Henry VIII,the Reign
  • Home
  • About
  • Quick Facts
  • Holinshed's Blog
  • The Pilgrim’s Rebellion
  • History Bites


​Henry VIII,the Reign
​

Henry VIII’s First Council
Extract from Polydore Vergil’s Anglica Historia

Picture Polydore VergilPolydore Vergil
…a day was appointed for a parliament, that he might be created king in the traditional way. Henry was eighteen years of age, and so was inexperienced, having previously devoted himself to his education. And so he particularly chose for his Privy Council intimates of his father, William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury the Chancellor, Richard Bishop of Winchester, Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey the Treasurer, George Talbot the Master of the Royal Household, Charles Somerset the Chamberlain, Thomas Lovell, Henry Wyatt, Thomas Rutall, Edward Poinings, and entrusted them with the government.

​They were afraid lest abundance and wealth might corrupt the young man’s character (for no previous king had inherited so much money and moveable property), and so industriously made a point of summoning Henry to their meetings and accustoming him to the transaction of business, so that he might gradually become accustomed to the management of affairs. For, like a tender young calf, he seemed to baulk at the yoke of responsibility.

Anglica Historia

Vergil's history of England, the Anglica Historia, was written at the behest of Henry VII, possibly in 1505. This first initial  text was completed in 1512–13 but not published until 1534.
Picture
Henry VIII, the Reign.
Henry VIII, the Reign.
  • Home
  • About
  • Quick Facts
  • Holinshed's Blog
  • The Pilgrim’s Rebellion
  • History Bites