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Commercial Advertiser 1 (0:00)
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Lindsey Graham (0:37)
It's spring 1153 at Malmsbury Abbey in Wiltshire, England. 20 year old Henry Plantagenet bangs his fist against the abbey entrance and demands entry. A large wooden door opens a crack to reveal the pale face of a monk who who pleads with Henry to guarantee the safety of the people inside. Soldiers rustle impatiently behind Henry, stepping closer to the monk. Twelve years ago, England was plunged into a civil war which will come to be known as the Anarchy. Henry's mother, Matilda, claims she was the rightful monarch and that the throne had been usurped by Henry's uncle Stephen. Now Henry's here with an army to seize Malmesbury. But the town's men are loyal to King Stephen and they've taken refuge in the abbey. Henry ignores the monk's pleas and pushes the door open, standing back as his soldiers charge into the abbey with swords drawn. Henry draws his own sword and follows them into the abbey. But the men of Malmesbury are unarmed and offer no threat. The two groups eye each other warily until the tension is broken by one of Henry's soldiers who steps forward and plunges his sword into the chest of a nearby townsman. The killing begins a mass slaughter as Henry's soldiers attack the townsfolk. Even the monks who enter the fray and beg for mercy are killed. The last surviving men of Malmesbury try to make a desperate rush for the exit, but it's of no use. Every last one of them are cut down by Henry's soldiers and blood covers the abbey floor. The massacre at Malmesbury Abbey breaks a long held convention in medieval warfare that the consecrated ground of a church should not be the location of violence. The brutality of Henry's troops will horrify England's clergy, but it will not prevent Henry ascending to the throne as the country's next king. And as King, Henry will once again become embroiled in a killing on church property. Seventeen years after the massacre in Malmesbury, Henry will be forced to defend his reputation after four knights claim to be acting on royal orders when they kill Archbishop Thomas Becket in his own Cathedral on December 29th. On 1170 hey, a quick note about the live show. I know quite a lot of you listen with your kids and I love that. The messages I get about how History Daily has ignited a love of history or sparked conversations or just become a carpool ritual really make me feel good. So I'm doing all I can to make the live tour appropriate for all ages, hopefully avoiding school nights and starting early in the evening because I know quite a few adults that would appreciate that too. So come out to see me live. For information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to historydailylive.com that's historydailylive.com and if you're in the North Texas area, buy your tickets now@historydailylive.com.
