Lady Jane Grey's letter to her uncle the Lord High Admiral Thomas Seymour, year 1548 or 1549

Source:

Handwriting of the Kings and Queens of England, W. J. Hardy, 1893

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.21209/page/n95/mode/2up

Above: Lady Jane Grey, after Master John.

Lady Jane Grey (born circa 1537, died February 12, 1554), also known as Lady Jane Dudley after her marriage, and famously also known as the Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman and de facto Queen of England and Ireland from July 10 to 19 in 1553.

Jane was the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII through his youngest daughter Mary, and was a first cousin once removed of the boy king Edward VI. She had an excellent humanist education and a reputation as one of the most learned young women of her time. In May 1553, she married Lord Guildford Dudley, the younger son of the King's chief minister John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. The following month, Edward wrote his will, in which he nominated Jane and her male heirs as successors to the Crown, partly because his much older half-sister Mary was a devout Catholic, whilst Jane was a devout Protestant and would support the reformed Church of England. In his will Edward removed both Mary and his other half-sister Elizabeth from the line of succession on account of their illegitimacy, subverting their claims to the throne under the Third Succession Act.

After Edward's death, Jane was proclaimed queen on July 10, 1553 and awaited her coronation in the Tower of London. Support for Mary grew rapidly, and most of Jane's supporters quickly abandoned her. The Privy Council of England suddenly changed sides and proclaimed Mary as queen on July 19, and Jane was overthrown. Her most ardent supporter, her father-in-law the Duke of Northumberland, was accused of treason and executed less than a month later. Jane was imprisoned in the Tower and was convicted of high treason in November 1553 and sentenced to death, although Mary initially spared her life. But Jane soon became viewed as a threat to the Crown when her father, Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, got involved with Wyatt's Rebellion against Mary's intention to marry the Catholic King Philip II of Spain. Both Jane and her husband were executed on February 12, 1554. She was only sixteen or seventeen years old at the time of her death.

Jane wrote this letter to her uncle, the Lord High Admiral Thomas Seymour, when she was eleven years old; its composition is characteristic of her learning, and the genuine tone of gratitude which pervades it, of her unaffected disposition.

The letter:

My dutye to youre lordeshippe in moste humble wyse remembred, withe no lesse thankes for the gentylle letters whiche I receavyd from you, Thynkynge myselfe so muche bounde to youre lordeshippe for youre greate goodnes towardes me from tyme to tyme that I cannenot by anye meanes be able to recompence the leaste parte thereof. I purposed to wryght a fewe rude lines unto youre lordeshippe rather as a token to shewe howe muche worthyer I thynke youre lordeshippe's goodnes then to gyve worthye thankes for the same and thes my letters shall be to testyfye unto you that lyke as you have becom towardes me a lovynge and kynd father so I shall be alwayes most redye to obey youre godlye monytyons and good instructions as becomethe one uppon whom you have heaped so manye benyfytes. And thus fearynge leste I shoulde trouble youre lordeshippe to muche, I moste humblye take my leave of your good lordeshippe.
Youre humble servant durynge my lyfe,
JANE GRAYE.

With modernised spelling:

My duty to your lordship in most humble wise remembered, with no less thanks for the gentle letters which I received from you, Thinking myself so much bound to your lordship for your great goodness towards me from time to time that I cannot by any means be able to recompense the least part thereof. I purposed to write a few rude lines unto your lordship rather as a token to shew how much worthier I think your lordship's goodness then to give worthy thanks for the same and these my letters shall be to testify unto you that like as you have become towards me a loving and kind father so I shall be always most ready to obey your goodly monitions and good instructions as becometh one upon whom you have heaped so many benefits. And thus fearing lest I should trouble your lordship too much, I most humbly take my leave of your good lordship.
Your humble servant during my life,
JANE GREY.

Note: In Early Modern English, "rude" meant "simple", "common", or "vulgar"; it only took on the negative aspects of these definitions later on in the language's history.