That, whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death;
Or else this blow should broach thy dearest
But I'll unto his majesty, and crave [blood.
I may have liberty to venge this wrong;
When thou shalt see, I'll meet thee to thy cost.
Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as
you;

And join'st with them will be thy slaughter-men. And, after, meet you sooner than you would.
Come, come, return; return, thou wand'ring

Tal. My gracious prince,-and honourable Hearing of your arrival in this realm, [peers,-I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,

Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.
York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York,
will out,

Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.-
Exit FASTOLFE.
And now, my lord protector, view the letter
Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy.
Glo. What means his grace, that he hath
chang'd his style?

[Viewing the superscription.
No more but, plain and bluntly,-To the king?
Hath he forgot, he is his sovereign?
Or doth this churlish superscription
Pretend some alteration in good will?
What's here?--I have upon especial cause--

[Reads.

Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck,
Together with the pitiful complaints
Of such as your oppression feeds upon,-
Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles,the rightful king of France.
O monstrous treachery! Can this be so;
That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling
guile?
[volt?
K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy re-
Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe.
K. Hen. Is that the worst, this letter doth
contain?

Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
K. Hen. Why then, Lord Talbot there shall
talk with him,

And give him chastisement for this abuse :-
My lord, how say you? are you not content?
Tai. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am
prevented,
[ploy'd.
I should have begg'd I might have been em-
K. Hen. Then gather strength, and march
unto him straight:

Let him perceive, how ill we brook this treason;
And what offence it is, to flout his friends.

Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still,
You may behold confusion of your foes. [Exit.
Enter VERNON and BASSET.

Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.
K. Hen. Good lord! what madness rules in
brainsick men;

When, for so slight and frivolous a cause,
Such factious emulations shall arise!-
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.

York. Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
And then your highness shall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.

York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset.
Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first.
Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord.

Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife!
And perish ye, with your audacious prate!
Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd,
With this immodest clamorous outrage,
To trouble and disturb the king and us?
And you, my lords,-methinks, you do not well,
To bear with their perverse objections;
Much less, to take occasion from their mouths
To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves;
Let me persuade you take a better course.
Exe. It grieves his highness;-Good my lords,
be friends.
[combatants:

K. Hen. Come hither, you that would be
Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour
Quite to forget this quarrel, and the cause.-
And you, my lords,-remember where we are;
In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation:
If they perceive dissension in our looks,
And that within ourselves we disagree,
How will their grudging stomachs be provok'd
To wilful disobedience, and rebel?
Beside, What infamy will there arise,
When foreign princes shall be certified.
That, for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's peers, and chief nobility, [France?
Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm o
York. This is my servant; hear him, noble O, think upon the conquest of my father,
Som. And this is mine: Sweet Henry, favour My tender years; and let us not forego
him!
[leave to speak. That for a trifle, that was bought with blood!
Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.
I see no reason, if I wear this rose,

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat [prince!

too!

K. Hen. Be patient, lords; and give them
Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim?
And wherefore crave you combat? or with
whom?

Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done me
Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me
wrong.
[complain?
K. Hen. What is that wrong whereof you both
First let me know, and then I'll answer you.
Bas. Crossing the sea from England into
France,

[Putting on a red Rose.
[wrong That any one should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset, than York;
Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both:
As well they may upbraid me with my crown,
Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd.
But your discretions better can persuade,
Than I am able to instruct or teach:
And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
So let us still continue peace and love.-
Cousin of York, we institute your grace
To be our regent in these parts of France:
And, good my lord of Somerset, unite [foot;-
Your troops of horsemen with his bands of
And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors,
Go cheerfully together, and digest
Your angry choler on your enemies.
Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest,
After some respite, will return to Calais;
From thence to England; where I hope ere long
To be presented, by your victories,
With Charles, Alençon, and that traitorous rout.
[Flourish. Exeunt K. HEN. GLO, SOM.
WIN. SUF. and BASSET.
War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king
Prettily, methought, did play the orator,

This fellow here, with envious carping tongue,
Upbraided me about the rose I wear;
Saying the sanguine colour of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn the truth,
About a certain question in the law,
Argu'd betwixt the duke of York and him;
With other vile and ignominious terms:
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord:
For though he seem, with forged quaint conceit,
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,

Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him;
And he first took exceptlons at this badge,
Pronouncing-that the paleness of this flower

York. And so he did; but yet I like it not,
In that he wears the badge of Somerset.
War. Tush! that was but his fancy blame
him not;
[harm.
I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no
York. And if I wist he did,-but let it rest;
Other affairs must now be managed.

[Exeunt YORK, WARWICK, and VERNON. Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice:

For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,
I fear we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd.
But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,

This should'ring of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favourites,
But that it doth presage some ill event.
"Tis much, when sceptres are in children's hands:
But more, when envy breeds unkind division;
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.
[Exit.

SCENE II. France. Before Bordeaux.
Enter TALBOT, with his Forces.
Tal. Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter,
Summon their general unto the wall.
Trumpet sounds a Parley. Enter, on the Walls, the
General of the French Forces, and Others.
English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry king of England;
And thus he would,--Open your city gates,
Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects,
And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power:
But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire;
Who, in a moment, even with the earth,
Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,
If you forsake the offer of our love.

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge!
The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us, thou canst not enter, but by death:
For. I protest, we are well fortified,
And strong enough to issue out and fight:
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee:
On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd,
To wall thee from the liberty of flight;
And no way canst thou turn thee for redress,
But death doth front thee with apparent spoil,
And pale destruction meets thee in the face.
Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament,
To rive their dangerous artillery
Upon no christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo, there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit:
This is the latest glory of thy praise,
That I, thy enemy, due thee withal;
For ere the glass, that now begins to run,
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes, that see thee now well coloured,
Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead.
[Drum afar off
Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy musick to thy timorous soul;
And mine shall ring thy dire departure out.

[Exeunt General, &c. from the Walls.
Tal. He fables not, I hear the enemy;-
Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their
O, negligent and heedless discipline! [wings.-
How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale;

|

A little herd of England's timorons deer,
Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs!
If we be English deer, be then in blood:
Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch;
But rather moody-mad, and desperate stags,
Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel,
And make the cowards stand aloof at bay:
Sell every man his life as dear as mine.
And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.-
God, and Saint George! Talbot, and England's
right!

Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight!
[Exeunt.

SCENE III. Plains in Gascony.

Enter YORK, with Forces; to him a Messenger.
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 Bordeaux with his power,
To fight with Talbot: as he march'd along,
By your espials were discovered
Two mightier troops than that the Dauphin led;
Which join'd with him, and made their marcli
for Bordeaux.

York. A plague upon that villain Somerset ;
That thus delays my promised supply
Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege!
Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid;
And I am louted by a traitor villain,
And cannot help the noble chevalier:
God comfort him in this necessity!
If he miscarry, farewell wars in France.
Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY.
Lucy. Thou princely leader of our English
strength,

Never so needful on the earth of France,
Spur to the rescue of the noble Talbot;
Who now is girdled with a waist of iron,
And hemm'd about with grim destruction:
To Bordeaux, warlike duke! to Bordeaux, York!
Else, farewell Talbot, France, and England's
honour.

[heart

York. O God! that Somerset-who in proud
Doth stop my cornets-were in Talbot's place!
So should we save a valiant gentleman,
By forfeiting a traitor and a coward.
Mad ire, and wrathful fury, makes me weep,
That thus we die, while remiss traitors sleep.
Lucy. O, send some succour to the distress'd
lord!

[word;

York. He dies, we lose; I break my warlike We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset. [get; Lucy. Then, God take mercy on brave Talbot's

soul!

[since, And on his son, young John; whom, two hours 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.

York. Alas! what joys shall noble Talbot have,
To bid his young son welcome to his grave?
Away! vexation almost stops my breath,
That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of

death.

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

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,
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 seal'd the son of chivalry?
Fly, to revenge my death, when I am dead;
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, an if I stay,
'Tis but the short'ning 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 sav'd, if thou wilt fly away.
John. The sword of Orleans hath not made
me smart,
[heart:
These words of yours draw life-blood from my
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.

:

[Crete, Tal. Then follow thou thy desperate sire of Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet: If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father's side; And, commendable prov'd, let's die in pride. [Exeunt.

SCENE VII. Another Part of the Same. Alarum: Excursions. Enter TALBOT wounded, supported by a Servant.

gone;

Alarums. Exeunt Soldiers and Servant, leaving the two bodies. Enter CHARLES, ALENCON, BURGUNDY, Bastard, LA PUCELLE, and Forces. Char. Had York and Somerset brought rescue in,

We should have found a bloody day of this.
Bast. How the young whelp of Talbot's, raging-
wood,

Did flesh his puny sword in Frenchmen's blood!
Thou maiden youth, be vanquish'd by a maid:
Puc. Once I encounter'd him, and thus I said,
But-with a proud majestical high scorn,-
He answer'd thus; Young Talbot was not born
To be the pillage of a giglot wench:

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
During the life, let us not wrong it dead. [fled
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! 'tis a mere
French word;

We English warriors wot not what it means.
And to survey the bodies of the dead.
I come to know what prisoners thou hast ta'en,
[is.

But tell me whom thou seek'st.
Char.For prisoners ask'st thou? hell our prison

Lucy. Where is the great Alcides of the field,

Tal. Where is my other life? mine own is
[John?-
O, where's young Talbot?-Where is valiant
Triumphant death, smear'd with captivity!
Young Talbot'svalour makes me smile at thee-Valiant Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury?
When he perceiv'd me shrink, and on my knee,
His bloody sword he brandish'd over me,
And, like a hungry lion, did commence
Rough deeds of rage, and stern impatience;
But, when my angry guardant stood alone,
Tend'ring my ruin, and assail'd of none,
Dizzy-ey'd fury, and great rage of heart,
Suddenly made him from my side to start
Into the clust'ring battle of the French:
And in that sea of blood my boy did drench
His overmounting spirit; and there died
My Icarus, my blossom, in his pride.
Enter Soldiers, bearing the Body of JOHN TALBOT.
Serv. O my dear lord! lo, where your son is
borne !
[here to scorn,
Tal. Thou antick death, which laugh'st us
Anon, from thy insulting tyranny,
Coupled in bonds of perpetuity,

Created, for his rare success in arms,
Great Earl of Washford, Waterford, and Va-
lence;

Two Talbots, winged through the lither sky,
In thy despite shall 'scape mortality.-
O thou whose wounds become hard-favoured
death,

Lord Talbot, of Goodrig and Urchinfield,
Lord Strange of Blackmere, Lord Verdun of
Alton,
[Sheffield,
Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, Lord Furnival of
The thrice victorious lord of Falconbridge;
Knight of the noble order of Saint George,
Worthy Saint Michael, and the golden fleece;
Great Mareschal to Henry the Sixth,
Of all his wars within the realm of France?
Puc. Here is a silly stately style indeed!
The Turk, that two and fifty kingdoms hath,
Writes not so tedious a style as this.-
Him, that thou magnifiest with all these titles,
Stinking and flyblown, lies here at our feet.

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.