Retreat: excursions. Pucelle, Alençon, and Dauphin fly. [Dies, and is carried off in his chair. To bring this matter to the wished end. [Drum beats afar off. Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward. [Here beat an English march. There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread; And all the troops of English after him. [French march. Now, in the rereward, comes the duke, and his 10 Fortune, in favotir, makes him lag behind. Summon a parley, we will talk with him. [Trumpets sound a parley. Enter the Duke of Burgundy, marching. Dau. A parley with the duke of Burgundy. Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle 15 Burg. Who craves a parleywith the Burgundy? I think her old familiar is asleep: [gleeks? 20 Pucel. The princely Charles of France, thy countryman. [marching hence. Burg. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am Dau. Speak, Pucelle; and enchant him with [France! Pucel. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of Stay, let thy humble hand-maid speak to thee. Burg. Speak on; but be not over-tedious. Pucel. Look on thy country, look on fertile thy words. Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget 25 And see the cities and the towns defac'd [France, The noble duke of Bedford, late deceas'd, But see his exequies fulfill'd in Roan: A braver soldier never couched lance, A gentler heart did never sway in court: But kings, and mightiest potentates, must die; 30 SCENE III. The same. The Plain near the City. Enter the Dauphin, Bastard, Alençon, and Joan la Pucelle. Pucel. Dismay not, princes, at this accident, Nor grieve that Roan is so recovered: Dau. We have been guided by thee hitherto, Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, By wasting ruin of the cruel foe! Burg. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saint; 50 And was he not in England prisoner? Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good. 45 And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill, Pucel. Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise: But, when they heard he was thine enemy, By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words, See then! thou fight'st against thy countrymen, We will entice the duke of Burgundy To leave the Talbot, and to follow us. Dau. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, France were no place for Henry's warriors; Nor should that nation boast it so with us, 55 And join'st with them will be thy slaughter-men. But be extirped from our provinces. [France, 60 And made me almost yield upon my knees. Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd2 from And not have title of an earldom here. [work, Pucel. Your honours shall perceive how I will Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen! To extirp is to root out. 2 i. e. expelled, So, I do remember how my father said, So, farewell, Talbot; I'll no longer trust thee. SCENE IV. Paris. An Apartment in the Palace. Enter King Henry, Gloster, Vernon, Basset, &c. Or been reguerdon'd' with so much as thanks, [Exeunt King, Glo. Tal. Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, and honourable 15 Dar'st thoumaintain the formerwordsthouspak'st? Tal. My gracious prince, In sign whereof, this arm-that hath reclaim'd Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength, First to my God, and next unto your grace. Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage The envious barking of your saucy tongue Against my lord, the duke of Somerset. Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is. 20 Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York. Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that. [Strikes him. Bas. Villain, thou know'st, the law of arins is such, 25 That, who so draws a sword', 'tis present death; Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege. rious lord! When I was young, (as yet I am not old,) SCENE I. Paris. A Room of State. ACT IV. Enter King Henry, Gloster, Winchester, York, 40 Glo. LORD bishop, set the crown upon his head. the sixth! that naine Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,- Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Tal. Shame to the duke of Burgundy and thee! I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, To tear the garter from thy craven's leg. [plucking it off. 45 When but in all I was six thousand strong, 55 Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, Dr. Johnson on this passage observes, that the inconstancy of the French was always the subject of satire; and adds, that he has read a dissertation written to prove that the index of the wind upon our steeples was made in form of a cock, to ridicule the French for their frequent changes. 2 i. e rewarded. This was the badge of a rose, and not an officer's scarf. i. e. in the court, or in the presence-chamber. 'i. e. design, or intend. Poictiers has been used by some of the editors; but this gross blunder must be probably imputed to the players or transeribers; for the battle of Poictiers was fought in the year 1357, the 31st of king Edward III. and the scene now lies in the 7th year of the reign of king Henry VI. viz. 1428. The action of which Shakspeare is now speaking, happened (according to Holnshed) "neere unto a village in Beausse called Patate," whichwe should read insteadof Poictiers. "From this battell (adds the same historian) departed without anie stroke stricken, Sir John Fastolfe, the ame yeere by his valiantlesse elected into the order of the garter. But for doubt of misdealing at Lais brunt, the duke of Bedford tooke from him the image of St. George and his garter," &c. Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader. Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight; No more, but plain and bluntly,-To the king? as your oppre oppression feeds upon, both complain? First let me know, and then I'll answer you. 15 Argu'd betwixt the duke of York and him; 20 Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord; in brain-sick men; Hath he forgot, he is his sovereign? Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. And give him chastisement for this abuse :- I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. When, for so slight and frivolous a cause, York. Let this dissention first be try'd by fight, Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first. And perish ye, with your audacious prate! K. Henry. Then gather strength, and march 50 Much less, to take occasion from their mouths unto him straight: Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treason; To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves; Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still, You maybehold confusion of your foes. [Exit Tal. 55 K. Henry. Come hither, you that would be Enter Vernon, and Basset. Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim? 2 i.e. high. To pretend seems to be here used in its Latin sense, i. e. to hold out, i. e. resist. Beside, Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favour, King Henry's peers, and chief nobility, Enter General aloft. English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth, Servant in arms to Harry king of England; And thus he would, Open your city gates, Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realmof France 5 Be humbled to us; call my sovereign yours, My tender years; and let us not forego That for a trifle, which was bought with blood! Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife. O, think upon the conquest of my father, And do him homage as obedient subjects, And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power: But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace, You tempt the fury of my three attendants,10 Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire; Who, in a moment, even with the earth Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers, If you forsake the offer of their love. I see no reason, if I wear this rose, [Putting on a red rose. That any one should therefore be suspicious And therefore, as we hither came in peace, Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death, 15 Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge! And strong enough to issue out and fight: Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot ; And no way canst thou turn thee for redress, And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors, 25 Go chearfully together, and digest But death doth front thee with apparent spoil, And pale destruction meets thee in the face. d Your angry choler on your enemies. Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament, Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest, 2 To rive their dangerous s artillery After some respite, will return to Calais; Upon no christian soul but English Talbot. From thence to England; where I hope ere long 30 Lo! there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man, War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king 35 Finish the process of his sandy hour, These eyes, that see thee now well coloured, Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead. [Drum afar off. Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell, 40 Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul; And mine shall ring thy dire departure out. [Exit from the walls. Tal. He fables not, I hear the enemy ;Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their 450, negligent and heedless discipline! [wings.How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale; A little herd of England's timorous deer, Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs! If we be English deer, be then in blood: 50 Not rascal like, to fall down with a pinch; But rather moody mad, and desperate stags, Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel, And make the cowards stand aloof at bay: Sell every man his life as dear as mine, 55 And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.God, and saint George! Talbot, and England's Enter a Messenger meeting York, who enters wi.h To due is to endue, to deck, to grace. • A rascal deer 00 That SCENE IV. Enter Somerset, with his Army. Som. It is too late: I cannot send them now: 5 This expedition was by York and Talbot 15 York set him on to fight, and die in shame, Enter Sir William Lucy. Som. How now, Sir William? whither were you sent? York. A plague upon that villain Somerset; 10 By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure: That thus delays my promised supply Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege! Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid; And I am lowted by a traitor villain, And cannot help the noble chevalier: God comfort him in this necessity! If he miscarry, farewell wars in France. Enter Sir William Lucy. Lucy. Thouprincelyleader of our English strength, Never so needful on the earth of France, Spur to the rescue of the noble Talbot; Who now is girdled with a waist of iron, And hemm'd about with grim destruction: To Bourdeaux, warlike duke! to Bourdeaux, York! Else, farewell Talbot, France, and England's ho-25 nour. heart York. O God! that Somerset-who in proud Lucy. O, send some succour to the distress'd lord! Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and 20 Who, ring'd about with bold adversity, 30 While he, renowned noble gentleman, York. He dies, we lose; I break my warlike 35 Som. York set him on, York should have sent word: We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get; Lucy. Then, God take mercy on brave Talbot's Lucy. And York as fast upon your grace exclains; Som. York lies; he might have sent, and had [since, 40 I owe him little duty, and less love; And on his son young John; whom, two hours And take foul scorn, to fawn on him by sending Hath now entrapt the noble-minded Talbot. To bid his young son welcome to his grave? But dies, betray'd to fortune by your strife. Away! vexation almost stops my breath, Som. Come, go; I will dispatch the horsemen That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death. - Within six hours they will be at his aid. [straight: Lucy, farewell: no more my fortune can, But curse the cause I cannot aid the man. 50 Lucy. Too late comes rescue; he is ta'en, or slain: For fly he could not, if he would have fled; And fly would Talbot never, though he might. Som. If he be dead, brave Talbot then adieu! Lucy. His fame lives in the world, his shame The conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror, Henry the fifth :-Whiles they each other cross, Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss. in you. [Exeunt. SCENE V. 1i. e. I am let down, I am lowered. 2 i. e. environed, encircled. 'i. e. protracting his resistance by the advantage of a strong post. In this line, emulation signifies merely rivalry, not struggle for superior excellence. 55 [Exeunt. 60 To tutor thee in stratagems of war; |