"There is ful many a man that crieth "Werre! Werre!" that wot ful litel what werre amounteth."

So THIS is why the French hate the English. I understand. This brief history of the despoiling of France made me weep. In particular, reading about the Siege of Rouen made me want to desecrate Henry V's grave. That wicked man let children-- infants! and mothers starve in a ditch outside the city walls rather than let them escape alive. And then he has the audacity to be oh-so-pious after every victory. I have news for you Hank..."Ye shall know them by their fruits", and the fruits of your warmongering are rotten. He deserved to die early, and England deserved the Wars of the Roses. Barbarians.

Any comments about "oh the French committed atrocities too" or "for the time that was normal" can just go stick a sock in it. This series of pirate raids was OBVIOUSLY wrong. The total war waged on the French peasantry was appalling. I don't care how "normal" it was, wrong is wrong. I get that human beings are miserable sinners and when whipped in a frenzy against other groups will commit any number of atrocities, no matter the time period. This was still horrifying.

In other news, my husband says I am banned from reading tragic histories right before bedtime and suggested I find some nice romances instead. I am taking suggestions.