BAST. Mine was fecure. REIG. And fo was mine, my lord, CHAR. And, for myself, moft part of all this night, Within her quarter, and mine own precinct, I was employ'd in paffing to and fro, About relieving of the fentinels: Then how, or which way, should they first break in? Puc. Queftion, my lords, no further of the cafe, How, or which way; 'tis fure, they found fome place But weakly guarded, where the breach was made. Alarum, Enter an English Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot! They fly, leaving their clothes behind. 4 SOLD. I'll be fo bold to take what they have left. The cry of Talbot ferves me for a fword; 3 platforms i. e. plans, fchemes. STEEVENS. Enter an English Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot!] And afterwards: "The cry of Talbot ferves me for a fword." Here a popular tradition, exclufive of any chronicle-evidence, was in Shakspeare's mind. Edward Kerke, the old commentator on Spenser's Paftorals, first publifhed in 1579, obferves in his notes on June, that Lord Talbot's" nobleneffe bred fuch a terrour in the hearts of the French, that oftimes greate armies were defaited and put to fight, at the only hearing of his name: infomuch that the French women, to affray their children, would tell them, that the TALBOT cometh." See alfo fc. iii. T. WARTON. The fame is faid in Drayton's Miferies of Queen Margaret, of Lord Warwick: "And ftill fo fearful was great Warwick's name, STELVENS For I have loaden me with many spoils, SCENE II. Orleans. Within the town. [Exit. Enter TALBOT, Bedford, BURGUNDY, a Captain, and Others. BED. The day begins to break, and night is fled, Whofe pitchy mantle o cr-veil'd the earth. Here found retreat, and cease our hot purfuit. [Retreat founded. TAL. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury; 4 In a note on a former paffage, p. 38, n. 7, I have quoted a paffage from Hall's Chronicle, which probably furnished the author of this play with this circumftance. It is not mentioned by Holinfhed, (Shakspeare's hiftorian,) and is one of the numerous proofs that have convinced me that this play was not the production of our author. See the Efay at the end of the Third Part of King Henry VI. It is furely more probable that the writer of this play fhould have taken this circumftance from the Chronicle which furnifhed him with his plot, than from the Comment on Spenser's Paftorals. MALONE. This is one of the floating atoms of intelligence which might have been orally circulated, and confequently have reached our author through other channels than thofe of Spenfer's annotator, or our English Chronicler. STEEVENS. 4 Now have I pay'd my vow unto his foul; &c.] So, in the old fpurious play of King John: Thus hath king Richard's fon perform'd his vow, "And offer'd Auftria's blood for facrifice "Unto his father's ever-living foul." STEEVENS. For every drop of blood was drawn from him, What ruin happen'd in revenge of him, A tomb, wherein his corpfe fhall be interr'd: I mufe, we met not with the Dauphin's grace; BED. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began, Rous'd on the fudden from their drowfy beds, They did, amongst the troops of armed men, Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field. BUR. Myself (as far as I could well difcern, That could not live afunder day or night. We'll follow them with all the power we have. MESS. All hail, my lords! which of this princely train Call ye the warlike Talbot, for his acts So much applauded through the realm of France? TAL. Here is the Talbot; Who would speak with him? MESS. The virtuous lady, countefs of Auvergne, With modesty admiring thy renown, By me entreats, great lord, thou wouldft vouchsafe To visit her poor caftle where the lies; 5 That she may boast, she hath beheld the man BUR. Is it even fo? Nay, then, I fee, our wars You may not, my lord, defpife her gentle fait. TAL. Ne'er truft me then; for, when a world of men Could not prevail with all their oratory, TAL. Well then, alone, fince there's no remedy, I mean to prove this lady's courtely. Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]-You perceive my mind. CAPT. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly. [Exeunt. 15 where he lies;] i. e. where the dwells. See Vol. XIII. P. 140, n. 6. MALONE. SCENE III, Auvergne, Court of the Castle. Enter the Countefs and her Porter. COUNT. Porter, remember what I gave in charge; And, when you have done fo, bring the keys to me. PORT. Madam, I will. [Exit. COUNT. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right, I fhall as famous be by this exploit, As Scythian Thomyris by Cyrus' death. Enter Meffenger and TALBOT. MESS. Madam, According as your ladyfhip defir'd, By meffage crav'd, fo is lord Talbot come. man? MESS. Madam, it is. COUNT. What is this the Is this the fcourge of France? Is this the Talbot, fo much fear'd abroad, their cenfure] i. e. their opinion. So, in King Richard III: STEEVENS. |