Henry VI, Part I by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 5
The English camp near Bourdeaux.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : O young John Talbot! I did send for thee
[p]To tutor thee in
stratagems of war,
[p]That Talbot's name might be in thee
revived
[p]When sapless age and weak unable limbs
[p]Should bring thy
father to his drooping chair.
[p]But, O malignant and ill-boding
stars!
[p]Now thou art come unto a feast of death,
[p]A terrible and
unavoided danger:
[p]Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest
horse;
[p]And I'll direct thee how thou shalt escape
[p]By sudden
flight: come, dally not, be gone.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Is my name Talbot? and am I your son?
[p]And shall I fly? O if you
love my mother,
[p]Dishonour not her honourable name,
[p]To make a
bastard and a slave of me!
[p]The world will say, he is not Talbot's
blood,
[p]That basely fled when noble Talbot stood.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : He that flies so will ne'er return again.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : If we both stay, we both are sure to die.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Then let me stay; and, father, do you fly:
[p]Your loss is great, so
your regard should be;
[p]My worth unknown, no loss is known in
me.
[p]Upon my death the French can little boast;
[p]In yours they
will, in you all hopes are lost.
[p]Flight cannot stain the honour you
have won;
[p]But mine it will, that no exploit have done:
[p]You fled
for vantage, everyone will swear;
[p]But, if I bow, they'll say it was
for fear.
[p]There is no hope that ever I will stay,
[p]If the first
hour I shrink and run away.
[p]Here on my knee I beg
mortality,
[p]Rather than life preserved with infamy.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb?
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Ay, rather than I'll shame my mother's womb.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Upon my blessing, I command thee go.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : To fight I will, but not to fly the foe.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Part of thy father may be saved in thee.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : No part of him but will be shame in me.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Yes, your renowned name: shall flight abuse it?
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Thy father's charge shall clear thee from that stain.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : You cannot witness for me, being slain.
[p]If death be so apparent,
then both fly.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : And leave my followers here to fight and die?
[p]My age was never
tainted with such shame.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?
[p]No more can I be
sever'd from your side,
[p]Than can yourself yourself in twain
divide:
[p]Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I;
[p]For live I
will not, if my father die.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son,
[p]Born to eclipse thy
life this afternoon.
[p]Come, side by side together live and
die.
[p]And soul with soul from France to heaven fly.
Previous: Act 4 - Scene 4
Next: Act 4 - Scene 6
