William Holman Hunt, 'Christ and the Two Marys'

Levate portae capita vestra, et erigite ianuae sempiternae, et ingrediatur rex gloriae.

Quis est iste rex gloriae? Dominus exercituum ipse est rex gloriae semper. 

[Psalms 23:9-10]

Et adplicabuntur gentes multae ad Dominum in die illa, et erunt mihi in populum, et habitabo in medio tui. Et scies quia Dominus exercituum misit me ad te.

Et possidebit Dominus Iudam partem suam in terra sanctificata. Et eliget adhuc Hierusalem.

Sileat omnis caro a facie Domini, quia consurrexit de habitaculo sancto suo. 

[Zecharias 2: 11-13]

I'd not give way for an Emperor,

I'd hold my road for a King -- 

To the Triple Crown I would not bow down -- 

But this is a different thing. 

I'll not fight with the Powers of Air, 

Sentry, pass him through! 

Drawbridge let fall, 'tis the Lord of us all, 

The Dreamer whose dream came true! 

['The Fairies Siege']

Cold Iron

The Iron Crown, preserved in the Cathedral of Monza, Italy

“Gold is for the mistress—silver for the maid!
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.”
“Good!” said the Baron, a-sitting in his hall,

“But Iron—Cold Iron—is master of them all!”

And so he made rebellion ’gainst the King his liege,

Camped before his citadel and summoned it to siege—

“Nay!” said the cannoneer on the castle wall,

“But Iron—Cold Iron—shall be master of you all!”

Woe for the Baron and for his knights so strong,

When the cruel cannon-balls laid ’em all along!

He was taken prisoner, he was cast in thrall,

And Iron—Cold Iron—was master of it all!

Yet his King spake kindly (Oh, how kind a Lord!)

“What if I release thee now and give thee back thy sword?”

“Nay!” said the Baron, “please mock not at my fall,

For Iron—Cold Iron—is master of men all.”

“Tears are for the craven, prayers are for the clown—

Halters for the silly neck that cannot keep a crown.”

“As my loss is grievous, so my hope is small,

For Iron—Cold Iron—must be master of men all!

Yet his King made answer (and few such Kings there be!)

“Here is Bread and here is Wine—sit you sup with me.

Eat and drink in Mary’s Name, the whiles I do recall

How Iron—Cold Iron—can be master of men all!”

He took the Wine and blessed It; He blessed and brake the Bread.
With His own Hands He served Them, and presently He said:
“See! These Hands were pierced with nails outside my city wall

They show Iron—Cold Iron—to be master of men all!

“Wounds are for the desperate, blows are for the strong,

Balm and oil for weary hearts all cut and bruised with wrong.

I forgive thy treason and I redeem thy fall—

For Iron—Cold Iron—must be master of men all!”

“Crowns are for the valiant—sceptres for the bold!
Thrones and powers for mighty men who dare to take and hold.”
“Nay!” said the Baron, kneeling in his hall,
“But Iron—Cold Iron—is master of men all!

Iron, out of Calvary, is master of men all!”

Then, in a moment, they were all standing up on their hind legs, laying their cool paws on his knees and giving his knees snuffly animal kisses. (They could reach his knees because Narnian Talking Beasts of that sort are bigger that the dumb beasts of the same kinds in England.) 

'Lord King! dear Lord King,' said their shrill voices, 'we are so sorry for you.' 

['What Happened that Night']

Fools! For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.

 

Amen, amen dico vobis, nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram, mortuum fuerit, ipsum solum manet: si autem mortuum fuerit, multum fructum affert. 

[St John 12:24-5]

'It is ever so with the things that Men begin: there is a frost in Spring, or a blight in Summer, and they fail of their promise.' 

'Yet seldom do they fail of their seeds,' said Legolas. 'And that will lie in the dust and rot to spring up again in times and places unlooked-for. The deeds of Men will outlast us, Gimli.' 

'And yet come to naught in the end but might-have-beens, I guess,' said the Dwarf. 

'To that the Elves know not the answer,' said Legolas. 

['The Last Debate']

Dan Wilson, 'Carrying Us Home'

O felicem virum, beatum Ioseph, cui datum est Deum, quem multi reges voluerunt videre et non viderunt, audire et non audierunt, non solum videre et audire, sed portare, deosculari, vestire et custodire!

Edward the Martyr is offered a cup of mead by Ælfthryth, wife of Edgar, unaware that her attendant is about to murder him. [James William Edmund Doyle, "Edward the Martyr" in A Chronicle of England: B.C. 55 – A.D. 1485]

Corfe Castle | The Dorset Guide

This evening I popped into my (work) local to celebrate the only King of England to receive the palm of martyrdom - with a swift half of mead!

"Not Angles, but Angels..." Image taken from a mosaic of Westminster Cathedral, London

Penny Loaf Day

St George Hare, The Victory of Faith (1891)

Memento, Domine, David, et omnis mansuetudinis ejus.