Supposed words of Henry II which prompted four of his knights to ride to Canterbury Cathedral and hack to death Archbishop Thomas Becket while he was performing the Mass. Although not a specific order or command, and certainly not a signed warrant, the thugs got the message well enough.

Historians now tell us Henry’s actual words were

“What miserable drones and traitors have I nurtured and promoted in my household who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric!”

The result is, of course, the same either way. No paper trail, or as we like to say today “plausible deniability”.

Or as Eleanor of Aquitaine reportedly said; “Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It’s 1183 and we’re all barbarians!”