Adams, G. B. The Political History of England. Vol. ii. From the Norman Conquest to the Death of John (1066-1216).
Tout, T. F. The Political History of England. Vol. iii. From the Accession of Henry III. to the Death of Edward III. (1216-1377).
Oman, C. The Political History of England. Vol. iv. From the Accession of Richard II. to the Death of Richard III. (1377-1485).[Back to Contents]
PART IV.
LANCASTER, YORK, AND TUDOR. 1399—1509.
CHAPTER XIX.
HENRY IV. AND HENRY V.
HENRY IV., 1399—1413. HENRY V., 1413—1422.
LEADING DATES
- Accession of Henry IV. 1399
- Statute for the burning of heretics 1401
- Battle of Shrewsbury 1403
- Fight at Bramham Moor 1408
- Succession of Henry V. 1413
- Battle of Agincourt 1415
- Treaty of Troyes 1420
- Death of Henry V. 1422
1. Henry's First Difficulties. 1399—1400.—Henry IV. fully understood that his only chance of maintaining himself on the throne was to rule with due consideration for the wishes of Parliament. His main difficulty, like that of his predecessor, was that the great lords preferred to hold their own against him individually with the help of their armies of retainers, instead of exercising political power in Parliament. In his first Parliament an angry brawl arose. The lords who in the last reign had taken the side of Gloucester flung their gloves on the floor of the House as a challenge to those who had supported Richard when he compassed Gloucester's death; and though Henry succeeded in keeping the peace for the time, a rebellion broke out early in 1400 in the name of Richard. Henry, like the kings before him, found his support against the turbulent nobles in the townsmen and the yeomen, and he was thus able to suppress the rebellion. Some of the noblemen who were caught by the excited defenders of the throne were butchered without mercy and without law.