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,
Whereon to practise your severity.

Count. Why, art not thou the man?
Tal.

44

I am, indeed. 48

Count. Then have I substance too.
Tal. No, no, I am but shadow of myself:
You are deceiv'd, my substance is not here;
For what you see is but the smallest part
And least proportion of humanity.

I tell you, madam, were the whole frame here,
It is of such a spacious lofty pitch,

Your roof were not sufficient to contain it.

52

56

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.

60

Winds his horn. Drums strike up; a peal of ordnance. Enter Soldiers.

How say you, madam? are you now persuaded
That Talbot is but shadow of himself?

64

These are his substance, sinews, arms, and strength,
With which he yoketh your rebellious necks,
Razeth your cities, and subverts your towns,
And in a moment makes them desolate.

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

68

55 pitch: height 60 presently: immediately

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; Nor other satisfaction do I crave,

72

76

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 hon-
oured

To feast so great a warrior in my house.

81

Exeunt.

Scene Four.

[London. The Temple Garden]

Enter Richard Plantagenet, Warwick, Somerset, Pole [Earl of Suffolk], and others [Vernon and a 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, be

tween us.

73 misconster: misconstrue 79 cates: delicacies

6 Cf. n.

7 Cf. n.

War. Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch;

Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth; Between two blades, which bears the better tem

per;

Between two horses, which doth bear him best;
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.

13

16

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,

24

That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. Plan. Since you are tongue-tied, 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,

28

But dare maintain the party of the truth,

32

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.

And say withal I think he held the right.

Ver. Stay, lords and gentlemen, and pluck no more,

17 quillets: subtleties

26 significants: signs

34 colours: pun on meaning, 'pretences' 36 Plantagenet; cf. n. on I. iv. 95

32 party: side

36

Suf. I pluck this red rose with young Somerset:

Till 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.

40

44

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.

48

Ver. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed,

52

Opinion shall be surgeon to my hurt,

And keep me on the side where still I am.
Som. Well, well, come on: who else?
Lawyer. [To Somerset.] Unless my study and my
books be false,

The argument you held was wrong in you,

56

In sign whereof I pluck a white rose too.

Plan. Now, Somerset, where is your argument? Som. Here, in my scabbard; meditating that Shall dye your white rose in a bloody red.

60

Plan. Meantime, your cheeks do counterfeit our

roses;

For pale they look with fear, as witnessing
The truth on our side.

Som.
No, Plantagenet,
'Tis not for fear but anger that thy cheeks
Blush for pure shame to counterfeit our roses,
And yet thy tongue will not confess thy error.
Plan. Hath not thy rose a canker, Somerset?

43 objected: proposed

68 canker: canker-worm

64

44 subscribe: submit

Som. Hath not thy rose a thorn, Plantagenet? 69 Plan. Ay, sharp and piercing, to maintain his truth;

Whiles thy consuming canker eats his falsehood.

Som. Well, I'll find friends to wear my bleeding

roses,

That shall maintain what I have said is true,
Where false Plantagenet dare not be seen.

Plan. Now, by this maiden blossom in my hand,

I scorn thee and thy faction, peevish boy.

72

76

Suf. Turn not thy scorns this way, Plantagenet. Plan. Proud Pole, I will, and scorn both him and thee.

Suf. I'll turn my part thereof into thy throat. Som. Away, away! good William de la Pole: We grace the yeoman by conversing with him.

80

War. Now, by God's will, thou wrong'st him, Somerset:

His grandfather was Lionel, Duke of Clarence, Third son to the third Edward, King of England. 84 Spring crestless yeomen from so deep a root?

Plan. He bears him on the place's privilege,

Or durst not, for his craven heart, say thus.

Som. By Him that made me, I'll maintain my words

On any plot of ground in Christendom.

Was not thy father, Richard Earl of Cambridge,
For treason executed in our late king's days?
And, by his treason stand'st not thou attainted,
Corrupted, and exempt from ancient gentry?
His trespass yet lives guilty in thy blood;
And, till thou be restor❜d, thou art a yeoman.

81 the yeoman; cf. n.

93 exempt; cut off

88

94

86 bears him on: takes advantage of