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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Love Letters of Henry VIII to AnneBoleyn, by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

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Title: The Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn With Notes

Author: Henry VIII Anne Boleyn

Release Date: April 27, 2010 [EBook #32155]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY JOHN W. LUCE & COMPANY

D. B. UPDIKE, THE MERRYMOUNT PRESS, BOSTON

PageLetter FirstiLetter SecondivLetter ThirdvLetter FourthviiLetter FifthxLetter SixthxiiiLetter SeventhxviLetter Eighth [Anne Boleyn to Wolsey]xviiiPostscript [by Henry VIII]xxLetter NinthxxiiLetter TenthxxvLetter EleventhxxviiiLetter TwelfthxxxLetter ThirteenthxxxivLetter FourteenthxxxviiLetter FifteenthxxxixLetter SixteenthxliLetter SeventeenthxliiiLetter EighteenthxlvNotesli

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[Pg i]

n turningover in my mind the contents of your last letters, I have putmyself into great agony, not knowing how to interpret them, whether to mydisadvantage, as you show in some places, or to my advantage, as Iunderstand them in some others, beseeching you earnestly to let me know[Pg ii]expressly your whole mind as to the love between us two. It is absolutelynecessary for me to obtain this answer, having been for above a whole yearstricken with the dart of love, and not yet sure whether I shall fail offinding a place in your heart and affection, which last point hasprevented me for some time past from calling you my mistress; because, ifyou only love me with an ordinary love, that name is not suitable for you,because it denotes a singular love, which is far from common. But if youplease to do the office of a true loyal mistress and friend, and to giveup yourself body and heart to me, who will be, and have been, your mostloyal servant, (if your rigour does not forbid me) I promise you that not[Pg iii]only the name shall be given you, but also that I will take you for myonly mistress, casting off all others besides you out of my thoughts andaffections, and serve you only. I beseech you to give an entire answer tothis my rude letter, that I may know on what and how far I may depend. Andif it does not please you to answer me in writing, appoint some placewhere I may have it by word of mouth, and I will go thither with all myheart. No more, for fear of tiring you. Written by the hand of him whowould willingly remain yours,

H. R.

[Pg iv]

Though it is not fitting for a gentleman to take his lady in the place ofa servant, yet, complying with your desire, I willingly grant it you, ifthereby you can find yourself less uncomfortable in the place chosen byyourself, than you have been in that which I gave you, thanking youcordially that you are pleased still to have some remembrance of me. 6. n.A. 1 de A. o. na. v. e. z.

Henry R.

[Pg v]

Although, my Mistress, it has not pleased you to remember the promise youmade me when I was last with youthat is, to hear good news from you, andto have an answer to my last letter; yet it seems to me that it belongs toa true servant (seeing that otherwise he can know nothing) to inquire thehealth of his mistress, and to acquit myself of the duty of a trueservant, I send you this letter, beseeching you to apprise me of yourwelfare, which I pray to God may continue as long as I desire mine[Pg vi] own.And to cause you yet oftener to remember me, I send you, by the bearer ofthis, a buck killed late last night by my own hand, hoping that when youeat of it you may think of the hunter; and thus, for want of room, I mustend my letter, written by the hand of your servant, who very often wishesfor you instead of your brother.

H. R.

[Pg vii]

MY MISTRESS & FRIEND, my heart and I surrender ourselves into yourhands, beseeching you to hold us commended to your favour, and that byabsence your affection to us may not be lessened: for it were a great pityto increase our pain, of which absence produces enough and more than Icould ever have thought could be felt, reminding us of a point inastronomy which is this: the longer the days are, the more distant is thesun, and nevertheless the hotter; so is it with our[Pg viii] love, for by absencewe are kept a distance from one another, and yet it retains its fervour,at least on my side; I hope the like on yours, assuring you that on mypart the pain of absence is already too great for me; and when I think ofthe increase of that which I am forced to suffer, it would be almostintolerable, but for the firm hope I have of your unchangeable affectionfor me: and to remind you of this sometimes, and seeing that I cannot bepersonally present with you, I now send you the nearest thing I can tothat, namely, my picture set in a bracelet, with the whole of the device,which you already know, wishing myself in their place, if it should pleaseyou. This is[Pg ix] from the hand of your loyal servant and friend,

H. R.

[Pg x]

For a present so beautiful that nothing could be more so (considering thewhole of it), I thank you most cordially, not only on account of the finediamond and the ship in which the solitary damsel is tossed about, butchiefly for the fine interpretation and the too humble submission whichyour goodness hath used towards me in this case; for I think it would bevery difficult for me to find an occasion to deserve it, if I were notassisted by your great humanity and favour, which I have[Pg xi] always sought toseek, and will seek to preserve by all the kindness in my power, in whichmy hope has placed its unchangeable intention, which says, Aut illic, autnullibi.

The demonstrations of your affection are such, the beautiful mottoes ofthe letter so cordially expressed, that they oblige me for ever to honour,love, and serve you sincerely, beseeching you to continue in the same firmand constant purpose, assuring you that, on my part, I will surpass itrather than make it reciprocal, if loyalty of heart and a desire to pleaseyou can accomplish this.

I beg, also, if at any time before this I have in any way offended you,that you would give me the same[Pg xii] absolution that you ask, assuring you,that henceforward my heart shall be dedicated to you alone. I wish myperson was so too. God can do it, if He pleases, to whom I pray every dayfor that end, hoping that at length my prayers will be heard. I wish thetime may be short, but I shall think it long till we see one another.

Written by the hand of that secretary, who in heart, body, and will, is,

Your loyal and most assured Servant,

[Pg xiii]

TO MY MISTRESS. Because the time seems very long since I heardconcerning your health and you, the great affection I have for you hasinduced me to send you this bearer, to be better informed of your healthand pleasure, and because, since my parting from you, I have been toldthat the opinion in which I left you is totally changed, and that youwould not come to court either with your mother, if you could, or in anyother manner; which report, if true, I cannot sufficiently marvel at,[Pg xiv]because I am sure that I have since never done any thing to offend you,and it seems a very poor return for the great love which I bear you tokeep me at a distance both from the speech and the person of the womanthat I esteem most in the world: and if you love me with as much affectionas I hope you do, I am sure that the distance of our two persons would bea little irksome to you, though this does not belong so much to themistress as to the servant.

Consider well, my mistress, that absence from you grieves me sorely,hoping that it is not your will that it should be so; but if I knew forcertain that you voluntarily desired it, I could do no other than mournmy[Pg xv] ill-fortune, and by degrees abate my great folly. And so, for lack oftime, I make an end of this rude letter, beseeching you to give credenceto this bearer in all that he will tell you from me.

Written by the hand of your entire Servant,

H. R.

[Pg xvi]

DARLING, these shall be only to advertise you that this bearer and hisfellow be despatched with as many things to compass our matter, and tobring it to pass as our wits could imagine or devise; which brought topass, as I trust, by their diligence, it shall be shortly, you and I shallhave our desired end, which should be more to my hearts ease, and morequietness to my mind, than any other thing in the world; as, with Godsgrace, shortly I trust shall be proved, but not so soon as I would[Pg xvii] itwere; yet I will ensure you that there shall be no time lost that may bewon, and further can not be done; for ultra posse non est esse. Keep himnot too long with you, but desire him, for your sake, to make the morespeed; for the sooner we shall have word from him, the sooner shall ourmatter come to pass. And thus upon trust of your short repair to London, Imake an end of my letter, my own sweet heart.

Written with the hand of him which desireth as much to be yours as you doto have him.

H. R.

[Pg xviii]

MY LORD, in my most humblest wise that my heart can think, I desire youto pardon me that I am so bold to trouble you with my simple and rudewriting, esteeming it to proceed from her that is much desirous to knowthat your grace does well, as I perceive by this bearer that you do, thewhich I pray God long to continue, as I am most bound to pray; for I doknow the great pains and troubles that you have taken for me both day andnight is never likely to be recompensed on my part, but alonely[Pg xix] in lovingyou, next unto the kings grace, above all creatures living. And I do notdoubt but the daily proofs of my deeds shall manifestly declare and affirmmy writing to be true, and I do trust you do think the same.

My lord, I do assure you, I do long to hear from you news of the legate;for I do hope, as they come from you, they shall be very good; and I amsure you desire it as much as I, and more, an it were possible; as I knowit is not: and thus remaining in a steadfast hope, I make an end of myletter.

Written with the hand of her that is most bound to be

Your humble Servant,

Anne Boleyn.

[Pg xx]

The writer of this letter would not cease, till she had caused me likewiseto set my hand, desiring you, though it be short, to take it in good part.I ensure you that there is neither of us but greatly desireth to see you,and are joyous to hear that you have escaped this plague so well, trustingthe fury thereof to be passed, especially with them that keepeth gooddiet, as I trust you do. The not hearing of the legates arrival in Francecauseth us somewhat to muse; notwithstanding, we trust, by your[Pg xxi] diligenceand vigilancy (with the assistance of Almighty God), shortly to be easedout of that trouble. No more to you at this time, but that I pray God sendyou as good health and prosperity as the writer would.

By your loving Sovereign and Friend,

H. R.

[Pg xxii]

There came to me suddenly in the night the most afflicting news that couldhave arrived. The first, to hear of the sickness of my mistress, whom Iesteem more than all the world, and whose health I desire as I do my own,so that I would gladly bear half your illness to make you well. Thesecond, from the fear that I have of being still longer harassed by myenemy, Absence, much longer, who has hitherto given me all possibleuneasiness, and as far as I can judge is determined to spite[Pg xxiii] me morebecause I pray God to rid me of this troublesome tormentor. The third,because the physician in whom I have most confidence, is absent at thevery time when he might do me the greatest pleasure; for I should hope, byhim and his means, to obtain one of my chief joys on earththat is thecare of my mistressyet for want of him I send you my second, and hopethat he will soon make you well. I shall then love him more than ever. Ibeseech you to be guided by his advice in your illness. In so doing I hopesoon to see you again, which will be to me a greater comfort than all theprecious jewels in the world.

Written by that secretary, who is,[Pg xxiv] and for ever will be, your loyal andmost assured Servant,

H. (A B) R.

[Pg xxv]

The uneasiness my doubts about your health gave me, disturbed and alarmedme exceedingly, and I should not have had any quiet without hearingcertain tidings. But now, since you have as yet felt nothing, I hope, andam assured that it will spare you, as I hope it is doing with us. For whenwe were at Walton, two ushers, two valets de chambres and your brother,master-treasurer, fell ill, but are now quite well; and since we havereturned to our house at Hunsdon, we have been perfectly well, and have[Pg xxvi]not, at present, one sick person, God be praised; and I think, if youwould retire from Surrey, as we did, you would escape all danger. There isanother thing that may comfort you, which is, that, in truth in thisdistemper few or no women have been taken ill, and what is more, no personof our court, and few elsewhere, have died of it. For which reason I begyou, my entirely beloved, not to frighten yourself nor be too uneasy atour absence; for wherever I am, I am yours, and yet we must sometimessubmit to our misfortunes, for whoever will struggle against fate isgenerally but so much the farther from gaining his end: wherefore comfortyourself, and take courage and avoid[Pg xxvii] the pestilence as much as you can,for I hope shortly to make you sing, la renvoy. No more at present,from lack of time, but that I wish you in my arms, that I might a littledispel your unreasonable thoughts.

Written by the hand of him who is and alway will be yours,

Im- H. R. -mutable.

[Pg xxviii]

The cause of my writing at this time, good sweetheart, is only tounderstand of your good health and prosperity; whereof to know I would beas glad as in manner mine own, praying God that (an it be His pleasure) tosend us shortly together, for I promise you I long for it. How be it, Itrust it shall not be long to; and seeing my darling is absent, I can dono less than to send her some flesh, representing my name, which is hartflesh for Henry, prognosticating that hereafter, God willing, you may[Pg xxix]enjoy some of mine, which He pleased, I would were now.

As touching your sisters matter, I have caused Walter Welze to write tomy lord my mind therein, whereby I trust that Eve shall not have power todeceive Adam; for surely, whatsoever is said, it cannot so stand with hishonour but that he must needs take her, his natural daughter, now in herextreme necessity.

No more to you at this time, mine own darling, but that with a wish Iwould we were together an evening.

With the hand of yours,

H. R.

[Pg xxx]

Since your last letters, mine own darling, Walter Welshe, Master Browne,Thos. Care, Grion of Brearton, and John Coke, the apothecary, be fallen ofthe sweat in this house, and, thanked be God, all well recovered, so thatas yet the plague is not fully ceased here, but I trust shortly it shall.By the mercy of God, the rest of us yet be well, and I trust shall passit, either not to have it, or, at the least, as easily as the rest havedone.

As touching the matter of Wilton, my lord cardinal hath had the nuns[Pg xxxi]before him, and examined them, Mr. Bell being present; which hathcertified me that, for a truth, she had confessed herself (which we wouldhave had abbess) to have had two children by two sundry priests; and,further, since hath been kept by a servant of the Lord Broke that was, andthat not long ago. Wherefore I would not, for all the gold in the world,clog your conscience nor mine to make her ruler of a house which is of soungodly demeanour; nor, I trust, you would not that neither for brothernor sister, I should so destain mine honour or conscience. And, astouching the prioress, or Dame Eleanors eldest sister, though there isnot any evident case proved against them, and that the[Pg xxxii] prioress is so oldthat for many years she could not be as she was named; yetnotwithstanding, to do you pleasure, I have done that neither of themshall have it, but that some other good and well-disposed woman shall haveit, whereby the house shall be the better reformed (whereof I ensure youit had much need), and God much the better served.

As touching your abode at Hever, do therein as best shall like you, foryou best know what air doth best with you; but I would it were comethereto (if it pleased God), that neither of us need care for that, for Iensure you I think it long. Suche is fallen sick of the sweat, andtherefore I send you this bearer, because I think you long[Pg xxxiii] to heartidings from us, as we do likewise from you.

Written with the hand de votre seul,

H. R.

[Pg xxxiv]

The approach of the time for which I have so long waited rejoices me somuch, that it seems almost to have come already. However, the entireaccomplishment cannot be till the two persons meet, which meeting is moredesired by me than anything in this world; for what joy can be greaterupon earth than to have the company of her who is dearest to me, knowinglikewise that she does the same on her part, the thought of which gives methe greatest pleasure.

[Pg xxxv]Judge what an effect the presence of that person must have on me, whoseabsence has grieved my heart more than either words or writing canexpress, and which nothing can cure, but that begging you, my mistress, totell your father from me, that I desire him to hasten the time appointedby two days, that he may be at court before the old term, or, at farthest,on the day prefixed; for otherwise I shall think he will not do thelovers turn, as he said he would, nor answer my expectation.

No more at present for lack of time, hoping shortly that by word of mouthI shall tell you the rest of the sufferings endured by me from yourabsence.

[Pg xxxvi]Written by the hand of the secretary, who wishes himself at this momentprivately with you, and who is, and always will be,

Your loyal and most assured Servant,

H. no other A B seek R.

[Pg xxxvii]

DARLING, I heartily recommend me to you, ascertaining you that I am nota little perplexed with such things as your brother shall on my partdeclare unto you, to whom I pray you give full credence, for it were toolong to write. In my last letters I writ to you that I trusted shortly tosee you, which is better known at London than with any that is about me,whereof I not a little marvel; but lack of discreet handling must needs bethe cause thereof. No more to you at this time,[Pg xxxviii] but that I trust shortlyour meetings shall not depend upon other mens light handlings, but uponour own.

Written with the hand of him that longeth to be yours.

H. R.

[Pg xxxix]

MINE own SWEETHEART, this shall be to advertise you of the greatelengeness that I find here since your departing; for, I ensure youmethinketh the time longer since your departing now last, than I was wontto do a whole fortnight. I think your kindness and my fervency of lovecauseth it; for, otherwise, I would not have thought it possible that forso little a while it should have grieved me. But now that I am comingtowards you, methinketh my pains be half removed; and also I am rightwell[Pg xl] comforted in so much that my book maketh substantially for mymatter; in looking whereof I have spent above four hours this day, whichcauseth me now to write the shorter letter to you at this time, because ofsome pain in my head; wishing myself (especially an evening) in mysweethearts arms, whose pretty dukkys I trust shortly to kiss.

Written by the hand of him that was, is, and shall be yours by his ownwill,

H. R.

[Pg xli]

DARLING, Though I have scant leisure, yet, remembering my promise, Ithought it convenient to certify you briefly in what case our affairsstand. As touching a lodging for you, we have got one by my lordcardinals means, the like whereof could not have been found hereaboutsfor all causes, as this bearer shall more show you. As touching our otheraffairs, I assure you there can be no more done, nor more diligence used,nor all manner of dangers better both foreseen and provided for, so[Pg xlii] thatI trust it shall be hereafter to both our comforts, the specialitieswhereof were both too long to be written, and hardly by messenger to bedeclared. Wherefore, till you repair hither, I keep something in store,trusting it shall not be long to; for I have caused my lord, your father,to make his provisions with speed; and thus for lack of time, darling, Imake an end of my letter, written with the hand of him which I would wereyours.

H. R.

[Pg xliii]

The reasonable request of your last letter, with the pleasure also that Itake to know them true, causeth me to send you these news. The legatewhich we most desire arrived at Paris on Sunday or Monday last past, sothat I trust by the next Monday to hear of his arrival at Calais: and thenI trust within a while after to enjoy that which I have so long longedfor, to Gods pleasure and our both comforts.

No more to you at this present, mine own darling, for lack of time,[Pg xliv] butthat I would you were in mine arms, or I in yours, for I think it longsince I kissed you.

Written after the killing of a hart, at eleven of the clock, minding, withGods grace, to-morrow, mightily timely, to kill another, by the handwhich, I trust, shortly shall be yours.

Henry R.

[Pg xlv]

To inform you what joy it is to me to understand of your conformablenesswith reason, and of the suppressing of your inutile and vain thoughts withthe bridle of reason. I assure you all the good in this world could notcounterpoise for my satisfaction the knowledge and certainty thereof,wherefore, good sweetheart, continue the same, not only in this, but inall your doings hereafter; for thereby shall come, both to you and me, thegreatest quietness that may be in this world.

[Pg xlvi]The cause why the bearer stays so long, is the business I have had todress up gear for you; and which I trust, ere long to cause you occupy:then I trust to occupy yours, which shall be recompense enough to me forall my pains and labour.

The unfeigned sickness of this well-willing legate doth somewhat retardhis access to your person; but I trust verily, when God shall send himhealth, he will with diligence recompense his demur. For I know well wherehe hath said (touching the saying and bruit that he is thought imperial)that it shall be well known in this matter that he is not imperial; andthus, for lack of time, sweetheart, farewell.

[Pg xlvii]Written with the hand which fain would be yours, and so is the heart.

R. H.

[Pg xlviii]

[Pg xlix]

[Pg l]

[Pg li]

The Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, perhaps the most remarkabledocuments of the kind known to exist, were published at Oxford in 1720 byHearne, in a volume entitled Roberti de Avesbury Historia de mirabilibusgestis Edwardi III, and inserted in the third volume of the HarleianMiscellany, 1745. These two editions differ considerably from each other,and still more so from the transcripts here given, which are taken fromthe edition printed at Paris by M. Meon, who held a situation in theManuscript Department of the Bibliothque de Roi. The fifth andthirteenth, however, which are not comprehended in the Vatican collection,are supplied from Hearnes work. Of the seventeen letters of which theseries[Pg lii] consists, eight are written in English and nine in French.

They appear to have been written after Anne Boleyn had been sent away fromcourt, in consequence of reports injurious to her reputation, which hadbegun to be publicly circulated. Her removal indeed was so abrupt that shehad resolved never to return. The king soon repented his harshness, andstrove to persuade her to come back; but it was a long time, and notwithout great trouble, before he could induce her to comply. Herretirement did not take place before the month of May, 1528; this isproved by a letter from Fox, Bishop of Hereford, to Gardiner, Bishop ofWinchester, dated the 4th of May, in that year, in which the writer, whohad just returned from Rome, whither he had been sent to negotiate thekings divorce, gives an account of his landing[Pg liii] at Sandwich on the 2nd,of his arrival on the same night at Greenwich, where the king then was,and of the order he received from him to go to the apartments of AnneBoleyn, which were in the Tiltyard, and inform her how anxious he had beento hasten the arrival of the legate, and how much he was rejoiced by it.This letter, formerly in the collection of Harley, Earl of Oxford, is nowat Rome.

It must have been very soon afterwards that Anne Boleyn left the court. Infact, in the first letter (4 of this series) the king excuses himself forbeing under the necessity of parting from her. In the second (6) hecomplains of the dislike which she shows to return to court; but inneither of them does he allude to the pestilential disease which in thatyear committed such ravages in England. In the third (10), however, he[Pg liv]does advert to it as a disorder which has prevailed for some time, and onwhich he makes some observations.

Between this letter, probably written in the month of July, and the sixth(17), in which the king speaks of the arrival of the legate in Paris, andwhich must have been written about the end of September, there are twoletters (1 and 5) certainly written within a few days of each other. Inthe second of these two, viz., the fifth of this series, the kingexpresses his extreme satisfaction which he has received from the ladysanswer to his request. In the effusion of his gratitude, he pays a visitto his mistress, and both address a letter (8) to Cardinal Wolsey, inwhich Henry manifests his astonishment at not having yet heard of thearrival of Campeggio, the legate, in Paris. The date of this letter maythus be fixed in the month of September.

[Pg lv]The fourth (1), apparently written in August, is the most interesting ofthe whole collection, inasmuch as it fixes the period of the commencementof the kings affection for Anne Boleyn. He complains of having beenabove a whole year struck with the dart of love, and that he is not yetcertain whether he shall succeed in finding a place in the heart andaffections of her whom he loves.

The last letter (18), which makes mention of the illness of the legate asthe cause of the delay in the affair of the divorce, shows that thiscorrespondence ended in May, 1529, at which time the court of legates wasopen for the final decision of that point.

Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, subsequently created Earl ofWiltshire, after passing many years at the court of Claude, queen ofFrancis I of France, returned to England about the end of the[Pg lvi] year 1525,at the age of eighteen. Here she was soon appointed maid of honour toQueen Katherine, and attracted the particular attentions of Henry VIII,who was then engaged in soliciting a divorce from the Pope. The markedpreference shown by the king for Anne Boleyn raised so much jealousy andslander that it was thought advisable by her family to remove the newfavourite from the court; and it was during this retirement at Hever, aseat of her fathers in Kent, that these letters were addressed to her byher royal lover. It was no doubt to render them the more agreeable that hewrote some of them in French. They breathe a fondness and an ardour whichcould scarcely leave room to doubt the sincerity of his love.

We have reprinted Mr. Halliwell Phillips to call attention to the changein[Pg lvii] order in this edition. A very little study of the letters themselvesshowed that the old order was impossible. The first six fall into a groupby themselves, the 6th being the first to which we gave a nearlyapproximate date (July, 1527), before Annes return to court. Henryspassion must date therefore from 1526. The 7th is fixed by references inother correspondence to February, 1528, and the 8th to June before sheleft the court. The 9th, 10th and 11th relate to the sweating sickness(end of June, order fixed by incidental references), and the 12th is afterJuly 5th; the 13th and 14th are before her return. The reference to hisbook in No. 15 fixes the date as August, and No. 16 is fixed for August20th, by Wolseys finding a lodging for Anne. No. 17 is fixed forSeptember (16th?) by Campeggios arrival at Paris (September 14, 1528),and No. 18 by[Pg lviii] his illness as towards the end of October. The scheme hadbeen partly worked out when the editor observed that Mr. Brewer hadalready arranged them in his Calendar of State Papers, and to himtherefore this order is due.

The old arrangement was 4, 6, 10, 1, 5, 17, 16, 2, 11, 3, 13, 9, 12, 7,14, 15, 18, 8.

Page x. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written July, 1527. Aut illic, autnullibi. Either there, or nowhere.

The signature means H. seeks no other (heart). R.

xiii. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. This letter was written in July, 1527.

xvi. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written February, 1528. Ultra posse nonest esse. One cant do more than the possible.

xviii. Anne Boleyn to Cardinal Wolsey. MS. Cott. Vitellius, B. xii. f.4. Written June 11, 1528. Printed by Ellis as from[Pg lix] Katherine of Arragon.There is another letter from Anne to Wolsey, thanking him for a present.It is very similar to this, and is found in MS. Cott. Otho. c. x. f. 218(printed in Burnet, i, 104, and in Ellis, Original Letters, vol. i).

xxii. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written June 16, 1528.

xxv. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. This letter was written June 20. It.The sweating sickness. This is the 1528 epidemic.

Your brother. George Boleyn, afterwards Viscount Rochford, executed 1536on a charge of incest.

xxviii. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written about June 22, 1528. Welzeis the same person as Welshe on p. xxx.

xxx. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written July 6 (?), 1528. Suche isprobably Zouch.

Destain. Stain.

[Pg lx]xxxiv. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written July 20, 1528.

xxxvii. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written July 21, 1528.

xxxix. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written August, 1528. Elengeness.Loneliness, misery.

My book. On the unlawfulness of his marriage with Katherine.

xli. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written August 20, 1528.

xliii. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written September 16, 1528. Campeggioactually arrived at Calais on Monday, September 14.

xlv. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Written at the end of October, 1528.

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