negligence of yours (with which you supposed I should accuse you), nor carelessness and idleness, which you have ever shunned as it were a serpent and poison; but your alacrity and diligence, your good-will-in short, that love of yours, which you have always borne to me. For you not only endeavoured, as far as was in you, to accompany me coming hither; but also, when you did not succeed, you sent me a letter, for which I give you no small thanks. For who will think the letter of him unwelcome, whose presence was to me most agreeable? God preserve you safe and in health. Farewell! Prince Edward to his sister Elizabeth.1 Change of place, in fact, did not vex me so much, dearest sister, as your going from me. Now, however, nothing can happen more agreeable to me than a letter from you; and especially as you were the first to send a letter to me, and have challenged me to write. Wherefore I thank you both for your good-will and despatch. I will then strive, to my utmost power, if not to surpass, at least to equal you in good-will and zeal. But this is some comfort to my grief, that I hope to visit you shortly (if no accident intervene with either me or you), as my chamberlain has reported to me. Farewell, dearest sister! 5th December, 1546. EDWARD THE PRINCE. letter has no date, but was probably written before Edward's accession to the throne- certainly before Hertford received the dukedom, which took place very shortly afterwards. 1 MS. Harl. 5087, f. 11. From the Latin. Prince Edward to his sister Mary.1 This one letter, my dearest sister, serves for two purposes; the one, to return you thanks for your Newyear's gift; the other, to satisfy my desire of writing to you. Your New-year's gift was of that kind, that I needs must set a very high value on it on account of its great beauty, and much approve it on account of the love of the giver. My fondness for writing to you is so great that, although I hope to visit you shortly, yet, as I have leisure, I can scarcely be satisfied with myself, unless I write to you. For I cannot but love ardently one, by whom I find I am very much beloved. May the Lord Jesus keep you in safety. At Hartford, the tenth of January. Your most loving brother, EDWARD THE PRINCE. Prince Edward to Queen Catherine.2 That I have not written to you so long, most illustrious Queen and dearest mother, the reason is, not negligence, but over-earnestness; for I need not this, because I did not purpose to write at all, but to write with more correctness. Wherefore, I hope you will be satisfied and glad that I have not written before; for you wish me to improve in all genteel accomplishment and piety, which is a token of your signal and lasting love to 1 MSS. Harl. 6842. Art. 9. From the Latin. From the Latin. Jan 1547 wards me. And this love you have manifested to me by many kindnesses, and specially by this New-year's gift, which you have lately sent to me, wherein the king's majesty's image and your own is contained, expressed to the life. For it delighteth me much to gaze upon your likenesses, though absent, whom, with the greatest pleasure, I would see present; and to whom I am bounden, as well by nature as by duty. Wherefore, I give you greater thanks for this Newyear's gift than if you had sent me costly garments or embossed gold or any other magnificent thing. May God keep in safety and health your highness, whom I hope to visit shortly. At Hatfield, 14th January, 1546. EDWARD THE PRINCE. To the Archbishop of Canterbury.1 Two things there are that spur me on to write a letter to you, most loving godfather; the first, to thank you for the cup; and, secondly, for the letter that you last sent me. Your cup bears evidence that you wish me many very happy years. But from your letters I have reaped much profit; because in them you exhort me and (as it were) give me a spur to master polite literature, which will be serviceable to me, when I shall have reached man's estate. Besides, polite literature and the liberal arts ought to be and must be learnt by MSS. Harl. 5087, f. 13. From the Latin. The prelate addressed in this letter was Cranmer, who was one of the sponsors for Edward at his baptism. me. As Aristippus used to say, Learn, O boy, what is likely to be of use to you when a man; and what Cicero, that most eloquent author, writes, answers to this: "The pursuits of letters nourish youth, delight old age; are an ornament to prosperity, afford an asylum and a comfort in adversity; delight us at home, are no hindrance abroad; they pass away the night, they travel with us, they go with us into the country." In fine, I would entreat you that you take in good part my Latinity more barbarous than barbarism itself; whereas, your style of writing is most surpassing. Farewell, most loving godfather, more dear to me than my eyes; to whom I wish a great degree of happiness. At Hartford, 24th January, 1546. EDWARD THE PRINCE. To the Bishop of Chichester.1 Three things there are that induce me to indite a letter to you, my Lord Bishop, more learned than Minerva; in the first place, that I may thank you for the books, which very lately you sent to me; in the second, for the letter; finally (not to appear more uncivil than Timon himself), great thanks are due to you from me for the small books which Cicero, the prince of eloquence, has penned. These books overflow with eloquence like a stream of gold; and moreover they contain even some divine expression. The eloquence of Cicero was singular and admirable; his commentary elegant 1 MS. Harl. 5087, f. 13. From the Latin. and pleasant. Finally, if you compare my Latinity with yours, it were as if you compared clay with jewels; however, that you take mine in good part, I pray you. Farewell, most erudite Lord-Bishop. At Hartford, 25th January, 1546. EDWARD THE PRINCE. Edward VI. to Queen Catherine.2 Many thanks for the letter that you last sent to me, dearest mother; which is a token of your singular and daily love to me. And now, as it hath seemed good to God, the greatest and best of beings, that my father and your husband, our most illustrious sovereign, should end this life, it is a common grief to both. This, however, consoles us, that he is now in heaven, and that he hath gone out of this miserable world into happy and everlasting blessedness. For whoever here leads a virtuous life, and governs the state aright, as my noble father has done, who ever promoted piety and banished all ignorance, hath a most certain journey into heaven. Although nature prompts us to grieve and shed tears for the departure of him now gone from our eyes, yet Scripture and wisdom prompt us to moderate those feelings, lest we appear to have no hope at all of the resurrection of the dead. Besides, as your highness has conferred on 1 A comparison most fully borne out by these crude specimens of royal Latinity. 2 MS. Harl. 5087, f. 14. The death of Henry VIII. had taken place between the date of the former letter and the present. Accounts of his deportment on his death-bed vary considerably; but it will be seen that the young king asserts his end to have been a righteous one. VOL. II. C |