Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

King Henry VIII originally courted Anne Boleyn’s sister Mary, but it was Anne who caught the English royal’s wandering eye — though she refused to be his mistress. She wanted to be Queen. Unfortunately for Anne, the temperamental King had another change of heart and ordered her execution in 1536. Henry VIII wrote Anne this letter in 1527:

国王亨利八世最初追求的是安妮·博林的姐姐玛丽·博林，不过皇室看中的却是安妮——虽然她拒绝做亨利八世的情妇。她想要做的是皇后，不过不幸的是，喜新厌旧的亨利八世之后却又变了心，1536年时下令处决安妮。1527年，亨利八世给安妮写下了这样的情书：

I beg to know expressly your intention touching the love between us. Necessity compels me to obtain this answer, having been more than a year wounded by the dart of love, and not yet sure whether I shall fail or find a place in your affection.

我乞求你，清楚明白地告诉我你的心意，是否愿意与我相爱。我必须要得到这个答案，爱神之箭射中了我，伤口已一年有余，能否在你的心中占有一席之地，我却依然无从确定。