Tal. Signior, hang!-base muleteers of France! Puc. Captains, away: let's get us from the walls; God be wi' you, my lord! we came, sir, but to tell you' And I, as sure as English Henry lives, Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows. Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me: Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you. Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read, That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick, 5 6 we came, sir, but to tell you] The word-sir, which is wanting in the first folio, was judiciously supplied by the second. 6 once I read, Steevens. That stout Pendragon, in his litter, &c.] This hero was Uther Pendragon, brother to Aurelius, and father to King Arthur. Shakspeare has imputed to Pendragon an exploit of Aurelius, who, says Holinshed, "even sicke of a flixe as he was, caused himselfe to be carried forth in a litter: with whose presence his people were so incouraged, that encountering with the Saxons they wan the victorie." Hist. of Scotland, p. 99. Harding, however, in his Chronicle (as I learn from Dr. Grey) gives the following account of Uther Pendragon: "For which the king ordain'd a horse-litter Came to the field, and vanquished his foes: Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!— But gather we our forces out of hand, And set upon our boasting enemy. [Exeunt BUR. TAL. and Forces, leaving Bed. and Others. Alarum: Excursions. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLfe, and a Captain. Cap. Whither away, sir John Fastolfe, in such haste? Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight;7 We are like to have the overthrow again. Cap. What! will you fly, and leave lord Talbot? Ay, Exit. All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please; For I have seen our enemies' overthrow. What is the trust or strength of foolish man? “That saint Albones now hight of noble fame, 7 save myself by flight;] I have no doubt that it was the exaggerated representation of Sir John Fastolfe's cowardice which the author of this play has given, that induced Shakspeare to give the name of Falstaff to his knight. Sir John Fastolfe did indeed fly at the battle of Patay in the year 1429; and is reproached by Talbot in a subsequent scene, for his conduct on that occasion; but no historian has said that he fled before Rouen. The change of the name had been already made, for throughout the old copy of this play, this flying general is erroneously called Falstaffe. Malone. 8 Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please; For I have seen -] So, in St. Luke, ii, 29: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Steevens. Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves. [Dies, and is carried off in his Chair. Alarum: Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and Others. Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy matchless Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument. Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now? I think, her old familiar is asleep: Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles his gleeks? What, all a-mort?1 Roüen hangs her head for grief, That such a valiant company are fled. Now will we take some order2 in the town, And then depart to Paris, to the king; For there young Henry, with his nobles, lies. [Exeunt. 9 Dies, &c.] The Duke of Bedford died at Rouen in September, 1435, but not in any action before that town. Malone. 1 What, all a-mort?] i. e. quite dispirited; a frequent Gallicism. So, in The Taming of the Shrew: “What, sweeting! all a-mort?" Steevens. 2 — take some order —] i. e. make some necessary dispositions. So, in The Comedy of Errors: “Whilst to take order for the wrong I went.” See also Othello, sc. ult. Steevens. 3 A braver soldier never couched lance,] So, in a subsequent scene, p. 76: "A stouter champion never handled sword.” The same praise is expressed with more animation in the Third "Ne'er spur'd their coursers at the trumpet's sound.” Steevents. Enter CHARLES, the Bastard, Alençon, La PUCELLE, and Forces. Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident, Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto, Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, To leave the Talbot, and to follow us. Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, France were no place for Henry's warriors; Nor should that nation boast it so with us, But be extirped from our provinces. Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd from France,5 And not have title of an earldom here. Puc. Your honour shall perceive how I will work, To bring this matter to the wished end. [Drums heard. Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward. But be extirped from our provinces.] To extirp is to root out. So, in Lord Sterline's Darius, 1603: 5 “The world shall gather to extirp our name." Steevens. - expuls'd from France,] i. e. expelled. So, in Ben Jonson's Sejanus: The expulsed Apicata finds them there." Steevens. An English March. Enter, and pass over at a distance, There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread; A French March. Enter the Duke of BURGUNDY, and Forces. Now, in the rearward, comes the duke, and his; [A Parley sounded. man. Bur. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am marching. hence. Char. Speak, Pucelle; and enchant him' with thy words. Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France! Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee. Bur. Speak on; but be not over-tedious. Puc. Look on thy country, look on fertile France, And see the cities and"the"towns defac'd By wasting ruin of the cruel foe! her her As looks the mother on her lowly" babe, lovely Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds, Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help! And wash away thy country's stained spots! 6 As looks the mother on her lowly babe,] It is plain Shakspeare wrote-lovely babe, it answering to fertile France above, which this domestic image is brought to illustrate. Warburton. The alteration is easy and probable, but perhaps the poet by lowly babe meant the babe lying low in death. Lowly answers as well to towns defaced and wasting ruin, as lovely to fertile. Johnson. |