The Retreat from Mons By one who shared in it

The fighting in the neighbourhood of Compiègne developed into something of a general action, an action in which the British more than held their own. There was some doubt whethe...

_Now all the youth of England are on fire, And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies; Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought Reigns solely in the breast of every man._

To follow now the fortunes of the British Force you must imagine it, if you will, divided, like Caesar's Gaul, into three parts. There is the First Corps, which still holds its...

_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._

_But pardon, gentles all, The flat unraised spirits that have dar'd, On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an object: can this cockpit hold The vasty fields of France?_

_A many of our bodies shall, no doubt Find native graves; upon the which, I trust, Shall witness live in brass of this day's work; And those that leave their valiant bones in Fr...

The dawn of Sunday, the 23rd, broke dim and misty, giving promise of heat. From the late afternoon of the previous day squadrons and reconnaissance patrols from Chetwode's Caval...

_We are but warriors for the working-day; Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd With rainy marching in the painful field; There's not a piece of feather in our host, * * *...

_Gloucester, 'tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.-- . . . . God Almighty! There is some soul of goodness in things evil, Would m...

KING HENRY. _The sum of all our answer is but this: We would not seek a battle, as we are; Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it. * * * * * We are in God's hand, brother, n...

_Now entertain conjecture of a time, When creeping murmur, and the poring dark, Fills the wide vessel of the universe. From camp to camp, through the foul womb of night, The hum...

_... As many ways meet in one town; As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea; As many lines close in the dial's centre; So may a thousand actions, once afoot, End in one purpo...

_So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal, That never may ill office, or fell jealousy, * * * * * Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms, To make divorce of thei...

The dominant note in the reception which the French gave to the Force on landing was undoubtedly that of _relief_. Happy in showering little courtesies, surprised and delighted...

_Follow, follow! Grapple your minds to sternage of this navy; And leave your England as dead midnight still. * * * * * For who is he, whose chin is but enrich'd With one appeari...