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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,
And his achievements of no less account:

Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears,
To give their censure of these rare reports.

Enter Messenger and TALBOT.

MESS. Madam,

According as your ladyship defir'd,

By message crav'd, so is lord Talbot come.

COUNT. And he is welcome.

man?

What! is this the

Is this the scourge of France?

MESS. Madam, it is.

COUNT.

Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad,

is

their cenfure-] i. e. their opinion. So, in King

Richard III :

" And give your cenfures in this weighty business.".

STEEVENS.

That with his name the mothers still their babes?
I fee, report is fabulous and false :

I thought, I should have seen some Hercules,
A fecond Hector, for his grim aspect,
And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs,
Alas! this is a child, a filly dwarf:
It cannot be, this weak and writhled shrimp-
Should ftrike such terror to his enemies.

A

TAL. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you: But, fince your ladyship is not at leisure, I'll fort fome other time to visit you,

COUNT. What means he now ?-Go afk him,

whither he goes.

MESS. Stay, my lord Talbot; for my lady craves To know the cause of your abrupt departure. TAL. Marry, for that she's in a wrong belief, I go to certify her, Talbot's here.

Re-enter Porter, with keys.

COUNT. If thou be he, then art thou prifoner. TAL. Prifoner! to whom?

COUNT.

To me, blood-thirsty lord; And for that cause I train'd thee to my house. Long time thy shadow hath been thrall to me,

5 That with his name the mothers still their babes?] Dryden has transplanted this idea into his Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: "Nor (hall Sebastian's formidable name

" Be longer us'd, to lull the crying babe." STEEVENS. 6 writhled] i. e. wrinkled. The word is used by Spenser. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads - wrizled, which has been followed in fubfequent editions. MALONE.

The instance from Spenser, is the following:

" Her writhled skin, as rough as maple rind."

STEEVENS.

For in my gallery thy picture hangs:
But now the substance shall endure the like;
And I will chain these legs and arms of thine,
That haft by tyranny, these many years,
Wasted our country, flain our citizens,
And fent our fons and husbands captivate."

TAL. Ha, ha, ha!

COUNT. Laughest thou, wretch? thy mirth shall

turn to moan.

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TAL. I laugh to fee your ladyship so fond,
To think that you haveaught but Talbot's shadow,
Whereon to practice your severity.

COUNT. Why, art not thou the man?
TAL.

I am indeed.

COUNT. Then have I substance too.
TAL. No, no, I am but shadow of myself: 9

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 fraine here;
It is of such a spacious lofty pitch,
Your roof were not fufficient to contain it.

COUNT. This is a riddling merchant for the

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captivate. So, in Soliman and Perfeda:
"If not deftroy'd and bound, and captivate,
"If captivate, then forc'd from holy faith."

STEEVENS.

so fond, ] i. e so foolish. So, in King Henry IV. Part II. "Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence."

STEEVENS.

I am but shadow of myself: ) So, in King Henry VIII: "I am the shadow of poor Buckingham." STEEVENS. This is a riddling merchant &c.] So, in Romeo and Juliet :

What faucy merchant was this?"

See a note on this passage, A& II. fc. iv. STEEVENS.

He will be here, and yet he is not here:
How can these contrarieties agree?

TAL. That will I show you presently,
Hewinds d horn. Drums heard; then a peal of ord-
nance. The gates being forced, enter Soldiers.
How say you, madam? are you now perfuaded,
That Talbot is but shadow of himself?
These are his substance, finews, arms, and strength,
With which he yoketh your rebellious necks;
Razeth your cities, and fubverts your towns,
And in a moment makes them defolate.

COUNT. Victorious Talbot! pardon my abuse: I find, thou art no less than fame hath bruited,4 And more than may be gather'd by thy shape. Let my prefumption not provoke thy wrath; For I am forry, that with reverence 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: No other fatisfaction do I crave, But only (with your patience,) that we may Taste of your wine, and fee what cates you have; For foldiers' stomachs always serve them well.

COUNT. With all my heart; and think me honoured

To feast so great a warrior in my house. [Exeunt.

3 That will I show you presently.] The deficient foot in this line may properly be supplied, by reading

4

That, madam, will I show you presently. STEEVENS.

--bruited,] To bruit is to proclaim with noise, to announce

loudly. So, in Macbeth:

one of greatest note

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SCENE IV.

London. The Temple Garden.

Enter the Earls of SOMERSET, SUFFOLK, and WARWICK; RICHARD PLANTAGENET, VERNON, and another Lawyer.

2

PLAN. Great lords, and gentlemen what means this filence?

Dare no man answer in a cafe 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, elfe, was wrangling Somerset in the error?3
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.

WAR. Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch. Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth,

* and another Lawyer.) Read - a lawyer. This lawyer was probably Roger Nevyle, who was afterward hanged. See W. Wyrcester, p. 478.

RITSON.

3 Or, elfe, wus wrangling Somerset in the error?] So all the editions. There is apparently a want of oppofition between the two questions. I once read,

Or else was wrangling Somerfet i'th' right? JOHNSON.

Sir T. Hanmer would read:

And was not -. STEEVENS.

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