Lucy, farewell: no more my fortune can,
But curse the cause I cannot aid the man.-
Maine, Blois, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away,
'Long all of Somerset, and his delay.

[Exit.

Lucy. Thus while the vulture of sedition
Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders,
Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss
The conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror,
That ever-living man of memory,

Henry the fifth-Whiles they each other cross,
Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss.

SCENE IV.

Other Plains of Gascony.

[Exit.

Enter SOMERSET, with his Forces; an Officer of TALBOT'S with him.

Som. It is too late; I cannot send them now: This expedition was by York, and Talbot, Too rashly plotted; all our general force Might with a sally of the very town Be buckled with: the over-daring Talbot Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour, By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure: York set him on to fight, and die in shame, That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name, Off. Here is sir William Lucy, who with me Set from our o'er match'd forces forth for aid.

Enter Sir WILLIAM LUCY.

Som. How now, sir Wiliam? whither were you sent?

the vulture-] Alluding to the tale of Prometheus.

Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and sold
lord Talbot;5

Who, ring'd about with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions.
And whiles the honourable captain there
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs,
And, in advantage ling'ring,' looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England's ho-

nour,

Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.

Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succours that should lend him aid,
Whiles he, renowned noble gentleman,

Yields up

his life unto a world of odds:
Orleans the Bastard, Charles, and Burgundy,
Alençon, Reignier, compass him about,
And Talbot perisheth by your default.

Som. York set him on, York should have sent
him aid.

Lucy. And York as fast upon your grace exclaims; Swearing that you withhold his levied host, Collected for this expedition.

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 entrapp'd the noble-minded Talbot:

5

- from bought and sold Lord Talbot;] i. e. from one utterly ruined by the treacherous practices of others.

7

ring'd about] Environed, encircled.

in advantage ling'ring,] Protracting his resistance by the advantage of a strong post.

8

worthless emulation.] In this line, emulation signifies merely rivalry, not struggle for superior excellence.

Never to England shall he bear his life;
But dies, betraied to fortune by your strife.
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
[Exeunt.

you.

SCENE V.

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;

That Talbot's name might be in thee reviv❜d,
When sapless age, and weak unable limbs,
Should bring thy father to his drooping chair.
But, O 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, begone.
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,

a feast of death,] To a field where death will be feasted with slaughter. unavoided-] for unavoidable.

I

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."

Tal. Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.
John. He, that flies so, will ne'er return again.
Tal. If we both stay, we both are sure to die.
John. Then let me stay; and, father, do you fly:
Your loss is great, so your regard3 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,
If, the first hour, I shrink, and run away.
Here, on my knee, I beg mortality,
Rather than life preserv'd with infamy.

2

Tal. Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb? John. Ay, rather than I'll shame my mother's

womb.

go.

Tal. Upon my blessing I command thee
John. To fight I will, but not to fly the foe.
Tal. Part of thy father may be sav'd in thee.
John. No part of him, but will be shame in me.
Tal. Thou never had'st renown, nor canst not
lose it.

John. Yes, your renowned name; Shall flight abuse it?

noble Talbot stood.] For what reason this scene is written in rhyme, I cannot guess. If Shakspeare had not in other plays mingled his rhymes and blank verses in the same manner, I should have suspected that this dialogue had been a part of some other poem which was never finished, and that being loath to throw his labour away, he inserted it here. JOHNSON.

3 your regard - Your care of your own safety,

Tal. 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.

Tal. 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 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 hemmed about, and TALBOT rescues him.

Tal. 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;
gave thee life, and rescu'd thee from death.

I

: John. O twice my father! twice am I thy son: The life, thou gav'st me first, was lost and done;

- fair son,

Born to eclipse, &c.] A quibble, between son and sun.