Henry VII of England: Most Machiavellian

According to Machiavelli, a king who is feared can expect complete honesty from the small number of people he places trust in, while a loved ruler may believe he has the complete support of his people only to find that they flee his sight when he needs them most since they do not fear what he may do to them for not being at his side. Henry VII trusted a court to take care of this fear. The court of Star Chamber, named for the stars painted on the room’s ceiling, wasn’t like the courtrooms of its time, but it had strong ties to courts before it. The court of Star Chamber used Roman law to sort out aristocratic threats to England in secret sessions. Those sent to the court rarely saw the evidence against them for the acts they supposedly commited. Torture was used as a method of reaching a confession, though it can be suspected that even the innocent would confess to doing something they hadn’t after their first taste of torture. The court had no juries to decide whether one was innocent or guilty of the accused act(s), so it is unlikely that many of the people who entered were let off freely. Fear of the Star Chamber soon set in, and those who feared it were smart enough to not do something to have them brought to it. Therefore, Henry VII successfully decreased aristocratic threats a high percentage.

Henry VII ruled in a strong, Machiavellian manner. His use of the Justices of the Peace works as a symbol of his small use of the military. His down-play of Parliament shows his desire to keep power. His use of the Star Chamber granted him fearful people, not loving ones. All of these things and more make him the most Machiavellian ruler of his time.