Puslapio vaizdai
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FIRST PART OF

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

DUKE of GLOSTER, Uncle to the King, and Pro

tector.

DUKE of BEDFORD, Uncle to the King, and Regent of France.

THOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, great Uncle

to the King.

HENRY BEAUFORT, great Uncle to the King, Bishop of Winchester, and afterwards Car

dinal.

JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset; afterwards
Duke.

RICHARD PLANTAGENET, eldest Son of Richard,
late Earl of Cambridge; afterwards Duke
of York.

EARL of WARWICK. EARL of SALISBURY, EARL
of SUFFOLK.

LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury.
JOHN TALBOT, his Son.

EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March.
Mortimer's Keeper, and a Lawyer.

SIR JOHN FASTOLFE. SIR WILLIAM Lucy.
SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE. SIR THOMAS GAR-

GRAVE.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Westminster Abbey. Dead March. Corpse of King Henry the Fifth discovered, lying in state; attended on by the DUKES of BEDFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the EARL of WARWICK, the BISHOP of WINCHESTER, Heralds, &.c.

Bedford.

HUNG be the heavens with black,2 yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal3 tresses in the sky,
And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,
That have consented unto Henry's death!
Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time.
Virtue he had, deserving to command:
His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams;
His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings;
His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies,
Than midday sun fierce bent against their faces.
What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech:
He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquer'd.
Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not

in blood?

Henry is dead, and never shall revive;
Upon a wooden coffin we attend;
And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately presence glorify,

1 Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, who is a character in King Henry V. The earl of Warwick, who appears in a subsequent part of this drama, is Richard Nevill, son to the earl of Salisbury, who came to the title in right of his wife, Anne, sister of Henry Beauchamp, duke of Warwick. Richard, the father of this Henry, was appointed governor to the king on the demise of Thomas Beaufort, duke of Exeter, and died in 1439. There is no reason to think the author meant to confound the two characters.

2 Alluding to the ancient practice of hanging the stage with black when a tragedy was to be acted.

Mayor of London. WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower.

BASSET, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster Faction. VERNON, of the White Rose, or York Faction. REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France. DUKE of BURGUNDY. DUKE of ALENCON. Naples. Governor of Paris. Bastard of Orleans. General of the French Forces in Bordeaux. Master-Gunner of Orleans, and his Son. An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle. A French Sergeant. A Porter. MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier: afterwards married to King Henry.

COUNTESS of AUVERGNE. JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Arc. Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

SCENE-partly in England, and partly in France.

Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
What? shall we curse the planets of mishap,
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magick verses' have contriv'd his end?

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgment day
So dreadful will not be, as was his sight.
The battles of the Lord of Hosts he fought:
The church's prayers made him so prosperous.
Glo. The church! where is it? Had not church.

men pray'd,

His thread of life had not so soon decay'd:
None do you like but an effeminate prince,
Whom, like a schoolboy, you may overawe.
Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art pro-

tector;

And lookest to command the prince, and realm.
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than God, or religious churchmen, may.

Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it bo to pray against thy foes.

Bed. Cease, conse these jars, and rest your minds in peace!

Let's to the altar :-Heralde, wait on us :-
Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms;
Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.-
Posterity, await for wretched years,

When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck;
Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.-

3 Crystal is an epithet repeatedly bestowed on comets by our ancient writers.

4 Consented here means conspired together to promote the death of Henry by their malignant influence on human events. Our ancestors had but one word to express consent, and concent, which meant accord and agreement, whether of persons or things.

5 There was a notion long prevalent that life might be taken away by metrical charms.

6 Nurse, was anciently spelt nouryce and noryshe; and, by Lydgate, even nourish.

Henry the Fifth thy ghost I invocate;
Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious star thy soul will make,
Than Julius Cæsar, or bright

Enter a Messenger.

J

Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all!
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture:
Genne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans,
Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.2
Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's
corse?

Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns
Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death.
Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up?
If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the
ghost.

Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was

us'd?

Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money.
Among the soldiers this is mutter'd,-
That here you maintain several factions;
And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,
You are disputing of your generals.
One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost;
Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expense at all,
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain❜d.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours, new begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call forth her flowing tides.'
Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France:-
Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.-
Away with these disgraceful wailing robes!
Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes,
To weep their intermissive miseries.+

Enter another Messenger.

Retiring from the siege of Orleans,
Having full scarce six thousand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompassed and set upon :

No leisure had he to enrank his men ;
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges,
They pitched in the ground confusedly,
To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued;
Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,
Enacted wonders with his sword and lance.
Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him;
Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew:
The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms;
All the whole army stood agaz'd on him:
His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,
And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up,
If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward;
He being in the vaward (plac'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them,)
Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.
Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;
Enclosed were they with their enemies:
A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;
Whom all France, with their chief assembled
strength,

Durst not presume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,
For living idly here, in pomp and ease,
Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his dastard foeman is betray'd.

3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford; Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise.

Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay :
I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown shall be the ransom of my friend;
Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.-
Farewell, my masters; to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,

2 Mess Lords, view these letters, full of bad To keep our great Saint George's feast withal:

mischance,

France is revolted from the English quite;
Except some petty towns of no import:

The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims;
The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;
Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part;
The duke of Alencon flieth to his side.

Ere. The Dauphin is crowned king! all fly
him!

Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,
Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.
3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is be-

sieg'd;

The English army is grown weak and faint:
The earl of Salisbury craveth supply,
And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
to Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.
Ece. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry

0, whither shall we fly from this reproach?
Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats;
Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.

Bel. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forward

ness?

[blocks in formation]

1 Pope conjectured that this blank had been supplied by the name of Francis Drake, which, though a glafing anachronism, might have been a popular, though judicious, mode of attracting plaudits in the theatre. Part of the arms of Drake was two blazing stars.

sworn;

Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.
Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave,
To go about my preparation.
[Exit.
Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can,
To view the artillery and munition;
And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit.
Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is,
Being ordain'd his special governor;
And for his safety there I'll best devise.
Win. Each hath his place and function to attend:
I am left out for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office;
The king from Eltham I intend to steal,
And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

6

[Exit.

[Exit. Scene closes.

5 For an account of this Sir John Fastolfe, vide Biographia Britannica, by Kippis, vol. v.; in which is his life, written by Mr. Gough.

6 The old copy reads send, the present reading was proposed by Mason, who observes that the king was not at this time in the power of the cardinal, but under the care of the duke of Exeter. The second article of accusation brought against the bishop by the duke of Glouces ter is that he purposed and disposed him to set hand on the king's person, and to have removed him from El4.e. their miseries which have only a short inter- tham to Windsor, to the intent to put him in governance

2 Capel proposed to complete this defective verse by the insertion of Rouen among the places lost, as Gloster infers that it had been mentioned with the rest. 31. e. England's flowing tides.

mission.

as him list.' Holinshed, vol. iii. p. 591.

SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Enter Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words, CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENCON, REIGNIER, For they are certain and infallible. and others.

Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the
heavens,

So in the earth, to this day is not known:
Late did he shine upon the English side;
Now we are victors, upon us he smiles.
What towns of any moment, but we have?
At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans;
Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts,
Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-
becves:

Either they must be dieted like mules,
And have their provender tied to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.
Reig. Let's raise the siege; 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, bath he to make war.
Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them.
Now for the honour of the forlorn French :--
Him I forgive my death, that killeth me,
When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt.
Alarums: Excursions: afterwards a Retreat.
Re-enter CHARLES, ALENCON, REIGNIER, and

others.

Char. Go, call her in: [Exit Bastard.] But, first

to try her skill,

Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place:
Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern:-
By this mean shall we sound what skill she hath.

[Retires.

Enter LA PUCELLE, Bastard of Orleans, and others. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats ?

Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to beguile
me?--

Where is the Dauphin ?--come, come from behind;
I know thee well, though never seen before.
Be not amaz'd, there's nothing hid from me:
Stand back, you lords, and give us leave a while.
In private will I talk with thee apart:-

Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash.
Puc. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter.
My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.
Heaven, and our Lady gracious, hath it pleas'd
Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs,
To shine on my contemptible estate:
And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks,
And, in a vision full of majesty,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;
Will'd me to leave my base vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid she promis'd, and assur'd success:

Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I?In complete glory she reveal'd herself;
Dogs! cowards! dastards!--I would ne'er have fled,
But that they left me 'midst my enemies.

Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
He fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.2

Alen. Froissard, 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 Samsons, and Goliasses

It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!

Lean raw-bon'd rascals; who would e'er suppose
They had such courage and audacity?

with those clear rays which she infus'd on me,
And, whereas I was black and swart before,
That beauty am I bless'd with, which you see.
Ask me what question thou canst possible,
And I will answer unpremeditated:
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
Resolve on this: Thou shalt be fortunate,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

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;

Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-Otherwise, I renounce all confidence.

brain'd slaves,

And hunger will enforce them to be more eager :
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege.
Reig. I think, by some odd gimmals or device,
Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike on;
Else ne'er could they hold out so as they do.
By my consent, we'll e'en let them alone.
Alen. Be it so.

Enter the Bastard of Orleans.
Bast. Where's the prince Dauphin,

have news

for him. Char. Bastards of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Bast. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheer

appall'd:

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand:
A holy maid hither with me I bring,

Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven,
Ordained is to raise this tedious siege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,
Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome;"
What's past, and what's to come, she can descry.

1 You are as ignorant in the true movings of my
muse as the astronomers are in the true movings of
Mars, which to thisday they could never attain to. Ga-
briel Harvey's Hunt is up, by Nash, 1596, Preface.
2 i. e. the prey for which they are hungry.

3 These were two of the most famous in the list of Charlemagne's twelve peers; and their exploits are the theme of the old romances. From the equally doughty and unheard of exploits of these champions, arose the saying of Giving a Rowland for an Oliver, for giving a rerson as good as he brings.

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

yard,

Out of a great 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 thus to thee.
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.

4 By gimmals, gimbols, gimmers, or gimowes, any
kind of device or machinery producing motion was
meant. Baret has the gime or hinge of a door."
5 Bastard was not in former times a title of reproach.
6 Cheer in this instance means heart or courage, as
in the expression be of good cheer.

Rome, it is a mistake for the nine Sibylline Oracles
7 Warburton says that, 'there were no nine sybils of
brought to one of the Tarquins. But the poet followed
the popular books of his day, which say that the ten
sybils were women that had the spirit of prophecy (enu-
merating them) and that they prophesied of Christ
8 i. e. be convinced of it.

Char. Mean time, look gracious on thy prostrate | Servants rush at the Tower Gates. Enter, to the

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. Reg. 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.2
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.
Char. Presently we'll try :-Come let's away

about it:

No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt.
SCENE III. London. Hill before the Tower.
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;
Since Henry's death, I fear there is conveyance.-
Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
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?

1 i. e. expect prosperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has begun. 2 This is a favourite image with poets.

3 Mahomet had a dove which he used to feed with wheat out of his ear; which dove when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomet's shoulder, and thrust its bill in to find its breakfast, Mahomet persuading the rude and simple Arabians that it was the Holy Ghost.' Raleigh's Hist. of the World, part i. c. vi.

4 Meaning the four daughters of Philip mentioned in Acts, xxi. 9.

5 Conveyance anciently signified any kind of furtive knavery, or privy stealing.

6 To break up was the same as to break open. 7 It appears that the attendants upon ecclesiastical courts, and a bishop's servants, were then, as now, distinguished by clothing of a sombre colour. 8 i. e. bald, alluding to his shaven crown.

Gates, WOODVILLE, the Lieutenant."
Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what trai-
tors have we here?

Glo. Lieutenant, is it you, whose voice I hear?
Open the gates; here's Gloster, that would enter.
Wood. [Within.] Have patience, noble duke: I
The cardinal of Winchester forbids:
may not open;

That thou, nor none of thine, shall be let in.
From him I have express commandment,

Glo. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore
me?

Arrogant Winchester? that haughty prelate,
Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook?
Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.
Thou art no friend to God, or to the king:

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

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

Win. How now, ambitious Humphry? 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.

Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator;
Thou, that contriv'dst to murder our dead lord
Thou, that giv'st whores indulgences to sing :'
I'll canvas thee in thy broad cardinal's hat,
If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

Win. Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a
This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,
foot;
To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

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

Win. Do what thou dar'st: I heard 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:
In spite of pope or dignities of church,
Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat;
Here by the checks I'll drag thee up and down.
Win. Gloster, thou'lt answer this before the pope.
Glo. Winchester goose,) 12I cry-a rope! a rope!
Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.
Now beat them hence: Why do you let them stay
Out, tawny coats!-out scarlet13 hypocrite!

Here a great Tumult. In the midst of it, Enter the
Mayor of London, 14 and Officers.

May. Fye, lords! that you, being supreme magis-
trates,

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

9 Traitor.

10 The public sters in Southwark were under the seen the office book of the court leet, in which was enjurisdiction of the bishop of Winchester. Upton had tered the fees paid by, and the customs and regulations of these brothels.

(says Cotgrave) inflicted on such as commit gross ab11 To canvas was to toss in a sieve; a punishment surdities.'

12 A Winchester goose was a particular stage of the disease contracted in the stews, hence Gloucester bestows the epithet on the bishop in derision and scorn.

13 In King Henry VIII. the earl of Surrey, with a similar allusion to Cardinal Wolsey's habit, calls him scarlet sin."

14 It appears from Pennant's London that this mayor was John Coventry, an opulent mercer, from whom the present earl of Coventry is descended.

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
with large fines;
purses
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 this 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 several dwelling-places; and not to wear,
your
handle, or use, any sword, weapon, or dagger,
henceforward, upon pain of death.

Glo. 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 long. [Exeunt.
May. See the coast clear'd, and then we will
depart.-

Good God! that nobles should such stomachs bear!

I myself fight not once in forty year. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV. France. Before Orleans. Enter,
on the Walls, the Master Gunner and his 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 miss'd my aim.
M. Gun. But now thou shalt not.

by me:

Be thou rul'd

Chief master-gunner am I of this town;
Something I must do, to procure me grace:
The prince's espials have inform'd me,

How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd,
Woat, 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 we word;
And thou shalt find me at the governor's. [Exit.
Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care:
I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them.
Enter, in an upper Chamber of a Tower, the LORDS
SALISBURY and TALBOT, SIR WILLIAM
GLANSDALE, SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE, and

others.

Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! How wert thou handled, being prisoner?

1 Malone erroneously thinks the mayor cries out for peace-officers armed with clubs or staves. The practice of calling out Clubs! clubs! to call out the London apprentices upon the occasion of any affray in the streets, has been before explained, see As You Like It, Act v. Sc. 2.

2 Stomach is pride, a haughty spirit of resentment. 3 Favour.

4 Spies. Vide note on Hamlet, Act iii. Sc. 1.

Or by what means gott'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,
Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd me :
Which I, disdaining, scorn'd; and craved death
Rather than I would be so vile 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 public 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'd me not secure ;

So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread,
That they suppos'd, I could rend bars of steel,
And spurn in pieces posts of adamant:
Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had,
That walk'd about me every minute-while;
And if I did but stir out of my bed,
Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.

Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you endur'd:
But 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 Frenchmen 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 man!
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,

One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace:
The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.-
Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive,
If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands!-
Bear hence his body, I will help to bury it.-
Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
Speak tinto Talbot; nay, look up to him.
very scourge and a daily terror, insomuch that as his
person was fearful and terrible to his adversaries pre
sent, so his name and fame was spiteful and dreadful to
the common people absent; insomuch that women in
France, to feare their yong children, would crye the
Talbot cometh.' Hall's Chronicle.

8 Camden says, in his Remaines, that the French scarce knew the use of great ordnance till the siege of

5 The old copy reads went; the emendation is Mr. Mans in 1455, when a breach was made in the walls of

Tyrwhitt's

6 The old copy reads 'pil'd esteem'd.'

7 This man [Talbot] was to the French people a

that town by the English, under the conduct of this earl of Salisbury; and that he was the first English gentleman that was slain by a cannon ball.

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