In Praise of the Laws of England

Summary

Introduction to the Matter

Not long ago, a savage and most detestable civil war raged in the kingdom of England, whereby Henry the Sixth, most pious king, with Margaret his queen-consort, daughter of the King of Jerusalem and Sicily, and their only son Edward, Prince of Wales, were driven out of the realm, and whereby King Henry was himself eventually seized by his subjects and for a long time suffered the horror of imprisonment. The Queen meanwhile, thus banished from the country with her child, lodged in the duchy of Bar in the domain of the said King of Jerusalem.

The Prince, as soon as he became grown up, gave himself over entirely to martial exercises; and, seated on fierce and half-tamed steeds urged on by his spurs, he often delighted in striking and assailing the young companions attending him, sometimes with a lance, sometimes with a sword, sometimes with other weapons, in a warlike manner and in accordance with the rules of military discipline. Observing this, a certain aged knight, chancellor of the said King of England, who was also in exile there as a result of the same disaster, thus addressed the prince.

Chapter I

Here the Chancellor first moves the Prince to the study of the law

‘I do indeed rejoice, most fair Prince, at your noble disposition, perceiving as I do with how much eagerness you embrace military exercises, which are fitting for you to take such delight in, not merely because you are a knight but all the more because you are going to be king.