LETTER IX.

Queen Catherine of Arragon and King Henry VIII^th to Cardinal Wolsey, a joint letter, 1527.

[MS. COTTON, VITELL. B. XII. fol. 4.]

Mr. Ellis has printed this letter in its mutilated condition; I have ventured to supply the lacunæ from the copy in Burnet’s History of the Reformation, vol. i. p. 55. Burnet obtained his transcript when it was in a perfect state, but has unaccountably attributed the first part of the letter to Anne Boleyn. It is however said by Mr. Ellis to be in the hand-writing of Catherine, and cannot but be considered very interesting.

My Lord, in my moste humblyst wys that my hart can thinke [I desire you to pardon] me that I am so bold to troubyl yow with my sympyl [& rude wryteng, estemyng] yt to prosed from her that is muche desirus to kno[we that youer grace does well.] I paersave be this berar that you do; the wiche I [praye God long to continewe,] as I am moste bonde to pray, for I do know the g[reate paines and trowbles that] you have taken for me bothe day and nyght [is never like to be recompensyd on] my part, but allonly in loveng you next on to the [kinges grace above all] creatures leveng; and I do not dought but the [dayly proffes of my deades] shall manefestly declaer and aferme my wryte[ng to be trewe, and I do] truste you do thynke the same. My lord, I do assure you I do long to heare from you som newes of the legat, for I do hope and [they come from you they] shall be very good, and I am seur that you deseyre [it as moche as I] and more, and ytt waer possibel as I knowe ytt ys not: And thus remaineing in a stedfast hope I make anend of my letter, [writtyn with the hande] of her that is moste bounde to be——

➔Here Queen Catherine’s part ends, the rest is in the hand-writing of Henry the Eighth.

The wrytter of thys letter wolde not cease tyll she had [caused me likewise] to set to my hand desyryng yow thowgh it be short to t[ake it in good part.] I ensure yow ther is nother of us but that grettly desyry[th to see you, and] muche more rejoyse to heare that you have scapyd thys plage [so well, trustyng] the fury thereof to be passyd, specially with them that k[epyth good diett] as I trust you doo. The not heryng of the legates arywall [in Franse causeth] us sumwhat to muse; nottwithstandyng we trust by your dily[gens and vigilancy] (with the assystence of Almyghty God) shortly to be easyd owght [of that trouble.] No more to yow at thys tyme but that I pray God send yow [as good health] and prosperity as the wryters wolde.

By your lovyng so[veraign & frende]

HENR[Y R.]