Martyrdom of the King of Scotland, by Adam Blackwood, 1587.

Henry huictiesme de ce nom Roy d'Angleterre, estoit hōme tant adonné à ses plaisirs, que le jugement, les bonnes lettres et le sçavoir, qu'il avoit appris en fa jeunesse, estoient comme assopiz & esteints dans son corps abandonné brutallement à ses sens et concupiscences, et presque delaissé de l'ame participáte de raison & d'intelligence, ressentant plus sa beste que son homme.

Henry, the eighth King of England, was a man so devoted to his pleasures that the judgment, good letters and knowledge that he had learned in his youth were as if assimilated and extinguished in his body brutally abandoned to his senses and concupiscences, and almost abandoned from the soul participating in reason and intelligence, feeling more his beast than his man.

Entre les plus cheries et mieux aimees de celles qui luy donnoient esbat et passe-temps, il entretenoit la femme de Thomas Boulen, lequel pour ceste cause il crea Baron et Vicomte de Rochefort, nestant auparauant que simple gentilhomme, et non des plus fortunez. Pour jouyr à son aise de celle dame sans corival et sans jalousie, iI envoya son mari en France, pour luy fervir d'Ambassadeur ordinaire près le Roy tres crestien, où il fut sans partir jusques au bout de deux ans, qu'il entendit que fa femme estoit acouchee d'une fille. Dont estant griesuement offenfcé et cuidant effacer ceste honte domestique par un divorce: estant de retour au pais, il intenta proces contr'elle par devant l'official de Cantorbie, pour se voir separer d'anec luy de corps et de biens.

Among the dearest and best loved of those who gave him frolic and pastime, he maintained the wife of Thomas Boulen, who for this cause he created Baron and Viscount of Rochefort, previously appearing only as a simple gentleman, and not one of the most fortunate. To enjoy this lady at his ease without corival and without jealousy, he sent her husband to France, to make him ordinary Ambassador to the very Christian King, where he was without leaving until the end of two years, when he heard that my wife had given birth to a daughter. Of which being seriously offended and believing to erase this domestic shame by a divorce: having returned to the country, he brought proceedings against her before the official of Canterbury, to see her separated from [the word 'd'anec' is unknown?] him of body and goods.

Elle bien affligee dequoy elle ne pouvoit ny denier le faict, estàt tout evident, ny purger la faute par aucune apparence de raison, se jecta de genoux devant luy , le priant avec larmes de luy pardonner, si elle n'avoit peu resister à la majeste d'un Roy, auquel elle n'eust osé refuser sa compagnie, protestant à l'advenir se gouverner en forte qu'il auroit occasion de l'en contenter.

She, very distressed by the fact that she could neither deny the fact, it was quite obvious, nor purge the fault by any appearance of reason, threw herself on her knees before him, begging him with tears to forgive her, if she had not been able to resist the majesty of a King, to whom she would not have dared refuse her company, protesting in the future to govern herself in a way that she would have the opportunity to satisfy him.

Le Roy adverti de ce mauvais mesnage envoya par devers Thomas Boullen le marquis d'Orceftre pour luy imposer filéce, et luy faire tres expres commandement de reprendre sa femme en grace, et se départir de proces. Le pavure homme craignant la fureur du Roy, vaincu par les remonstràces du Marquis, et asseuré non seulement par icelles, mais aussi par le dire de sa femme, et par le rapport des premiers et plus grans seigneurs du royaume, que celle fille estoit au Roy et non à autre, il se contenta et la nourit comme fienne, soubs le nom d'Anne Boullen.

The King, informed of this bad marriage, sent Thomas Boullen the Marquis of Dorset to impose his duty on him, and very expressly command him to take back his wife in grace, and to give up the lawsuit. The poor man fearing the fury of the King, defeated by the remonstrances of the Marquis, and assured not only by them, but also by the words of his wife, and by the report of the first and greatest lords of the kingdom, that this daughter was of the King and not anyone else, he was content and nourished her as a mother, under the name of Anne Boullen.

Depuis ce temps là ceux de la maifon de Boullen devindrent grands courtisens, bien honorez et respectez d'un chacun, à cause du bon visàge le Roy leur portoit. Et entre autres damesde la cour, Marie Boullen souer uterine d'icelle Anne citoit lors tant en la bonne grace du Roy qu'en fin il abusa d’elle comme il avoit faite la mere.

Since that time those of the house of Boullen became great courtiers, well honored and respected by everyone, because of the good face the King wore to them. And among other ladies of the court, Marie Boullen, Anne's uterine sister, was then so much in the good grace of the King that in the end he abused her as he had done the mother.

Sa Cour estoit composee de gens fort debauchez , comme hereticques et blasphémateurs du nom de Dieu, volleurs et pilleurs des pavures gens, escumeurs de mer, joueurs, macquereaux, paillards & ruffiens: et entre autres auoit un nomme François Brian, chevalier de la familIe des BouIlen, homme plaisant et accord, qu'on appelloit ordinairemente vicaire d'enfer à cause de son impieté, estant homme sans Dieu, sans soy, sans Ioy. Cestui-ci estant un jour enquis par le Roy quelle espece de peché c'estoit de cognoistre la mere et la fille? Refpondit, en luy faisant semblable demande, quel peché luy sembloit-il de manger premierement la poulle et puis apres son petit poulsin? A quoy le Roy s'estant pris à rire outre mefure, Iuy dit, véritablement tu es mon vicaire d'enfer.

His Court was made up of very debauched people, such as heretics and blasphemers of the name of God, thieves and plunderers of poor people, sea skiers, gamblers, pimps, scoundrels & ruffians: and among others there was one named Francis Brian, knight of the family of Boullen, a pleasant and agreeable man, who was usually called vicar of hell because of his impiety, being a man without God, without self, without God. This one being asked one day by the King what kind of sin it was to know the mother and the daughter? Replied, asking him the same thing, what sin did it seem to him to eat first the hen and then after her little chick? At which the King began to laugh excessively, he said, truly you are my vicar from hell.

Quelque temps apres estant de retour en son pays, elle se mit à fuvure la Cour du Roy Henry huictiesme son pere naturel, envers lequel elle ufa de tant de ruses, qu'en fin elle l'empestra bien avant dans ses laqs. Elle avoit le corps haut et droit, les cheveux noirs, la face longue, la couleur jaunastre, comme si elle eust elle malade de la jaunisle: en la gencive de dessus une dent luy avançoit par dessus les autres, en la main droite elle avoit six doigts: dessous le menton elle avoit une petite boffe, pour laquelle cacher elle portoit des robbes et des collets haults, qui luy couvroient entierement le col et la gorge, et à son imitation les autres dames de la Cour en faisoict de mesme, au lieu qu'elles avoient au paravant de coustume d'avoir la poictrine nue et descouverte.

Some time later, having returned to her country, she began to exploit the Court of King Henry the eighth, her natural father, towards whom she used so many tricks, that in the end she entangled him well before in his [Unknown word: laks]. She had a tall, straight body, black hair, a long face, a yellowish color, as if she were sick with jaundice: in the upper gum a tooth protruded above the others, in her right hand she had six fingers: under her chin she had a small bump, to hide which she wore dresses and high collars, which completely covered her collar and throat, and in imitation of her the other ladies of the Court did the same, at least instead of previously having the custom of having their chests bare and uncovered.

Elle avoit le reste du corps bien proportionné, et se vestoit si proprement, introduisant tous les jours quelque nouvelle forte d’habit, qu'elle seruoit de patron à toutes les grandes dames d'Angleterre. Mais quant à l'esprit elle n'eftoit ornee d'aucune vertu: ains estoit hautaine au possible, ambitieuse, fiere, envieuse, et du tout adonnee à ses plaisirs et voluptez, au reste estoit de la secte de Luther, à fin que sa religion fust conforme à sa vie, et toutesfois ne laissoit pas de frequenter les Eglises, et d'aller à la Messe de peur de faillir aux occasions que ses amours et l'ambition de la Cour luy recommandoient.

She had the rest of her body well proportioned, and dressed so neatly, introducing every day some new strong outfit, that she was a patron to all the great ladies of England. But as for the mind she was not adorned with any virtue: she was as haughty as possible, ambitious, proud, envious, and at all given over to her pleasures and voluptuousness, moreover she was of the sect of Luther, so that his religion was in conformity with his life, and nevertheless he did not fail to frequent the Churches, and to go to Mass for fear of failing in the opportunities which his loves and the ambition of the Court recommended to her.

Mais sur tout elle se monsra fort accorte, et retenue à l'endroit du Roy, qu'elIe voyoit bien assollé et quasi perdu de son amour. Dequoy estant plus que devenment advertie, cognoissant son humeur fort enclin au changement, et se mettant deuant les yeux sa mere & sa sœur uterine, qu’il avoit tant aymees, estre maintenant decheuves de sa grace avec le peu de compte qu'il tenoit de ses autres concubines, lesquelles il rejettoit tout aussi tost qu’il avoit obtenu d'elles l’accomplissement de ses desirs, elle se resolut de tenir bon, et de ne laisser aller quelque importunité qu’il luy eust peu donner. Dont il advint, que tant plus qu'il la poursuivoir, tant plus elle Ie reculoit, resistant à ses prieres, et jurant et prostestant qu’homme vivant ne cueilleroit onques sa fleur de sa virginité, sinon celuy qui se joindroit à elle par le sainct lien de mariage.

But above all she showed herself to be very accommodating and restrained towards the King, whom she saw as very exhausted and almost lost of his love. Why, being more than warned, knowing his mood was very inclined to change, and putting his eyes on his mother and his uterine sister, whom he had loved so much, to be now fallen from his grace with the little account he held of his other concubines, whom he rejected just as quickly as he had obtained from them the fulfillment of his desires, she resolved to hold on, and not to let go of any importunity that he could hardly have given her. So it happened that the more he pursued her, the more she pushed him back, resisting his prayers, and swearing and protesting that no living man would ever pluck the flower of her virginity, except the one who joined her by the holy bond of marriage.