Illustration: Anne Boleyn in the Tower, speaking with William Kingston, the Constable of the Tower. c1855


 

The following letter from Sir William Kingston, Constable of the Tower, to Cromwell is from a manuscript ravaged by the Ashburnham House fire of October 1731—the ellipses denote missing text, or text damaged beyond recognition.

 


Sir William Kingston to Secretary Cromwell,
upon Anne Boleyn's committal to the Tower.

[British Library MS. Cotton, Otho C. x. fol. 225.]

Thys ys to advertyse you apon my Lord of Norfolk and the Kyngs Counsell depart  .  .  . from the Towre I went before the Quene in to hyr lodgyng, &  .  .  . 1 sayd unto me M. Kyngston shall I go in to adungyn. Now Madam y  .  . 2 shall go into your logyng that you lay in at your Coronacion. It ys to gu  .  .3 for me, she sayd, Jesu have mercy on me: and kneled downe wepyng a  .  .  .  .  . pace, and in the same sorow fell in to agret lawyng,4 and she hathe done  .  .5 mony tymes syns. And then she desyred me to move the Kyngs Hynes that she  .  .  . 6 have the sacarment in the closet by hyr chambr, that she my  .  .  .  .  . for mercy, for I am as clere from the company of man, as for s  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . am clere from you, and am the Kyngs trew wedded wyf; and then sh  .  .  .  .  .  . M. Kyngston do you know wher for I am here, and I sayd nay, and then  .  .  .  .  . when saw you the Kyng and I sayd I saw hym not syns I saw  .  .  .  .  .  . the Tylte yerde7 and then M. K. I pray you to tell me wher my  .  .  .  . ford8 ys, and I told hyr I saw hym afore dyner in the cort. O  .  .  .  .  .  . my swet brod'er. I sayd I left hym at York place, and so I dyd I  .  .  .  .  .  .  . d she that I shuld be accused with iij men and I can say  .  .  .  .  . nay withyowt I shuld oppen my body and ther with opynd  .  .  .  .  .  .  . res Hast thow accused me thow ar in the towre with me, &  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . I dy to gether and Marke thou art here to9 O my mother  .  .  .  .  . for sorow and meche lamented my lady of Worcet'10 for by ca  .  .  .  . dyd not store in hyr body, and my wyf sayd what shuld  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . sayd for the sorow she toke for me: and then she sayd M. K  .  .  .  .  .  . with yowt justs;11 & I sayd the porest sugett the Kyng  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . ther with she lawed.12 All thys sayings was yester ny & thys moryng dyd talke with mestrys Cofy13  .  .  .  .  .  .  . res14 dyd say on Sunday last unto the Quenes amn  .  .  .  .  .  . ere for the Quene that she was a gud woman  .  .  .  .  .  . Cofyn, Madam why shuld ther be hony seche maters  .  .  .  .  .  . sayd she I bad hym do so for I asked hym why he  .  .  .  .  .  .  . hys maryage and he made ansur he wold tary  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . loke for ded mens showys, for yf owth can  .  .  .  .  .  .  . you wold loke to have mo; and he sayd yf he  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . he wold hys hed war of, and then she sayd  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . and ther with thay fell yowt bot  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . on Wysson monday twysday last  .  .  .  .  .  . r that Nores cam mode u  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . age and further  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
Wher I was commaunded to charge the gentelwemen that y gyf thaye atende apon the Quene that ys to say thay shuld have now commynycaseon with hyr in lese15 my wyf ware present, and so I dyd hit, notwithstaundyng it canot be: for my lady Bolen16 and mestrys Cofyn lyes on the Quenes palet, and I and my wyf at the dore with yowt17 so at18 thay most nedes talke at19 be without; bot I have every thyng told me by mestrys Cofyn that she thynks met20 for mee to knowe, and tother ij gentelwemen lyes with yowt me and as I may knowe  .  .  . Kyngs plesur in the premysses I shall folow. From the Towre this mo  .  .  .  .  .      Sr syns the makyng of thys letter the Quene spake of West21  .  .  .  .  .  . had spoke to hym by cause he dyd love hyr kynswoma  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . he sayd he loved not hys wyf and he made anser to hyr  .  .  .  .  .  . loved won in hyr howse bettr then them bothe  .  .  .  .  .  . that it ys your self and then she defyed hym.

WILLṀ KYNG  .  .  .



[AJ Notes:

1. she.
2. you.
3. gude, good.
4. laughing.
5. so.
6. my might.
7. Tylte yerde, tilt-yard; place of the joust.
8. Lord Rochford (George Boleyn, her brother).
9. Mark Smeaton.
10. Worcester.
11. justice.
12. therewith, she laughed.
13. Cofŷ: Mistress Cosyns
14. Norres (Henry Norris)
15. Unless.
16. Anne Boleyn's mother.
17. with yowt: without, i.e. outside.
18. that.
19. that.
20. met: meet, fitting.
21. Sir Francis Weston.]




Text Source:
Ellis, Henry, ed. Original Letters, Illustrative of English History. Vol II.
London: Harding, Triphook, and Lepard, 1824. 53-56.




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