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:

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 all together: 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 unready1 so? Bast. Unready? ay, and glad we 'scap'd 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 enterprise More venturous, or desperate, than this.

(1) Undressed.

Bast. I think, this Talbot be a fiend of hell.
Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.
Alen. Here cometh Charles; Í marvel, how he
sped.

I

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
Sleeping, or waking, must I still prevail,
you have my power alike?
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 surpris'd.
Bast. Mine was secure.

Reig.

Char. And, for myself, most part of all this night,
And so was mine, my lord.
Within her quarter, and mine own precinct,
I was employ'd in passing to and fro,

About relieving of the sentinels:

Then how, or which way,
Puc. Question, my lords, no further of the case,
should they first break in?
How, or which way; 'tis sure, they found some
place

But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.
And now there rests no other shift but this,-
To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispers'd,
And lay new
platforms to endamage them.

(1) Plans, schemes.

Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying, A
Talbot! a Talbot! They fly, leaving their

clothes behind.

Sold. I'll be so bold to take what they have left.
The cry of Talbot serves me for a sword;
For I have loaden me with many spoils,
Using no other weapon but his name.

[Exit.

SCENE II-Orleans. Within the town. Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, a Captain, and

others.

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled, Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth. Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit. [Retreat sounded. Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury; And here advance it in the market-place, The middle centre of this cursed town.Now have I paid my vow unto his soul; For every drop of blood was drawn from him, There hath at least five Frenchmen died to-night. And, that hereafter ages may behold What ruin happen'd in revenge of him, Within their chiefest temple I'll erect A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd : Upon the which, that every one may read, Shall be engrav'd the sack of Orleans; The treacherous manner of his mournful death, And what a terror he had been to France. But, lords, in all our bloody massacre,

1

I muse, we met not with the dauphin's grace;
His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc;
Nor any of his false confederates.

Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began,

Rous'd on the sudden from their drowsy beds,
They did, arnongst the troops of armed men,
Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field.

(1) Wonder.

Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern,
For smoke, and dusky vapours of the night,)
Am sure, I scar'd the dauphin, and his trull;
When arm in arm they both came swiftly running,
Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves,

That could not live asunder day or night.
After that things are set in order here,

We'll follow them with all the power we have.
Enter a Messenger.

Mess. 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?

Mess. The virtuous lady, countess of Auvergne,
With modesty admiring thy renown,

By me entreats, good lord, thou would'st vouchsafe
To visit her poor castle where she lies;

That she may boast, she hath beheld the man
Whose glory fills the world with loud report.
Bur. Is it even so? Nay, then, I see, our wars
Will turn unto a peaceful comic sport,
When ladies crave to be encounter'd with.-
You may not, my lord, despise her gentle suit.
Tal. Ne'er trust 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;

And I have heard it said,-Unbidden guests
Are often welcomest when they are gone.

is more than manners will:

"

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

(1) i. e. Where she dwells.

Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]—You perceive my mind.

Capt. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Auvergne. Court of the castle.
Enter the Countess and her Porter.
Count. Porter, remember what I gave in charge;
And, when you have done
Port. Madam, I will.
Count. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right,

so, bring the keys to me.

I shall as famous be by this exploit,

[Exit.

As Scythian Thomyris by Cyrus' death.
Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight,
And his achievements of no less account:
Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears,
To give their censure1 of these rare reports.

Enter Messenger and Talbot.

Mess. Madam,

According as your ladyship desir'd,

By message crav'd, so is lord Talbot come. Count. And he is welcome. What? is this the man?

Is this the scourge of France?

Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad,

That with his name the mothers still their babes?

I see, report is fabulous and false :

I thought, I should have seen some Hercules,
A second Hector, for his grim aspéct,
And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.
Alas! this is a child, a silly dwarf:

It cannot be, this weak and writhled2 shrimp,
Should strike such terror to his enemies.

Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you: But since your ladyship is not at leisure,

I'll sort some other time to visit you.

(1) For opinion.

(2) Wrinkled.