Back to Blog ListPardoned, Payed, and Flayed
April 25, 2011 | Permalink
The following historical anecdote is based on a story from Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples, Vol. 1.
The year is 1199. Richard the Lionhearted is besieging a small castle owned by the lord of Chaluz. Riding too close to the walls, King Richard is mortally wounded by a crossbow bolt. He arranges his affairs and orders the captured archer into his presence. Noble man that he is, Richard pardons the archer and gives him a sum of money. Soon after, he dies of gangrene. The archer is promptly flayed alive.
Moral of the story: If you shoot a king, don't get caught.
G. A. Henty also wrote about the time of King Richard in Winning His Spurs, which follows a young Englishman through baron wars, the crusades, Saracen captivity, and much more. It's available from Vision Forum here.
Tueri a vulnere,
John