Wherefore I will, and firmly command, that holy Church and all my earls, barons and vassals shall have and hold all the customs, gifts, liberties and freedom from pecuniary exactions, freely and unmolested, fully, rightly and in peace from me and my heirs for themselves and their heirs, as freely and peaceably, and fully in everything as King Henry, my grandfather, granted and conceded to them and confirmed by his charter.
Henry II in his Coronation Charter; Westminster, December 1154
From the Devil we sprang and to the Devil we shall go.
Plantagent family legend, often quoted by King Richard I
Foul as it is, Hell itself is made fouler by the presence of King John.
Matthew Paris, 1230s
For a sensible man ought to consider that Fortune’s favour is variable and her wheel is ever turning… the Prince must take care, and always have imprinted on his mind, the fact that although the merciful creator… is long suffering and patient… He is likewise severe in exacting punishment and vengance upon the stubborn and wilful, and usually begins to exact that punishment here on earth.
