Excerpta Historica Page 260. 17 May 1536. Lord Rochford suffered on the next day, Wednesday, the 17th of May; but the letter now printed contains a fuller account of his execution than has hitherto appeared. On Thursday the 18th, Kingston wrote again to Cromwell, and as his letter illustrates and corroborates that which is here given, it will be inserted at length.

Syr thys shalbe to advertyse you I have resayved your Lett' wherin yo...^aa have strangerys conveyed yowt of the Towre and so thay be by the... of Richard Gressum, & Will-m Loke, & Wythepoll, bot the umbr^b of stra... not xxx. and not mony; Hothe and the inbassit'of the emperor had a... ther and honestly put yowt. S^r yf we have not anowre^c serten... ^d be knowen in London, I thynke he wilbe bot few and I thynk... humbur ware bes: for I suppose she wyll declare hyr self to b... woman for all men bot for the Kyng at the o^r of hyr de... mornyng^k she sent for me that I myght be with hyr at... asshe reysayved the gud lord to the in tent I shuld here hy... towchyng hyr innosensy alway to be clere¹ & in the writy... she sent for me, and at my commyng she sayd M. Kyngston I he... not dy affore none, & I am very sory ther fore; for I thowth... be dede... d past my payne. I told hyr it shuld be now payne it w... hard say the execut was very gud and I have a lyt... r hand abowt it lawyng hartely.

I have sen also wemen executed and at^p they have bene in gre... ige. Thys Lady hasse meche joy and plesur in dethe... newaly with hyr and hasse bene syns ij of the co... the effect of hony thyng that ys here at t... well.

Your....

Willm Ky...²

To Mast^r. Secretory.

Note 1. This passage appears to mean that she requested Kingston to be present when she received the sacraraent ("good Lord" being probably used in the sense of "Bon Dieu") that he might witness her declaration of innocency at that Solemn moment.

Note 2. MS. Cotton. Otho C. x. fol. 22.3. Printed in Ellis's Original Lctters, First Series, vol. i. p. 65.

Ellis' Letters S1 V2 Letter CXXIII. Sir William Kingston (age 60) to Lord Cromwell (age 51), apparently May 18^th 1536

[MS. COTTON. OTHO c. x. foL 223. Orig.]

Syr thys shalbe to advertyse you I have resayved your Lett' wherin yo ...^aa have strangerys conveyed yowt of the Towre and so thay be by the ... of Richard Gressum, & Will-m Loke, & Wythepoll, bot the umbr^b of stra ... not xxx. and not mony; Hothe and the inbassit'of the emperor had a ... ther and honestly put yowt. S^r yf we have not anowre^c serten ... ^d be knowen in London, I thynke he^e wilbe bot few and I thynk ...^f humbur^g ware bes: for I suppose she wyll declare hyr self to b ... ^h woman for all men bot for the Kyng at the o^r of hyr deⁱ ... mornyng^k she sent for me that I myght be with hyr at ... asshe reysayved the gud lord to the in tent I shuld here hy ... towchyng hyr innosensy alway to be clere & in the writy ... she sent for me, and at my commyng she sayd M. Kyngston I he ... ^l not dy affore none, & I am very sory ther fore; for I thowth ... be dede ... d past my payne. I told hyr it shuld be now payne it w ... ^m hard say the execut^r was very gud and I have a lyt ... rⁿ hand abowt it lawyng hartely.

I have sen also wemen executed and at^p they have bene in gre ... ige. Thys Lady hasse meche joy and plesur in dethe ... newaly with hyr and hasse bene syns ij of the co ... the effect of hony thyng that ys here at t ... well.

Your ....

Willm Ky

To Mast^r. Secretory.

Note a. f. you would have. b. number. c. an hour. d. as it may be. L. Herb. e. here. f. a reasonable. g. L. Herb. h. be a. L. Herb. i. death. k. for this morning. L. Herb. l. I heard say I shall not. L. Herb. m. was so sotell. Herb. n. a lyttel neck and put her hand. Herb. p. that,

The names of those who were called Anne Boleyn's accusers have occurred in the preceding Letters.

The close of her catastrophe shall be detailed in the words of Burnet :

"A little before noon, being the 19th. of May, she was brought to the Scaffold, where she made a short speech to a great company that came to look on the last scene of this fatal Tragedy : the chief of whom were the Dukes of Suffolk (age 52) and Richmond (age 16), the Lord Chancellor, and Secretary Cromwell (age 51), with the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs, and Aldermen of London. She said she was come to die, as she was judged by the Law ; she would accuse none, nor say any thing of the ground upon which she was judged. She prayed heartily for the King ; and called him a most merciful and gentle Prince, and that he had been always to her a good, gentle, sovereign lord : and if any would meddle with her cause, she required them to judge the best. And so she took her leave of them and of the world ; and heartily desired they would pray for her. After she had been some time in her devotions, being her last words 'to Christ I commend my Soul,' her head was cut off by the hangman of Calais, who was brought over as more expert at beheading than any in England : her eyes and lips were observed to move after her head was cut off, as Spelman writes ; but her body was thrown into a common chest of elm tree, that was made to put arrows in, and was buried in the chapel within the Tower [Map] before twelve o'clock.

"Her brother (deceased) with the other four did also suffer. None of them were quartered, but they were all beheaded, except Smeton, who was hanged. It was generally said, that he was corrupted into that confession, and had his life promised him ; but it was not fit to let him live to tell tales. Norris had been much in the King's favour, and an offer was made him of his life, if he would confess his guilt, and accuse the Queen. But he generously rejected that unhandsome proposition, and said that in his consciiaice he thought her innocent of these things laid to her charge ; but whether she was or not, he would not accuse her of any thing, and he would die a thousand times rather than ruin an innocent person."^a

On the day of the execution, Henry the Eighth put on white for mourning, as though he would have said, "I am innocent of this deed:" and the next day was married to Jane Seymour (age 27).

The good Melanchton, whose visit to England was prevented by the afflicting news of the Queen's execution, has elegantly expressed his opinion of her innocence, in a letter to Joachim Camerarius, dated on the fifth of the ides of June 1536:

"Anglicas profectionis cura prorsus liberatus sum. Postquam enim tarn tragic! casus in Anglia acciderunt, magna consiliorum mutatio secuta est. Posterior Regina, Magis Accusata quam Convicta Adulterii, ultimo supplicio affecta est. Quam mirabiles sunt rerum vices, mi Joachime, quantam Dei iram omnibus hominibus denunciant, in quantas calamitates etiam ex summo fastigio potentissimi homines hoc tempore decidunt Haec cum cogito, etiam nobis aerumnas nostras et nostra pericula asquiore animo ferenda esse dispute."^b

To some it has been a cause of surprize, that Anne Boleyn should have passed an encomium upon Henry the Eighth at her death. Indeed it is remarkable that at almost every execution hi that sanguinary period, the praise of the Sovereign was pronounced by those who fell upon the scaffold. It seems to have been so directed by the Government. Tyndale, from whose "Practice of Prelates" we have already made an extract respecting the disclosure of Confessions, has another passage upon this point, too important not to be given here:

"When any Great Man is put to death, how his Confessore entreateth him ; and what penance is enjoyned him concerning what he shall say when he cometh unto the place of execution. I coude gesse at a practyse that might make mennes eares glowe."^e

In Anne Boleyn's case, however, it may be in part ascribed to anxiety for the safety of her daughter.

Anne Boleyn's execution was a fatal precedent for succeeding times. Henry having beheaded one Queen, proceeded fearlessly to the beheading of another. Elizabeth familiarized the application of the axe to royalty one step farther ; for she beheaded a foreign Queen who had taken shelter in her dominions. Half a Century later, and the people beheaded their Sovereign.

Note a. Burnet, Hist. Reform, vol. i. p. 205.

Note b. Melancht. Epist. 8 Lips. 1569.

Note c. Pract. of Prelates, 12" Marborch, 1530.

Life of Anne Boleyn by Lancelot du Carle. Hall’s Chronicle describes the execution: ‘But the Queen (age 35) was with a sword beheaded within the Tower. And these following were the words that she spoke the day of her death which was the nineteenth day of May, 1536: “Good Christen people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the King and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and Sovereign Lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul. And then she kneeled down saying: To Christ I commend my soul, Jesu receive my soul diverse times, till that her head was stricken of with the sword. And on the Ascencion day following, the King wore white for mourning.”’

Le jour suivant, Et quand le capitaine	The next day when the captain
Dire lui vint que l'heure estoit prochaine	came to tell her the time was near
Et qu'il estoit temps que si disposast	and that it was time to prepare herself
Elle luy dist que lui mesmes advisast	she told him that she herself advised him
De s'aquitter de sa charge et vouloir	to discharge his duty and desire
Car des long temps Dieu a voulu pourveoir	because for a long time God has wanted to provide
A lui donner courage et fermeté	her courage and steadfastness
Pour resister a plus grand cruaulté	to resist greater cruelty.
Ainsi s'en va au lieu de son suplice	So, she went to the place of her punishment
Pour obeyr au vouloir de justice	to obey the will of justice.
Tousjours monstrant un visage constant	always showing a constant face
Comme le monde en rien ne regretant	not regretting anything in the world
Car sa couleur, et sa face estoit telle	for her complexion and face were such
Que ne fut oncques de tout veuë si belle	never before was a sight so beautiful.
Par grand douleur que de ses yeulx rendoit	despite the great sadness that her eyes showed.
En soubzriant le peuple regardoit	As she sighed, the people looked at her,
Auquel soubdain qu'elle fut arrive	and when suddenly she arrived
Sur l'eschaffault d'une grace privée	at the scaffold with a private grace
Sans s'effrayer a sa voix addressee	without being frightened, in a strained voice she addressed them
Que toutesfois trouve un peu pressée	which, however, she found difficult
De la foiblesse en elle dominant	from the weakness dominating her.
Mais peu a peu sa force reprenant	But little by little, she regained her strength
Et asseurant sa debile façon	and asserting her feeble manner
Feist de sa voix sortir de piteux son.	she made a pitiful sound with her voice:
O mes amis, amis et plus que freres	O my friends, friends and more than brothers,
Puis qu'avec vous je ne puis estre guieres	since I cannot be with you much longer
Et que fini est le cours de mes parens	and the course of my life among my family has ended.
Je vous suppli que ne soyez desplaisans	I beg you not to be unpleasant
Et me vueillez pardonner de bon coeur	and please forgive me with all your heart
Si je n'ay point usé de la doulceur	if I did not use kindness
Envers vous tous selon que je debvois	to all of you as I should have
Veu le pouvoir, et moyen qu'en avois,	considering the power and means that I had.
Et vous prie tous que par fraternité	And pray all of you out of fraternity
De chrestienne, et vraye charité	Christian, and true charity
Me departez vos prieres devotes	share your devout prayers with me
Envers Jesus, affin que par les notes	towards Jesus, only by the notes
De mes pechez n’en soit point maculée	of my sins my soul will not be stained
Mon ame apres que m'en seray allée.	by my sins after I am gone.
De vous narrer pourquoy je suis ici	To tell you why I am here
Ne serviroit pour vous, ne moy aussi	would not be serve for you, or me either
Parquoy me taiz, mais le juge du monde	therefore, I remain silent, but the judge of the world
En qui justice et verité abunde	in whom justice and truth abound
Congnoist le tout, lequel d'affection	knows everything, without prejudice,
Je prie qu'il vuelle avoir compassion	I pray that He has compassion
De ceulx qui m'ont a ceste mort jugée	for those who judged me to die
Et quand d'ici je seray deslogée	and when from here I am departed
Souviennne vous que je vous recommande	remember that I recommend to you
Vostre bon Roy, en qui j'ay veu si grande	your good King, in whom I have seen such great
Humanité et comble de tous biens	humanity and an abundance of all blessings,
Craincte envers Dieu, amour envers les siens	fear of God, love of his own,
Et grans vertuz lesquelles je referee	and great virtues, of which I bear witness,
Qu'estes heureux, si Dieu le vous conserve	you are fortunate if God preserves him.
Priez doncq Dieu que longuement le tienne	So pray to God that He may for a long time
Avec vous, et aussi que m'advienne	be with you, and also, that on me
Sa grace pour me tirer avec luy	his grace pulls me to him
Et recepvoir mon ame ce jourdhuy	and receives my soul this day.
Ce fut la fin de sa foible parole	This was the end of her feeble speech
Qui toutesfoys le peuple ainsi console	which nevertheless consoled the people
Fort desollé de veoir la paouvre Royne	greatly saddened to see the poor Royne
En tel estat meneé en ceste peine	led into so much pain
Car n'est aulcun qui n'ait ferme sperance	for there is no one who does not have firm hope
Que ne sera son esprit en souffrance	that her spirit will not suffer
Veu sa grand Foy et patience saige	given her great Faith and wise patience
Qui surmontoit de femme le couraige:	that overcame the courage of a woman.
Ce neantmoins, qui la veult regarder	Nevertheless, whoever looked at her
Par grand pitié ne se sçauroit garder	cannot help but feel pity
De se douloir, et tant plus que croissoit	at her suffering, and the more grew
Son ferme cæur, tant plus amoindrissoit	her steadfast heart, all the more diminished
Aux assistans, qui ne pouvoyent tenir	in those present, who could not hold back
Les pleurs, que bien elle a sceu contenir.	the tears, which she was able to contain.
Quand la Royne eut elle mesme bessé	When the Queen herself had lowered
Son blanc collet, et chapperon laisse	her white collar and hood, left
Pour ne donner au coup empeschement	to not hinder or obstruct the blow
Se vint jecter a genoulx humblement	she knelt down humbly
En prononçant ceste voix plusieurs foys	and uttering these words several times,
Christ, je te prie mon esperit reçoys:	Christ, I pray to you, receive my spirit.
O grand pitié l'une des damoyselles	O great pity, one of the maids
L’ectans sans fin larmes continuelles	The endless flow of continuous tears
Vint au davant pour faire le service	came forward to do the service
De son dernier et pitoyable office	of her last and pitiful office
Et son visaige a d'ung linge voilê	and her face was veiled with a cloth.
Le maistre alors luy mesme desolé	The executioner himself then sorry
Et perturbé de l'exécution	and disturbed by the execution
Se contraignant pour satisfaction	gathering himself for completion
Le dernier coup d'une espée visa	aimed the final blow of a sword
Dessus son col, que soubdain divisa	at her neck, which suddenly divided.

Spanish Chronicle Chapter 32. 19 May 1536. How Anne was beheaded, and what took place five days after the execution of the Duke and the others¹.

The King ordered the Queen to be beheaded. He had sent a week before to St. Omer for a headsman who could cut off the head with sword instead of an axe, and nine days after they sent he arrived. The Queen was then told to confess, as she must die the next day, and she begged that she might be executed within the Tower, and that no foreigner should see her. So they erected the scaffold in the great courtyard of the Tower, and the next morning they brought her out. She would not confess, but showed a devilish spirit, and was as gay as if she was not going to die. When she arrived at the scaffold she was dressed in a night-robe of damask, with a red damask skirt, and a netted coif over her hair. This lady was very graceful, and had a long neck; and when she mounted the scaffold she saw on it many gentlemen, amongst them being the headsman, who was dressed like the rest, and not as executioner; and she looked around her on all sides to see the great number of people present, for although she was executed inside, there was a great crowd. They would not admit any foreigner, except one who had got in the night before, and who took good note of all that passed. And as the lady looked all round, she began to say these words, "Do not think, good people, that I am sorry to die, or that I have done anything to deserve this death. My fault has been my great pride, and the great crime I committed in getting the King to leave my mistress Queen Katherine for my sake, and I pray God to pardon me for it. I say to you all that everything they have accused me of is false, and the principal reason I am to die is Jane Seymour (age 27), as I was the cause of the ill that befell my mistress²."

The gentlemen would not let her say any more, and she asked which was the headsman. She was told that he would come presently, but that in the meanwhile it would be better for her to confess the truth and not be so obstinate, for she could not hope for pardon. She answered them, "I know I shall have no pardon, but they shall know no more from me." So seeing that she would not confess, the came and knelt before her, saying, "Madam, I crave your Majesty's pardon, for I am ordered to do this duty, and I beg you to kneel and say your prayers." So Anne knelt, but the poor lady only kept looking about her. The headsman, being still in front of her, said in French, "Madam, do not fear, I will wait till you tell me." Then she said, "You will have to take this coif off," and she pointed to it with her left hand. The sword was hidden under a heap of straw, and the man who was to give it to the headsman was told beforehand what to do; so, in order that she should not suspect, the headsman turned to the steps by which they had mounted, and called out, "Bring me the sword." The lady looked towards the steps to watch for the coming of the sword, still with her hand on her coif; and the headsman made a sign with his right hand for them to give him the sword, and then, without being noticed by the lady, he struck her head off on to the ground. And so ended this lady, who would never admit or confess the truth.

Her body was presently carried to the church within the Tower and buried, and a few days afterwards her father died of grief³ for the loss of her and the Duke. God pardon them!

Note 1. Anne was beheaded on the 19th of May, 1536.

Note 2. Constantyne, who was present, gives in his memoirs a report of Anne's speech not materially different from the above; but the Portuguese by Lingard, furnishes a much longer Constantyne says that Anne was dressed in black damask.

Note 3. He survived her more than two years.

Excerpta Historica Page 260. [19 May 1536]. After this, on the next Friday, which was the 19th of the same month, the Queen was beheaded according to the manner and custom of Paris, that is to say, with a sword, which thing had not before been seen in this land of England.¹ And a scaffold, having four or five steps, was then and there set up. And the unhappy Queen, assisted by the Captain of the Tower, came forth, together with the four ladies who accompanied her; and she was wholly habited in a robe of black damask, made in such guise that the cape, which was white, did fall on the outer side thereof. And she then besought the Captain of the Tower that he would in no wise hasten the minute of her death, until she should have spoken that which she had in mind to say: which he consenting to, she said as followeth:

"Good friends, I am not come here to excuse or to justify myself, forasmuch as I know full well that aught that I could say in my defence doth not appertain unto you, and that I could draw no hope of life from the same. But I come here only to die, and thus to yield myself humbly to the will of the King my Lord. And if in my life I did ever offend the King's Grace, surely with my death I do now atone for the same. And I blame not my judges, nor any other manner of person, nor any thing save the cruel law of the land by which I die. But be this, and be my faults as they may, I beseech you all, good friends, to pray for the life of the King my Sovereign Lord and yours, who is one of the best princes on the face of the earth, and who hath always treated me so well that better could not be: wherefore I submit to death with a good will, humbly asking pardon of all the world."

Then, with her own hands, she took her coifs² from her head, and delivered them to one of her ladies, and then putting on a little cap of linen to cover her hair withal, she said, "Alas, poor head! in a very brief space thou wilt roll in the dust on this scaffold; and as in life thou didst not merit to wear the crown of a queen, so in death, thou deservest not a better doom than this. And ye, my damsels, who, whilst I lived, ever shewed yourselves so diligent in my service, and who are now to be present at my last hour and mortal agony, as in good fortune ye were faithful to me, so even at this my miserable death ye do not forsake me. And as I cannot reward you for your true service to me, I pray you take comfort for my loss; howbeit, forget me not; and be always faithful to the King's Grace, and to her whom with happier fortune ye may have as your Queen and Mistress. And esteem your honour far beyond your life; and in your prayers to the Lord Jesu, forget not to pray for my soul."

And being minded to say no more, she knelt down upon both knees, and one of her ladies covered her eyes with a bandage, and then they withdrew themselves some little space, and knelt down over against the scaffold, bewailing bitterly and shedding many tears. And thus, and without more to say or do, was her head stricken off; she making no confession of her fault, and only saying, "O Lord God, have pity on my soul;" and one of her ladies then took up the head, and the others the body, and covering them with a sheet, did put them into a chest which there stood ready, and carried them to the church which is within the Tower, where, they say, she lieth buried with the others.

Note 1. Segundo ho modo e costume de Pariz, com espada; q' nom hera aynda uzado fazer-se em aquela terra de Ingraterra.

Note 2. Tyrou hos toucados de ha cabeça.

Letters 1536. 19 May 1536. The said Queen (unjustly called) finally was beheaded upon a scaffold within the Tower with open gates. She was brought by the captain upon the said scaffold, and four young ladies followed her. She looked frequently behind her, and when she got upon the scaffold was very much exhausted and amazed. She begged leave to speak to the people, promising to say nothing but what was good. The captain gave her leave, and she began to raise her eyes to Heaven, and cry mercy to God and to the King for the offence she had done, desiring the people always to pray to God for the King, for he was a good, gentle, gracious, and amiable prince. She was then stripped of her short mantle furred with ermines, and afterwards took off her hood, which was of English make, herself. A young lady presented her with a linen cap, with which she covered her hair, and she knelt down, fastening her clothes about her feet, and one of the said ladies bandaged her eyes.

Immediately the executioner did his office; and when her head was off it was taken by a young lady and covered with a white cloth. Afterwards the body was taken by the other ladies, and the whole carried into the church nearest to the Tower of London. It is said that she was condemned to be burned alive, but that the King commuted her sentence to decapitation. Thus, he who wrote this billet says that, according to old writings, he has seen the prophecy of Marlin fulfilled.

Sp., from a modern copy, pp. 2.

Ib. 2. French translation of the preceding, pp. 2 (modern copy).

A copy of this will be found in the Rymer Transcripts in the Record Office (145, No. 7); and the part relating to Anne Boleyn's execution has been printed by, Gachard in his "Analectes Historiques," I., 17, note. An English translation of the whole, except the heading, will be found in Froude's "The Pilgrim," 116.

Note 1. The date is wrong. Anne Boleyn was executed on the 19th, the others on the 17th.