Henry had character and the foresight to build up a centralized
system of government that would survive him. He learned about the
counties' and villages' varying laws and customs. Then, using the
model of Roman law, he gave to English institutions that unity and
system which in their casual patch-work development had been
lacking. Henry's government and courts forged permanent direct
links between the king and his subjects which cut through the
feudal structure of lords and vassals.
He developed the methods and structure of government so that there
was a great increase in the scope of administrative activity
without a concurrent increase of personal power of the officials
who discharged it. The government was self-regulating, with
methods of accounting and control which meant that no official,
however exalted, could entirely escape the surveillance of his
colleagues and the King. At the same time, administrative and
judicial procedures were perfected so that much which had
previously required the King's personal attention was reduced to
routine.
The royal household translated the royal will into action. In the
early 1100s, there had been very little machinery of central
government that was not closely associated with the royal
household. There was a Chief Justiciar for legal matters and a
Treasurer. Royal government was largely built upon what had once
been purely domestic offices.
Pages:
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184