Page 203 - Shakespeare - Vol. 1

O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!

GARGRAVE

O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man! [70]

T ALBOT

What chance is this that suddenly hath crossed us?
Speak, Salisbury - at least if thou canst, speak!
How far’st thou, mirror of all martial men?
One of thy eyes and thy cheek’s side struck off?
Accursèd tower, accursèd fatal hand [75]
That hath contrived this woeful tragedy!
In thirteen battles Salisbury o’ercame;
Henry the Fifth he first trained to the wars.
Whilst any trump did sound or drum struck up
His sword did ne’er leave striking in the field. [80]
Yet liv’st thou, Salisbury? Though thy speech doth fail,
One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace:
The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.
Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive
If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands! - [85]
Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
Speak unto Talbot, nay look up to him. -
Bear hence his body; I will help to bury it.

[Exeunt some with the body of Gargrave.]
Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort,
Thou shalt not die whiles - [90]
He beckons with his hand and smiles on me
As who should say, ‘When I am dead and gone,
Remember to avenge me on the French.’
Plantagenet, I will; and, like thee, Nero,
Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn. [95]
Wretched shall France be only in my name.

Here an alarum and it thunders and lightens.
What stir is this? What tumult’s in the heavens?
Whence cometh this alarum and the noise?

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER

My lord, my lord, the French have gathered head: