So the parliament, which represents the seventeen-year-old Prince Henry’s return to political life, is hardly… — Dan Jones
So the parliament, which represents the seventeen-year-old Prince Henry’s return to political life, is hardly a resounding success. Yet in its failures, there are lessons for Henry. One is that no war can proceed without taxation, and no taxation can be collected without a happy parliament. Another is that a king can rule successfully only when his legitimacy is beyond doubt. This, perhaps, is the most positive lesson the parliament has to offer. Although his father’s demand for an oath of obedience to Prince Henry and his brothers speaks to desperation in the moment, it holds promise for the future.
p. 96Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0
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It is the view of Henry’s chaplain, perhaps echoing the king’s own, that no besieged people could have prepared themselves “more prudently or with greater security to themselves.” All the same, Henry may reason, in a contest between prudence and cannonballs, the advantage is typically held by the side with the biggest guns.
p. 228
Henry has known John the Fearless long enough to realize that the Duke, while resourceful and on occasion useful, is not a man to be trusted.
p. 294
As he grows up, he will shed any inclination to treat his enemies leniently. Toughness and a near-total lack of sentimentality will become hallmarks of his political character.
p. 121
