My Lorde your great gentilinis, and good wil towarde me as wel in this thinge as in other thmges I do understande, for the withe even as I ougthe, fo I do one you most humble tha And wheras your lordshipe willeth and counfjelleth me, as a crnest frende, to declare what I knowe in this matter, and also to write what I have declared to Master Tirwyst I shal most willingely do it. I declared vnto him firs? that after that the Coferar had declared unto me what my Lorde Admiral answered for Alms matter, and for Diram place, that it was apported to be a mute, he told me that my Lorde Admiral did offer me his house for my time beings with the Kinges Mareste beige with the Kinges Maieste. And further fayd and asked me wether if the counted did confente that I shule have my Lord Admiral wether I wolde confente to it or no of answered that I wolde not tel hun what mmide was, and I mquired further of him what he mente to aske me that ques tion or who bad him say so, he answered me and said no bodyč bad him say so, but that he parfened (as he thopth) by my lorrie Admirals murmge wither my patente were fended or no, find debatige what he spente in his hone, and inquirmge what was spente in my house, that he was given that way my rather notwythstandyng, not for a 1000l. to be knowne off yt ; I canne not frame her to all Ponets, as I wold wych yt to be." * But Elizabeth expressed to Tyrwhit her appreciation of this great favour! It was a contest between the craftiest and most unscrupulous men in the Kingdom, their wits sharpened by the knowledge that failure might mean their death, and a maid who had passed her fifteenth birthday four months before. So far the Protector had been unsuccessful. But he had one more card in reserve usually a winning card when the opponent is a woman -Tyrwhit informed Elizabeth it was common rumour that she was with child by the Admiral. There they overplayed their hand. The young girl saw it and at once wrote the following very remarkable letter to the Protector, part of which we reproduce in exact facsimile.t To facilitate reading, the spelling is usually modernized: "My Lord, Your great Gentleness and good Will towards me, as well in this Thing as in other Things, I do understand, for the which, even as I ought, so do I give you most humble Thanks; and whereas your Lordship willeth and counselleth me, as an earnest Friend, to declare what I know in this Matter, and also to write what I have declared to Master Tyrwhit, I shall most willingly do it. I declared unto him first, that, after the Cofferer had declared unto me what my Lord Admiral answered for Allen's Matter, and for Durham Place, (that it was appointed to be a Mint,) he told me that my Lord Admiral did offer me his House for my Time being with the King's Majestie; and further said, and asked me, whether if the Council did consent that I should have my Lord Admiral, whether I would consent to it or no: I answered that I would not tell him what my Mind was. And I inquired further of him what he meant to ask me that question, or who bade him say so: He answered me and said nobody bade him say so, but that he perceived (as he thought) by my Lord Admiral's inquiring whether my Patent were sealed or no, and debating what he spent in his House, and inquiring what was spent in my House, that he was given that way rather than otherwise. And as concerning Kate Ashley, she never advised me unto it, but said always (when any talked of my Marriage) that she * Tyrwhit to the Protector, Haynes, State Papers, i. 88. would never have me marry, neither in Inglande nor out of Inglande, without the Consent of the Kinge's Majestie, your Grace's, and the Council's. And after the Quene was departed, when I asked of her what News she heard from London, she answered merrily,' They say there that your Grace shall have my Lord Admiral, and that he will come shortly to woo you.' And moreover I said unto him, (Tyrwhit), that the Cofferer sent a letter hither, that my Lord said that he would come this Way, as he went down to the Country. Then I bade her write as she thought best, and bade her shewe it to me when she had done; so she wrote that she thought it not best, for fear of suspicion, and so it went forth. And my Lord Admiral, after he had heard that, asked of the Cofferer why he might not come as well to me as to my Sister: And then I desired Kate Ashley to write again (lest my Lord might think that she knew more in it than he) that she knew nothing in it, but suspicion. And also I told Master Tyrwhit that to the Effect of the Matter I never consented unto any such Thing, without the Council's Consent thereunto. And as for Kate Ashley or the Cofferer, they never told me that they would practice it. These be the Things which I both declared to Master Tyrwhit, and also whereof my Conscience beareth me Witness, which I would not for all earthly Things offend in any Thing; for I know that I have a Soul to save, as well as other Folks have, wherefore I will above all Things have Respect unto this same. If there be any more Things which I can remember, I will either write it myself, or cause Master Tyrwhit to write it. Master Tyrwhit and others have told me that there goeth rumours Abroad which be greatly both against my Honor and Honestie (which above all other things I esteem), which be these; that I am in the Tower; and with Child by my Lord Admiral. My Lord, these are shameful Schandlers, for the which, besides the great Desire I have to see the King's Majestie, I shall most heartily desire your Lordship that I may come to the Court after your first Determination; that I may show myself there as I am. Written in haste, from Hatfield this 28th of January. (1549.) "Your assured Friend to my little Power, "ELIZABETH." Here is nothing of the innocent, yielding, fearful child. The letter is plainly the work of a mature mind, a logical thinker and a shrewd controversialist, as good in attack as in defence. The writer, her age considered, was a genius. Who could improve her opening ?-First, Thanks for his expressed goodwill; second, since in the guise of her friend he had urged her to write to him what she knew in this matter, she was most willing to do so. The Protector, when he read thus far, knew that he would need all his skill to overreach this young girl. She was not hastening to write any explanations or excuses. She only wrote when he advised it, and what is of greater importance, she told him so. And then, without a wasted word, she puts before him her version of what she had told Tyrwhit—and the Protector found himself touched with his own blade. He had opened the correspondence when he would have been justified in proceeding upon the basis of Tyrwhit's report. This avenue was now closed to him, and he himself had supplied her with the opportunity to bar it. Her cofferer asked her, she writes, whether, if the council did consent, would she marry the Lord Admiral? She replied that she would not tell him, but she did want to know what he meant by asking her such a question-and Who bade him ask it? The only reply he dared make was that he " thought this out of his own head because the Admiral had asked him how much Elizabeth's income was. As for her governess, Kate Ashley, not only had she never advised the match, but always said "that she would never have me marry, neither in Inglande nor out of Inglande, without the consent of the Kinge's Majestie, your Grace's, and the Council's." There is the fine hand of woman in that crafty answer; in those few words she defended Kate, declared for the second time on the same page that the necessity of the Council's consent was before her when it was a question of her marriage, and then, by adding that Kate had asseverated that the consent of the Protector was also a condition precedent to any such ceremony, the young princess made a bid for his favour by implying that his individual consent was required, although she knew that it was not. Could more adroitness be shown in the same number of words? Then she describes how her cofferer sent word that the Admiral would come to see her, whereupon she told her governess to write such a reply as she thought best, but to show it to Elizabeth before it went! Here we see caution |