The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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King's Quoit, Manorbier is in Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, Prehistoric Wales Neolithic Burials.
Archaeologia Cambrensis 1872 Pages 81-143. No. 2. The Manorbeer cromlech [King's Quoit, Manorbier [Map]] has been already described in the Third Series of the Arch. Camb., and by Sir Gardner Wilkinson in one of the Collectanea volumes of the British Archaeological Association. There are certain anomalous features about it which seem to render it a rather exceptional example. The capstone, 16 feet 9 inches long by 8 feet 6 inches broad, has one of its ends resting on a small block of stone, and the other on three low supporters nearly at right angles to each other. Immediately above the block of stone is a wall of limestone, which Sir Gardner thinks has furnished the capstone, the thickness of which is 1 ft. 9 ins. It lies to the north-east, and the entrance is at the north-eastern extremity. Sir Gardner Wilkinson thinks this may have been an exceptional case as regards its not having been enclosed in a mound or cairn, as the ground on both sides falls away too sharp to admit of one. Although in the present state of the spot on which it now stands, it would have been almost impossible to build any mound over it, yet who can say what changes may not have taken place since its erection, and that at one time this difficulty did not exist? At any rate it must have had some external protection if it were a grave, unless, as suggested by Sir Gardner, it is the cenotaph and monument of some chief who perished in the waters below. Still, however, it may be questioned whether an uncovered and imperfect structure as this could ever have been thought an appropriate honour worthy of a great chief; for the cenotaph, in any case, would be after the usual form and fashion of a tomb of that period, which these bare stones certainly did not represent.