Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall pay. 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. : 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: Tho' ftill the famifh'd English, like pale ghofts, 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, Reig. Salisbury is a defp'rate homicide, He fighteth as one weary of his life: Alan. Froyfard, a countryman of ours, records, For none but Sampfons and Goliafes It fendeth forth to fkirmish; one to ten! 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 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? A holy maid hither with me I bring, And drive the English forth the bounds of France. Dau. Go, call her in; but firft, to try her skill, 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? Be not amaz'd; there's nothing hid from me : 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 Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs, 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; Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword, 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; 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. |