K.Hen. When Gloster says the word,king Henry goes; For friendly counsel cuts off many

foes.

Glo. Your ships already are in readiness.

[Exeunt all but EXETER. Exe. Ay, we may march in England, or in France,

Not seeing what is likely to ensue :

This late dissention, grown betwixt the peers,
Burns under feigned ashes of forg'd love,
And will at last break out into a flame:
As fester'd members rot but by degrees,
Till bones, and flesh, and sinews, fall away,
So will this base and envious discord breed. I
And now I fear that fatal prophecy,

Which, in the time of Henry, nam'd the Fifth,
Was in the mouth of every sucking babe,-
That Henry, born at Monmouth, should win all;
And Henry, born at Windsor, should lose all :
Which is so plain, that Exeter doth wish
His days may finish ere that hapless time."

SCENE II.

[Exit.

France. Before Rouen. Enter LA PUCELLE disguised, and
Soldiers dressed like Countrymen, with sacks upon their backs.
Puc. These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen,
Through which our policy must make a breach :
Take heed, be wary how you place your words;
Talk like the vulgar sort of market-men,
That come to gather money for their corn.
If we have entrance, (as, I hope, we shall,)
And that we find the slothful watch but weak,
I'll by a sign give notice to our friends,

That Charles the dauphin may encounter them.

1 Sol. Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city, And we be lords and rulers over Rouen ;

Therefore we'll knock.

Guard. [Within.] Qui est là ?

Puc. Paisans, pauvres gens de France:

[Knocks.

Poor market-folks, that come to sell their corn.
Guard. Enter, go in the market-bell is rung.

[Opens the gate.

[1] That is, so will the malignity of this discord propagate itself, and ad

vance.

JOHNS

[2] The duke of Exeter died shortly after the meeting of this parliament, and the earl of Warwick was appointed governour or tutor to the king in his

room.

MAL.
5

VOL. V.

Puc. Now, Rouen, I'll shake thy bulwarks to the [PUCELLE, &c. enter the city.

ground.

Enter CHARLES, Bastard of ORLEANS, ALENÇON, and Forces.

Char. Saint Dennis bless this happy stratagem ! And once again we'll sleep secure in Rouen.

Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practisants :2 Now she is there, how will she specify

Where is the best and safest passage in?

Alen. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower; Which, once discern'd, shows, that her meaning is,— No way to that, for weakness, which she enter❜d. Enter LA PUCELLE on a battlement: holding out a torch burning.

Puc. Behold, this is the happy wedding torch, That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen ;

But burning fatal to the Talbotites.

Bast. See, noble Charles! the beacon of our friend,

The burning torch in yonder turret stands.

Char. Now shine it like a comet of revenge,

A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

Alen. Defer no time, Delays have dangerous ends; Enter, and cry-The Dauphin !-presently, And then do execution on the watch.

[They enter.

Alarums. Enter TALBOT, and certain English. Tal. France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears, If Talbot but survive thy treachery.Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress, Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares, That hardly we escap'd the pride of France.

[Exeunt to the town.

Alarum: Excursions. Enter, from the Town, BEDFORD, brought in sick, in a Chair, with TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and the English Forces. Then enter on the Walls, LA PUCELLE, CHARLES, Bastard, ALENÇON, and others.

Puc. Good-morrow, gallants! want ye corn for bread? I think, the duke of Burgundy will fast,

[2] Practice in the language of that time, was treachery, and perhaps in the softer sense stratagem. Practisants are therefore confederates in stratagem.

JOHNS.

3] That is, no way equal to that, no way so fit as that. JOHNS.

Before he'll buy again at such a rate :

'Twas full of darnel; Do you like the taste?

Burg. Scoff on, vile fiend, and shameless courtezan! I trust, ere long, to choke thee with thine own, And make thee curse the harvest of that corn.

Cha. 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 despight, 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 his 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 that if our own be ours, or no.

Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecaté,

But unto thee, Alençon, and the rest;

Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out?

Alen. Signior, no.

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: lets 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. [Exe. La Puc. &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,
And as his father here was conqueror ;
As sure as in this late-betrayed town
Great Coeur-de-lion's heart was buried:
So sure I swear, to get the town, or die.

Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows.
Tal. But, ere we go, regard this dying prince,
The valiant duke of Bedford :-Come, my lord,
We will bestow you in some better place,
Fitter for sickness, and for crazy age.

Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me:
Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen,

And will be partner of your weal, or woe.

Burg. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you.
Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read,
That stout Pendragon, 5 in his litter, sick,
Came to the field, and vanquished his foes:
Methinks, I should revive the soldiers' hearts,
Because I ever found them as myself.

Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!--
Then be it so.-Heavens keep old Bedford safe!
-And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand,

And set upon our boasting enemy.

[Exe. BURGUNDY, TALBOT, and Forces, leaving BEDFORD, and others.

Alarum: Excursions. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE, and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, sir John Fastolfe, in such haste? Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight;

We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What will you fly, and leave lord Talbot?
Fast. Ay,

All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.

[Exit. Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee! [Exit. Retreat : Excursions. Enter from the town La PuCELLE, ALENÇON, CHARLES,&c. and exeunt flying. Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please ; For I have seen our enemies overthrow. What is the trust or strength of foolish man? They, that of late were daring with their scoffs, Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves.

[Dies, and is carried off in his chair. Alarum Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and others. Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again!

[5] This hero was Uther Pendragon, brother to Aurelius, and father to king Arthur. STEEV.

This is a double honour, Burgundy :-
Yet, heavens have glory for this victory!

Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects
Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument.

Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now? I think, her old familiar is asleep :

Now where's the Bastard's braves, andCharles his gleeks?
What, all a-mort ?6 Roüen hangs her head for grief,
That such a valiant company are fled.

Now will we take some order in the town,
Placing therein some expert officers;
And then depart to Paris, to the king;
For there young Harry, with his nobles, lies.

Bur. What wills lord Talbot, pleaseth Burgundy.
Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget
The noble duke of Bedford, late deceas'd,
But see his exequies fulfill'd in Roüen;
A braver soldier never couched lance,
A gentler heart did never sway in court:
But kings and mightiest potentates, must die ;
For that's the end of human misery.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt

The same. The Plains near the city. Enter CHARLES the Bastard, ALENÇON, LA PUCELLE, and Forces. Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident,

Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered:
Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things that are not to be remedied..
Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while,
And like a peacock sweep along his tail;
We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train,
If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but rul'd.

Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no difference;
One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.

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,
And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saint ;

[6] That is, quite dispirited ; a frequent Gallicism. STEEV.
5*
VOL. V.