LETTER IX.
_Queen Catherine of Arragon and King Henry VIII^{th} to Cardinal Wolsey, a joint letter, 1527._
[MS. COTTON, VITELL. B. XII. fol. 4.]
Mr. Ellis has printed this letter in its mutilated condition; I have ventured to supply the _lacunæ_ from the copy in Burnet's History of the Reformation, vol. i. p. 55. Burnet obtained his transcript when it was in a perfect state, but has unaccountably attributed the first part of the letter to Anne Boleyn. It is however said by Mr. Ellis to be in the hand-writing of Catherine, and cannot but be considered very interesting.
MY LORD, in my moste humblyst wys that my hart can thinke [I _desire you to pardon_] me that I am so bold to troubyl yow with my sympyl [& _rude wryteng, estemyng_] yt to prosed from her that is muche desirus to kno[_we that youer grace does well_.] I paersave be this berar that you do; the wiche I [_praye God long to continewe_,] as I am moste bonde to pray, for I do know the g[_reate paines and trowbles that_] you have taken for me bothe day and nyght [_is never like to be recompensyd on_] my part, but allonly in loveng you next on to the [_kinges grace above all_] creatures leveng; and I do not dought but the [_dayly proffes of my deades_] shall manefestly declaer and aferme my wryte[_ng to be trewe, and I do_] truste you do thynke the same. My lord, I do assure you I do long to heare from you som newes of the legat, for I do hope and [_they come from you they_] shall be very good, and I am seur that you deseyre [_it as moche as I_] and more, and ytt waer possibel as I knowe ytt ys not: And thus remaineing in a stedfast hope I make anend of my letter, [_writtyn with the hande_] of her that is moste bounde to be----
➔_Here Queen Catherine's part ends, the rest is in the hand-writing of Henry the Eighth._
The wrytter of thys letter wolde not cease tyll she had [_caused me likewise_] to set to my hand desyryng yow thowgh it be short to t[_ake it in good part_.] I ensure yow ther is nother of us but that grettly desyry[_th to see you, and_] muche more rejoyse to heare that you have scapyd thys plage [_so well, trustyng_] the fury thereof to be passyd, specially with them that k[_epyth good diett_] as I trust you doo. The not heryng of the legates arywall [_in Franse causeth_] us sumwhat to muse; nottwithstandyng we trust by your dily[_gens and vigilancy_] (with the assystence of Almyghty God) shortly to be easyd owght [_of that trouble_.] No more to yow at thys tyme but that I pray God send yow [_as good health_] and prosperity as the wryters wolde.
By your lovyng so[_veraign & frende_]
HENR[_Y R._]