now that I am comeing towards you, methinketh my pains been half released, and alfo I am right weil comforted, infomuch that my book maketh fubftantially for my matter, in writing whereof I have. fpeat above 1111 hours this day, which caufed me now to write the fhorter letter to you at this tyme, becaufe of fame payne in my head, wishing myfelf (fpecially an evening) in my fweethearts armes whofe pritty duckys I truft fhortly to kiffe. Writ ne with the hand of him that was, is, and fhall be yours by his will, H. R. LET. LET. XIV. Original. O informe you what joye it is to me to understand of your conformableness with reafone, and of the fupprefling of your inutile and vain thoughts and fantafies with the bridle of reafone, I affure you all the good of this world could not counterpoife for my fatisfaction the knowledge and certainty thereof; wherefore, good fweetheart, continue the fame not only in this, but in all your doings hereafter, for thereby fhall come both to you and me the greateft quietnelle that may be in this world. The caufe why this bearer stayeth fo long, is the bufinefs that I have had to diffe up geer for you, which I truft ere long to fee you occupye, and then I truft to occupye yours, which fhall be recompence enough to me for all my pains and labours. The unfayned ficknefs of this well-williag legate doth fomewhat retard his acceffe to your perfon, but I traft veryly, when God fhall fend him health, he will with diligence recompence his demurre, for I know well where he hath faid (lamenting the faying, and brate (noyfe) that he fall be thought imperial) that it fhal! be well known in this matter, that he is not imperial. And this for lake of tyme farewell. Writne with the hand which faine would be yours, and fo is the heart. APPENDIX. H. R. nue, as I am moft bound to pray; for I do know the great pains and troubles that you have taken for me, both day and night, is never like to be recompenced on my part, but alonely in loving you, next unto the King's Grace, above all creatures living. And 1 do not doubt, but the daily proofs of my deeds fhall manifeftly declare and affirm my writing to be true, and I do truft you do think the fame. My Lord, I do affure you, I do long to hear from you news of the legate; for I do hope, and they come from you they fhall be very good, and I am fure you defire it as much as I, and more, and it were poffible, as I know it is not: And thus, remaining in a ftedfaft hope, I make an end of my letter, written with the hand of her that is most bound to be, Poffeript by King Henry. THE writer of this letter would not ceafe till fhe had caufed me likewife to fet my hand; defiring you, though it be fhort, to take it in good part. I enfure you there is neither of us but that greatly defireth to fee you, and much more joyous to hear that you have feaped the plague fo well, truiting the fury thereof to be paled, fpecially with them that keepeth good diet, as I truft you do. The not hearing of the legate's arrival in France caufeth us fomewhat to mufe; notwithstanding, we trust by your diligence and vigilancy (with the afiiitance of Almighty God) fhortly to be Two Letters from Anne Boylen, to eafed out of that trouble. No more to / Cardinal Wolley. LET. I. MY Lord, in my most humblest Μ wife that my heart can think, I defire you to pardon me that I am fo bold, to trouble you with my fimple and rude writing, efteeming it to proceed from her, that is much defirous to know that your Grace does well, as I perceive by this bearer that you do. The which I pray God long to conti you at this time; but that I pray Ged fend you as good health and profperity, as the writer would. Y Lord, in my most humble wife M that my poor heart can think, I do thank your Grace for your kind letter, and for your rich and goodly prefent, the which I fhall never be able to deferve without your help, of the which I have hitherto had fo great plenty, that all the days of my life, I am molt bound, of all creatures next the King's Grace, to love and ferve your Grace; of the which, I beseech you never to doubt, that ever I fhall vary from this thought as long as any breath is in my body. And as touching your Grace's trouble with the fweat, I thank our Lord, that them that I defired and prayed for are fcaped, and that is the King and you; not doubting, but that God has preferved you both for great caufes known alonely of his high wifdom. And as for the coming of the legate, I defire that much; and if it be God's pleasure, I pray him to fend this matter fhortly to a good end, and then I trust, my Lord, to recompence part of your great pains. In the which, I must require you, in the mean time, to accept my good will in the ftead of the power, the which muft proceed partly from you, as our Lord knoweth; to whom I befeech to fend you long life, with continuance in honour. Written with the hand of her that is molt bound to be, Your humble and obedient Servant, Anne Boleyn. fafety, I fhall with all willingness and duty perform your command. But let not your Grace ever ima gine that your poor wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a fault, where not fo much as a thought thereof preceded. And to speak a truth, never prince had wife more loyal in all duty, and in all true affection, than you have ever found in Anne Boleyn, with which name and place I could willingly have contented my felf, if God and your Grace's pleasure had been so pleased. Neither did I at any time fo far forget myself in my exaltation, or received Queenthip, but that I always looked for fuch an alteration as now I find; for the ground of my preferment being on no furer foundation than your Grace's fancy, the leaft alteration, I knew, was fit and fufficient to draw that fancy to fome other subject. You have chafen me from a low eftate to be your Queen and companion, far beyond my defert or defire. If then you found me worthy of fuch honour, good your Grace let not any light fancy, or bad counfel of mine enemies, withdraw your princely favour from me; neither let that stain, that unworthy ftain of a difloyal heart towards your good Grace, ever caft fo foul a blot on your most dutiful wife, and the infant princefs your daughter: Try me, good King, but let me have a lawful trial, and let not my fworn enemies fit as my accufers and judges ; yea, let me receive an open tria!, for my truth fhall fear no open flame; then shall you fee, either mine innocency cleared, your fufpicion and confcience fatisfied, the ignominy and lander of the world flopped, or my guilt openly declared. So that, whatsoever God or you may determine of me, your Grace may be freed from an open cenfure; and mine offence being fo lawfully proved, your Grace is at liberty, both before God and man, not only to execute worthy punish megt |