DUST OF THE PAST

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1934, Page 13 (Supplement)

DUST OF THE PAST

“THE LION OF JUSTICE”

(By “

“Historicus.”)

King Henry I died on December I, 1135. The interest that attaches itself to the Conqueror to a certain extent surrounds his sons. The reign of Henry was not a great period for England. Without doubt he was a strong ruler and to a great extent deserves the appellation of “the Lion of Justice.” According to a great historian “he ruled with a clear view of his own interests, methodical, sagacious and far sighted; his selfish aims dictated the policy that gave peace and order to his people; destroying his enemies he destroyed theirS, and by enforcing order he paved the way for law.” By the laws of succession as we know them to-day he should never have been King, but Henry was an ambitious youth, and a stone in the New Forest to the memory of his brother, ’ William the Red, is somewhat of a monument to the manner in which a throne might be® gained. The story of the death of King Rufus by a chance arrow shot ■ by Sir Walter Tyrrel is an old one. No definite suspicion attached itself to Henry, although Tyrrel afterwards swore in France that he did not shoot the arrow. That the body was abandoned and then hastily buried are well authenticated facts. That it was an accident is the more charitable view, although Henry never instituted any inquiry and the moment he heard the King was fallen he rode to Winchester to secure the royal treasures and proclaim himself King over his elder brother Robert. The death of Henry I almost saw the first woman, Matilda, on the throne of England, but this was too much for the Barons who declined to be “ordered about” by a female!

Tendency to Favouritism. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown! However civilised times may have lessened the truth of this hackneyed saying, it certainly applied in the early days of England’s history. The mere retention of the crown was deserving of Kingship. Poor Edward 11, unfitted to be a King in his day, could neither hold his wife nor his crown, nor avoid the consequences of having possessed either. His fatal tendency to favouritism created bitter enemies, and when Isabella plotted with her paramou? Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, for the throne, Edward soon had to fly for his life, to be captured, dethroned, and dishonoured in ignominious captivity. This left matters very much in the hands of Mortimer and the perfidious Isabella who taking advantage of the extreme youth of the new King, Edward’s fourteen year old son, quickly usurped the power. It was only in the order of things that the complete removal of Edward II should have become a necessity to Isabella and Mortimer. The killing of Edward of Carnarvon is one of the horrors of history. In an endeavour to avoid evidences of murder the deed was carried out in a most revolting and atrocious fashion. But murder will out and the distorted features of the dead King gave the lie to any tale of peaceful death. Retribution was not far off, and it came by the hand of the young King. The arch-villain was captured at Nottingham Castle and carried off despite the cries of Isabella to “Spare the gentle Mortimer.” He was executed on November 29, 1330. Cardinal Wolsey.

Cardinal Wolsey died on November 29, 1530. “Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my King, He would not in mine age have left me naked to mine enemies.” Such are the famous words with which Shakespeare has recorded the last moments of the great Cardinal. Historians have vied with each other in estimating the defects and qualities of Wolsey’s character. Perhaps the lines of Shakespeare are a truer index than the summaries of historical commentators. It is said "no man can serve two masters,”. and in directing his abilities towards tne matters that appertain to mammon, .Wolsey, while he may have benefitted his King, could not but fail to tread paths that led not always along the track of righteousness. In that lay his weakness. Ambition may lead the way .to greatness, but it also may take a side turning teat runs to destruction. Great as Wolsey’s work had been in the courts of intrigue his success nested mainly upon material things, and the favouritism' of a very material kirig; and by material things he fell. When, to use a somewhat crude expression, he got mixed up with Henry’s matrimonial desires his luck was out. Wolsey’s favour with the King had been founded upon success. In the dangerous and difficult matter of Catherine’s divorce he found himself somewhat between the devil and the deep sea so far as his own ambitions were concerned. Henry dissatisfied, turned a cold eye upon his favourite. and thus opened the door to the Cardinals enemies.. Wolsey’s pride and rapacity had been inordinate, his luxury and ostentation somewhat unbecoming a successor of the primitive apostles he was easily assailable. His death soon followed. Thus passed a man, undoubtedly a great minister with all his faults.

Sir Henry Havelock. Sir Henry Havelock died on November 25, 1857. It is a matter for conjecture how great a factor fate is in the generality of lives. Numbered among the greatest are names of men who diverged for some chance reason from a parentally mapped course to reach fame in a totally opposite sphere. Havelock by the desire of his mother studied law m tne Temple until a misunderstanding with his father brought a sudden closure to his legal activities. Then he followed his elder brother into the army. Considering the name he left as a soldier it is a little surprising that at the end of twenty-three years service he was Still a lieutanent! Probably opportunities were few, and family and political interest played rather an overwhelming part in the army of those days. The world knows what he did withhis opportunities when they arrived.. Throughout his career Havelock remained a devoutly religious man, drawing upon ms head, in fact, a great deal of ridicule for this particular tendency. Brother officers were cynical of the religious meetings he convened among his men and referred to his followers as Havelock’s "saints.” On one occasion, to the great delight of his critics, it was reported that one of his “saints had been found drunk. Havelock demanded an inquiry. It turned out that there were two. men of the same name in the regiment. He eventually proved that religious feeling was not a drawback to good soldiering. The climax of his i ca j reei ; of course, was reached and finished a the relief of Lucknow. It was the crowning triumph of his life as a soldier. Only two months after he lay dying of dvsentery with honours being showered upon him. He lived long enough to receive the intelligence that he had been created a K.C.B.