A/N:I am posting this today in memory of Saints Crispin and Crispian and the Battle of Agincourt, which took place 592 years ago yesterday (because I didn't finish this in time) in 1415. Also, please review!
Disclaimer: I am not William Shakespeare, nor do I claim ownership to anything he has written. All his writing is in the public domain.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian:
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He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
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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;
Henry V: Act IV, Scene III – William Shakespeare
Thomas sat at the small table in the kitchen, eating his porridge slowly while his mother cleaned the dishes.
"Thomas," he mother said suddenly, "Can you go wake your grandfather? I don't want him to miss his breakfast." Thomas obediently rose and left the room, walking to the back of the house where his grandfather slept. His grandfather, however, was not asleep, but was sitting on the edge of his bed with his chin in his hand, staring at the wall as if in deep thought.
"Grandfather," Thomas called, "Mother says to come in and eat your breakfast." When his grandfather did not respond, he repeated, a little bit louder, "Grandfather."
His grandfather turned to look at him. "Good morning, Thomas," he said, "Do you know what day it is today?"
"The twenty-fifth of October," the boy replied dutifully.
"Yes," the grandfather mused, "I remember that day so well." Thomas sat next to his grandfather on the bed, hoping to hear another of his stories. "It is the feast day of two saints, brothers, Crispin and Crispian," his grandfather remarked.
"What did they do?" Thomas asked excitedly.
"They made shoes," his grandfather replied, and chuckled, "But on their feast day, more than fifty years ago, one of the greatest battles between the English and the French was fought." He turned to his grandson. "How much do you know about the war?" he asked.
"Just that we lost," Thomas answered truthfully.
"Well, this whole war was going on because we English thought we had a claim to the French throne. It was something to do with inheritance laws," his grandfather sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if we were really in the right, but back then, we all wanted to fight for England and King Henry the Fifth."
Thomas moved closer as his grandfather spoke. "So what happened with the battle?" he asked.
"We had won Harfleur," his grandfather continued, "But we were met at Agincourt by a French army. They outnumbered us five to one, and we thought we had no hope of victory. Many despaired, and many, many prayers were prayed. It was like we were on our deathbed, awaiting the death that came at the rising of the sun with the battle."
"But you didn't die," Thomas prompted, eager to hear the exciting part of the story.
"No, I didn't die, but that day, I wasn't so sure I would survive," his grandfather continued patiently, "Most of us would have preferred to retreat and wait for reinforcements, but not after King Henry gave his speech that morning. I'll never forget that speech." He stood up, facing his grandson, and struck a regal pose. Clearing his throat, he began:
"If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do
our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share
of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more."
Thomas started to giggle, but the emotion in his grandfather's voice caused him to stop and listen.
"Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my
host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him
depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into
his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears
his fellowship to die with us."
Thomas moved impatiently on the bed as the speech lengthened, but he was intrigued by the mention of honor. He wondered what made honor so important that these men would die for it.
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers," his grandfather continued. At that moment, Thomas's mother came into the room. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but decided against it, and stood at the entrance to the room listening as the grandfather finished the speech:
"And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall
think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their
manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint
Crispin's day."
Thomas and his mother applauded as the speech came to a close. Then the three of them went together to get breakfast, Thomas holding his grandfather's hand and badgering him with questions about the battle as they went.
The End