The War of Jenkin's Ear

In 1738 England went to war with Spain [again] and the cause was an ear.

The incident that gave its name to the war had occurred in 1731 when the British brig Rebecca was boarded by the Spanish coast guard Ia Isabela, commanded by Julio León Fandiño. After boarding, Fandiño cut off the left ear of the Rebecca's captain, Welshman Robert Jenkins, who had been accused of piracy. Fandiño told Jenkins, "Go, and tell your King that I will do the same, if he dares to do the same." In March 1738, Jenkins was ordered to attend Parliament, presumably to repeat his story before a committee of the House of Commons. According to some accounts, he produced the severed ear when he attended, although no detailed record of the hearing exists. The incident was considered alongside various other cases of "Spanish Depredations upon the British Subjects," and was perceived as an insult to the honour of the nation and a clear casus belli. [Taken from Wikipedia]

More information here.

Reading up on Welsh pirates is SUCH fun.

Also a bit of alternative LOTR - in Finnish!

Erastes?

Way to go with the product placement!

(no subject)

The Pope is on TV and is wearing neat little red slippers. I think that's his ultimate security arrangement. If the cordon is breached and he's in danger he'll be repatriated immediately by clicking his heels together and saying "There's no place like Rome".

This random thought is brought to you by the panic induced by a houseguest arriving tomorrow to spend the night when the house has got back to it's usual peasant uprising aftermath state. Honestly, I'll clean it, but I'd sooner not have to think about it.