ference in her marriage with King Henry the Eighth. It is addreffed to that Prelate, and is curious for the fimplicity of the style, and the orthography of it.

66

“My Lord, in my most humble wife I thank

your Grace for the gyft of thys benefice for "Mafter Barlo, how behit this ftandeth to non "effecte, for it is made for Tonbridge, and I "would have it (if your pleasure war fo) for "Sondridge; for Tonbrige is in my lord my “father's gyft, bi avowfon that he hath, and it " is not yet voyd. I do troft that your Grace "will graunt him Sundrig, and confidering the

payne that he hath taken, I do thynke that it "fhall be verie well beftovyd, and in fo doing I "reckon myself moche bounde to your Grace. "For all those that have taken pain in the King's "matter, it will be my daily ftudy to imagin "all the waies that I can devyfe to do them "fervis and pleafur. And thus I make amende, "fendyng you again the letter that you fent me, "thankyng your Grace moft humbley for the 66 payne that you take for to wryte to me, affuringe you, that next the Kyng's letter, there is "nothinge that can rejoice me fo moche. With "the hande of her that is most bounde to be "Your most humble

66

My Lord, I befyche your Grace with all my hart to remember the Parfon of Honeymy fake fhortly."

"lane for

The original of the following Letter from. Anne Boleyn to Cardinal Wolfey is alfo in the British Museum; and fhews what pains fhe took, and what artifices fhe made ufe of, to gain the affiftance of that powerful Minifter, in her marriage with King Henry.

66 TO CARDINAL WOLSEY.

MY LORD,

"After my most humble recommendations "this fhall be to give unto your Grace as I am "moft bound my humble thanks for the gret cc payn and travell that your Grace doth take

in ftewdyeng by your wyfdome and gret "dylygens howe to bryng to pas honerably the "gretyft welth that is poffyble to com to any "creator lyvyng and in efpecyall remembryng "howe wrecchyd and unworthy I am in com

paryng to his Highnes And for you I do "knowe myfelf never to have defervyd by my "defertys that you fhuld take this gret payne "for me yet dayly of your goodness I do per"ceyve by all my firends And though that I "hade not knowledge by them the dayly proffe "of your deds doth declare your words and wrytyng

4.

66

"wrytyng toward me to be trewe. Now good 66 my Lord your dyfcreffyon may confyder as yet "howe lytle it is in my power to recompence

you but all onely with my good wyl the " whiche I affewer you that after this matter is "brought to pas you fhall find me as I am "bownd in the meane tym to owe you my "fervyfe and then looke what thyng in this "world I can immagen to do you pleafor in you "fhall fynd me the gladdyft woman in the "woreld to do yt And next unto the kyng's grace of one thyng I make you full promes to "be affewryd to have yt and that is my harty "love unffaynydly dewering my lyf And ແ beyng fully determynd with God's grace "never to change thys porpes I make an end "of thys my reude and trewe meanyd letter "prayng ower Lord to fend you moche increfe "of honer with long lyfe. Wrytten with the "hand of her that befychys your Grace to ex

re

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cept this letter as profydyng from one that is "moft bownde to be

"Your huble and obedyent Servant

"ANNE BOLEYN."

"As foon as Fisher, Bifhop of Rochester, was beheaded," fays Dr. Bayley, in his Life of that Prelate," the executioner carried the "head away in a bag, meaning to have it fet

on London Bridge that night, as he was com"manded. The Lady Ann Boleyn, who was "the chief cause of this holy man's death, had ❝a certain defire to fee the head before it was "fet up. Whereupon, it being brought to her, "she beheld it a space, and at last contemptuously "faid these or the like words:-Is this the head "that so often exclaimed against me? I trust "it shall never do any more harm."

Orders being iffued by Henry the Eighth, that all strangers should be removed out of the Tower of London previous to the execution of Anne Boleyn, Master Kingston, Lieutenant of the Tower, wrote the following letter to Master Thomas Cromwell, afterwards Lord Cromwell and Earl of Effex. The letter is preserved in Lord Herbert's incomparable History of the Life and Reign of King Henry the Eighth.

' SIR,

"If we have not an hour certain (as it may "be known in London) I think here will be but "fewe, and I think a reasonable number were

beft. For I fuppofe fhe will declare herself to "be a good woman for all men but for the King, at the hour of her death. For this morning fhe fent for me, and protefted her "innocency. And now again, and faid to M. Kingston, I heard fay I fhall not die afore

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66 noon,

noon, and I am forry therefore, for I thought "to be dead by this time, and past my pain.' I "told her it should be no pain it was fo fotell*, "for fo is his word" (adds Lord Herbert). "And then she said, fhe heard fay the execu"tioner was very good, and I have a little "neck;' and put her hand about it, laughing

heartily. I have seen many men and women "executed, and they have been in great forrow; "and, to my knowledge, this lady hath much joy and pleasure in death,

"The nineteenth of May being thus come,' fays Lord Herbert," the Queen, according to "the express order given, was brought out to a "fcaffold erected upon the Green in the Tower " of London, where our historians say she spoke "before a great company there affembled, to "this effect:

GOOD CHRISTIAN PEOPLE,

"I am come hither to die. For according to "the law, and by the law, I am judged to die, "and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I • am come hither to accufe no man, nor to speak anything of that whereof I am accused and