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. 150
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, 155
Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe
quake.

3. Mess. So you had need, for Orleans is besieg'd.

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

160

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take my leave,

To go about my preparation.

165

[Exit.

Glou. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I

They had such courage and audacity? Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hare-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.

40

Reig. I think, by some odd gimmers or de

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. Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words, For they are certain and unfallible.

Char. Go, call her in. [Exit Bastard.] But first, to try her skill,

Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place;

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90

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,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Resolve on this, thou shalt be fortunate,
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, 95 And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true; 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 Saint Katharine's churchyard,

100

Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Then come, o' God's name; I fear no

Impatiently I burn with thy desire;

110

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 to thee thus.
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, 115
Then will I think upon a recompense.

Char. Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate 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?

121

Shall we give over Orleans, or no?

125

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.

130

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. 135
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.

141

Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove? Thou with an eagle art inspired then. Helen, the mother of great Constantine, Not yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like

No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt.

[SCENE III. London. Before the Tower.] Enter the DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, with his SERVING-MEN [in blue coats].

Glou. I am come to survey the Tower this day;

Since Henry's death, I fear, there is convey

ance.

Where be these warders, that they wait not

here?

Open the gates; 't is Gloucester that calls.

25

Thou art no friend to God or to the King.
Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.
Serving-men. Open the gates unto the Lord
Protector,

Or we 'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly. [They rush again at the gates.] Enter to the Lord Protector at the Tower Gates WINCHESTER and his men in tawny coats. Win. How now, ambitious Humphrey ! what means this?

Glou. Peel'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.

30

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

35

Win. Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot.

40

This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain
To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.
Glou. 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.

Glow. What am I dar'd and bearded to my face?

Draw, men, for all this privileged place;

45

Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,

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65

Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use.
Win. Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens,
One that still motions war and never peace,
O'ercharging 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,
To crown himself king and suppress the Prince.
Glou. I will not answer thee with words, but
blows.
[Here they skirmish again.
May. Nought rests for me in this tumult-
uous strife

But to make open proclamation.
Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst,
Cry.

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73

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

79

Glou. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law;

But we shall meet, and break our minds at large.

Win. Gloucester, we 'll meet to thy cost, be

Enter, on the turret, 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?
Or by what means got'st thou to be releas'd? 25
Discourse, I prithee, on this turret's top.

Tal. The Earl of Bedford had a prisoner
Call'd the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles ;
For him was I exchang'd and ransomed.
But with a baser man of arms by far
Once in contempt they would have barter'd

me;

30

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,

35

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 en-
tertain'd.

Tal. With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts.

In open market-place produc'd they me,

40