However, just when Edward’s position seemed secure against challenge by the supporters of Henry VI, it suddenly and unexpectedly collapsed. Edward established his rule by a mixture of force and conciliation, with the assistance of a relatively small number of noble supporters, notably Richard Neville, earl of Warwick.

Edward IV (1461-1483) turned out to be a very different kind of king from Henry VI. The next two sources deal with Henry VI’s rival for the throne, Edward IV. The text comes from: Henry the Sixth: A Reprint of John Blacman’s Memoir, ed. It was therefore written not in order to convince nobles that Henry VI was a good king, but to convince the cardinals of the Church and the pope himself that Henry was a saint. The key lies in the purpose behind Blacman’s writing: he was building a case for Henry’s canonisation, the process by which someone is declared a saint by the Church. However, it is written entirely about his personal virtues and his simple mode of living there is little about his role in politics and what there is might not inspire confidence in Henry’s political skill: he gives away his property, he is apt to go into trances without warning, and he lost control both of England and of France. Since Blacman was close to the king, we might expect this work to stress Henry's positive features, as indeed it does. On the basis of this extract it would be reasonable to argue the matter either way. In the extract, however, some phrases suggest he knew the king personally and some imply perhaps that he did not. He knew the king well and was of great importance to him, since Henry VI was deeply pious.

The text on the previous page 'The Wars of the Roses: 1' comes from a Latin treatise (a dissertation or extended essay) written by John Blacman, Henry VI’s confessor (personal chaplain).

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