Henry VIII wrote 17 letters to Anne Boleyn between May 1527 and October 1528.
They were all undated so the order given here (and the dates) are in the order listed in the 1906 book published by John W Luce and Company, rather than the order of the Harleian Miscellany, because, as J. O. Halliwell Philipps points out in his notes on the letters, they only make sense in this order.
Love Letter 1 - Written sometime after Anne Boleyn had retired to Hever after May 1527.
IN turning over in my mind the contents of your last letters, I have put myself into great agony, not knowing how to interpret them, whether to my disadvantage, as you show in some places, or to my advantage, as I understand them in some others, beseeching you earnestly to let me know expressly your whole mind as to the love between us two. It is absolutely necessary for me to obtain this answer, having been for above a whole year stricken with the dart of love, and not yet sure whether I shall fail of finding a place in your heart and afFeftion [affection], which last point has prevented me for some time past from calling you my mistress; because, if you 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 you please to do the office of a true loyal mistress and friend, and to give up yourself body and heart to me, who will be, and have been, your most loyal servant, (if your rigour does not forbid me) I promise you that not only the name shall be given you, but also that I will take you for my only mistress, casting off all others besides you out of my thoughts and afFeftions [affections], and serve you only. I beseech you to give an entire answer to this my rude letter, that I may know on what and how far I may depend. And if it does not please you to answer me in writing, appoint some place where I may have it by word of mouth, and I will go thither with all my heart. No more, for fear of tiring you. Written by the hand of him who would willingly remain yours, H. R.
Love Letter 2
THOUGH it is not fitting for a gentleman to take his lady in the place of a servant, yet, complying with your desire, I willingly grant it you, if thereby you can find yourself less uncomfortable in the place chosen by yourself, than you have been in that which I gave you, thanking you cordially that you are pleased still to have some remembrance of me. 6, n. A. I de A. b. na. v. e. z. [or 6.n.A.I de A.o.na.v.e.z]
Love Letter 3
ALTHOUGH, my Mistress, it has not pleased you to remember the promise you made me when I was last with you ‐ that is, to hear good news from you, and to have an answer to my last letter; yet it seems to me that it belongs to a true servant (seeing that otherwise he can know nothing) to inquire the health of his mistress, and to acquit myself of the duty of a true servant, I send you this letter, beseeching you to apprise me of your welfare, which I pray to God may continue as long as I desire mine own. And to cause you yet oftener to remember me, I send you, by the bearer of this, a buck killed late last night by my own hand, hoping that when you eat of it you may think of the hunter; and thus, for want of room, I must end my letter, written by the hand of your servant, who very often wishes for you instead of your brother. H. R.
Love Letter 4
MY MISTRESS & FRIEND, my heart and I surrender ourselves into your hands, beseeching you to hold us commended to your favour, and that by absence your afFeftion [affection] to us may not be lessened: for it were a great pity to increase our pain, of which absence produces enough and more than I could ever have thought could be felt, reminding us of a point in astronomy which is this: the longer the days are, the more distant is the sun, and nevertheless the hotter; so is it with our love, for by absence we 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 my part the pain of absence is already too great for me; and when I think of the increase of that which I am forced to suffer, it would be almost intolerable, but for the firm hope I have of your unchangeable affedtion for me: and to remind you of this sometimes, and seeing that I cannot be personally present with you, I now send you the nearest thing I can to that, 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 please you. This is from the hand of your loyal servant and friend, H.R.
Love Letter 5 - July 1527
FOR a present so beautiful that
nothing could be more so (considering the whole of it), I thank you
most cordially, not only on account
of the fine diamond and the ship in
which the solitary damsel is tossed
about, but chiefly for the fine interpretation and the too humble submission which your goodness hath
used towards me in this case; for I
think it would be very difficult for
me to find an occasion to deserve it,
if I were not assisted by your great
humanity and favour, which I have
always sought to seek, and will seek
to preserve by all the kindness in my
power, in which my hope has placed
its unchangeable intention, which
says, Aut illic, aut nullibi [there or nowhere].
The demonstrations of your affection are such, the beautiful mottoes
of the letter so cordially expressed,
that they oblige me for ever to honour, love, and serve you sincerely, beseeching you to continue in the same
firm and constant purpose, assuring
you that, on my part, I will surpass
it rather than make it reciprocal, if
loyalty of heart and a desire to please
you can accomplish this.
I beg, also, if at any time before this
I have in anyway offended you, that
you would give me the same absolution that you ask, assuring you, that
henceforward my heart shall be dedicated to you alone. I wish my person was so too. God can do it, if He
pleases, to whom I pray every day for
that end, hoping that at length my
prayers will be heard. I wish the time
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,
H. aultre A.B. ne cherse R
(The A.B at the bottom of the letter was in a heart)
Love Letter 6 - July 1527
TO MY MISTRESS. Because the time seems very long since I heard concerning your health and you, the great afFeftion I have for you has induced me to send you this bearer, to be better informed of your health and pleasure, and because, since my parting from you, I have been told that the opinion in which I left you is totally changed, and that you would not come to court either with your mother, if you could, or in any other manner; which report, if true, I cannot sufficiently marvel at, 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 to keep me at a distance both from the speech and the person of the woman that I esteem most in the world: and if you love me with as much affection as I hope you do, I am sure that the distance of our two persons would be a little irksome to you, though this does not belong so much to the mistress 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 for certain that you voluntarily desired it, I could do no other than mourn my illfortune, and by degrees abate my great folly. And so, for lack of time, I make an end of this rude letter, beseeching you to give credence to this bearer in all that he will tell you from me. Written by the hand of your entire Servant, H.R.
Love Letter 7 - February 1528
DARLING, these shall be
only to advertise you that this
bearer and his fellow be despatched
with as many things to compass our
matter, and to bring it to pass as our
wits could imagine or devise; which
brought to pass, as I trust, by their
diligence, it shall be shortly, you and
I shall have our desired end, which
should be more to my heart's ease,
and more quietness to my mind, than
any other thing in the world; as, with
God's grace, shortly I trust shall be
proved, but not so soon as I would
it were; yet I will ensure you that
there shall be no time lost that may
be won, and further can not be done;
for ultra posse non est esse [One can't do more than is possible]. Keep him
not too long with you, but desire
him, for your sake, to make the more
speed; for the sooner we shall have
word from him, the sooner shall our
matter come to pass. And thus upon
trust of your short repair to London,
I make an end of my letter, my own
sweet heart.
Written with the hand of him
which desireth as much to be yours
as you do to have him.
H. R.
Love Letter 8 - June 16th 1528
THERE came to me suddenly
in the night the most afflicting news that could have arrived.
The first, to hear of the sickness of
my mistress, whom I esteem 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. The second, from the
fear that I have of being still longer
harassed by my enemy. Absence,
much longer, who has hitherto given
me all possible uneasiness, and as far
as I can judge is determined to spite
me more because I pray God to rid
me of this troublesome tormentor.
The third, because the physician in
whom I have most confidence, is absent at the very time when he might
do me the greatest pleasure; for I
should hope, by him and his means,
to obtain one of my chief joys on
earth ‐ that is the care of my mistress ‐ yet for want of him I send you
my second, and hope that he will
soon make you well. I shall then love
him more than ever. I beseech you
to be guided by his advice in your
illness. In so doing I hope soon to see
you again, which will be to me a
greater comfort than all the precious
jewels in the world.
Written by that secretary, who is,
and for ever will be, your loyal and
most assured Servant,
H. (A B) R.
Love Letter 9 - June 20th 1528
THE uneasiness my doubts about
your health gave me, disturbed
and alarmed me exceedingly, and I
should not have had any quiet without hearing certain tidings. But now,
since you have as yet felt nothing, I
hope, and am assured that it will spare
you, as I hope it is doing with us. For
when we were at Walton, two ushers, two valets de chambres and your
brother, master-treasurer, fell ill, but
are now quite well ; and since we have
returned to our house at Hunsdon,
we have been perfedlly well, and have
not, at present, one sick person, God
be praised; and I think, if you would
retire from Surrey, as we did, you
would escape all danger. There is
another thing that may comfort you,
which is, that, in truth in this distemper few or no women have been
taken ill, and what is more, no person of our court, and few elsewhere,
have died of it. For which reason I
beg you, my entirely beloved, not to
frighten yourself nor be too uneasy at
our absence; for wherever I am, I am
yours, and yet we must sometimes
submit to our misfortunes, for whoever will struggle against fate is generally but so much the farther from
gaining his end: wherefore comfort
yourself, and take courage and avoid
the pestilence as much as you can,
for I hope shortly to make you sing,
la renvoyé. No more at present, from
lack of time, but that I wish you in
my arms, that I might a little dispel
your unreasonable thoughts.
Written by the hand of him who
is and alway will be yours,
Im-H. R-mutable.
Love Letter 10 - June 22nd 1528
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 (an it be His
pleasure) to send us shortly together,
for I promise you I long for it. How
be it, I trust it shall not be long to;
and seeing my darling is absent, I can
do no less than to send her some flesh,
representing my name, which is hart
flesh for Henry, prognosticating that
hereafter, God willing, you may enjoy some of mine, which He pleased,
I would were now.
As touching your sister's matter, I
have caused Walter Welze to write
to my lord my 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.
Love Letter 11 - July 1528
SINCE your last letters, mine own
darling, Walter Welshe, Master
Browne, Thos. Care, Grion of Brearton, and John Coke, the apothecary,
be fallen of the sweat in this house,
and, thanked be God, all well recovered, so that as 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
pass it, either not to have it, or, at the
least, as easily as the rest have done.
As touching the matter of Wilton,
my lord cardinal hath had the nuns
before him, and examined them, Mr.
Bell being present ; which hath certified me that, for a truth, she had confessed herself (which we would have
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, and that 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 so ungodly demeanour; nor, I trust, you would not
that neither for brother nor sister, I
should so destain mine honour or conscience. And, as touching the prioress, or Dame Eleanor's eldest sister,
though there is not any evident case
proved against them, and that the
prioress is so old that for many years
she could not be as she was named;
yet notwithstanding, to do you pleasure, have done that neither of them
shall have it, but that some other
good and well-disposed woman shall
have it, whereby the house shall be
the better reformed (whereof I ensure you it had much need), and God
much the better served.
As touching your abode at Hever,
do therein as best shall like you, for
you best know what air doth best with
you; but I would it were come thereto (if it pleased God), that neither of
us need care for that, for I ensure you
I think it long. Suche is fallen sick
of the sweat, and therefore I send you
this bearer, because I think you long
to hear tidings from us, as we do likewise from you.
Written with the hand de votre seul,
H.R.
Love Letter 12 - July 20th 1528
THE approach of the time for
which I have so long waited
rejoices me so much, that it seems
almost to have come already. However, the entire accomplishment cannot be till the two persons meet,
which meeting is more desired by
me than anything in this world; for
what joy can be greater upon earth
than to have the company of her who
is dearest to me, knowing likewise
that she does the same on her part,
the thought of which gives me the
greatest pleasure.
Judge wh at an effect the presence of
that person must have on me, whose
absence has grieved my heart more
than either words or writing can express, and which nothing can cure,
but that begging you, my mistress, to
tell your father from me, that I desire him to hasten the time appointed
by 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 the lover's turn,
as he said he would, nor answer my
expectation.
No more at present for lack of
time, hoping shortly that byword of
mouth I shall tell you the rest of the
sufferings endured by mc from your
absence.
Written by the hand of the secretary, who wishes himself at this moment privately with you, and who is,
and always will be.
Your loyal and most assured Servant,
H. no other A B seek R.
Love Letter 13 - July 21st 1528
DARLING, I heartily recommend me to you, ascertaining
you that I am not a little perplexed
with such things as your brother
shall on my part declare unto you,
to whom I pray you give full credence, for it were too long to write.
In my last letters I writ to you that
I trusted shortly to see 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 be the cause
thereof. No more to you at this time,
but that I trust shortly our meetings
shall not depend upon other men's
light handlings, but upon our own.
Written with the hand of him that
longeth to be yours.
H. R.
Love Letter 14 - August 1528
MINE own SWEETHEART,
this shall be to advertise you
of the great elengeness that I find here
since your departing ; for, I ensure you
methinketh the time longer since
your departing now last, than I was
wont to do a whole fortnight. I think
your kindness and my fervency of love
causeth it ; for, otherwise, I would not
have thought it possible that for so
little a while it should have grieved
me. But now that I am coming towards you, methinketh my pains be
half removed ; and also I am right well
comforted in so much that my book
maketh substantially for my matter;
in looking whereof I have spent above
four hours this day, which causeth me
now to write the shorter letter to you
at this time, because of some pain in
my head; wishing myself (especially
an evening) in my sweetheart's arms,
whose pretty dukkys I trust shortly
to kiss.
Written by the hand of him that
was, is, and shall be yours by his own
will,
H.R.
Love Letter 15 - August 20th 1528
DARLING, Though I have
scant leisure, yet, remembering my promise, I thought it convenient to certify you briefly in what
case our affairs stand. As touching
a lodging for you, we have got one
by my lord cardinal's means, the like
whereof could not have been found
hereabouts for all causes, as this bearer
shall more show you. As touching our
other affairs, 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
that I trust it shall be hereafter to both
our comforts, the specialities whereof
were both too long to be written, and
hardly by messenger to be declared.
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, I make an end of my
letter, written with the hand of him
which I would were yours.
H.R.
Love Letter 16 - September 16th 1528
THE reasonable request of your
last letter, with the pleasure also
that I take to know them true, causeth me to send you these news. The
legate which we most desire 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 long
longed for, to God's pleasure and our
both 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 a hart,
at eleven of the clock, minding, with
God's grace, to-morrow, mightily
timely, to kill another, by the hand
which, I trust, shortly shall be yours.
Henry R.
Love Letter 17 - End October 1528
To inform you what joy it is to me to understand of your confortableness with reason, and of the suppressing of your inutile and vain thoughts with the bridle of reason. I assure you all the good in this world could not counterpoise for my satisfaction the knowledge and certainty thereof, wherefore, good sweetheart, continue the same, not only in this, but in all your doings hereafter; for thereby shall come, both to you and me, the greatest quietness that may be in this world. The cause why the bearer stays so long, is the business I have had to dress 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 for all my pains and labour. The unfeigned sickness of this well-willing legate doth somewhat retard his access to your person; but I trust verily, when God shall send him health, he will with diligence recompense his demur. For I know well where he 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; and thus, for lack of time, sweetheart, farewell. Written with the hand which fain would be yours, and so is the heart. R. H.
9th July 2023, 09:35