[Valin]

The Battle of Agincourt

If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

-- Wm. Shakespeare, King Henry V

[martin_fierro]

SEE THIS -- if for nothing more than the St. Crispin's Day speech.

[AngrySpud]

A long and most worthwhile read.

[Rebelbase]

One of the best underdog victories in military history.

[yankeedame]

"King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt" by Sir John Gilbert
King Henry V encourages his knights during the battle of Agincourt.

"Morning of Agincourt" by Sir John Gilbert.
The English army at prayer before the Battle of Agincourt on 25th October 1415.

"With Banners Bravely Spread" by Sir John Gilbert.(Probably depicting knights before Agincourt.)

"The Battle of Agincourt", by Brian Palmer.
The French Knights attack Henry V's English infantry lines and are repelled during the Battle of Agincourt, a victory for Henry V.

(Lifted these from this web site:
http://www.medieval-art.com/battle_of_agincourt.htm

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Probably the most accurate description of this battle is foung in John Keegan'sTHE FACE OF WAR". He has thoroughly reasearched it, and explains how the outnumbered and sickly English force managed to inflict such a hugely disproportionate number of casualties on the French (Hint- French arrogance had a little bit to do with it).

[M Kehoe]

Good post.

5.56mm

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Military history buff ping.

[resistmuch]

One of the greatest things in the English language. It always makes my day.

[SAMWolf]

[VOA]

As an English archer could loose up to ten flights a minute, by the time the first
landed another would have been in the air.

"Maybe outmanned, but never out-gunned."

[VOA]

As a result, 200 archers were given the job as they were tough, professional soldiers
outside the bounds of chivalry.

OK, as usual, give the real dirty work to the Welshmen!

(at least, I've heard in my informal education that a lot of the archers were Welsh...
I might stand corrected on that)

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

[T}here were more [French] prisoners than the English.

Some things never change.

[Henchster]

Bookmark for later reading.