And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand,
And let upon our boafting enemy.

[Exit.

An Alarm: excurfions. Enter Sir John Faftolfe, and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, Sir John Faftolfe, in fuch hafte? Faft. Whither away? to fave myself by flight. We are like to have the overthrow again."

Cap. What will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot? Faft. Ay, all the Talbots in the world to

Tave my. [Exit.

life. Cap. Cowardly Knight, ill-fortune follow thee!

Retreat: excurfions. Pucelle, Alanfon, and Dauphin fly.

Bed. Now, quiet foul, depart, when heav'n shall please,

For I have feen our enemies' overthrow.

What is the truft or ftrength of foolish man?
They, that of late were daring with their fcoffs,
Are glad and fain by flight to fave themselves.

[Dies, and is carried off in his chair!

Tal.

L

An Alarm: Enter Talbot, Burgundy, and the rest. OST and recover'd in a day again? This is a double honour, Burgundy Yet, heav'ns have glory for this victory! Burg. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy Infhrines thee in his heart; and there erects Thy noble deeds, as Valour's monuments.

Tal. Thanks, gentle Duke. But where is Pucelle now? I think,

4

I think, her old Familiar is afleep.

545

Now where's the baftard's braves, and Charles hist

glikes?

What, all a mort? Roan hangs her head for grief;
That fuch a valiant company are fled.
Now we will take fome order in the town,
Placing therein fome expert officers,
And then depart to Paris to the King;
For there young Henry with his Nobles lies.

Burg. What wills Lord Talbot, pleaseth Burguudy.
Tal. But yet before we go, let's not forget
The noble Duke of Bedford, late deceas'd;
But fee his exequies fulfill'd in Roan.
A braver foldier never couched lance,
A gentler heart did never fway in Court.
But Kings and mightiest Potentates must die,
For that's the end of human mifery.

[Exeunt,

Enter Dauphin, Baftard, Alanfon, and Joan la Pucelle.

Pucel. Difmay not, Princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve that Roan is fo recovered.
Care is no cure, but rather corrofive,
For things that are not to be remedy'd.
Let frantick Talbot triumph for a while
And, like a Peacock, fweep along his tail,
We'll pull his plumes and take away his train,
If Dauphin and the reft will be but rul'd.

Dau. We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence.
One fudden foil fhall never breed diftruft.

Baft. Search out thy wit for fecret policies,
And we will make thee famous through the world,
Alan We'll fet thy ftatue in fome holy place,
And have thee reverenc'd like a bleffed Saint.
Employ thee then, fweet virgin, for our good.
VOL. IV.

Nn

Pucel.

Pucel. Then thus it must be, this doth Joan devise By fair perfuafions mixt with fugar'd words, We will entice the Duke of Burgundy

To leave the Talbot, and to follow us.

Dau. Ay, marry, fweeting, if we could do that, France were no place for Henry's warriors Nor fhall that Nation boaft it fo with us, But be extirped from our provinces.dt.

J

Alan. For ever fhould they be expuls'd from France, And not have title of an Earldom here.

Pucel. Your honours fhall perceive how I will work, To bring this matter to the wifhed end.

[Drum beats afar off. Hark, by the found of drum, you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward,

[Here beat an English March. There goes the Talbot with his Colours spread, And all the troops of English after him. [French March. Now, in the rereward, comes the Duke and his, Fortune, in favour, makes him lag behind.

Summon a parley, we will talk with him,

[Trumpets found a parley.

Dau. A parley with the Duke of Burgundy,
Burg. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy?
Pucel. The princely Charles of France, thy country

man.

Burg. What fayft thou, Charles? for I am marchlating hence.

Dau. Speak, Pucelle, and enchant him with thy

words. Pucel. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France! Stay, let thy humble hand-maid fpeak to thee. Burg Speak on, but be not over-tedious.

2

a

Pucel.

Pucel. Look on thy country, look on fertile France; And fee the cities, and the towns defac'd.

By wafting ruin of the cruel foe.

As looks the mother on her lowly babe 2,
When death doth clofe his tender dying eyes;
See, fee the pining malady of France.

Behold the wounds, the moft unnat❜ral wounds,
Which thou thyfelf haft giv'n her woful breaft.
Oh, turn thy edged fword another way;

Strike thofe that hurt; and hurt not thofe that help :
One drop of blood, drawn from thy country's bofom,
Should grieve thee more than ftreams of common gore;
Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears,
And wash away thy country's flained fpots.

Burg. Either the hath bewitch'd me with her words, Or nature makes me fuddenly relent.

Pucel. Befides, all French and France exclaim on 30 10 7100nent la br..

thee;

Doubting thy birth, and lawful progeny.

Whom join'ft thou withth a lordly nation
but
That will not truft thee but for profit's fake
When Talbot hath fet footing once in France,
And fashion'd thee that inftrument of Ill;
Who then but English Henry will be Lord,
And thou be thruft out like a fugitive?
Call we to mind, and mark but this for proof?
Was not the Duke of Orleans thy foe?
And was not he in England prifoner? A
But when they heard he was thine enemy,
They fet him free without his ranfom paid
In fpight of Burgundy, and all his friends.
See then, thou fight'ft against thy countrymen
And join'ft with them, will be thy flaughter-men.

2

on her LOWLY babe,] It is plain Shakespeare wrote, LOVELY babe, it answering to fertile France above, which this domeftic image is brought to illuftrate. WARBURTON.

The alteration is easy and pro bable, but perhaps the poet by lowly babe meant the babe lying Law in death. Lorbly answers as well to towns defaced and waf ing ruin, as lovely to fertile. N л 2

Come,

Come, come, return; return, thou wand'ring Lord Charles, and the reft will take thee in their arms!, i

Burg. I'm vanquished. Thefe haughty words of hers Have battered me like roaring cannon-fhoty o I And made me almost yield upon my knees. › low I Forgive me, country, and fweet countrymeni; shiel And, Lords, accept this hearty kind embrace..! My forces and my pow'r of men are yours. Lae So farewel, Talbot, I'll no longer trust thee.hof Pucel. Done like a Frenchman: turn, and turn again! Dau. Welcome, brave Duke! thy friendship makes

us fresh.

Baft. And doth beget new courage in our breafts. Alan. Pucelle hath bravely play'd her part in this, And doth deferve a Coronet of gold.

Dan. Now let us on, my Lords, and join our powers; And feek how we may prejudice the foe.

[Exeunt.

Changes to PARIS

Enter King Henry, Gloucester, Winchefter, York, Suffolk, Somerlet, Warwick, Exeter, &c. To them Talbot, with his Soldiers.

Tal.

3

Y gracious Prince and honourable Peers,
Hearing of your arrival in this realm,

MY

bers

These baughty words of

Have batter'd me like roaring cannon foot, How thefe lines came hither I know not; there was nothing in the fpeech of Joan haughty or, violent, it was all foft entreaty and mild expoftulation.

4 Done like a Frenchman : turn, and turn again! This feems to be an offering of the

poet to his royal miftrefs's refentment, for Henry the Fourth's laft great turn in religion, in the year 1593. WARBURTON.

The inconftancy of the French was always the fubject of fatire. I have read a differtation written to prove that the index of the wind upon our steeples was made in form of a cock, to ridicule the French for their frequent changes.