― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huck also manages to confuse Henry VIII with King Shahryār from One Thousand and One Nights, and then credit him with producing the Domesday Book (actually compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror). You might be surprised to learn from Huck that Henry also instigated the Boston Tea Party (occurring in 1773) and then sat down to write the Declaration of Independence (1776). There being no end to his villainy, Henry (born 1491) then drowned his father the Duke of Wellington (born in 1769) "in a butt of Mamsey". What Huckleberry actually means here is a butt of Malmsey (wine). During the War of the Roses, George, Duke of Clarence conspired against his brother, King Edward IV (to whom Jane Shore, mentioned above, was mistress). Edward sentenced his brother George to death for treason and apparently George- who was an alcoholic- asked that he be drowned in a barrel of Malmsey, his favourite wine. His request was granted and George er, drank himself to death I guess you could say, in 1478. Considering the time period, there were definitely worse ways to go.