To the Cambro-Britans and Their Harpe, His Ballad of Agincovrt
Faire stood the Wind for France,When we our Sayles aduance,Nor now to proue our chance,Longer will tarry;But putting to the Mayne,At Kaux, the Mouth of Sene,With all his Martiall Trayne,Landed King HARRY.
And taking many a Fort,Furnish'd in Warlike sort,Marcheth tow'rds Agincourt,In happy howre;Skirmishing day by day,With those that stop'd his way,Where the French Gen'rall lay,With all his Power.
Which in his Hight of Pride,King HENRY to deride,His Ransome to prouideTo 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 braue HENRY then,Though they to one be ten,Be not amazed.Yet haue we well begunne,Battels so brauely wonne,Haue euer to the Sonne,By Fame beene raysed.
And, for my Selfe (quoth he),This my full rest shall be,England ne'r mourne for Me,Nor more esteeme me.Victor I will remaine,Or on this Earth lie slaine,Neuer shall Shee sustaine,Losse to redeeme me.
Poiters and Cressy tell,When most their Pride did swell,Vnder our Swords they fell,No lesse our skill is,Than when our Grandsire Great,Clayming the Regall Seate,By many a Warlike feate,Lop'd the French Lillies.
The Duke of Yorke so dread,The eager Vaward led;With the maine, HENRY sped,Among'st his Hench-men.EXCESTER had the Rere,A Brauer man not there,O Lord, how hot they were,On the false French-men!
They now to fight are gone,Armour on Armour shone,Drumme now to Drumme did grone,To heare, was wonder;That with the Cryes they make,The very Earth did shake,Trumpet to Trumpet spake,Thunder to Thunder.
Well it thine Age became,O Noble ERPINGHAM,Which didst the Signall ayme,To our hid Forces;When from a Medow by,Like a Storme suddenly,The English ArcheryStuck the French Horses,
With Spanish Ewgh so strong,Arrowes a Cloth-yard long,That like to Serpents stung,Piercing the Weather;None from his fellow starts,But playing Manly parts,And like true English hearts,Stuck close together.
When downe their Bowes they threw,And forth their Bilbowes drew,And on the French they flew,Not one was tardie;Armes were from shoulders sent,Scalpes to the Teeth were rent,Downe the French Pesants went,Our Men were hardie.
This while our Noble King,His broad Sword brandishing,Downe the French Hoast did ding,As to o'r-whelme it;And many a deepe Wound lent,His Armes with Bloud besprent,And many a cruell DentBruised his Helmet.
GLOSTER, that Duke so good,Next of the Royall Blood,For famous England stood,With his braue Brother;CLARENCE, in Steele so bright,Though but a Maiden Knight,Yet in that furious Fight,Scarce such another,
WARWICK in Bloud did wade,OXFORD the Foe inuade,And cruell slaughter made,Still as they ran vp;SVFFOLKE his Axe did ply,BEAVMONT and WILLOVGHBYBare them right doughtily,FERRERS and FANHOPE.
Vpon Saint CRISPIN'S dayFought was this Noble Fray,Which Fame did not delay,To England to carry;O, when shall English MenWith such Acts fill a Pen,Or England breed againe,Such a King HARRY?
Words in this poem 30
- martiall a.
- Of, pertaining to, or suited for, war; military; as, martial music; a martial appearance. [F., fr. L. martialis of or belonging to Mars, the god of war. Cf. March the month.]
- harry v. i.
- To make a predatory incursion; to plunder or lay waste.
- hight v. t.
- To be called or named. [OE. heiten, highten, haten, hoten; also hight, hatte, hette, is called, was called, AS. hatan to call, name, be called, to command, promise; also hatte is calle]
- deride v. t.
- To laugh at with contempt; to laugh to scorn; to turn to ridicule or make sport of; to mock; to scoff at. [L. deridere, derisum; de- + rid to laugh. See Ridicule.]
- angry a.
- Troublesome; vexatious; rigorous. [See Anger.]
- quoth v. t.
- Said; spoke; uttered; -- used only in the first and third persons in the past tenses, and always followed by its nominative, the word or words said being the object; as, quoth I. quoth he. [AS.cweedhan, imp cwæedh, pl. cwædon; akin to OS. queedhan, OHG. quethan, quedan, Icel. kveedha, Goth. qiþan. sq. root22. Cf. Bequeath.]
- wonne v. i.
- To dwell or abide. [See 1st Wone.]
- sonne n.
- A male child; the male issue, or offspring, of a parent, father or mother. [OE. sone, sune, AS. sunu; akin to D. zoon, OS., OFries., & OHG. sunu, G. sohn, Icel. sonr, Sw. son, Dan. sön, Goth. sunus, Lith. sunus, Russ. suin', Skr. sunu (]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- mourne n.
- The armed or feruled end of a staff; in a sheephook, the end of the staff to which the hook is attached. Sir P. Sidney. [See 2d Morne.]
- losse n.
- Praise. See Loos.
- cressy a.
- Abounding in cresses.
- grandsire n.
- Specifically, a grandfather; more generally, any ancestor. [OF. grantsire. See Grand, and Sire.]
- regall a.
- Of or pertaining to a king; kingly; royal; as, regal authority, pomp, or sway. [L. regalis, fr. rex, regis, a king. See Royal, and cf. Rajah, Realm, Regalia.]
- duke n.
- A leader; a chief; a prince. [F. duc, fr. L. dux, ducis, leader, commander, fr. ducere to lead; akin to AS. teón to draw; cf. AS. heretoga (here army) an army leader, general, G. herzog duke]
- vaward n.
- The fore part; van. [For vanward, equivalent to vanguard. See Vanguard, Ward guard.]
- armour n.
- Defensive arms for the body; any clothing or covering worn to protect one's person in battle. [OE. armure, fr. F. armure, OF. armeure, fr. L. armatura. See Armature.]
- didst
- , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
- signall n.
- A sign made for the purpose of giving notice to a person of some occurence, command, or danger; also, a sign, event, or watchword, which has been agreed upon as the occasion of concerted action. [F., fr. LL. signale, fr. L. signum. See Sign, n.]
- ayme n.
- The utterance of the ejaculation [Cf. F. ahi interj.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- ding v. t.
- To dash; to throw violently. [OE. dingen, dengen; akin to AS. dencgan to knock, Icel. dengja to beat, hammer, Sw. dänga, G. dengeln.]
- besprent p. p.
- Sprinkled over; strewed. [OE. bespreynt, p. p. of besprengen, bisprengen, to besprinkle, AS. besprengan, akin to D. & G. besprengen; pref. be- + sprengan to sprinkle. See Sprinkle.]
- cruell a.
- Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.]
- dent n.
- A stroke; a blow. [A variant of Dint.]
- royall a.
- Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or prerogative; royal domains; the royal family; royal state. [OE. roial, riall, real, OF. roial. reial, F. royal, fr. L. regalis, fr. rex, regis, king. See Rich, and cf. regal, real a coin, Rial.]
- clarence n.
- A close four-wheeled carriage, with one seat inside, and a seat for the driver.
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- wade n.
- Woad. Mortimer.
- doughtily adv.
- In a doughty manner.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
To the Cambro-Britans and Their Harpe, His Ballad of Agincovrt is in the public domain. This text is taken from Minor Poems of Michael Drayton, Project Gutenberg ebook #17873; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Michael Drayton, To the Cambro-Britans and Their Harpe, His Ballad of Agincovrt, in Minor Poems (1594–1619), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #17873, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/drayton-minor-poems/to-the-cambro-britans-and-their-harpe-his-ballad-of-agincovrt.html, id L20638.
Form and metre
To the Cambro-Britans and Their Harpe, His Ballad of Agincovrt is 120 lines in 15 stanzas of 8 lines each. The commonest rhyme scheme is AAABCCCB, in 6 of the 15 stanzas; the rest vary or could not be confirmed. The metre is iambic trimeter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%).
See other poems in iambic trimeter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 A-ABC-CB franceA · aduance · chanceA · tarryB · mayneC · sene · trayneC · harryB
- 2 AAABCCCB fortA · sortA · agincourtA · howreB · dayC · wayC · layC · powerB
- 3 AAABCCCB prideA · derideA · prouideA · sendingB · whileC · vileC · smileC · portendingB
- 4 AAABCC-B menA · thenA · tenA · amazedB · begunneC · wonneC · sonne · raysedB
- 5 AAAABBBA heA · beA · meA · meA · remaineB · slaineB · sustaineB · meA
- 6 AAABCCCB tellA · swellA · fellA · isB · greatC · seateC · feateC · lilliesB
- 7 AAABCC-B dreadA · ledA · spedA · menB · rereC · thereC · were · menB
- 8 -AABCCCB gone · shoneA · groneA · wonderB · makeC · shakeC · spakeC · thunderB
- 9 A-AB---B becameA · erpingham · aymeA · forcesB · by · suddenly · archery · horsesB
- 10 AA-BCCCB strongA · longA · stung · weatherB · startsC · partsC · heartsC · togetherB
- 11 AAABCCCB threwA · drewA · flewA · tardieB · sentC · rentC · wentC · hardieB
- 12 AAABCCCB kingA · brandishingA · dingA · itB · lentC · besprentC · dentC · helmetB
- 13 AAABCCCB goodA · bloodA · stoodA · brotherB · brightC · knightC · fightC · anotherB
- 14 AAA----- wadeA · inuadeA · madeA · — · ply · willovghby · doughtily · fanhope
- 15 AAABCC-B dayA · frayA · delayA · carryB · menC · penC · againe · harryB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic trimeter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Faire stood the Wind for France, | 6 | ······ |
| When we our Sayles aduance, | 6 | ··/··· |
| Nor now to proue our chance, | 6 | ····/· |
| Longer will tarry; | 5 | /˘·/˘ |
| But putting to the Mayne, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| At Kaux, the Mouth of Sene, | 6 | ······ |
| With all his Martiall Trayne, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Landed King HARRY. | 5 | /˘·/˘ |
| And taking many a Fort, | 6 | ·/˘/·· |
| Furnish'd in Warlike sort, | 6 | /˘·/·· |
| Marcheth tow'rds Agincourt, | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| In happy howre; | 5 | ·/˘/˘ |
| Skirmishing day by day, | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| With those that stop'd his way, | 6 | ······ |
| Where the French Gen'rall lay, | 6 | ······ |
| With all his Power. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Which in his Hight of Pride, | 6 | ······ |
| King HENRY to deride, | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| His Ransome to prouide | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| To the King sending. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Which he neglects the while, | 6 | ··˘/·· |
| As from a Nation vile, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Yet with an angry smile, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Their fall portending. | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| And turning to his Men, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Quoth our braue HENRY then, | 6 | ·/·/˘· |
| Though they to one be ten, | 6 | ······ |
| Be not amazed. | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| Yet haue we well begunne, | 6 | ····˘/ |
| Battels so brauely wonne, | 6 | ······ |
| Haue euer to the Sonne, | 5 | ····· |
| By Fame beene raysed. | 5 | ····˘ |
| And, for my Selfe (quoth he), | 6 | ······ |
| This my full rest shall be, | 6 | ······ |
| England ne'r mourne for Me, | 6 | /˘···· |
| Nor more esteeme me. | 5 | ····· |
| Victor I will remaine, | 6 | /˘···· |
| Or on this Earth lie slaine, | 6 | ······ |
| Neuer shall Shee sustaine, | 6 | /˘···· |
| Losse to redeeme me. | 5 | ····· |
| Poiters and Cressy tell, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| When most their Pride did swell, | 6 | ······ |
| Vnder our Swords they fell, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| No lesse our skill is, | 6 | ··/˘·· |
| Than when our Grandsire Great, | 6 | ··//˘· |
| Clayming the Regall Seate, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| By many a Warlike feate, | 6 | ·/·/·· |
| Lop'd the French Lillies. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| The Duke of Yorke so dread, | 6 | ······ |
| The eager Vaward led; | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| With the maine, HENRY sped, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Among'st his Hench-men. | 5 | ˘/··· |
| EXCESTER had the Rere, | 6 | ······ |
| A Brauer man not there, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| O Lord, how hot they were, | 6 | ······ |
| On the false French-men! | 5 | ····· |
| They now to fight are gone, | 6 | ······ |
| Armour on Armour shone, | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| Drumme now to Drumme did grone, | 6 | ······ |
| To heare, was wonder; | 5 | ···/˘ |
| That with the Cryes they make, | 6 | ······ |
| The very Earth did shake, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Trumpet to Trumpet spake, | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| Thunder to Thunder. | 5 | /˘·/˘ |
| Well it thine Age became, | 6 | ····˘/ |
| O Noble ERPINGHAM, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Which didst the Signall ayme, | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| To our hid Forces; | 6 | ·/˘·/˘ |
| When from a Medow by, | 6 | ······ |
| Like a Storme suddenly, | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| The English Archery | 6 | ·/˘/˘˘ |
| Stuck the French Horses, | 5 | ···/˘ |
| With Spanish Ewgh so strong, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Arrowes a Cloth-yard long, | 6 | /˘···· |
| That like to Serpents stung, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Piercing the Weather; | 5 | /˘·/˘ |
| None from his fellow starts, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| But playing Manly parts, | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| And like true English hearts, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Stuck close together. | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| When downe their Bowes they threw, | 6 | ······ |
| And forth their Bilbowes drew, | 6 | ······ |
| And on the French they flew, | 6 | ······ |
| Not one was tardie; | 5 | ····· |
| Armes were from shoulders sent, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Scalpes to the Teeth were rent, | 6 | ······ |
| Downe the French Pesants went, | 6 | ······ |
| Our Men were hardie. | 6 | /˘··/˘ |
| This while our Noble King, | 6 | ··//˘· |
| His broad Sword brandishing, | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| Downe the French Hoast did ding, | 6 | ······ |
| As to o'r-whelme it; | 5 | ····· |
| And many a deepe Wound lent, | 6 | ·/···· |
| His Armes with Bloud besprent, | 6 | ····˘/ |
| And many a cruell Dent | 6 | ·/·/˘· |
| Bruised his Helmet. | 5 | ·˘·/˘ |
| GLOSTER, that Duke so good, | 6 | /˘···· |
| Next of the Royall Blood, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| For famous England stood, | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| With his braue Brother; | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CLARENCE, in Steele so bright, | 6 | /˘···· |
| Though but a Maiden Knight, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Yet in that furious Fight, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Scarce such another, | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| WARWICK in Bloud did wade, | 6 | /˘···· |
| OXFORD the Foe inuade, | 6 | /˘···· |
| And cruell slaughter made, | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| Still as they ran vp; | 5 | ····· |
| SVFFOLKE his Axe did ply, | 5 | ····· |
| BEAVMONT and WILLOVGHBY | 6 | ······ |
| Bare them right doughtily, | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| FERRERS and FANHOPE. | 5 | /˘··· |
| Vpon Saint CRISPIN'S day | 5 | ··/˘· |
| Fought was this Noble Fray, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Which Fame did not delay, | 6 | ····˘/ |
| To England to carry; | 6 | ·/˘·/˘ |
| O, when shall English Men | 6 | ···/˘· |
| With such Acts fill a Pen, | 6 | ······ |
| Or England breed againe, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Such a King HARRY? | 5 | ···/˘ |
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