What fascinated me the most was how Hicks succinctly demonstrated that the view of Henry IV's reign and usurpation that has existed since the time of Shakespeare and before is very much influenced by Yorkist spin, which is still prevalent today. He also shows how the circumstances in the infamous parliament of 1460 ensured that they were bound to favour York's claim. Hicks also raises some intriguing issues surrounding Richard of York's title and claim to the throne, by demonstrating that there was not one single `right' or `true' system of succession in 15th century England, but rather several different systems, that could favour both York and Lancaster. The `battles' in which noblemen opposed to York were amongst the only casualties are testament to this. As Hicks demonstrates they adopted a policy of eliminating their rivals in battles, skirmishes and even peacetime. In this regard King Henry was incredibly lenient towards York, but they Yorkists did not extend that magnanimity towards their rivals. All of these were treasonable acts according to the law, so Richard was guilty of treason several times over, yet was pardoned in exchange for his oath of allegiance or capitulation. This was indeed the case with Richard of York, who rebelled and raised arms against the King no less than 4 times between 14, and on at least two occasions his forces physically attacked the King's retinue. Was Richard of York treated `harshly' by Henry VI? Not if you count escaping execution and being pardoned for treason four times as harsh. Were the wars until 1460 truly a dynastic struggle? Contemporaries did not think so, and until this time, Hicks shows the Yorkist faction stated that their main aim was political reform. Michael Hicks excels in his specialist period of expertise in this comprehensive, concise and perhaps somewhat controversial work in which he challenges many long-held assumptions about the key figures and events in the Wars of the Roses, and demonstrates how some of these have their origins in Yorkist propaganda.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |