Arizona republican., 1913-01-06
The Princely Bandit

fire was roaring the hearth of a chamber in the Boar's Head Tavern Eastcheap in the city of London. Before the fire sprawled on a bench ounged huge fat man. whose ruddy face beneath a scanty fringe of sivered hair beamed like a harvest moon. In one hand he held a great tankard of ale, which he then to emphasize a point, while nearby a O and twenty who smiled indugenty, in manner of one who humors an entertaining liar. Three nonedscript men of uncertain and habits still more uncertain were grouped about the fire followers these it was evident They had about them the look soldiers cured their long mustaches fiercely liked to hear the cank of swords they walked
 T tell thee, HaL' the fat man gurgIed with d mighty laugh that shook his whole great paunch and sounded water sounds that is poured from d jug Il tell thee, lad, l killing two that did draw the sword upon me; thou knowest my hothead temper A quarter mile did pursue them ere they got away then l returned help thee"
 ITO help me, indeed. thou craven beer vat" jeered the youth called Hal. Great aid were thou forsooth When all bound and gagged. thou earnest roaring out from thy place of hiding slash ing the air amain and breathing savage threats. fearful lest thou be cheated of thy share the plunder"
 An, Hal, Hal said the fat man. There be times when am soreIy tempted to chastisc thee But mo- draining the tankard hostess more ale"
 The fat man and his comrades. rather the comrades, had held up a little band of merchants riding toward London through November night Binding the burghers they had stripped them of their money and their jewels and made off to celebrate the success the venture with a mid night supper the Boar's Head Tavern where good Mistress Quickly hostess The fat man was called Sir John Fastaff though none could tell how he came by title; and the youth Hal Prince of Wales. son of his most worshipfrI majesty Henry ". England.
 Grave councillors shook their heads at mention or the princes name and opined that it would be a sorry day for England when the crown rested On his madcap pate. For affairs state did not in- terest the prince all he found the fat Sir John Falstaff and his hangers infinitely more divertng than the grave graybeards of his fathers court 50 fflhee Hal and his rascal comrades made merry in the alehouses of London. up citizens not because they needed money but for the fun of the thing and half of London said the prince was sad young dog other half loved him anyhow. For the average Engshman although law abiding soul has q healthy for a fight and the scapegrace performances of Prince Hal seemed somehow to make him one of them. And he was undoubtedly a genial, liberal. likeabe young devil who glad be friends with everybody
 Those wild days o the prince have been made immortal by Shakespeare in his Henry IV. and the youth who became Henry Y. remains today of the brightest and winsome figures in English history He had just enough of the devil in him to make him irresistible and it is hard not to feel a glow of interest and grin with a sympathetic grin the exploits this royal yOungster who has been his grave almost six hundred years
 But the prince a trifIer in spite of the predictions of the graybeards He splendid soldier and in his nine years reign military glory came to England than it had known for many generations His first fighting while his father still alive and confronted with a rebellion by the powerful House Percy. which sought to overthrow his throne. The prince led an against them, and he killed in single combat Harry Hotspur, chief of the rebel he was sorry afterward that he had do it. Tospur fighter after Prince Halls heart
 In 1413 the prince became King Henry Y. To the surprise of the who had been his fatherS councillors he made excellent ruler. War was declared with France, with France was always popular in those days. An English army went conquering through the French kings domin- ions. and the battle of AgincOurt overwhelmed a vastly greater French force There too. the king himself fought with his soldiers. raying them when they ready to retreat ranging the field, plan ming the battle calmly and seeing that his plans carried out It the siege of the French Harfleurs if We may believe tradition and Shakespeare, that the king first his famous battle cry:
 "Once unto the breach, dear friends. once
 
 And the sturdy British yeomanry followed him unto the breach" and HarfleUrs fell. The country practically at Henry's mercy, and he dictated the terms of peace. In 1420 Henry married Kath- arine, eldest daughter of the king of France. and himself made regent of the country two later at the height of his glory, he died He only 35 years old The Prince Wales was child not yet of his cradle. The English conquests faded into nothing Under the leadership of Joan of Arc France regained it's independence But the bright glory of King Henry endured ard two hundred years later through the genius Ot Stratford playwright, Prince Harry and Jack Fastaff immortal.