[Retreat. Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury; A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd: 20 25 Tal. Well then, alone, since there's no remedy, Capt. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly. Count. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right, 30I shall as famous be by this exploit, As Scythian Tomyris by Cyrus' death. Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight, And his achievements of no less account: Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears, 35 To give their censure of these rare reports. The treacherous manner of his mournful death, Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern, Enter Messenger, and Talbot. Mess. Madam,accordingas yourladyshipdesir'd, Count. [as musing] Is this the scourge of France? 45I thought, I should have seen some Hercules, It cannot be, this weak and wrizled shrimp Mess. All hail, my lords! Which of this princely Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you: Count. What means he now-Go ask him, Mess. Stay, my lord Talbot; for my lady craves To know the cause of your abrupt departure. Tal. Marry, for that she's in a wrong belief, go to certify her, Talbot's here. Re-enter Porter with keys. 1 Count. To me, blood-thirsty lord; But now the substance shall endure the like: Dare no man answer in a case of truth? Suf. Within the Temple-hall we were too loud; The garden here is more convenient. [truth; Plant. Then say at once, if I maintain'd the 5 Or, else, was wrangling Somerset in the error? Suf. 'Faith, I have been a truant in the law; I never yet could frame my will to it; And, therefore, frame the law unto my will. Som. Judge you, my lord of Warwick, then between us. [er pitch, War. Between two hawks, which flies the highBetween two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth, Between twoblades, which bearsthebettertemper, Between two horses, which doth bear him best, 15 Between two girls, which hath the merriest eye, I have, perhaps, some shallow spirit of judgment: But in these nice sharp quillets of the law, Good faith, I am no wiser than a daw. Plant. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbearance: 20The truth appears so naked on my side, That any purblind eye may find it out. [turn to moan. 10 Count. Why, art not thou the man? Count. Then have I substance too. Tal. No, no, I am but shadow of myself: I tell you, madam, were the whole frame here; Your roof were not sufficient to contain it. Som. And on my side it is so well apparell'd, So clear, so shining, and so evident, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. Count. This is a riddling 2 merchantforthenonce; 25 Plant. Since you are tongue-ty'd, and so loth He will be here, and yet he is not here: How say you, madam? are you now persuaded, Count. Victorious Talbot! pardon my abuse: I find thou art no less than fame hath bruited, And more than may be gather'd by thy shape. Let my presumption not provoke thy wrath; For I am sorry, that with reverence I did not entertain thee as thou art. Tal. Be not dismay'd, fair lady; nor misconstrue The mind of Talbot, as you did mistake The outward composition of his body. What you have done, hath not offended me : Nor other satisfaction do I crave, But only (with your patience) that we may Taste of your wine, and see what cates you have; For soldiers' stomachs always serve them well. Count. With all my heart; and think me honoured To feast so great a warrior in my house. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. to speak, In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts: Let him, that is a true-born gentleman, And stands upon the honour of his birth, 30 If he suppose that I have pleaded truth, From off this briar pluck a white rose with me3. S. Let him that is no coward, nor no flatterer, But dare maintain the party of the truth, Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me. War. I love no colours4; and, without all colour Of base insinuating flattery, 35 40 I pluck this white rose, with Plantagenet. Ver. Stay, lords, and gentlemen; and pluck no more, 'Till you conclude that he, upon whose side The fewest roses are cropt from the tree, Shall yield the other in the right opinion. 45 Som. Good master Vernon, it is well objected; If I have fewest, I subscribe in silence. Plant. And I. 50 London. The Temple Garden. this silence? Ver. Then for the truth and plainness of the case, I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here, Giving my verdict on the white rose side. Som. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off; Lest, bleeding, you do paint the white rose red, And fall on my side so against your will. Ver. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed, Som. Well, well, come on: Who else? 1i. e. so foolish. The term merchant, which was, and now is, frequently applied to the lowest sort of dealers, seems anciently to have been used on familiar occasions in contradistinction to gentleman; signifying, that the person shewed by his behaviour he was a low fellow. The word chap, i. e. chapman, a word of the same import with merchant, in its less respectable sense, is still in common use, particularly in Staffordshire, and the adjoining counties, as a common denomination for any person of whom they mean to speak with freedom or disrespect. 3 The rose (as the fables say) was the symbol of silence, and consecrated by Cupid to Harpocrates, to conceal the lewd pranks of his mother. 4 Colours is here used ambiguously for tints and deceits. si. c. it is justly proposed. The The argument you held, was wrong in you; Som. No, Plantagenet, Som. Ay, thou shalt find us ready for thee still: And know us, by these colours, for thy foes; For these my friends, in spight of thee, shall wear. Plant. And, by my soul, this pale and angry rose, As cognisance of my blood-drinking hate, Will I for ever, and my faction, wear; Until it wither with me to my grave, Or flourish to the height of my degree. [bition! Suf. Go forward, and be choak'd with thy am10 And so farewell, until I meet thee next. [Exit. Som. Have with thee, Poole.-Farewell, ambitious Richard. [Exit. Plant. How I am brav'd, and must perforce endure it! [house, 'Tis not for fear; but anger-that thy cheeks Whiles thy consuming canker eats his falsehood. ing roses, War. This blot, that they object against your That shall maintain what I have said is true, Suf. I'll turn my part thereof into thy throat. His grandfather was Lionel duke of Clarence, Som. By him that made me, I'll inaintain my Plant. My father was attached, not attainted; 6 Plant. Thanks, gentle sir. Come, let us four to dinner: I dare say, A Room in the Tower. 45 These eyes-like lamps whose wasting oil is spent- By fashion is meant the badge of the red rose, which Somerset says he and his friends should be distinguish'd by. i. e. those who have no right to arms. 'The Temple, being a religious house, was an asylum, a place of exemption, from violence, revenge, and bloodshed. Exempt for excluded. i. c. opinion. A badge is called a cognisance à cognoscendo, because by it such persons as do wear it upon their sleeves, their shoulders, or in their hats, are manifestly known whose servants they are. Mr. Edwards observes, that Shakspeare has varied from the truth of history, to introduce this scene between Mortimer and Richard Plantagenet. Edmund Mortimerserved under Henry V. in 1422, and died unconfined in Ireland in 1424. Holinshed says, that Mortimer was one of the mourners at the funeral of Henry V. Mr. Steevens adds, "that his uncle, Sir John Mortimer, was indeed prisoner in the Tower, and was executed not long before the earl of March's death, being charged with an attempt to make his escape in order to stir up an insurrection in Wales." i. e. the heralds that, forerunning death, proclaim its approach. i. e. end, 8 But And answer was return'd, that he will come. Mor. Enough; my soul then shall be satisfy'd. Poor gentleman! his wrong doth equal mine. Since Henry Monmouth first began to reign, (Before whose glory I was great in arms,) This loathsome sequestration have I had; To king Edward t 5 From John of Ga And even since then hath Richard been obscur'd, 10 Long after this, wh Depriv'd of honour and inheritance; But now, the arbitrator of despairs, Just death, kind umpire of men's miseries, come, Succeeding his fat Thy father, earl of From famous Edm Marrying my sister 15 Again, in pity of m Levied an army; And have install'd But, as the rest, so And was beheaded In whom the title Plant. Of which, m Mor. True; and t And that my fainti Thou art my heir; yet be wary in Plant. Thy grave But yet, methinks, Was nothing less th Keep. My lord, your loving nephew now is stock, 25 Why didst thou say—of late thou wert despis'di Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me: But Mor. With silend Strong fixed is the And, like a mounta But now thy uncle i As princes do their With long continuar 35 Plant. Ö, uncle, w Might but redeem Mor. Thou dost th t'rer doth, Which giveth many 40 Mourn not, except t Only, give order for And so farewell; and And prosperousbethy Plan. And peace, n In prison hast thou s And like a hermit o Well, I will lock his And what I do imagi Keepers, convey hin 50 Will see his burial be Here dies the dusky Choak'd with ambiti And, for those wrong Which Somerset hatl 551 doubt not, but with And therefore haste I Either to be restored Or make my ill the a [was :45 Mor. I will; if that my fading breath permit, Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne: 5 6 That is, he that terminates or concludes misery. i.e. my uneasiness The sense is, I acknowledge thee to be my heir; the consequences wi thence, I recommend it to thee to draw. i.e. lucky or prosperous. speaker as reflecting on the ill fortune of Mortimer, in being always ma of the north in their rebellious intrigues; rather than in asserting his clair of his own princely ambition. he edg SCENE I. Flourish. Enter King Henry, Exeter, Gloster, Win. COM'ST thou with deep premeditated lines, With written pamphlets studiously devis'd, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me. [safe Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouch- Glo. As good? Thou bastard of my grandfather! Win. Ay, lordly sir; For what are you, I pray, Glo. Am I not protector, saucy priest? 5 Glo. Thou art reverent Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life. War. Roam thither then. Som. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. 15 Rich. Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue; 25 War. An uproar, I dare warrant, 30 Begun through malice of the bishop's men. [A noise again, Stones! Stones! Enter the Mayor of London, attended. Mayor. Oh, my good lords, and virtuous Pity the city of London, pity us! [Henry, 35 The bishop and the duke of Gloster's men, Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble-stones; 40 That many have their giddy brains knock'd out: Enter men in skirmish, with bloody pates. K.Henry.We charge you,on allegiance to ourself, 45 To hold your slaught'ring hands, and keep the Pray, uncle Gloster, mitigate this strife. [peace. 1 Serv. Nay, if we be 50 Forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth. Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish We, and our wives, and children, all will fight, is aunnoood to be derived from the cant of vagabonds. who |