That here you maintain fev'ral factions;

And, whilft a field fhould be difpatch'd and fought,
You are difputing of your Generals.

One would have lingring wars with little coft;
Another would fly fwift, but wanteth wings :
A third man thinks, without expence at all,
By guileful fair words, peace may be obtain❜d.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not floth dim your honours, new begot;
Crop'd are the Flower-de-luces in your Arms,
Of England's Coat one half is cut away.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
Thefe tidings would call forth their flowing tides.
Bed. Me they concern, Regent I am of France;
Give me my fteeled coat, I'll fight for France.
Away with thefe difgraceful, wailing robes;
Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes,
Το weep
their intermiffive miferies.

Enter to them another Meffenger.

2 Me Lords, view these letters, full of bad mifchance. France is revolted from the English quite,

Except fome petty towns of no import.

The Dauphin Charles is crowned King in Rheims,
The baftard Orleans with him is join'd :
Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part,
The Duke of Alanfon flies to his fide.

[Exit. Exe. The Dauphin crowned King? all flie to him?

O, whither fhall we fly from this reproach?

Glou. We will not fly but to our enemies' throats. Bedford, if thou be flack, I'll fight it out.

Bed. Glofter, why doubt'ft thou of my forwardness? An army have I mufter'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is over-run.

Enter a third Messenger.

3 Meff. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearfe, I must inform you of a difmal fight

Betwixt the ftout lord Talbot and the French.

Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't fo?

3 Meff.

3 Meff. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown. The circumftance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of Auguft laft, this dreadful lord Retiring from the fiege of Orleans, Having fcarce full fix thoufand in his troop, By three and twenty thousand of the French Was round encompaffed and fet upon. No leifure had he to enrank his men ; He wanted pikes to fet before his archers; Inftead whereof, fharp ftakes, pluckt out of hedges, They pitched in the ground confusedly; To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. More than three hours the fight continued Where valiant Talbot above human thought Enacted wonders with his fword and lance. Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durft ftand him ; Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he flew, The French exclaim'd, "The devil was in arms! All the whole army stood agaz'd on him. His foldiers, fpying his undaunted spirit, A Talbot! Talbot! cried out amain, And ruth'd into the bowels of the battle, Here had the Conqueft fully been feal'd up, If Sir John Faftolfe had not play'd the coward; (3) He being in the vaward, (plac'd behind, With purpose to relieve and follow them) Cowardly fled, not having ftruck one ftroak. Hence grew the gen'ral wreck and massacre; Enclosed were they with their enemies.

A bafe Walloon, to win' the Dauphin's grace,

(3) If Sir John Falstaffe] Mr. Pope has taken Notice, in a Note upon the third Act of this Play, "That Falftaff is here "introduc'd again, who was dead in Henry V; the Occafion whereof is, that this Play was written before Henry IV, or "Henry V." This feems to me but an idle piece of Criticifm.. It is the Historical Sir John Faftolfe, (for fo he is call'd by both our Chroniclers) that is here mention'd; who was a Lieutenant-General in the Wars with France, Deputy Regent to the Duke of Bedford in Normandy, and a Knight of the Garter: and not the Comic Character afterwards introduced by our Author; and which was a Creature merely of his own Brain.

Thruft Talbot with a fpear into the back;
Whom all France with her chief assembled ftrength
Durft not prefume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot flain then? I will flay my felf,
For living idly here in pomp and eafe;
Whilft fuch a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his daftard foe-men is betray'd.

3 Me. O no, he lives, but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford; Moft of the rest slaughter'd, or took likewise.

Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall pay.
I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne,
His Crown fhall be the ranfom of my friend:
Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.
Farewel, my mafters, to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great St. George's feaft withal.
Ten thoufand foldiers with me I will take,
Whose bloody deeds fhall make all Europe quake.

3 Me. So you had need, for Orleans is befieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint : The Earl of Salisbury craveth fupply,

And hardly keeps his men from mutiny;

Since they fo few watch fuch a multitude.

Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry fworn: Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoak.

Bed. I do remember it, and here take leave,

To go about my preparation.

[Exit Bedford. Glou. I'll to the Tower with all the hafte I can, To view th' artillery and ammunition;

And then I will proclaim young Henry King.

Exit Gloucefter.

Exe. To Eltam will I, where the young King is, Being ordain'd his special governor;

And for his fafety there I'll beft 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 thus out of office:
The King from Eltam I intend to fend,
And fit at chiefeft stern of publick weal.

[Exit. SCENE

SCENE, before Orleans in France.

Enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier, marching with a drum and Soldiers.

Char.

ARS his true moving, ev'n as in the

M heav'ns,

So in the earth to this day is not known.
Late, did he shine upon the English fide:
Now we are victors, upon us he smiles.
What towns of any moment, but we have?
At pleasure here we lye near Orleans:
Tho' ftill the famifh'd English, like pale ghosts,
Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alan. They want their porridge, and their fat Bulk
beeves ;

Either they must be dieted, like mules,

And have their provender ty'd to their mouths
Or piteous they will look like drowned mice.

;

Reig. Let's raife the fiege: why live we idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury, And he may well in fretting spend his gall; Nor men, nor mony, hath he to make war.

Char. Sound, found alarum: we will rush on them; Now for the honour of the forlorn French: Him I forgive my death, that killeth me; When he fees me go back one foot, or fly.

[Exeunt.

[Here Alarm, they are beaten back by the English with great lofs.

Re-enter Charles, Alanson, and Reignier.

Char. Who ever faw the like? what men have I? Dogs, cowards, daftards! I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midft my enemies.

Reig. Salisbury is a defp'rate homicide,

He fighteth as one weary of his life,
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

Alan. Froyfard, a countryman of ours, records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands bred,

RS

During

During the time Edward the Third did reign:
More truly now may this be verified ;
For none but Sampfons and Goliaffes

It fendeth forth to skirmish; one to ten!'
Lean raw-bon'd rafcals! who would e'er fuppofe,
They had fuch courage and audacity!

Char. Let's leave this town, for they are hair-brain'd flaves,

And hunger will enforce them be more eager :
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they'll tear down, than forfake the fiege.
Reig. I think, by fome odd gimmals or device
Their arms are fet like clocks, fill to ftrike on;
Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo, as they do:
By my confent we'll e'en let them alone.
Alan. Be it fo.

Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

Baft.Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.
Dau. Baftard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.
Baft. Methinks, your looks are fad, your chear appal'd.
Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not difmay'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 Sibylls of old Rome:
What's paft, and what's to come, fhe 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 ftern:
By this means fhall we found what skill fhe hath.

Enter Joan la Pucelle.

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do thefe wondrous

feats?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?

Where