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, weep their intermissive miseries.1 To Enter another MESSENGER. 2 Mes. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance. France is revolted from the English quite, Except some petty towns of no import : The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glos. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats. Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forward- An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Enter a third MESSENGER. 3 Mes. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, Their miseries, which have lately had a short intermission. Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,— I must inform you of a dismal fight Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is 't so? 3 Mes. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, him ; Here, there, and every where, enraged he slew : All the whole army stood agazed on him. With purpose to relieve and follow them) Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke. A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Durst not presume to look once in the face. 3 Mes. 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, To keep our great saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake, 3 Mes. So you had need; for Orleans is besieged; The English army is grown weak and faint: The earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny; Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry 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. Glos. 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. [Exit. 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 send, And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his forces; ALENÇON, Charles. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known. What towns of any moment, but we have? Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves: Either they must be dieted, like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Charles. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Now for the honor of the forlorn French :- Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Charles. Who ever saw the like? what men have I? Dogs! cowards! dastards!—I would ne'er have fled, Rei. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; |