There is no castle so strong that it cannot be overthrown by money.
—Marcus Tullius Cicero
Google the worst monarchs of England, and King John is bound to appear more than once. Described as “nature’s enemy,” 1 a “pillager of his own people,” 2 a raging madman who “emitted foam from his mouth,” 3 and a man with “too many bad qualities” 4 (this last point from someone who actually fought on the king’s side), John was a ruler with few supporters and countless enemies. The contempt was hard-earned over several decades of ...
