Matthew Lewis > Quotes

“Yes, that’s right. More claims that John Dighton confessed to the act of killing Edward V and Richard, Duke of York alongside Tyrell and that, although Tyrell was executed, Dighton walked free and was still at liberty a decade later when More began writing.”
― Matthew Lewis, The Survival of the Princes in the Tower: Murder, Mystery and Myth

“The novel situation faced by Stephen, and Matilda, and those around them, was the potential of a viable alternative. Nobels rebelled - that was nothing new - but they would generally find themselves reconciled, excuted of exiled. … The exeptional situation in 1136 was that ...From this moment on, anyone who fell out with Stephen could seek out Empress Matilda and promote her cause. There was no imperative to seek a reconciliation with stephen and exile was not the end of the matter either. How could he enforce order amongst his barons when they could simply transfer their support at any moment? Many of the traditional levers available to a king to maintain law and unity were removed from Stephen by the existence of this rival claimant to his throne!”
― Matthew Lewis, Stephen and Matilda's Civil War: Cousins of Anarchy

“He left England with men and money from his father and carte blanche to end the unrest.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“He was an Angevin,”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“It is feasible that at the age of sixty-eight, Eleanor had less interest in blazing a trail.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“and sole”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“it can only have proven that his eighteen-year-old son was ill suited for rule.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“in an age that expected a man to control the behaviour of his wife.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“It was meant to create friction between Philip and Richard in the hope of forcing enough space between them to cause a breach.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Richard I was himself the grandson of Rollo the Viking, the founder of Normandy as a settlement of Norsemen;”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“The Pope also prohibited the dissolution of their union on any grounds whatsoever.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Becket’s murder blew Henry’s security wide open”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“and gave his authority the mystique of that handed to him directly by the Lord.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“readiness for rule in the deep,”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“clinging to existence between the increasingly confident west and the hostile east,”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“the French king knighted Richard in a ceremony pointedly designed to annoy Henry.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Richard was ambushed by Henry’s rearguard,”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“In this church there are martyrs”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Henry had become fearful of his wife’s motives and felt compelled to take the drastic step of arresting her.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“it made people think twice about opposing him since it meant opposing God.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Eleanor would also be presented with a ring to signify faith and a crown to denote her authority as queen consort.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Roger of Howden understood that Henry made a mischievous counter-offer: Alix should marry John.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“The king raged that Rome had no place trying to tell him how to deal with a disobedient vassal and accused the cardinal of having ‘already smelt the sterling coin of the king of England’.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“the fifteen-year-old Adela”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“He had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“This leaves the question of what Eleanor was really up to”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“his brother’s free hand and sweeping success in Aquitaine did nothing to soothe his mood.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“Henry was reaching the zenith of his power and authority in 1176.”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“King of England,”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

“As far as anyone in England in 1174 was concerned,”
― Matthew Lewis, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire