Henry VIII by Alison Weir Read Free Book Online Page B

had owned examples of Italian art and sculpture, but only in the field of scholarship, in which the rediscovery and study of the classical literature of ancient Greece and Rome was known as the New Learning, had the Italian Renaissance made any impact in England. During the first decade of Henry VIII’s reign, Renaissance influence began to appear in architecture, decoration, art, and other fields. It was Henry who first realised how valuable the sophisticated culture of Italy could be to a king who wanted to be at the forefront of European affairs, and how useful it could be in enhancing his
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    The court was the place to be for those who desired royal favour and high office. It was the natural habitat of the nobles, whose ancient right it was to attend upon the King, and it also attracted “new men,” who had made it to the top through wealth or mere ability. In fact, anyone who was smartly dressed, appeared to have some legitimate business, or had cash for bribes could gain entry to the court. There were consequently many hangers-on and people who had no right to be there.
    These “strangers” were a constant problem; many courtiers brought with them more servants, relatives, and friends than was permitted. There were also constant edicts against “rascal boys,” who hung about in the hope of receiving tips for errands and messages, and who seem to have posed a particular problem. Lastly, “vagabonds and vile persons” could be aggressive in their demands for work, robbing and intimidating household servants and trying to pass on stolen goods. 3 When the court moved on, these delinquents would squat in the empty palaces and generally make a nuisance of themselves.
    In 1526, the Eltham Ordinances specifically forbade anyone to “bring to court any boy or rascal”; 4 in 1533, “all vagabonds and other idle persons which follow the court” were given a day to get out, 5 while in 1543, orders were given that no one was to keep any page or boy contrary to the King’s ordinances. 6 Strangers were not only a security risk; they also appropriated food and lodgings to which they were not entitled, thus placing a further strain on overstretched household resources. Yet it proved impossible to control the problem, because the Sergeant Porter, who manned the palace gates, had a staff of only five Yeomen and two Grooms. 7
    Most people who visited the court came in search of employment, preferment, land, privileges, or the patronage of some influential personage. The status and prestige of courtiers depended largely upon nearness to the King. Those close to Henry were therefore in a position to advance the fortunes of less fortunate petitioners, and so extend “good lordship” to them. Petitioners could themselves become patrons of those even further from the throne, and thus was formed a complicated web of clientage. Such patronage could be a highly lucrative business, for every favour had its price.
    Sometimes, petitioners might be fortunate enough to present their pleas to the King himself at his “coming forth” from his apartments, or when he was about to go hunting, when he was said to be especially receptive to requests. Although Henry knew that those who came to court were “desirous both of spoil and glory,” 8 he could be prodigiously openhanded, and successive ministers had a tough job curbing his impulsive generosity.
    For Henry VIII, the ideal courtier was one who, whatever his rank, offered good service and congenial companionship. Both frequently led to preferment and honours. Personal service and usefulness to the monarch were the chief requirements of a Renaissance courtier and could confer great power and influence, since courtiers who offered these had the King’s ear and controlled access to him. Such personal service was often combined with political responsibility, since those who helped the King govern were usually among his