Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits ; God is our fortress, in whose conquering name Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks. Bed. Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee. Bur. And I to this. Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave. Now, Salisbury, for thee, and for the right [The English scale the Walls, crying St. George! Sent. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth make assault! The French leap over the Walls in their shirts. Enter, several ways, BASTARD, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready3. Alen. How now, my lords! what, all unready so? Hearing alarums at our chamber doors. Alen. Of all exploits, since first I followed arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize More venturous, or desperate than this. 3 Bast. I think, this Talbot be a fiend of hell. - half READY, and half UNREADY.] i. e. half dressed, and half undressed. "Ready" and "unready," in the time of Shakespeare, were the commonest words for dressed and undressed. Examples might be pointed out in nearly every old writer. Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him. Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE. Bast. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal, Make us partakers of a little gain, That now our loss might be ten times so much? Puc. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend? At all times will you have my power alike? Sleeping or waking must I still prevail, Or will you blame, and lay the fault on me?— We had not been thus shamefully surpriz'd. Reig. And so was mine, my lord. Char. And for myself, most part of all this night, Within her quarter, and mine own precinct, I was employ'd in passing to and fro, About relieving of the sentinels: Then how, or which way, should they first break in? And lay new PLATFORMS] i. e. Plots or plans. The plot of a play was formerly called a "platform." See the "Hist. of Eng. Dram. Poetry and the Stage," vol. iii. p. 393, &c. VOL. V. D Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying, a Talbot ! a Talbot! They fly, leaving their Clothes behind. Sold. I'll be so bold to take what they have left. [Exit. SCENE II. Orleans. Within the Town. Enter TALBOT, Bedford, BurguNDY, a Captain, and Others. Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled, [Retreat sounded. Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury; A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd: The treacherous manner of his mournful death, I muse, we met not with the Dauphin's grace, Bed. "Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began, Rous'd on the sudden from their drowsy beds, They did, amongst the troops of armed men, Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field. Bur. Myself, as far as I could well discern, For smoke, and dusky vapours of the night, Am sure I scar'd the Dauphin, and his trull; When arm in arm they both came swiftly running, Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves, That could not live asunder, day or night. After that things are set in order here, We'll follow them with all the power we have. Enter a Messenger. Mess. All hail, my lords! Which of this princely Call train ye the warlike Talbot, for his acts So much applauded through the realm of France? Tal. Here is the Talbot; who would speak with him? Mess. The virtuous lady, countess of Auvergne, With modesty admiring thy renown, By me entreats, great lord, thou would'st vouchsafe That she may boast she hath beheld the man Bur. Is it even so? Nay, then, I see, our wars Tal. Ne'er trust me then; for when a world of men Could not prevail with all their oratory, Yet hath a woman's kindness over-rul'd.- And in submission will attend on her. Will not your honours bear me company? Bed. No, truly, it is more than manners will; Tal. Well then, alone, since there's no remedy, I mean to prove this lady's courtesy. Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]—You perceive my mind. Capt. I do, my lord, and mean accordingly. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Auvergne. Court of the Castle. Enter the COUNTESS and her Porter. Count. Porter, remember what I gave in charge; And, when you have done so, bring the keys to me. Port. Madam, I will. [Exit. Count. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right, I shall as famous be by this exploit, As Scythian Thomyris by Cyrus' death. Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears, Enter Messenger and TALBOT. Mess. Madam, according as your ladyship desir'd, By message crav'd, so is lord Talbot come. Count. And he is welcome. What! is this the man? Mess. Madam, it is. Count. Is this the scourge of France? Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad, That with his name the mothers still their babes? I see report is fabulous and false: I thought I should have seen some Hercules, A second Hector for his grim aspect, |