This allusion by Fluellen to the Welch having worn the leek in a battle under the black prince, is not, perhaps, as some writers suppose, wholly decisive of its having originated in the fields of Cressy or Poictiers; but it shows that when Shakspeare wrote, Welchmen wore leeks. In the same play, the well-remembered Fluellen’s enforcement of Pistol to eat the _leek_ he had ridiculed, further establishes the wearing it as a usage. Fluellen wears his leek in the battle of Agincourt, which it will be recollected takes place in this play, and is there mentioned, as well as in the chronicles, to have been “fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus,” in the month of October. The scene between Fluellen and Pistol takes place the day after this battle. _Enter Fluellen and Gower._ _Gower._ Why wear you your _leek_ to-day? _St. David’s day_ is past. _Fluellen._ There is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things.--The rascally, scald, peggarly, pragging knave, Pistol, a fellow look you now of no merits, he is come to me with pread and salt yesterday, look you, and pid me eat my _leek_, it was in a place where I could not preed no contentions with him, but I will be so pold as to wear it in my cap till I see him once again, and then--(_Enter Pistol_)--Got pless you, ancient Pistol! you scurvy knave, Got pless you! _P._ Hence! I am qualmish at the smell of _leek_. _G._ I peseech you heartily scurvy knave, at my desires, and my requests, and my petitions, to eat, look you, this _leek_. _P._ Not for Cadwallader, and all his goats. _F._ There is one goat for you. (_strikes him._) Will you be so goot, scald knave, as eat it? _P._ Base Trojan, thou shalt die. _F._ I desire you to live in the mean time, and eat your victuals; come there is sauce for it.--(_strikes him._) If you can mock a _leek_, you can eat a _leek_. By beating and taunt, Fluellen forces Pistol to eat the leek, and on its being wholly swallowed, Fluellen exhorts him “when you take occasions to see _leeks_ hereafter, I pray you, mock at them, that is all!” Having thus accomplished his purpose, Fluellen leaves Pistol to digestion, and the consolation of Gower, who calls him “counterfeit cowardly knave: will you mock at an ancient tradition, begun upon an honourable aspect, and worn as a memorable trophy of predeceased valour, and dare not avouch in your deeds any of your words?” Here we have Gower speaking of the custom of the Welch wearing leeks as “an ancient tradition,” and as “a memorable trophy of predeceased valour.” Thoroughly versed in the history of the few reigns preceding the period wherein he lived, it is not likely that Shakspeare would make a character in the time of Henry V. refer to an occurrence under the black prince, little more than half a century before the battle of Agincourt, as an affair of “ancient tradition.” Its origin may be fairly referred to a very early period.