My last and only Request shall be, That my self may only bear the Burthen of your Grace’s Displeasure, and that it may not touch the Innocent Souls of those poor Gentlemen, who (as I understand) are likewise in strait Imprisonment for my sake. If ever I have found favour in your Sight; if ever the Name of Anne Boleyn hath been pleasing to your Ears, then let me obtain this Request; and I will so leave to trouble your Grace any further, with mine earnest Prayers to the Trinity to have your Grace in his good keeping, and to direct you in all your Actions.
Your most Loyal and ever Faithful Wife, Anne Bullen
From my doleful Prison the Tower, this 6th of May.”
Sadler frowned uncertainly at that, then asked did I not wish the signatory to read, ‘Anne the Queen’ instead? Emphatically I said no. I wanted Henry to hear the words of the woman he met, fell in love with, pursued and married just as she had been then … Anne Bullen.
Sadler shrugged, shook the sand pot, briefly showed me the resulting page, then meticulously rolled it for transport to his master. I asked him when he believed it might be delivered to the King. His gaze would not meet mine as he replied, “I believe soonest, Madame. I will ensure that Mister Cromwell receives it today and am certain he will deliver it to the King with haste.”
I did not share his assurance. In fact, I doubted whether Henry’s eyes would ever light upon my words. I was consoled only by the knowledge that at least they were committed to paper, and perhaps if he did not witness them today, or tomorrow, or months or even years from now, they would remain as a testament to my innocence and, more importantly, to my abiding love for him.
After Sadler had departed, I slumped, deeply lost in thought. The ghosts of those who had fallen victim to deception and the perjury of others did a macabre dance before my closed eyes … Thomas More, John Fisher, the Carthusian monks, the crazy Nun of Kent, and even Katherine of Aragon. And now I, too, would number amongst them, for I had no illusion about my fate.
Weeping copiously at the thought of leaving her, I prayed fervently that God would care for my sweet daughter Elizabeth, allow her to grow and reach womanhood, and fulfill her bright promise.
Eventually, I opened my Bible and sought one of my favourite passages.
I read. And was comforted:
‘Be sure that the Lord is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and speak good of His name.
For the Lord is gracious, his mercy everlasting and his truth endures forever ...’
Finis
Epilogue
and Afterword
When Anne caught a glimpse of Henry hurriedly departing the jousting tournament on May Day, 1536, she had no way of knowing it was the last time she would ever see him. During the weeks leading to that date, murmurings had abounded predicting an ill-fated end to her marriage. Anne must nevertheless have been shocked and utterly horrified when, on the following morning, she was charged with adultery, and hence high treason. Well-documented accounts of her attempts to maintain her presence of mind throughout her imprisonment and trial are poignant.
Her friend and confessor Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, was equally aghast when informed of Anne’s arrest, and the substance of the charges levelled against her. Even though he had been denied an audience with the King, he still attempted to argue for Anne’s innocence and release in a letter which still exists today. Again, Cranmer’s intervention proved unsuccessful, although the Archbishop was permitted to visit her in the Tower and to hear her confession – one in which she swore her innocence before God in advance of her impending demise.
On 15 May, a trial was held within the confines of the Tower to hear the cases for and against Anne and her brother, George. Separately they were indicted, and each responded to the charges, proclaiming their innocence with clear and cogent arguments but, compelling as those pleas may have been, both were found guilty and sentenced to death. Although their trials took place on the same day, consecutively, and in the same chamber, they were not permitted to see each other. Anne never encountered her brother again.
She was led back to her apartment then, to await beheading. Anne would certainly have been aware of the moment when her five implicated male companions, one being her beloved brother, were executed on Tower Hill on 17 May. She was not witness to their ends, but within the walls of her prison she mourned the loss of those innocent pawns: all falling victim to false accusations of having had a carnal association with her.
Anne was led to meet her death on Tower Green on 19 May 1536. In a short valedictory speech, she called for the people, ‘always to pray to God for the King, for he was a good, gentle, gracious, and amiable prince.’ Then her head was sliced from her body: not by a traditional English axe but by a French executioner’s sword. By all accounts, both parts were then placed inside a modest wooden box and interred in the adjacent Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, where she rests today.
The letter which is dated 6 May, ‘from my doleful prison in the Tower’, has been much discussed, written about, copied, and debated over the centuries. I have included its full text in my narrative because I believe it to be crucial to any study of the life of Anne Boleyn. In fact, I found it so compelling that I spent almost a year researching it exclusively. I published my findings and opinions in a book entitled Anne Boleyn’s Letter from the Tower.
My investigation of that letter, linked with what I have come to know about Anne and her life, has led me to believe, with deep conviction, that the composition is indeed Anne’s. I feel its content indicates Anne was not only very much aware of her impending doom but had also concluded that those written words would be the last she would express to her husband, and that, perhaps, they would exist in perpetuity as a final record of her sentiments. The fact that the handwriting is known not to be Anne’s, but that the message is resoundingly commensurate with what we have come to know about Anne and her temperament, allows me to determine that the actual letter was transcribed for her - probably while closely overseen. I surmise that the architect of those restrictions was Thomas Cromwell: it being widely accepted, due to notations on later copies of the letter, that the original draft had been found hidden among Cromwell’s private papers after his execution - also at the hands of his master, Henry VIII - four years later. I do not believe that Henry ever saw the letter which Anne had composed for him.
Anne’s story is one of profound highs and lows: a key reason why we remain so enthralled with her persona and her life. Many accomplished biographers, historians, and novelists have documented the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, but I wanted, in writing this two-book work, to explore Anne’s relationship with Henry Tudor from the fictional viewpoint: narrated from her perspective. And on completing much thorough research before writing, I did come to believe firmly that Anne and Henry had, indeed, been truly in love: a well-matched pair – ‘soul mates’ in today’s parlance. Clearly something went terribly wrong: a perfect storm of events and emotions ultimately leading to Anne’s downfall. The exploration of that particular aspect of their lives has been undertaken by many antiquarians and historians, but in truth will never be satisfied, for we will never really know what went on in their minds and hearts.
In the creation of a novel which has at its basis significant historical fact, I referred to primary sources – contemporary to Anne and Henry’s time – whenever they were available. In preparation for Book I, Struck With the Dart of Love - Je Anne Boleyn, I was permitted to study the original love letters which Henry wrote to Anne over a period of several years. That study fostered my belief that his adoration, at first hesitant and hopeful, soon was well returned. The evidence presented by his handwriting, his increasingly casual application of pen to paper and his familiarity with using terms of endearment all contribute to this convict
ion. I also viewed the Book of Hours in which Anne and Henry inscribed lovers’ messages to each other. This, too, was a moving experience and informed my thinking greatly. For Book II, Truth Endures - Je Anne Boleyn, I viewed many documents held within the archives of the British Library including the letter which Anne wrote to Cardinal Wolsey in which she insisted upon a postscript added by Henry. I also viewed documents authored and signed by Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer, William Kingston and the scribe, Ralph Sadler, as well as very old editorial documents written by early antiquarians who have remarked upon the life events of Henry VIII and his second wife. The ability and the permission to view each and every document have been a blessing and an immeasurable advantage, and I am enormously appreciative to the staff at the British Library, and also to the officials at the Papal Library, where Henry’s love letters are kept.
The people and places recounted in the two books are based on historical fact. The way in which the story unfolds - the characters’ thinking and their reactions as events take place - is, of course, a work of fiction. Each book includes a cast of players who had a real part in Anne’s life. Those strictly created by me include Anne’s maids - Charity, followed by Lucy, Emma and Simonette - and the seamstress, Mistress Joan Clerke. Anne’s documented deep friendship with the real person Margaret Wyatt, Lady Lee, is characterized in the novels by Anne’s use of the affectionate nickname Maggie, although there are no records of Lady Lee being called by that name. It is widely believed, though, that Margaret accompanied Anne to the scaffold, fulfilling her fictional promise to remain Anne’s stalwart companion until their death. Anne’s greyhound - and we do know from primary documents that she had one - is, in my tale, called Jolie. Though many people believe her hound was named Urian, it seems clear from the writings that Anne’s pet, and the one belonging to William Brereton’s brother, Urian Brereton, did indeed get into some mischief together, thereby causing confusion regarding their names.
I have been unbelievably fortunate to have come to know and be supported by many truly wonderful people. To the authors and historians who have informed my work and inspired me, I offer my deepest regard and thanks. I would be remiss if I did not mention my indebtedness to the brilliant composer, Mr Trevor Morris. His radiant soundtrack for the TV series The Tudors has fuelled my imagination over and over again. And for the members of my beloved Tudor community – your friendship and encouragement mean everything: Claire Ridgway, Beth von Staats, Natalie Grueninger, Adrienne Dillard, Deb Hunter, Catherine Brooks, James Peacock, Sarah Bryson, Janet Wertman, Gina Clark, Philippa Vincent-Connolly, and Debbie Brown. I could not have crafted the scenes in which Anne, a great horsewoman, rode and hunted without knowledge and inspiration provided me by a dear friend, Patricia Schreck. To my friends and family who have allowed me to talk endlessly about Anne for many years, I thank you and love you: my mother Marie Corry, my sister Beth Corry, Maria Maneos, Donna Bolno, Terri Gasbarra, Bob Ketterlinus, Sue Wilson, Cathy Howell, Warren Miller ... you have all been crucial to my efforts.
It is difficult to find the words to thank sufficiently my wonderful, kind and generous editor who has provided me so much guidance and confidence over the years: Brian Callison. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And Tim Ridgway, the CEO of my publisher MadeGlobal – you are simply marvellous: wise, gracious, considerate, and very skilled. I am delighted to have the chance to work with you.
To my husband Tom Vasoli, my most loving and capable proponent, critic and guide, whose patience and encouragement are without measure: thank you.
And to my daughter, to whom the book is dedicated ... you inspire me every day.
SOURCES
Contemporary Accounts
Brewer, J., ed., Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII, Volume 4, 1875
Brown, R., Calendar of State Papers, Venice, 1867
Camden Miscellany XXX Vol 39 William Latymer’s Cronickille of Anne Bulleyne , Offices of the Royal Historical Society, University College London, London 1990
Cotsgrave, R.,ed., A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London: Adam Islip, 1611
Gairdner, J., ed., Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII, Volumes 5 through 10, 1880 – 1887
Gayangos, P.ed., Calendar of State Papers, Spain,
Vols. 3 and 4, 1873-1879
Grose, F. Esq and Astle, T. Esq., ed., The Antiquarian Repertory: A Miscellaneous Assemblage of Topography, History, Customs and Manners, London: Edward Jeffrey, 1809
Hall, E., Chronicle Containing the History of England During the Reign of Henry the Fourth and the Succeeding Monarchs to the End of the Reign of Henry the Eighth, London, 1809
Hinds, A., ed. Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts in the Archives and Collections of Milan - 1385-1618, 1912
Mayhew, A. ,ed., A Glossary of Tudor and Stuart Words, London: Oxford Press, 1914
Nichols, J.G. ed., Chronicle of Calais, London: Camden Society, 1846
Nicolas, N.H. Esq. ed., The Privy Purse Expences of Henry the Eighth, London: Wm Pickering, 1828
Phillips, J., ed., The Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, With Notes, Watchmaker Publishing, 2009
St Claire Byrne, M. ed., The Lisle Letters , An Abridgement, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1983
Wriothesley, Charles, A Chronicle of England During the Reign of the Tudors, London: Camden Society, 1875
Secondary sources
Carley, J., The Books of King Henry and His Wives, London: The British Library, 2004
Cherry, C. and Ridgway, C., George Boleyn Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat, MadeGlobal Publishing 2014
Cressy, D., Birth, Marriage, and Death – Ritual, Religion and the Life-Cycle in Tudor and Stuart England, New York: Oxford University Press 1997
Drummond, J., and Wilbraham, A., The Englishman’s Food – A History of Five Centuries Of English Diet, London: Readers Union, 1959
Emerson, K., www.kateemersonhistoricals.com/TudorWomenIndex.htm, 2008 – 2013
Fletcher, C., Our Man in Rome, Henry VIII and his Italian Ambassador, London: The Bodley Head, 2012
Fraser, A., The Wives of Henry VIII, New York: Vintage Books, 1994
Ives, Eric, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn ‘The Most Happy’, Blackwell Publishing, 2004
Jokinen, A., www.Luminarium.org, 1996
Morris, S. and Grueninger, N., In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, Amberley Publishing, 2013
Mikhaila, N. and Malcolm-Davies, J., The Tudor Tailor – Reconstructing 16th century dress, Hollywood: Costume and Fashion Press 2006
Ridgway, C. TheAnneBoleynFiles.com
Ridgway, C. TheTudorSociety.com
Ridgway, C., Tudor Places of Great Britain, MadeGlobal Publishing, 2015
Starkey, D., Six Wives, The Queens of Henry VIII, New York: HarperCollins, 2003
Thurley, S., The Royal Palaces of Tudor England - Architecture and Court Life 1460 – 1547, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1993
Weir, A., The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Grove Press, 2007
Sandra Vasoli, author of Anne Boleyn’s Letter from the Tower, Struck with the Dart of Love and Truth Endures, earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and biology from Villanova University before embarking on a thirty-five-year career in human resources for a large international company.
Having written essays, stories, and articles all her life, Vasoli was prompted by her overwhelming fascination with the Tudor dynasty to try her hand at writing both historical fiction and non-fiction. While researching what eventually became the Je Anne Boleyn series, Vasoli was granted unprecedented access to the Papal Library. There, she was able to read the original love letters from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn—an event that contributed greatly to her research and writing.
Vasoli currently lives in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two greyhounds.
“Sir, Your Grace’s Displeasure and my Imprisonment are Things so strange unto me, as what to Write, or what to Excuse, I am altogether ignorant.”
Thus opens a burned fragment of a letter dated 6 May 1536 and signed “Anne Boleyn”, a letter in which the imprisoned queen fervently proclaims her innocence to her husband, King Henry VIII.
ISBN: 978-84-943721-5-5
Anne Boleyn is accused of adultery and imprisoned in the Tower. The very next day she is due to be executed at the hand of a swordsman. Nothing can change the tragic outcome. England will have a new queen before the month is out. And yet...
What if events conspired against Henry VIII and his plans to take a new wife? What if there were things that even Thomas Cromwell couldn’t control, things which would make it impossible for history to go to plan?
ISBN: 978-84-944574-9-4
The last hour of Anne Boleyn’s life...
Court intrigue, revenge and all the secrets of the last hour are revealed as one queen falls and another rises to take her place on destiny’s stage.
A young Anne Boleyn arrives at the court of King Henry VIII. She is to be presented at the Shrovetide pageant, le Château Vert. The young and ambitious Anne has no idea that a chance encounter before the pageant will lead to her capturing the heart of the king. What begins as a distraction becomes his obsession and leads to her destruction.
ISBN: 978-84-943721-4-8
Truth Endures Page 20