Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

"Thick as the snow flakes and with lightning force,

alacrity, and resolution. So that by their means in a manner all the French Battails received their first foil, being by the barbed arrows so galled and terrified, that they were easily. opened to the men of arms."

"Without all question, the guns which are used now-adays, are neither so terrible in battle, nor do such execution, nor work such confusion as arrows can do: for bullets being not seen only hurt where they hit, but arrows enrage the horse, and break the array, and terrify all that behold them in the bodies of their neighbours. Not to say that every archer can shoot thrice to a gunner's once, and that whole squadrons of bows may let fly at one time, when only one or two files of musqueteers can discharge at once. Also, that whereas guns are useless when your pikes join, because they only do execution point blank, the arrows which will kill at random, may do good service even behind your men of arms. And it is notorious, that at the famous battle of Lepanto, the Turkish bows did more mischief than the Christian artillery.. Besides it is not the least observable, that whereas the weakest may use guns as well as the strongest, in those days your lusty and tall Yeomen were chosen for the bow, whose hose being fastened with one point, and their jackets long and easy to shoot in, they had their limbs at full liberty, so that they might easily draw bows of great strength, and shoot arrows of a yard long beside the head.

Joshua Barnes.

"And send thee better fortune than old Bertram ! "I would that I were young again to meet "These haughty English in the field of fight; "Such as I was when on the fatal plain

"Of Azincour I met them."

"Wert thou then

"A sharer in that dreadful day's defeat?"

Exclaim'd the Bastard, "didst thou know the chief

"Of Orleans?"

"Know him!" the old veteran cried,

"I saw him ere the bloody fight began

[ocr errors]

Riding from rank to rank, his beaver up,

"The long lance quivering in his mighty grasp.

"Full was his eye and fierce, yet beaming st

"On all his countrymen, chearful and

[blocks in formation]

"Full was his eye," exclaim'd the Bastard UL
Of Orleans, "yet it beam'd benevolence.
"I never yet saw love so dignified!

"There lived not one his vassal, but a

"The good the gallant Chief.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[graphic]

"And send thee better fortune than old Bertram ! "I would that I were young again to meet "These haughty English in the field of fight; "Such as I was when on the fatal plain

"Of Azincour I met them."

"Wert thou then

"A sharer in that dreadful day's defeat?"

Exclaim'd the Bastard, "didst thou know the chief

"Of Orleans?"

"Know him!" the old veteran cried,

"I saw him ere the bloody fight began
"Riding from rank to rank, his beaver up,
"The long lance quivering in his mighty grasp.
"Full was his eye and fierce, yet beaming still
"On all his countrymen, chearful and mild,

[ocr errors]

Winning all hearts. Looking at thee Sir Knight, "Methinks I see him now; such was his eye

"So mild in peace, such was his manly brow;

"Beshrew me but I weep at the remembrance."

"Full was his eye," exclaim'd the Bastard Son
Of Orleans, "yet it beam'd benevolence.
"I never yet saw love so dignified!

"There lived not one his vassal, but adored

"The good the gallant Chief. Amid his halls
"High blazed the hospitable hearth, the pilgrim
"Of other countries, seeing his high towers,

"Rejoiced, for he had often heard of Orleans.

[ocr errors]

'He lives, my brother! bound in the hard chain "He lives most wretched."

The big tear roll'd down

The Warriors cheeks. "But he shall live, Dunois,"
Exclaim'd the Mission'd Maid, "but he shall live
"To hear good tidings; hear of liberty,

"Of his own liberty, by his brother's arm
"Atchiev'd in hard fought battle. He shall live
"Happy:* the memory of his prison'd years

*The Maid declared upon her trial, that God loved the Duke of Orleans, and that she had received more revelations

« AnteriorContinuar »