Enter Messenger and TALBOT. Mess. Madam, According as your ladyship desired, By message craved, so is Lord Talbot come. Count. And he is welcome. the man? Mess. Madam, it is. Count. What is this Is this the scourge of France? Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad That with his name the mothers still their babes? I see report is fabulous and false: I thought I should have seen some Hercules, And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs. It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp 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. Re-enter Porter with keys. Count. If thou be he, then art thou prisoner. 20 30 Count. To me, blood-thirsty lord; 22. silly, harmless, innocent. 23. writhled, wrinkled, shrivelled. 27. sort, choose. And for that cause I train'd thee to my house. But now the substance shall endure the like, And sent our sons and husbands captivate. Count. Laughest thou, wretch? thy mirth shall Tal. I laugh to see your ladyship so fond To think that you have aught but Talbot's shadow Count. Why, art not thou the man? Count. Then have I substance too. I am indeed. 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 't. Count. This is a riddling merchant for the nonce; He will be here, and yet he is not here: How can these contrarieties agree? Tal. That will I show you presently. [Winds his horn. 40 50 60 Drums strike up: a peal of ordnance. Enter Soldiers. How say you, madam? are you now persuaded 35. train'd, allured. 55. pitch, height. 57. merchant, fellow. ib. for the nonce; in Shake speare's undoubted works this phrase means 'fit for the occasion'; here it is rather without parallel,' 'singular in his kind.' That Talbot is but shadow of himself? These are his substance, sinews, arms and strength, Count. Victorious Talbot! pardon my abuse : I did not entertain thee as thou art. Tal. Be not dismay'd, fair lady; nor misconster The mind of Talbot, as you did mistake The outward composition of his body. What you have done hath not offended me; But only, with your patience, that we may To feast so great a warrior in my house. me [Exeunt. SCENE IV. London. The Temple-garden. Enter the EARLS OF SOMERSET, SUFFOLK, and Plan. Great lords and gentlemen, what means this silence? 73. misconster, misconstrue. 79. cates, dainties. Sc. 4. the Earl of Somerset, Edmund Beaufort, grandson of John of Gaunt; the Earl of Suffolk, William de la Pole; the " 70 80 Earl of Warwick, Richard Neville, the Kingmaker '; Richard Plantagenet, son of Anne Mortimer, and greatgreat-grandson of Lionel, Duke of Clarence. Dare no man answer in a case of truth? Suf. Within the Temple-hall we were too loud; The garden here is more convenient. Plan. Then say at once if I maintain'd the Or else was wrangling Somerset in the error? Som. Judge you, my Lord of Warwick, then, War. Between two hawks, which flies the h; Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth Between two blades, which bears the better temper : Between two horses, which doth bear him best; Plan. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbear ance: The truth appears so naked on my side Som. And on my side it is so well apparell'd, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts: And stands upon the honour of his birth, II. pitch, (in falconry) the height of the hawk's flight. 12. mouth, i.e. voice, bark. 17. quillets, subtleties. 26. significants, signs. If he suppose that I have pleaded truth, Som. Let him that is no coward nor no flatterer, War. I love no colours, and without all colour I pluck this white rose with Plantagenet. Suf. I pluck this red rose with young Somerset And say withal I think he held the right. Ver. Stay, lords and gentlemen, and pluck no more, Till you conclude that he upon whose side Som. Good Master Vernon, it is well objected: If I have fewest, I subscribe in silence. Plan. And I. Ver. Then for the truth and plainness of the case, I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here, Som. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off, Ver. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed, Som. Well, well, come on: who else? Law. Unless my study and my books be false, The argument you held was wrong in you; [To Somerset. In sign whereof I pluck a white rose too. 34. colour, specious pretence. 43. objected, proposed. 44. subscribe, yield. 30 40 50 |