r "feat"; in the
seventh, "rear," "there" and "were" do not rhyme; other instances are
easily found. Of words not now familiar, or used in an unfamiliar sense,
the following are examples: We do not frequently speak of the wind
"standing" in a certain direction; we do not often "advance" our sails
nor "prove" our chance; "vaward" and "bilboes" are old words; "ding" in
the sense used here has long been forgotten; of "archery" except as a
sport we know nothing; "Spanish yew" is no longer valuable for bows, and
few can tell how long a "clothyard" (the English ell, 45 inches long)
is, or whether it differs from any other "yard" as a measure of length.

If the things just mentioned are defects they are of little moment and
add to the quaintness of the verses without detracting from their force.
Anyone who reads for inspiration and for his own betterment puts aside
the critical spirit, places himself in the position of the writer,
harmonizes thoughts and reads for the message without much concern for
the medium. But there are force, action, rhythm, clearness and beauty
in this old ballad. Let us see what we can find without carrying
analysis to the point where it destroys the spirit. All we need is an
understanding of the meaning of the sentences and an expressive reading
aloud. The former, we can supply here, the latter the reader must
contribute. Poetry must be read aloud to be appreciated by any but those
who can listen to their thoughts and hear the words their eyes garner
from the printed page. Such readers are few.

Here is the paraphrase that makes the meaning clear.

With a wind blowing straight for France the English soldiery spread
their sails to try one more campaign against their ancient enemies.
Crossing the open sea they landed at the mouth of the Seine river,
following King Henry and his noble courtiers.

There was fighting all the way, and many a strongly garrisoned fort was
taken, to the joy of all the English. Every day had its skirmish with
the French, who stoutly defended the way to Agincourt where lay their
commander with all his great army of fifty thousand men. Here the
Frenchman sent to King Henry the sarcastic message: "You are going to
your doom. Better get your ransom ready before you advance further." To
this insult the English king made no answer, but an angry smile that
foreshadowed the fall of his vile opponents flashed from his eyes.

Turning to his men, however, the brave king spoke: "Don't