[Hellsgate] "My lord", "my lady"

[Tim McDaniel]

I should note that I was not intending to criticize, but to give
information.

On Wed, 12 Sep 2012, HerrDetlef <herrdetlef at gmail.com> wrote:
> "My lord" and "my lady" are forms of address. Anybody in the
> SCA--from King/Queen to newcomer--can be addressed as "my lord" or
> "my lady."

I would have no qualms in bowing to our lovely baroness and saying
"Good my lady, how does the day?".  You can get away with some right
serious [excrement] if you know it's period and if you can bring it
off With *Style*.

> It is period--barely.

Oh, it's better than that.  I have _The Lisle Letters_, edited by
Muriel St. Clare Byrne, selected and arranged by Bridget Boland.  It's
an excerpt from the papers of Arthur, Viscount Lisle, from the reign
of Henry VIII.  They elided much of the openings and closings, but
they kept some info, with a lovely style.  I commend them to anyone
who wants to look at style and polish.  Starts of openings include

     Right honourable and my singular good Lord, in my heartiest manner
     I recommend me unto your good lordship, ...

     Right honourable Sir, in my heartiest manner I commend me unto
     you, ...

     After my right hearty recommendations unto your good lordship, ...
     [I'll omit the heartiness and [re]commendations below, but they do
     continue]

     My very good Lord, ... [Duke of Norfolk, premier non-royal peer of
     England, to Lord Lisle]

     My singular good lord, ... [an untitled person to Lord Lisle,
     suggesting that there wasn't much of a status indication there]

     Sir, ...

     Right honourable and my most special good lady, my duty evermore
     remembered. ...

     Madam, ...

     Right honourable lady, ...

     Monsieur, ... [a Frog writing, but good English folk use it too]

     Right honourable, ...

     My Lord, ... [Cranmer to Lord Lisle]

     Right honourable and my most dear and singular good lord and lady,
     ... [their son writing to his parents]

     Right honourable and mine especial good lady, My duty done, ...

     Right honourable Lady, my lady Lisle, ...

     Mr. Pope, ... [Thomas Pope, not the one in Rome]

Now these are written forms of address, and without research I don't
know what they did in speaking.  But I speculate that these sorts of
things might have been said, though perhaps more briefly.

Dinky de Linoleum
-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com