And make the cowards stand aloof at bay ; SCENE III. Plains in Gascony. Enter YORK, with Forces; to him a Mes senger. York. Are not the speedy scouts return'd again, That dogg'd the mighty army of the Dauphin? Mess. They are return'd, my lord; and give it out, That he is march'd to Bourdeaux with his power, To fight with Talbot: As he marched along, By your espials were discovered Two mightier troops than that the Dauphin led; York. A plague upon that villain Somerset ; Lucy. Thou princely leader of our English strength, Never so needful on the earth of France, Spur to the rescue of noble Talbot ; Who now is girdled with a waist of iron, And hemm'd about with grim destruction : To Bourdeaux, warlike duke! to Bourdeaux, York! By forfeiting a traitor and a coward. Mad ire, and wrathful fury, makes me weep, Lucy. (), send some succour to the distress'd lord! [7] A lot is a country fellow, a clown. He means that Somerset trea him like a hind. RITSON, York. He dies, we lose ; I break my warlike word: We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get; All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset. Lucy. Then, God take mercy on brave Talbot's so ul And on his son, young John; whom, two hours since, I met in travel toward his warlike father: This seven years did not Talbot see his son, And now they meet where both their lives are done. & That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death.- But curse the cause I cannot aid the man. Maine, Bloys, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away, 'Long all of Somerset, and his delay. Lucy. Thus, while the vulture of sedition 9 Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders, Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss The conquests of our scarce-cold conqueror, That ever-living man of memory, Henry the Fifth-Whiles they each other cross, [Exit. Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss. [Exit SCENE IV. Other Plains of Gascony. Enter SOMERSET, with his Forces an Officer of TALBOT's with him. Som. It is too late; I cannot send them now: Be buckled with; the over-daring Talbot By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure : That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name. Set from our o'er-match'd forces forth for aid. Enter Sir WILLIAM LUCY. Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and sold lord Talbot; Who, ring'd about with bold adversity, Cries out for noble York and Somerset, To beat assailing death from his weak legions, Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs, Som. York set him on, York should have sent him aid. Som. York lies; he might have sent and had the horse. I owe him little duty, and less love; And take foul scorn, to fawn on him by sending. Lucy. The fraud of England, not the force of France, Hath now entrapt the noble-minded Talbot : Never to England shall he bear his life; Som. Come, go; I will despatch the horsemen straight; Within six hours they will be at his aid. Lucy. Too late comes rescue; he is ta'en, or slain : For fly he could not, if he would have fled; And fly would Talbot never, though he might. Som. If he be dead, brave Talbot then adieu ! Lucy. His fame lives in the world, his shame in you. SCENE V. [Exeunt. The English Camp near Bourdeaux. Enter TALBOT and JOHN his Son. Tal. O young John Talbot! I did send for thee, To tutor thee in stratagems of war; [1] Protracting his resistance by the advantage of a strong post. JOHN (2) In this line, emulation signifies merely rivalry, not struggle for supe rior excellence. JOHNS. That Talbot's name might be in thee reviv'd, Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse; To make a bastard, and a slave of me: Tal. Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.! Tal. Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb ? John. To fight I will, but not to fly the foe. Tal. Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it. If death be so apparent, then both fly. Tal. And leave my followers here, to fight and die? [3] To a field where death will be feasted with slaughter. Your care of your own safety. JOHNS. JOHNS My age was never tainted with such shame. John. And shall my youth be guilty of such blame? No more can I be sever'd from your side, Than can yourself yourself in twain divide: Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I ; For live I will not, if my father die. Tal. Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son, Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon. Come, side by side together live and die; And soul with soul from France to heaven fly. [Exeunt. SCENE VI. A Field of Battle. Alarum; Excursions, wherein TALBOT'S Son is hemm'd about, and TALBOT rescues him. Tal. Saint George and victory! fight, soldiers, fight: Where is John Talbot?-pause, and take thy breath; Tal. When from the Dauphin's crest thy sword struck fire, It warm'd thy father's heart with proud desire Quicken'd with youthful spleen, and warlike rage, Mean and right poor; for that pure blood of mine, Here, purposing the Bastard to destroy, Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father's care ; Art not thou weary, John? How dost thou fare? |