#283 - How Many Languages Do you Speak?
“....though she was only six years old, she spake with as much assurance as a woman over forty. If she be no more educated than she now appeareth to me, she will prove of no less honor and womanhood that shall beseem her father’s daughter” - Thomas Wriothley, December 1539, with regard to Elizabeth's response to the conveyance of the Christmas Greeting of Elizabeth I's Father, Henry VIII
Ten. We read, write and speak, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, German and Greek, Flemish, Welsh and Portuguese.
Any successful monarch knows that it is necessary to be able to communicate with all of the diplomats and dignitaries that pay Court to Us as well as to communicate successfully with would-be suitors. Make no mistake, I have had my fair share of men who would have loved nothing more than to by right of a husband to inherit the Throne of England. A woman who is unmarried and is a confirmed virgin has a great deal of power. But for Me my only true spouse has been England, and keeping England out of war and keeping Our country prosperous. These never-ending political endeavours would always have Me staying up late into the night writing letters and state papers to insure exactly that. But how hard is it to understand that it would have been impossible for Philip of Spain could not declare war upon England while the French and the Duc de Anjou were engaged in negotiations for Our hand, and conversely, nor could France declare war upon Us if Spain were engaged in similar suit? Of course, many of Our countrymen do not see the larger picture of all of these negotiations. Walsingham does, as does Lord Burghley.
Court translators do rather have a habit for omitting important things that can turn a situation to the advantage or the disadvantage. Less scrupulous ones will do so for the benefit of those who employ them. And even with more than a few of them at Court, why would I entrust such an important if not oft precarious task of diplomacy entirely to anyone else but Myself? That would be dangerous indeed. A danger to which I am not willing to submit myself nor England. Is England not my birthright, My children, My Spouse?
By God, as long as I live, I shall never entrust such a precious thing as My England to anyone else but Myself.
Muse: Elizabeth I
Fandom: Historical / "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Word Count: 336 (not counting historical quote)
Scribes Note: It was well established that Elizabeth I was in fact quite fluent in at least eight, if not ten languages. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Just how remarkable Elizabeth's level of education and energy was is truly astounding, even for the daughter of a king, especially in Sixteenth Century Europe. This is attributed to Elizabeth's keen intelligence and intense desire that she should learn as much as she could about the world around her and maintain as much control over it as she could. Elizabeth Tudor had access for the whole of her life to the best literature and writings from all of the best minds and scholars of her era, both as the daughter of King Henry VIII and as Queen of England. She took full advantage of all of these things.
crossposted to theatrical_muse
Ten. We read, write and speak, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, German and Greek, Flemish, Welsh and Portuguese.
Any successful monarch knows that it is necessary to be able to communicate with all of the diplomats and dignitaries that pay Court to Us as well as to communicate successfully with would-be suitors. Make no mistake, I have had my fair share of men who would have loved nothing more than to by right of a husband to inherit the Throne of England. A woman who is unmarried and is a confirmed virgin has a great deal of power. But for Me my only true spouse has been England, and keeping England out of war and keeping Our country prosperous. These never-ending political endeavours would always have Me staying up late into the night writing letters and state papers to insure exactly that. But how hard is it to understand that it would have been impossible for Philip of Spain could not declare war upon England while the French and the Duc de Anjou were engaged in negotiations for Our hand, and conversely, nor could France declare war upon Us if Spain were engaged in similar suit? Of course, many of Our countrymen do not see the larger picture of all of these negotiations. Walsingham does, as does Lord Burghley.
Court translators do rather have a habit for omitting important things that can turn a situation to the advantage or the disadvantage. Less scrupulous ones will do so for the benefit of those who employ them. And even with more than a few of them at Court, why would I entrust such an important if not oft precarious task of diplomacy entirely to anyone else but Myself? That would be dangerous indeed. A danger to which I am not willing to submit myself nor England. Is England not my birthright, My children, My Spouse?
By God, as long as I live, I shall never entrust such a precious thing as My England to anyone else but Myself.
Muse: Elizabeth I
Fandom: Historical / "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Word Count: 336 (not counting historical quote)
Scribes Note: It was well established that Elizabeth I was in fact quite fluent in at least eight, if not ten languages. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Just how remarkable Elizabeth's level of education and energy was is truly astounding, even for the daughter of a king, especially in Sixteenth Century Europe. This is attributed to Elizabeth's keen intelligence and intense desire that she should learn as much as she could about the world around her and maintain as much control over it as she could. Elizabeth Tudor had access for the whole of her life to the best literature and writings from all of the best minds and scholars of her era, both as the daughter of King Henry VIII and as Queen of England. She took full advantage of all of these things.
crossposted to theatrical_muse