Epistula 14

In a letter of summer 1557, Luisa Sigaea acknowledges a letter from Mary of Hungary but asks for a delay in responding fully.

Madrid Manuscript pp. 14-15.

Ad eandem secunda: a scribal notation: "a second (letter) to the same person" as the previous letter, i.e. Mary of Hungary.

Maiestātis tuae: literally, “of your majesty,” but “from your majesty” makes more sense in English. Both the litterās and the mandāta are from her. 

Alphonsum Castellānum: “through Alonso del Castillo,” i.e. care of Alonso del Castillo, medical doctor and royal translator and interpreter for the Inquisition and the Spanish court for most of the late 16th century. 

fuitque utrumque iūcundum: “and both were delightful.” 

multō quam dīcī potest: dici is a present passive infinitive, “much more than can be said,” i.e. much more than I can say. 

Memoriam … praeferō: order: praefero enim tuam memoriam de me omni felicitati humanae, ut par est. Memoriam = "the act or fact of remembering or thinking about' (OLD memoria 3). Luisa expresses delight that the queen is thinking about her.

omnī fēlīcitātī hūmānae: dative after praeferō. This verb takes both an accusative and a dative, "I prefer x (acc.) to y (dat.)." 

ut par est: “as is proper," "as I should" (LS par I.B.3.β).

quod tamen: "Nevertheless, because..." looking forward to nōn valeō.

incōnsultō marītō: ablative absolute, “with my husband not being consulted,” i.e. without consulting my husband.

ad Maiestātis tuae ēdicta: goes with non respondere valeo, “I am not able to respond to your majesty’s proclamations.”  

valeō: = possum.

procrastinationis: “for my procrastination,” genitive after veniam ("pardon"), which is normal (LS venia II). 

supplex: in apposition with the implied subject of expostulō, “as a suppliant.” 

14.2

Faciam: “I will do so,” i.e. respond. 

ut primum: "as soon as."

vivā ... vōce: "face to face," "in person."

quod aiunt: = ut aiunt, "as they say."

antequam: can take the indicative or subjunctive, as it does here (discedat). See LS ante II.B.2.d.

ā Vallisolētō: Vallisoleto: Valladolid, city in Spain. In Latin, Vallisoletum, -ī.

uterque nostrum: "both of us," the subject of reddēmus grātiās.

prō dōnīs: “in return for the gifts,” dōnīs is the antecedent of quibus.  

quibus ... afficis: "which you bestow upon us." Afficis takes an accusative and ablative. "Grace us with" gets the sense of the case usages. 

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According to C. Meissner's Latin Phrase-book (1894), these are the most common ways to express gratitude in Latin:

gratiās habēre - feel gratitude

gratiās referre - to show gratitude (with deeds)

gratiās agere - to express gratitude (in words)

gratiās merērī - to do something that merits gratitude

Deus ... incolumem: order: Deus Opt(imus) Max(imus) servet vitam tuae Maiestatis regaleque fastigium incolumem pro votis. Take tuae Maiestatis with both vitam and fastigium. 

Opt. Max.: Optimus Maximus goes with deus, “God, the greatest and best,” “the greatest and best God.”  

fastigium: "eminence," "high rank."

prō vōtīs meīs: “in accordance with my prayers.” 

servet: "keep safe," "preserve," optative subjunctive (AG 441), followed by double accusative.

eodem anno quo supra: probably also a scribal notation, "in the same year as the one above," i.e. 1557.