This expedition was by York and Talbot

  2

  Too rashly plotted. All our general force

  3

  Might with a sally of the very town

  4

  Be buckled with. The overdaring Talbot

  5

  Hath sullied all his gloss of former honor

  6

  By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure.

  7

  York set him on to fight and die in shame

  8

  That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name.

  9

 

  CAPTAIN

  Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me

  10

  Set from our o’er-matched forces forth for aid.

  11

  SOMERSET

  How now, Sir William, whither were you sent?

  12

  LUCY

  Whither, my lord? From bought and sold Lord Talbot,

  13

  Who, ringed about with bold adversity,

  14

  Cries out for noble York and Somerset

  15

  To beat assailing Death from his weak regions;

  16

  And whiles the honorable captain there

  17

  Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs

  18

  And, in advantage ling’ring, looks for rescue,

  19

  You, his false hopes, the trust of England’s honor,

  20

  Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.

  21

  Let not your private discord keep away

  22

  The levied succors that should lend him aid,

  23

  While he, renownèd noble gentleman,

  24

  Yield up his life unto a world of odds.

  25

  Orleance the Bastard, Charles, Burgundy,

  26

  Alanson, Reignier compass him about,

  27

  And Talbot perisheth by your default.

  28

  SOMERSET

  York set him on; York should have sent him aid.

  29

  LUCY

  And York as fast upon your Grace exclaims,

  30

  Swearing that you withhold his levied host

  31

  Collected for this expedition.

  32

  SOMERSET

  York lies. He might have sent and had the horse.

  33

  I owe him little duty and less love,

  34

  And take foul scorn to fawn on him by sending.

  35

  LUCY

  The fraud of England, not the force of France,

  36

  Hath now entrapped the noble-minded Talbot.

  37

  Never to England shall he bear his life,

  38

  But dies betrayed to fortune by your strife.

  39

  SOMERSET

  Come, go. I will dispatch the horsemen straight.

  40

  Within six hours they will be at his aid.

  41

  LUCY

  Too late comes rescue; he is ta’en or slain,

  42

  For fly he could not if he would have fled;

  43

  And fly would Talbot never, though he might.

  44

  SOMERSET

  If he be dead, brave Talbot, then adieu.

  45

  LUCY

  His fame lives in the world, his shame in you.

  46

  They exit.

 

  Enter Talbot and his son.

  TALBOT

  O young John Talbot, I did send for thee

  1

  To tutor thee in stratagems of war,

  2

  That Talbot’s name might be in thee revived

  3

  When sapless age and weak unable limbs

  4

  Should bring thy father to his drooping chair.

  5

  But—O, malignant and ill-boding stars!—

  6

  Now thou art come unto a feast of Death,

  7

  A terrible and unavoided danger.

  8

  Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse,

  9

  And I’ll direct thee how thou shalt escape

  10

  By sudden flight. Come, dally not, be gone.

  11

  JOHN TALBOT

  Is my name Talbot? And am I your son?

  12

  And shall I fly? O, if you love my mother,

  13

  Dishonor not her honorable name

  14

  To make a bastard and a slave of me!

  15

  The world will say “He is not Talbot’s blood,

  16

  That basely fled when noble Talbot stood.”

  17

  TALBOT

  Fly, to revenge my death if I be slain.

  18

  JOHN TALBOT

  He that flies so will ne’er return again.

  19

  TALBOT

  If we both stay, we both are sure to die.

  20

  JOHN TALBOT

  Then let me stay and, father, do you fly.

  21

  Your loss is great; so your regard should be.

  22

  My worth unknown, no loss is known in me.

  23

  Upon my death, the French can little boast;

  24

  In yours they will; in you all hopes are lost.

  25

  Flight cannot stain the honor you have won,

  26

  But mine it will, that no exploit have done.

  27

  You fled for vantage, everyone will swear;

  28

  But if I bow, they’ll say it was for fear.

  29

  There is no hope that ever I will stay

  30

  If the first hour I shrink and run away.

  31

 

  Here on my knee I beg mortality,

  32

  Rather than life preserved with infamy.

  33

  TALBOT

  Shall all thy mother’s hopes lie in one tomb?

  34

  JOHN TALBOT

  Ay, rather than I’ll shame my mother’s womb.

  35

  TALBOT

  Upon my blessing I command thee go.

  36

  JOHN TALBOT

  To fight I will, but not to fly the foe.

  37

  TALBOT

  Part of thy father may be saved in thee.

  38

  JOHN TALBOT

  No part of him but will be shame in me.

  39

  TALBOT

  Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it.

  40

  JOHN TALBOT

  Yes, your renownèd name; shall flight abuse it?

  41

  TALBOT

  Thy father’s charge shall clear thee from that stain.

  42

  JOHN TALBOT

  You cannot witness for me, being slain.

  43

  If death be so apparent, then both fly.

  44

  TALBOT

  And leave my followers here to fight and die?

  45

  My age was never tainted with such shame.

  46

  JOHN TALBOT

  And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?

  47

 

  No more can I be severed from your side

  48

  Than can yourself yourself in twain divide.

  49

  Stay, go, do what you will; the like do I,

  50

  For live I will not, if my father die.

  51

  TALBOT

  Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son,

  52

  Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon.

  53

  Come, side by side, together live and die,

  54

  And soul with soul from France to heaven fly.

  55

  exit.

 

  Alarum. Excursions, wherein Talbot’s son

  is hemmed about, and Talbot rescues him.

  TALBOT

  Saint George, and victory! Fight, soldiers, fight!

  1

  The Regent hath with Talbot broke his word

  2

  And left us to the rage of France his sword.

  3

  Where is John Talbot?—Pause, and take thy breath;

  4

  I gave thee life and rescued thee from death.

  5

  JOHN TALBOT

  O, twice my father, twice am I thy son!

  6

  The life thou gav’st me first was lost and done

  7

  Till with thy warlike sword, despite of fate,

  8

  To my determined time thou gav’st new date.

  9

  TALBOT

  When from the Dauphin’s crest thy sword struck fire,

  10

  It warmed thy father’s heart with proud desire

  11

  Of bold-faced victory. Then leaden age,

  12

  Quickened with youthful spleen and warlike rage,

  13

  Beat down Alanson, Orleance, Burgundy,

  14

  And from the pride of Gallia rescued thee.

  15

  The ireful Bastard Orleance, that drew blood

  16

  From thee, my boy, and had the maidenhood

  17

  Of thy first fight, I soon encounterèd,

  18

  And, interchanging blows, I quickly shed

  19

  Some of his bastard blood, and in disgrace

  20

  Bespoke him thus: “Contaminated, base,

  21

  And misbegotten blood I spill of thine,

  22

  Mean and right poor, for that pure blood of mine

  23

  Which thou didst force from Talbot, my brave boy.”

  24

  Here, purposing the Bastard to destroy,

  25

  Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father’s care:

  26

  Art thou not weary, John? How dost thou fare?

  27

  Wilt thou yet leave the battle, boy, and fly,

  28

  Now thou art sealed the son of chivalry?

  29

  Fly, to revenge my death when I am dead;

  30

  The help of one stands me in little stead.

  31

  O, too much folly is it, well I wot,

  32

  To hazard all our lives in one small boat.

  33

  If I today die not with Frenchmen’s rage,

  34

  Tomorrow I shall die with mickle age.

  35

  By me they nothing gain, and, if I stay,

  36

  ’Tis but the short’ning of my life one day.

  37

  In thee thy mother dies, our household’s name,

  38

  My death’s revenge, thy youth, and England’s fame.

  39

  All these and more we hazard by thy stay;

  40

  All these are saved if thou wilt fly away.

  41

  JOHN TALBOT

  The sword of Orleance hath not made me smart;

  42

  These words of yours draw lifeblood from my heart.

  43

  On that advantage, bought with such a shame,

  44

  To save a paltry life and slay bright fame,

  45

  Before young Talbot from old Talbot fly,

  46

  The coward horse that bears me fall and die!

  47

  And like me to the peasant boys of France,

  48

  To be shame’s scorn and subject of mischance!

  49

  Surely, by all the glory you have won,

  50

  An if I fly, I am not Talbot’s son.

  51

  Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot;

  52

  If son to Talbot, die at Talbot’s foot.

  53

  TALBOT

  Then follow thou thy desp’rate sire of Crete,

  54

  Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet.

  55

  If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father’s side,

  56

  And commendable proved, let’s die in pride.

  57

  exit.

 

  Alarum. Excursions. Enter old Talbot

  led

  TALBOT

  Where is my other life? Mine own is gone.

  1

  O, where’s young Talbot? Where is valiant John?

  2

  Triumphant Death, smeared with captivity,

  3

  Young Talbot’s valor makes me smile at thee.

  4

  When he perceived me shrink and on my knee,

  5

  His bloody sword he brandished over me,

  6

  And like a hungry lion did commence

  7

  Rough deeds of rage and stern impatience;

  8

  But when my angry guardant stood alone,

  9

  Tend’ring my ruin and assailed of none,

  10

  Dizzy-eyed fury and great rage of heart

  11

  Suddenly made him from my side to start

  12

  Into the clust’ring battle of the French;

  13

  And in that sea of blood, my boy did drench

  14

  His over-mounting spirit; and there died

  15

  My Icarus, my blossom, in his pride.

  16

  Enter with John Talbot, borne.

  SERVINGMAN

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

  17

  TALBOT

  Thou antic Death, which laugh’st us here to scorn,

  18

  Anon from thy insulting tyranny,

  19

  Coupled in bonds of perpetuity,

  20

  Two Talbots, wingèd through the lither sky,

  21

  In thy despite shall scape mortality.—

  22

  O, thou whose wounds become hard-favored Death,

  23

  Speak to thy father ere thou yield thy breath!

  24

  Brave Death by speaking, whither he will or no.

  25

  Imagine him a Frenchman and thy foe.—

  26

  Poor boy, he smiles, methinks, as who should say

  27

  “Had Death been French, then Death had died

  28

  today.”—

  29

  Come, come, and lay him in his father’s arms;