had Wife more loyal in all Duty, and in all true Affection, than you have ever found in Anne Bullen ; with which Name and Place I could willingly have contented myself, if God and your Grace's Pleafure had been fo pleafed. Neither did I, at any Time, fo far forget myfelf in my Exaltation, or received Queenfhip, but that I always looked for fuch an Alteration as now I find: For the Ground of my Preferment being on no furer Foundation than your Grace's Fancy, the leaft Alteration, I know, was fit and fufficient to draw that Fancy to fome other Subject. You have chofen me, from a low Eftate, to be your Queen and Companion, far beyond my Defert and Defire. If then you found me worthy of fuch Honour, good your Grace let not any light Fancy, or bad Counsel of mine Enemies, withdraw your princely Favour from me; neither let that Stain, that unworthy Stain, of a difloyal Heart towards your good Grace ever caft fo foul a Blot on your moft dutiful Wife, and the infant Princefs your Daughter. Try me, good King, but let me have a lawful Trial; and let not my fworn Enemies fit as my Accufers and Judges: Yea, let me receive an open Trial (for my Truth fhall fear no open Shame) then fhall you fee either mine Innocence cleared, your Sufpicion and Confcience fatisfied, the Ignominy and Slander of the World stopped, or my Guilt openly declared. Sa that whatsoever God or you may determine of me, your Grace may be freed from an open Cenfure, and mine Offence being fo lawfully proved, your Grace is at Liberty, both before God and Man, not only to execute worthy Punishment on me, as an unlawful Wife, but to follow your Affection, already fettled on that Party, for whofe Sake I am now as I am, whofe Name I could, fome good

while fince, have pointed unto your Grace, being not ignorant of my Sufpicion therein. But if you have already determined of me, and that not only my Death, but an infamous Slander must bring you the enjoying of your defired Happiness, then I defire of God that he will pardon your great Sin therein, and likewife mine Enemies, the Inftruments thereof; and that he will not call you to a ftrict Account for your unprincely and cruel Usage. of me, at his general Judgment-feat, where both you and myself muft fhortly appear, and in whose Judgment, I doubt not (whatsoever the World may think of me) mine Innocence fhall be openly known, and fufficiently cleared. My laft and only Request shall be, that myself may only bear the. Burthen of your Grace's Displeasure, and that it may not touch the innocent Souls of thofe poor. Gentlemen, who, as I understand, are likewise in ftrait Imprisonment for my fake. If ever I found Favour in your Sight, if ever the Name of Anne Bullen hath been pleafing in your Ears, then let me. obtain this Requeft, and I will fo leave to trouble your Grace any farther, with my earnest Prayers. to the Trinity to have your Grace in his good. keeping, and to direct you in all your Actions. From my doleful Prifon in the Tower, the 6th of May,

Your most loyals

And ever faithful Wife,

ANNE BULLEN.

LETTER VIII.

An original Letter from Lady More to Mr. Secretary Cromwell.

Right Honorable, and my efpecyall gud Maifter Secretarye: In my moft humble Wyfe I recommend me unto your gud Mastershypp, knowlegyng myfelf to be moft deply boundyn to your gud Maifterfhypp, for your manyfold Gudneffe, and lovyng Favor, both before this Tyme, and yet dayly, now alfo fhewyd towards my poure Hufband and me. I pray Almyghtye God continew your Gudnes fo ftyll, for thereupon hangith the greatest Part of my poure Hufband's Comfort and myne. The Caufe of my Wrytyng, at this Tyme, is to certyfye your efpeciall gud Maifterfhypp of my great and extreme Neceflyte; which, on and befydes the Charge of myn own House, doe pay weekly 15 Shillings for the Bord-wages of my poure Husband, and his Servant; for the mayntaining whereof, I have ben compellyd, of verey Neceflyte, to fell Part of myn Apparell, for lack of other Subftance to make Money of. Wherefore my moft humble Petition and Sewte to your Maisterfhypp at this Time, is to defire your Maifterfhipp's favorable Advyfe and Counsell whether I may be fo bold to attend upon the King's moft gracyoufe Highnes. I truft theyr is no Dowte in the Caufe of my Impediment; for the yonge Man, being a Ploughman, had been dyfeafed with the Aggue by the Space of three Years before that he departed. And befides this, it is now fyve Weeks fith he departed, and no other Person dyf

eased

eafed in the Houfe fith that Tyme; wherefore I most humblye befeche your efpecyal_gud Maisterfhypp (as my only Truft is, and ells knowe not what to doe, but utterly in this World to be undone) for the Love of God to confyder the Premiffes; and therupponn, of your moft fubundant Gudnes, to fhewe your moft favorable Helpe to the comfortyng of my poure Hufband and me, in this our great Hevynes, extreme Age, and Neceffyte. And thus we, and all ours, fhall dayly, duryng our Lyves, pray to God for the profperous Succefle of your ryght honorable Dygnyte.

By your poure contynuall Oratryx,

Dame ALIS MORE.

To the Ryght Honourable, and her efpecyali gud Maifter, Maifter Secretarye.

Lady Stafford to Mr. Secretary Cromwell.

After Sekrytory, after my pour Recommandaf

fhyons which ys fmally to be regardyd off me that ame a pour banyfhd Kreatur-Thys fhall be to defyre you to be goode to my pour Housbande and to me. I am feur yt ys nat oneknone to you the hy Dyfpleffure that bothe he and I have bothe of the Kyngs Hynes and the Queens Gras, by the Reffon of our Maryagge wytheout thayr Knollyge, wheryn we bothe doe yeld our felfs faulty, and doe knollyge that we dyd nat walle to be fo hafty nor fo bold wytheout thayr Knollyge. But wone Thyng, good Mafter Sekretory, confedar, that he was younge, and Love ovarcame Reffone

;

and

and for my Part, I faw fo myche Onefty yn hym, that I loyd hyme as well as he dyd me, and was yn Bondagge, and glade I was to be at Lybarty: So that for my Part I faw that all the World dyd fete fo lytyll by me, and he fo myche, that I thoute I could take no betar Way but to take hyme, and to forfake all othar Ways, and lyve a pour onefte Lyffe wythe hym; and fo I doe pout no Douts but we fhould, if we myht wons be fo hapy to recouver the Kyng's grafshyous Favour and the Quen's. For well I myht a had a greater Mane of Birth, and a hyhar; but I ynfuer you I could nevar a had wone that should a lovyd me fo well, nor a mor onest Man. And byfydes that, he ys bothe come offe an aunffyent Stok, and agayn as mete (yeff yt was hys Graffys Plefaur) to doe the Kyng Servys as any young Jentyllmane yne hys Court. Therefore, good Maftar Sekretory, thys fhall be my Sute to you, that for the Loue that well I kno you doe ber to all my Bloude, tho' for my Part I have not defarvyd yt but finally, bye the Reffone of my vylle Condafshyons, as to pout my Houfband to the Kyng's Gras, that he may doe hys Duty as all outhar Jentyllmene doe; and, good Maftar Sekretory, fue for us to the Kyng's Hynes, and beshych, his Hynes, whyche ever was wount to take Pety, to have Pety one ous; and that yt woull ples hys Gras, of his Goodines, to fpeke to the Qwen's Gras for ous; for as far as I cane parfayve, her Gras ys fo hyly dyfpleffed wyth ous both, that wythoute the Kyng be fo Good Lord to ous, as to wythedraw hys Reguor, and fue for ous, we are nevar lyke to recovar har Grafys Favoor, whych ys to hevy to ber. And feinge ther ys no Remydy, for God's Sake help ous for we have byne now a quarter off a yer maryyd, I thanke God, and to late now to

call