
CHAPTER 2
S
ELECTING THE
K
ING
’
S
A
DVISOR
Never give a sword to a man
who can’t dance.
—C
ELTIC SAYING
Histor y is replete with kin gs who were s mart enough to make use
of skille d advisors. These individual s fulf illed a number of impor-
tant roles. Not only were they counted upon to offer sage advice
on the emerging political landscape an d the changi ng strengths
and vulnerabil ities of other cou ntries, but the king als o relied upo n
his advisor to serve as an in depen dent set of e yes an d ears for
noting and accuratel y interpreting the subt le intricacies of the
king’s court.
• Who exact ly could be trusted, and who was to be carefully
watched?
• Who, ...