Medieval Mentality
Torn Between King and Pope
“It seemed as if we were being tossed about on a wild sea without any oar. Unsure as to what would happen, we were indeed worried and very deeply disturbed.” […]
Governance
History
The Gift of Nothing
“So he shewed it to the messenger, and the shrewd varlet said to him off hand, ‘Nought is there, and nought shalt thou have! therefore look for nothing!'” […]
Britons and Celts
Vortigern’s Weakness
“Satan entered his heart, so that the fell in love with Renwein and asked her father to give her to him. I say that Satan entered his heart because, despite the fact that he was a Christian, he was determined to make love with this pagan woman.” […]
Violence
A Just Castration
“Caught taking part in this terrible ploy, he was mercifully condemned to losing his eyes and genitals when he deserved to be choked to death by a noose.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Downsides of Kingship
At night he entered the bed-chamber, and beheld a very superb couch, full of sharp razors. “What!” exclaimed he, “am I to sleep in this bed?” “Even so, my lord,” replied the attendants; “for in this bed all our kings have laid, and have perished.” […]
Human Affairs
Earning a Seat at the Table
“The king had ordered them not to fight back. So I grabbed hold of Bodvar and braced my feet against the footboard. I hunched my shoulders and strained with my arms. I tried then with all my strength, but he sat perfectly still and there was no way I could budge him.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Cloak of Fishscales Sparks a War
“Clad in this kind of garment, he secretly entered the magnates’ bedrooms by night in the form of an angel and amazingly deluded their sense or rather their understanding, wide-awake as they were.” […]
Greek and Roman
Tales of Lesser-Known Gods
“For so did Styx the deathless daughter of Ocean plan on that day when the Olympian Lightener called all the deathless gods to great Olympus, and said that whosoever of the gods would fight with him against the Titans, he would not cast him out from his rights, but each should have the office which he had before amongst the deathless gods.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Blessing for a Canary Artist
“The king was mighty inquisitive to know who this Raeph was. Ben told him ‘twas the artist at the Swan tavern, by Charing Cross, who drew him a good canary.” […]
Greek and Roman
Beware the Advice of Raving Hermits
“For your part, you are to remember to threaten him with the imminent loss of his life and his fall from the throne, unless he choose of his own free will to embrace the dogma of the emperor Leo the Isaurian and to cast out the idols.” […]