This royal throne of kings , this sceptered isle ,
This earth of majesty , this seat of Mars ,
This other Eden , demi paradise ;
This fortress built by nature for herself ,
Against infection and the hand of war ,
This happy breed of men , this little world ,
This precious stone set in the silver sea ,
Which serves it in the office of a wall ,
Or as a moat defensive to a house ,
Against the envy of less happier lands ,
This blessed plot , this earth , this realm , this England .
( from Richard II by William Shakespeare )