Dissolve me into ecstasies,

And bring all Heaven before mine eyes.
And may at last my weary age
Find out the peaceful hermitage,
The hairy gown and mossy cell,
Where I may sit and rightly spell
Of every star that heaven doth show,
And every herb that sips the dew;
Till old experience do attain
To something like prophetic strain.

These pleasures, Melancholy, give,
And I with thee will choose to live.

*

84*

A HAPPY OLD AGE

7. Milton

HAPPY were he could finish forth his fate
In some unhaunted desert, where, obscure
From all society, from love and hate
Of worldly folk, there should he sleep secure;

Then wake again, and yield God ever praise ;
Content with hip, with haws, and brambleberry;
In contemplation passing still his days,

And change of holy thoughts to make him merry : Who, when he dies, his tomb might be the bush Where harmless robin resteth with the thrush : -Happy were he!

170 spell, study

Unknown

I he could, he who could end his life

2 unhaunted, unpeopled: obscure, hidden

8 merry, cheer him up

End of First Part

The Children's Treasury

SECOND PART

* I *

THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT

AGINCOURT, Agincourt! know ye not Agincourt?
Where the English slew and hurt
All the French foemen.

With our guns and bills brown,
O! the French were beat down,
Morris-pikes and bowmen !

T. Heywood

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 an angry smile,
Their fall portending.

And turning to his men,
Quoth our brave Henry then,
'Though they to one be ten,
'Be not amazed!
'Yet have well begun,
'Battles so bravely won
'Have ever to the sun
'By fame been raised.
'And for myself,' quoth he,
6 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.

'Poictiers and Cressy tell,
'When most their pride did swell,
'Under our swords they fell:—

6 No less our skill is

13 skirmishing, irregular fighting 21 which, insult: he, Henry

26 quoth, spoke

37 victor, conqueror

17 his, the French general's

24 portending, prophesying 36 if I am beaten

40 pay ransom for

Than when our grandsire great,
Claiming the regal seat,

'By many a warlike feat
'Lopp'd 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;
Heavens how hot they were
On the false Frenchmen!

They now to fight are gone :
Armour on armour 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,
O noble Erpingham,
Which did the signal aim

To our hid forces;
When from a meadow by,
Like a storm suddenly,

The English archery

Stuck the French horses,

With Spanish yew so strong,
Arrows a cloth-yard long,
That like to serpents stung,
Piercing the weather;

47 feat, deed

48 see end

52 henchmen, attendants 73 yew, used for bows

50 vaward, foremost men 71 archery, bowmen

76 weather, air

L