"The Marriage of Henry V and Catherine of France", from Chroniques de France ou de Saint Denis (1487)
when i shed blood i am hidden away
private, meditating on the curse of eve.
i step out only when the blood is past
bathing myself on the rooftop
and i am clean.
you spill blood in public
sword in hand, cursing your enemies;
armies obey your command, and die at your command;
satisfied only when your arms are red to the pits for all to see.
in whose bath will you ever come clean?
-LoA
2 comments:
Wow, what true words, and a good lesson for those that would be king, and in the choosing of a queen.
among the famous lines from the courtship scene in shakespeare's henry v is "we are the makers of manners kate." to which i believe the appropriate response was, "but not of morals, harry".
tangent alert: the line that really cracks me up from that final scene is the exchange between henry and catherine....
h: do you think you could love me kate?
c: i don't know.
h: well do you think any of your friends might know, i will ask them
ROFL.
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