The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 209
O think upon the conquest of my father,
My tender years, and let us not forgo
That for a trifle that was bought with blood.
150
Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.
[Takes the red rose from Basset.]
I see no reason, if I wear this rose,
That anyone should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset than York:
Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both.
155
As well they may upbraid me with my crown
Because, forsooth, the King of Scots is crowned.
But your discretions better can persuade
Than I am able to instruct or teach:
And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
160
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,
165
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,
170
From thence to England – where I hope ere long
To be presented, by your victories,
With Charles, Alençon and that traitorous rout.
Flourish. Exeunt all but York, Warwick, Exeter and Vernon.
WARWICK My lord of York, I promise you the King
Prettily, methought, did play the orator.
175
YORK And so he did, but yet I like it not,
In that he wears the badge of Somerset.
WARWICK
Tush, that was but his fancy. Blame him not.
I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.
YORK An if I wist he did – but let it rest;
180
Other affairs must now be managed.
Exeunt all but Exeter.
EXETER
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
More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
185
Than yet can be imagined or supposed:
But howsoe’er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,
This shouldering of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favourites,
190
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.
4.2 Enter TALBOT with trumpet and drum, before Bordeaux.
TALBOT Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter;
Summon their general unto the wall.
[Trumpet sounds for parley.]
Enter Captain aloft.
English John Talbot, captain, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry, King of England.
And thus he would: open your city gates,
5
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 proffered peace
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
10
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.
CAPTAIN Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
15
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.
20
If thou retire, the Dolphin well appointed
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee.
On either hand thee there are squadrons pitched
To wall thee from the liberty of flight;
And no way canst thou turn thee for redress
25
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.
30
Lo, there thou stand’st a breathing valiant man
Of an invincible unconquered 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
35
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes that see thee now well coloured
Shall see thee withered, bloody, pale and dead.
[Drum afar off.]
Hark, hark; the Dolphin’s drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul,
40
And mine shall ring thy dire departure out. Exit.
TALBOT He fables not. I hear the enemy.
Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings.
O negligent and heedless discipline –
How are we parked and bounded in a pale –
45
A little herd of England’s timorous deer
Mazed 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,
50
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,
55
Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight. Exit.
4.3 Enter a Messenger that meets YORK. Enter YORK with trumpet and many soldiers.
YORK Are not the speedy scouts returned again,
That dogged the mighty army of the Dolphin?
MESSENGER
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,
5
By your espials were discovered
Two mightier troops than that the Dolphin led,
Which joined with him and made their march for Bordeaux.
YORK A plague upon that villain Somerset,
That thus delays my promised supply
10
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.
15
If he miscarry, farewell wars in France.
Enter another messenger, 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 waste of iron
20
And hemmed about with grim destruction.
To Bordeaux, warlike Duke, to Bordeaux, York,
Else farewell Talbot, France and England’s honour.
YOR
K O God, that Somerset, who in proud heart
Doth stop my cornets, were in Talbot’s place;
25
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 distressed lord.
30
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, who two hours since
35
I met in travail 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 joy shall noble Talbot have,
To bid his young son welcome to his grave.
40
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, Poitiers and Tours are won away,
45
Long all of Somerset and his delay.
Exeunt all but Lucy.
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,
50
That ever-living man of memory,
Henry the Fifth. Whiles they each other cross,
Lives, honours, lands and all hurry to loss.
Enter SOMERSET with his army and a Captain of Talbot’s.
[4.4]
SOMERSET It is too late, I cannot send them now.
This expedition was by York and Talbot
55
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.
60
York set him on to fight and die in shame,
That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name.
CAPTAIN [to Somerset]
Here is Sir William Lucy, who, with me,
[10]
Set from our o’ermatched forces forth for aid.
SOMERSET
How now, Sir William, whither were you sent?
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LUCY
Whither, my lord? From bought and sold Lord Talbot
Who – ringed about with bold adversity –
Cries out for noble York and Somerset
To beat assailing death from his weak regions;
And whiles the honourable captain there
70
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs
And, in advantage lingering, looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England’s
honour,
[20]
Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.
Let not your private discord keep away
75
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,
Alençon, Reignier, compass him about,
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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,
[30]
Swearing that you withhold his levied host,
Collected for this expedition.
85
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 entrapped the noble-minded Talbot.
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Never to England shall he bear his life,
But dies betrayed to fortune by your strife.
SOMERSET
Come – go – I will dispatch the horsemen
straight:
[40]
Within six hours they will be at his aid.
LUCY Too late comes rescue: he is ta’en or slain,
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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.