SCENE II. France. Before Rouen.
Enter LA PUCELLE, disguised, and Soldiers dressed
like countrymen, with sacks upon their backs.
Puc. These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen,
Through which our policy must make a breach;
Take heed, be wary how you place your words;
Talk like the vulgar sort of market-inen,
That come to gather money for their corn.
If we have entrance, (as, I hope, we shall,)
And that we find the slothful watch but weak,
I'll by a sign give notice to our friends,
That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them.
1 Sold. Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city,
And we be lords and rulers over Rouen;
Therefore we'll knock.

Guard. [Within.] Qui est là?

[Knocks.

Puc. Paisans, pauvres gens de France:
Poor market-folks, that come to sell their corn.
Guard. Enter, go in; the market-bell is rung.
[Opens the gates.
Puc. Now, Rouen, I'll shake thy bulwarks to the
ground.
[Pucelle, etc. enter the city.
Enter CHARLES, Bastard of Orleans, ALENÇOx, and
Forces.

Char. Saint Dennis bless this happy stratagem!
And once again we'll sleep secure in Rouen.
Bust. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practisants;
Now she is there, how will she specify,
Where is the best and safest passage in?

Bed. 0,let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason!

Puc. What will you do, good grey-beard? break
a lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?
Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite,
Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours!
Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age,
And twit with cowardice a man half dead?
Damsel, I'll have a bout with you again,
Or else let Talbot perish with this shame.
Puc. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold thy

peace;

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[Talbot, and the rest, consult together.
God speed the parliament! who shall be the speaker?
Tal. Dare ye come forth, and meet us in the field?
Puc. Belike, your lordship takes us then for fools,
To try if that our own be ours, or no.
Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecaté,
But unto thee, Alençon, and the rest ;
Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out?
Alen. Signior, no.

Tal. Signior, hang! - base muleteers of France!
Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls,
And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

Puc. Captains, away; let's get us from the walls;
For Talbot means no goodness, by his looks.-
God be wi' you, my lord! we came, sir, but to tell you
That we are here.

[Exeunt La Pucelle, etc. from the walls.
Tal. And there will we be too, ere it be long,
Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame!
Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house,
(Prick'd on by public wrongs, sustain'd in France,)
Either to get the town again, or die:
And I,
as sure as English Henry lives,
And as his father here was conqueror;

Alen. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower;
Which, once discern'd, shows, that her meaning is,-As sure as in this late-betrayed town
No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd.
Enter LA PUCELLE on a battlement: holding out a
torch burning.

Puc. Behold, this is the happy wedding torch,
That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen;
But burning fatal to the Talbotites.

Bust. See, noble Charles! the beacon of our friend,
The burning torch iu yonder turret stands.
Char. Now shine it like a comet of revenge,
A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

Alen. Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends;
Enter, and cry The Dauphin! - presently,
And then do execution on the watch. [They enter.
Alarums. Enter TALBOT, and certain English.
Tal.France,thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears,
If Talbot but survive thy treachery.
Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress,
Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,
That hardly we escap'd the pride of France.
[Exeunt to the town.

-

Great Coeur-de-lion's heart was buried;
So sure I swear, to get the town, or die.
Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows.
Tal. But, ere we go, regard this dying prince,
The valiant duke of Bedford. - Come, my lord,
We will bestow you in some better place,
Fitter for sickness, and for crazy age.

Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me:
Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen,
And will be partner of your weal, or woe.
Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you.
Erd. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read,
That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick,
Came to the field, and vanquished his foes:
Methinks, I should revive the soldiers' hearts,
Because I ever found them as myself.

Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!-
Then be it so.- Heavens keep old Bedford safe!
And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand,
Alarum: Excursions. Enter, from the town, BED-And set upon our boasting enemy.
FORD, brought in sick, in a chair, with TALBOT,
BURGUNDY, and the English Forces. Then, enter on
the walls, LA POCELLE, CHARLES, Bastard, ALENÇON,
and Others.

Puc. Good morrow, gallants! want ye corn for bread?
I think, the duke of Burgundy will fast,
Before he'll buy again at such a rate:
'Twas full of darnel; do you like the taste?

Bur. Scoff on, vile fiend, and shameless courtezan!
I trust, ere long, to choke thee with thine own,
And make thee curse the harvest of that corn.

Alarum:

[Exeunt Burgundy, Talbot, and Forces, leaving Bedford, and Others. Excursions. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE, and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, sir John Fastolfe, in such haste?
Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight;
We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What! will you fly, and leave lord Talbot?
Fast. Ay,

All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. [Exit.
Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee! [Exit.

Fortune, in favour, makes him lag behind.
Summon a parley, we will talk with him.

Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve, that Rouen is so recovered:
Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things, that are not to be remedied.
Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while,
And like a peacock sweep along his tail;
We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train,
If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but rul'd.
Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence;
One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.
Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies,
And we will make thee famous through the world.
Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place,
And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saiut;
Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good.
Puc. Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise:
By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words,
We will entice the duke of Burgundy
To leave the Talbot, and to follow us.
Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that,
France were no place for Henry's warriors;
Nor should that nation boast it so with us,
But be extirped from our provinces.
Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd from France,
And not have title to an earldom here.

T

Be

Le

A

As

Fi

T

[A parley sounded.
Char. A parley with the duke of Burgundy.
Bur. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy?
Puc. The princely Charles of France, thy country-

Bur. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am march-
ing hence.

Char. Speak, Pucelle; and enchant him with thy
words.

Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France!
Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.
Bur. Speak on; but be not over-tedious.
Puc. Look on thy country, look on fertile France,
And see the cities and the towns defac'd
By wasting ruin of the cruel foe!
As looks the mother on her lowly babe,
When death doth close his tender dying eyes,
See, see the pining malady of France;
Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds,
Which thou thyself hast given her woful breast!
O, turn thy edged sword another way;
Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help!
One drop of blood, drawn from thy country's bosom,
Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore;
Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears,
And wash away thy country's stained spots!
Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words,
Or nature makes me suddenly relent.

Puc. Your honours shall perceive how I will work,
To bring this matter to the wished end. [Drums heard.
Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive
Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward.
An English March. Enter, and pass over at a
distance, TALBOT and his Forces.
There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread,
And all the troops of English after him.
A French March. Enter the Duke of BURGUNDY

To your obedience fifty fortresses,

-

Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength,
Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem,
Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet;
And, with submissive loyalty of heart,
Ascribes the glory of his conquest got,
First to my God, and next unto your grace.

K. Hen. Is this the lord Talbot, uncle Gloster,
That hath so long been resident in France?
Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege.
K.Hen. Welcome, brave captain, and victorious lord!
When I was young (as yet I am not old,)
I do remember how my father said,
A stouter champion never handled sword.
Long since we were resolved of your truth,
Your faithful service, and your toil in war;
Yet never have you tasted our reward,
Or been reguerdon'd with so much as thanks,
Because till now we never saw your face:
Therefore, stand up; and, for these good deserts,
We here create you earl of Shrewsbury;
And in our coronation take your place.

[Exeunt King Henry, Gloster, Talbot,
and Nobles.

Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea,
Disgracing of these colours that I wear
In honour of my noble lord of York,
Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?
Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage
The envious barking of your saucy tongue
Against my lord, the duke of Somerset.
Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.
Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York.
Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that.
[Strikes him.
Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such,
That, who so draws a sword, 'tis present death;
Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood.
But I'll unto his majesty, and crave

I may have liberty to venge this wrong;
When thou shalt see, I'll meet thee to thy cost.
Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you;
And, after, meet you sooner than you would. [Exeunt.

When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one, -
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away;
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,
Were there surpriz'd, and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no.

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
And ill beseeming any common man;

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.
Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,
Knights of the garter were of noble birth;
Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.
He then, that is not furnish'd in this sort,
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order;
And should (if I were worthy to be judge),
Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.
K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy
doom:

Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.-
[Exit Fastolfe.

And now, my lord protector, view the letter,
Sent from our uncle, duke of Burgundy.
Glo. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd
his style?
[Viewing the superscription.
No more but, plain and bluntly. - To the king?
Hath he forgot, he is his sovereign?
Or doth this churlish superscription
Pretend some alteration in good will?
What's here?.- I have, upon especial cause,
[Reads.
Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck,
Together with the pitiful complaints
Of such as your oppression feeds upon,
Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of France.
O monstrous treachery! Can this be so;
That in alliance, amity, and oaths,
SUF-There should be found such false dissembling guile?
K. Ien. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
Glo. He doth, my lord, and is become your foe.
K. Hen. Is that the worst this letter doth contain?
Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
K. Hen. Why then, lord Talbot there shall talk
with him,

SCENE I. The same.
A room of state.
Enter King Henry, Gloster, Exeter, York,
FOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT,
the Governor of Paris, and Others.
Glo. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head!
Win. God save king Henry, of thal name the sixth!
Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,
[Governor kneels.

That you elect no other king but him:
Esteem none friends, but such as are his friends;
And none your foes, but such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state:

This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!
[Exeunt Gov. and his train.

Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLfe.

And give him chastisement for this abuse:
My lord, how say you? are you not content?
Tal. Content, my liege? Yes, but that I am pre-
vented,

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.
K. Hen. Then gather strength, and march unto
him straight:

Fas. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treason;

To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,
Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy.
Tal. Shame to the duke of Burgundy, and thee!
I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the garter from thy craven's leg,

[Plucking it off.

(Which I have done) because unworthily
Thon wast installed in that high degree.
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest:
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,

[Exit.

And what offence it is, to flout his friends.
Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still,
You may behold confusion of your foes.
Enter VERNON and BASSET.
Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign!
Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too!
York. This is my servant; hear him, noble prince!
Som. And this is mine; sweet Henry, favour him!
K. Hen. Be patient, lords; and give them leave

to speak.

Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?

And wherefore crave you combat; or with whom?
Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong.
Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong.
K. Hen. What is that wrong, whereof you both
complain?

First let me know, and then I'll answer you.
Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France,
This fellow here, with envious carping tongue,
Upbraided me about the rose I wear;
Saying the sanguine colour of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn the truth,
About a certain question in the law,
Argu'd betwixt the duke of York and him;
With other vile and ignominious terms;
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord:
For though he seem, with forged quaint conceit,
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,
Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower
Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.

York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York, will out,
Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.

That

any

T

A

one should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset, than York:
Both are my kiusmen, and I love them both:
As well they may upbraid me with my crown,
Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd.
But your discretions better can persuade,
Than I am able to instruct or teach:
And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
So let us still continue peace and love.-
Cousin of York, we institute your grace
To be our regent in these parts of France:
And, good my lord of Somerset, unite
Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot; -
And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors,
Go cheerfully together, and digest

Your angry choler on your enemies.
Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest,
After some respite, will return to Calais;
From thence to England; where I hope ere long
To be presented, by your victories,
With Charles, Alençon, and that traitorous rout.
[Flourish. Exeunt King Henry, Glo.
Som. Win. Suf, and Basset.
War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king
Prettily, methought, did play the orator.
York. And so he did; but yet I like it not,
In that he wears the badge of Somerset.
War. Tush! that was but his faucy, blame him not;
dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.
York. And, if I wist he did, but let it rest;
Other affairs must now be managed.

K. Hen. Good Lord! what madness rules in brain-I sick men;

--

When, for so slight and frivolous a cause,
Such factious emulations shall arise!
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.
York. Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
And then your highness shall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.
York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset.
Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first.
Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord.
Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife!
And perish ye, with your audacious prate!
Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd,
With this immodest clamorous outrage
To trouble and disturb the king and us?
And you, my lords,-methinks you do not well,
To bear with their perverse objections;
Much less, to take occasion from their mouths
To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves;
Let me persuade you, take a better course.
Exe. It grieves his highness; good my lords, be

friends.

K. Hen. Come hither, you, that would be combatants
Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour,
Quite to forget this quarrel, and the cause. —
And you, my lords,-remember where we are;
In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation:
If they perceive dissensions in our looks,
And that within ourselves we disagree,
How will their grudging stomachs be provok'd
To wilful disobedience, and rebel?
Beside, what infamy will there arise,
When foreign princes shall be certified,
That, for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's peers, and chief nobility,
Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of France?
O, think upon the conquest of my father,
My tender years; and let us not forego
That for a trifle, that was bought with blood!
Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.
I see no reason, if I wear this rose,

[Exeunt York, IVarwick, and Vernon.
Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice:
For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,
I fear, we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd.
But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,

This should'ring of each other in the court,
This factious baudying of their favourites,
But that it doth presage some ill event.
"Tis much, when sceptres are in children's hands;
But more, when envy breeds unkind division;
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion. [Exit.

SCENE II.

- Before Bourdeaux.
Enter TALBOT, with his Forces.
Tal. Go to the gates of Bourdeaux, trumpeter,
Summon their general unto the wall.

Trumpet sounds a parley. Enter, on the walls,

the General of the French Forces, and Others.
English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry king of England;
And thus he would, Open your city gates,
Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects,
And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power:
But, if you frown upon this profer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire;
Who, in a moment, even with the earth
Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,
If you forsake the offer of their love.

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge!
The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us thou canst not enter, but by death:
For, I protest, we are well fortified,
And strong enough to issue out and fight:
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee:
[Putting on a red rose. On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd,

Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo! there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit:
This is the latest glory of thy praise,
That I, thy enemy, due thee withal;
For ere the glass, that now begins to run,
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes, that see thee now well coloured,
Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead.
[Drums afar off.
Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul;
And mine shall ring thy dire departure out.

[Exeunt General, etc. from the walls. Tal. He fables not, I hear the enemy;Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings. O, negligent and heedless discipline! How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale; A little herd of England's timorous deer, Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs! If we be Euglish deer, be then in blood: Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch; But rather moody-mad, and desperate stags, Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel, And make the cowards stand aloof at bay: Sell every man his life as dear as mine,