Chapter 1 describes the use of Arthurian material in English political thought alongside documentary practices that attempt to construct an empire which includes Scotland, beginning with the Scottish succession crisis (1286–92) and extending to the Wars of the Roses. These practices had lasting effects, as their citation of legendary figures such as King Arthur opened an abundance of chronicle and romance material to argument. Historiographical and literary texts such as John Hardyng’s Chronicle, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, the Awntyrs off Arthur, and Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur responded to this invocation of real and legendary history. While some simply repeat and extend governmental aspirations, others, such as the Morte Arthure and Awntyrs, question English imperial kingship and disrupt acts of sovereign recognition through recognition scenes. Ultimately, however, no medieval English author could imagine an alternative to the antagonism of sovereignty discourse, highlighting the problematic relationship of politics to precedent.