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One Age and seven years ago our fathers brought forth in these lands a new kingdom, conceived by faithful Numenorans and dedicated to the proposition that all – men, elves, hobbits, dwarves, but NOT minions – are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great was against the Dark Lord, Sauron the Deceiver, testing whether this realm, or any realm so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of these Pelennor Fields as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that this kingdom might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men and assorted beings, living or dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or distract. Middle Earth will little note nor remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from those honoured dead we take increased devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that our realms under the Valar shall have a new birth of freedom, and that rule of the people, by me, King Elessar, for all men in these lands shall not perish again from this our Middle Earth.