Princess Elizabeth's letter to Catherine Parr, dated December 31, 1544

Source:

https://tudorhistory.org/letters/glass/letter.html

Above: Elizabeth as princess, formerly attributed to William Scrots.

Above: Catherine Parr, after Hans Eworth.

The eleven year old Princess Elizabeth Tudor, future Queen of England, wrote this letter to her last stepmother, Catherine Parr, from Ashridge on New Year's Eve in 1544 and presented her with a New Year's gift: her translation of Marguerite of Navarre's Mirror of the Sinful Soul. In older forms of English, soul was a feminine noun, which is why Elizabeth calls it a she.

The letter:

TO OUR MOSTE NOBLE AND vertuous quene KATHERIN, Elizabeth her humble daughter wisheth perpetuall felicitie and everlasting joye

NOT ONELY knowing the affectuous wille and fervent zeale the wich your highnes hath towardes all godly lerning as also my duetie towardes you (most gracious and souverayne princes) but knowing also that pusilanimite and ydlenes are most repugnante unto a reasonable creature and that (as the philosopher sayeth) even as an instrument of yron or of other metayle waxeth soone rusty onles it be continualy occupied. Even so shall the witte of a man, or woman waxe dull and unapte to do or understand any thing perfittely oneles it be alwayes occupied upon some maner of study, wiche thinges consydered hath moved so small a portion as god hath lente me to prove what j could do. And therfore have i (as for aseye or beginninge followinge the right notable sayeing of the proverb aforesayd) translated this lytell boke out of french ryme in to englishe prose joyning the sentences together as well as the capacitie of my symple witte and small lerning coulde extende themselves. The wich booke is intytled, or named the miroir or glasse, of the synnefull soule where in is conteyned how she (beholdig and contempling what she is) doth perceyve how, of herselfe, and of her owne strenght, she can do nothing that good is, or prevayleth for her salvacioun: onles it be through the grace of god: whose mother, daughter, syster, and wife, by the scriptures she proveth herselfe to be. Trusting also that through his incoprehensible love, grace and mercy she (beynge called frome synne to repentaunce) doth faythfully hope to be saved. And althoughe i knowe that as for my parte, wich i have wrought in it (as well spirituall as manuall) there is nothinge done as ut shulde be nor els worthy to come in youre graces handes, but rather all unperfycte and uncorecte: yet do i truste also that oubeit it is like a worke wich is but newe begonne and shapen, that the syle of youre excellent witte godly lerninge in the reding of it (if so it vouchsafe your highnes to do) shall rubbe out, polishe, and mende (or els cause to mende) the wordes (or rather the order of my writing) the wich i knowe in many places to be rude, and nothinge done as it shuld be. But i hope, that after to have ben in youre graces handes there shall be nothinge in it worthy of reprehension and that in the meane whyle no other (but your highnes onely) shal rede it or se it, lesse me faultes be knowen of many. Than shall they be better excused (as my confidence is in youre graces accoustumed benevolece) that if i shuld bestowe a whole yere in writtinge, or inventinge wayes for to excuse them. Prayeng god almighty the maker and creatoure of all thinges to garaunte unto youre highnes the sam newe yeres daye, a lucky and a prosperous yere with prosperous yssue and contunuance of many yeres in good helthe and contynuall joye and all to his honnoure, praise, and glory. From assherige, the laste daye of the year of our lord god, 1544