And try if they can gain your liberty.- York. O, Charles the Dauphin is a proper man; No shape but his can please your dainty eye. Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles, and thee! And may ye both be suddenly surpris'd Alarums. Puc. I pr'ythee, give me leave to curse a while. York. Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to the stake. [Exeunt. Enter SUFFOLK, leading in Lady MARGARET. Suf. Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner. [Gazes on her. O fairest beauty, do not fear, nor fly; For I will touch thee but with reverent hands, And lay them gently on thy tender side. I kiss these fingers [Kissing her hand.] for eternal peace: Who art thou? say, that I may honour thee. Mar. Margaret my name; and daughter to a king, The king of Naples, whosoe'er thou art. Suf. An earl I am, and Suffolk am I call'd. Be not offended, nature's miracle, Thou art allotted to be ta'en by me: So doth the swan her downy cygnets save, Keeping them prisoners underneath her wings. Yet, if this servile usage once offend, Go, and be free again as Suffolk's friend. [She turns away as going. O, stay!-I have no power to let her pass; My hand would free her, but my heart says-no. As plays the sun upon the glassy streams, Twinkling another counterfeited beam, So seems this gorgeous beauty to mine eyes. Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak : I'll call for pen and ink, and write my mind : Fye, De la Poole ! disable not thyself; Hast not a tongue? is she not here thy prisoner? Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's sight? Ay; beauty's princely majesty is such, Confounds the tongue, and makes the senses rough. Mar. Say, earl of Suffolk,-if thy name be so,What ransome must I pay before I pass? For, I perceive, I am thy prisoner. Suf. How canst thou tell, she will deny thy suit, Aside. Before thou make a trial of her love? Mar. Why speak'st thou not? what ransome must I pay? Suf. She's beautiful; and therefore to be woo'd; She is a woman; therefore to be won. [Aside. Mar. Wilt thou accept of ransome, yea, or no? Suf. I'll win this lady Margaret. For whom? Why, for my king: Tush! that's a wooden thing. Mar. He talks of wood: it is some carpenter. Suf. Yet so my fancy may be satisfied, And peace established between these realms. But there remains a scruple in that too: For though her father be the king of Naples, Duke of Anjou and Maine, yet is he poor, And our nobility will scorn the match. [Aside. Mar. Hear ye, captain? Are you not at leisure? Suf. It shall be so, disdain they ne'er so much: Henry is youthful, and will quickly yield.— Madam, I have a secret to reveal. Mar. What though I be enthrall'd? he seems a knight, And will not any way dishonour me. [Aside. Suf. Lady, vouchsafe to listen what I say. Mar. Perhaps, I shall be rescu'd by the French; And then I need not crave his courtesy. [Aside. Suf. Sweet madam, give me hearing in a cause Mar. Tush! women have been captivate ere [4side. now. Suf. Lady, wherefore talk you so? Your bondage happy, to be made a queen? Mar. To be a queen in bondage, is more vile, Than is a slave in base servility; For princes should be free. Suf. And so shall you, If happy England's royal king be free. Mar. Why, what concerns his freedom unt● me? Suf. I'll undertake to make thee Henry's queen; To put a golden sceptre in thy hand, And set a precious crown upon thy head, If thou wilt condescend to be myMar. What? Suf. His love. Mar. I am unworthy to be Henry's wife. Suf. No, gentle madam; I unworthy am To woo so fair a dame to be his wife, And have no portion in the choice myself. How say you, madam; are you so content? Mar. An if my father please, I am content. Suf. Then call our captains, and our colours, forth: And, madam, at your father's castle walls [Troops come forward. ▲ parley sounded. Enter REIGNIER, on the walls. Reig. Suffolk, what remedy? lord: I am a soldier; and unapt to weep, [Exit, from the walls. Suf. And here I will expect thy coming. Trumpets sounded. Enter REIGNIER, below. Reig. Welcome, brave earl, into our territories; Command in Anjou what your honour pleases. Suf. Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child, Fit to be made companion with a king: To be the princely bride of such a lord; Enjoy mine own, the county Maine, and Anjou, Suf. That is her ransome, I deliver her; Because this is in traffic of a king: Reig. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace The Christian prince, king Henry, were he here. Mar. Farewell, my lord! Good wishes, praise, and prayers, Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret. [Going. No princely commendations to my king? stay: Thou may'st not wander in that labyrinth; SCENE IV.-Camp of the Duke of YORK, in Anjou. Enter YORK, WARWICK, and Others. York. Bring forth that sorceress, condemn'd to burn. Enter LA PUCELLE, guarded, and a Shepherd. Shep. Ah, Joan! this kills thy father's heart outright! Have I sought every country far and near, Puc. Decrepit miser! base ignoble wretch ! I did beget her, all the parish knows: York. This argues what her kind of life hath been; Wicked and vile; and so her death concludes. Shep. Fye, Joan! that thou wilt be so obstacle! God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh; And for thy sake have I shed many a tear: Deny me not, I pr'ythee, gentle Joan. Puc. Peasant, avaunt!-You have suborn'd this man, Of purpose to obscure my noble birth. Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest, The morn that I was wedded to her mother.Kneel down and take my blessing, good my girl. Wilt thou not stoop? Now cursed be the time Of thy nativity! I would, the milk Thy mother gave thee, when thou suck'dst her breast, Had been a little ratsbane for thy sake! [Exit. York. Take her away; for she hath liv'd too long, To fill the world with vicious qualities. York. And, yet, forsooth, she is a virgin pure.Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat, and thee: Use no entreaty, for it is in vain. Puc. Then lead me hence;-with whom I leave my curse: May never glorious gun reflex his beams Upon the country where you make abode! But darkness and the gloomy shade of death Environ you; till mischief, and despair, Puc. First, let me tell you whom you have Drive you to break your necks, or hang your condemn'd: Not me begotten of a shepherd swain, Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity; York. Now, heaven forefend! the holy maid with child? War. The greatest miracle that e'er ye wrought: Is all your strict preciseness come to this? York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling: I did imagine what would be her refuge. live; Especially, since Charles must father it. Puc. You are deceiv'd; my child is none of his; It was Alençon that enjoy'd my love. York. Alençon! that notorious Machiavel! It dies, an if it had a thousand lives. Puc. O, give me leave, I have deluded you; 'Twas neither Charles, nor yet the duke I nam'd, But Reignier, king of Naples, that prevail'd. War. A married man! that's most intolerable. York. Why, here's a girl! I think, she knows not well, There were so many, whom she may accuse. War. It's sign she hath been liberal and free. | selves! [Exit, guarded. York. Break thou in pieces, and consume to ashes, Thou foul accursed minister of hell! Enter Cardinal BEAUFORT, attended. Car. Lord regent, I do greet your excellence With letters of commission from the king. For know, my lords, the states of Christendom, Mov'd with remorse of these outrageous broils, Have earnestly implor'd a general peace Betwixt our nation, and the aspiring French; And here at hand, the Dauphin, and his train, Approacheth, to confer about some matter. York. Is all our travail turn'd to this effect? After the slaughter of so many peers, So many captains, gentlemen, and soldiers, That in this quarrel have been overthrown, And sold their bodies for their country's benefit, Shall we at last conclude effeminate peace? Have we not lost most part of all the towns, By treason, falsehood, and by treachery, Our great progenitors had conquered ?— O, Warwick, Warwick, I foresee with grief The utter loss of all the realm of France. War. Be patient, York: if we conclude a peace, It shall be with such strict and severe covenants, As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby. Enter CHARLES, attended; ALENCON, Bastard, REIGNIER, and Others. Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed, That peaceful truce shall be proclaim'd in France, The hollow passage of my poison'd voice, Win. Charles, and the rest, it is enacted thus To ease your country of distressful war, Alen. Must he be then as shadow of himself? Retain but privilege of a private man? Char. 'Tis known, already that I am possess'd York. Insulting Charles! hast thou by secret means Used intercession to obtain a league; Alen. To say the truth, it is your policy, And therefore take this compact of a truce, Although you break it when your pleasure serves. Aside to Charles. War. How say'st thou, Charles? shall our condition stand? Char. It shall: Only reserv'd, you claim no interest York. Then swear allegiance to his majesty; [Charles, and the rest, give tokens of fealty. So, now dismiss your army when ye please; Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still, For here we entertain a solemn peace. [Exeunt. SCENE V.-London. A room in the palace. Enter King HENRY, in conference with SUFFOLK; GLOSTER and EXETER following. K. Hen. Your wond'rous rare description, Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish'd me: Therefore, my lord protector, give consent, That Margaret may be England's royal queen. Glo. So should I give consent to flatter sin. You know, my lord, your highness is betroth'd Unto another lady of esteem; How shall we then dispense with that contract, Suf. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths; A poor earl's daughter is unequal odds, Her father is no better than an earl, Suf. Yes, my good lord, her father is a king, Glo. And so the earl of Armagnac may do, Because he is near kinsman unto Charles. Exe. Beside, his wealth doth warrant liberal dower; While Reignier sooner will receive, than give. Suf. A dower, my lords! disgrace not so your king, That he should be so abject, base, and poor, And not to seek a queen to make him rich: king, But Margaret, that is daughter to a king? Her peerless feature, joined with her birth, Approves her fit for none, but for a king: Her valiant courage, and undaunted spirit, (More than in women commonly is seen.) Will answer our hope in issue of a king ; My noble lord of Suffolk; or for that Agree to any covenants: and procure To cross the seas to England, and be crown'd King Henry's faithful and anointed queen : last. As did the youthful Paris once to Greece; [Exil. |