And wash away thy country's stained spots!

BUR. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words, Or nature makes me suddenly relent.

Puc. Besides, all French and France exclaims on thee,
Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.

Who join'st thou with, but with a lordly nation,
That will not trust thee but for profit's sake?
When Talbot hath set footing once in France,
And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill,
Who then, but English Henry, will be lord,
And thou be thrust out like a fugitive?

Call we to mind,—and mark but this, for proof;—
Was not the duke of Orleans thy foe?
And was he not in England prisoner?
But, when they heard he was thine enemy,
They set him free, without his ransom paid,
In spite of Burgundy and all his friends.
See, then! thou fight'st against thy countrymen,
And join'st with them will be thy slaughtermen.
Come, come, return; return, thou wand'ring lord;
Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms.
BUR. I am vanquished; these haughty words of hers
Have batter'd me like roaring cannon-shot,
And made me almost yield upon my knees.
Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen!
And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace:
My forces and my power of men are yours;
So, farewell, Talbot; I'll no longer trust thee.

Puc. Done like a Frenchman; turn, and turn again!
CHAR. Welcome, brave duke! thy friendship makes us
fresh.

BAST. And doth beget new courage in our breasts.
ALEN. Pucelle hath bravely play'd her part in this,

And doth deserve a coronet of gold.

CHAR. Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers; And seek how we may prejudice the foe.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-Paris. A Room in the Palace.

Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, and other Lords, VERNON, BASSET, &c. To them TALBOT, and some of his Officers.

TAL. My gracious prince, and honourable peers, Hearing of your arrival in this realm,

I have awhile given truce unto my wars,

To do my duty to my sovereign:

In sign whereof, this arm-that hath reclaim'd your obedience fifty fortresses,

Το

Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength,
Besides five hundred prisoners of esteem-
Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet;
And, with submissive loyalty of heart,
Ascribes the glory of his conquest got,
First to my God, and next unto your grace.
K. HEN. Is this the lord Talbot, uncle Gloster,
That hath so long been resident in France?

GLO. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege.

K. HEN. Welcome, brave captain, and victorious lord!
When I was young, (as yet I am not old,)
I do remember how my father said
A stouter champion never handled sword.
Long since we were resolved of your truth,
Your faithful service, and your toil in war;
Yet never have you tasted our reward,
Or been reguerdon'd with so much as thanks,
Because till now we never saw your face:
Therefore, stand up; and, for these good deserts,

We here create you earl of Shrewsbury;

And in our coronation take your place.

[Exeunt KING HENRY, GLOSTER, TALBOT, and Nobles. VER. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea,

Disgracing of these colours that I wear

In honour of my noble lord of York,—

Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?

BAS. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage

The envious barking of your saucy tongue

Against my lord, the duke of Somerset.

VER. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.
BAS. Why, what is he? as good a man as York.
VER. Hark ye; not so: in witness take ye that.

[Strikes him. BAS. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such, That whoso draws a sword 't is present death, Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood. But I'll unto his majesty, and crave

I may have liberty to venge this wrong;

When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost.

VER. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you;

And, after, meet you sooner than you would.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I-Paris. A Room of State.

Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, EXETER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and others.

GLO. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head.

WIN. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth!
GLO. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,-

[Governor kneels.

That you elect no other king but him:
Esteem none friends but such as are his friends;
And none your foes but such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state:

This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!

[Exeunt Governor and his Train.

Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE.

FAST. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais,

To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy.

[Plucking it off

TAL. Shame to the duke of Burgundy, and thee!
I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the garter from thy craven's leg,
(Which I have done,) because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree.
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest:
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,

When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away;
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,

Were there surpris'd and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea or no.

GLO. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
And ill-beseeming any common man;

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

TAL. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,

Knights of the garter were of noble birth;
Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.
He then that is not furnish'd in this sort
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order;
And should (if I were worthy to be judge)
Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

K. HEN. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy doom!
Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.-

And now, lord protector, view the letter

Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy.

[Exit FASTOLFE.

GLO. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd his style?

[Viewing the superscription.

No more but, plain and bluntly," To the king?"
Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?

Or doth this churlish superscription
Pretend some alteration in good will?

What's here?" I have, upon especial cause,—
Mov'd with compassion of my country's wrack,
Together with the pitiful complaints

Of such as your oppression feeds upon,—

Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of France."
O monstrous treachery! Can this be so;

That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling guile?
K. HEN. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
GLO. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe.
K. HEN. Is that the worst this letter doth contain?
GLO. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.

[Reads.

K. HEN. Why, then, lord Talbot there shall talk with him, And give him chastisement for this abuse;

How say you, my lord? are you not content?

TAL. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am prevented,

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.

K. HEN. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight:

Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason;
And what offence it is to flout his friends.

TAL. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still
You may behold confusion of your foes.

Enter VERNON and BASSET.

[Exit.

VER. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too! YORK. This is my servant: Hear him, noble prince! SOM. And this is mine: Sweet Henry, favour him! K. HEN. Be patient, lords, and give them leave to speak.— Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim?

And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?

VER. With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong.
BAS. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong.

K. HEN. What is that wrong whereof you both complain?