Poet's license

Hi
Writing a historical novel is a form of poetry (isn't it?).
Should one not use modern phrases.
e.g. "not the sort of person you would like to come up against in a dark alleyway at night." I suppose that's a cliche and we should use too many of them. Some will say, none at all.
But I am thinking about introductions at a ball in the 15th century....Introducing a lady as the "Mistress of Prince so & so".
They probably would not have introduced a lady in that manner.
Question - Would I, as a writer, have the Poet's license to use that exression in a introduction?
I need it for my plot.......My editor picked it up
Luigie

Anachronisms can be hard to avoid, especially when writing historical fiction. How about changing dark alley to parapet?

Ann

Hi Ann
Yeah! I've already changed that one, grudgingly.
The introduction of a lady as "Mistress" at a ball is the one I'm struggling with.
Llew

Consort? Concubine? Niece? Strumpette?

Dear Luige,
In my experience of reading about "mistress" at balls the ladies were grouped together as 'consorts' of sorts or ladies in attendance. Look back at Moll Flanders (great lady that she was) have them all take laudadum and waft themselves with fancy fans. I always loved that part and the part where they fainted when each found out they were not the only secrete in the stable and the way they could flash their eyes without the use of mascara, or of the luxury of having a bath in the last month or a delousing. What was that powder made of that kept those wigs so lovely? The mind does boggle.

Love
Betty

Then there is always that poem by Jonathan Swift, "The Lady's Dressing Room," when the would be lover sneaks into his lady's chamber, only to find her chamber pot and cry: Repeating in his amorous Fits,/Oh! Celia, Celia, Celia sh**s!

Ann