The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE II. _Before Bourdeaux_.
_Gen._ Thou ominous and fearful owl of death, ·adb015· Our nation’s terror and their bloody scourge! The period of thy tyranny approacheth. On us thou canst not enter but by death; For, I protest, we are well fortified And strong enough to issue out and fight: ·adb020· If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed, Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee: [adb022] On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch’d, To wall thee from the liberty of flight; And no way canst thou turn thee for redress, ·adb025· But death doth front thee with apparent spoil And pale destruction meets thee in the face. Ten thousand French have ta’en the sacrament [adb028] To rive their dangerous artillery [adb029] Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot. ·adb030· Lo, there thou stand’st, a breathing valiant man, Of an invincible unconquer’d spirit! This is the latest glory of thy praise That I, thy enemy, due thee withal; [adb034] For ere the glass, that now begins to run, ·adb035· Finish the process of his sandy hour, These eyes, that see thee now well coloured, Shall see thee wither’d, bloody, pale and dead. [adb038] [_Drum afar off._ Hark! hark! the Dauphin’s drum, a warning bell, Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul; ·adb040· And mine shall ring thy dire departure out. [adb041] [_Exeunt General, &c._
_Tal._ He fables not; I hear the enemy: Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings. O, negligent and heedless discipline! How are we park’d and bounded in a pale, ·adb045· A little herd of England’s timorous deer, Mazed with a yelping kennel of French curs! If we be English deer, be then in blood; Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch, But rather, moody-mad and desperate stags, [adb050] Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel And make the cowards stand aloof at bay: Sell every man his life as dear as mine, [adb053] And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends. God and Saint George, Talbot and England’s right, ·adb055· Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight! [adb056] [_Exeunt._
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.