The relevance of temperature to these proceedings is mysterious and vexing. Upon hearing the deadful news, the King has enquired of his courtiers why this obvious simpleton and lunatick was permitt'd possession of such a perilous item as a giant seige catapult. The King then pondered whether it might be considered prudent to restrict the possession of such items, lest a similar tragedy occur in times hence. Such a suggestion was vigorously opposed by one Baggly Bottoms, a court jester of great repute, whose office had recently been bestowed with the title of patron for the National Guild for the Right to Own Bloody Great Siege Catapults. Giant seige catapults do not smash down town walls and slay the occupants.
People smash down town walls and slay the occupants.
At first, all present assumed that this was part of his jesting routine and laughed heartily, until it was realis'd that Mr Bottoms was most serious. A noted scholar, much renowned for his skill in the art of logic, then used his great skill to point out that while people do indeed commit acts of murder, they generally require some instrument to do so. Curiously, Mr Bottoms did not presume to answer this last point, but instead declared that the problem was not the ready availability of instruments of destruction, but the prevalent forms of literature that were corrupting the morals of the youths in this land. Rather tis but a steady flow of smiting and begatting, intended only to disturb and titillate the reader. How can the minds of our youth not be affect'd, when they are told in lurid and unnecesssary detail of whole cities being engulf'd by fire, nay, even the world entire being covered by a deluge of water, with but a few being spared a horrib'l death.