Source:
Original letters illustrative of English history, series 1, volume 1, page 46, edited by Henry Ellis, 1825
Above: Lady Margaret Beaufort, artist unknown.
Above: King Henry VII, painted by an artist from the English school.
Above: Margaret presenting Henry as a child to the people in this 1904 documentary painting titled A Little Prince likely in Time to bless a Royal Throne, or Vox Populi, painted by Edmund Blair Leighton.
Lady Margaret Beaufort (born May 31, between 1441 and 1443, died June 29, 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late 15th century.
A descendant of King Edward III, Margaret passed a disputed claim to the English throne to her son, Henry Tudor. Capitalising on the political upheaval of the period, she actively maneuvered to secure the Crown for her son. Margaret's efforts ultimately culminated in Henry's decisive victory over King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. She was thus instrumental in orchestrating the rise to power of the Tudor dynasty, which would produce two of Britain's most famous monarchs: Margaret's paternal grandson King Henry VII and his daughter, Margaret's great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I. With her son crowned King Henry VII of England, Margaret wielded a considerable degree of political influence and personal autonomy — both unusual for a woman of her time. She was also a major patron and cultural benefactor during her son's reign, initiating an era of extensive Tudor patronage.
Margaret is credited with the establishment of two prominent Cambridge colleges, founding Christ's College in 1505 and beginning the development of St. John's College, which was completed in 1511, two years after her death. Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, the first Oxford college to admit women, is named after her and has a statue of her in the college chapel.
The letter:
My oune suet and most deere Kynge and all my worldly joy, yn as humble maner as y can thynke y recommand me to your Grace, and most hertely beseche our lord to blesse you; and my good herte wher that you sa that the Frenshe Kyng hathe at thys tyme gevyn me courteyse answer and wretyn .. letyre of favour to hys corte of Parlyment for the treve expedicyon of my mater whyche soo long hathe hangyd, the whyche y well know he dothe especially for your sake, for the whyche my ......ly beseeche your Grace yt ......... to gyve hym your favourabyll ....... thanks and to desyr hym to contenew hys ...yn . e . me. And, yeve yt soo myght leke your Grace, to do the same to the Cardynall, whyche as I understond ys your feythfull trew and lovyng servant. Y wysse my very joy, as y efte have shewed, and y fortune to gete thys or eny parte therof, ther shall nedyr be that or eny good y have but yt shalbe yours, and at your commaundement as seurly and with as good a wyll as eny ye have yn your cofyrs, as wuld God ye cowd know yt as veryly as y thynke yt. But my der herte, y wull no more encombyr your Grace with ferder wrytyng yn thys matter, for y ame seure your chapeleyn and servante Doctour Whytston hathe shewed your Hyghnes the cyrcomstance of the same. And yeve yt soo may plese your Grace, y humbly beseche the same to yeve ferdyr credense also to thys berer. And Our Lord gyve you as longe good lyfe, helthe, and joy, as your moste nobyll herte can dessyre, with as herty blessyngs as our Lord hathe gevyn me power to gyve you. At Colynweston, the xiiijth day of January, by your feythfull trewe bedwoman, and humble modyr,
MARGARET R.
Notes: sa = say.
leke = like.
"y wysse" = "you know".
to yeve = to give.
"my very joy" = very in this context means "true".
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