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The historie of the reigne [sic] of King Henry the Seventh. Whereunto is now added a very usefull [sic] and necessary table.

Francis Bacon
London: Printed by R.T. and R.H. and are sold by R. Meighen neere the Inner-Temple gate, 1641

Rare Books & Special Collections
Strong Room Collection SR 942.05 B12

We thank our donor...

Conservation treatment of The historie of the reigne of King Henry the Seventh... was generously funded by Adopt-a-book donor Bob Moore.  His valued contribution has ensured this important 17th century biography will be available for future generations of researchers for many years to come.

Synopsis

Historie of the reigne of King Henry the Seventh is one of the first modern classics of English history.  Essentially a biography of the man most remembered for his role in ending the Wars of the Roses, the book is not simply a factual account of the Monarch’s life; it interprets his policies in light of his cautious, sometimes secretive, nature.

King Henry VII was born in 1457 and ruled England from 1485 until his death in 1509.  He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor, winning the throne when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field.  He cemented his claim by marrying the daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth of York, and successfully restored power to the English monarchy after the civil war.  Although he had no experience in financial administration, he became a fiscally prudent monarch and brought stability to England by keeping the same financial advisors throughout his reign.  He was not a military man, his interests directed more towards maintaining peace and increasing economic prosperity than regaining French territories lost during his predecessors’ reigns.  He recognised the importance of the newly united Spanish Kingdom, concluding the Treaty of Medina del Campo in 1489. He also concluded the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Scotland, the first treaty between England and Scotland in almost two centuries.  Personally, Henry was an intelligent, amiable man.  He was known to be reserved, though not above the occasional public outburst of grief, as evidenced on the death of his son and his wife, the Queen.  He was not exactly a man of the people but he was very much respected by them, for his accomplishments were significant.  He kept England out of war, secured peace and developed trade relationships that greatly benefited a burgeoning middle class.

The author of The historie of the reigne of King Henry the Seventh was Francis Bacon.  An English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist and orator born in 1561, Bacon was one of the most influential writers of his time.  Keen to serve his country, Bacon was elected MP for Bossiney, Cornwall, in 1581.  By 1584 he had taken his seat in Parliament for Melcombe, in Dorset, and in 1586 for Taunton.  He began to write on the condition of parties in the church but an inability to progress his career further prompted a call to his uncle for assistance.  Shortly thereafter he became a bencher, then reader at the Inns of Court.  By 1588 he was MP for Liverpool and then for Middlesex in 1593.  He was a liberal-minded reformer who was eager to amend and simplify the law; he opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers and spoke out against religious persecution.  He advocated for the union of England and Scotland and later the integration of Ireland into the Union.  In 1603 he was knighted by James I and finally in 1607 made office of the solicitor general, and appointed attorney general in 1613.  Despite an influential career and a massive body of work, Bacon fell into disgrace in 1621.  He had amassed a substantial debt and a parliamentary committee on the administration of the law charged him with 23 separate counts of corruption.  He was fined 40,000 pounds and committed to the Tower of London.  Although Bacon served only a few days of his imprisonment, and the fine was remitted by the King, he was declared incapable of holding future office by parliament.  A banished and disgraced Bacon subsequently devoted himself to study and writing.  The following year he produced The historie of the reigne of King Henry the Seventh (1622).

Although Bacon was a prolific writer, producing some sixty-odd titles during his life-time, with a further thirty or so published posthumously, The history of the reigne of King Henry the Seventh was his only finished full-scale history of an era.  In many ways it was his response to his failure in court, and his fall from grace and power.  Written more than 100 years after the death of King Henry VII, Historie... was arranged chronologically, with a focus of the King’s activities after the Battle of Bosworth Field.  Whilst Bacon’s account alternates between narration and speeches, there exists and underlying current of reflection, not only on the King’s decisions but on the context in which those decisions were made, and on the personality of the man behind them.  He notes the distance that Henry VII kept in his relationships but also praised him for careful decision making, especially when it came to the law.  His decisions were never made on the spur of the moment but always out of providence, for the happiness and prosperity of his people.   This attention to personality is noteworthy, for it affords a certain originality to Bacon’s work, making it one of the most important biographies of the 17th century.  The book includes passages relating to the King’s affection for his children, on the birth of Henry VIII, on the coronation of the Queen, on the causes of envy towards the King, on the reasons for affection towards the King and on the marriage of King Henry to Lady Elizabeth.  It also includes passages on the Parliament, on policy, on libels and laws, and on the causes and prevention of rebellion.  In Historie..., Bacon’s coverage is comprehensive but it’s not without flaws.  This is hardly surprising given his exile from London at the time of writing - and from potential, credible sources who might have corrected some of his errors.  As Bergeron suggests, however, a clearer view of the accuracy of Baccon’s work, afforded now by modern historical research, should not detract from his considerable achievement.[1]  The historie of the reigne of King Henry VII owes its success to Bacon, the one man who understood the King’s character, his personality and his relationships with others, and who could identify the influences behind many of his decisions.

Original Condition

Deteriorating calf skin with loss of leather to all board corners.  Leather also lifting from head and tail of spine and from board edges.  Textblock splitting at introductory pages and front board completely detached.  Open tears to a couple of leaves.  Although rebacked once already, item requires rebacking again to strengthen spine and to save remainder of spine label.

Restoration by Anthony Zammit

Leather from previous rebacked spine removed.  New custom dyed calf skin used to create new spine.  Remainder of original spine, including label, applied to new leather.  Board corners consolidated, and leather cover lifted at the corners in order to insert new calf skin.  Board edges cleaned and front board reattached.  Inner joints reinforced with Japanese repair paper and loose pages re-sewn.  Open tears to individual leaves also repaired with Japanese paper.

Footnotes:

[1] Bergeron, David M., "Francis Bacon's Henry VII: Commentary on King James I", Albion: A quarterly journal concerned with British studies, Vol. 24, no. 1, Spring 1992, pp. 17-26