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The English Camp near Bourdeaux. | |
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Enter TALBOT and JOHN his Son. | |
| Tal. O young John Talbot! I did send for thee | |
| To tutor thee in stratagems of war, | |
| That Talbot’s name might be in thee reviv’d | 5 |
| 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: | 10 |
| Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse, | |
| And I’ll direct thee how thou shalt escape | |
| By sudden flight: come, dally not, be gone. | |
| John. Is my name Talbot? and am I your son? | |
| And shall I fly? O! if you love my mother, | 15 |
| 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. | 20 |
| John. He that flies so will ne’er return again. | |
| 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. | 25 |
| 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 everyone will swear; | 30 |
| 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. | 35 |
| 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. | 40 |
| John. No part of him but will be shame in me. | |
| Tal. Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it. | |
| John. Yes, your renowned name: shall flight abuse it? | |
| Tal. Thy father’s charge shall clear thee from that stain. | |
| John. You cannot witness for me, being slain. | 45 |
| If death be so apparent, then both fly. | |
| Tal. And leave my followers here to fight and die? | |
| My age was never tainted with such shame. | |
| John. And shall my youth be guilty of such blame? | |
| No more can I be sever’d from your side | 50 |
| Than can yourself yourself in twain divide. | |
| Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I; | |
| For live I will not if my father die. | |
| Tal. Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son, | |
| Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon. | 55 |
| Come, side by side together live and die, | |
| And soul with soul from France to heaven fly. | |
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