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то

Mr. POPE.

SIR,

HE ORIGINALS, of the following LETTERS, are in the Vatican Library at Rome, where they are fhewn as one of their greatest Curiofities.

In the Year 1683, Dr. FALL, then Precentor of York, took a Copy of Them, from whence they are here exactly printed.

The Caufe, and Occafion, of the KING'S Amour with Anne Boleyn, may be fully feen in Bihop BURNET's Hiftory of the Refor

mation.

Thefe Letters muft, in all Probability, have been written immediately after the Lady's Difmiffion from Court; which was done in fo abrupt a Manner, that fhe determined F 5

never

never more to return. This made the King foon repent of his Severity towards her, and moft earnestly prefs her to come back. But his Majefty could not for a confiderable Time, nor without great Difficulty, bring this about, as appears by feveral Paffages herein.

The Time of her Difmiffion was in May, 1528.

In the First LETTER, the King makes Excufes for the Neceffity of their being asunder. And in the Second complains of her Unwillingness to return to Court. There is not, in either of them, the leaft Mention of the Sweating Sickness, which raged violently in June; and of which he fpeaks in his Third Letter, adding, that he had made many Obfervations from Experience. Between this Letter, which feems to have been written in July, and the Sixth, which mentions the Legate's Arrival at Paris, and must have beenwritten in the Clofe of September; there are Two, which by the Earnestness of the Bufinefs, were plainly written within few Days one of another. In the Laft, the King expreffes, How much He is pleafed with Her Anfwer to his earnest Request made in the Firft. In the Heat of his Royal Gratitude, he pays a Vifit to his Mistress, and They, jointly, wrote a Letter to Cardinal Wolfey, wherein the King greatly admires, at his not hearing of Campegio's Arrival. He did not stay long with her after this; for when he had re

ceive d

ceived Wolfey's Anfwer, She wrote the Cardinal a Second Letter, without any Mention of the King, expreffing her own Impatience to hear of the Legate's coming; of which his Majesty fent her the News foon after. But to return to the Fourth LETTER, which muft, in all Probability, have been written in August; it is the most important in all -the Collection; for, it fixeth the exact Time of the Rife of his Majesty's Affection to this Lady. He pathetically complaineth therein, that, He had been above a whole Year struck with the Dart of Love, and was not yet fure, whether He should fail, or find a Place in ber Heart and Affection. He farther addeth, that, long before She fufpected it, from his first feeing Her, be felt a Paffion for Her.

It cannot be doubted by any, who read: thefe Letters, that King HENRY's Affection to Anne Boleyn, was altogether upon honourable Terms. There appears not the leaft Pretenfion to the Last Favour, nor Aim towards it, till the Holy Legate and Mother Church, had paved the Way to Confummation, (and then He! Monfieur Pope ! Entendez vous bien.)

The Last of these Letters, mentions the Legate's Illness, as a Reason why he had not performed the Duties of his Function; which makes it apparent that this Royal Love Correfpondence ended in May, 1529, when the Procefs began, making up just one Year.

F. 6

You

You fee, Sir, how readily I lay hold of every Opportunity to oblige you. The NewYear's Gift I fent you was from Paris; * and this immaculate Intercourfe of Royal Affection comes from Rome. So that, not in the least doubting, but you will give an equal Reception to both Prefents, I now do, and ever shall, with the like Sincerity, remain

8 March 1735-6.

Your Humble Servant,

E. CURLL.

The New-Year's-Gift, I fent by a Special Messenger, to Mr. Pope at Twickenham, was a little Book, (neatly bound in Red Turky Leather, Ruled, and the Capital Letters illuminated with Gold, and various Colours) intitled, "Heures des Prierres = "Dedie à Madame la. Ducheffe de Chartres. Avec les Sept "Pfeaumes Penitentieux, à Paris, 1696." This Manual was likewife illuftrated with Four beautiful Prints, One, in particular, representing David proftrate; in which Part of the Book, upon a Label, was wrote the following Lines:

As Friends who of a Criminal take Leave,
Pray the Almighty may his Soul receive;
So, I thefe Penitential Pfalms have fent,
Hoping, like David, you'll at length repent.

One good Effect I find they have produced, for you have recanted, and razed out, this Diftick against the Dutch: Then firft the Belgian Morals were extoll'd;

We their Religion had, and they our Gold.

Ef. on Crit.

You now fay, as thefe Lines contain a National Reflection, in your ftri&ter Judgment, it is what you cannot but difapprove, on any People whatever. Were you not as fenfible, that this was a National Reflection, when you wrote it, as it is now?

LET

LETTERS

WRITTEN BY

King HENRY VIII.

то

ΑΝΝΕ BOLEYN.

M

LETTER I.*

Y Mistress and Friend, I and my Heart put ourselves in your Hands, begging you to recommend us to your Favour, and

not to let Abfence leffen your Affection to us. For it were great Pity to encrease our Pain, which Abfence alone does fufficiently, and

N. B. The 1ft, 2d 3d, 4th and 5th of thefe LETTERS, are Tranflated, literally, from the French Originals.

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