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If you need to ask, then yes, it's finished, don't up it.
England 1066
The courageous leaders mutually prepared for battle, each according to his national custom. The English, as we have heard, passed the night without sleep, in drinking and singing, and in the morning proceeded without delay against the enemy. All on foot, armed with battle-axes, and covering themselves in front by the juncture of their shields, they formed an impenetrable body which would assuredly have secured their safety that day had not the Normans, by a feigned flight, induced them to open their ranks, which till that time, according to their custom, had been closely compacted. King Harold himself, on foot, stood with his brothers near the standard in order that, so long as all shared equal danger, none could think of retreating. This same standard William sent, after his victory, to the pope; it was sumptuously embroidered with gold and precious stones, and represented the figure of a man fighting.
On the other hand, the Normans passed the whole night in confessing their sins, and received the communion of the Lord's body in the morning. Their infantry, with bows and arrows, formed the vanguard, while their cavalry, divided into wings, was placed in the rear. The duke, with serene countenance, declaring aloud that God would favor his as being the righteous side, called for his arms; and when, through the haste of his attendants, he had put on his hauberk the hind part before, he corrected the mistake with a laugh, saying "The power of my dukedom shall be turned into a kingdom." Then starting the Song of Roland, in order that the warlike example of that hero might stimulate the soldiers, and calling on God for assistance, the battle commenced on both sides, and was fought with great ardor, neither side giving ground during the greater part of the day.
Observing this, William gave a signal to his troops, that, feigning flight, they should withdraw from the field. By means of this device the solid phalanx of the English opened for the purpose of cutting down the fleeing enemy and thus brought upon itself swift destruction; for the Normans, facing about, attacked them, thus disordered, and compelled them to fly. In this manner, deceived by a stratagem, they met an honorable death in avenging their enemy; nor indeed were they at all without their own revenge, for, by frequently making a stand, they slaughtered their pursuers in heaps. Getting possession of an eminence, they drove back the Normans, who in the heat of pursuit were struggling up the slope, into the valley beneath, where, by hurling their javelins and rolling down stones on them as they stood below, the English easily destroyed them to a man. Besides, by a short passage with which they were acquainted, they avoided a deep ditch and trod underfoot such a multitude of their enemies in that place that the heaps of bodies made the hollow level with the plain. This alternating victory, first of one side and then of the other, continued so long as Harold lived to check the retreat; but when he fell, his brain pierced by an arrow, the flight of the English ceased not until night.
In the battle both leaders distinguished themselves by their bravery. Harold, not content with the functions of a general and with exhorting others, eagerly assumed himself the duties of a common soldier. He was constantly striking down the enemy at close quarters, so that no one could approach him with impunity, for straightway both horse and rider would be felled by a single blow. So it was at long range, as I have said, that the enemy's deadly arrow brought him to his death. One of the Norman soldiers gashed his thigh with a sword, as he lay prostrate; for which shameful and cowardly action he was branded with ignominy by William and expelled from the army.
William, too, was equally ready to encourage his soldiers by his voice and by his presence, and to be the first to rush forward to attack the thickest of the foe. He was everywhere fierce and furious; he lost three choice horses, which were that day killed under him. The dauntless spirit and vigor of the intrepid general, however, still held out. Though often called back by the kind remonstrance of his bodyguard, he still persisted until approaching night crowned him with complete victory. And no doubt the hand of God so protected him that the enemy should draw no blood from his person, though they aimed so many javelins at him.
And certis me think well that ye
Forout abasing aucht to be
Worthy and of gret vasselagis
For we haff thre gret avantagis
The fyrst is that we haf the rycht
And for the rycht ay God will fycht.
The tother is that thai cummyn ar
For lyppynyng off thar gret powar
To sek us in our awne land,
And has brocht her rycht till our hand
Ryches into sa gret quantit´e
That the pourest of you sall be
Bath rych and mychty tharwithall
Giff that we wyne, as weill may fall.
The thrid is that we for our lyvis
And for our childer and for our wyyis
And for our fredome and for our land
Ar strenyeit in bataill for to stand,
And thai for thar mycht anerly
And for thai let of us heychtly
And for thai wad distroy us all
Mais thaim to fycht, bot yeit may fall
That thai sall rew thar barganyng.
And certis I warne you off a thing
That happyn thaim, as God forbed,
Till fynd fantis intill our deid
That thai wyn us opynly
Thai sall off us haf na mercy,
And sen we knaw thar felone will
Me think it suld accord to skill
To set stoutnes agayne felony
And mak sa-gat a juperty.
Quharfor I you requer and pray
That with all your mycht that ye may
That ye pres you at the begynnyng
But cowardys or abaysing
To mete thaim at sall fyrst assemble
Sa stoutly that the henmaist trymble
And menys of your gret manheid
Your worschip and your douchti deid
And off the joy that we abid
Giff that us fall, as well may tid,
Hap to vencus this gret bataill.
In your handys without faile
Ye ber honour price and riches
Fredome welsh and blythnes
Giff you contene you manlely,
And the contrar all halily
Sall fall giff ye lat cowardys
And wykytnes your hertis suppris.
Ye mycht have lyvyt into threldome,
Bot for ye yarnyt till have fredome
Ye ar assemblyt her with me,
Tharfor is nedfull that ye be
Worthy and wycht but abaysing
And I warne you weill off a thing,
That mar myscheff may fall us nane
Than in thar handys to be tane,
For thai suld sla us, I wate weill
Rycht as thai did my brothyr Nele.
Bot quhen I mene off your stoutnes
And off the mony gret prowes
That ye haff doyne sa worthely
I traist and trowis sekyrly
To haff plane victour in this fycht,
For thoucht our fayis haf mekill mycht
Thai have the wrang, and succudry
And covatys of senyoury
Amovys thaim foroutyn mor.
Na us thar dreid thaim bot befor
For strenth off this place as ye se
Sall let us enveronyt to be.
And I pray you als specially
Bath mar and les commonaly
That nane of you for gredynes
Haff ey to tak of thar riches
Ne presonaris for to ta
Quhill ye se thaim contraryit sa
That the feld anerly youris be,
And than at your liking may ye
Tak all the riches that thar is.
Giff ye will wyrk apon this wis
Ye sall haff victour sekyrly.
...
And fra Schyr Aymer with the king
Was fled wes nane that durst abid
Bot fled scalyt on ilka sid,
And thar fayis thaim pressyt fast.
Thai war to say suth sua agast
And fled sa fast rycht effrayitly
That off thaim a full gret party
Fled to the water of Forth and thar
The mast part off thaim drownyt war,
And Bannokburne betwix the brays
Off men and hors sua stekyt wais
That apon drownyt hors and men
Men mycht pas dry out-our it then.
And laddis swanys and rangaill
Quhen thai saw vencussyt the bataill
Ran amang thaim and sua gan sla
As folk that na defens mycht ma
That war pitte for to se.
Ik herd never quhar in na contre
Folk at sa gret myscheiff war stad,
On ane sid thai thar fayis bad
That slew thaim doun foroutyn mercy,
And thai had on the tother party
Bannokburne that sua cumbyrsum was
For slyk and depnes for to pas
That thar mycht nane out-our it rid,
Thaim worthit maugre tharis abid
Sua that sum slayne sum drownyt war,
Mycht nane eschap that ever come thar
The-quhether mony gat away
That ellisquhair fled as I sall say.
The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The signers of the Declaration represented the new states as follows:
New Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts
John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia
Picture the scene. It's a Saturday afternoon in April 1967 and 100,000 are packed into Wembley Stadium for the biennial England-Scotland football match.
An estimated 50,000 Scots are hoping to witness the first defeat of the reigning world champions since their triumph nine months earlier when Jim Baxter turns to Denis Law and asks: 'Right, Denis what's it to be? Do we give them a doing or do we take the ****?'
Law, recalling Scotland's 9-3 defeat six years earlier, replies without hesitation:' I want to give them a doing.'
'Sorry,' says Jim. 'Wee Billy (Bremner) and I have decided that we're going to take the **** so you're out-voted, two to one.'
Some will no doubt scoff at the idea that such an apparently absurd conversation could possibly have taken place on the Wembley pitch.
Others fortunate enough to have been present when Slim Jim orchestrated the 3-2 humiliation of the world champions will no doubt claim to have heard the conversation.
What is not in doubt is that on that afternoon nearly 34 years ago Jim Baxter assured himself of a place in Scottish football folklore. No Scotland player before or since has toyed with the opposition in such a derisory manner bordering on the cruel.
No football match encapsulated Jim Baxter's character and personality more vividly. The swagger, the bravado, the mischief, the fun, the pure pleasure of performing in the manner of a world- class entertainer blessed with a God-given talent.
Jim was at home on the big stage and the bigger the venue the more outrageous he became. But never more so than when he faced England in their own backyard.
'I always enjoyed taking the **** out of England,' he says. 'But that day was special. I'll bet Alan Ball remembers it, too. Ballie had a squeaky voice but by the time I was finished with him he was shrieking with rage and frustration.
'His voice kept rising another couple of octaves to the point that nobody could even make out what he was trying to say. At one point I told him he sounded just like Jimmy Clitheroe.
'Between us, Billy Bremner, Tommy Gemmell and I passed the ball about and had Ballie dashing back and forward trying desperately to break up our game and getting angrier and angrier with every pass we played.
'God, it was wonderful. How many guys can say that they've played keepie-up in the middle of Wembley during an England-Scotland match?'
Law recalls how he gave Jim a verbal rocket for playing keepie-up when he felt Scotland should have been turning the screw. But he adds: 'Jim didn't take a blind bit of notice. But I have forgiven him. How could I do otherwise after such an exceptional performance?'
If history shows one think it's that the English are losers. Always have been, always will be. Be it on the football field, or just as a general rule, they always come out second best.
Sven finally realised this in the summer of 2004 and, days before the World Cup qualifying campaign for 2006 was due to start, he walked out on the FA and out on England before he too became indelibly stained by inevitable failure.
That was when they turned to me. I had no real record to speak of. In fact I'd only recently given up a promising medical career to focus on my dream of making it as a football coach. That the FA would appoint a Scot at all was puzzling, that it was me, well, you can imagine the reaction from the plebs.
Of course I was dedicated to excellence - I could hardly harpoon my own career just to take some minimal pleasure from continued English failure, particularly when that trend was bound to continue of its own accord. I had to pick a team to win games and I would. That I was sure of.
04-09-2005, 12:12 PM
If you need to ask, then yes, it's finished, don't up it. Post #6
My managerial reign began with a two game roadtrip to Austria and Poland. These were two of the sides who, along with Wales, I expected to end the group closest to us. Not that there was any risk of our failing to qualify, not with the talent gap between the nations.
There was some controversy in my selection for the Viennese contest, at least for the English media. A centre-back pairing of Matthew Upson and Liam Ridgewell, with Sol Campbell and John Terry injured and Rio Ferdinand finishing off a global ban, was not viewed as being of international calibre, whilst emplyoing Ledley King in a holding midfield role was charitable deigned "madness" by one writer.
Steven Gerrard on the left of a midfield diamond drew the most attention. Some felt it was ludicrous to expect a player of his talents to adjust to such an unfamiliar role, I felt he'd do just fine. Chris Sutton and James Beattie started up front in the absence of Michael Owen.
In the end it was generally a success. Gerrard was withdrawn for Celtic's Alan Thompson at half time, prompting a tidal wave of "i-told-yo-so"s, but I was satisfied that the Liverpool man could be a fixture in that role for the duration of the campaign.
Chris Sutton's early goal seemed to settle the side down and we passed the ball about for most of the game, letting out hosts run themselves into the ground. Shola Ameobi and Shaun Wright-Phillips replaced Beattie and David Beckham with about twenty minutes to go and the Newcastle striker scored with a late penalty to seal the win.
The Polish game was a far more even affair, which ultimately ended goalless. The result was disappointing, but for me there was a small triumph in the man of the match display from Steven Gerrard on the left hand side of midfield. There had been only one change to the lineup, Jermaine Jenas coming in for the injured Beckham on the left, but it was the performance of Gerrard and some inspired goalkeeping from David James that saw us take a point from what could have been a treacherous fixture. Matthew Upson and Ledley King were also terrific, whilst Shola Ameobi, John Terry and Shaun Wright-Phillips came off the bench and didn't miss a beat. The one major disappointment was a poor first half for Liam Ridgewell, replaced at the interval by Terry, but the stall had been set out, England would go to the World Cup with Steven Gerrard on the left. At least that was how I felt if you'd asked me at the time.
04-09-2005, 12:52 PM
If you need to ask, then yes, it's finished, don't up it. Post #7
Facing Wales at Villa Park before heading to Azerbaijan in our next pair of fixtures was far from ideal for October games. The season was only a couple of months old, players were still looking for form and injuries kept a few top names out of the reckoning.
Rio Ferdinand's return to partner Upson in defence was a boost and we were otherwise unchanged, with Jenas continuing in place of Beckham. The game was pretty mundane in the event, with Beattie scoring early and Ameobi coming off the bench to seal the three points. Frank Lampard edged the man of the match award, but it was what could be called a solid performance agaist a solid Welsh side. Nothing to write home about.
Azerbaijan faced an XI which again noted just one change, with Ameobi starting for Sutton. It was as one-sided an encounter as you will see in international football. Ameobi's third goal in four games got us off and running in the fourth minute and Frank Lampard made it two before Matthew Upson's header sealed the points before the break. Two more Lampard strikes and a Beattie goal towards the end made it a convincing 6-0 scoreline, which was a fair reflection on an easy match.
International friendlies are a complete waste of time. The visit of Bulgaria to White Hart Lane saw an experimental line up play well, but Zdravkov in goal kept us at bay and despite Michael Owen marking his first game for me with a goal, a late reply, the first conceded by England under my charge, meant the game ended 1-1. The team was unusual, Tony Hibbert started at right back, Owen Hargreaves in the holding midfield role, Wright-Phillips on the right, Osman behind the strikers and Ameobi up with Owen. Jermain Defoe, Kieron Dyer and Alan Smith made their first appearances for me from the bench in a laergly uninspiring game. But in the end, who cares about friendlies?
04-09-2005, 01:03 PM
If you need to ask, then yes, it's finished, don't up it. Post #8
If you need to ask, then yes, it's finished, don't up it. 
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