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Home > King Henry VI Part 1 > ACT IV - SCENE V. The English camp near Bourdeaux.

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ACT IV - SCENE V. The English camp near Bourdeaux.
Enter TALBOT and JOHN his son

TALBOT
1    O young John Talbot! I did send for thee
2    To tutor thee in stratagems of war,
3    That Talbot's name might be in thee revived
4    When sapless age and weak unable limbs
5    Should bring thy father to his drooping chair.
6    But, O malignant and ill-boding stars!
7    Now thou art come unto a feast of death,
8    A terrible and unavoided danger:
9    Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse;
10   And I'll direct thee how thou shalt escape
11   By sudden flight: come, dally not, be gone.
JOHN TALBOT
12   Is my name Talbot? and am I your son?
13   And shall I fly? O if you love my mother,
14   Dishonour not her honourable name,
15   To make a bastard and a slave of me!
16   The world will say, he is not Talbot's blood,
17   That basely fled when noble Talbot stood.
TALBOT
18   Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.
JOHN TALBOT
19   He that flies so will ne'er return again.
TALBOT
20   If we both stay, we both are sure to die.
JOHN TALBOT
21   Then let me stay; and, father, do you fly:
22   Your loss is great, so your regard should be;
23   My worth unknown, no loss is known in me.
24   Upon my death the French can little boast;
25   In yours they will, in you all hopes are lost.
26   Flight cannot stain the honour you have won;
27   But mine it will, that no exploit have done:
28   You fled for vantage, everyone will swear;
29   But, if I bow, they'll say it was for fear.
30   There is no hope that ever I will stay,
31   If the first hour I shrink and run away.
32   Here on my knee I beg mortality,
33   Rather than life preserved with infamy.
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.
TALBOT
36   Upon my blessing, I command thee go.
JOHN TALBOT
37   To fight I will, but not to fly the foe.
TALBOT
38   Part of thy father may be saved in thee.
JOHN TALBOT
39   No part of him but will be shame in me.
TALBOT
40   Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it.
JOHN TALBOT
41   Yes, your renowned name: shall flight abuse it?
TALBOT
42   Thy father's charge shall clear thee from that stain.
JOHN TALBOT
43   You cannot witness for me, being slain.
44   If death be so apparent, then both fly.
TALBOT
45   And leave my followers here to fight and die?
46   My age was never tainted with such shame.
JOHN TALBOT
47   And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?
48   No more can I be sever'd from your side,
49   Than can yourself yourself in twain divide:
50   Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I;
51   For live I will not, if my father die.
TALBOT
52   Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son,
53   Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon.
54   Come, side by side together live and die.
55   And soul with soul from France to heaven fly.
Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT IV, SCENE IVACT IV, VI (Next) >
Scene Index
ACT I
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI


  • ACT II
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V

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