“This day is called the Feast of Saint Crispian:He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named,And rouse him at the name of Crispian.He that shall see this day, and live old age,Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighborsAnd say, “Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.”
“Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,And say, “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,But he’ll remember, with added luster,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 today that sheds his blood with meShall be my brother; be he ne’er so lowly,This day shall enoble his rank.And gentlemen in England , now abed,Shall think themselves accursed they were not here;And hold their manhoods cheap while any speaksThat fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day..”.
