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Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall pay.
I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown fhall be the ransom of my friend.
Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.
Farewel, my masters, to my task will I.
Bonefires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great St. George's feaft withal,
Ten thousand foldiers with me I will take,
Whofe bloody deeds fhall make all Europe quake.

3 Meff. So you had need: for Orleans is befiege'd; The English army is grown weak and faint; The Earl of Salisbury craveth fupply,

And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,

Since they fo few watch fuch a multitude.

Exe. Remember, Lords, your oaths to Henry fworn: Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

Bed. I do remember it, and here take leave

To go about my preparation.

[Exit Bedford.

Glou. I'll to the Tower with all the hafte I can, To view th' artillery and ammunition;

And then I will proclaim young Henry King.

[Exit Gloucefter.

Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young King is, Being ordain'd his fpecial governor;

And for his fafety there I'll best devife.

[Exit.

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend ;

I am left out; for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be thus out of office,

:

The King from Eltham I intend to fend,

And fit at chiefeft ftern of public weal.

[Exit.

SCENE V. Before Orleans in France.

Enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier, marching with a drum and foldiers.

Char. Mars his true moving, ev'n as in the heav'ns, So in the earth to this day is not known. Late did he thine upon the English fide: Now we are vi&ors, upon us he smiles. What towns of any moment but we have? At pleasure here we lie near Orleans:

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Tho' ftill the famifh'd English, like pale ghofts,
Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alan. They want their porridge, and their fat bullEither they must be dieted like mules,

[beeves; And have their provender ty'd to their mouths, Or piteous they will look like drowned mice.

Reig. Let's raife the fiege: why live we idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury, And he may well in fretting spend his gall; Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

Char. Sound, found alarm: we will rush on them. Now for the honour of the forlorn French.

Him I forgive my death, that killeth me,

When he fees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt. [Here alarm, they are beaten back by the English with great lofs.

Re-enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier.

Char. Who ever faw the like

what men have I?

Dogs, cowards, dastards! I would ne'er have fled,
But that they left me 'midst my enemies.

Reig. Salisbury is a defp'rate homicide,

He fighteth as one weary of his life:
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

Alan. Froyfard, a countryman of ours, records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands * bred,
During the time Edward the Third did reign.
More truly now may this be verified;

For none but Sampfons and Goliafes

It fendeth forth to fkirmish; one to ten!
Lean raw-bon'd rafcals! who would e'er fuppofe,
They had fuch courage and audacity!

Char. Let's leave this town, for they are hair-brain'd And hunger will inforce them be more eager. [flaves,

❤ These were two of the most famous in the lift of Charlemagne's twelve peers; and their exploits are render'd fo ridiculously and equally extravagant by the old romancers, that from thence arcfe that favi. g amongst our plain and fenfible ancestors, of giving one a Rowland for bis Oliver, to fignify the matching one incredible lye with another. Mr. Warburton.

Of

Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they'll tear down than forfake the fiege.
Reig. I think, by fome old gimmals or device,
Their arms are fet like clocks, ftill to ftrike on;
Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo as they do.
By my confent we'll e'en let them alone.
Alan. Be it fo.

Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

Baft. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

Dau. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Baft. Methinks your looks are fad, your chear appal'd.

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not difmay'd, for fuccour is at hand :

A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which by a vifion, fent to her from heav'n,
Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege;

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophecy fhe hath,
Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome*:
What's paft, and what's to come, the can defcry.
Speak, fhall I call her in? believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

Dau. Go, call her in; but firft, to try her skill,
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Question her proudly, let thy looks be ftern:
By this means fhall we found what kill the hath.

SCENE VI. Enter Joan la Pucelle.

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do thefe wondrous, feats?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin? come, come from behind;
I know thee well, tho' never feen before.

Be not amaz'd; there's nothing hid from me :
In private will I talk with thee apart;

Stand back, you Lords, and give us leave a while,

There were no nine Sibyls of Rome: but he confounds things, and miftakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Tarquins. Mr Warburton.

Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Pucel. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's daughter, My wit untrain'd in any kind of art:

Heav'n and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd
To fhine on my contemptible estate.

Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;
And, in a vifion full of majesty,
Will'd me to leave my bafe yocation,
And free my country from calamity :
Her aid fhe promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs.
In compleat glory fhe reveal'd herself;
And, whereas I was black and fwart before,
With thofe clear rays which fhe infus'd on me,
That beauty am I blefs'd with which you fee.
Ask me what queflion thou canft poffible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'ft,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my fex.
Refolve on this, thou fhalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Dau. Thou haft aftonifh'd me with thy high terms: Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,

In fingle combat thou fhalt buckle with me;
And if thou vanquifheft, thy words are true;
Otherwife I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword,
Deck'd with fine flow'r-de-luces on each fide;
The which, at Tourain, in St. Catharine's church,
Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth.
[man.

Dau. Then come o'God's name, for I fear no woPucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

[Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes, Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands; thou art an Amazon, And fighteft with the fword of Debora.

Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too weak.

Dau. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help Impatiently I burn with thy defire;

[me:

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd;

Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be fo,

Let

Let me thy fervant and not fovereign be;
'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.
Pucel. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profeffion's facred from above:
When I have chaced all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau. Mean time, look gracious on thy proftrate thrall.

Reig. My Lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alan, Doubtlefs he fhrives this woman to her fmock; Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his fpeech.

Reig. Shall we disturb him, fince he keeps no mean? Alan. He may mean more than we poor men do

know;

These women are fhrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My Lord, where are you? what devife you on? Shall we give over Orleans or no?

Pucel. Why, no, I fay; diftrustful recreants! Fight till the laft gafp, for I'll be your guard. Dau. What the fays I'll confirm; we'll fight it out. Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English fcourge. This night the fiege affuredly I'll raife: Expect Saint Martin's fummer, Halcyon days, Since I have enter'd thus into thefe wars. Glory is like a circle in the water; Which never ceafeth to enlarge itself, Till by broad fpreading it difperfe to nought. With Henry's death the English circle ends; Difperfed are the glories it included. Now am I like that proud infulting fhip, Which Cæfar and his fortune bore at once. Dau. Was Mahomet infpired with a dove? Thou with an eagle art infpired then. Helen the mother of great Conftantine, Nor yet St. Philip's daughters *, were like thee. Bright ftar of Venus, fall'n down on the earth, How may I reverently worthip thee?

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raife the fiege.

Meaning the four daughters of Philip, mentioned As xxi, whop had all the gift of prophetying; he being there alfo called Philip the Evangelift.

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