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The Ballad of Agincourt
by Michael Drayton
1563-1631
read by David Shaw Parker
Fair stood the wind for France,
When we our sails advance,
Nor now to prove our chance, Longer will tarry;
But putting to the main
At Kaux, the mouth of Seine,
With all his martial train, Landed King Harry.
And taking many a fort,
Furnished in warlike sort,
Marcheth towards Agincourt, In happy hour;
Skirmishing day by day
With those that stopp'd his way,
Where the French general lay With all his power.
Which in his height of pride,
King Henry to deride,
His ransom to provide To the King sending;
Which he neglects the while
As from a nation vile,
Yet with angry smile Their fall portending.
And turning to his men,
Quoth our brave Henry then:
Though they be one to ten, Be not amazed.
Yet have we well begun,
Battles so bravely won
Have ever to the sun By fame rased.
And for myself, quoth he,
This my full rest shall be,
England ne'er mourn for me, Nor more esteem me;
Victor I will remain,
Or on this earth lie slain,
Never shall she sustain Loss to redeem me.
Poitiers and Crecy tell,
When most their pride did swell,
Under our swords they fell; No less our skill is
Than when our grandsire great,
Claiming a regal seat
By many a warlike feat, Lopped the French lilies.
The Duke of York so dread
The eager vaward led;
With the main Henry sped Amongst his henchmen.
Exeter had the rear,
A braver man not there,
Oh Lord, how hot they were On the false Frenchmen!
They now to fight are gone,
Armor on armor shone,
Drum now to drum did groan, To hear was wonder,
That with the cries they make
The very earth did shake,
Trumpet to trumpet spake, Thunder to thunder.
Well it thine age became,
Oh noble Erpingham,
Which didst the signal aim To our hid forces;
When from a meadow by,
Like a storm suddenly,
The English archery Struck the French horses.
With Spanish yew so strong,
Arrows a cloth-yard long,
That like to serpents stung, Piercing the weather;
None from his fellow starts,
But playing manly parts,
And like true English hearts, Stuck close together.
When down their bows they threw,
And forth their bilboes drew,
And on the French they flew, Not one was tardy;
Arms were from shoulders sent,
Scalps to the teeth were rent,
Down the French peasants went; Our men were hardy.
This while our noble King,
His broad sword brandishing,
Down the French host did ding, As to o'erwhelm it;
And many a deep wound lent,
His arms with blood bespent,
And many a cruel dent Bruised his helmet.
Gloster, that Duke so good,
Next of the royal blood,
For famous England stood With his brave brother;
Clarence, in steel so bright,
Though but a maiden night,
Yet in that furious fight, Scarce such another.
Warwick in blood did wade,
Oxford the foe invade,
And cruel slaughter made, Still as they ran up;
Suffolk his ax did ply,
Beaumont and Willoughby
Bare them right doughtily, Ferrers and Fanhope.
Upon St. Crispin's day
Fought was this noble fray,
Which fame did not delay To England to carry;
Oh when shall English men
With such acts fill a pen,
Or England breed again Such a King Harry?
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@MrStarbuck123
All right, I agree. Besides I feel a little ridiculous to argue with such energy about a so distant event-
1piazzola 1 year ago
@1piazzola They should have been brave enough to fight without armour then. You have your Austerlitz, we have our agincourt
MrStarbuck123 1 year ago
@MrStarbuck123
Yes, to finish off the knighs when they were down and unable to pick themselves up because the weight of the armour.
1piazzola 1 year ago
@1piazzola In response to that comment about archers not being brave and not fighting hand to hand. The archers did fight hand to hand in both the battle of agincourt and at Crecy, they ran out of arrows and used pickaxes, hammers, daggers, rocks, whatever they could use to fight the French Knights
MrStarbuck123 1 year ago
@cbrusharmy "Frustration" il a bit exaggerated. I don't think to Azincourt very often...
1piazzola 1 year ago
@1piazzola No, I'm not offended, and I shouldn't be. I can understand your frustration. I would submit, however, that many people's facination with "Azincourt," Poitiers, and Crécy stem from a love of the English longbow and not from a love of killing Frenchmen.
cbrusharmy 1 year ago
@TheDepotCat
No, it'is always "Azincourt".
The sore Frenchman.
1piazzola 1 year ago
@cbrusharmy I apologize il I have offended you., my father told me that English are brave soldiers. But I'm sick to hear celebrate Poitiers, Crécy, Azincourt : stupid, stupid french knights! Easy, easy victory of the bow upon the sword! Sorry, I am indeed a sore Frenchie (or Froggy).
1piazzola 1 year ago
@1piazzola I'd think twice before I'd call any who fought thus "cowards." I've been decorated for valor in combat and even I am not convinced that I'd stand as firmly as these men did who faced such a cavalry charge by the "tanks" of the day. These were different times, to be sure, and we shouldn't be too quick to judge so harshly from the comfort of our armchairs.
cbrusharmy 1 year ago
Ignore @1piazzola...He's just a sore Frenchman. Didn't the French change the name from Agincourt to Azincourt..?? Surprisingly the French have erected a monument to this battle. Apparently the area has changed very little from the time the battle was fought.
TheDepotCat 1 year ago