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 St. 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. Let me thy servant, and not sovereign, be; Char. Mean time, look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. 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. 6 This night the siege assuredly I'll raise : [6] That is, expect prosperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemaa, after winter has begun. JOHNSON 10 Now am I like that proud insulting ship, Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee." 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. SCENE III. [Exeunt. London. Hill before the Tower. Enter, at the gates, the 1 Ward. Who's there, that knocks so imperiously? 1 Serv. It is the noble duke of Gloster. [Serv. knocks. 2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Serv. Answer you so the lord protector, villains? 1 Ward. 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 one 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? [7] 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 that gave him advice." Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the World. GREY. [8] Meaning the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the Acts. HANMER. [9] Conveyance means theft. HANMER. [1] To break up in Shakespeare's age was the same as to break open. Thus, in our translation of the Bible: "They have broken up, and have passed through the gate." Micah, ii. 13. So again, in St. Matthew, xxiv. 43. "He would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." WHALLEY. Glo. Lieutenant, is it you, whose voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Gloster, that would enter. Wood. Have patience, noble duke; I 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; 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 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. Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator; Thou, that contriv'st to murder our dead lord; Thou, that giv'st whores indulgences to sin : I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat, A If thou proceed in this thy insolence. 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 [2] Alluding to his shaven crown. POPE. [3] The public stews were formerly under the district of the bishop of Win. chester. POPE. [4] To canvass was anciently used for to sift. STEEVENS. Probably from the materials of which the bottom of a sieve is made. Perhaps, however, in the passage before us Gloster means, that he will toss the cardinai in a sheet. Coarse sheets were formerly termed canvass sheets. MALONE. [5] About four miles from Damascus is a high hill, reported to be the same on which Cain slew his brother Abel. Maundrel's Travels, p. 131 POPE I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly : 6 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 chace hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.Out, tawny coats!-out, scarlet hypocrite! Here a great tumult. In the midst of it, enter the Mayor of London, and his Officers. May. Fye, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, Thus contumeliously should break the peace! Glo. Peace, mayor; thou know'st little or 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'er-charging 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, -Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst. 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 :— [6] A strumpet, or the consequences of her love, was a Winchester goose. JOHNSON [7] That is, for peace-officers armed with clubs or staves. In affrays, it was customary in this author's time to call out clubs, clubs! MALONE 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 !8 I myself fight not once in forty year. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. France. Before Orleans. Enter, on the walls, the Mastergunner 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. Be thou rul'd by me : M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. And thence discover, how, with most advantage, A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd ; If thou spy'st any, run and bring me word; Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care; [Exit. Enter, in an upper chamber of a tower, the Lords SAL- Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! [8] Stomach is pride, a haughty spirit of resentment. STEEVENS. [9] The third person plural of the old verb went. The English wont, that is, are accustomed-to over-peer the city. The word is used very frequently by Spen ser, and several times by Milton. TYRWHITT |