Book contents
- Frontmatter
- CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Select Bibliography
- Note on the Text
- History of the Court of England. VOL. I
- Preface
- CONTENTS
- CHAP. I An Heir Apparent
- CHAP. II A Tender Attachment
- CHAP. III A Victim to Gratitude
- CHAP. IV The Dangers of a Court
- CHAP. V Mistaken Confidence
- CHAP. VI A Crafty Widow
- CHAP. VII A Valuable Friend, and an Intriguing Mistress
- CHAP. VIII Princely Recreations
- CHAP. IX A Reformation
- CHAP. X English Rebellion, and French Policy
- CHAP. XI Excursions to France
- CHAP. XII A Short Peace with a Treacherous Enemy
- CHAP. XIII A Cessation to the Earthly Sorrow of an Unfortunate
- CHAP. XIV A Triumph
- CHAP. XV The Sad Chance of War
- CHAP. XVI British Ladies of Former Days
- CHAP. XVII Disappointed Ambition
- CHAP. XVIII A Change of Ministry
- CHAP. XIX Power Superior to Justice
- CHAP. XX A Character
- CHAP. XXI A Mystery
- History of the Court of England. VOL. II
- Editorial Notes
- Textual Variants
CHAP. XX - A Character
from History of the Court of England. VOL. I
- Frontmatter
- CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Select Bibliography
- Note on the Text
- History of the Court of England. VOL. I
- Preface
- CONTENTS
- CHAP. I An Heir Apparent
- CHAP. II A Tender Attachment
- CHAP. III A Victim to Gratitude
- CHAP. IV The Dangers of a Court
- CHAP. V Mistaken Confidence
- CHAP. VI A Crafty Widow
- CHAP. VII A Valuable Friend, and an Intriguing Mistress
- CHAP. VIII Princely Recreations
- CHAP. IX A Reformation
- CHAP. X English Rebellion, and French Policy
- CHAP. XI Excursions to France
- CHAP. XII A Short Peace with a Treacherous Enemy
- CHAP. XIII A Cessation to the Earthly Sorrow of an Unfortunate
- CHAP. XIV A Triumph
- CHAP. XV The Sad Chance of War
- CHAP. XVI British Ladies of Former Days
- CHAP. XVII Disappointed Ambition
- CHAP. XVIII A Change of Ministry
- CHAP. XIX Power Superior to Justice
- CHAP. XX A Character
- CHAP. XXI A Mystery
- History of the Court of England. VOL. II
- Editorial Notes
- Textual Variants
Summary
From his cradle he was a scholar,
And a ripe and good one;
Exceeding wise, fair spoken, and persuading;
Lofty and sour to them who lov'd him not.
But to those men that sought him,
Sweet as summer.
SHAKESPEARE.HENRY, Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII. had full right, according to the claims of Lancaster, by his mother's side, to the English throne. When yet a youth, he had captivated the affections of Henry VI.; who, it is said, / had solemnly blessed the lad, and prophesied that it was he who should restore peace and unanimity to the wrangling houses of York and Lancaster.
The young Richmond certainly evinced a profundity of wisdom, unusual at his early age; and, self-advised and deeply contemplating, had pondered over his claims, and found his title to the crown was equally legal with that of the predecessors of his family. He was in a direct line from her, the celebrated and beauteous French-princess, Katharine, who had been espoused to the sweetest prince England could ever boast, the darling of the soldiery, that scourge and conqueror of France, Henry V. Katherine, after she had become a widow, married a private Welch gentleman of the name of Tudor / and Henry, Earl of Richmond, was her grandson by this second marriage.
Of a serious and reflective turn of mind, he studied the character of a people, that he was one day destined to govern. He saw their prevailing fault was, the love of money; he, therefore, determined, if ever he enjoyed the throne of his ancestors, to make it his first care to enrich the kingdom, as well as his own coffers. Unaddicted to those expensive pleasures, which, while they impoverish the possessor, render him unfit for public business, he calculated to a nicety those means, whereby a nation may increase its revenues, and become, in a manner, the bank of the whole word.
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- Information
- The Private History of the Court of Englandby Sarah Green, pp. 91 - 94Publisher: Pickering & ChattoFirst published in: 2014