The scare-crow, that affrights our children so.
Then broke I from the officers that led me;

And with my nails digg'd stones out of the ground,
To hurl at the beholders of my shame.

My grisly countenance made others fly;
None durst come near for fear of sudden death.
In iron walls they deem'd me not secure;

So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread,
That they supposed, I could rend bars of steel,
And spurn in pieces posts of adamant:
Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had,
That walk'd about me every minute-while;
And if I did but stir out of my bed,

Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.

Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you endured; But we will be revenged sufficiently.

Now it is supper-time in Orleans:

Here, through this grate, I can count every one,
And view the Frenchmen how they fortify;
Let us look in, the sight will much delight thee.
Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glansdale,
Let me have your express opinions,

Where is best place to make our battery next.

Gar. I think at the north gate; for there stand lords.
Glan. And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge.
Tal. For aught I see, this city must be famish'd,

Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.

[Shot from the town. SALISBURY and SIR THO.
GARGRAVE fall.

Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!
Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!

Tal. What chance is this, that suddenly hath cross'd us—
Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak;

How far'st thou, mirror of all martial men?

One of thy eyes, and thy cheek's side struck off!—
Accursed tower! accursed fatal hand,

That have contrived this woeful tragedy!

In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame;

Henry the fifth he first train'd to the wars;

Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up,
His sword did ne'er leave striking in the field.-

Yet liv'st thou, Salisbury? though thy speech doth fail,
One eye thou hast, to look to heaven for grace:
The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.-
Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive,
If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands!-
Bear hence his body, I will help to bury it.-
Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him.
Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort;
Thou shalt not die, whiles-

He beckons with his hand, and smiles on me:
As who should say, When I am dead and gone,

Remember to avenge me on the French.-
Plantagenet, 1 will; and Nero-like,

Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn:
Wretched shall France be only in my name.

[Thunder heard; afterwards an alarum.

What stir is this? What tumult 's in the heavens?
Whence cometh this alarum, and the noise?

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. My lord, my lord, the French have gather'd head: The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'd,—

A holy prophetess, new risen up,—

Is come with a great power to raise the siege.

[SALISBURY groans.

Tal. Hear, hear, how dying Salisbury doth groan!
It irks his heart, he cannot be revenged.-
Frenchmen, I'll be a Salisbury to you:-
Pucelle or puzzle,* dolphin or dogfish,

Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels,
And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.—
Convey me Salisbury into his tent,

And then we'll try what these dastardly Frenchmen dare.
[Exeunt, bearing out the bodies.

SCENE V-The same. Before one of the Gates.

Alarum. Skirmishings. TALBOT pursueth the DAUPHIN, and driveth him in: then enter JOAN LA PUCELLE, driving English men before her. Then enter TALBOT.

Tal. Where is my strength, my valour, and my force? Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them;

A woman, clad in armour, chaseth them.

Enter LA PUCELLE.

Here, here she comes:- -I'll have a bout with thee;
Devil, or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee:
Blood will I draw on thee, † thou art a witch,
And straightway give thy soul to him thou serv'st.

Puc. Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace thee;

Tal. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail?
My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage,
And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder,
But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet.
Puc. Talbot, farewell; thy hour is not yet come :

I must go victual Orleans forthwith.

O'ertake me, if thou canst; I scorn thy strength.
Go, go, cheer up thy hunger-starved men ;

*Dirty wench.

[They fight.

+ The superstition of those times taught, that he who could draw a witch's blood was free from her power.

Help Salisbury to make his testament:
This day is ours, as many more shall be.

[PUCELLE enters the town, with Soldiers.

Tal. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel; I know not where I am, nor what I do:

[A short alarum.

A witch, by fear, not force, like Hannibal,
Drives back our troops, and conquers, as she lists:
So bees with smoke, and doves with noisome stench,
Are from their hives, and houses, driven away.
They call'd us, for our fierceness, English dogs;
Now, like to whelps, we crying run away.
Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight,
Or tear the lions out of England's coat;
Renounce your soil, give sheep in lion's stead:
Sheep run not half so timorous from the wolf,
Or horse, or oxen, from the leopard,
As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves.

[Alarum. Another skirmish.

It will not be:-Retire into your trenches:
You all consented unto Salisbury's death,
For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.-
Pucelle is enter'd into Orleans,

In spite of us, or aught that we could do.
O, would I were to die with Salisbury!

The shame hereof will make me hide my head.

[Alarum. Retreat. Exeunt TALBOT and his Forces, &c.

SCENE VI.-The same.

Enter, on the walls, PUCELLE, CHARLES, REIGNIER,
ALENÇON, and Soldiers.

Puc. Advance our waving colours on the walls;
Rescued is Orleans from the English wolves:-
Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.
Char. Divinest creature, bright Astræa's daughter,
How shall I honour thee for this success?

Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens,

That one day bloom'd, and fruitful were the next.-
France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess !--
Recover'd is the town of Orleans:

More blessed hap did ne'er befall our state

Reig. Why ring not out the bells throughout the town? Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires,

And feast and banquet in the open streets,

To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.

Alen. All France will be replete with mirth and joy,
When they shall hear how we have play'd the men.
Char. 'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won;

For which, I will divide my crown with her:
And all the priests and friars in my realm
Shall, in procession, sing her endless praise.

A statelier pyramis to her I'll rear,

Than Rhodope's, or Memphis', ever was:
In memory of her, when she is dead,
Her ashes, in an urn more precious
Than the rich-jewell'd coffer of Darius,
Transported shall be at high festivals
Before the kings and queens of France.
No longer on Saint Dennis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint.
Come in; and let us banquet royally,
After this golden day of victory.

[Flourish. Exeunt

ACT II.

SCENE I-The same.

Enter to the gates, a French SERGEANT, and two SENTINELS.

Serg. Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant:

If any noise, or soldier, you perceive,

Near to the walls, by some apparent sign,

Let us have knowledge at the court of guard.*

1 Sent. Sergeant, you shall. [Exit SERGEANT.] Thus are poor servitors

(When others sleep upon their quiet beds) Constrain❜d to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and Forces, with scalingladders; their drums beating a dead march.

Tal. Lord regent, and redoubted Burgundy,-
By whose approach, the regions of Artois,
Walloon, and Picardy, are friends to us,-
This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,
Having all day caroused and banqueted :
Embrace we then this opportunity;
As fitting best to quittance their deceit,

Contrived by art, and baleful sorcery.

Bed. Coward of France!-how much he wrongs his fame,

Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,

To join with witches, and the help of hell.

Bur. Traitors have never other company.

But what's that Pucelle, whom they term so pure?

Tal. A maid, they say.

Bed. A maid! and be so martial!

Bur. Pray God, she prove not masculine ere long;

If underneath the standard of the French,

She carry armour, as she hath begun.

Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:

*Guard-room.

God is our fortress; in whose conquering name,
Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.

Bed. Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.
Tal. Not altogether: better far, I guess,

That we do make our entrance several ways;
That, if it chance the one of us do fail,

The other yet may rise against their force.
Bed. Agreed; I'll to yon corner.

Bur. And I to this.

Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.

Now, Salisbury! for thee, and for the right

Of English Henry, shall this night appear

How much in duty I am bound to both.

[The English scale the walls, crying St. George!

a Talbot! and all enter by the Town.

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 unready.

Alen. How now, my lords? what, all unready* so? Bast. Unready? ay, and glad we 'scaped so well. Reig. "Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds, Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.

Alen. Of all exploits, since first I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize

More venturous, or desperate than this.

Bast. I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.

Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.
Alen. Here cometh Charles, I marvel, how he sped.

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 ?-
Improvident soldiers! had your watch been good,
This sudden mischief never could have fall'n.
Char. Duke of Alençon, this was your default;

That, being captain of the watch to-night,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Alen. Had all your quarters been as safely kept
As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus shamefully surprised.
Bast. Mine was secure.

Undressed.