''The Miroir or Glasse of the Synneful Soul'' is a
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...
book that was given to
Katherine Parr by her stepdaughter, the future
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
in
1544
__NOTOC__
Events
January–June
* January 13 – At Västerås, the estates of Sweden swear loyalty to King Gustav Vasa and to his heirs, ending the traditional electoral monarchy in Sweden. Gustav subsequently signs an allianc ...
, when Elizabeth was eleven years old. Elizabeth translated the poem from the French work ''
Miroir de l'âme pécheresse
''Miroir de l’âme pécheresse'' ("Mirror of the Sinful Soul") is a 1531 poem by Margaret of Valois-Angoulême, Marguerite d'Angoulême. It was translated by the future Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth I in 1548 as ''A Godly Meditation of the Soul' ...
'' by
Marguerite de Navarre, into
English prose and wrote the manuscript with her own hand, dedicating it with the words, "''From Assherige, the last daye of the yeare of our Lord God 1544 ... To our most noble and vertuous Quene Katherin, Elizabeth her humble daughter wisheth perpetuall felicitie and everlasting joye,''" Elizabeth probably also
embroidered the
bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book of codex format from an ordered stack of ''signatures'', sheets of paper folded together into sections that are bound, along one edge, with a thick needle and strong thread. Cheaper, b ...
. This book is now owned by the
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...
.
[Cyril Davenport, ''English Embroidered Bookbindings'', Chapter 2, from Project Gutenber]
Accessed 21 January 2008.
''Prayers of Queen Katherine Parr''
A second embroidered manuscript book, entitled ''Prayers of Queen Katherine Parr'', is also attributed to Elizabeth as a gift to the queen dated 20 December 1545. It contains
prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...
s or meditations the queen had originally composed in English, which the princess had translated into French,
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and
Italian, handwritten in the princess's hand on
vellum
Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. Parchment is another term for this material, from which vellum is sometimes distinguished, when it is made from calfskin, as opposed to that made from other anima ...
. The inscription reads ''"Precationes ... ex piis scriptoribus per nobiliss. et pientiss. D. Catharinam Anglie, Francie, Hibernieq. reginam collecte, et per D. Elizabetam ex anglico converse."'' It is, moreover, dedicated to Elizabeth's father
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, the wording being, ''"Illustrissimo Henrico octavo, Anglie, Francie, Hibernieq. regi," etc.''
[
]
Embroidery
''The Miroir or Glasse of the Synneful Soul''
''The Miroir or Glasse of the Synneful Soul'' measures about and has an identical design on both covers, worked in blue silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
in a tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
stitch over canvas
Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...
with interlacing scrollwork of gold and silver braid that joins the queen's initials ''K.P.'' in the center. Each corner of the front depicts a heartsease
''Viola tricolor'' is a common European wild flower, growing as an annual or short-lived perennial. The species is also known as wild pansy, Johnny Jump up (though this name is also applied to similar species such as the yellow pansy), heartsea ...
(''Viola'') in purple, green and yellow silk with gold thread. The back cover is well worn; its corner embroidery is difficult to identify, but was probably floral.[
]
''Prayers of Queen Katherine Parr''
The second book is smaller than the first, only , and is also bound in canvas. The background is red silk worked in a similar stitching method to the ''Miroir'' cover. Most of the design is a large monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
in blue silk and silver thread that contains the letters ''K, A, F, H'', and ''R''. The ''K'' refers to ''Katherine'' and the other letters probably signify Latin initials for rulership (actual or claimed) of England, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Like the first book, heartsease flowers decorate the corners. The back cover is worn beyond recognition.[
]
Similarities
Both book dedications declare that the written content is the work of Elizabeth. Although no written record definitively affirms the tradition that Elizabeth also worked these embroideries, experts affirm that both covers are the handiwork of the same craftswoman. They use similar heavy grades of silk and silver thread, with thematically similar motifs and similar stitching. Elizabeth is known to have made and embroidered a shirt for her brother Edward
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
when she was six years old. She was an accomplished needlewoman in an era when needlework
Needlework is decorative sewing and textile arts handicrafts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework. Needlework may include related textile crafts such as crochet, worked with a hook, or tatting, worked with a ...
was held in high esteem.[
Cyril Davenport particularly notes the canvas covers as evidence that these embroideries were worked in Elizabeth's own hand. "''Canvas bindings were rare – most of the embroidered work on books of that period were splendid works on ]velvet
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
...instead of very elementary braid work.''" Canvas is easier to embroider than velvet and there could have been little other reason to use a cheap material for a royal gift, except to facilitate a child's handiwork.["Guide to English Embroidered Bookbindings in the British Library]
Accessed 21 January 2008.
See also
*English Reformation
The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...
*Manuscript culture
A manuscript culture is a culture that depends on hand-written manuscripts to store and disseminate information. It is a stage that most developed cultures went through in between oral culture and print culture. Europe entered the stage in c ...
*Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
A miniature (from the Latin verb ''miniare'', "to colour with ''minium''", a red lead) is a small illustration used to decorate an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple illustrations of the early codices having been miniated or ...
* Speculum literature
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miroir or Glasse of the Synneful Soul, The
English embroidery
English Reformation
English-language manuscripts
16th-century manuscripts
Bodleian Library collection