SCENE III.

The fame. Before Angiers.

Alarums: Excurfions. Enter LA PUCELLE.

Puc. The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen

fly.

Now help, ye charming fpells, and periapts;"
And ye choice fpirits that admonish me,

And give me figns of future accidents! [Thunder.
You speedy helpers, that are substitutes
Under the lordly monarch of the north,
Appear, and aid me in this enterprize!

8

7-ye charming Spells, and periapts;] Charms fow'd up. Ezek. xiii. 18:"Woe to them that fow pillows to all arm-holes, to hunt fouls." POPE.

Periapts were worn about the neck as prefervatives from disease or danger. Of these, the first chapter of St. John's Gospel was deemed the most efficacious.

Whoever is defirous to know more about them, may confult Reginald Scott's Difcovery of Witchcraft, 1584, p. 230, &c.

STEEVENS.

The following story, which is related in Wits, Fits, and Fancies, 1595, proves what Mr. Steevens has afferted: "A cardinal feeing a prieft carrying a cudgel under his gown, reprimanded him. His excufe was, that he only carried it to defend himself against the dogs of the town. Wherefore, I pray you, replied the cardinal, ferves St. John's Gofpel? Alas, my lord, faid the priest, thefe curs understand no Latin." MALONE.

— monarch of the north,] The north was always fuppofed to be the particular habitation of bad fpirits. Milton, therefore, affembles the rebel angels in the north. JOHNSON.

The boast of Lucifer in the xivth chapter of Ifaiah is faid to be, that he will fit upon the mount of the congregation, in the fides of the north. STEEVENS.

Enter Fiends.

This speedy and quick appearance argues proof
Of your accuftom'd diligence to me.
Now, ye familiar fpirits, that are cull'd
Out of the powerful regions under earth,'

Help me this once, that France may get the field.
[They walk about, and speak not.
O, hold me not with filence over-long!
Where I was wont to feed you with
I'll lop a member off, and give it you,
In earnest of a further benefit;
So you do condescend to help me now.—

my blood,

[They hang their beads. No hope to have redrefs?—My body shall Pay recompenfe, if you will grant my fuit.

[They shake their heads. Cannot my body, nor blood-facrifice, Entreat you to your wonted furtherance? Then take my foul; my body, soul, and all, Before that England give the French the foil. [They depart.

Out of the powerful regions under earth,] I believe Shakspeare wrote-legions. WARBURTON.

The regions under earth are the infernal regions. Whence elfe fhould the forcerefs have felected or fummoned her fiends?

STEEVENS.

In a former paffage regions feems to have been printed inftead of legions; at leaft all the editors from the time of Mr. Rowe have there fubftituted the latter word inftead of the former. See p. 625, n. 4. The word cull'd, and the epithet powerful, which is ap plicable to the fiends themfelves, but not to their place of refidence, fhow that it has an equal title to a place in the text here. So, in The Tempeft:

But one fiend at a time,

"I'll fight their legions o'er." MALONE.

2 Where-] i. e. whereas. So, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre:

"Where now you're both a father and a fon." STEEVENS.

See! they forfake me.

Now the time is come,

That France muft vail her lofty-plumed creft,'
And let her head fall into England's lap.
My ancient incantations are too weak,

And hell too strong for me to buckle with:Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the duft. [Exit,

Alarums. Enter French and English, fighting. La PUCELLE and YORK fight hand to hand. LA PUCELLE is taken. The French fly.

YORK. Damfel of France, I think, I have you faft: Unchain your spirits now with spelling charms, And try if they can gain your liberty.A goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace! See, how the ugly witch doth bend her brows, As if, with Circe, fhe would change my shape.* Puc. Chang'd to a worfer shape thou canst not be. YORK. O, Charles the Dauphin is a proper man; No shape but his can please your dainty eye.

Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles, and thee!

And may ye both be fuddenly furpriz'd
By bloody hands, in fleeping on your beds!

YORK. Fell, banning hag!' enchantress, hold thy tongue.

3 ·vail her lofty-plumed creft,] i. c. lower it. So, in The Merchant of Venice:

Vailing her high top lower than her ribs." See Vol. V. p. 398, n. 9. STEEVENS.

4 As if, with Circe, &c.] So, in The Comedy of Errors: "I think, you all have drank of Circe's cup." STEEVENS. 5 Fell, banning bag!] To ban is to curfe. So, in The Jew of Malta, 1633:

"I ban their fouls to everlasting pains." STEEVENS.

Puc. I pr'ythee, give me leave to curfe a while. YORK. Curfe, mifcreant, when thou comeft to the ftake.

[Exeunt.

Alarums. Enter SUFFOLK, leading in lady MARGARET.
SUF. Be what thou wilt, thou art my prifoner.
[Gazes on ber.
O fairest beauty, do not fear, nor fly;

For I will touch thee but with reverent hands,
And lay them gently on thy tender fide.

Ikifs thefe fingers [Kiffing her band.] for eternal peace: 3

Who art thou? fay, that I may honour thee.

MAR. Margaret my name; and daughter to a king, The king of Naples, whofoe'er thou art.

SUF. An earl I am, and Suffolk am I call'd. Be not offended, nature's miracle,

Thou art allotted to be ta'en by me:

3 I kifs thefe fingers for eternal peace:] In the old copy these Lincs are thus arranged and pointed:

"For I will touch thee but with reverent hands,

"I kifs thefe fingers for eternal peace,

"And lay them gently on thy tender fide."

by which Suffolk is made to kifs his own fingers, a symbol of peace of which there is, I believe, no example. The tranfpofition was made, I think, rightly, by Mr. Capell. In the old edition, as here, there is only a comma after " hands," which feems to countenance the regulation now made. To obtain fomething like fenfe, the modern editors were obliged to put a full point at the end of that line.

In confirmation of the tranfpofition here made, let it be remembered that two lines are in like manner misplaced in Troilus and Creffida, A&t I. fol. 1623:

"Or like a ftar dif-orb'd; nay, if we talk of reason,
"And fly like a chidden Mercury from Jove."

Again, in King Richard III. A& IV. fc. iv:

"That reigns in galled eyes of weeping fouls,

"That excellent grand tyrant of the earth." MALONE.

So doth the fwan her downy cygnets fave,
Keeping them prifoners underneath her wings.*
Yet, if this fervile ufage once offend,

Go, and be free again, as Suffolk's friend.

[She turns away as going.

O, stay! I have no power to let her pass;
My hand would free her, but my heart fays-no.'
As plays the fun upon the glaffy streams,"
Twinkling another counterfeited beam,

So feems this gorgeous beauty to mine eyes.
Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak:
I'll call for pen and ink, and write my mind:
Fie, De la Poole! difable not thyself;"
Haft not a tongue? is fhe not here thy prifoner?
Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's fight?

4

-her wings.] Old copy-his. This manifeft error I only mention, because it fupports a note in Vol. VI. p. 167, n. 8. and juftifies the change there made. Her was formerly spelt hir; hence it was often confounded with bis. MALONE.

5 My hand would free her, but my heart fays-no.] Thus, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona:

66

- my heart accords thereto,

"And yet a thousand times it answers-no." STEEVENS.

As plays the fun upon the glaffy streams, &c.] This comparison, made between things which feem fufficiently unlike, is intended to exprefs the foftnefs and delicacy of Lady Margaret's beauty, which delighted, but did not dazzle;. which was bright, but gave no pain by its luftre. JOHNSON.

Thus, Taffo:

7

"Qual raggio in onda, le fcintilla unrifo

Negli umidi occhi tremulo." HENLEY.

difable not thyfelf;] Do not reprefent thyfelf fo weak. To difable the judgement of another was, in that age, the fame as to deftroy its credit or authority. JOHNSON.

So, in As you like it, A&t V; " If again, it was not well cut, he difabled my judgement." STEEVENS.

8 Haft not a tongue? is he not here thy prifoner?] The wordsthy prifoner, which are wanting in the first folio, are found in the fecond. STEEVENS.