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| 9 | <title>Primary Sources - Letter of Katharine Parr to her stepdaughter, Princess
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| 10 | Mary, 20 September 1544 </title>
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| 31 | <p align="center"><b><FONT size=+1>Letter of Katharine Parr to her stepdaughter,
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| 32 | Princess Mary<br>20 September 1544</FONT></b></p>
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| 33 | <p>
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| 34 | <FONT size=-1><b>Background<br></b>Katharine was very close to all of her stepchildren,
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| 35 | though she and Princess Mary differed greatly in matters of religion.
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| 36 | Mary was, in truth, only a few years younger than Katharine and so the queen
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| 37 | did not have a profound impact upon Mary's life - not as she did upon the much
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| 38 | younger Elizabeth and Edward, both of whom came to love Katharine as a
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| 39 | mother. But Katharine and Mary did become close, and the princess
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| 40 | undoubtedly appreciated Katharine's attempts to heal Henry VIII's broken
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| 41 | family. This letter was written in thanks for a purse Mary had
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| 42 | embroidered and sent to the queen. Katharine also inquires about Mary's
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| 43 | progress in translating Erasmus's <I>Paraphrase on the Gospel of John</I> and
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| 44 | her health. Mary was notoriously prone to illness and it is obvious that
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| 45 | Katharine felt genuine concern for her step-daughter's well-being.</FONT></p>
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| 46 | <p>
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| 47 | <FONT size=-1>Katharine wished for Mary to publish her translation; her
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| 48 | own writings (such as <I>Lamentations....</I>) became 16th century
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| 49 | bestsellers, particularly during the Protestant reigns of Edward VI and
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| 50 | Elizabeth I.</FONT> <br> </p>
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| 51 | <hr>
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| 52 | <p>Although, most noble and dearest lady, there are many reasons
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| 53 | that easily induce my writing to you at this time, yet nothing so greatly
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| 54 | moves me thereto as my concern for your health; which, as I hope it is very
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| 55 | good, so am I greatly desirous to be assured thereof. <BR>Wherefor, I
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| 56 | despatch to you this messenger, who will be (I judge) most acceptable to
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| 57 | you, not only from his skill in music, in which you, I am well aware, take
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| 58 | as much delight as myself, but also because, having long sojourned with me,
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| 59 | he can give the most certain information of my whole estate and
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| 60 | health. And, in truth, I have had it in mind before this to have made
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| 61 | a journey to you and salute you in person; but all things do not correspond
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| 62 | with my will. Now, however, I hope this winter, and that ere long,
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| 63 | that, being nearer, we shall meet; than which, I assure you, nothing can be
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| 64 | to me more agreeable, and more to my heart's desire. <BR>Now since, as I
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| 65 | have heard, the finishing touch (as far as the translation is concerned) is
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| 66 | given by Mallet to Erasmus's work upon John, and nought now remains but that
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| 67 | proper care and vigilance should be taken in revising, I entreat you to send
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| 68 | over to me this very excellent and useful work, now amended by Mallet, or
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| 69 | some of your people, that it may be committed to the press in due time; and
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| 70 | farther, to signify whether you wish it to go forth to the world (most
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| 71 | auspiciously) under your name, or as the production of an unknown
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| 72 | writer. To which work you will, in my opinion, do a real injury, if
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| 73 | you refuse to let it go down to posterity under the auspices of your own
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| 74 | name, since you have undertaken so much labor in accurately translating it
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| 75 | for the great good of the public, and would have undertaken still greater
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| 76 | (as is well known) if the health of your body had permitted. <BR>And, since
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| 77 | all the world knows that you have toiled and labored much in this business,
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| 78 | I do not see why you should repudiate that praise which all men justly
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| 79 | confer on you. However, I leave this whole matter to your discretion
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| 80 | and, whatever resolution you may adopt, that will meet my fullest
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| 81 | approbation. <BR>For the purse, which you have sent me as a present, I
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| 82 | return you great thanks. I pray God, the greatest and best of beings,
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| 83 | that He deign to bless you uninterruptedly with true and unalloyed
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| 84 | happiness. May you long fare well in him. <BR>From Hanworth, 20th of
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| 85 | September, <BR>Most devotedly and lovingly yours, Katharine the
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| 86 | Queen.</p>
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| 87 | <p> </p>
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| 88 |
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| 92 | </BLOCKQUOTE>
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| 93 | <p align="center"><FONT size=-1><A
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| 94 | href="letters.html">to Letters of the Six Wives
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| 95 | of Henry VIII</A></FONT></p>
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| 96 | <p align="center"><FONT size=-1><A href="primary.html">to
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| 97 | Primary Sources</A></FONT><BR><FONT size=-1><A
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| 98 | href="http://englishhistory.net/tudor.html">to Tudor England</A></FONT><BR><FONT size=-1>
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| 99 | <a href="monarchs/parr.html">to Katharine
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| 100 | Parr website</a></FONT></p>
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