BalerionTheCatJul 13, 2023
"William Marshal was called the “best knight that ever lived.”...But all this might not have happened if he wasn’t saved from being catapulted at his father’s castle when he was just four or five years old.
…
1 of the 1st stories included in the History of William Marshal goes back to the reign of King Stephen (1135-1154), which was marred by a civil war with Empress Matilda. William’s father, John Marshal, originally supported Stephen & was a close advisor, but then ... he switched sides.
Show threadBalerionTheCatJul 13, 2023
In 1152, Stephen was besieging John at Newbury Castle, when the 2 sides agreed on a truce. The English king demanded that John send him a hostage to secure his promise…the nobleman sent his 4th son, William, to the enemy camp.
…The child, too young to have much understanding of events,
was led away towards the catapult.
When he saw the catapult’s sling,
he took a step back,
and said, “Gracious me! What a swing!
It would be a good idea for me to have a swing on it.”
He went right up to the sling
Show threadBalerionTheCat

…
Stephen decided he could not go through with it….
The scene plays out again a third time –

William was placed hanging over a siege machine and brought back to the castle. One of Stephen’s men shouted to John Marshall, “Lord constable, show yourself. Here’s your lord’s son; he’s going to die now in great pain, because we’re going to put him on that frame.”
…the father replied, “Right then, so he’ll die, I swear!

Jul 13, 2023 at 7:21pmWeb
Show threadBalerionTheCatJul 13, 2023
I’ll tell you this: the only present he’ll get is to be squashed to a pulp like a drum skin. This trick of yours won’t get you anywhere, you’re going to see him die right now.”
…John then had his troops hurl down a large millstone at the besiegers. Little William, still hanging there asked what kind of toy this was. Again, this broke the will of King Stephen, who burst out laughing & said,
Show threadBalerionTheCatJul 13, 2023
“William, a toy like that would be no good at all for you. To do you any harm would be a great shame… I shall spare you toys such as this, you’ll never die at my hands.”
https://www.medievalists.net/2014/01/how-young-william-marshal-was-saved-from-being-catapulted-into-a-castle/
#asoiaf #medieval #history #williamthemarshal
The boy and the catapult - a story from the life of William Marshal - Medievalists.net

Word came of this to his father, but he said that he did not care about the child, since he still had the anvils and hammers to produce even finer ones.

Medievalists.net