Mess. They are return'd, my lord, and give it out
That he is march'd to Bordeaux with his power,
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 Bordeaux.

York. A plague upon that villain Somerset,
That thus delays my promised supply

noun

for.

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.

10

Lucy. Thou princely leader of our English strength,

20

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 hemm'd 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

applied unto such men as are held of no credit or worth." The
figure is kept up by using heads of steel for lances, referring to the
deer's horns.-H. N. H.

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 such succor to the distress'd 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

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? 40
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, with his soldiers.

33. "Long all of," that is, all because of, by means or by reason of. The phrase was used by the gravest writers in the Poet's time. Hooker has it.-H. N. H.

46. On the death of Bedford in 1435, York succeeded him in the regency of France. In 1437 he was superseded by Warwick, who dying about two years after, York was reappointed. In this office Somerset took special pains to cross and thwart him. The effects

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,

50

Henry the Fifth: whiles they each other cross,
Lives, honors, lands and all hurry to loss.

trong poetry word

болно

with on

figures.

SCENE IV

Other plains in Gascony.

[Exit.

Enter Somerset, with his army; a Captain 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

of their enmity are strongly stated by Holinshed: "Althought the duke of York was worthie, both for birth and courage, of this honor and preferment, yet so disdeined of the duke of Summerset, that by all means possible sought his hindrance, as one glad of his losse, and sorie of his well dooing: by reason whereof, yer the duke of York could get his despatch, Paris and diverse other of the cheefest places in France were gotten by the French king. The duke of York, perceiving his evil will, openlie dissembled that which he inwardlie minded, either of them working things to the others displeasure, till, through malice and division betweene them, at length by mortall warre, they were both consumed, with almost all their whole lines and offspring."-H. N. H.

47. Alluding to the tale of Prometheus.-H. N. H.

51. "That ever living man of memory," i. e. that ever man of living memory. Lettsom, "man of ever-living.”—I. G.

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.

Cap. Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me 10 Set from our o'er-match'd 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;

Who, ring'd 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, condensation

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, Burgundy,

20

16. "legions," Rowe's emendation of Ff. "Regions.”—I. G. 19. "in advantage lingering"; Staunton, "in disadvantage ling'ring"; Lettsom, "in disvantage lingering"; Vaughan, "disadvantage ling'ring." Johnson explains the phrase, "Protracting his resistance by the advantage of a strong post"; Malone, "Endeavoring by every means, with advantage to himself, to linger out the action."-I. G.

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.

30

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 entrapp'd the noble-minded Talbot:
Never to England shall he bear his life;

But dies, betray'd to fortune by your strife. Som. 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; 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 [Exeunt.

you.

31. "host"; so Ff. 3, 4; Ff. 1, 2, "hoast"; Theobald's conjecture (adopted by Hanmer), "horse."-I. G.

35. "take foul scorn," I scorn (to fawn on him) as a foul disgrace.-C. H. H.

42. "rescue: he is"; Ff. 1, 2, “rescue, he is"; Ff. 3, 4, “rescue, if he is"; Rowe (ed. 1) "rescue, if he's"; (ed 2) “rescue, he's"; Pope, "rescue now, he's."-I. G.