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To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2281.2007.00459.x Byline: P. R. Cavill (1) Abstract: Abstract Henry VII's reputation for avarice partly rests on the enforcement of penal statutes. From about 1505, according to contemporaries, the increasingly grasping king exploited statutory penalties to raise revenue. However, the regime's behaviour should be contextualized by examining the whole reign. Two sources connected with the 1495 parliament shed light on the subject: in one, the king reported his intention to implement existing legislation; in the other, he pardoned offences committed before the opening of the parliament. Royal commitment at this stage challenges the ready association between the enforcement of the penal statutes and the king's alleged rapacity later on in the reign. Author Affiliation: (1)Bangor University