The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Ives Eric

Author:Ives, Eric [Ives, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
Published: 2004-08-19T14:00:00+00:00

So far the theme appears classical, but the relevant Vergil passage had been understood ever since the fourth century to refer to the advent of the Blessed Virgin, the mother of the Messiah, whose victory has ushered in the new heaven and the new earth. Hence, above the three Sybils at St Paul’s Gate with their Marian reference was the legend Regina Anna! Prospere, procede et regna! (‘Queen Anne! Prosper, go forward and reign!’), and at their feet a long scroll with the inscription (again in Latin), ‘Queen Anne, when thou shalt bear a new son of the King’s blood, there shall be a golden world unto thy people.’ And the religious symbiosis of Mary and Anne was reinforced by the three ladies having supplies of wafers to throw to the crowds, wafers which carried not religious images but the message of the long scroll in letters of gold.

The most impressive demonstration of an interest in the new fashion for antiquity was, unfortunately, not part of the work of Udall and Leland, and thus is known only by descriptions and not by the text. This was the bringing together of the 200 children on specially built staging at the western front of St Paul’s School, overlooking the churchyard. They declaimed a series of translations from the Latin poets, praising both Anne and Henry. It is also the one episode to which we know Anne’s spontaneous reaction on the day. She ‘said “Amen” with a joyful smiling countenance’.38

Comparison with subsequent royal pageants, real and abortive, demonstrate how distinctive the set pieces for Anne’s coronation procession were and endorse the conclusion that they reflected her personal taste. The syllabus which survives for the abortive coronation of her successor, Jane Seymour, describes twelve of the intended pageants in detail. One was a display of caged singing birds in a meadow, one a maiden with a unicorn by a fountain, and a third the new queen’s badge and motto. All the rest used traditional religious themes — the Vision of St John, the Coronation of the Virgin, the Transfiguration and so on — with not a classical allusion in sight.39 Edward VI’s coronation procession was largely cobbled up from the programme devised for Henry VI in 1432, though one Latin speech was scripted and the rear of one stage featured the Golden Fleece.40 Where Edward’s did copy Anne was in the descent of a heraldic bird, this time the Seymour phoenix.41 Much less is known of Mary’s coronation procession, where the three ‘mightiest’ pageants (and the only sign of classicism) were provided by foreign merchants — the Genoese, the Hanse and the Florentines.42 Her husband’s entry in 1554 was more Latinate — not surprisingly, since Philip had limited English — but only one of the four principal pageants was on a classical theme.43 Elizabeth’s coronation procession in 1559 exploited no classical motifs, though plenty of material in Latin.44

The distinctive classicism of Anne Boleyn’s entry in 1533 should almost certainly be traced to her time in France, where this newer style was beginning to evolve.

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