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Before Chaucer, actually.

Edward VI reigned before his sister, in fact. When he died unexpectedly, the establishment was so desperate to get a protestant on the throne that they ignored all the laws of succession and put Queen Jane on the throne. Jane only lasted nine days before she was deposed, and Mary I took over.

The rejoicing that greeted Mary's accession didn't last out the six remaining years of her life, however; there was even greater celebration at her death, and deservedly so.

Marco wrote:

Before Chaucer, actually.

Edward VI reigned before his sister, in fact. When he died unexpectedly, the establishment was so desperate to get a protestant on the throne that they ignored all the laws of succession and put Queen Jane on the throne. Jane only lasted nine days before she was deposed, and Mary I took over.

The rejoicing that greeted Mary's accession didn't last out the six remaining years of her life, however; there was even greater celebration at her death, and deservedly so.

Ack, yes of course you are correct. But Mary trying to restore the "true faith" went about it dismally.

How could I forget that Edward VI came before Mary? ( Yes, I know the rest of it, I just had a seemingly more and more frequent senior moment.)

So, earlier than even Chaucer, not a cleric, and educated enough to translate Psalms into whatever form of English was spoken. This would then make it before any sort of Protestant Reformation movements, and well before a printing press....

Becket?
Bede?

I give up.

Now we're narrowing it down - chronologically it's between Bede and Becket.

You are evil.

Between Bede and Becket, that only leaves several centuries to try and figure out.

Well in one respect he is before Bede and Becket.

God?

Did God say this at some point?

I know this one, weirdly enough. Let's just say he wasn't so good in the kitchen.

According to the biography, that never happened.

Quote:

Let's just say he wasn't so good in the kitchen.

Probably obssessed about his weight too. Offer him a coffee and Danish and all you'd get was cussing.

I doubt the cussing. Turns out he's a Catholic saint. Never knew that.

They'll let anybody in.

Another hint: both Liddy & Tosh are referring to a famous story that involved this man and took place near the hearth (not a kitchen, actually). The story is almost certainly fictional, however. But it's actually the most well-known anecdote about this guy, probably.

King Wenceslas?

(Okay, that's the first thing that came to mind! Don't make fun of me.)

Maybe that's not who I'm thinking of. Who was the king who was traveling and looked like a peasant. He persuaded a peasant family to take him in; the wife baked him some kind of bread or something and gave him a piece of her mind about the king. ?? What am I thinking of?!

You've got the right guy. What was his name?

Edward?

Something with an E, I think.

Nope! Thought of it.

Alfred the Great

The book I'm reading is "Alfred the Great" by Justin Pollard. It really is a fascinating story. Unusually for a king (or anyone) from that time, we actually have his writings, which let us get up close and personal to him. Most of the monarchs at that time are distant, shadowy figures.

Am I right in thinking he translated Boethius?

You are correct.

I would enjoy a book like that, Jude. I'll have to look it up.