Henry VI, Pt. 1
Act IV, Scene 5
English camp near Bourdeaux.
Bordeaux
Georg Braun, Frans Hogenberg, 1572
- Enter Talbot and his son, John.
Lord Talbot
1 - 11- 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,
- 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;
- 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 Talbot
12 - 17- Is my name Talbot? And am I your son?
- And shall I fly? O, if you love my mother,
- Dishonor not her honorable 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.
Lord Talbot
18- Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.
John Talbot
19- He that flies so will ne’er return again.
Lord Talbot
20- If we both stay, we both are sure to die.
John Talbot
21 - 33- 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.
- Upon my death the French can little boast;
- In yours they will, in you all hopes are lost.
- Flight cannot stain the honor you have won,
- But mine it will, that no exploit have done.
- You fled for vantage, every one will swear;
- 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.
Lord Talbot
34- Shall all thy mother’s hopes lie in one tomb?
John Talbot
35- Ay, rather than I’ll shame my mother’s womb.
Lord Talbot
36- Upon my blessing I command thee go.
John Talbot
37- To fight I will, but not to fly the foe.
Lord Talbot
38- Part of thy father may be sav’d in thee.
John Talbot
39- No part of him but will be shame in me.
Lord Talbot
40- Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it.
John Talbot
41- Yes, your renowned name. Shall flight abuse it?
Lord Talbot
42- Thy father’s charge shall clear thee from that stain.
John Talbot
43 - 44- You cannot witness for me, being slain.
- If death be so apparent, then both fly.
Lord Talbot
45 - 46- And leave my followers here to fight and die?
- My age was never tainted with such shame.
John Talbot
47 - 51- And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?
- No more can I be severed from your side
- 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.
Lord Talbot
52 - 55- 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.