wit at war

[fpb]

Exchanges of insults and threats can be quite funny (though not, perhaps, to the protagonists). The best exchange I ever heard of was the very economical letters sent between two Irish chieftains, one of whom believed himself of higher rank than the other:
"Pay me the tribute you owe. Or else..."
"I owe you no tribute. And if..."

Next to this comes the exchange between a King of Poland and a nobleman in revolt. The nobleman had the impudence to write to the King personally, informing him that he had put a prize of 20,000 crowns (I think) on his head. Back came the answer: "I am glad that you still think so highly of my head, for I assure you that since you dared to rebel, I would not give a brass farthing for yours."

Comments

[bufo-viridis.livejournal.com]

Do you know which king and which nobleman?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

According to Hebel, it was the last ever King of Poland. I guess you can find out the rest easier than I.

[bufo-viridis.livejournal.com]

Hmm, interesting. The last king was Stanislaw August Poniatowski and there was a revolt against him, or rather against his Russian backers, Bar Confederation, but I wonder who made the offer and how serious it was (the confederates were rather poor; the king could also cover the state of his purse with his wit :)