Shall in proceffion fing her endless praise.
A ftatelier pyramid to her I'll rear,
Than Rhodope's or Memphis' ever was!
of her, when she is dead,
Her afhes, in an urn more precious

In memory

Than the rich-jewel'd coffer of Darius, (5)
Tranfported fhall be at high feftivals,
Before the Kings and Queens of France.
No longer on St. Dennis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle fhall be France's Saint.
Come in, and let us banquet royally,
After this golden day of victory.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE, before ORLEANS.

Enter a Serjeant of a Band, with two Centinels. SER JEAN t.

S

fervitors.

IRS, take your places, and be vigilant : If any noife or foldier you perceive Near to the wall, by fome apparent fign Let us have knowledge at the court of guard. Cent. Serjeant, you fhall. Thus are poor (When others fleep upon their quiet beds) Conftrain'd to watch in darkness, rain, and cold. Enter Talbot, Bedford, and Burgundy, with scaling. ladders. Their drums beating a dead march.

Tal. Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy, By whofe approach the regions of Artois,

(5) Coffer of Darius] When Alexander the Great took the City Gaza, the Metropolis of Syria, amidst the other Spoils and Wealth of Darius treasur'd up there, he found an exceeding rich and beautiful little Cheft, or Casket. Having furvey'd the fingular Rarity of it, and ask'd those about him what they thought fitteft to be laid up in it; when they had feverally deliver'd their Opinions, he told them, He esteem'd nothing fo worthy to be preferv'd in it as Homer's Iliads. Vide Plutarchum in Vitâ Alexand. Magni.

Wal.

Walloon, and Picardy are friends to us;
This happy night the Frenchmen are fecure,
Having all day carous'd and banquetted.
Embrace we then this opportunity,
As fitting beft to quittance their deceit,
Contriv'd by art and baleful forcery.

Bed. Coward of France! how much he wrongs his fame, Defpairing of his own arms' fortitude,

To join with witches and the help of hell!
Bur. Traitors have never other company.

But what's that, Pucelle, whom they term fo pure?
Tal. A maid, they fay.

Bed. A maid? and be fo martial?

Bur. Pray God, fhe prove not mafculine ere long! If underneath the ftandard of the French

She carry armour, as the hath begun.

Tal. Well, let them practife and converse with spirits ; God is our fortress, in whofe conqu❜ring name

Let us refolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.

Bed. Afcend, brave Talbot, we will follow thee.
Tal. Not all together: better far I guess,

That we do make our entrance feveral 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. I to this.

Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave. Now, Salisbury! for thee, and for the right Of English Henry, fhall this night appear

How much in duty I am bound to both.

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

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

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

Alan. How now, my lords? what all unready fo?
Baft. Unready? I, and glad we 'fcap'd fo well.
Reig. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds;
Hearing

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 ?
Didit 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 mifchief never could have fal'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.

Reig. And fo was mine, my lord.

Char. And for my felf, most 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 first break in?
Pucel. Queftfon, 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 fhift but this,
To gather our foldiers, fcatter'd and difperft,
And lay new platforms to endamage them..

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE, within the Walls of Orleans.

Alarum. Enter a Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot! they fly, leaving their clothes behind.

LL be fo bold to take what they have left :

Sol. I The cry of Talbot ferves me for a fword,

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

Enter Talbot, Bedford, and Burgundy.

[Exit.

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

Here found retreat, and cease our hot purfuit. [Retreat.
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 pay'd my vow unto his foul :
For ev'ry drop of blood was drawn from him,
There have at least 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 fhall 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 mufe, 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. My felf, as far as I could well difcern For fmoak and dusky vapours of the night, Am fure, I fcar'd the Dauphin and his trull: When, arm in arm, they both came fwiftly running, Like to a pair of loving Turtle Doves,

That

That could not live asunder 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.

Me. 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?
Talbot. Here is the Talbot, who would speak with him?
Meff. The virtuous lady, Countess of Auvergne,
With modefty, admiring thy renown,

By me intreats, great lord, thou would'ft vouchsafe
To vifit her poor Caftle where the lies ;

That the 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 comick sport ;
When ladies crave to be encounter'd with.

You can't, my lord, defpife 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 fubmiffion 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 said, 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.

SCENE, the Countess of Auvergne's Castle.

Enter the Countefs, and her Porter.

Count. DOrter, 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,

VOL. IV.

S

I fhall