Thursday, April 29, 2021

Queen Mary of France's letter to her brother King Henry VIII of England, year 1514

Source:

Original letters illustrative of English history, series 1, volume 1, page 115, edited by Henry Ellis, 1825



Above: Mary Tudor, queen consort of France, painted by Jan Gossaert.


Above: King Henry VIII, painted by Meynnart Wewyck.

The letter:

My good Brother as hertly as I can I recomaund me unto your Grace, mervelynge moch that I never herd from you syns ... re depertynge, so often as I have sent and wrytten to you. And now am I left post a lone in effect; for on the morn next after ... e maryage my chambirlayn with all other men servants wer discharged and in lyke wyse my mother Guldeford with other my women and maydyns, except such as never had experiens nor knowlech how to advertyse or gyfe me counsell yn any tyme of nede, which is to be fered more schortly than your Grace thought at the tyme of my depertynge, as my mother Guldeford can more playnly schew your Grace then I cann wryt; to whom I beseche you to gyve credens. And yf hit may be by eny meane possible, I humbly requyr you to cause my seyd mother Guldeford to repayr hither once agayn. For ells if any chauns happe other then weale I schall not knowe wher nor of whom to aske any good counsell to your pleasur, nor yet to myn own proffit. I merveill moche that my Lord of Northfolke wold at all tymes so lyghtly graunt every thynge at ther reqwests here. I am weale assured that when ze know the trouth of every thyng as my mother Guldeford can schew you, ze wold full lyttyll have thowght I schold have ben thus intreated: that wold God my Lord of Zorke had com with me yn the rome of Northfolke: for then am I sure I schuld have bene left moch more at my herti .... then I am now. And thus I beyd your Grace fare weale with ......... as ever had Prince; and more hertis ease then I have now. ..... Abvile the xijth. day of October.
....... gef gredens to my mowder Geldeford. Be your lowyng
syster MARY QUENE
OF FRANCE.

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