Courage and Strength

I bit my arm, I sucked the blood, And cried, A sail! a sail!

Respect was mingled with surprise, And the stern joy which warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel.

Where, where was Roderick then! One blast upon his bugle horn Were worth a thousand men!

Come one, come all! this rock shall fly From its firm base as soon as I.

And, Saxon—I am Roderick Dhu!

The will to do, the soul to dare.

To beard the lion in his den, The Douglas in his hall?

So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, There never was knight like the young Lochinvar.

For a laggard in love, and a dastard in war, Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar.

Oh, young Lochinvar is come out of the West, Through all the wide Border his steed was the best.

Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he That every man in arms should wish to be?

Who, doomed to go in company with pain, And fear, and bloodshed, miserable train! Turns his necessity to glorious gain.

Thy friends are exultations, agonies, And love, and man’s unconquerable mind.

Scots wha hae wi’ Wallace bled, Scots wham Bruce has aften led, Welcome to your gory bed Now’s the day, and now’s the hour; See the front o’ battle lour! See approach proud Edward’s power—

Inspiring bold John Barleycorn! What dangers thou canst make us scorn! Wi’ tippenny, we fear nae evil; Wi’ usquebae, we’ll face the devil!

Turn away no more. Why wilt thou turn away? The starry floor, The wat’ry shore Is giv’n thee till the break of day.

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.

Who strives always to the utmost, For him there is salvation. 14

I love those who yearn for the impossible.

And now the matchless deed’s achiev’d, Determin’d, dar’d, and done.

Some village Hampden, that with dauntless breast The little tyrant of his fields withstood; Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest, Some Cromwell guiltless of his country’s blood.

Boswell: That, sir, was great fortitude of mind. Johnson: No, sir; stark insensibility.

Little strokes, Fell great oaks.

See, the conquering hero comes! Sound the trumpet, beat the drums! 1