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Tho' ftill the famish'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, daftards! 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.

Dan. Baftard 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 raife this tedious fiege;

:

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The fpirit of deep prophecy the hath,
Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome*
What's paft, and what's to come, the can defcry.
Speak, thall 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 itern:
By this means thall 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 mistakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to o.e of the Tarquins. Mi 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 majefty,
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 those clear rays which fhe infus'd on mẹ,
That beauty am I blefs'd with which you fee.
Afk me what question thou canft possible,
And I will anfwer 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 sword,
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 chofe forth.
[man.
Dau. Then come o'God's name, for I fear no wo-
Pucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

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

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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;

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd;
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be fo,

[me:

Let

Let me thy fervant and not sovereign 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. Doubtless he fhrives this woman to her fmock; Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his fpeech.

Reig. Shall we disturb him, since 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 devise 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 these wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water;

• Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
Till by broad spreading 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 inspired with a dove?
Thou with an eagle art inspired 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 worship thee?

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.

*Meaning the four daughters of Philip, mentioned AƐs xxi, who; had all the gift of prophefying; he being there alfo called Philip the Evangelift.

Reig. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our ho

nours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.

Dau. Prefently try; come, let's away about it. No prophet will I trust, if she proves falfe. [Exeunt.

SCENE VII. The Tower-gates in London.

Enter Gloucester, with his ferving-men.

Glou. I am this day come to furvey the Tower; Since Henry's death, I fear there is conveyance *. Where be thefe warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates. 'Tis Gloucester that calls.

1 Ward. Who's there that knocketh fo imperiously? I Man. It is the noble Duke of Gloucefter. 2 Ward. Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Man. Villains, answer you fo the Lord Protector? I Ward. The Lord protect him! fo we anfwer him; We do no otherwife than we are will'd.

Glou. Who willed you? or whofe will stands but There's none Protector of the realm but I.

Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize;
Shall I be flouted thus by dung-hill grooms?

[mine?

Gloucester's men rush at the Tower-gates, and Woodville the Lieutenant fpeaks within.

Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have we here? Glo. Lieutenant, is it you whofe voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Glo'fter that would enter. Wood. Have patience, Noble Duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchester forbids:

From him I have express commandment,

That thou, nor none of thine, fhall be let in.

Glou. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizeft him 'fore me? Arrogant Winchefer, that haughty prelate, Whom Henry, our late Sovereign, ne'er could brook? Thou art no friend to God, or to the King: Open the gate, or I'll fhut thee out fhortly.

Serv. Open the gates there to the Lord Protector; We'll burst them open, if you come not quickly.

way.

By conveyance is meant theft, a clandeftine conveyance of things a

Enter

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