I mean to prove this lady's courtesy. Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]-You perceive my mind. Capt. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly. [Exeunt. SCENE III-Auvergne. Court of the castle. Enter the Countess and her Porter. Count. Porter, remember what I gave in charge; And, when you have done so, bring the keys to me. Port. Madam, I will. [Exit Count. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right, I shall as famous be by this exploit, As Scythian Thomyris by Cyrus' death. Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight, Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears Enter Messenger and TALBOT. Mess. Madam, According as your ladyship desir'd, By message crav'd, so is lord Talbot come. Count. And he is welcome. Mess. Madam, it is. Count. What! is this the man? 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. Alas! this is a child, a silly dwarf : It cannot be, this weak and writhled shrimp Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you: I'll sort some other time to visit you. Count. What means he now?-Go ask him, whither he goes. Mess. Stay, my lord Talbot; for my lady craves Re-enter Porter, with keys. Count. If thou be he, then art thou prisoner. Count. But now the substance shall endure the like; Count. Laughest thou, wretch? thy mirth shall turn to moan. 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? I am indeed. 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. 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. He winds a horn. Drums heard; then a peal of ordnance. How say you, madam? are you now persuaded, 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 misconstrue 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 Taste of your wine, and see what eates you have; Count. With all my heart; and think me honoured To feast so great a warrior in my house. [Exeunt. SCENE IV-London. The Temple garden. Enter the Earls of SOMERSET, SUFFOLK, and WARWICK; RICH. PLANTAGENET, VERNON, and another Lawyer. Plan. Great lords, and gentlemen, what means this silence? 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 truth; Or, else, was wrangling Somerset in th'error? Suf. 'Faith, I have been a truant in the law; And 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. War. Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch, Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth, Between two blades, which bears the better temper, Between two horses, which doth bear him best, Between two girls, which hath the merriest eye, I have, perhaps, some shallow spirit of judgement: But in these nice sharp quillets of the law, Good faith, I am no wiser than a daw. Plan. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbearance: The truth appears so naked on my side, That any purblind eye may find it out. 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. Plan. Since you are tongue-ty'd, and so loath to speak, In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts: Let him, that is a true-born gentleman, And stands upon the honour of his birth, If he suppose that I have pleaded truth, From off this brier pluck a white rose with me. Som. 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 colours; and, without all colour Of base insinuating flattery, 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. Till Ver. Stay, lords, and gentlemen; and pluck no more, you conclude that he, upon whose side The fewest roses are cropp'd from the tree, shall yield the other in the right opinion. 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, Giving my verdict on the white rose side. Som. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off; Ver. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed, |