Now, however, I understand. After reading all seventeen letters written by Henry himself to his mistress and love, Anne, I understand the power he had over women. It came with his gift of words. Upon reading these letters, I dare you to try not to fall a bit in love with the man behind the quill and parchment (at least until you remember his later years). Some of the lines he uses in his letters, describing his love for Anne, are lines we just don't hear anymore. The ways he conveys his feelings in these letters is
My personal favorite of his letters is the fourth one written in the book. It starts with the line, "My heart and I surrender ourselves into your hands..." and also involves a beautiful metaphor about the sun - "the longer the days are, the more distant is the sun, and nevertheless hotter; so is it with our love, for by absence we are kept a distance from one another, and yet it retains its fervour, at least on my side." In his fifth letter, he even signs his name with a heart, containing the letters "A.B."
Throughout the letters, Henry tells Anne that he "is and shall always be" hers, and frequently refers to himself as her "servant." It is hard not to become a bit entranced by his romantic side - it's not a side we usually see or hear about when researching Henry. Normally, we think of the older King Henry (when he was not so attractive), and we frequently label him as a lusty, ambitious King, who took many mistressed and had little care for any of the women in his life. However, it is very clear to me that King Henry really did feel. He had a romantic way with words, and I genuinely think he meant everything he said to Anne in these letters. It's amazing to read them, and to be able to put yourself in Anne's position as she read them and received the little gifts he sent her, which he mentions.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in this romance. You can find it easily on Amazon.com!
Comments? Questions? I'm interested in your feedback!