Ver. Now, Sir, to you, that were so hot at Disgracing of these colours, that I wear [sea, In honour of my noble lord of York,Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?

Bas. Yes, Sir; as well as you dare patronage The envious barking of your saucy tongue Against my lord the duke of Somerset.

Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.
Bus. Why, what is he? as good a man as
York.

Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye
that.
[Strikes him.
Bas. Villain, thou know'st, the law of arms
is such,

That, who so 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, after, meet you sooner than you would. [Exeunt.

Win. God save king Henry, of that name the sixth!

Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,— [GOVERNOR kneels. That you elect no other king but him: Esteem none friends, but such as are his friends; And none your foes, but such as shall pretend* Malicious practices against his state: This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! [Exeunt Gov. and his Train.

Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE. Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from To haste unto your coronation, [Calais, A letter was deliver'd to my hands, Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy. Tal. Shame to the duke of Burgundy, and thee! [next, I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee To tear the garter from thy craven'st leg, [Plucking it off. (Which I have done) because unworthily Thou wast installed in that high degree.Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest: This dastard, at the battle of Patay, When but in all I was six thousand strong, And that the French were almost ten to one,Before we met, or that a stroke was given, Like to a trusty squire, did run away; In which assault we lost twelve hundred men; Myself, and divers gentlemen beside, Were there surpris'd, and taken prisoners. Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss; Or whether that such cowards ought to wear This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no.

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
And ill beseeming any common man;
Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.
Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my
lords,

Knights of the garter were of noble birth;
Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.
He then, that is not furnish'd in this sort,
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order;
And should (if I were worthy to be judge,)
Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.
K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st
thy doom:

Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight; 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.
Mor'd with compassion of my country's wreck,
Together with the pitiful complaints
Of such as your oppression feeds upon,-
Forsaken your pernicious faction, [France.
And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of
O monstrous treachery! Can this be so;
That in alliance, amity, and oaths, [guile?
There should be found such false dissembling
K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy

revolt?

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 not you content? Tal. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am prevented, [ploy'd. I should have begg'd I might have been emK. Hen. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight: [son; Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treaAnd 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.

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign!

Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too!

York. This is my servant; Hear him, noble

prince!

Som. And this is mine; Sweet Henry, favour

And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?

Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done

me wrong.

Bus. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong.

K. Hen. What is that wrong whereof you both complain?

First let me know, and then I'll answer you.
Bas. Crossing the sea from England into
France,

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 conTo set a gloss upon his bold intent, [ceit, Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him; And he first took exceptions at this badge, Pronouncing-that the paleness of this flower 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,

Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.
K. Hen. Good lord! what madness rules in
brain-sick 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 dissention first be tried by
fight,

And then your highness shall command a

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
To bear with their perverse objections; [well,
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.

K. Hen. Come hither, you that would be combatants: [favour, Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our 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 dissention 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,

* Resist.

That, for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's peers, and chief nobility,
Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of
France?

O, think upon the conquest of my father,
My tender years; and let us not forego
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,

[Putting on a red Rose.
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
Your troops of horsemen with his bands of
foot;-
[tors,
And, like true subjects, sons of your progeni-
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
To be presented, by your victories,
With Charles, Alençon, and that traitorous

rout.

[long

[Flourish. Exeunt King HENRY, GLO. SOM. WIN. SUF. and BASSET. War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king

Prettily, methought, did play the orator. 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 ont,
I fear we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging
Than yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd. [broils,
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;
[sion;
But more, when envyt breeds unkind; divi-
There come the ruin, there begins confusion.
[Exit.

SCENE I-France.-Before Bourdeaux.
Enter TALBOT, with his Forces.
Tal. Go to the gates of Bourdeaux, trum-
peter,

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,
'Tis trange, or wonderful.

† Betrayed,

+ Enmity.

Unnatural.

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 their 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 sacra-
To rive their dangerous artillery [ment,
Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo! there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit: [man,
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
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul; [bell,
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

wings.

O, negligent and heedless discipline!
How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale;
A little herd of England's timorous 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, [power, That he is march'd to Bourdeaux with his 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 march for Bourdeaux.

York. A plague upon that villain Somerse That thus delays my promised supply Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid; And I am lowted 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 Never so needful on the earth of France, strength, 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 Bourdeaux, warlike duke! to Bourdeaux, York!

Else, farewell Talbot, France, and England's

honour.

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 The conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror, Henry the fifth-Whiles they each other cross, That ever-living man of memory, Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss. [Exit.

SCENE IV.-Other Plains of Gascony. Enter SOMERSET, with his Forces; an OFFICER of TALBOT'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 honour, 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.

Offi. Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me Set from our o'er-match'd forces forth for aid. Vanquished, baffled. + Expended, consumed. Alluding to the tale of Prometheus.

Enter Sir WILLIAM LUCY.

Som. 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, 'ries 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 aloot with worthless emulation.
Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succours 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; [ing. And take foul scorn, to fawn on him by sendLucy. 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, betrayed to fortune by your strife.
Som. Come, go; I will despatch the horse-
men 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. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.-The English Camp, near Bourdeaux.

Enter TALBOT and JOHN his Son.

Tal. O young John Talbot! I did send for
To tutor thee in stratagems of war; [thee,
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,t
A terrible and unavoided danger: [horse;
Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest
And I'll direct thee how thou shalt escape
By sudden flight: come, dally not, be gone.
John. Is my name Taibot? 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.
Tal. Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.
John. He, that flies so, will ne'er return
again.

* I. c. From one utterly ruined by the treacherous

practices of others. + Encircled. To a field where death will be feasted with slaughter. & For unavoidable

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 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.
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 sav'd in thee. John. No part of him, but will be shame in

No more can I be sever'd from your side,
Than can yourself yourself in twain divide:
For live I will not, if my father die.
Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I;

Tul. Then here I take my leave of thee, fair Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon. [son. Come, side by side together live and die; And soul with soul from France to heaven [Exeunt. fly.

SCENE VI.-A Field of Battle. Alarum: Excursions, wherein TALBOT's Sc" 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;

I gave thee life, and rescu'd thee from death. John. O twice my father! twice am I thy [done;

son:

The life, thou gav'st me first, was lost and Till with thy warlike sword, despite of fate, To my determin'dt time thou gav'st new date. Tal. When from the Dauphin's crest thy

sword struck fire,

care;

Anon, from thy insulting tyranny,
Coupled in bonds of perpetuity,
Two Talbots, winged through the lither* sky,
In thy despite, shall 'scape mortality.-
O thou whose wounds become hard-favour'd
death,

Speak to thy father, ere thou yield thy breath:
Brave death by speaking, whether he will, or

no;

say

Imagine him a Frenchman, and thy foe.Poor boy! he smiles, methinks; as who should [to-day. Had death been French, then death had died Come, come, and lay him in his father's arms; My spirit can no longer bear these harms. Soldiers, adieu! I have what I would have, Now my old arms are young John Talbot's [Dies. Alarums. Exeunt Soldiers and Servant, leaving the two Bodies. Enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, BURGUNDY, BASTARD, LA PUCELLE, and Forces.

grave.

Char. Had York and Somerset brought rescue in,

We should have found a bloody day of this. Bust. How the young whelp of Talbot's, Did flesh his puny sword in Frenchmen's raging-wood,t [blood! Puc. Once I encounter'd him, and thus 1

said,

Crete,

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.

Tal. Where is my other life?-mine_own_is
gone;-
O, where's young Talbot? where is valiant
[John?-
Triumphant death, smear'd with captivity!+
Young Talbot's valour makes me smile at thee:
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 !

Tal. Thou antic death, which laugh'st us

here to scorn,

Like me, reduce me to a level with. + Death stained and dishonoured with captivity. "Watching me with tenderness in my fall."

Of the most bloody nurser of his harms.
Bast. Hew them to pieces, hack their bones

asunder;

[der. Whose life was England's glory, Gallia's wonChar. 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.

Conduct me to the Dauphin's tent; to know
Lucy. Herald,
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.
I come to know what prisoners thou hast ta'en,
And to survey the bodies of the dead.

Char. For prisoners ask'st thou? hell our
prison is.

But tell me whom thou seek'st.

Lucy. Where is the great Alcides of the field, Valiant lord Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury? Created, for his rare success in arms, [lence; Great earl of Washford, Waterford, and VaLord Talbot of Goodrig and Urchingfield, Lord Strange of Blackmere, lord Verdun of [Sheffield, The thrice victorious lord of Falconbridge; Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, lord Furnival of Knight of the noble order of Saint George, Worthy saint Michael, and the golden fleece;

Alton,