第20章 ACT IV(4)

Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY

SOMERSET.How now,Sir William!Whither were you sent?LUCY.Whither,my lord!From bought and sold Lord Talbot,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 honour,Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.Let not your private discord keep away The levied succours that should lend him aid,While he,renowned noble gentleman,Yield up his life unto a world of odds.Orleans the Bastard,Charles,Burgundy,Alencon,Reignier,compass him about,And Talbot perisheth by your default.SOMERSET.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.SOMERSET.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.Never to England shall he bear his life,But dies betray'd to fortune by your strife.SOMERSET.Come,go;I will dispatch 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.

SOMERSET.If he be dead,brave Talbot,then,adieu!LUCY.His fame lives in the world,his shame in you.Exeunt

SCENE 5.The English camp near Bordeaux

Enter TALBOT and JOHN his son

TALBOT.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,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.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 If the first hour I shrink and run away.Here,on my knee,I beg mortality,Rather than life preserv'd 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 sav'd in thee.JOHN.No part of him but will be shame in me.TALBOT.Thou never hadst renown,nor canst not lose it.JOHN.Yes,your renowned name;shall flight 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 yourself in twain divide.Stay,go,do what you will,the like do I;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