英國大英圖書館(british library)預計將於4月份特展主題為﹕英王亨利八世。這位英國歷史上爭議最多(女人無數﹐婚姻是結了又結﹐離了又離)﹐臭名昭著(血腥統治)﹐終身對抗羅馬教廷的掌控﹐成功地將英國國教自羅馬天主教教廷脫離而出﹐將英國帶入另一個不同的時期。這回是由歷史學家與廣播人Dr. David Starkey主要策畫這次展覽。

這次展覽物件的內容包括﹕肖像﹐壁毯﹐盔甲﹐來往信件﹐官方檔案文件﹐地圖以及相關圖書。希望透過豐富的藏品﹐讓觀眾了解Henrry VIII的內心世界之外﹐也能讓觀眾體會Henrry VIII時期﹐私人部份﹐政治領域﹐知識學術﹐宗教範疇﹐文學﹐美學以及語言學的等等領域的狀況。

有興趣者可以上大英圖書的官方網站仔細閱覽﹕
http://www.bl.uk/henry

裡頭有video introduction!!!是由策展人Dr. David Starkey主講介紹。

 

為此次特展作先鋒<廣告>﹐BBC在今天情人節選的主題文章﹐就是這回特展的物件之一﹕亨利八 世早年給他情婦Anne﹐這位女士後來成為亨利八世的第二任太太。這封原本是收藏在羅馬梵帝崗將近500年的情書﹐原文是以法文書寫﹐現即將於今年4月在大英圖書館展出。

這位在英國歷史上以蒐集女人﹐血腥暴政為名的國王﹐一開始時還有其不為人知的溫柔浪漫一面。 例如他寫道﹕從今以後我的心將永遠只屬於你("henceforth my heart will be dedicated to you alone,")

不過這多情浪漫的求愛﹐並沒有給Anne延續到終身﹐也沒有成為大家所熟知的王子與公主幸福美滿的童話故事﹐悲慘的是﹕最後HenrryVIII將Anne送上斷頭臺。而且之後陸續娶了四位女人.....

　　

(哇噢!!世事難料啊!!!所以噢﹐那種海誓山盟的話﹐女人們吶﹐聽聽就過了﹐可別當真嘍!!)

詳細文章以及圖片﹐請大家上BBC網站閱讀。即使你沒有耐心閱讀英文﹐也可以看看圖片。
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7887826.stm

裡頭的重要引用名句為﹕

It reads: "The demonstrations of your affection are such, and the beautiful words of your letter are so cordially phrased, that they really oblige me to honour, love, and serve you for ever....

"For my part, I will out-do you, if this be possible, rather than reciprocate, in loyalty of heart and my desire to please you.

"Beseeching you also that if I have in any way offended you, you will give me the same absolution for which you ask, assuring you that henceforth my heart will be dedicated to you alone, and wishing greatly that my body was so too."

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下列是BBC歷史人物介紹﹐對於亨利八世的介紹﹕
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figu...viii_king.shtml
Henry VIII (1491 - 1547)


Henry VIII © history, henry VIII, tudor monarch, monarch, church of england, coe, reformation

Henry was born on 28 June 1491 in Greenwich. After the death of his elder brother Arthur in 1502, Henry VIII became heir to the English throne. Seven years later his father Henry VII died and he was crowned king of England. Shortly afterwards he married Catherine of Aragon, Arthur's widow. Henry increasingly relied on Thomas Wolsey to rule for him and Wolsey became lord chancellor in 1515.

One of Henry's popular pursuits, alongside hunting and dancing, was to wage war. Wolsey organised the first French campaign and proved to be an outstanding minister. The Scots were defeated at Flodden in 1513. However, war with France ultimately proved expensive and unsuccessful and Wolsey's ascendancy was cut short by Henry's need for a male heir. He was determined to replace Catherine - who had only one daughter, Mary, but the Pope refused to grant the divorce. In 1533, Henry went ahead anyway and married Anne Boleyn, with whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth. The Pope excommunicated him and parliamentary legislation confirmed Henry's decision to break with Rome. With the help of Wolsey's replacement, Thomas Cromwell, Henry established himself as head of the Church of England and ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. Other reforms - including the uniting of England and Wales and the creation of the Council of the North and the Household and Exchequer - were also instigated during the 1530s. Henry grew tired of Anne Boleyn and she was executed for treason in 1536. Jane Seymour became queen and in 1537 produced an heir, Edward, but died in childbirth.

Henry's personal religious beliefs remained Catholic, despite the growing number of people at court and in the nation who had adopted Protestantism. In an attempt to establish a Protestant alliance with German princes, Cromwell arranged a marriage between the king and Anne of Cleves. Henry divorced her a few months later and turned on Cromwell, who was executed. The final years of his reign witnessed his physical decline and increasing desperation to appear all-powerful. In 1540 he married Catharine Howard but she was executed for treason within two years. A final marriage to Catherine Parr was more harmonious. There were fruitless and expensive wars against Scotland and France. Henry died on 28 January 1547 and was succeeded by his son.