Queen Anne Boleyn has been aspersed by the enemies of the Reformation,
it has been said--"that she had long carried on a criminal intercourse
with Sir Thomas Wyatt the poet; who, we are told, had gone so far
as to confess to the king that he had debauched her; and had urged
this, in the first instance, as an argument to dissuade the king
from marrying her." The story requires no refutation; but Wyatt's
name having been called in question when Anne Boleyn's conduct was
scrutinized, gave the forgers of fabulous history an opportunity of
engrafting their libellous inventions on slight circumstances, in order
to give them something of the colour of probability. How far there
was any foundation for these calumnies will now appear. The following
interesting pages were written, it is presumed, by the grandson of the
poet, George Wyatt, Esquire, sixth son and heir of Sir Thomas Wyatt
the younger, who was beheaded for rebellion in the first year of the
reign of Queen Mary. The writer died at the advanced age of eighty,
at Boxley in Kent, in the year 1624, and seems to have meditated a
complete exposure of such parts of Saunders' Book on the Reformation as
came within his own immediate knowledge. He was maternal uncle to Sir
Roger Twysden, and in 1623 communicated to him part of his collections.
A fragment of the Life of Cardinal Wolsey, by George Cavendish, was
in the late Mr. Bindley's library, to which we have already referred,
at p. 120 of the present edition; prefixed to which was the following
note by Sir Roger Twysden.-- "I receaved this from my uncle Wyatt,
Anno 1623, who beeing yonge had gathered many notes towching this lady,
not without an intent to have opposed Saunders." It is remarkable
that this fragment from Wolsey's Life has been twice printed as a
piece of original and authentic cotemporary history, without suspicion
of its being an extract from Cavendish;--the first time for private
distribution, in 1808, and secondly by Dr. Nott, in his appendix to
Wyatt's Poems, in 1816._
_The manuscript from which the present very interesting memoir is
printed was purchased at the late Sir Peter Thompson's sale. It is in
the hand writing of the Rev. John Lewis, of the Isle of Thanet, the
celebrated antiquary. It was printed in 1817 for a few noblemen and
gentlemen, but twenty-seven copies only having been taken off, may be
considered still to have almost the rarity of a manuscript._
SOME PARTICULARS OF THE LIFE OF QUEEN ANNE BOLEIGNE.
The peculiar means that I have had, more than others, to come to some
more particular knowledge of such things as I intend to handle, ought
to draw thus much from me; yet much more the request of him that hath
been by authority set on work in this important business, both for
the singular gifts of God in him, of wisdom, learning, integrity, and
virtue; and also the encouragement I have had of late from the right
reverend my Lord of Canterbury's grace, to set down what understanding
I have had of this matter, is both my warrant, and a bond the more upon
my conscience, to hold me urged and constrained not to neglect such
an opportunity of my service to the church, my prince, and country.
Principally his desire was, and my purpose in satisfying it, to deliver
what I knew, touching certain things that happened to the excellent
lady, the LADY ANNE BOLEIGNE, about the time of her first coming to
the court. Yet, considering I had some other knowledge of things that
might be found serviceable no less than that, and also might give
light and life to the faithful narration of this whole matter, I have
supposed it would fall best, to deliver the same, as it were, under
the description of her whole life; and this the more particularly and
frankly, that, all things known, those that I understood were to visit
it again might take what they should think most material for their use.
And would to God I could give that grace and felicity of style unto it
that the worthiness of the subject doth require, notwithstanding that
in this regard I am the less carefull, for that it is to pass through
their hands that can give it better vesture; and I shall the more turn
my care to intend the sincere and faithful delivery of that which I
have received from those that both were most likely to come to the
most perfect knowledge hereof, and had least cause or, otherwise for
themselves, could least give just reason of suspicion to any, either
of mind, or partiality, or wit, to fayne or misreport any whit hereof.
And, indeed, chiefly the relation of those things that I shall set down
is come from two. One a lady[202], that first attended on her both
before and after she was queen, with whose house and mine there was
then kindred and strict alliance. The other also a lady of noble birth,
living in those times, and well acquainted with the persons that most
this concerneth, from whom I am myself descended. A little, therefore,
repeating the matter more high, I will derive the discourse hereof
from the very spring and fountains, whence may appear most clearly by
what occasion and degrees the stream of this whole cause hath grown to
such an ocean as it were of memorable effects through all our parts
of Christendom, not by chance or wits of men so much as even by the
apparent work of God, as I hope presently to make plain to all men.
The see of _Rome_ having risen, in this our age, unto a full tide of
all wickedness, had overflowed all these parts of the world with the
floods of her evils, whereby was occasioned and had beginning the ebb
of all her pomp, power, and glory, every particular devising, as if it
had been by one consent and accord (so showing it the more apparently
to come of God), to provide for the time to come against her so great
inundation of mischiefs. Hereof, in _England_, _Germany_, _Italy_,
and in many other places, sundry persons of singular learning and
piety, one succeeding another, at divers times, opened their mouths
as trumpets to call men to this work upon several occasions, all
rising from the outrageous corruptions and foaming filth of that see.
But chiefly and most notoriously, in the time of Henry the Eighth,
of famous memory, this came to pass by the just judgment of God upon
her, and his mercy upon us, where the same polity by which she had in
custom, and then made herself most assured, to strengthen herself in
giving to princes licence to unlawful contracts (esteeming thereby to
tie them and their issue the more strongly to her); the bond of so evil
counsel breaking suddenly, set at liberty the certain means of this
great opposition against her after almost through all Europe. So little
assurance especially have evil foundations of usurped authorities
against the provoked judgments of God by sin, and general displeasure
of man upon just conceived indignities.
There was, at this present, presented to the eye of the court the
rare and admirable beauty of the fresh and young Lady Anne Boleigne,
to be attending upon the queen. In this noble imp, the graces of
nature graced by gracious education, seemed even at the first to have
promised bliss unto her aftertimes. She was taken at that time to have
a beauty not so whitely as clear and fresh above all we may esteem,
which appeared much more excellent by her favour passing sweet and
cheerful; and these, both also increased by her noble presence of shape
and fashion, representing both mildness and majesty more than can be
expressed. There was found, indeed, upon the side of her nail upon one
of her fingers, some little show of a nail, which yet was so small, by
the report of those that have seen her, as the workmaster seemed to
leave it an occasion of greater grace to her hand, which, with the tip
of one of her other fingers, might be and was usually by her hidden
without any least blemish to it. Likewise there were said to be upon
some parts of her body certain small moles incident to the clearest
complexions. And certainly both these were none other than might more
stain their writings with note of malice that have caught at such light
motes in so bright beams of beauty, than in any part shadow it, as may
right well appear by many arguments, but chiefly by the choice and
exquisite judgments of many brave spirits that were esteemed to honour
the honourable parts in her, even honoured of envy itself.
Amongst these, two were observed to be of principal mark. The one was
_Sir Thomas Wiat_, the elder[203], the other was the king himself.
The knight, in the beginning, coming to behold the sudden appearance
of this new beauty, came to be holden and surprised somewhat with the
sight thereof; after much more with her witty and graceful speech, his
ear also had him chained unto her, so as finally his heart seemed to
say, _I could gladly yield to be tied for ever with the knot of her
love_, as somewhere in his verses hath been thought his meaning was to
express[204]. She, on the other part, finding him to be then married,
and in the knot to have been tied then ten years, rejected all his
speech of love; but yet in such sort as whatsoever tended to regard of
her honour, she showed not to scorn, for the general favour and good
will she perceived all men to bare him, which might the rather occasion
others to turn their looks to that which a man of his worth was brought
to gaze at in her, as, indeed, after it happened. The king is held
to have taken his first apprehension of this love after such time as
upon the doubt in those treaties of marriage with his daughter Mary,
first with the Spaniard, then with the French: by some of the learned
of his own land he had vehemently in their public sermons, and in his
confessions to his ghostly fathers, been prayed to forsake that his
incestuous life by accompanying with his brother's wife; and especially
after he was moved by the cardinal, then in his greatest trust with the
king, both for the better quietness of his conscience, and for more
sure settling of the succession to more prosperous issue.
[Illustration: SIR THOMAS WYATT K^T.]
About this time, it is said that the knight, entertaining talk with
her as she was earnest at work, in sporting wise caught from her a
certain small jewel hanging by a lace out of her pocket, or otherwise
loose, which he thrust into his bosom, neither with any earnest request
could she obtain it of him again. He kept it, therefore, and wore it
after about his neck, under his cassock, promising to himself either
to have it with her favour or as an occasion to have talk with her,
wherein he had singular delight, and she after seemed not to make
much reckoning of it, either the thing not being much worth, or not
worth much striving for. The noble prince having a watchful eye upon
the knight, noted him more to hover about the lady, and she the more
to keep aloof of him; was whetted the more to discover to her his
affection, so as rather he liked first to try of what temper the regard
of her honour was, which he finding not any way to be tainted with
those things his kingly majesty and means could bring to the battery,
he in the end fell to win her by treaty of marriage, and in this talk
took from her a ring, and that wore upon his little finger; and yet all
this with such secrecy was carried, and on her part so wisely, as none
or very few esteemed this other than an ordinary course of dalliance.
Within few days after, it happened that the king, sporting himself at
bowls, had in his company (as it falls out) divers noblemen and other
courtiers of account, amongst whom might be the Duke of Suffolk, Sir F.
Brian, and Sir T. Wiat, himself being more than ordinarily pleasantly
disposed, and in his game taking an occasion to affirm a cast to be his
that plainly appeared to be otherwise; those on the other side said,
with his grace's leave, they thought not, and yet, still he pointing
with his finger whereon he wore her ring, replied often it was his,
and specially to the knight he said, Wiat, I tell thee it is mine,
smiling upon him withal. Sir Thomas, at the length, casting his eye
upon the king's finger, perceived that the king meant the lady whose
ring that was, which he well knew, and pausing a little, and finding
the king bent to pleasure, after the words repeated again by the king,
the knight replied, And if it may like your majesty to give me leave
to measure it, I hope it will be mine; and withal took from his neck
the lace whereat hung the tablet, and therewith stooped to measure
the cast, which the king espying, knew, and had seen her wear, and
therewithal spurned away the bowl, and said, It may be so, but then
am I deceived; and so broke up the game. This thing thus carried was
not perceived for all this of many, but of some few it was. Now the
king, resorting to his chamber, showing some discontentment in his
countenance, found means to break this matter to the lady, who, with
good and evident proof how the knight came by the jewel, satisfied the
king so effectually that this more confirmed the king's opinion of her
truth than himself at the first could have expected. Shortly, upon the
return of the cardinal, the matter of the dutchess[205] cooling every
day more and more, his credit also waned till it was utterly eclipsed;
and that so busied the great personages that they marked the less the
king's bent, the rather for that some way it seemed helpful to their
working against the cardinal. The king also took here opportunity to
proceed to discover his full and whole meaning unto the lady's father,
to whom we may be sure the news was not a little joyful.
All this notwithstanding, her virtue was not so dased with the glory
of so forcible attractives, but that she stood still upon her guard,
and was not, as we would suppose, so easily taken with all these
appearances of happiness; whereof two things appeared to be the causes.
One the love she bare ever to the queen whom she served, that was also
a personage of great virtue: the other her conceit that there was not
that freedom of conjunction with one that was her lord and king as with
one more agreeable to her estate. These things being well perceived
of, the queen shew she knew well to frame and work her advantage of,
and therefore the oftener had her at cards with her, the rather also
that the king might have the less her company, and the lady the more
excuse to be from him; also she esteem herself the kindlier used, and
yet withal the more to give the king occasion to see the nail upon her
finger. And in this entertainment of time they had a certain game that
I cannot name then frequented, wherein dealing, the king and queen
meeting they stopped, and the young lady's hap was much to stop at a
king; which the queen noting, said to her playfellow, My Lady Anne,
you have good hap to stop at a king, but you are not like others, you
will have all or none. So often earnest matters are delivered under
game. Yet had the king his times, and she in the end yielded to give
her consent of marriage to him, whom hardly ever any before was found
able to keep their hold against. This was now so far to the pleasure
of the king, that forthwith he with her and her father concluded to
open the matter to the council, all other things being ripe thereunto,
and specially for that it was not possible to keep it any longer
from the talk of men near his person, and the more, the queen being
found to take such knowledge thereof. It is thought then the table
was diversely carried to give opinion upon this matter; some of the
nobility wishing rather to have had so good hap lighted to some of
their own houses; others that it had not been at all; some inclining to
either of these as depending on them; but most liked better the king's
own choice, both for the hope of issue, and that the greatness of great
men should not grow too great to sway with in managing of matters of
state. But howsoever, it appeared manifestly that presently there were
practices discovered on all sides under sundry arts, on the parts of
Spain, from Rome and that faction, and from the queen herself, and
specially some with the king, some with the lady herself, plotted to
break or stay at the least till something might fall between the cup
and the lip, that might break all this purpose with one of them, if
it might have been. And verily one of these may seem for this present
occasion not unmeet to be recounted; which was this: There was conveyed
to her a book pretending old prophecies, wherein was represented the
figure of some personages, with the letter H upon one, A upon another,
and K upon the third, which an expounder thereupon took upon him to
interpret by the king and his wives, and to her pronouncing certain
destruction if she married the king. This book coming into her chamber,
she opened, and finding the contents, called to her maid of whom we
have spoken before, who also bore her name: "Come hither, Nan," said
she, "see here a book of prophecy; this he saith is the king, this the
queen, mourning, weeping and wringing her hands, and this is myself
with my head off." The maid answered, "If I thought it true, though he
were an emperor, I would not myself marry him with that condition."
"Yes, Nan," replied the lady, "I think the book a bauble; yet for the
hope I have that the realm may be happy by my issue, I am resolved to
have him whatsoever might become of me."
The Romish fable-framer[206], if he may be believed, affirmeth another
practice after this sort: "That Sir Thomas Wiat coming to the council,
for his better security, confessed to have had dealings with that lady,
before he had any perceiving of the king's purpose of marriage; but not
being credited by the king, that Wiat, as not finding it well he was
not believed, affirmed he would bring the king where he might see him
enjoy her. And that again being delivered by the Duke of Suffolk to
the king, he yet believed it not." But it is certain that the whole or
greatest part of this is fiction; for the persons, manner, and event of
these things have been utterly mistaken and misshapen. For I have heard
by the report of one of right good and honourable account, and of much
understanding in such things, who also hath the truth of his word in
high respect, that it was Sir Francis Brian that confessed such a like
thing to the king by another lady, with other success more likely,
which was that the king thereupon pardoned _him_ indeed, but rejected
and gave over the lady ever after to him. Whether the duke might, upon
the sight of that which happened at bowls, take any occasion with the
king to dissuade the marriage, supposing the knight could not or would
not otherwise have cleared himself and the lady, but by confessing and
craving pardon for it as done before he had knowledge of the king's
intention, I cannot say; and by guess I will not affirm it in any case
of any, much less of so worthy and noble a personage. Only this I
say, that if he did so, I believe verily that he was greatly deceived
therein of his expectation; as finding that by good proof the knight
could clear himself and her of that matter, even to the full assuring
and ascertaining of the king of the manner of his coming by the jewel
without her dishonour, and that so the duke, if he did so, might come
to find himself had gone too far, as to have purchased to himself
thereby mislike both of the king and queen, whereupon he might turn
his heavy displeasure to the knight ever after. I know of a certainty,
that the knight had a most high opinion of that princely lady's noble
virtues as by trial, and chiefly in the matter of the bowls; in that
she took not or interpreted ill of his deed (as herself, being in her
own conscience clear), but as he meant it to the king's disport before
knowledge of the marriage. This is true also, that Sir Thomas Wiat
was twice sifted and lifted at, and that nobleman both times his most
heavy adversary, as I have to show under the knight's own hand in his
answer to his last indictment. Neither could I ever learn what might
be the cause of his so perpetual grudge, save only that it appeareth
to be as old as this. Some man might perhaps be led to think that the
duke might have a special end to draw him to enter and venture so far
to the breaking off the match. And it is true that he was then married
with the king's second sister, when the king had then remaining but one
only daughter, and then she also questioned whether legitimate: That
then also was procured a statute to cut off foreign titles; and it is
true also, that after the ambition of some to occasion hereby to thrust
the duke's issue, even before the proper and lawful issue of the king,
into the regal seat. All this notwithstanding, I will never be induced
to give that opinion of that nobleman, but rather I would think, if
he did any such thing, in any sort giving colour to this fancy of the
Roman legender, he did it upon zeal that in his conceit it was true,
and that he thought the knight would so far confess it as done before
talk of the king's marriage, when he saw he had passed so far in the
measuring of the cast. And though the whole fiction have scarcely so
much as shadow of colour of any appearance, yet for that part where
he deviseth that Sir Thomas should before the council apeach himself
and that lady, or after not being credited, offer to make the king see
him to have to do with her, this showing itself sufficiently falsified
to any wise and understanding reader, especially considering it
particularly with the circumstances, it is so far from all likelihood,
as all presumptions are flat against it, as in a word or two shall now
be showed.