William Shakespeare

“ GLOUCESTER.
And so the Earl of Armagnac may do,
Because he is near kinsman unto Charles.
EXETER.
Beside, his wealth doth warrant a liberal dower,
Where Reignier sooner will receive than give.
SUFFOLK.
A dower, my lords? Disgrace not so your king,
That he should be so abject, base, and poor,
To choose for wealth and not for perfect love.
Henry is able to enrich his queen,
And not to seek a queen to make him rich;
So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
As market-men for oxen, sheep, or horse.
Marriage is a matter of more worth
Than to be dealt in by attorneyship ”

“ 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
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.
YORK.
Alas, what joy shall noble Talbot have
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. ”

“ And I’ll direct thee how thou shalt escape
By sudden flight. Come, dally not, be gone.
JOHN TALBOT.
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 TALBOT.
He that flies so will ne’er return again.
TALBOT.
If we both stay, we both are sure to 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.]
SCENE VI. A field of battle. Alarum. Excursions, wherein Talbot’s son is hemmed about, and Talbot rescues him.
TALBOT.
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 rescued thee from death. ”

“ And not deface your honour with reproach?
SUFFOLK.
As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths;
Or one that, at a triumph having vow’d
To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists
By reason of his adversary’s odds.
A poor earl’s daughter is unequal odds,
And therefore may be broke without offence.
GLOUCESTER.
Why, what, I pray, is Margaret more than that?
Her father is no better than an earl,
Although in glorious titles he excel.
SUFFOLK.
Yes, my lord, her father is a king,
The King of Naples and Jerusalem ”

“ So, farewell, Talbot; I’ll no longer trust thee.
PUCELLE.
[Aside.] Done like a Frenchman: turn and turn again.
CHARLES.
Welcome, brave Duke! Thy friendship makes us fresh.
BASTARD.
And doth beget new courage in our breasts.
ALENÇON.
Pucelle hath bravely play’d her part in this,
And doth deserve a coronet of gold.
CHARLES.
Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers,
And seek how we may prejudice the foe.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE IV. Paris. The Palace. Enter the King, Gloucester, Bishop of Winchester, Exeter, York, Warwick and Vernon; Suffolk, Somerset, Basset and others. ”

“ How shall I honour thee for this success?
Thy promises are like Adonis’ gardens
That one day bloom’d and fruitful were the next.
France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess!
Recover’d is the town of Orleans.
More blessed hap did ne’er befall our state.
REIGNIER.
Why ring not bells aloud throughout the town?
Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires
And feast and banquet in the open streets
To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.
ALENÇON.
All France will be replete with mirth and joy
When they shall hear how we have play’d the men. ”

“ That have consented unto Henry’s death:
King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne’er lost a king of so much worth.
GLOUCESTER.
England ne’er had a king until his time.
Virtue he had, deserving to command;
His brandish’d sword did blind men with his beams;
His arms spread wider than a dragon’s wings;
His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies
Than mid-day sun fierce bent against their faces.
What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech.
He ne’er lift up his hand but conquered.
EXETER.
We mourn in black ”

“ They had such courage and audacity?
CHARLES.
Let’s leave this town; for they are hare-brain’d slaves,
And hunger will enforce them to be more eager.
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they’ll tear down than forsake the siege.
REIGNIER.
I think by some odd gimmers or device
Their arms are set like clocks, still to strike on;
Else ne’er could they hold out so as they do.
By my consent, we’ll even let them alone.
ALENÇON.
Be it so.
Enter the Bastard of Orleans.
BASTARD.
Where’s the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him. ”

“ Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, and forces, with scaling-ladders.
TALBOT.
Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy,
By whose approach the regions of Artois,
Walloon and Picardy are friends to us,
This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,
Having all day caroused and banqueted.
Embrace we then this opportunity,
As fitting best to quittance their deceit
Contriv’d by art and baleful sorcery.
BEDFORD.
Coward of France, how much he wrongs his fame,
Despairing of his own arm’s fortitude,
To join with witches and the help of hell!
BURGUNDY.
Traitors have never other company. ”

“ Wretched shall France be only in thy name.
[Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens.]
What stir is this? What tumult’s in the heavens?
Whence cometh this alarum and the noise?
Enter a Messenger.
MESSENGER.
My lord, my lord, the French have gather’d head.
The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join’d,
A holy prophetess new risen up,
Is come with a great power to raise the siege.
[Here Salisbury lifteth himself up and groans.]
TALBOT.
Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan;
It irks his heart he cannot be revenged. ”

“ I’ll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne;
His crown shall be the ransom of my friend;
Four of their lords I’ll change for one of ours.
Farewell, my masters; to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make
To keep our great Saint George’s feast withal.
Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,
Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.
MESSENGER.
So you had need; for Orleans is besieg’d
The English army is grown weak and faint;
The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply
And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. ”

“ Come, officer, as loud as e’er thou canst, cry.
OFFICER.
All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God’s peace and the King’s, we charge and command you, in his Highness’ name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death.
GLOUCESTER.
Cardinal, I’ll be no breaker of the law;
But we shall meet and break our minds at large. ”

“ Sound, sound alarum! We will rush on them.
Now for the honour of the forlorn French!
Him I forgive my death that killeth me
When he sees me go back one foot or fly.
[Exeunt.]
Here alarum; they are beaten back by the English, with great loss. Re-enter Charles, Alençon and Reignier.
CHARLES.
Who ever saw the like? What men have I!
Dogs, cowards, dastards! I would ne’er have fled
But that they left me ’midst my enemies.
REIGNIER.
Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
He fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey. ”

“ My honourable lords, health to you all!
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture:
Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Rouen, Orleans,
Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.
BEDFORD.
What say’st thou, man, before dead Henry’s corse?
Speak softly, or the loss of those great towns
Will make him burst his lead and rise from death.
GLOUCESTER.
Is Paris lost? Is Rouen yielded up? ”

“ 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 V. 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 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 unavoided danger. ”

“ Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France,
Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.
BURGUNDY.
Speak on, but be not over-tedious.
PUCELLE.
Look on thy country, look on fertile France,
And see the cities and the towns defaced
By wasting ruin of the cruel foe.
As looks the mother on her lowly babe
When death doth close his tender dying eyes,
See, see the pining malady of France;
Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds,
Which thou thyself hast given her woeful breast.
O, turn thy edged sword another way;
Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help. ”

“ Re-enter the Bastard of Orleans, with Joan la Pucelle.
REIGNIER.
Fair maid, is ’t thou wilt do these wondrous feats?
PUCELLE.
Reignier is ’t thou that thinkest to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin? Come, come from behind;
I know thee well, though never seen before.
Be not amazed, there’s nothing hid from me.
In private will I talk with thee apart.
Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.
REIGNIER.
She takes upon her bravely at first dash. ”

“ Lords, view these letters full of bad mischance.
France is revolted from the English quite,
Except some petty towns of no import.
The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims;
The Bastard of Orleans with him is join’d;
Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part;
The Duke of Alençon flieth to his side.
[He exits.]
EXETER.
The Dauphin crowned king! All fly to him!
O, whither shall we fly from this reproach?
GLOUCESTER.
We will not fly but to our enemies’ throats.
Bedford, if thou be slack, I’ll fight it out.
BEDFORD.
Gloucester, why doubt’st thou of my forwardness? ”

“ SALISBURY.
Yet tell’st thou not how thou wert entertain’d.
TALBOT.
With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts.
In open market-place produced they me
To be a public spectacle to all.
Here, said they, is the terror of the French,
The scarecrow that affrights our children so.
Then broke I from the officers that led me,
And with my nails digg’d stones out of the ground
To hurl at the beholders of my shame.
My grisly countenance made others fly;
None durst come near for fear of sudden death. ”

“ Will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot?
FASTOLF.
Ay,
All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.
[Exit.]
CAPTAIN.
Cowardly knight, ill fortune follow thee!
[Exit.]
Retreat. Excursions. La Pucelle, Alençon and Charles fly.
BEDFORD.
Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please,
For I have seen our enemies’ overthrow.
What is the trust or strength of foolish man?
They that of late were daring with their scoffs
Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves.
[Bedford dies, and is carried in by two in his chair.]
An alarum. Enter Talbot, Burgundy and the rest. ”

“ Nestor-like aged in an age of care,
Argue the end of Edmund Mortimer.
These eyes, like lamps whose wasting oil is spent,
Wax dim, as drawing to their exigent;
Weak shoulders, overborne with burdening grief,
And pithless arms, like to a wither’d vine
That droops his sapless branches to the ground.
Yet are these feet, whose strengthless stay is numb,
Unable to support this lump of clay,
Swift-winged with desire to get a grave,
As witting I no other comfort have.
But tell me, keeper, will my nephew come?
FIRST JAILER.
Richard Plantagenet, my lord, will come. ”

“ Sheep run not half so treacherous from the wolf,
Or horse or oxen from the leopard,
As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves.
[Alarum. Here another skirmish.]
It will not be! Retire into your trenches.
You all consented unto Salisbury’s death,
For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.
Pucelle is enter’d into Orleans,
In spite of us or aught that we could do.
O, would I were to die with Salisbury!
The shame hereof will make me hide my head.
[Exit Talbot. Alarum; retreat.]
SCENE VI. Orleans. Flourish. Enter on the walls La Pucelle, Charles, Reignier, Alençon and Soldiers. ”

“ In spite of Burgundy and all his friends.
See then, thou fight’st against thy countrymen,
And join’st with them will be thy slaughtermen.
Come, come, return; return, thou wandering lord;
Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms.
BURGUNDY.
I am vanquished; these haughty words of hers
Have batter’d me like roaring cannon-shot,
And made me almost yield upon my knees.
Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen!
And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace.
My forces and my power of men are yours. ”

“ Here Gloucester’s men beat out the Cardinal’s men, and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his Officers.
MAYOR.
Fie, lords, that you, being supreme magistrates,
Thus contumeliously should break the peace!
GLOUCESTER.
Peace, Mayor! Thou know’st little of my wrongs.
Here’s Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,
Hath here distrain’d the Tower to his use.
WINCHESTER.
Here’s Gloucester, a foe to citizens,
One that still motions war and never peace,
O’ercharging your free purses with large fines ”

“ How may I reverently worship thee enough?
ALENÇON.
Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.
REIGNIER.
Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;
Drive them from Orleans and be immortalized.
CHARLES.
Presently we’ll try. Come, let’s away about it.
No prophet will I trust if she prove false.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE III. London. Before the Tower. Enter the Duke of Gloucester with his Servingmen in blue coats.
GLOUCESTER.
I am come to survey the Tower this day.
Since Henry’s death, I fear, there is conveyance.
Where be these warders that they wait not here? ”

“ If son to Talbot, die at Talbot’s foot.
TALBOT.
Then follow thou thy desperate sire of Crete,
Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet.
If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father’s side,
And, commendable proved, let’s die in pride.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE VII. Another part of the field. Alarum. Excursions. Enter old Talbot led by a Servant.
TALBOT.
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. ”

“ So much applauded through the realm of France?
TALBOT.
Here is the Talbot. Who would speak with him?
MESSENGER.
The virtuous lady, Countess of Auvergne,
With modesty admiring thy renown,
By me entreats, great lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe
To visit her poor castle where she lies,
That she may boast she hath beheld the man
Whose glory fills the world with loud report.
BURGUNDY.
Is it even so? Nay, then I see our wars
Will turn unto a peaceful comic sport,
When ladies crave to be encounter’d with.
You may not, my lord, despise her gentle suit.
TALBOT.
Ne’er trust me then ”