Henry of Monmouth Volume II Part 22

Those who are intrusted with a brighter and a more pure light of spiritual truth, are, first of all, bound to prove by their lives that religion is not in them a dead and inoperative letter; but a vivifying principle, productive of practical holiness and virtue. Enlightened Christians are bound to show forth their principles by the exercise of every Christian excellence, and so to prove to the world that G.o.d is with them of a truth.

Another indispensable duty is, that those who possess the truth should individually and by combined exertions labour to spread its heavenly influence throughout the whole ma.s.s of their fellow-creatures, not only in every corner of their own land, but to the utmost coasts of the civilized world, and through the still numberless regions of barbarism and idolatry. "Freely ye have received, freely give."

Again, it were a narrow view of our duty were we to feel an anxiety for the preservation, through the period only of our own existence upon earth, of the benefits which we now enjoy. To be satisfied with the a.s.surance that provision is made for our own times, is a principle altogether unworthy a philanthropic and a Christian mind: and the more valuable and essential the blessing, the more steady and vigorous should be our labour in providing for its permanency and its future increase. If we are honest in our own choice, we believe that (p. 416) by delivering down to posterity, in its integrity and pureness, the blessing which has been committed to us in especial trust, we are transmitting not a state-device (as its enemies delight to call it), but an inst.i.tution founded on the surest principles of true philosophy and of revelation, with a view to the best interests of the whole human race. If, aided by the Divine Founder of the church, we resign to those who come after us the fostering and mild, but firm and well-grounded establishment of the Protestant faith, removed equally from lat.i.tudinarian indifference and from the intolerance of bigotry, with an ungrudging spirit sharing with others the liberty of conscience we claim for ourselves, we shall transmit an inheritance which may be to future ages what it has proved itself to be towards many among ourselves, and of those who have gone before us,--the instructor and guide of their youth, the strength and stay of their manhood, the support and comfort of their declining years;--an inst.i.tution which is the faithful depository of Christian truth; the surest guardian of civil and religious liberty; the parent of whatever is just, and generous, and charitable, and holy. ESTO PERPETUA!

APPENDIX. No. I. (p. 417)

To those, as we are led to believe, contemporary poems, which appear in the body of the work, the Author is induced to subjoin a "Ballad of Agincourt," of much later date indeed, but which, for the n.o.ble national spirit which it breathes throughout, and the vigour of its description, cannot easily be exceeded: it is not so generally known as it deserves to be; though some of its expressions may sound strangely and quaintly to our ears. It will be found in Drayton's Works, p. 424.

"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, (p. 418) With those that stopped his way; Where the French general lay With all his power.

Who, in the 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 an angry smile Their fall portending.

And turning to his men, Quoth our brave Henry then, Though they to one be ten, Be not amazed.

Yet have we well begun, Battles so bravely won Have ever to the sun By fame been raised.

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 be slain;-- Never shall she sustain Loss to redeem me.[307]

Poitiers and Cressy tell, (p. 419) Where most their pride did swell; Under our swords they fell;-- No less our skill is, Than when our grandsire great, Claiming the 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!

How fierce and hot they were[308]

On the false Frenchmen!

They now to fight are gone, Armour on armour 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, O n.o.ble Erpingham!

Who didst the signal aim To our hid forces; When, from a meadow by, Like a storm suddenly, The English archery Stuck the French horses.

With Spanish yew so strong, (p. 420) Arrows a cloth-yard long, That like to serpent 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 bilbows 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 n.o.ble 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 besprent; And many a cruel dent Bruised his helmet.

Gloucester, 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 knight, Yet in that famous fight Scarce such another.

Warwick in blood did wade, Oxford the foe invade, And cruel slaughter made,-- Still as they ran up; Suffolk his axe did ply; (p. 421) Beaumont and Willoughby Bare them right doughtily; Ferrers and Fanhope.

Upon St. Crispin's day, Fought was this n.o.ble 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!"

[Footnote 307: This refers to the resolution which Henry is said to have made, and to have declared to his men immediately before the battle: That, as he was a true King and knight, England should never be charged with the payment of his ransom on that day, for he had rather be slain.--MS. Cott. Cleop. C.

iv.]

[Footnote 308: The two first words of this line are different in the original.]

APPENDIX, No. II. (p. 422)

To the miseries which fell upon the inhabitants of Rouen during the siege, a brief reference has been made in the body of this work. The following lines, by an eye-witness, record a very pleasing circ.u.mstance indicative of Henry's piety and benevolence. The wretched inhabitants, who could contribute no aid in the defence of the town, were driven by the garrison beyond the gates with the most unmerciful hardheartedness. On Christmas-day Henry offered, in honour of the festival, to supply all the inhabitants, great and small [meste and least], with meat and drink. His offer was met very uncourteously by the garrison, and his benevolent intentions were in a great degree frustrated. The poem called "The Siege of Rouen" may now be read in the Archaeologia, vol. xxi, with an interesting introduction by the Reverend William Conybeare.

SIEGE OF ROUEN.

"But then, within a little s.p.a.ce, The poor people of that same place At every gate they were put out, Many a hundred on a rout.

It was great pity them for to see, How women came kneeling on their knee; And their children also in their arms, For to save them from harms.

And old men came kneeling them by, (p. 423) And there they made a doleful cry; And all they cried at once then, 'Have mercy on us, ye English men!'

Our men gave them some of their bread, Though they to us were now so quede.[309]

Harm to them we did none, But made them again to the ditch gone: And there we kept them all abache, Because they should not see our watch: Many one said they would liefer be slain, Than turn to the city of Rouen again.

They went forth with a strong murmuration, And ever they cursed their own nation; For the city would not let them in, Therefore they did full great sin; For many one died there for cold, That might full well their life have hold.

This was at the time of Christmas: I may you tell of a full fair case, As of great meekness of our good King; And also of meekness a great tokening.

Our King sent into Rouen on Christmas day, His heralds in a rich array; And said, because of this high feast, Both to the meste and to the least Within the city, and also without, To tell, that be scanty of victuals all about, All they to have meat and drink thereto, And again safe-conduct to come and to go.

They said, 'Gramercy!' all lightly, As they had set little prize thereby; And unnese [scarcely] they would grant any grace To the poor people that out put was, Save to two priests, and no more them with, For to bring meat they granted therewith; 'But an there come with you and mo [more], (p. 424) Truly we will shoot you too.'

All on a row the poor people were set, The priests come and brought them meat; They ate and drank, and were full fain, And thanked our King with all their main; And as they sate, their meat to fong, Thus they talked them among: 'O Mightiful Jesu!' they said then, 'Of tender heart is the Englishmen; For see how this excellent King, That we have been ever again standing; And never would we obey him to, Nor no homage to him would we never do; And yet he hath on us more compa.s.sion, Than hath our own countrymen; And therefore, Lord Jesu, as Thou art full of mercy, Grant him grace to win his right in hey.'[310]

And thus the poor people that time spake, And full good tent thereto was take; But when they had eaten and went their way, The truce adrew, and war took his way."

[Footnote 309: _Quede_, or quade,--evil, bad.--See Glossary to Chaucer.]

[Footnote 310: _In hey_,--in haste, speedily.]

APPENDIX, No. III. (p. 425)

AUTHENTICITY OF THE Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS

Sloane 1776, and Reg. 13, c. 1.

It will be borne in mind that the only doc.u.ment which contains the charge brought against Henry of Monmouth of unfilial conduct and cruel behaviour towards his afflicted father is a ma.n.u.script, two copies of which are preserved in the British Museum; and that a thorough examination of the authenticity of that ma.n.u.script was reserved for the Appendix. Every right-minded person will agree that the magnitude and dark character of a charge, so far from justifying a prejudice against the accused, should induce us to sift with more scrutinizing jealousy the evidence alleged in support of the accusation.

It will require but a very brief inspection of the two MSS., Sloane 1776, and Reg. 13, c. 1.,[311] to be a.s.sured that they are either both transcripts from one doc.u.ment in that part of the volume which contains the history of Henry IV, or that one of these is copied from the other.[312] Unless, therefore, an intimation be given to the contrary, it will be understood that reference is made to the Sloane MS., which, though not copied with equal correctness in point of (p. 426) orthography and grammar, is still far superior to the King's in the clearness of the writing.