1524. Corp. Chr. Coll., Camb., MS. 119. f. 21. Ellis, 2 Ser. II. 10. 1. Anne Boleyn To [Sir Thomas Boleyn]¹.

"Monssr. Je antandue par v[ost]re lettre que a ves envy que touss² onette fame quan Je vindre a la courte et mavertisses que la Rene³ prendra la pein de de visser a vecc moy de quoy me Regoy bine fort de penser parler a vecc vng perscone tante sage et onnetecela me ferra a voyr plus grante anuy de continuer a parler bene franssais et oussy espel⁴ especy ale man pour suc que mellaues tant Recammande et de me man vous a versty que les gardere le meux que Je poure Monssr Je vous suppllya descusser sy ma lettre et male et sipta⁵ car je vous asure quete et ottografie de monantend amant sule la⁶ vne les auttres ne sont faiz⁷ que escript de maman et Semmonet me dit la lettre mes domeura fan je le fie moy meme de peur que lone ne saces sance⁸ que Je vous mande et Je vous pry que le loumire de vu⁹ vue net libertte de separe la voullante que dites aves de me edere car hile me samble quettes ascure on lue¹¹ la ou vous poues sy vous plet me vere de clarasion de v[ost]re paroile et de moy coues sertene que miara cuoffice de peres ne din gratitude que sut en passer ne et fasere mon a veccsion quecte de libere deviere autont sance que vous plera me commander et vous prommes que mon amour et vondue par vng sy grant fermette quele nara James pouer de sane deminuer et feres fin a mon pourpon a pres mettre Recommande bine humblemente a v[ost]re bone grace et scripte a Veure de

V[ost]re tres humble et tres obeiss¹¹ —

fille Anna de Boullan."

Note 1. This letter must belong to an earlier period, but has been placed here for convenience. It has already been printed by Ellis, but the ambiguity of many of the expressions rendered a close comparison with the original desirable, and the Rev. J. R. Lumby has kindly favoured me with the transcript, which is identical, line for line and letter for letter, with the MS.

Note 2. Appears to be tous followed by a single blurred letter most like another s. There is no such space between the two words as is intimated in Ellis.

Note 3. Is the "Queen" here mentioned the French queen Mary, or Claude? and is the place from which the letter is dated Hever, as supposed by Ellis? If Claude, Anne Boleyn must have been sent over to France, in consequence of the French queen having expressed to Sir Thomas a wish to see his younger daughter.

Note 4. espel:—This is erased in the original, and may be only a mistake for the commencement of the next word.

Note 5. sipta:—Sic in MS.

Note 6. vne:—It is hard to say whether the first letter be o or v. There is e at the end, which does not appear in Ellis.

Note 7. faiz:—The last letter is z.

Note 8. sance:—As clear as possible.

Note 9. vu:—Blurred over at the end of the line, and apparently meant for the beginning of the next word.

Note 10. lue:—This is the nearest approach to the word. It might be a crushed form of line.

Note 11. This comes in the original so near the edge of the paper that the word either was never complete or else the termination is worn away.