Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay'd, for fuccour is at hand:
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which by a vifion, fent to her from heav'n,
Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege;

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The fpirit of deep prophecie fhe hath,
Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome:
What's paft, and, what's to come, she can defcry.
Speak, fhall I call her in? believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

Dau. Go, call her in; but first, to try her skill,
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern:
By this means fhall we found what skill the hath.

S C. E

NE

Enter Joan la Pucelle.

VI.

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin? come, come from behind,
I know thee well, tho' never feen before.

Be not amaz'd: there's nothing hid from me:
In private will I talk with thee apart :

Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.
Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dah.
Pucel. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's daughter.
My wit untrain❜d in any kind of art:

Heav'n, and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd
To fhine on my contemptible eftate.

Lo, whilft I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,

8- nine Sibyls of old Rome: ] There were no nine Sibyls of Rome: But he confounds things, and mistakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Targains.

God's

God's mother deigned to appear to me;
And, in a vision full of majesty,
Will'd me to leave my base vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid she promis'd, and affur'd success.
In compleat glory fhe reveal'd her felf;
And, whereas I was black and fwart before,
With those clear rays which the infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bleft with, which you fee.
Ask me what question thou canft poffible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
And thou fhalt find that I exceed my sex.
Refolve on this, thou fhalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
Dau. Thou haft aftonish'd me with thy high terms:
Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,

In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And, if thou vanquisheft, thy words are true;
Otherwife, I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword,
Deck'd with fine Flow'r-de-luces on each fide;
The which, at Tourain in St. Catharine's church,
Out of a deal of old iron I chofe forth.

Dau. Then come o'God's name, for I fear no woman.
Pucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

[Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes. Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands, thou art an Amazon; And fighteft with the fword of Debora.

Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too ?weak.

Dau. Who-e'er helps thee, 'tis thou that muft help me :

Impatiently I burn with thy defire;

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd;
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,

Let me thy fervant and not Sovereign be,

'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.
Pucel. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profeffion's facred from above:
When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau. Mean time, look gracious on thy proftrate
thrall.

Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

Alan. Doubtlefs, he fhrives this woman to her fmock; Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his fpeech.

Reig. Shall we difturb him, fince he keeps no mean? Alan. He may mean more than we poor men do know:

These women are fhrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans or no?

Pucel. Why, no I fay; diftruftful recreants!
Fight till the laft gafp, for I'll be your guard.
Dau. What the fays, I'll confirm; we'll fight it out:
Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English fcourge.

This night the fiege affuredly I'll raife:
Expect Saint Martin's fummer, Halcyon days,
Since I have enter'd thus into thefe wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water;

• Which never ceafeth to enlarge it felf,
Till by broad spreading it difperfe to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends;
Difperfed are the glories it included:
Now am I like that proud infulting fhip,
Which Cafar and his fortune bore at once.
Dau. Was Mahomet infpired with a Dove?
Thou with an Eagle art inspired then.
Helen the mother of great Conftantine,
Nor yet St. Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright ftar of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee?

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raife the fiege.

Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to fave our

honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd,
Dau. Prefently try: come, let's away about it.
No prophet will I trust, if she proves false.

The Tower-gates, in L O N D o N.

[Exeunt.

Enter Gloucefter, with his Serving-men.

Glow. I

AM this day come to furvey the Tower;
Since Henry's death, I fear, there is con-
veyance.

Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
Open the gates. 'Tis Gloucefter, that calls.

I

1 Ward. Who's there, that knocketh fo imperiously? 1 Man. It is the noble Duke of Gloucefter.

2 Ward. Who e'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Man. Villains, answer you so the Lord Protector? I Ward. The Lord protect him! fo we answer him; We do no otherwife than we are will'd.

Glou. Who willed you? or whofe will stands, but
mine?

There's none Protector of the realm but I.
Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize;
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghil grooms?
Gloucester's men rush at the Tower-gates, and
Woodvile the Lieutenant speaks within.

Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have we
here?

Glou. Lieutenant, is it you, whose voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Glo'fter, that would enter. Wood. Have patience, noble Duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchester forbids;

From him I have express commandment,

That

That thou, nor none of thine, fhall be let in.
Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizeft him 'fore me?
Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,

Whom Henry, our late Sovereign, ne'er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God, or to the King:
Open the gate, or I'll fhut thee out shortly.

Serv. Open the gates there to the Lord Protector;
We'll burft them open, if you come not quickly.

Enter to the Protector at the Tower-gates, Winchester and his men in tawny coats.

Win. How now, ambitious Umpire, what means

this?

Glou. Piel'd Prieft, doft thou command me be
fhut out?

Win. I do, thou moft ufurping proditor,

And not protector, of the King or realm.
Glou. Stand back, thou manifeft conspirator;
Thou, that contriv'ft to murder our dead lord ;
Thou, that giv'ft whores indulgences to fin;
I'll canvas thee in thy broad Cardinal's hat,
If thou proceed in this thy infolence.

Win. Nay, ftand thou back, I will not budge a foot:
This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain,

To flay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

Glou. I will not flay thee, but I'll drive thee back Thy scarlet robes, as a child's bearing cloth,

I'll ufe to carry thee out of this place,

Win. Do, what thou dar'ft; I beard thee to thy face.

9 Piel'd Prieft.

phor from a peel'd orange.

I

] Alluding to his fhaven crown, a meta-
Mr. Pope.

givft whores indulgences to fin ;] The public ftews

were formerly under the diftrict of the Bishop

of Winchefter.
Mr. Pope.
About four
the fame on

2 This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain,] N. B. miles from Damafcus is a high hill, reported to be

which Cain flew his brother Abel. Maundrell's Travels, page 131.

Mr. Pope.
Glou.