20. With a death sentence over his head, Raleigh continued to exasperate the king
Raleigh’s Historie of the World did not concentrate on recent history in Western Europe, but instead focused on the ancient worlds of the Greeks, Mesopotamians, Phoenicians, Romans, and other civilizations. He concentrated on geography, and how the expansion of realms was often dictated by geographical features. In his work he often couched his words over government and rulers in terms meant to serve as advice to the current monarch on the throne of England, who did not receive them well. James considered Raleigh’s perceived advice to be overly critical, especially as they came from a mere commoner, who had through good fortune and the beneficence of his monarch achieved fame and success.