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Life of Anne Boleyn by Lancelot du Carle is in Tudor Books.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter. published by Twenty Trees.
Available on Amazon in paperback and Ebook.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
The following paragraphs are extracted from our book ...
On the same day as Queen Catherine’s burial, the 29th of January 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn (age 35) miscarried a male child of around three months.
| Quand le Royne eut la nouvella entendué | When the Queen heard the news |
| Peu s'en failloit que ne cheut estandué | she nearly fainted from distress, |
| Morte d'ennui tant que fort offense | dying of sorrow, greatly afflicted, |
| Son ventre plein et le fruict advança | her belly full, the child advanced |
| Et enfanta une beau filz avant terme | and a beautiful son before the due date |
| Qui nasquit mort dont versa mainte larme | who was born dead, causing many tears to flow. |
The Letter next alludes to the beginnings of King Henry’s affection for Jane Seymour (age 27) although the wording is unhelpfully vague …
| Par le moyen de sa grande licence | Thanks to her great freedom |
| Que luy donnoit le publique defense | given by the public’s acceptance |
| Que nul n'ausasi sur peine de martyre | that no one will be on pain of martyrdom |
| Alcunement de la Royne mesdire | spoke ill of the Queen |
| Mais celle Roy n'eut pouvoir d'asseurer | but this King was unable to assure |
| Que l'amitié peut longuement durer | that friendship can last a long time |
| Car par le temps elle s'amoindrissoit | because over time it fades. |
| Le Roy de sa premiere affection | The cause of the King’s first affection |
| Je n'en sçaurois dire l'occasion | I can't tell you the occasion |
| Si ce n'estoit par la raison commune | if it were due to the usual cause |
| De l'inconstance, et muable fortune | of inconstancy, and changing fortune |
| Ce que Dieu veult nous monstre plus souvent | for God often shows us, in His design |
| Que grands honeurs et biens ne font que vent | that great honors and wealth are vanity |
| Lesquelez donne a ceulx qui veult pugnir | given to those he wants to punish |
| De leurs messaictz pour les faire venir | for their misdeeds, making them rise, |
| D'une grand plaisir apres a grand souffrance | to great pleasure, then to great suffering |
| Comme voyex ici l'experience | as you can see by this experience. |
Here is the beginning of the end of Anne Boleyn. The Letter describes a Lord berating his sister for being flirtatious; we don’t know when that conversation occurred. She, in response, and to deflect criticism from herself, points out that Queen Anne has been behaving much worse, with Anne’s musician Mark Smeaton, and that Queen Anne has been having ‘carnal intimacy’ with her brother George Boleyn.
| Une des Seigneurs du Conseil plus esfroit | A most feared Lord of the Council |
| Voyant sa soeur, qui mainctz signes faisoit | seeing his sister, who was making many signs |
| D'aymer aulcuns par amour deshonneste | of loving someone dishonestly |
| Par bon Conseil fraternel l'admoneste | by good fraternal advice admonished her |
| Qu'elle acqueiot une hontesuse fame | that she was gaining a shameful reputation |
| De mal vivante, et impudicque femme | of bad living, and being a shameless woman, |
| Et grandement son honneur blesseroit | and her honour would be greatly harmed |
| Si de peché tost ne se retiroit | if the sin was not reined in. |
The name of the sister is uncertain. John Hussee’s letter to Honour Grenville, Lady Lisle, wife of Henry’s illegitimate uncle Arthur, Viscount Lisle, on the 24th of May 1536 [See Letter] has ‘As to the confession of the Queen and others, they said little or nothing; but what was said was wondrous discreetly spoken. The first accuser, the lady Worcester (age 34), and Nan Cobham with one maid mo; but the Lady Worcester was the first ground.’ Hussee repeats the claim on the 25th of May 1536 ‘As to the Queen's accusers my lady Worcester is said to be the principal.’
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. |
