#thomas penn

[j-august]

Richard's constantly reiterated professions of liberality, generosity and open-handedness had disintegrated on contact with the realities of kingship.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

In 1478 the London branch of the Medici bank closed its doors for the final time. Coming during the Medici's annus horribilis - a year of family assassinations and financial disaster - its failure was the result of embracing a lending policy so reckless that, rather than owning Edward through its loans, as the Medici had hoped, Edward ended up owning, and ultimately ruining, the bank.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

In France, Louis XI had greeted the demise of the man he called 'the devil' - and who, the previous summer, he had variously cited a heart murmur, a headache and piles to avoid meeting - with ecstasy.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

Songs circulated about how Edward's 'great army' had been washed away by a deluge of fine French wine and some pies - which, given quite how much it had cost Louis to buy Edward off, was a narrative he jumped on. In private, he mocked the English capitulation mercilessly. On one such occasion, the king realized to his horror that an expatriate French merchant, domiciled in England, was present, having been admitted to petition for an export license. Ordering him not to return to England, Louis immediately had the merchant resettled in his native Bordeaux, where he was set up with a good job and reunited with his hastily repatriated wife. There was no way Louis was going to risk stories of his jokes getting back to Edward.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

Those who were wealthy enough were 'hanged by the purse': given the chance to buy pardons with exorbitant cash 'gifts', and to enter into bonds for their future good behaviour; the poor were simply 'hanged by the necks'.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

As news of Edward's quest to regain his throne filtered out of Burgundy and through Europe, the Milanese ambassador Bettini summed up his prospects pithily. It was, he wrote, difficult to leave a house by the door and then try to go back in through the windows: 'They think he will leave his skin there'.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

Writing back to head office about the London branch's affairs, [Angelo] Tani remarked with gloomy relish that 'my assignment is to resurrect a corpse'.

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York

[j-august]

To one member of Rozmital's party, a bibulous squire named Schasek, this rigid acknowledgement of rank masked something more slippery. The English, he wrote, were great observers of protocol, always ready to genuflect to power and authority. But 'no matter how they bend the knee', he concluded, 'they are not to be trusted.'

Thomas Penn, The Brothers York