Source:
A Full View of the Public Transactions in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, page 12, by Patrick Forbes, 1740
The girlhood of Queen Elizabeth, a narrative in letters, Frank Arthur Mumby, 1909
Above: Elizabeth I, queen of England, artist unknown.
Above: Henri II, King of France, painted by François Clouet.
The letter:
Monsieur mon bon frere, By your lettre brought to me by Sr Guido Cavalcanté, this present porteur, I well perceve, the sincere and perfect amytye and affection which ye have allweis borne towards me to have bene so firme and stable, as the same hath bene nothyng diminish'd in these tymes of werr which have bene betwixt my late sister the Quene and you: which suerly I doo more redely beleve to be trew, considering I fynd my selfe not voyde of the like disposition towards yow: and therfore I doo most hartely thank yow; and doo assure yow, that I shall on my parte correspond to this your amytye. And where by your sayd lettres also furder appereth, that ye ment to have sent to me some notable personage of yours to have conjoyed with me, and to have made me understand the continuation of your affection, and by the same meane also to have condoled this present werr; had not Monsieur le Vidame sent to yow this berer Sr Guido, by whom he had sought to understand what inclination was here to peace: I cannot but thynk this grete gratuité wordy of my most hartyest thanks, perceving evidently therby a most assured purpose of friendshipp, being so disposed in tyme of ware to shew so evident a demonstration to the worlde of your abundant affection, which, if it had proceded, shuld assuredly have bene as gratefully receaved as ye shuld have sent it. But now sence I perceve, as well by the rest of your lettres, as also by the creditt committed to this beror, the contynuance of this your ernest affection, not onely towards the private amyté betwixt us two, but also towards the common and perfect pacification and unyon of our realmes and subjects; for accomplishment wherof you offer to me not onely the choise of such manner persons as I shall thynk mete to treate uppon this matter, but also the choise of four severall placees in your contry, wherin the same treaty might be secretly had. I have grete cause to lyke & embrace this good purpose & scope of yours, both for the establishyng of our owne private amytyes, and for so beneficiall a provision to both our realmes and subjects. But as to the naming presently of any such persons, and specially for the sending to the placees named; consideryng this matter ought to be with no less secrety intreated than by your message semeth very well considered, I have thought it meter, to produce this purpoose so well begonne to some fructfull end, to offer the choise of one or twoo other manner meanes to yow: that is, to requyre of yow, that ether ye will return by this present berer in wryting some certen particularytees and speciall poynts wheruppon this matter might be intreated; and those to be such as maye tend not onely to cesse theis present warres, but also abolish and extinguish the occasions, grownds, and rootes which might produce the lyke in tyme to come, and so both our meanings for perpetuité of peace frustrate: or els to referr the treatye hereof to some of such your trustyest which be or shal be commissionars for the open treaty of peace allready begon at Cercamp: for answer wherof, we shall make choise, upon knoledg of your speciall deputy, to depute in secrety the lyke. And if this last shall best lyke you; yet I also thynk, it shall much furder both our purposees, that I maye understand from yow some kynd of particularitees of your meaning, by the which lykelyhoode maye be gathered, that this amytye, so well ment on both sydes, maye with so reasonable conditions and pacts be knytt, as it maye be perpetuall, and descend and remayn as hereditary to our succession, and to our realmes and subjects; and that also herby we maye the better determyn, what authorité and creditt I shall committ to such person or persons as I shall appoynt to this secrett purpose; and yet not omitt the contynuation of the assembly in lyke manner as it was before the prorogation of armes; as I have gyven in chardge to this present beror to declare to yow at more length on my part: which is the cause that I remytt my furder meaning to hym, taking hym to have an indifferent and right intention towards the perfecting and accomplishyng of both our good meanings. And so I pray to God &c.
Les doicts myens n'ont garde d'escripre les parolles que le cœur n'y accorde de pensée. Et si, comme la parolle d'une Prince vault plus que le serment d'un privé, aynsi le deshonneur engendreroit hayn, et ensenteroit dignement infamye perpetuelle.
Vostre bonne seur et cousine.
Modernised spelling of the French postscript:
Les doigts miens n'ont gardé d'écrire les paroles que le cœur n'y accorde de pensée. Et si, comme la parole d'une prince vaut plus que le serment d'un privé, ainsi le déshonneur engendrerait haïn, et incenderait dignement infamie perpetuelle.
Votre bonne sœur et cousine.
With modernised spelling and vocabulary and a part omitted (from source 2):
January 8, 1559.
Monsieur, my good Brother, — By your letter, brought to me by Sir Guido Cavalcanti, this present carrier, I well perceive the sincere and perfect amity and affection which you have always borne towards me, to have been so firm and stable that the same has been nothing diminished in these times of war between my late sister, the Queen, and you: which, surely, I do more readily believe to be true, considering I find myself not void of the like disposition towards you: and therefore I do most heartily thank you; and do assure you that I shall, on my part, correspond to this, your amity. ... I perceive, as well by the rest of your letters, as also by the credit committed to this bearer, the continuance of this your earnest affection, not only towards the private amity between us two, but also towards the common and perfect pacification and union of our realms and subjects; for [the] accomplishment whereof you offer to me, not only the choice of such manner [of] persons as I shall think meet to treat upon this matter, but also the choice of four several places in your country, wherein the same treaty might be secretly had. I have great cause to like and embrace this good purpose and scope of yours, both for the establishing of our own private amities, and for so beneficial a provision to both our realms and subjects. But as to the naming presently of any such persons, and especially for the sending to the places named, considering this matter ought to be with no less secrecy treated than by your message, I have thought it meeter, to produce this purpose, so well begun, to some fruitful end, to offer the choice of one or two other manner [of] means to you: that is, to require of you, that either you will return by this present bearer in writing some certain particulars and special points, whereupon this matter might be treated; and those to be such as may tend not only to cease these present wars, but also abolish and extinguish the occasions, grounds and roots which might produce the like in time to come, and so frustrate both our meanings for [the] perpetuity of peace: or else to refer the treaty hereof to some of your trustiest commissioners for the open treaty of peace already begun at Cercamp: for answer whereof we shall make choice upon knowledge of your special deputy, to depute, in secrecy, the like. And if this last shall best like you, yet I also think it shall much further both our purposes that I may understand from you some kind of particulars of your meaning, by which likelihood may be gathered, that this amity, so well meant on both sides, may with such reasonable conditions and pacts be knit, as it may be perpetual, and descend and remain as hereditary to our succession, and to our realms and subjects; and that also we may hereby the better determine what authority and credit I shall commit to such a person or persons as I shall appoint to this secret purpose; and yet not omit the continuation of the assembly in like manner as it was before the prorogation of arms; as I have given in charge to this present bearer to declare to you at more length on my part: which is the cause that I remit my further meaning to him, taking him to have an indifferent and right intention towards the perfecting and accomplishing of both our good meanings. And so I pray to God, etc.
P. S. [in French] — My fingers prevent my writing the words with which my heart is full. And if, as the word of a prince is worth more than the oath of a commoner, so dishonour would bring forth hatred, and would be worthy of perpetual infamy.
Your good Sister and Cousin.
Modernised spelling of the omitted part:
And whereby your said letters also further appeareth that ye meant to have sent to me some notable personage of yours to have conjoyed with me, and to have made me understand the continuation of your affection, and by the same mean also to have condoled this present war; had not Monsieur le Vidame sent to you this bearer Sir Guido, by whom he had sought to understand what inclination was here to peace: I cannot but think this great gratuity worthy of my most heartiest thanks, perceiving evidently thereby a most assured purpose of friendship, being so disposed in time of war to shew so evident a demonstration to the world of your abundant affection, which, if it had proceeded, should assuredly have been as gratefully received as ye should have sent it.
French translation (my own, with the Middle French postscript):
Monsieur mon bon frère,
Par votre lettre, apportée par Sieur Guido Cavalcanti, ce présent porteur, je apperçois bien l'amitié et l'affection sincère et parfaite que vous m'avez toujours témoignée, d'avoir été si ferme et stable qu'elle n'a pas diminué dans ces temps de guerre entre ma défunte sœur, la Reine, et vous: ce que, sûrement, je crois plus facilement être vrai, étant donné que je ne me trouve pas dépourvu de la même disposition envers vous: et c'est pourquoi je vous remercie de tout cœur; et je vous assure que je vais, de mon côté, correspondre à cela, votre amitié. Et par le biais de vosdites lettres, il semble également que vous vouliez m'avoir envoyé un de vos personnages notables pour s'être conjoyé avec moi, et pour m'avoir fait comprendre la continuation de votre affection, et par le même moyen aussi pour m'avoir pardonné ce guerre actuelle; si M. le Vidame ne vous avait pas envoyé ce porteur Sieur Guido, par qui il avait cherché à comprendre quelle inclination était ici pour la paix: étant si disposé en temps de guerre à montrer au monde une démonstration si évidente de votre abondante affection, qui, si elle avait eu lieu, aurait assurément été reçue avec autant de reconnaissance que vous l'auriez envoyée. Mais maintenant, puisque je apperçois, aussi bien par le reste de vos lettres que par le crédit accordé à ce porteur, la continuation de cette affection sincère, non seulement envers l'amitié privée entre nous deux, mais aussi envers la commune et parfaite pacification et union de nos royaumes et sujets; pour l'accomplissement de quoi vous m'offrez, non seulement le choix de la manière de personnes que je pense convenable pour traiter sur cette matière, mais aussi le choix de quatre plusieurs endroits dans votre pays, où le même traité pourrait être secrètement conclu. J'ai de grandes raisons d'aimer et d'embrasser ce bon dessein et votre portée, à la fois pour l'établissement de nos propres amitiés privées, et pour une disposition si bénéfique à la fois pour nos royaumes et nos sujets. Mais quant à la désignation de telles personnes, et spécialement pour l'envoi aux endroits nommés, considérant que cette question ne doit pas être traitée avec moins de secret que par votre message, j'ai pensé qu'il était plus convenable de produire ce but, donc bien commencé, à quelque fin fructueuse, pour vous offrir le choix d'une ou deux autres manières de moyens: c'est-à-dire, exiger de vous, que soit vous reveniez par ce présent porteur en écrivant certains détails et points spéciaux, sur quoi cette affaire pourrait être traitée; et ceux à être tels qu'ils peuvent tendre non seulement à mettre fin à ces guerres actuelles, mais aussi à abolir et à éteindre les occasions, les motifs et les racines qui pourraient produire la même chose dans le temps à venir, et ainsi frustrer nos deux sens pour la perpétuité de la paix: ou sinon de renvoyer le traité des présentes à quelques-uns de vos plus fidèles commissaires pour le traité de paix ouvert déjà commencé à Cercamp: pour réponse, nous choisirons, à la connaissance de votre adjoint spécial, de déléguer en secret les semblables. Et si ce dernier vous plaît le plus, je pense aussi que cela servira beaucoup nos deux objectifs que je puisse comprendre de vous quelques détails de votre intention, par lesquels la vraisemblance peut être recueillie, que cette amitié, si bien intentionnée sur les deux les côtés, peuvent avec des conditions et des pactes raisonnables être liés, car ils peuvent être perpétuels, et descendre et rester comme héréditaires à notre succession, et à nos royaumes et sujets; et qu'aussi nous pourrons mieux déterminer par la présente quelle autorité et quel crédit je confierai à une ou des personnes que je nommerai à ce dessein secret ; et pourtant ne pas omettre la continuation de l'assemblée de la même manière qu'elle l'était avant la prorogation des armes, comme j'ai chargé ce présent porteur de vous déclarer plus longuement de ma part: quelle est la cause que je remets mon intention supplémentaire à lui, le prenant pour avoir une intention indifférente et juste vers le perfectionnement et l'accomplissement de nos deux bonnes intentions. Et donc je prie Dieu, etc.
Les doigts miens n'ont gardé d'écrire les paroles que le cœur n'y accorde de pensée. Et si, comme la parole d'une prince vaut plus que le serment d'un privé, ainsi le déshonneur engendrerait haïn, et incenderait dignement infamie perpetuelle.
Votre bonne sœur et cousine.
Notes: In accordance with the nobility's ideals in the early modern era, kings and queens considered themselves siblings; when talking to someone of a lower rank than their own, they would refer to that person as "my cousin", regardless of whether or not they were related; although sometimes they would also use that term with each other.
conjoy = to rejoice together.
mean = means.
shew = to show.
meet = appropriate, suitable.
meaning = intention.
incendier = enflammer, surexciter (to inflame, to excite).
conjoyer = se réjouir (to rejoice).
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