Michael Drayton, His Ballad of Agincourt

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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