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The Second Yeare of King Henrie the Fourth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2009

Extract

Now the king had discharged himselfe of his troupes but not of his troubles, his mind being perpetuallie perplexed with an endlesse and restlesse chardge, ether of cares, or greifes, or of suspicions and feares.

First his cheifest glorie had a mixture of greife, & the attonement of his kingdome did oftentimes lie heavy at his hearte, for being gotten with bloud, it was held with horror, wherein was never last of joy without a touch of a guiltie conscience. Then hee had not fullie satisfied himselfe by his late voyage into Scottland, supposing that his performance was nothing answerable to his power, and that hee had rather stirred the Scottes then stayed them from attempting against him, having noe lesse weakened himselfe by chardge, then them by spoile. And coming farre shorte of his owne purposes and hopes, hee thought himselfe alsoe shorte of all mens expectations. Alsoe hee was disquieted with the doubtfull obedience of his new subjectes, against whome his suspicion had somewhat increased his severi tie, and againe his severitie had increased his suspicion, for knowing that many were discontented, hee could not esteem his safetie ether by theire fidelity or by his owne forces assured.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1991

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References

1 Reconciliation, or ‘staunching of strife’ (OED); ‘pacification.’

2 Many of the galloglasses, or foreign mercenaries, employed from an early period by certain northern Irish chiefs, had come to be identified with the family name of Macswine (MacSweeney). Although by Hayward's time such foreign adventurers were generally identified as English, his assignment of the name to the Veres is probably anachronistic.

3 Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus (1348?–1425) succeeded to the throne in 1391, and spent the period 1398–1402 touring western Europe in a generally futile attempt to beg assistance from the Christian states.

4 Actually, Innocent VII.

5 Actually, John XXIII.

6 The emperor was in London between December 1400 and February 1401, before returning to Paris for another year. Beyazit (Bajazet) I Yilderim (1347–1403), son of Sultan Murad I, ruled from 1389–1402, when he was taken prisoner by Tamerlane at the battle of Ankara, thus postponing the threat to the Christian capital. He died a year later, in captivity.

7 The proxy marriage took place 3 Apr. 1402, the marriage ceremony itself at Winchester, 7 Feb. 1403.

8 MS marginal note: ‘K. Henries eldest sonne was knighted by K. Rich, in Ireland.’

9 Scarred, defaced (OED).

10 An apparent error: Henry VI married Margaret, daughter of René ( 1409–80), duke of Anjou and king of Sicily.

11 Jan. 1401.

12 Marginal note: ‘The first man that suffered as a Lolarde.’ Sawtre, a priest from Norfolk, was burned at Smithfield 2 Mar. 1401.

13 MS: ‘… being being unable.’

14 Legal seizures of property, intended to compel satisfaction of an obligation (OED).

15 MS: ‘protection,’ probably a scribal error.

16 Note that Waleran of Luxembourg, Count of St. Pol, had married King Richard's half-sister Maud Courtenay (issue of his mother's first marriage) but was subsequently prevented by Bolingbroke's accession from securing the territories to which his marriage had entitled him.

17 This is probably the expedition of August 1403.

18 This landing actually occurred in early August 1405.

19 MS: ‘by force by suddaine force.’

20 MS: ‘… as they did not for getting….’

21 MS: ‘the.’

22 MS: ‘worse then them …’

23 A wry bit of irony, whether intended or not: in the dedicatory preface to The First Part, Hayward had employed the image of Ajax's shield when invoking Essex's name to defend his book.

24 MS marginal note here: ‘Maintaining souldiers.’

25 MS: ‘they.’

26 MS marginal note: ‘The multitude alwaies enclined to inovation.’

27 ‘To make the best hand’ = ‘to make one's profit’ (OED).

28 Craftily, warily (OED).

29 May 1402.

30 See introduction.