This earth, this realm...

The recent TV production of Shakespeare's Richard II serves to remind us that one of the most misunderstood and quoted-out-of-context things that Shakespeare ever wrote (after "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo...") is John of Gaunt's speech from that play containing the well-known passage which starts "This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle...".  Usually put forward as a paean of praise to everything that is best about England, it is in fact the dying Gaunt bemoaning what he saw as the parlous state England had got itself into under King Richard.  Later he says that England "...is now leased out...like to a tenement or pelting [paltry, worthless] farm...England, that was wont to conquer others, hath made a shameful conquest of itself...".  So next time you hear the "precious stone set in a silver sea" bit, remember there's more to it then that.