Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 140
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[Page 140]
Lieut. Col. Nash.
Mena House
The Pyramids
Egypt
1 March 1915
My dear Girls:/
This begun at 2-10p.m. At 9-30 I posted a letter to you, as also a brief one to Mollie. Something will be written hereon & on after following pages as they will be the last that can be sent on without my pen being subject to the censor.
My wards are practically empty, almost all of the patients having been moved to another hospital this morning. Tomorrow, if arrangements can be made, I shall go to a place called Sakarah, where tombs of various kinds are to be seen. More of it anon.
This is St. David's day made famous in English history as being the one, upon which, the Welshmen fought well near Agincourt, under Edward the Black Prince, in the beg in the middle of the 14th century, and the fight being in a field where leeks grew, each Welshman had a leek placed in his Monmouth cap, and ever since then the leek is a badge of good & valliant service worn by loyal Welshmen upon the 1st of March in their caps or hats. Henry the V is made by Shakespeare to say to Llewellyn Fluellen:–
"Flu: ..., and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Davy's day.
King Hy: I wear it for a memorable honour;
For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman
Flu: All the water in the Wye cannot wash your Majesty's Welsh plood [blood] out of your pody [body], I can tell you that. ..."
The sun shines bright and all is fair without. I may run into town later on.
You should just see a tiny girl her elder sister crossing the sand beyond, each carries a basket on her