1.The Consolidation of the New Monarchy

Henry Ⅶ（1457-1509）

Henry Ⅶ，founder of the new monarchy，was a strong and sensible king.After he became king of England，Henry Ⅶquickly realized that his people were tired of quarrelsome lords with their bands of armed men；the middle class wanted nothing but peace and orderly government.Since many lords had been killed in the Wars of the Roses，or had lost their lands to the crown，the King was able to destroy their power forever.Their feudal rights and duties came to an end.They no longer had to supply soldiers for the King，or pay a tax instead，as this had been one cause of all the trouble.Law forbade the lords to keep any armed followers.The royal court of the Star Chamber² was given power to deal severely with any rich man who wronged his poorer neighbours.

Besides weakening the old nobility，Henry Ⅶorganized an efficient tax system，and built up a large fortune，which made him independent of Parliament.Except in the first few years of his rule，he made little use of parliament and ruled through his council instead.The king’s council was formally called the Privy Council，which consisted，not of all his lords，but only of those advisers whom he invited to attend its meetings.The Council advised the king on the important decisions of internal and foreign policy.It also exercised legislative and judicial powers.

Henry Ⅶalso increased the powers of the Justices of the Peace.They were made responsible not only for public order but for matters that concerned trade，the control of guilds and of workers’affairs，and the care of roads and bridges.Their courts gave honest justice，and the poor could bring cases without payment.Printed law books helped to train lawyers at the Inns of Court.These old inns had been turned into colleges for law students in Edward Ⅲ’s time，and they kept the same discipline as a university college.

During Henry Ⅶ’s reign，the wool merchants were developing a new system of trade，a capitalist one in nature.With their capital they controlled the flow of wool from the sheep farmer to the weaver，and the flow of cloth from the weaver to the foreign market.To encourage the weaving industry，Henry increased the customs duty on imported cloth；he reduced the rights of foreign traders in London；and he encouraged ship-building by forbidding the carriage of imports in foreign ships.Most of all，he encouraged adventurous merchants to explore new lands.In spite of the Pope，who had divided the unknown world between Spain and Portugal，he sent Cabot to explore the coasts of Canada and of Newfoundland.

Above all，Henry Ⅶgave England peace and orderly government.He encouraged education and exploration.He increased trade.But he did not find time to deal with the greatest problem of all，the Church.Since Henry Ⅶand his parliament had reformed the feudal habits of the noble families，his son was able to work through parliament to reform the Church.