Hello ladies and gents, and welcome to the History of England, episode 127, a model of

shivalry.

This week, gentle listeners, I thought we'd take our eyes off the political ball, and spend

a bit of time talking about a chap called Henry Bowling broke.

Now, I suspect you all know our Henry by now, and if you don't, shame on you, since we've

mentioned his name often enough.

But I thought we'd spend a bit more time in his company since he'll be a player in our

humble drama for a while yet.

And also, I thought his life and times over these years contrasted his life with that of

his contemporary and cousin Richard II.

So in the years between the dramatic events of the Appalunts and the merciless Parliament,

Richard was struggling away establishing his rule, playing the hard game of politics

after his humiliating political defeat.

While he was doing this, how did the heir of the greatest magnate of the land, a young

man with the world at his feet and a fat wallet?

How did he spend his time?

So a little recap, first of all.

I probably am being a bit insulting if I remind you that Henry Bowling was a bit of a

grandu, that Henry Bowlingbrook was the son and heir of the richest magnate of the land,

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, a man with an income of £12,000 a year fabulously, fabulously

wealthy by the standards of his time.

And he hadn't even had to invent an operating system or dig an oil well.

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