pay. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall 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 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 sworn, Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take my leave, To go about my preparation. [Earit. Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, To view th' 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. [Exit'. 9 Exit.] The stage-direction in modern editions has been "Exit. Scene closes;" but in the folio, 1623, it is merely "Exit." It may be doubted whether the curtains, separating the audience from the stage, were again drawn together, or whether "the funeral of Henry the Fifth" made its exit, as it had "entered" in the beginning of the scene, SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Flourish. Enter CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and Others. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known1o. Late did he shine upon the English side; Now we are victors, upon us he smiles. What towns of any moment but we have? At pleasure here we lie near Orleans; Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bullbeeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Reig. Let's raise the siege. Why live we idly here? Char. Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on them. Now, for the honour of the forlorn French! Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat'. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and Others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I! 10 to this day is not known.] So Nash, (says Steevens,) in one of the prefaces before his "Have with You to Saffron Walden," 1596: "You are as ignorant in the true movings of my muse, as the astronomers are in the true movings of Mars, which to this day they could never attain to." 1 Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat.] The stage-direction in the folio is, "Here Alarum : they are beaten back by the English with great loss." Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er have fled, Alen. Froissart, a countryman of ours, records, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-brain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager : Reig. I think, by some odd gimmals, or device, Enter the Bastard of Orleans. Bast. Where's the prince Dauphin? I have news for him. Char. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Bast. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd: 2 I think, by some odd GIMMALS or device, Their arms are set like clocks-] A" gimmal," or gimmor, as it is spelt in the folio, 1623, is a piece of machinery, which in the text is supposed to strike, like the figures in connexion with clocks, which of old struck the hours. The etymology has been disputed; but possibly it is from the Latin gemellus, and properly signifies a device, composed of double parts corresponding with each other. This is the derivation given by Skinner, Etymol. Ling. Angl. Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven, And drive the English forth the bounds of France. Char. Go, call her in. [Exit Bastard.] But first, to try her skill, Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place : [Retires. Enter LA PUCELLE, Bastard of Orleans, and Others. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats? Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to beguile me? Where is the Dauphin ?-Come, come from behind; Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd Lo! whilst I waited on my tender lambs, Will'd me to leave my base vocation, And, whereas I was black and swart before, With those clear rays which she infus'd on me, 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, 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 church yard, Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Then, come o' God's name: I fear no woman. Puc. And, while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man. [They fight1. Char. Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me. Impatiently I burn with thy desire; 3 Deck'd with FIVE flower-de-luces-] In the folio, 1623, the u, instead of v, with which fire was formerly printed, was accidentally turned, and the word is therefore fine; but Holinshed enables us to detect the error, for he states that "fire flower-de-luces were graven on both sides" of the sword of Joan of Arc. They fight.] The old stage-direction is, "Here they fight, and Joan de Pucel overcomes." VOL. V. C |