ΙΟ

Should bring thy father to his drooping chair.
But, О malignant and ill-boding stars!
Now thou art come unto a feast of death,
A terrible and unavoided danger.
Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse;
And I'll direct thee how thou shalt escape
By sudden flight. Come, dally not, be gone!

John. Is my name Talbot, and am I your son,
And shall I fly? O, if you

love

my mother,
Dishonour not her honourable name,
To make a bastard and a slave of me!
The world will say, he is not Talbot’s blood,
That basely fled when noble Talbot stood.

Talbot. Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.
John. He that flies so will ne'er return again.
Talbot. If we both stay, we both are sure to die. 20

John. Then let me stay; and, father, do you fly.
Your loss is great, so your regard should be;
My worth unknown, no loss is known in me.
Upon my death the French can little boast;
In yours they will, in you all hopes are lost.
Flight cannot stain the honour you have won;
But mine it will, that no exploit have done.
You fled for vantage, every one will swear;
But, if I bow, they 'll say it was for fear.
There is no hope that ever I will stay,

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If the first hour I shrink and run away.
Here on my knee I beg mortality,
Rather than life preserved with infamy.
Talbot. Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one

tomb? John. Ay, rather than I'll shame my mother's

womb.

Talbot. Upon my blessing, I command thee go. John. To fight I will, but not to fly the foe. Talbot. Part of thy father may be saved in thee. John. No part of him but will be shame in me. Talbot. Thou never hadst ren in, nor canst not lose it.

40 John. Yes, your renowned name shall fight

abuse it? Talbot. Thy father's charge shall clear thee from

that stain. John. You cannot witness for me, being slain. If death be so apparent, then both fly. Talbot. And leave my followers here, to fight and

die? My age was never tainted with such shame. John. And shall my youth be guilty of such

blame?
No more can I be severed from your side,
Than can yourself yourself in twain divide.
Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I;

50 For live I will not, if my father die. Talbot. 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.

(B 816)

SCENE VI.

Alarum; excursions, wherein Talbot's Son is

hemmed about, and TALBOT rescues him. Talbot, Saint George and victory! fight, soldiers,

fight! The regent hath with Talbot broke his word, And left us to the rage of France his sword. Where is John Talbot?—Pause, and take thy breath! I gave thee life and rescued thee from death.

John. O, twice my father, twice am I thy son! The life thou gavest me first was lost and done, Till with thy warlike sword, despite of fate, To my determined time thou gavest new date. Talbot. When from the Dauphin's crest thy

sword struck fire, It warmed thy father's heart with proud desire Of bold-faced victory. Then leaden age, Quickened with youthful spleen and warlike rage, Beat down Alençon, Orleans, Burgundy, And from the pride of Gallia rescued thee. The ireful bastard Orleans, that drew blood From thee, my boy, and had the maidenhood Of thy first fight, I soon encountered, And, interchanging blows, I quickly shed Some of his bastard blood, and in disgrace Bespoke him thus, Contaminated, base, And misbegotten blood I spill of thine, Mean and right poor, for that pure blood of mine, Which thou didst force from Talbot, my brave boy'. Here, purposing the Bastard to destroy,

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13. spleen, passion.

40

Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father's care!
Art thou not weary, John? how dost thou fare?
Wilt thou yet leave the battle, boy, and fly,
Now thou art sealed the son of chivalry?
Fly, to revenge my death when I am dead;

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The help of one stands me in little stead.
O, too much folly is it, well I wot,
To hazard all our lives in one small boat!
If I to-day die not with Frenchmen’s rage,
To-morrow I shall die with mickle age.
By me they nothing gain, and if I stay,
'Tis but the shortening of my life one day.
In thee thy mother dies, our household's name,
My death's revenge, thy youth, and England's fame.
All these and more we hazard by thy stay;
All these are saved if thou wilt fly away.
John. The sword of Orleans hath not made me

smart; These words of yours draw life-blood from my heart. On that advantage, bought with such a shame, To save a paltry life, and slay bright fame, Before young Talbot from old Talbot fly, The coward horse that bears me fall and die! And like me to the peasant boys of France, To be shame's scorn and subject of mischance! Surely, by all the glory you have won,

50
And if I fly, I am not Talbot's son.
Then talk no more of Aight, it is no boot;
If son to Talbot, die at Talbot's foot.
Talbot. Then follow thou thy desperate sire of

Crete,
Thou Icarus. Thy life to me is sweet.

If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father's side;
And, commendable proved, let's die in pride.

SCENE VII. The same.

[Exeunt.

Alarum; excursions. Enter old TALBOT led. Talbot. Where is my other life?—mine own is gone.

O, where's young Talbot? where is valiant John?
Triumphant Death, smeared with captivity,
Young Talbot's valour makes me smile at thee.
When he perceived me shrink and on my knee,
His bloody sword he brandished over me,
And, like a hungry lion, did commence
Rough deeds of rage and stern impatience;
But when my angry guardant stood alone,
Tendering my ruin, and assailed of none,
Dizzy-eyed fury and great rage of heart
Suddenly made him from my side to start
Into the clustering battle of the French;
And in that sea of blood my boy did drench
His over-mounting spirit; and there died,
My Icarus, my blossom, in his pride.

Servant. O my dear lord, lo, where your son is borne!

Enter Soldiers, with JOHN TALBOT borne.

Talbot. Thou antique Death, which laughest us

here to scorn,

Anon, from thy insulting tyranny,

Coupled in bonds of perpetuity,

Two Talbots, winged through the lither sky,

9. guardant, defender.

21. lither, yielding.

ΙΟ

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