Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his
Now, Salisbury! for thee, and for the right
Of English Henry, fhall this night appear
How much in duty I am bound to both.

grave.

Cent. [within.] Arm, arm; the enemy doth make affault.

[The English, Scaling the Walls, cry, St. George!

The French leap o'er the Walls in their fhirts. Enter feveral ways, Baftard, Alanson, Reignier, half ready and half unready.

Alan. H Bast. Unready? I, and glad we`scap'd so

OW now, my lords? what all unready fo?

well.

Reig. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds; Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.

Alan. Of all exploits, fince firft I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize

More venturous, or defperate than this.

Baft. I think, this Talbot is a fiend of hell.
Reig. If not of hell, the heav'ns, fure, favour him.
Alan. Here cometh Charles, I marvel how he sped.
Enter Charles and Joan.

Baft. Tut! holy Joan was, his defenfive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didft thou at firft, to flatter us withal,

Make us partakers of a little gain;

That now our lofs might be ten times as much? Pucel. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend?

At all times will you have my pow'r alike?
Sleeping, or waking, muft I ftill prevail?
Or will
you blame and lay the fault on me?

Improvident foldiers, had your watch been good,
This fudden mischief never could have fall'n.
Char. Duke of Alanfon, this was your default,
That, being captain of the watch to-night,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Alan. Had all your quarters been as fafely kept,
As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus fhamefully furpriz'd.
Baft. Mine was fecure.

Reign. And fo was mine, my lord.

Char. And for myself, moft part of all this night, Within her quarter, and mine own precinct, I was employ'd in paffing to and fro,

About relieving of the centinels.

Then how, or which way, fhould they firft break in?
Pucet. Queftion, my lords, no further of the cafe,
How, or which way; 'tis fure, they found fome part
But weakly guarded, where the breach was made:
And now there refts no other shifts but this,
To gather our foldiers, scatter'd and disperst,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

III.

Within the Walls of Orleans.

Alarm. Enter a foldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot ! they fly, leaving their clothes behind.

Sol. I'LL be fo bold to take what they have left:
The cry of Talbot ferves me for a fword,

For I have loaden me with many fpoils,
Ufing no other weapon but his name.

Enter Talbot, Bedford, and Burgundy.

[Exit

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled, Whofe pitchy mantle over veil'd the earth.

Here found retreat, and ceafe our hot purfuit. [Retreat.

Tal.

Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury,
And here advance it in the market place,
The middle centre of this cursed fown.
Now have I pay'd my vow unto his soul :
For ev'ry drop of blood was drawn from him,
There have at leaft five Frenchmen dy'd to-night.
And that hereafter ages may behold
What ruin happen'd in revenge of him,
Within their chiefeft temple I'll erect
A tomb, wherein his corps shall be interr'd:
Upon the which, that every one may read,
Shall be engrav'd the Sack of Orleans ;

The treach'rous manner of his mournful death,
And what a terror he had been to France.
But, lords, in all our bloody massacre,

I muse, we met not with the Dauphin's Grace,
His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc,
Nor any of his falfe confederates.

Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began,
Rous'd on the fudden from their drowfy beds,
They did amongst the troops of armed men
Leap o'er the walls, for refuge in the field.
Bur. Myfelf, as far as I could well difcern
For fmoke and dusky vapours of the night,
Am fure, I scar'd the Dauphin and his trull:
When, arm in arm, they both came fwiftly running,
Like to a pair of loving Turtle Doves,

That could not live afunder day or night.

After that things are fet in order here,

We'll follow them with all the pow'r we have.
Enter a Meffenger.

Meff. All hail, my lords; which of this princely train Call 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?
Meff. The virtuous lady, Countess Auvergne,
With modefty, admiring thy renown,

By

By me intreats, great lord, thou would'ft vouchfafe
To vifit her poor Caftle where the lies;
That fhe may boaft fhe hath beheld the man,
Whofe glory fills the world with loud report.

Bur. Is it ev'n fo? nay, then, I fee, our wars
Will turn into a peaceful comic fport;

When ladies crave to be encounter'd with.
You can't, my lord, despise her gentle fuit.
Tal. Ne'er truft 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 therefore tell her, I return great thanks;
And in submission will attend on her.
Will not your honours bear me company?
Bed. No, truly, that is more than manners will :
And I have heard it faid, unbidden guests
Are often welcomeft when they are gone.

Tal. Well then, alone, fince there's no remedy, I mean to prove this lady's courtesy.

Come hither, captain; you perceive my mind. [Whispers. Capt. I do, my lord, and mean accordingly. [Exeunt.

Count. PORT

ORTER, remember what I gave in charge;
And, when you've done fo, bring the keys

to me.

Port. Madam, I will.

[Exit.

Count. The plot is laid if all things fall out right,

I fhall as famous be by this exploit,

As Scythian Tomyris by Cyrus' death.

Great is the rumour of this dreadful Knight,
And his atchievements of no lefs account:

Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears,
To give their cenfure of these rare reports.

Enter

Enter Meffenger, and Talbot.

Meff. Madam, according as your ladyship
By meffage crav'd, fo is lord Talbot come.

Count. And he is welcome; what! is this the man?
Meff. Madam, it is.

Count. Is this the fcourge of France?

Is this the Talbot fo much fear'd abroad,

That with his name the mothers ftill their babes?

I fee, report is fabulous and false,

I thought, I fhould have feen fome Hercules;
A fecond Hector, for his grim afpect,

And large proportion of his ftrong-knit limbs.
Alas! this is a child, a filly dwarf:

It cannot be, this weak and writhled Shrimp
Should firike fuch terror in his enemies.

Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you
But fince your ladyfhip is not at leisure,

I'll fort fome other time to vilit you.

Count. What means he now? Go ask him, whither

he goes.

Meff. Stay, my lord Talbot; for my lady craves
To know the caufe of your abrupt departure.
Tal. Marry, for that he's in a wrong belief,
I go to certify her, Talbot's here.

Enter Porter with keys.

Count. If thou be he, then art thou prisoner.
Tal. Pris'ner? to whom?

*

Count. To me, blood-thirsty lord :

And for that caufe I train'd thee to

my house. Long time thy fhadow hath been thrall to me, For in my gallery thy picture hangs:

But now the fubflance fhall endure the like,
And I will chain thefe legs and arms of thine,
That haft by tyranny thele many years
Wafted our country, flain our citizens,
And fent our fons and hufbands captivate.

Tal.