CAUSE OF THE TUDORS
During the Wars of the Roses the Kings became less and less memorable
(sometimes even getting in the wrong order) until at last one of
them was nothing but some little princes smothered in the Tower, and
another, finding that his name was Clarence, had himself drowned in a
spot of Malmsey wine; while the last of all even attempted to give his
Kingdom to a horse. It was therefore decided, since the Stuarts were
not ready yet, to have some Welsh Kings called Tudors (on account of
their descent from Owen Glendower) who, it was hoped, would be more
memorable.
[Illustration: Finding that his name was Clarence]
The first of these Welsh Kings was Henry VII, who defeated all other
Kings at the Battle of Boswell Field and took away their roses. After
the battle the crown was found hanging up in a hawthorn tree on top
of a hill. This is memorable as being the only occasion on which the
crown has been found after a battle hanging up in a hawthorn tree on
top of a hill.
HENRY VII’S STATECRAFT
Henry VII was a miser and very good at statecraft; he invented some
extremely clever policies such as the one called Morton’s Fork. This
was an enormous prong with which his minister Morton visited the rich
citizens (or burghlers as they were called). If the citizen said he was
poor, Morton drove his Fork in a certain distance and promised not to
take it out until the citizen paid a large sum of money to the King.
As soon as this was forthcoming Morton dismissed him, at the same time
shouting “Fork Out” so that Henry would know the statecraft had been
successful. If the burghler said he was quite rich Morton did the same
thing: it was thus a very clever policy and always succeeded except
when Morton put the Fork in too far.
[Illustration: A certain distance]