.

A virgin

Suf. Farewel, :sweet Madam, hark you, Margaret No Princely commendations to my King ? Mar. Such commendations as become a maid,

. SufWords sweetly plac'd, and modestly directed, But, Madam, I muft trouble you again, No loving token to his Majefty?.

Mar. Yes, my good lord, a pure unfpotted heart,) Never yet taint with love, I send the King, Suf. And this withal.

::. [Kisses her. Mar. That for thyfelf-I will not so presunie, To send such peevish tokens to a King.

Suf. O, wert thou for'myself!-but, Suffolk, stay; ) Thou may'st not wander in that labyrinth;;; There Minotaurs, and ugly treasons, lurk. Solicit Henry with her wond'rous praise, Bethink thee on her virtues that surmount, Her nat'ral graces that extinguish art; Repeat their semblance often on the seas; That, when thou com'ft to kneel at Henry's feet, 5.7 Thou may'st bereave him of his wits with wonder. e)

[Exeunt. S CE N E VI.

York. BRING forth, chat

, Sorceress, condemn`d to :

Enter York, Warwick, a shepherd, and Pucelle. York.

burn..! 10 Shep. Ah, Joan! This kills thy father's heart outHave I fought ev'ry Country far and near, (right. And now it is my chance to find thee out, Must I behold thy timeless, cruel, death! Ah, Joan, sweet daughter, I will die with thee. : ;

Pucel. Decripit mifer! base ignoble wretch ! I am descended of a gentler blood. Thou art no father, nor no friend of mine. Shep. Out, out! my lords, an please you, 'tis

not for;; i VOL V.

S

I did

I did beget her, all the parish knows:
Her mother, living yet, cán testify,
She was the first-fruit of my bach'lorship.

War. Graceless, wilt thou deny thy parentage?

York. This argues what her kind of life hath been, Wicked and vile, and so her death concludes.

Shep. Fie, Joan, that thou wilt be so obstacle :
God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh,
And for thy fake have I shed many a tear;
Deny me not, I pray thee, gentle Joan.

Pucel. Peasant, ayaunt ! You have suborn'd this

man

Of purpose to obscure my noble Birth.

Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest, The morn that I was wedded to her mother. Kneel down and take my blessing, good my girl. Wilt thou not stoop? now cursed be the time Of thy nativity! I would, the milk, Thy mother gave thee when thou fuck dit her breast, Had been a little ratsbane for thy fake: Or else, when thou did ft keep my lambs a-field, I wish fome rav'nous wolf had eaten thee. Doft thou deny thy father, cursed drab? O, burn her, bum her; hanging is too good.

Exit.
York. Take her away, for she hath liv'd too long,
To fill the world with vitious qualities.
Pucel. First, let tell

you,
whom

you

have
e demn'd ;
Not me begotten of a shepherd swain,
But illu'd from the progeny of Kings ;
Virtuous and holy, chosen from above,
By inspiration of celestiallgrace,
To work exceeding miracles on earth:
I never had to do with wicked Spirits.
But you, that are polluted with your lufts,
Stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents,
Corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices,

Because

me

con

cry

Because you want the grade, that others have,
You judge it ftraight a thing impossible
To compass wonders, but by help of devils.
No, misconceived Joan of Arc hath been
A' virgin from her tender infancy,
Chatte and immaculate in very thought;
Whose maiden blood, thus rig'roully effus'd,
Will for

vengeance at the gates of heay'n.
York. Ay, ay; away with her to execution.

War. And heark ye, Sirs; because she is a maid,
Spare for no faggots, let there be enow:
Place pitchy barrels on the fatal stake,
That fo her torture may

be shortened.
Pucel. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts?
Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity ;
That warranteth by law to be thy privilege.
I am with child, ye bloody homicides :
Afurder not then the fruit within my womb,
Although ye hale me to a violent death.
York. Now heav'n forefend! the holy maid with

child !
War. The greatest miracle that ere you wrought :
Is all your ftri& preciseness come to this?

York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling: I did imagine, what would be her refuge.

War. Well, go to ; we will have no bastards live; Especially, since Charles muft father it.

Pucel. You are deceiv'd, my child is none of his į
It was Alanson that enjoy'd my love.

York. Alanson! that notorious Machiavel!
It dies, an if it had a thousand lives.

Pucel. O, give me leave, I have deluded you;
'Twas neither Charles, nor yet the Duke I nam'd,
But Reignier, King of Naples, that prevail'd.

War. A married man! that's most intolerable.
York. Why, here's a girl ; I think, she knows not

well,
(There were so many) whom she may accuse.

War

VII.

War. It's fign, she hath been liberal and free.'

York. And yet forfooth, she is'a virgin pure. Strumpet, ihy words condemn thy brat and thee: Use no entreaty, for it is in vain.

Pucel. Then lead me hence with whom I leave my May never glorious fun reflect his beams [curse. Upon the country where you make abode ! But darkness and the gloomy fhade of death' Inviron you, 'till mischief and despair Drive you to break your necks, or hang yourselves!

[Exit guarded. York. Break thou in pieces, and consume to alhes, Thou foul accursed minister of hell!

SC EN E

Enter Cardinal of Winchester. Car. L With letters of

Commilion from the King.
ORD Regent, I do greet your Excellence
For know, my lords, the states of Chriftendom,
Mov'd with reinorfe of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implor'd a gen'ral Peace
* Betwixt our nation and th' respiring French ;
And see at hand the Dauphin, and his train,
Approaching to confer about some matters.

York. Is all our travel turn'd to this effect ?
After the slaughter of so many Peers,
So

many Captains, gentlemen and soldiers,
That in this quarrel have been overthrown,
And fold their bodies for their country's benefit,
Shall we at last conclude effeminate Peace?
Have we not loft most

part

of all the towns, By reason, falfhood, and by treachery, Our great progenitors had conquered ?

* Betwixt our nation and th' aspiring French ;] But would an Ambas. fador, who came to perfuade Peace with France, use it as an Argu. ment, that France was aspiring. Shakespear without doubt wrote.

-th' respiring French. 1. c. who had but just got into Breath again, after having been alxnost bunted down by the English.

Oh!

Oh, Warwick, Warwick! I foresee with grief $
The utter loss of all the realm of France.

War. Be patient, York; if we conclude a Peace,
It shall be with such strict and severe covenants,
As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby.

Enter Charles, Alanson, Bastard, and Reignier,

Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed,
That peaceful Truce shall be proclaim'd in France;
We come to be informed by yourselves,
What the conditions of that league must be.

York. Speak, Winchester; for boiling choler chokes
The hollow passage of my prison d voice,
By fight of these our baleful Enernies.

Win. Charles and thereft, it is enacted thus:
That in regard King Henry gives consent,
Of mere compassion and of lenity,
To ease your country of distressful war,
And suffer you to breathe in fruitful Peace;
You shall become true liegemen to his Crown,
And Charles, upon condition thou wilt swear
To pay him tribute and submit thyself,
Thou shalt be plac'd as Viceroy under him;
And still enjoy thy regal dignity.

Alan. Must he be then a lhadow of himself?
Adorn his temples with a Coronet,
And yet in substance and authority
Retain buţ privilege of a private man?
This proffer is abfurd and reasonless.

Char. 'Tis known, already that I am poffeft
Of more than half the Gallian Territories,
And therein rev'renc'd for their lawful King.
Shall I, for lucre of the rest un-vanquish'd,
Detract so much from that prerogative,
As to be call'd but Viceroy of the whole?
No, lord Ambassador, I'll rather keep
That which I have, than, covering for more,
Be cast from possibility of all.
S 3

York.