Friday, October 25, 2013

Crispin Crispian

A friend has sent me in happy time these photos of the outside and inside of the hard-to-access San Lorenzo in Rome. They have the relics of the martyr twins SS Crispin & Crispinian, whose feast is today. This is kept in the Dominican rite, though sadly not in the 1970 or 1962 Roman calendars.

Veneration for these ancient martyrs, who shed their blood in the 3rd Century, joins us in Faith with our distant ancestors. Indeed, as every schoolboy knows, they have an eternal place in English literature.

French readers look away now...

Henry V speaks on the field of Agincourt.

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
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:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.




3 comments:

  1. I am intrigued as to why it is so hard to gain access to this particular church?

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  2. It is inside a sort of gated community, and the gates seem to be usually closed. My contact noticed they were open one day and popped in.

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