And none but women left to wail the dead.- Enter a Messenger. Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered, That here you maintain several factions; And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought, One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost; Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot : Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, These tidings would call forth her flowing tides*. Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France: *Her, i. e. England's. Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.— Enter another Messenger. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance, France is revolted from the English quite : The dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims ; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats: Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Enter a third Messenger. 3 Mess. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,— I must inform you of a dismal fight, Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? 3 Mess. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, * i. c. Their miseries which have had only a short intermission. He wanted pikes to set before his archers; They pitched in the ground confusedly, Durst not presume to look once in the face. 3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransome there is none but I shall pay : I'll hale the dauphin headlong from his throne, His crown shall be the ransome of my friend; Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.— Farewell, my másters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, sworn ; Either to quell the dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave, To go about my preparation. [Exit. Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, To view the artillery and munition; And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordain'd his special governor ; And for his safety there I'll best devise. [Exit. Win. Each hath his place and function to attend : I am left out; for me nothing remains. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Enter Charles, with his forces; Alençon, Reignier, and others. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the hea vens, So in the carth, to this day is not known; Now we are victors, upon us he smiles. Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bullbeeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tyed to their mouths, here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear : Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Now for the honour of the forlorn French :- [Exeunt. Alarums; excursions; afterwards a retreat. Re-enter Charles, Alençon, Reignier, and others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I?Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midst my enemies. Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; He fighteth as one weary of his life. Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records, |