The Wars of the Roses: 4
Books as expression of loyalty
Books, being highly expensive, tended to be seen by the rich and influential so they were a good site for political propaganda. This copy of The Troy Book was commissioned by William Herbert, earl of Pembroke, as a way of demonstrating his loyalty to the new regime: he and his wife Anne are the figures kneeling at the king’s feet, presenting him with the manuscript of the poem. Pembroke did indeed prove loyal to Edward and died fighting for him at the Battle of Edgecote in 1469. Choosing a poem about the fabled city of Troy was significant because, by tradition, the English liked to think they were descended from the Trojans and London was sometimes called ‘New Troy’ by poets; the implication is therefore that Edward IV is the descendant of the kings of Troy.
Source 3
This extract offers a personal description of Edward IV. Read it carefully and use its internal evidence to answer the questions that follow.
Questions
D) From the internal evidence of this source, suggest an answer to the following:
- From what sort of work might this passage have been extracted?
- What sort of person might have written it?
- Who and what might it have been written for?
- Is there any evidence that the writer was directly connected with the events described? If so, how might that affect the way we read this account?
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