State Papers and Letters of Sir Ralph Sadler, complete in 1 volume, with a Memoir of the Life of Sir Ralph Sadler by Walter Scott
Ambassador extraordinary to Scotland, treasurer to the northern army, warden of the east and middle marches, chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, custodian of Mary Queen of Scots towards the end of her long imprisonment — these are just some of the roles filled by Sir Ralph Sadler during his long life of service under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I.
The two volumes of his State Papers and Letters, presented here in a single Kindle book, are interesting on many levels: Sadler's letters during his time as ambassador, for example, are always very detailed, giving verbatim accounts of his meetings with the Dowager Queen, with the Regent, and with the various pro-English Scots, and his assessment of their characters. They show the difficulties facing an ambassador when it could take more than ten days for a response to his request for instructions, or when the instructions he is given are impossible to carry out. There are insights into the character and style of speech of those who wrote to Sadler. There are insights, too, into the complexities of funding and provisioning an army in the sixteenth century.
The latter part of the book covers the time when Sadler, now in his seventies, was the reluctant custodian of Mary Queen of Scots, and the difficulties caused by Elizabeth's parsimonious and somewhat spiteful nature, as far as Mary was concerned. The letters here show Mary suffering from ill-health and prematurely aged, with a touching faith that she could wield significant influence over the son she had not seen since he was a baby.
The two volumes are also available as separate Kindle books, each containing the full index.
State Papers and Letters of Sir Ralph Sadler, complete: Amazon US / Amazon UK
State Papers and Letters of Sir Ralph Sadler, vol. 1: Amazon US / Amazon UK
State Papers and Letters of Sir Ralph Sadler, vol. 2: Amazon US / Amazon UK
