Words to inspire

The other day Suldog posted that beautiful passage from St Paul's epistle to the Corinthians.  Such inspiring words.  I have provided a link instead of retyping (or copying and pasting).  It made me think about other inspiring words, especially speeches, and I thought to draw up a list of the five speeches (or passages of words, prose or poetry) that I find the most inspirational.

Two passages from Shakespeare immediately sprang to mind, both of the from Henry V.  The speech ending, "Cry God for Harry England and St George" was my first thought, closely followed by a speech earlier in the play including the words, "And gentlemen of England now abed will think themselves accursed they were not here".  I'll go with my first thought.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

The fourth-placed speech tomorrow.

~~~~~

Several years back the Old Bat and I holidayed in Tuscany.  We could not miss out on a visit to Florence and duly caught a train, our genial hosts having warned against trying to drive.  Neither of us are really ones for art galleries so there was no question of traipsing round looking for David.  And, frankly, Florence was not for me - far too many people, hustle and bustle and big city drive.  OK, the cathedral is something else, and the doors to the baptistry are magnificent.  Then, of course, there is the famous Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno.  Over-crowded and shops full of tourist tat.  No thanks - but here is a picture taken from along the river bank.

 And the crowds!