what Shakespeare said about what awaits a King who leads his nation into a

this excerpt is the words of common soldier in Henry V, Act IV, Scene:

snip

But if his cause be not good, the king himself hath a heavy reckoning to make, when all those legs and
arms and heads, chopped off in a battle, shall join together at the latter day and cry all "We died at such a place;" some swearing, some crying for a surgeon, some upon their wives left behind them, some upon the debts they owe, some upon children rawly left. . . . Now, if these men did not die well , it will be a black matter for the King that led them to it; . . ..

snip

this has obvious current application

Moshiach ben Yossef.
http://www.moshiach.com/discover/tutorials/moshiach_ben_yossef.php

In which case......

those are hearbreaking quotes and yes, they sure do apply. I hope that reckoning comes, and soon.

(He was in disguise, and the soldier took him for another common soldier]

KING HENRY V
So, if a son that is by his father sent about
merchandise do sinfully miscarry upon the sea, the
imputation of his wickedness by your rule, should be
imposed upon his father that sent him: or if a
servant, under his master's command transporting a
sum of money, be assailed by robbers and die in
many irreconciled iniquities, you may call the
business of the master the author of the servant's
damnation: but this is not so: the king is not
bound to answer the particular endings of his
soldiers, the father of his son, nor the master of
his servant; for they purpose not their death, when
they purpose their services. Besides, there is no
king, be his cause never so spotless, if it come to
the arbitrement of swords, can try it out with all
unspotted soldiers: some peradventure have on them
the guilt of premeditated and contrived murder;
some, of beguiling virgins with the broken seals of
perjury; some, making the wars their bulwark, that
have before gored the gentle bosom of peace with
pillage and robbery. Now, if these men have
defeated the law and outrun native punishment,
though they can outstrip men, they have no wings to
fly from God: war is his beadle, war is vengeance;
so that here men are punished for before-breach of
the king's laws in now the king's quarrel: where
they feared the death, they have borne life away;
and where they would be safe, they perish: then if
they die unprovided, no more is the king guilty of
their damnation than he was before guilty of those
impieties for the which they are now visited. Every
subject's duty is the king's; but every subject's
soul is his own. Therefore should every soldier in
the wars do as every sick man in his bed, wash every
mote out of his conscience: and dying so, death
is to him advantage; or not dying, the time was
blessedly lost wherein such preparation was gained:
and in him that escapes, it were not sin to think
that, making God so free an offer, He let him
outlive that day to see His greatness and to teach
others how they should prepare.

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/henryv/henryv.4.1.html

King George II would have no problem relating to that concept of the Divine Right of Kings.

pnorman

because his own conscience was troubling him.

the king has it wrong. the soldier had it right. but at least the king had a conscience.