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Discourse, I pr'ythee, on this turret's top.

Tal. The duke of Bedford had a prisoner, Called the brave lord Ponton de Santrailles ; For him I was exchang'd and ransomed.

But with a baser man of arms by far,

Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd me: and craved death Which I, disdaining, scorn'd;

Rather than I would be so pil'd esteem'd.'

In fine, redeem'd I was as I desir'd.

But, O! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my heart!
Whom with my bare fists I would execute,

If I now had him brought into my power.

Sal. Yet tell'st thou not, how thou wert entertain❜d. Tal. With scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts In open market-place produc'd they me,

To be a public spectacle to all;

Here, said they, is the terror of the French,

The scare-crow that affrights our children so."
Then broke I from the officers that led me ;
And with my nails digg'd stones out of the ground,
To hurl at the beholders of my shame.

My grisly countenance made others fly;

None durst come near for fear of sudden death.

In iron walls they deem'd me not secure ;

So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread,
That they suppos'd, I could rend bars of steel,
And spurn in pieces posts of adamant :
Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had,
That walk'd about me every minute-while;
And if I did but stir out of my bed,
Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.
Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you
But we will be reveng'd sufficiently.
Now it is supper-time in Orleans:

endur'd:

Here, through this grate, I can count every one,
And view the Frenchmen how they fortify;
Let us look in, the sight will much delight thee.-
Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glansdale,

STEEVENS.

[1] So pil'd, may mean-so pillag'd, so stripp'd of honour. [2] From Hall's Chronicle: "This man (Talbot) was to the French people a very Scourge and a daily terror, insomuch that as his person was fearful, and terrible to his adversaries present, so his name and fame was spiteful and dreadful to the common people absent; insomuch that women in France to feare their yong children. would crye, the Talbot commeth, the Talbot commeth." The same thing is said of King Richard I. when he was in the Holy Land. MALONE.

Let me have your express opinions,

Where is best place to make our battery next.

Gar. I think, at the north gate; for there stand lords. Glan. And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge. Tal. For aught I see, this city must be famish'd, Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.

[Shot from the town.

SALISBURY and Sir THOMAS GARGRAVE fall.

Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!
Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!

Tal. What chance is this, that suddenly hath cross'd us?
-Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak;
How far'st thou, mirror of all martial men?
One of thy eyes, and thy cheek's side struck off!—
Accursed tower! accursed fatal hand,
That hath contriv'd this woeful tragedy!
In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame ;
Henry the Fifth he first train'd to the wars;
Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up,
His sword did ne'er leave striking in the field.—
Yet liv'st thou, Salisbury? though thy speech doth fail,
One eye thou hast, to look to heaven for grace:
The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.-
Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive,
If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands!-
Bear hence his body, I will help to bury it.-
Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him.
Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort;
Thou shalt not die, whiles-

He beckons with his hand, and smiles on me ;
As who should say, When I am dead and gone,
Remember to avenge me on the French.-
Plantagenet, I will; and Nero-like,

Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn:
Wretched shall France be only in my name.

[Thunder heard; afterwards an alarum.

What stir is this? What tumult's in the heavens ?
Whence cometh this alarum, and the noise?

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord, my lord, the French have gather'd head:

[3] Camden says that the French scarce knew the use of great ordnance, till the siege of Mans in 1455, when a breach was male in the walls of that town by the English, under the conduct of this earl of Salisbury; and that he was the first English gentleman that was slain by a cannon-ball. MALONE.

The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'd,—
A holy prophetess, new risen up,—
Is come with a great power to raise the siege.

[SALISBURY groans.

Tal. Hear, hear, how dying Salisbury doth groan!
It irks his heart, he cannot be reveng'd.
Frenchmen, I'll be a Salisbury to you :-
Pucelle or pussel, Dolphin or dogfish,*

Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels,
And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.-
Convey me Salisbury into his tent,

And then we'll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare.
[Exeunt, bearing out the bodies.

SCENE V.

The same. Before one of the gates. Alarums. Skirmishings. TALBOT pursueth the Dauphin, and driveth him in: then enter JOAN LA PUCELLE, driving Englishmen before her. Then enter TALBOT.

Tal. Where is my strength, my valour, and my force? Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them; A woman, clad in armour, chaseth them.

Enter LA PUCELLE.

Here, here she comes :-I'll have a bout with thee;
Devil, or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee:
Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a witch,"
And straightway give thy soul to him thou serv'st.
Puc. Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace thee.

[They fight.

Tal. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail? My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage, And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder, But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet.

Puc. Talbot, farewell; thy hour is not yet come :

I must go victual Orleans forthwith.

O'ertake me, if thou canst; I scorn thy strength.

Go, go, cheer up thy hunger-starved men ;
Help Salisbury to make his testament:

This day is ours, as many more shall be.

[PUCELLE enters the Town, with Soldiers.

4) Pussel means a dirty wench or a drab. TOLLET.

at should be remembered, that in Shakespeare's time the word dauphin was always written dolphin. STEEVENS.

[5] The superstition of those times taught, that he that could draw the witch's blood was free from her power. JOHNSON.

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Tal. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel; I know not where I am, nor what I do :

A witch, by fear, not force, like Hannibal,

Drives back our troops, and conquers as she lists:
So bees with smoke, and doves with noisome stench,
Are from their hives, and houses, driven away.
They call'd us, for our fierceness, English dogs;
Now, like to whelps, we crying run away.

[A short alarum.

Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight,
Or tear the lions out of England's coat ;
Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions' stead:
Sheep run not half so timorous from the wolf,
Or horse, or oxen, from the leopard,
As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves.

[Alarum. Another skirmish.

It will not be :-Retire into your trenches:
You all consented unto Salisbury's death,

For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.-
Pucelle is entered into Orleans,

In spite of us, or aught that we could do.

O, would I were to die with Salisbury!
The shame hereof will make me hide my head.

The same.

[Alarum. Retreat. Exeunt TALBOT and his
Forces, &c.

SCENE VI.

Enter, on the walls, PUCELLE, CHARLES, REIG-
NIER, ALENÇON, and Soldiers.

Puc. Advance our waving colours on the walls;
Rescu'd is Orleans from the English wolves :-
Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.
Char. Divinest creature, bright Astræa's daughter,
How shall I honour thee for this success?

Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens,

That one day bloom'd, and fruitful were the next.—
France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess !-
Recover'd is the town of Orleans:

More blessed hap did ne'er befall our state.

Reig. Why ring not out the bells throughout the town? Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires,

And feast and banquet in the open streets,

To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.

Alen. All France will be replete with mirth and joy,

1

When they shall hear how we have play'd the men.
Char. 'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won
For which, I will divide my crown with her :
And all the priests and friars in my realm
Shall, in procession, sing her endless praise.
A statelier pyramis to her I'll rear,
Than Rhodope's," or Memphis', ever was:
In memory of her, when she is dead,
Her ashes, in an urn more precious
Than the rich-jewel'd coffer of Darius,"
Transported shall be at high festivals
Before the kings and queens of France.
No longer on Saint Dennis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint.
Come in; and let us banquet royally,
After this golden day of victory.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-The same.

Enter to the Gate, a French Ser

geant, and two Centinels.

Serg. SIRS, take your places, and be vigilant :

If any noise, or soldier, you perceive,

Near to the walls, by some apparent sign,

Let us have knowledge at the court of guard.

1 Cent. Sergeant, you shall. [Exit Sergeant.] Thus are poor servitors

(When others sleep upon their quiet beds,)

Constrain❜d to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.
Enter TALBOT, Bedford, BurgUNDY, and Forces, with sca-
ling ladders; their drums beating a dead march.
Tal. Lord regent,-and redoubted Burgundy,-
By whose approach, the regions of Artois,
Walloon, and Picardy, are friends to us,-

This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,

[6] Rhodope was a famous strumpet, who acquired great riches by her trade. The least but most finished of the Egyptian pyramids (says Pliny, in the 36th Book of his Natural History, ch. xii.) was built by her. She is said afterwards to have married P sammetichus, king of Egypt. Dr. Johnson thinks that the Dauphin means to call Joan of Arc a strumpet, all the while he is making this loud praise of her. STEEVENS.

[7] When Alexander the Great took the city of Gaza, the metropolis of Syria, amidst the other spoils and wealth of Darius treasured up there, he found an exceeding rich and beautiful little chest or casket, and asked those about him what they thought fittest to be laid up in it. When they had severally delivered their opinions, he told them, he esteemed nothing so worthy to be preserved in it as Hemer's Iliad. THEOBALD.

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