Jesus is my hope.
I am greatly affected by your letter, most eloquent Erasmus, which is at once too elegant to be taken as written in haste, and at the same time too plain and simple to seem premeditated by a mind so ingenious. For in some way those epistles which by a mind thus endowed are brought forth with the more designed elaboration, in like manner carry with them a more studied difficulty. For while we apply ourselves to a purer eloquence, that a pert and clear manner of speech escapes us almost unawares. But this your epistle is to be esteemed as much for its evident perspicuity, so that, in fine, you seem to have achieved every point. But wherefore do I determine to laud your eloquence, whose renown is known throughout the world? Nothing that I am able to fashion in your praise can be enough worthy of that consummate erudition. Wherefore I pass over your praises, in which I think it the more fit to keep silence than to speak in manner too niggard.
The news of the death of the King of Castile my wholly and entirely and best-loved brother, I had reluctantly received very long before your letter. Would that the report thereof had either reached us much later or been less true! For never, since the death of my dearest mother, hath there come to me more hateful intelligence. And to speak truth, I was the scanter well-disposed towards your letter than its singular grace demanded, because it seemed to tear open again the wound to which time had brought insensibility. But indeed those things which are decreed by Heaven are so to be accepted by mortal men. Continue, therefore, if in your parts there be any occurents, to advertise us by letters, but may they be of happier sort. May God bring to a fortunate issue whatsoever may happen that is worthy to be remembered. Farewell. From Richmond, the 17th day of January.
….Your daughter, her Serene Highness the Queen, our dearest consort, with the favour of heaven has conceived in her womb a living child, and is right heavy therewith, which we signify to your majesty for the great joy thereof that we take, and the exultation of our whole realm, and because it will be thus received by your majesty and her Serene Highness the Queen of Castile, to whom be pleased to give our heart greeting…
From our Palace of Greenwich, 1 November 1509.
Your good son, Henry R.
My mistress and friend,
I and my heart commit ourselves into your hands, beseeching you to hold us recommended to your good favour, and that your affection to us may not be by absence diminished; for great pity it were to increase our pain, seeing that absence makes enough of it, and indeed more than I could ever have thought, remembering us of a point in astronomy, which is this: that the longer the days are, the farther off is the sun, and yet, notwithstanding, the hotter; so is it with our love, for we by absence are far sundered, yet it nevertheless keeps us fervency, at the least on my part, holding in hope the like on yours; ensuring you that for myself the annoy of absence doth already too much vex me; and when I think upon the increase of that which of necessity I must needs suffer it is almost intolerable to me, were it not for the firm hope that I have of your ever-during affection towards me; and sometimes to put you in mind of this, and seeing that in person I cannot be in your presence, I send you now the thing most nearly thereto appertaining that it is possible for me to send, which is my picture set in a bracelet, with the whole device which already you know. Wishing myself in their place, when it should please you. This by the hand of your loyal servant and friend.
H.R.
Debating with myself the contents of your letters, I have put myself in great distress, not knowing how to interpret them, whether to my disadvantage, as in some places is shown, or to advantage, as in others I understand them; praying you with all my heart that you will expressly certify me of your whole mind concerning the love between us two. For of necessity I must ensure me of this answer, having been now above one whole year struck with the dart of love, not being assured either of failure or of finding place in your heart and grounded affection. Which last point has kept me for some little time from calling you my mistress, since if you love me in some other sort save that of common affection that name in no wise belongs to you, for it denotes a singular love, far removed from the common. But if it shall please you to do me the office of a true, loyal mistress and friend, and to give yourself up, body and soul, to me who will be and have been your very loyal servant (if by your severity you do not forbid me), I promise you that not only shall the name be given you, but that also I will take you for my only mistress, rejecting from thought and affection all others save yourself, to serve you only. Beseeching you to make me answer absolute to this my rude letter, how far and in what I may put trust; and if it does not please you to make me answer by writing, assign me some place where I may have it from your own mouth, and with well-willing heart I will be there. No more, for fear of wearing you. Written with the hand of him who would willingly remain your H.R.
The cause of my writing at this time, good sweetheart, is only to understand of your good health and prosperity; whereof to know I would be as glad as in manner mine own, praying God (that and it be his pleasure) to send us shortly together, for I promise you I long for it. How be it, trust it shall not be long to; and seeing my darling is absent, I can no less do than to send her some flesh, representing my name, which is hart flesh for Henry, prognosticating that hereafter, God wiling, you must enjoy some of mine, which, he pleased, I would I were now. As touching your sister’s matter, I have caused Walter Welche to write to my lord mine mind therein, whereby I trust that Eve shall not have power to deceive Adam; for surely, whatsoever is said, it cannot so stand, with his honour but that he must needs take her, his natural daughter, now in her extreme necessity. No more to you at this time, mine own darling, but that with a wish I would we were together an evening.
With the hand of yours,
H.R.
The reasonable request of your last letter, with the pleasure also that I take to know them true, causeth me to send you now these news. The legate which we most desired arrived at Paris on Sunday or Monday last past, so that I trust by the next Monday to hear of his arrival at Calais; and then I trust within a while after to enjoy that which I have so longed for, to God’s pleasure, and both our comforts. No more to you at this present, mine own darling, for lack of time, but that I would you were in mine arms, or I in yours, for I think it long since I kissed you. Written after the killing of an hart, at eleven of the clock, (minding, with God’s grace, tomorrow, mightily timely to kill another) by the hand which I trust shortly shall be yours.
Henry R.
Most dearly and most entirely beloved wife, we recommend us heartily unto you, and thank you as well for your letter written unto us by your servant Robert Warner as for the venison which you sent then by him, and now last by Fowler, servant unto our dearest son the prince, for the which we give unto you our hearty thanks, and would have written unto you again a letter with our own hand, but that we be so occupied, and have so much to do in foreseeing and caring for everything ourself, as we have almost no manner rest or leisure to do any other thing.
The cause why we have detained here so long your said servant hath been upon hope to have sent you by him good news of the taking of the town, which no doubt we should have done, by the grace of God, before this time, but that our provision of powder is not come out of Flanders as we thought it would. Within two or three days we look for it here, and then shortly after we trust to write unto you some good news. And yet, in the mean season, we have done somewhat of importance, for we have won (and that without any loss of men) the strongest part of the town, which is the bray [outwork] of the castle—such a piece, and of strength, as now that we have it in our hands we think four hundred of our men within it shall be able to keep it against four thousand of our enemies, and yet it is much weaker to the castle side than it was outward to us.
It lieth afore the castle, which hath no loop or flank to beat it, so as our men be in it in safety in some part thereof, but not in all, having the dyke at our commandment but not with sure biding in it, both for the top of the castle and a ring that goeth about it; for which ring there is good hoping, for we would fain have it, and they be loath to lose it: so sometime it is ours and another time theirs; but yet we trust to set them by it. But hitherto they have hardily defended it, and fought hand to hand for it, much manfuller than other Burgundian or Flemings would have done; for such as we have of them will do no good where any danger is, nor yet abide there with their will. This, and lying in another place within their first dyke, and almost as well entered the second, is hitherto as far forth hath been done, saving that we lie so nigh them round about the town that we take more hurt with stones than ordnance.
Further, the French King is very desirous of a peace, and maketh much suit unto us for the same, insomuch as he hath sent us a letter of his own hand, desiring by the same a safe-conduct for certain notable personages to repair unto us from him in ambassade: that is to say, the Cardinal of Bellay, the premier president of Rouen, the premier treasurer of all the finances of France, the Captain of the Guard to the Dauplin, being a Gentlemen of his Privy Chamber, and one of his principal secretaries, who be come hitherward on their way to Abbeville, attending for our safe-conduct, which we have sent to them, and have appointed our castle of Hardelow (whereof you have been advertised heretofore) for them to repair unto, and fifty horses in their company, twenty to be lodged within our said castle and the rest abroad in other places at our appointment.
And for because the said French king has promised to use our advice for the making of his appointment with the emperor, we have of late written to our ambassador with him to know what things he will demand, which he hath sent to us in certain articles touched somewhat with the extremist; and we again have, upon his desire to know our demand in case the French men would sue to him for peace, sent to him for our demands certain articles containing to have satisfaction of the arrangements due unto us for our pension, with all manner damages and interests which we have sustained by reason of the wars, and also the realm of France, with the duchies of Normandy, Aquitaine and Guienne, which demands we have made to meet with the extremity of the emperor’s demands, which be so sore, as it should appear, that either he mindeth to have no peace, or that, if any peace should be treated, he would pluck the honour of the compounding of it out of our hand, notwithstanding the matter was committed to us by the French king’s suit, and that also, as the French King sayeth, he never made means to the emperor for a peace; all which these our advertisements we pray you communicate unto our Council attendant upon you there.
And whereas you desired to know our pleasure for the accepting into your chamber of certain ladies in places of others that cannot well give their attendance by reason of sickness; albeit we think those whom you have named unto us as unable almost to attend by reason of weakness as the others be, yet we remit the accepting of them to your own choice, thinking, nevertheless, that although they shall not be meet to serve, yet you may, if you think so good, take them into your chamber to pass the time sometime with you at play, or otherwise to accompany you for your recreation.
As touching your request made unto us for Archer’s wife, we are content, at your desire, to stay the giving from her of those things you wrote for, and so may you do there until you hear further of our pleasure in case any person would sue to have any of them.
At the closing up of these our letters the castle aforenamed, with the dyke, is at our commandment, and not like to be recovered by the Frenchmen again, as we trust, not doubting with God’s grace but that the castle and town shall shortly follow the same trade, for as this day, which is the eighth day of September, we begin three batteries, and have three mines going, besides one which hath done his execution in shaking and tearing off one of their greatest bulwarks. No more to you at this time, sweetheart, both for lack of time and great occupation of business, saving we pray you to give in our name our hearty blessings to all our children, and recommendations to our cousin Margaret and the rest of the ladies and gentlewomen, and to our council also.
Written with the hand of your loving husband,
Henry R.