By me they nothing gain an if I stay, 'T is but the short'ning of my life one day: All these are sav'd 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, An if I fly I am not Talbot's son: Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot; If son to Talbot, die at Talbot's foot. TAL. 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; SCENE VII.-Another Part of the same. Alarum: Excursions. [Exeunt. Enter TALBOT wounded, supported by TAL. Where is my other life?-mine own is gone ;-- Into the clust'ring battle of the French: Enter Soldiers, bearing the body of JOHN TALBOT. SERV. O my dear lord! lo, where your son is borne! TAL. Thou antic death, which laugh'st us here to scorn, Anon, from thy insulting tyranny, Coupled in bonds of perpetuity, Two Talbots, winged through the lither sky, O thou, whose wounds become hard-favour'd death, Poor boy! he smiles, methinks; as who should say, Now my old arms are young John Talbot's grave. [Dies. Alarums. Exeunt Soldiers and Servant, leaving the two bodies. Enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, BURGUNDY, BASTARD, LA PUCELLE, and Forces. CHAR. Had York and Somerset brought rescue in, BAST. How the young whelp of Talbot's, raging wood, So, rushing in the bowels of the French, He left me proudly, as unworthy fight. BUR. Doubtless he would have made a noble knight; See, where he lies inhersed in the arms Of the most bloody nurser of his harms. BAST. Hew them to pieces, hack their bones asunder; Whose life was England's glory, Gallia's wonder. CHAR. O, no; forbear: for that which we have fled During the life, let us not wrong it dead. Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY, attended; a French Herald preceding. LUCY. Herald, conduct me to the dauphin's tent; To know who hath obtain'd the glory of the day. CHAR. On what submissive message art thou sent? LUCY. Submission, dauphin! 't is a mere French word; We English warriors wot not what it means. I come to know what prisoners thou hast ta'en, CHAR. For prisoners ask'st thou? hell our prison is. But tell me whom thou seek'st. LUCY. But where 's the great Alcides of the field, Valiant lord Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury? Created, for his rare success in arms, Great earl of Washford, Waterford, and Valence; Lord Talbot of Goodrig and Urchinfield, Lord Strange of Blackmere, lord Verdun of Alton, Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, lord Furnival of Sheffield, Of all his wars within the realm of France? Puc. Here is a silly stately style indeed! Him, that thou magnifiest with all these titles, LUCY. Is Talbot slain? the Frenchman's only scourge, Your kingdom's terror and black Nemesis? O, were mine eyeballs into bullets turn'd, That I, in rage, might shoot them at your faces! O, that I could but call these dead to life! It were enough to fright the realm of France: It would amaze the proudest of you all. Give me their bodies; that I may bear them hence, Puc. I think this upstart is old Talbot's ghost, CHAR. Go, take their bodies hence. But from their ashes shall be rear'd I'll bear thern hence: A phoenix that shall make all France afeard. CHAR. So we be rid of them do with 'em what thou wilt. And now to Paris, in this conquering vein; [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I.-London. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, and EXETER. K. HEN. Have you perus'd the letters from the pope, The emperor, and the earl of Armagnac ? GLO. I have, my lord; and their intent is this,— They humbly sue unto your excellence, To have a godly peace concluded of Between the realms of England and of France. K. HEN. How doth your grace affect their motion? GLO. Well, my good lord; and as the only means To stop effusion of our Christian blood, And 'stablish quietness on every side. K. HEN. Ay, marry, uncle; for I always thought It was both impious and unnatural That such immanity and bloody strife Should reign among professors of one faith. GLO. Beside, my lord,-the sooner to effect, And surer bind, this knot of amity, The earl of Armagnac-near knit to Charles, In marriage, with a large and sumptuous dowry. Enter a Legate, and two Ambassadors, with WINCHESTER in a EXE. What! is my lord of Winchester install'd, And call'd unto a cardinal's degree? Then, I perceive, that will be verified, Henry the fifth did sometime prophesy,— "If once he come to be a cardinal, “He'll make his cap co-equal with the crown." K. HEN. My lords ambassadors, your several suits your master, GLO. And for the proffer of my lord K. HEN. In argument and proof of which contract, Bear her this jewel [to the Amb.], pledge of my affection. And so, my lord protector, see them guarded, And safely brought to Dover; where, inshipp'd, Commit them to the fortune of the sea. [Exeunt K. HENRY and Train, GLOSTER, EXETER, and Ambassadors. |