The Plays of William Shakspeare

HENRY VI.

Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high

terms;

Only this proof I'll of thy valour make, —
In single combat thou shalt buckle with me:
And, if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;
Otherwise, I renounce all confidence.

Puc. I am prepar'd : here is my keen-edg'd sword,
Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side;
The which, at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's church-
yard,

Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth.

Char. Then come o' God's name, I fear no woman. Puc And, while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man. [They fight. Char. Stay, stay thy hands; thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak.

Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me :

Impatiently I burn with thy desire:

My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu'd.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy servant, and not sovereign, be;
'Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.

Puc. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profession's sacred from above:
When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompense.

Char. Mean time, look gracious on thy prostrate
thrall.

Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.
Alen. Doubtless, he shrives this woman to her

smock;

Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech.
Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no

mean?

Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do
know:

These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues.
Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on?
Shall we give over Orleans, or no?

Puc. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants!
Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard.
Char. What she says, I'll confirm; we'll fight

it out.

Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge.
This night the siege assuredly I'll raise :
Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days,
Since I have entered into these wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,

Till, by broad spreading, it disperse to nought.
With Henry's death, the English circle ends;
Dispersed are the glories it included.
Now am I like that proud insulting ship,
Which Cæsar and his fortune bare at once.
Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
Thou with an eagle art inspired then.
Helen, the mother of great Constantine,

Nor yet, Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee enough?
Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.
Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our
honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.
- Come, let's away
Char. Presently we'll try: -

about it:

No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt.

London. Hill before the Tower.

SCENE III.
Enter, at the gates, the DUKE OF GLOSTER, with his
Serving-men, in blue coats.

Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day:
Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.
Open the gates; Gloster it is that calls.

[Servants knock.
1 Ward. [Within.] Who is there that knocks so
imperiously?

1 Serv. It is the noble duke of Gloster.
2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not
be let in.

1 Serv. Answer you so the lord protector, villains?
1 Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! so we
answer him:

We do no otherwise than we are will'd.

Glo. Who willed you or whose will stands, but
mine?

There's none protector of the realm, but I. —
Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize :
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?

Servants rush at the Tower gates.

Enter to the

gates, WOODVILLE, the Lieutenant.

Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what

traitors have we here?

hear?.

Glo. Lieutenant, is it you, whose voice
Open the gates; here's Gloster, that would enter.
Wood. [Within.] Have patience, noble duke;

may not open;

The cardinal of Winchester forbids:
From him I have express commandment,
That thou, nor none of thine, shall be let in.
Glo. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore
me?

Arrogant Winchester? that haughty prelate,
Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could
brook?

Thou art no friend to God, or to the king:
Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.

1 Serv. Open the gates unto the lord protector;
quickly.
Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not

Enter WINCHESTER, attended by a Train of Servants in tawny coats.

Win. How now, ambitious Humphrey? what means this?

Glo. Piel'd priest, dost thou command me to be
shut out?

Win. I do, thou most usurping proditor,
And not protector of the king or realm.

Win. Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a

foot;

This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,
To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

Glo. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back:
Thy scarlet robes, as a child's bearing cloth
I'll use, to carry thee out of this place.

Win. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy
face.

Glo. What? am I dar'd, and bearded to my face?

Draw, men, for all this privileged place;
Blue-coats to tawny-coats. Priest, beware your
beard;

[GLOSTER and his men attack the Bishop.
I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly:
Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat;
In spite of pope, or dignities of church,
Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.
Win. Gloster, thou'lt answer this before the

pope.

Glo. Winchester goose, I cry · -a rope! a rope! Now beat them hence, Why do you let them stay? Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array. Out, tawney-coats ! · -out, scarlet hypocrite!

Here a great tumult.

SCENE IV.

ACT L

France. Before Orleans.

Enter, on the walls, the Master-Gunner and he
Son.

M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is
besieg'd;

And how the English have the suburbs won.

Son. Father, I know; and oft have shot at them, Howe'er, unfortunate, I missed my aim.

M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. Be thou rul'd
by me :

Something I must do, to procure me grace.
Chief master gunner am I of this town;
The prince's espials have informed me,
How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd,
Wont, through a secret grate of iron bars
In yonder tower, to overpeer the city;
And thence discover, how, with most advantage,
They may vex us, with shot, or with assault.
To intercept this inconvenience,

A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd;
And fully even these three days have I watch'd,
If I could see them. Now, boy, do thou watch,
For I can stay no longer.

If thou spy'st any, run and bring me word;
In the midst of it, Enter the And thou shalt find me at the governor's.
Mayor of London, and Officers.
Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care;
[Exit.
I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them.

May. Fye, lords! that you, being supreme ma

gistrates,

Thus contumeliously should break the peace!
Glo. Peace, mayor; thou know'st little of my
wrongs:

Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,
Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use.

Win. Here's Gloster, too, a foe to citizens;
One that still motions war,
and never peace,
O'ercharging your free purses with large fines;
That seeks to overthrow religion,
Because he is protector of the realm;

And would have armour here out of the Tower,
To crown himself king, and suppress the prince.
Glo. I will not answer thee with words, but
blows.
[Here they skirmish again.
May. Nought rests for me, in thus tumultuous
strife,

But to make open proclamation: -
Come, officer, as loud as e'er thou can'st.

Off. All manner of men, assembled here in arms this
day, against God's peace and the king's, we charge
and command you, in his highness' name, to repair
to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear,
halle, or use, any word, weapon, or dagger,
henceforward, upon pain of death.

Gio. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law : But we shall meet, and break our minds at large. Win. Gloster, we'll meet; to thy dear cost, be

sure:

Thy heart-blood I will have, for this day's work.
May. I'll call for clubs, if you will not away:
This cardinal is more haughty than the devil.
Glo. Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou
may'st.

Win. Abominable Gloster! guard thy head;
For I intend to have it, ere icng.
[Exeunt.

May. See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart.

Good God! that nobles should such stomachs bear! í myself fight not once in forty year. [Exerat.

Enter, in an upper chamber of a tower, the LORDS
SALISBURY and TALBOT, Sir WILLIAM GLANS-
DALE, Sir THOMAS Gargrave, and others.

Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd!
How wert thou handled, being prisoner?
Or by what means got'st thou to be releas'd?
Discourse, I pr'ythee, on this turret's top.
Tal. The duke of Bedford had a prisoner,
Called the brave lord Ponton de Santrailles ;
For him I was exchang'd and ransomed.
But with a baser man of arms by far,
Which I, disdaining, scorn'd; and craved death
Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd me
Rather than I would be so pil'd esteem'd.
In fine, redeem'd I was as I desir'd.
But, O! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my
heart!

Whom with my bare fists I would execute,
If I now had him brought into my power.
Sal. Yet tell'st thou not, how thou wert enter-
tain'd.

Tal.

With scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious

taunts.

In open market-place produc'd they me,
To be a publick spectacle to all :

Here, said they, is the terror of the French,
The scare-crow that affrights our children so.
Then broke I from the officers that led me ;
And with my nails digg'd stones out of the
ground,

To hurl at the beholders of my shame.

My grisly countenance made others fly;
None durst come near, for fear of sudden death.
In iron walls they deem'? me not secure ;

So great fes of my ame 'mongst them was
spread.

That they suppos'd, I could rand bars of steel,
And spurn in pieces posts of subent:
Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had,
That walk'd about me every minute-while ;

And if I did out stir out of my bed, Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.

Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you endur'd; | Alarum. Skirmishings. TALBOT pursueth the DauBut we will be reveng'd sufficiently. Now it is supper-time in Orleans:

Here, through this grate, I can count every one, And view the Frenchinen how they fortify;

Let us look in, the sight will much delight thee.
Sir Thomas Gargrave, and sir William Glansdale,
Let me have your express opinions,
Where is best place to make our battery next.

Gar. I think, at the north gate; for there stand lords.

Glan. And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge. Tal. For aught I see, this city must be famish'd, Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.

[Shot from the town.

SALISBURY and Sir THO. GARGRAVE fall.

Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!

Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful inan!
Tal. What chance is this, that suddenly hath
cross'd 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.
Accursed tower! accursed fatal hand,
That hath contriv'd this woeful tragedy!
In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame ;
Henry the fifth he first train'd to the wars;
Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up,
His sword did ne'er leave striking in the field. -
Yet liv'st thou, Salisbury? though thy speech doth
fail,

phin, and driveth him in; then enter JOAN LA PUCELLE, driving Englishmen before her. enter TALBOT.

Then

Devil, or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee:
Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a witch,
And straightway give thy soul to him thou serv'st,
Puc. Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace
[They fight.

thee.

Tal. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail? My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage, And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder, But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet.

Puc. Talbot, farewell; thy hour is not yet come : I must go victual Orleans forthwith. O'ertake me, if thou canst; I scorn thy strength. Go, go, cheer up thy hunger-starved men ; Help Salisbury to make his testament : This day is ours, as many more shall be.

[PUCELLE enters the Town, with Soldiers. Tal. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel;

I know not where I am, nor what I do :
A witch, by fear not force, like Hannibal,
Drives back our ups, and conquers as she lists:
So bees with smoke, and doves with noisome stench,
Are from their hives, and houses, driven away.
They call'd us, for our fierceness, English dogs;
Now, like to whelps, we crying run away.

[A short alarum.

Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight,
Or tear the lions out of England's coat;
Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions' stead:
Sheep run not half so timorous from the wolf,
Or horse, or oxen, from the leopard,
As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves.
[Alarum. Another skirmish.
It will not be : Retire into your trenches:
You all consented unto Salisbury's death,
For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.
Pucelle is enter'd into Orleans,

In spite of us, or aught that we could do.
O, would I were to die with Salisbury!
The shame hereof will make me hide my head!
[Alarum. Retreat. Exeunt TALBOT and his
Forces, &c.

Enter, on the walls, PUCELLE, CHARLES, REIGNIER, ALENÇON, and Soldiers.

Puc. Advance our waving colours on the walls;
Rescu'd is Orleans from the English wolves:
Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.
Char. Divinest creature, bright Astræa's daugh-
ter,

How shall I honour thee for this success?
Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens,
That one day bloom'd, and fruitful were the next. —-

France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess ! -
Recover'd is the town of Orleans:
More blessed hap did ne'er befall our state.
Reg. Why ring not out the bells throughout the
town?

Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires,
And feast and banquet in the open streets,
To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.
Alen. All France will be replete with mirth and
joy,

When they shall hear how we have play'd the men.
Char. 'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is

won;

For which, I will divide my crown with her :

And all the priests and friars in my realm
Shall, in procession, sing her endless praise.
A statelier pyramis to her I'll rear,
Than Rhodope's, or Memphis', ever was:
In memory of her, when she is dead,
Her ashes, in an urn more precious
Than the rich jewel'd coffer of Darius,
Transported shall be at high festivals
Before the kings and queens of France.
No longer on Saint Dennis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint.
Come in and let us banquet royally,
After this golden day of victory.

[Flourish.

Ereunt.

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(When others sleep upon their quiet beds,) Constrain'd to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and Forces, unth scaling ladders; their drums beating a dead march.

Tal. Lord regent, — and redoubted Burgundy,By whose approach, the regions of Artois, Walloon, and Picardy, are friends to us, This happy night the Frenchmen are secure, Having all day carous'd and banqueted : Embrace we then this opportunity; As fitting best to quittance their deceit, Contriv'd by art, and baleful sorcery.

Bed. Coward of France! - how much he wrongs his fame,

Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,

To join with witches, and the help of hell.

Bur. Traitors have never other company.

But what's that Pucelle, whom they term so pure?
Tal. A maid, they say.
Bed.

A maid! and be so martial!

Bur. Pray God, she prove not masculine ere

long;

If underneath the standard of the French,

She carry armour, as she hath begun.

Of English Henry, shall this night appear
How much in duty I am bound to both.

[The English scale the walls, crying St. George!
a Talbot! and all enter by the Town.
Sent. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth mak‹
assault!

The French leap over the walls in their shirts. Enter, several ways, Bastard, ALENÇON, REIG NIER, half ready, and half unready.

Alen. How now, my lords? what, all unready so Bast. Unready? ay, and glad we 'scap'd so well. Reig. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,

Hearing alarums at our chamber doors.

Alen. Of all exploits, since first I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize More venturous, or desperate than this.

Bast. I think, this Talbot be a fiend of hell.

Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour

him.

Alen. Here cometh Charles; I marvel, how he sped.

Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE.

Bast. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal, Make us partakers of a little gain,

That now our loss might be ten times so much?
Puc. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his
friend?

At all times will you have my power alike?
Sleeping, or waking, must I still prevail,
Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?

Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with Improvident soldiers! had your watch been good,

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About relieving of the sentinels:
Then how, or which way, should they first break in?
Puc. Question, my lords, ne further of the case,
How, or which way; 'tis sure, they found some place
But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.
And now there rests no other shift but this,
To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispers'd,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.

Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying a Talbot! a Talbot! They fly, leaving their clothes behind.

Sold. I'll be so bold to take what they have left. The cry of Talbot serves me for a sword; For I have loaden me with many spoils, Using no other weapon but his name.

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Bed. No, truly; it is more than manners will : And I have heard it said,— Unbidden guests Are often welcomest when they are gone.

Tal. Well then, alone, since there's no remedy, [Exit. I mean to prove this lady's courtesy. Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]- You perceive my mind.

Within the Town.

SCENE II. - Orleans. Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, a Captain, and others.

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled, Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth. Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit.

[Retreat sounded.
Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury;
And here advance it in the market-place,
The middle centre of this cursed town.
Now have I paid my vow unto his soul;
For every drop of blood was drawn from him,
There hath at least five Frenchmen died to-night.
And, that hereafter ages may behold
What ruin happen'd in revenge of him,
Within their chiefest temple I'll erect

A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd:
Upon the which, that every one may read,
Shall be engrav'd the sack of Orleans;
The treacherous manner of his mournful death,
And what a terror he had been to France.
But, lords, in all our bloody massacre,

I muse, we met not with the Dauphin's grace;
His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc;
Nor any of his false confederates.

Enter the CoUNTESS and her Porter. 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.

Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad,

began,

Rous'd on the sudden from their drowsy beds,
They did, amongst the troops of armed men,
Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field.

Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern,
For smoke, and dusky vapours of the night,)
Am sure, I scar'd the Dauphin, and his trull;
When arm in arm they both came swiftly running,
Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves,
That could not live asunder day or night.
After that things are set in order here,
We'll follow them with all the power we have.

Enter a Messenger.

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

I thought, I should have seen some Hercules,
A second Hector, for his grim aspéct,
And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.
Alas! this is a child, a silly dwarf:

It cannot be, this weak and writhled shrimp
Should strike such terror to his enemies.

Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you :
But, since your ladyship is not at leisure,
I'll sort some other time to visit you.
Count. What means he now? Go ask him,
whither he goes.

Mess. Stay, my lord Talbot; for my lady craves

Mess. All hail, my lords! which of this princely To know the cause of your abrupt departure.

train

Call ye the warlike Talbot, for his acts

So much applauded through the realm of France? Tal. Here is the Talbot; who would speak with him?

Mess. The virtuous lady, countess of Auvergne, With modesty admiring thy renown,

By me entreats, good lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe
To visit her poor castle where she lies;
That she may boast, she hath beheld the man
Whose glory fills the world with loud report.

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 prisoner Tal. Prisoner! 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, For in my gallery thy picture hangs : But now the substance shall endure the like;

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