Which joined with him, and made their march for Bor

deaux.

Yo k. A plague upon that villain Somerset ;
That thus delays my promised supply
Of horsemen, that were levied for this sie ge!
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 hemmed about with grim destruction.

To Bordeaux, warlike duke! to Bordeaux, York!
Else, farewell Talbot, France, and England's honor.
York. O God! that Somerset-who in proud heart
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 succor to the distressed lord!
York. He dies, we lose; I break my warlike word;
We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get;
All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset.

Lucy. Then, God take mercy on brave Tall ot's
soul !

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

1 The meaning of this word here is evidently loitered, retarded; and the following quotation from Cotgrave will show that this was sometimes the sense of to lowt:-" Loricarder, to luske, lowt, or lubber 't; to loyter about like a master-less man."

Dor

York. Alas! what joys shall noble Talbot have,
To bid his young son welcome to his grave!
Away! vexation almost stops my breath,

That sundered 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.

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, honors, lands, and all, hurry to loss.

SCENE IV. Other Plains of Gascony.

[Exit

[Exit

Enter SOMERSET, with his Forces; an Officer of TAL BOT'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 honor,
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'ermatched forces forth for aid.

Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY.

Som. How now, sir William? whither were you sent? Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and sold lord Talbot ;1

1 This expression seems to have been proverbial; intimating that foul play had been used.

Who, ringed about' with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions.
And whiles the honorable captain there

Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs,
And, in advantage lingering, looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England's honor,
Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.
Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succors that should lend him aid,
While 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 entrapped the noble-minded Talbot.

Never to England shall he bear his life;

But dies, betrayed 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

you.

1 Encircled, environed.

[Exeunt.

2 Protracting his resistance by the advantage of a strong post.

SCENE V. The English Camp near Bordeaux

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 revived,
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 unavoided1 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, Dishonor not her honorable 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.

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 regard2 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 honor 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 preserved with infamy.

1 Unavoided for unavoidable. 2 Your care of your own safety.

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

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

John. Yes, your renowned name: shall flight

abuse it?

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 severed 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.

SCENE VI. A Field of Battle.

[Exeunt.

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 rescued thee from death.