plainly therof, the thinge was notid her of extreme crueltye, and al Venice was in grete murmuracion to her it; and spake long time off the bessines to my grete displesure, for the infaming of our Nacion with the vehementist words they cowde use; for they are perswadid of the dede mennis grete honeste and vertus, and that ther opinion was conforme with the most part of all Cristendome; wherby they stand it was don ayenst al honest lawis of God and men to put soche men to deth, and after that kind wich is novum et inauditum. I promise yow faithfully I never saw Italians breke not at no matter tofor so vehemently as at this thing it seamid so strange and so moche ayenst ther stomacke.

*

Barbarossa hath made uttirly deliberacion to remayne in Africa, and hath fortefied himself strongely in Tonis. His Navy was not navigable thowgh he wold have departid thens, lacking a grete nomber of his sclavis and roars wiche are dede, and also he found no commodite for reparing and dressing of his galeis, wherby he is constraynid to experiment the fortune: but men hath evil opinion of him, that he shall not be hable to sustayn this grete imperiall powar if it be convertid ayenst him; and if Barbarossa with his armye shold be subdued, men reken quod actum esset de OthoBut how soever the thing procedith, men are

mano.

a rowers.

in expectacion of grete mutacions of things. They reken th'Emperor shold depart with thre hundred sailis owt of Spaigne, and the Marks of Guaste hath in Sicile 150 sailis; the nomber of fotemen are 30 M. and horsemen 2000; al militarye men besides a grete nomber of gentilmen and nobles with ther familye wiche is grete, and also the Ships and Galeis provided of ther sodiars. A more puissant Navye by long memorye came not abrode as is this imperial. Hens of few dais we shal know I hope some thing memorable. Of al you shal have continual advise. I thinke to go shortely to Anc1. but I wil make shorte retorne by Godds grace. Vale, Venetiis the 15 June 1535.

Yo's

EDMOND HARVEL.

To the right worshipful Mr.

Thomas Starkey

in London.

a Marquis.

LETTER CXVII.

Edmund Harvel to Mr. Thomas Starkey, from Venice 5 Feb. 1535-6. A Portion of a Letter. [MS. COTTON. NERO B. VII. fol. 105. Orig.]

"THE newis of th'old Quenis deth hath ben her divulged more then x. dais passid, and taken sorowfully not withowt grevous lamentacions, for she was incredibly dere unto al men for her good fame, wiche is in grete glorye emong al exteriour nations. Hic palam obloquuntur de morte illius, ac verentur de PUELLA regia ne brevi man.a sequatur. I assure you men spekith herb tragice of thes maters, wiche is not to be towchid by Lettres." c

• The fear which, according to this Letter, the Venetians expressed for the safety of the PRINCESS MARY, was also felt in England. The King's harshness to her at this time is well known.

Pole records that the last stab which Henry gave to Katherine was upon her deathbed, when he refused both her's and her daughter's entreaties for a last interview. "Unum tamen non possum prætermittere amissi sensus omnis amoris argumentum, maxime quod Satanam, non aliam creaturam, ostendit; quod in fine vitæ illius nobilissimæ feminæ dedit. Cum tandem dolore victa, animam afflictam Deo esset redditura, statim cum sensit illud tempus propinquare (quo tempore hostes, qui aliquid hominis tenent, solent hostibus misericordiam præstare) hoc solum postulabat a viro, ut liceret COMMUNAM FILIAM videre, et illi de more moriens benedictionem, UT MATER, impertiri. Quid hic dicam? Cum hoc idem filia cum lacrymis postularet, mater vix extremum spiritum ducens flagitaret, quod hostis, nisi crudelissimus, nunquam negasset, conjux a viro, mater pro filia impetrare non potuit, NE HANC quidem CONSOLATIONEM in extremo spiritu DARE VOLUIT." Apolog. p. 162.

LETTER CXVIII.

Edmund Harvel from Venice, to Dr. Starkey: after the arrival of the News of Queen Anne Boleyn's

execution.

[MS. COTTON. NERO B. VII. fol. 110. Orig.]

SIR,

I HAVE yours of the last of April wiche delitith me alwai singularly, and wher you exhort me to write to those honorable frends, I reknowlege therin your frendly concel and love towards me, fully perswaded that it shold be gretely to my furtherance.

To show you my minde liberally, I have litil pleasure and comfort of myselff considering the perpetual factions and discords of the worldly things wiche makith me cold to come emong men in publico. My minde enclinith moche rather to folow a private and quiet liff and give opea the worldly fastidie to them qui ambiunt honores, in the wiche number I was never gretely to be rekenid.

Yowr Boks I shall not forgette to provide. Your Newis I have seen, but thes other wiche more dais passid wer divulgid of the Quenis case made a grete tragedye wiche was celebrate by al mennis voyces with

a up.

admiration and grete infamy to that Woman to have betrayed that noble Prince after soche maner, who had exaltid her so highe, and put himselff to peril, not withowt perturbacion of al the Worlde for her cawse. But God shewid himselff a rightful judge to discover soche highe treason and iniquite. But al is for the best, and I reken this to the Kings grete fortune that God would give him grace to see and towche with the hand what enemyes and traytors he lyvid withal; of the wiche inconvenience his Grace is fayre delyverid, for what time ther might have folowid dommage to his Grace inestimable. Venice 26 May 1536.

LETTER CXIX.

Lady Brian, Governess of the Lady Elizabeth, to Lord Cromwell, from Hunsdon, for Instructions concerning her, after the death of Q. Anne her mother.

[MS. COTTON. OTHO C. X. fol. 230. Orig.]

This Letter has been already printed by Strype, a but with a material omission, and in so imperfect a form, that it stands here at least in a more authentic shape. Unfortunately it suffered much injury in the fire of the Cottonian Library in 1731, so that in a few places the Editor has been obliged to supply the lacunæ. In this service Strype's copy has been called in aid.

Queen Elizabeth's manners when a child, form no uninteresting portion of this Letter.

a Eccl. Memorials, vol. i. p. 172.