Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Thursday, 11 June 2020

The medicinal interests of King Henry VIII


The Medieval Manuscript Blog of the British Library always has things of interest on it drawing as it does upon the Library collections. A recent post is about Sloane MS 1047 which shows King Henry VIII‘s interest, certainly in later life as his health was more of a problem, in medicines and in concocting them himself. Thus alongside remedies prescribed by his physicians are listed many that the King himself devised. It makes it clear this was not just a whim but a serious interest on the monarch’s part. It conjures up rather different images of him than the usual ones.

The illustrated and informative post can be seen at Did Henry VIII believe in unicorns?

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