The History of Mary I, Queen of England: as found in the public records, despatches of ambassadors, in original private letters, and other contemporary documentsStone, J. M. (Jean Mary)
History
The History of Mary I, Queen of England: as found in the public records, despatches of ambassadors, in original private letters, and other contemporary documents
Stone, J. M. (Jean Mary)
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603; Mary I, Queen of England, 1516-1558
“Among the many felicities which I enumerated, I said to the Queen,
that certainly the chief one was the Princess, in whom, without having
had the pain and trouble of bringing her into the world, she had such
a daughter, that she would receive more pleasure and consolation from
her, than from any other she might have. I ended by begging her to
take care of the Princess’s affairs; which she kindly promised to do,
saying that she would work in earnest to deserve the honourable name
which I had given her of pacificator, that is preserver and guardian of
the peace. After this address of mine, the King, who had been talking
with the ladies of the Court, approached us, and began making excuses
for the Queen, saying that I was the first ambassador to whom she had
spoken; she was not used to that sort of reception, but he imagined
that she would do her utmost to obtain the title of pacificator which I
had greeted her with, as being herself of kind and amiable disposition,
and much inclined to peace, she would make the greatest efforts to
prevent his taking part in a foreign war, were it for no other thing
than the fear of having to separate herself from him.”[198]
A charming trait in Mary’s character was the protection which the
now happier sister pityingly extended to Anne Boleyn’s unfortunate
daughter. For the next three years, they continued to live chiefly at
Hunsdon, under the same roof, but while Mary was treated with a certain
amount of consideration, Elizabeth was wholly neglected, disgraced,
and unprovided with the commonest necessaries of life, at one time
having “neither gown nor kirtle, nor petticoat, nor linen for smocks,
nor kerchiefs, rails, body-stychets, handkerchiefs, mufflers nor
begens”.[199] But Mary’s relations with her father, although cordial on
the whole, were lacking in every element of stability. All depended
on his caprice, as the Princess well knew, and had she been worldly
minded, she might have hesitated to take up the cause of one, to whom
he was now far less favourably inclined than to herself. But Mary was
not worldly, and she took care to say a good word for the child when
she could. Thus at the end of a letter to her father she wrote: “My
sister Elizabeth is in good health, thanks be to our Lord, and such
a child toward, as I doubt not but your highness shall have cause to
rejoyce of, in time coming, as knoweth Almighty God, who send your
Grace, with the Queen my good Mother, health with the accomplishment of
your desires.
“From Hownsdon, the 21 day of July (1536).
“Your Hignes most humble daughter handmaid, and faithfull subject,
“MARYE.”[200]
The _Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary_ abound in entries for
presents “to the Lady Elizabeth’s grace,” and in the notification of
sums expended on her amusements.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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