28 quotes
If the revolution is to be wholly successful, all the counter-revolutions must be defeated.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Which path would the kingdom choose: tyranny in the name of loyalty? Or treason in the name of justice?
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
A kiss is a fleeting thing, but once it has taken place it cannot be undone.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
While we may have some sympathy for Richard, his psychological problems had a disastrous effect on the political situation in England.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Such a mercurial ruler could hardly be an inspiration to his people. Wise men do not follow leaders whom they suspect might later reproach them for their loyalty.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Most of all, he wanted so much to be a good king – attempting to please everyone all the time – that he inevitably displeased some.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Politicians in all ages have felt similarly inclined to draw a line between public expediency and personal conscience.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Justice had to take second place to political expediency.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Very clearly, Henry cared more for God than for the Church, and more for the Church than for some of the men who exercised office within it.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
The king was purposefully creating the maximum amount of fear. In Richard’s mind, the fear of his subjects equated to his own sense of power.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
A man who grows up believing he is the heir to the throne is unlikely ever to be able to let go of such an idea.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
The most important element of Henry’s kingship was his intention to end his cousin’s experiment in autocratic rule.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
For men of his day, the beauties of nature were not a great attraction. Surrounded by unspoilt countryside and greenery all the time, it was great buildings which especially excited the fourteenth-century traveller.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
This brings us to an important point about Henry. He was probably the nearest to an intellectual among all the medieval kings of England.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
By 1382 it was already becoming apparent that Richard was very far from the glorious youthful leader that parliament and the rest of the country had hoped for at his coronation.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
The question of whether or not Henry was a great king in the fifteenth century, or subsequently, is a distraction. A man’s character may be obscured as much by the acclamation of greatness as by neglect.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Thus there were good political reasons why Henry should not have killed Richard. This is not to say that he did not give the order, only to remind us that one cannot judge innocence or guilt on the strength of motive alone.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Most historians rely on timing and motive in deciding whether Henry was guilty of murder or not. This is unfortunate, for motive is not the same as evidence, and to pretend it is is to risk introducing modern prejudices into a historical argument.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
‘Necessitas non habet legem’ (‘necessity has no law’) he wrote in his own hand on the letter. The phrase sums up Henry’s kingship: neither legally correct, nor wholly lawful, but done anyway, because the safety of the nation is more important than the law.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)
Few men confront the basic tenets of the society in which they live and try to change them. Very few of those are successful. And even fewer survive to reflect on their success. Henry IV was one of these very few.
The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King (2007)