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Thursday, October 25, 2007

And rouse him at the name of Crispian

Jay Anderson, who is better about keeping his English history front of mind than I am, points out that today is St. Crispin's day. Commemorated on Oct. 25th, the feast celebrated the martyrdom of twin brothers, Crispin and Crispinian, in the third century. However, the feast was removed from the Roman Calendar after Vatican II on the basis that it was questionable whether the saints had actually existed, rather than being Celtic mythological characters adopted into Christian usage.

Be that as it may, it's not a bad time to recall the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V:
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
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.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
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 remember'd.
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 remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
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.

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