If Talbot but survive thy treachery.- I think, the duke of Burgundy will fast, I trust, ere long, to choke thee with thine own, And make thee curse the harvest of that corn. Char. Your grace may starve, perhaps, before that time. Bed. O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason! Puc. What will you do, good grey-beard? break a lance, And run a tilt at death within a chair? Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite, Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours! Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age, And twit with cowardice a man half dead? Damsel, I'll have a bout with you again, Or else let Talbot perish with this shame. Puc. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace; If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.[Talbot, and the rest, consult together. God speed the parliament! who shall be the speaker? Tal. Dare ye come forth, and meet us in the field? Puc. Belike, your lordship takes us then for fools, To try if that our own be ours, or no. Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecaté, Tal. Signior, hang!-base muleteers of France! Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls, And dare not take up arms like gentlemen. Puc. Captains, away; let's get us from the walls; For Talbot means no goodness, by his looks.God be wi' you, my lord! we came, sir, but to tell you That we are here. [Exeunt La Pucelle, &c. from the walls. Tal. And there will we be too, ere it be long, Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame !— Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house, (Prick'd on by public wrongs, sustain'd in France,) Either to get the town again, or die: And I, as sure as English Henry lives, Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows. Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me : Here will I sit before the walls of Roüen, And will be partner of your weal, or woe. Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you. Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick, Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!Then be it so:-Heavens keep old Bedford safe! And now no more ado, brave Burgundy, [Exeunt Burgundy, Talbot, and Forces, please; For I have seen our enemies' overthrow. [Dies, and is carried off in his chair. Alarum: Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and Others. Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again! Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument. t Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pu- I think her old familiar is asleep : Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles What, alla-mort? Rouen hangs her head for grief, Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget SCENE III.-The same. The plains near the city. Enter CHARLES, the Bastard, ALENCON, LA Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident, Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, And we will make thee famous through the world. Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place, By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words, Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, An English March. Enter, and pass over at a There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread, A French March. Enter the Duke of BUR- Now, in the rearward, comes the duke, and his; CA parley sounded. Bur What say'st thou, Charles? for I am marching hence. Char. Speak, Pucelle; and enchant him with Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee. France, And see the cities and the towns defac'd As looks the mother on her lowly babe, One drop of blood, drawn from thy country's Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears, Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her Or nature makes me suddenly relent. Puc. Besides, all French and France exclaims Doubting thy birth, and lawful progeny. Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd from And thou be thrust out, like a fugitive? And not have title to an earldom here. Call we to mind, and mark but this, for proof;- Puc. Your honours shall perceive how I will And was he not in England prisoner? To bring this matter to the wished end. [Drums heard. Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward. But, when they heard he was thine enemy, 1 Come, come, return; return, thou wand'ring lord; Have batter'd me like roaring cannon-shot, Char. Welcome, brave duke! thy friendship 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. K. Hen. Is this the lord Talbot, uncle Gloster, When I was young (as yet I am not old,) [Exeunt King Henry, Gloster, Talbot, Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Char. Now let us on, my lords, and join our Disgracing of these colours that I wear 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 a while given truce unto my wars, In sign whereof, this arm-that hath reclaim'd In honour of my noble lord of York,- Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is. Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such, That, who so draws a sword, 'tis present death; I may have liberty to venge this wrong; And, after, meet you sooner than you would. ACT IV. SCENE I.-The same. 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; I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, [Plucking it off. Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, Knights of the garter were of noble birth; He then, that is not furnish'd in this sort, K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight; [Reads. Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck, Of such as your oppression feeds upon,— Forsaken your pernicious faction, Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. And give him chastisement for this abuse :— I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treason; Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still, This fellow here, with envious carping tongue, Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord: And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of And he first took exceptions at this badge, 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? Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left? will out, Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it. When, for so slight and frivolous a cause, Good cousins both, of York and Somerset, York. Let this dissention first be tried by fight, And then your highness shall command a peace. Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone; Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then. York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset. Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first. Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord. Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife! And perish ye, with your audacious prate! Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd, With this immodest clamorous outrage To trouble and disturb the king and us? And you, my lords, methinks you do not well, To bear with their perverse objections; Much less, to take occasion from their mouths To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves; Let me persuade you, take a better course. Exe. It grieves his highness;-Good my lords, be friends. K. Hen. Come hither, you, that would be combatants: Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour, To be presented, by your victories, War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king Prettily, methought, did play the orator. York. And so he did; but yet I like it not, In that he wears the badge of Somerset. War. Tush! that was but his fancy, blame him not; I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm. York. And, if I wist he did,-But let it rest; Other affairs must now be managed. [Exeunt York, Warwick, and Vernon. Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice: For, had the passions of thy heart burst out, SCENE II.-Before Bourdeaux. Enter TALBOT, with his Forces. [Exit. Tal. Go to the gates of Bourdeaux, trumpeter, Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of Summon their general unto the wall. France? O, think upon the conquest of my father, [Putting on a red rose. foot; And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors, Trumpet sounds a parley. Enter, on the walls, the General of the French Forces, and Others. English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth, Servant in arms to Harry king of England; And thus he would,-Open your city gates, Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours, And do him homage as obedient subjects, And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power: But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace, You tempt the fury of my three attendants, Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire ; Who, in a moment, even with the earth Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers, If you forsake the offer of their love. Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death, Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge ! The period of thy tyranny approacheth. On us thou canst not enter, but by death: For, I protest, we are well fortified, And strong enough to issue out and fight: If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed, Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee: On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd, To wall thee from the liberty of flight; And no way canst thou turn thee for redress, But death doth front thee with apparent spoil, |