K. Hen. Come hither, you that would be combat ants. Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favor, Destroyed themselves, and lost the realm of France! That, for a trifle, that was bought with blood! I see no reason, if I wear this rose, [Putting on a red rose. Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot ;- Your angry choler on your enemies. From thence to England; where I hope ere long 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. 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; I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm. 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 deciphered there But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees This jarring discord of nobility, This shouldering of each other in the court, But that it doth presage some ill event. Tis much, when sceptres are in children's hands; 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. 1 The old copy reads, "And if I wish he did;" an evident typographSome modern editions read, " And, if I wist, he did." ical error. 2 Envy, in old English writers, frequently means malice, enmity. 3 Unkind is unnatural. Trumpet sounds a parley. Enter, on the walls, the English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth, Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death, Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot. Lo! there thou stand'st, a breathing, valiant man, This is the latest glory of thy praise, 2 That I, thy enemy, due thee withal; For ere the glass, that now begins to run, 1 The old editions read "their love." Sir Thomas Hanmer altered it to our love." 2 Due for endue, or giving due and merited praise. Finish the process of his sandy hour, These eyes, that see thee now well colored, [Drum afar off. Hark! hark! the dauphin's drum, a warning bell, Sings heavy music 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;- How are we parked, and bounded in a pale; And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.- SCENE III. Plains in Gascony. [Exeunt. Enter YORK, with Forces; to him a Messenger. York. Are not the speedy scouts returned again, That dogged the mighty army of the dauphin? Mess. They are returned, my lord; and give it out, That he is marched to Bordeaux with his power, To fight with Talbot. As he marched along, By your espials were discovered, Two mightier troops than that the dauphin led; 1 In blood is a term of the forest; a deer was said to be in blood when in vigor or in good condition, and full of courage; here put in opposition to rascal, which was the term for the same animal when lean and out of condition. Which joined with him, and made their march for Bor deaux. ; York. A plague upon that villain Somerset ; 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; And hemmed about with grim destruction. To Bordeaux, warlike duke! to Bordeaux, York! 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 Talbot'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 it; to loyter about like a master-less man." |