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Glou. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can, To view th' artillery and amunition,

And then I will proclaim young Henry King.

[Ex. Gloucefter.

Exe. To Eltam will I, where the young King is, Being ordain'd his fpecial governor,

And for his fafety there I'll beft 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 thus out of office :
The King from Eltam I intend to fend,
And fit at chiefeft stern of publick weak.

[Exit

SCENE V.

FRANCE.

Enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier, marching with a drum and Soldiers.

Char. M2

ARS his true moving, ev'n as in the heav'ns
So in the earth to this day is not known.

Late did he shine upon the English fide:

Now we are victors, upon us he fmiles.
What towns of any moment but we have?
At pleasure here we lye near Orleans:

b Tho ftill the famifh'd English like pale ghofts
Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alan. They was their porridge, and their fat Bullbeeves,

Either they must be dieted like mules

And have their provender ty'd to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look like drowned mice.
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear :
Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury,

1

b Otherwhiles:

And

And he may well in fretting spend his gall,

Nor men nor mony hath he to make war.

Char. Sound, found alarum: we will rush on them: Now for the honour of the forlorn French :

Him I forgive my death that killeth me ;

When he fees me go back one foot

[Exeunt.

or fly. [Here alarm, they are beaten back by the English, with great lofs.

Enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier.

Char. Who ever faw the like? what men have I ? Dogs, cowards, daftards! I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midst my enemies.. Reig. Salisbury is a defp'rate homicide,

He fighteth as one weary of his life:

Two other lords, like Lions wanting food,
Do rush
upon us as their hungry prey.

Alan. Froyfard a countryman of ours records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands bred,
During the time Edward the Third did reign:
More truly now may this be verified;
For none but Sampfons and Goliaffes

It fendeth forth to skirmish; one to ten!

Lean raw-bon'd rafcals! who would e'er fuppofe
They had fuch courage and audacity!

Char. Let's leave this town, for they are hair-brain'd flaves,

And hunger will enforce them be more eager :
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they'll tear down, than forfake the fiege.
Feig. I think by fome odd † gimals or device.
The arms are fet like clocks, ftill to ftrike on ;
Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo as they do :
By my confent we'll e'en let them alone.

Alan. Be it fo..

Enter

Gimmals, are rings of double rounds, from gemelli.

Wheels one within another.

Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

Baft. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for

him.

Dau. Baftard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

Baft. Methinks your looks are fad, your chear appal❜d.
Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay'd, for fuccour is at hand:
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which by a vifion fent to her from heav'n
Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The fpirit of deep prophefie fhe hath,
Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome:
What's past and what's to come fhe can descry.
Speak, shall I call her in? believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

Dau. Go call her in; but firft to try her skill,
Reignier ftand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Question her proudly, let thy looks be ftern:
By this means fhall we found what skill fhe hath.

SCENE VI

Enter Joan la Pucelle.

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do thefe wond'rous feats ?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin come, come from behind,
I know thee well, tho never feen before.

Be not amaz'd: there's nothing hid from me :
In private will I talk with thee

apart:

Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.

Reig. She takes upon her bravely at firft dafh.

Pucel. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's daughters

My wit untrain'd in any kind of art:

Heav'n, and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd

To hine on my contemptible eftate.

Lo

Lo, whilft I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me,
And in a vifion full of majesty

Will'd me to leave my base vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid fhe promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs.
In compleat glory fhe reveal'd her felf;
And whereas I was black and fwart before,
With thofe clear rays which fhe infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bleft with which you fee.
Ask me what question thou canst poffible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.

My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my fex.
Refolve on this, thou fhalt be fortunate
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Dau. Thou haft astonish'd me with thy high terms: Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,

In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And if thou vanquisheft, thy words are true,
Otherwife I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword,
Deck'd with fine Flow'r-de-luces on each fide,
The which at Tourain in St. Katharine's church
Out of a deal of old iron I chofe forth.

Dau. Then come a God's name, for I fear no wo

man.

Pucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man. Here they fight, and Joan de Pucelle overcomes. Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands, thou art an Amazon, And fighteft with the fword of Debora.

Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too weak. Dau. Who-e'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me : Impatiently I burn with thy defire,

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd;
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy fervant and not Soveraign be,
Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.

Pucel.

Pucel. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profeffion's facred from above:
When I have chafed all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau. Mean time look gracious on thy proftrate thrall. Reig. My lord methinks is very long in talk.

Alan. Doubtlefs he fhrives this woman to her fmock, Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his fpeech.

Reig. Shall we difturb him fince he keeps no mean? Alan. 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?

Pucel. Why no, I fay; diftruftful recreants. Fight till the laft gafp; for I'll be your guard. Dau. What fhe fays I'll confirm; we'll fight it out. Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English fcourge. This night the fiege affuredly I'll raise : Expect Saint Martin's fummer, Halcyon days, Since I have enter'd thus into thefe wars.

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Glory is like a circle in the water;

Which never ceafeth to enlarge it felf,

Till by broad fpreading it difperfe to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends,
Difperfed are the glories it included:
Now am I like that proud infulting ship,
Which Cafar and his fortune bore at once.
Dau. Was Mahomet infpired with a Dove?
Thou with an Eagle art infpired then,
Helen the mother of great Conftantine,
Nor yet St. Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright ftar of Venus fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee?

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raise the fiege.
Reig. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our ho

nours,

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz’d.
Dau. Prefently try: come, let's away about it.
No prophet will I truft if the proves falfe.

[Exeunt. SCENE

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