John Wilkes was born today in 1727. This man took on the corrupt government of George III single-handedly and almost toppled it. Womanizer, gambler, member of the notorious Hellfire Club and all round pain in the Arras, you couldn't help but love him.
And no, Ten Aitch Why, he did not kill Abraham Lincoln!! How many more times do I have to say it?
In other news ...
Charles II was defeated by Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides at Worcester today in 1651. About 20,000 people claimed later it was their oak tree Charles hid in before nipping across to France. The king had the last laugh however. When he got his throne back nine years later, Cromwell was already dead. Undeterred (get it?!) they dug him up and dragged his body around the streets of London. Where was Health and Safety?!
Showing posts with label Charles II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles II. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Sunday, 4 March 2012
4th March
On this day back in 1681 Charles II lost it completely. He signed a treaty giving a huge chunk of territory (which didn't belong to him anyway) to a Quaker called William Penn. Not only that but the king wrote off Penn's debts of £16,000 (£29 million today) and effectively gave Penn the power of a dictator. So grateful was the Quaker that he refused to take his hat off in the royal presence, gave the territory the self-effacing name of Pennsylvania (that's Penn's Wood in case you were wondering, Nine Eff Are) and went on to make a famous breakfast cereal from the oats he used to feed his horse.
Detective Inspector Carpenter-Maxwell and I are applying to Her Majesty this very day to get her to cover our mortgage and outgoings and give us Ottawa or failing that New South Wales. If William Penn can do it ...
In other news ...
Saladin died in Damascus today in 1193. His real name was Salah-ed-Din and he was either a nationalist hero or an Arab fundamentalist, depending on your point of view. I go with the first version and there are two stories about him which show what a thorough-going 12th century gent he was. When Richard the Lionheart (psychopath, homosexual - but that's another story) lay seriously ill with fever during the Third Crusade, Saladin sent him snow from the mountains to bring his temperature down. On another occasion, Richard proved he'd recovered by smashing an anvil in half with his broadsword (see - I told you he was a psychopath) while Saladin threw a silk handkerchief in the air and caught it on the blade of his scimitar which slit the handkerchief in half. How stylish is that?
Neither of these stories is true, of course, but wouldn't it be nice if they were?
Detective Inspector Carpenter-Maxwell and I are applying to Her Majesty this very day to get her to cover our mortgage and outgoings and give us Ottawa or failing that New South Wales. If William Penn can do it ...
In other news ...
Saladin died in Damascus today in 1193. His real name was Salah-ed-Din and he was either a nationalist hero or an Arab fundamentalist, depending on your point of view. I go with the first version and there are two stories about him which show what a thorough-going 12th century gent he was. When Richard the Lionheart (psychopath, homosexual - but that's another story) lay seriously ill with fever during the Third Crusade, Saladin sent him snow from the mountains to bring his temperature down. On another occasion, Richard proved he'd recovered by smashing an anvil in half with his broadsword (see - I told you he was a psychopath) while Saladin threw a silk handkerchief in the air and caught it on the blade of his scimitar which slit the handkerchief in half. How stylish is that?
Neither of these stories is true, of course, but wouldn't it be nice if they were?
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