‘Whether your Ladiship will or ne’: Displeasure, Duty and Devotion in The Lisle Letters

Abstract

In January 1538, John Husee, Lord Lisle’s gentleman-servant and agent in London, undertook the task of securing a new gentlewoman to reside in the Lisle household in Calais and provide personal service to his mistress, Lady Honor Lisle.¹ It was a job he had undertaken on previous occasions, but this time it proved more difficult than he had anticipated.² By 11 April he was still searching for someone who would suit his Lady’s stringent requirements.³ Eight days later, the truth of his troubles was revealed as he explained in a postscript to Lady Lisle: Madam ther hathe byn a gentlewoman or ij wylling to come over and serve your Ladiship but report hathe byn made that / your Ladiship sholde be very sharp and hasty and therfor they hathe refusid what they ar that thus reportyd I know not / it is ungently don.⁴