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 her 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

2 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.

My Lord, after my most bownden dewte, I recommend me to your good Lordshype besychyng yow to be good Lord to me, now in the gretest ned that ever for et hathe plesed God to take fro me hem

that was my most con . . a in thys world to my gret

.

on her sowl marcy

an

I am

hevenes. Jhesu have sokerles and as a redles createwr bot only fro the gret tr . . . . b have in the Kyngs grace and your good lordischep for now in yo I pot al my hole trost of comfort in thys world besychyng yow to lo... me that I may so do.

...

My Lord, whan your Lordsychep was last here, et pleased yow to say, that I should not mestrost the Kyngs Grace, nor your Lordsychep which word was mor comfort to me than I can wryt, as God knoweth. And now et boldethe me to shew yow my powr mynd. My Lord, when my Lady Marys Grace was born, et pleased the Kings Grace to appoint me Lady Mastres; and made me a Barones. And so I have ben am to the Cheldern hes Grace

have had sens.

Now et es so, my Lady Elizabethe is put from that degre she was afore: and what degre she is at now, I know nat bot be heryng say; therfor I know not how to order her, nor my self, nor non of hars that I have the rewl of: that is, her women & har

gromes: besychyng yow to be good Lord to my Lady, & to al hers: And that she may have som rayment; for she hath neither gown nor kertel, nor petecot, nor no maner of linnin for smokes, nor cerchefes, nor sleves, nor rayls, nor body-stychets, nor handcerchers, nor mofelers, nor begens. All thys har Graces Mostake, I have dreven of as long as I can, that, be my trothe, I cannot drive it no lenger: besechyng yow, my Lord, that ye wel see, that her Grace may have that es nedful for har, as my Trost es ye wel do. Beseeching you, my owen good Lord, that I may know from yow be writing, how I shal order my self; & what es the Kyngs Graces pleser, & yowrs, that I shal do in every thing. And whatsom ever it shal ples the Kyngs Grace, or your Lordship to command me at al teyms, I shal folfel et, to the best of my power.

My Lord, Mr. Shelton saythe he es Master of thys Hows: what fashion that shal be, I cannot tel: for I have not sen et afor. My Lord, ye be so honourable your self, & every man reportethe your Lordsychep lovethe honour, that I trust your Lordship wil se thys Hows honerabely orderd, how som ever it hath been aforetime and ef et ples yow, that I may know, what yowr Order is, & if it be not performed, I shal sertify to your Lordshyp of it. For I fear me, it wil be hardly inow performed, for ef the head of . knew, what honour meaneth,