Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him, Win. He was a king blessed of the King of kings. Glo. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen prayed, His thread of life had not so soon decayed. None do you like but an effeminate prince, Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art protector; Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace! Let's to the altar;-heralds, wait on us: Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms; Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead. Posterity, await for wretched years, When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck; Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears, And none but women left to wail the dead.- Enter a Messenger. Mess. My honorable lords, health to you all! Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost. Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death. Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up? If Henry were recalled to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was used? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money Among the soldiers this is muttered,— That here you maintain several factions; And, whilst a field should be despatched and fought, One would have lingering wars, with little cost; Let not sloth dim your honors, new begot. Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France.— Give me my steeled coat; I'll fight for France.Away with these disgraceful, wailing robes! Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries. Enter another Messenger. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance. France is revolted from the English quite; Except some petty towns of no import; The dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; Exe. The dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats; Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? An army have I mustered in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is overrun. Enter a third Messenger. 3 Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,I must inform you of a dismal fight, Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? 3 Mess. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown; The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord, Retiring from the siege of Orleans, Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. A base Walloon, to win the dauphin's grace, Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself, For living idly here, in pomp and ease, 3 Mess. O, no; he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford; Most of the rest slaughtered, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay. I'll hale the dauphin headlong from his throne; His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great saint George's feast withal. Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake. 3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieged; The English army is grown weak and faint; The earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn, Either to quell the dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave, To go about my preparation. Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, To view the artillery and munition; [Exit. And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordained his special governor; And for his safety there I'll best devise. [Exit. Win. Each hath his place and function to attend; I am left out; for me nothing remains. But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office; The king from Eltham I intend to steal, And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known. Late did he shine upon the English side; Otherwhiles, the famished English, like pale ghosts, Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves. Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice. Reig. Let's raise the siege; why live we idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear. Remaineth none but mad-brained Salisbury; Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Now for the honor of the forlorn French.- [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I?. Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midst my enemies. Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-brained slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager. Enter the Bastard of Orleans. Bast. Where's the prince dauphin? I have news for him. Char. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Bast. Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appalled. Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? Be not dismayed, for succor is at hand. A holy maid hither with me I bring, Which, by a vision sent to her from Heaven, And drive the English forth the bounds of France. What's past, and what's to come, she can descry. |