Agincourt, Battle of, Agincourt, France, 1415 -- Poetry
The Ports are opened, weapons layd aside,
And from the walls th’Artillary displac’d:
The Armes of England are aduanc’d in pride:
The watch Tower, with Saint Georges Banner grac’d:
Liue Englands Henry, all the people cride:
Into the Streetes their women runne in hast,
Bearing their little Children, for whose sake
They hop’d the King would the more mercy take.
[Stanza 111: _The King of England entreth Harflew in triumph._]
The gates thus widened with the breath of Warre;
Their ample entrance to the English gaue:
There was no dore that then had any barre;
For of their owne not any thing they haue:
When Henry comes on his Emperiall Carre:
To whom they kneele their liues alone to saue.
Strucken with wonder, when that face they sawe,
Wherein such mercy was, with so much awe.
[Stanza 112]
And first themselues the English to secure,
Doubting what danger might be yet within;
The strongest Forts, and Citadell make sure,
To showe that they could keepe as well as win,
And though the spoyles them wondrously alure,
To fall to pillage e’r they will begin,
They shut each passage, by which any power
Might be brought on to hinder, but an hower.
[Stanza 113]
That Conquering King which entring at the gate,
Borne by the presse as in the ayre he swamme:
Vpon the suddaine layes aside his state,
And of a Lyon is become a Lambe:
He is not now what he was but of late:
But on his bare feete to the Church he came:
By his example, as did all the presse,
To giue God thankes, for his first good successe.
[Stanza 114: _King Henry offereth to decide his right by single
combat._]
And sends his Herauld to King Charles to say,
That though he thus was setled on his shore,
Yet he his Armes was ready downe to lay,
His ancient right if so he would restore:
But if the same he wilfully denay,
To stop th’effusion of their Subiects gore;
He frankly off’reth in a single fight,
With the young Daulphine to decide his right.
[Stanza 115]
Eight dayes at Harflew he doth stay to heare,
What answere back, his Herauld him would bring:
But when he found that he was ne’r the neere;
And that the Daulphine meaneth no such thing,
As to fight single; nor that any were
To deale for composition from the King:
He casts for Callice to make forth his way,
And takes such Townes, as in his Iourneyes lay.
[Stanza 116]
But first his bus’nesse he doth so contriue,
To curbe the Townes-men, should they chance to stirre
Of Armes, and Office he doth them depriue,
And to their roomes the English doth preferre:
Out of the Ports all Vagrants he doth driue,
And therein sets his Vnckle Excester:
This done, to martch he bids the thundring Drummes,
To scourge proud France whẽ now her Cõqueror comes.
[Stanza 117]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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