1403 AND 1918.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 415, 4 October 1918, Page 3

1403 AND 1918.

Nave We Changed 1

(Written Specially for " The Times.")

The anhounbement in last Tues- - <«>uldy was attested while in hiding upon one of the islands in the Waikato Kiver upon a charge of deserting from camp is reminiscent of the ?to*y told ,of a member of the Mouldy family so long ago as the time of the Plantagenets Apparently the Mouldys were no fonder of military service then than to-day When Henry Percy, Duke of Northumberland, better known as Harry Hotspur, broke out into open rebellion against Henry IV., the redoubtable Bir John Falstaff was, according to Shakespeare, employed to enlist soldiers for the King's army. In Gloucestershire Master Robert Shallow* a Jtutice of the Peace, brought before Sir John five „ tftfcruitSj Balph Ifohldy, Simon Shado#, ThotriaS Wirt, Francis Feeble and Peter Bollcalf, for him to nick four toldiers from. Mouldy was the fitst presented, bilt had a strong objection to serve. He desired to be let alone ; said his old dame will be uildone for Want of one to do her husbandry ahd drudgery; besides there tirere other men fitter to go than he. Biit in Spite of his vigorous protests Falstaff selected him, telling him that he is mouldy for want of being iued. The others made no objection to joining the army, except Bullcalf, who claimed exemption upon the ground that he was a diseased man; had a shocking cold—a cough caught with ringing in the King's affairs upon his coronation day. But Falstaff, who is apparently military service board and Medical board in one, will listen to no excuses, but promises to heal his cold during the campaign, and then goes off to dinner with Justice Shallow.

However, Mouldy and Bullcalf had still one card to play and that proved to be a tramp. They approached Corporal Bardolph, FalstafFs orderly and the conversation they had with him is so characteristic that we must use Shakespeare's own words: " Bullcalf: Good Master Corporal Bardolph. stand my friend; and here is four Harry ten shillings in French crowns for you. in very truth, sir, I had as lief be hanged, sir, as go: and yet for my own part, sir, I do not care; but, rather, because I am unwilling, and, for mine own part have a desire to stay wi'h my friends, else, sir, I did not care, for mine own part, so much. Bardolph : Go to ; stand aside. Mouldy: And, good master corporal captain, for my old dame's sake, stand my friend: she has nobody to do abything about her, when lam gone; and she is old and cannot help herself; you shall have forty shillings, sir. Bardolph : Go to ; stand abide. Feeble (who, by the way is a Woman's tailor): By my troth, I cate not j a man cdn die but once. I'll ne'er bear a base mind : an' it

be my destiny, so ; an' it be not, so: no man's too good to serve his - J prince : and, let it go which way it will, he that dies this year is quit lot the next. Bardolph : Well said ; thou'rt a good fellow. Feeble: Faith, I'll bear no base mind."

How modern it all is. One might bear it all any day at the sittings of the Military Bemce Board and the result is just the same to-day as five hundred years ago. The ablebodied cowards who are fertile in excuses get exemption while the courageous and generous-minded go out to die for them.