But putting to the main,

At Kaux, the mouth of Seine,

With all his martial train,
Landed king Harry.

And taking many a fort,
Furnished in warlike sort,
Marcheth toward Agincourt
In happy hour—

Skirmishing day by day

With those that stopped his way, Where the French gen'ral 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 we well begun
Battles so bravely won

Have ever to the sun

By fame been raised.

"And for myself," quoth he, "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.

"Poitiers and Cressy tell,

When most their pride did swell, Under our swords they fell;

No less our skill is

Than when our grandsire great, Claiming the regal seat,

By many a warlike feat

Lopped the French lilies.”

The Duke of York so dread
The eager vaward led;

With the main Henry sped,

Amongst his henchmen.

Excester had the rear

A braver man not there:

O Lord! how hot they were
On the false Frenchmen!

They now to fight are gone;
Armor on armor 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

Struck the French horses.

With Spanish yew so strong,
Arrows 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 down their bows they threw,

And forth their bilboes drew,

And on the French they flew,

Not one was tardy:

Arms were from shoulders sent;

Scalps to the teeth were rent;
Down the French peasants went;
Our men were hardy.

This while our noble king,
His broadsword brandishing,
Down the French host did ding,
As to o'erwhelm it;

And many a deep wound rent
His arms with blood besprent,
And many a cruel dent
Bruiséd his helmet.

Glo'ster, that duke so good,
Next of the royal blood,
For famous England stood,
With his brave brother
Clarence, in steel so bright,
Though but a maiden knight,
Yet in that furious fight

Scarce such another.

Warwick in blood did wade;

Oxford the foe invade,

And cruel slaughter made,

Still as they ran up.

Suffolk his axe did ply;

Beaumont and Willoughby
Bare them right doughtily,
Ferrers and Fanhope.

Upon Saint Crispin's day
Fought was this noble fray,
Which fame did not delay

To England to carry;

Oh, when shall Englishmen
With such acts fill a pen,
Or England breed again

Such a King Harry?

RIP VAN WINKLE.

Washington Irving.

[The following Tale was found among the papers of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker, an old gentleman of New York, who was very curious in the Dutch History of the province, and the manners of the descendants from its primitive setHis historical researches, however, did not lie so much. among books as among men; for the former are lamentably scanty on his favorite topics; whereas he found the old burghers, and still more, their wives, rich in that legendary lore, so invaluable to true history. Whenever, therefore, he happened upon a genuine Dutch family, snugly shut up in its lowroofed farmhouse, under a spreading sycamore, he looked upon it as a little clasped volume of black-letter, and studied it with the zeal of a book-worm.

The result of all these researches was a history of the province during the reign of the Dutch governors, which he published some years since. There have been various opinions as to the literary character of his work, and, to tell the truth, it is not a whit better than it should be. Its chief merit is its scrupulous accuracy, which, indeed, was a little questioned, on its first appearance, but has since been completely established; and it is now admitted into all historical collections, as a book of unquestionable authority.