APPENDIX: MARY’S LETTERS his appendix contains an edition of Mary’s extant manuscript letters. Wherever I could, I have attempted to give the reader as close a sense Tof the material letter as possible by indicating page breaks, layout, handwriting, and so forth (except for the line breaks in the letter’s body). I have regularized Mary’s use of i/j and u/v and silently expanded abbreviations, but otherwise have maintained her original punctuation and capitalization. Mary’s hand is distinctive, neither secretary nor italic, though it is very similar to her brother’s. In Man and Monarch, David Starkey suggests that both Tudors learned their script from their mother, Elizabeth of York (8, 83). Unlike her brother, Mary seems not to have minded writing letters— many of these are entirely in her own hand, which I have indicated with the designation “holo- graph.” Those letters written in another hand but which bear her signature have been labeled “autograph.” Unless otherwise indicated, the addresses written on the verso of the autograph letters are in the scribal hand. The letters contained in the British Library’s Cotton collection suffered greatly from a fire in 1731; my conjectures for missing words are supplied in brackets. Occasional footnotes are marked with numbers in brackets. A key to textual symbols follows: [x] editorial additions * indicates lost words * . * indicates several lost words x deleted in original ^x^ added in original All transcriptions are mine, their presence included by generous permission of the libraries listed in each headnote. I have also provided translations of the French letters, striving to render Mary’s language as literally as I could. My trans- lations conform to contemporary rules for punctuation and capitalization. 1. MARY TO MARGARET OF AUSTRIA, DUCHESS OF SAVOY APRIL 13 (1510–1513) Morgan Pierpont Library. Rulers of England Box 02, Henry VIII, no. 33a. Autograph. Italic and secretary hands. Paper. 210 u 184 mm. The wax seal remains on the righthand side of the verso page, showing a diamond shape with faint traces of a design within; there is a vaguely floral shape with swirls in the center, and a K (for Karolus?) to the right. If it is an initial “K” presum- ably there was once an “M” for Mary on the left. Mary’s signature comes 25 mm below the body. For dating, see Chapter 1, note 175. 164 Appendix: Mary’s Letters [Italic hand] a Grenewich le 13 avril [Secretary hand; large initial “M”] Madame mabonne Tante leplus humblement que faire le puis a vostre bonne grace me recommende. Et ay receue le patron des habillemens dont les dames se vestent avecques vous que vous mavez envoyee du quel Je vous remercie beaucoup Car de long temps Jay eue desir a scavoir comment les atours et habillemens que se usent pardela me sieroynt et maintenent que Je les ay essaiez Je me contente moult fort deulx ./ Esperant quil me sera chose assez facille de laisser ceste acoustumee mode de vestir quant Je me trouveray avecques vous . vous requirant ma bonne Tante quil vous plaise depar moy faire mes humbles recommendacions a mon trescher et tresayme Seignieur mon sieur le prince / Auquel et a vous ma bonne tante / dieu doint bonne vie et longue et eureuse prosperite enn toutes voz affaires Escript a Grenewych le xiije davril [modern hand] (1508–1513) [Mary’s hand] Vostre bonne niesce Marie pryncesse de castelle [verso] A madame La Duchesse de Savoye Ma bonne Tante At Greenwich the 13 April My lady, my good aunt, the most humbly that is possible I recommend myself to your good grace. And I have received the pattern of the clothes that the ladies are wearing near you that you have sent to me for which I thank you greatly. Because for a long time I have had the desire to know how the ornaments and clothing that are used over there will fit me and now that I have tried them I am greatly con- tented with them. Hoping that it will be an easy enough thing for me to leave my accustomed way of dressing when I will find myself with you. Requiring you, my good aunt, that it will please you to make my humble recommendations from me to my very dear and well-loved lord my lord the prince, to whom, and to you, my good aunt, God give good life and long and happy prosperity in all your affairs. Written at Greenwich, the 13th of April. Your good niece Mary princess of Castile To my lady the Duchess of Savoy, my good aunt 2. MARY TO LOUIS XII AUGUST, 1514 © The British Library Board. MS Additional 34208, fol. 27r. Modern copy of holograph letter. Paper, ruled with lines spaced 13 mm apart. 197 u 321 mm. The scribe left some blanks where presumably s/he could not read the writing, Appendix: Mary’s Letters 165 since after the first space the word “tenire” is written in the margins as if con- jecture. I have marked such gaps as [*]. There is also a small illustration of a single fleur- de- lis in a box in the place I have marked . The Lady Mary to Lewis 12 King of France No 8485 all in her own hand Monsour bien humblement a votre bonne grace je me recommande. Jay recu les lettres qu’il vous a pleu mescripre de votre main, et ouy ce que mon cousin le duc de Longueville ma dit de votre part, en quoy jay prins tres grant joy, felicite, et plaisir, dont et de l’honneur quil vous a pleu me faire, me tiens a jamais votre [*] et obligee, Et vous [] aimerry le plus cordialement q faire puis. Et pour ce que par mon cousin vous entendnez come toutes choses ont pris [missing] fin et conclusion, et le tres singulier desire que jay [*] vous faire plus longue lettre pryant [* . *] monsour noter createur vous donner sainct et long vie. dee la main de votre humble compagne Marie My lord, very humbly I recommend me unto your good grace. I have received the letters which it has pleased you to write to me with your own hand, and heard that which my cousin the duke of Longueville tells me of your part, in which I took very great joy, felicity, and pleasure, of which and of the honor that it has pleased you to do me, I consider myself ever [bound] and obliged [to you]. And [*] thank you the most cordially that I can. And because by my cousin you will hear how all things have taken [*] end and conclusion, and the very singular desire that I have to [*] make you a longer letter, praying [* . *] Sir our creator give you healthy and long life. by the hand of your humble wife, Mary 3. MARY TO LOUIS XII AUGUST, 1514 © The British Library Board. MS Additional 34208, fol. 28r. Modern copy of holograph letter. Paper, ruled with lines spaced 13 mm apart. 197 u 321 mm. Monsieur Humblement a votre bonne grace je me recomande. pour ce que le Roy mon S[eigneu]r et frere envoye presentement par devers vous ses ambassadeurs, jay desire & donne charge a mon cousin le Conte Worcestre vous dire aucunes choses de ma part, touchant les fyansailles dentre vous et moy en parrolle de pres- ent. Si vous supplie Monsieur le voulloir en ce ouyr et croyre come moy mesmes, et vous asseure Monsieur come je vous ay dernierement escript et synifie par mon cousin le duc de Longueville, que la chose que plus je desire & souhaite pour le jourdhuy sest dentendre de voz bonnes nouvelles, sante et bonne prosperite, ainsi que mon de cousin le Comte de Worcestre vous saura a dire plus a plain, il vous plaira au surplies Monsieur me mander et comandez voz bons & agreables plaisirs pour vous y obeir et complaire par laide de Dieu qui Monsieur vous doint bon vie et longue. De la main de votre bien humble compagne Marie. 166 Appendix: Mary’s Letters My lord, humbly to your good grace I recommend myself. Because the king my lord and brother sends presently his ambassadors to you, I have desired and charged my cousin the earl of Worcester to say to you some things on my part, touching the betrothal now spoken of between you and me. So I beg you, my lord, to desire to hear and believe him in this as myself, and I assure you, my lord, that as I wrote you last and signified by my cousin the duke of Longueville, that the thing that I most desire and wish for today is to hear good news of you, your health and good prosperity, as my cousin the earl of Worcester will know to say more fully. It will please you moreover, my lord, to send for me and command your good and agreeable pleasures in order for [me] to obey and please you in this by the help of God who keep you, my lord, in good life and long. By the hand of your very humble wife, Mary 4. MARY TO LOUIS XII AUGUST/SEPTEMBER, 1514 © The British Library Board. MS Cotton Vitellius C.XI, fol. 156r. Holograph. Paper, containing a watermark of a hand touching a 5- petaled flower. 194 u 197 mm. Across from her signature in the lower left corner of the letter is a wax impression of her seal, a coat of arms containing the arms of France and England, crowned; outside the coat of arms is a fleur- de-lis on the left and a Tudor rose on the right.