Ordained is to raise this tedious siege ;
And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophecy fhe hath,
Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome :
What's past, and what's to come, she can defcry.
Speak, fhall I call her in? believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

Dau. Go, call her in; but firft, to try her skill,
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Queftion her proudly, let thy looks be ftern:
By this means fhall we found what fkill fhe hath.

SCENE VI.

Enter Joan la Pucelle

Reig. FAIR maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous

feats ?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin; come, come from behind,
I know thee well, tho' never seen before.

Be not amaz'd: there's nothing hid from me:
In private will I talk with thee apart:

Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.
Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash.
Pucel. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's daughter.
My wit untrain'd in any kind of art :

Heav'n, and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd
To fhine on my contemptible eftate.

Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;
And, in a vision full of majesty,
Will'd me to leave my bafe vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid fhe promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs.
In complete glory fhe reveal'd herself;
And, whereas I was black and swart before,
With those clear rays which the infus'd on me,
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That

That beauty am I bleft with, which you fee.
Afk me what question thou canft possible,
And I will anfwer unpremeditated.

My courage try by combat, if thou dar'ft,
And thou fhalt find that I exceed my fex.
Refolve on this, thou fhalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
Dau. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high terms:
Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,
In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And, if thou vanquifheft, thy words are true;
Otherwife, I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd fword,
Deck'd with fine Flow'r-de-luces on each fide;
The which, at Tourain in St. Catharine's church,
Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth.

Dau. Then come o'God's name, for I fear no woman. Pucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

[Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes. Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands, thou art an Amazon; And fighteft with the fword of Debora.

[weak. Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too Dau. Who-c'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must Impatiently I burn with thy defire; [help me: My heart and hands thou haft at once subdu'd; Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,

Let me thy fervant and not Sovereign be,
'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.
Pucel. I muft not yield to any rites of love,
For my profeffion's facred from above:
When I have chafed all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau. Mean time, look gracious on thy proftrate

thrall.

Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alan. Doubtlefs, he fhrives this woman to her fmock; Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his fpeech. Reig. Shall we difturb him, fince he keeps no mean?

Alan.

Alan. He may mean more than we poor men do

know:

These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans or no?

Pucel. Why, no I fay; diftruftful recreants!
Fight till the laft gafp, for I'll be your guard.
Dau. What fhe fays, I'll confirm; we'll fight it out.
Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English scourge.
This night the fiege affuredly I'll raise:
Expect Saint Martin's fummer, Halcyon days,
Since I have enter'd thus into thefe wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water;
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
Till by broad fpreading it disperse to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends;
Difperfed are the glories it included :
Now am I like that proud infulting fhip,
Which Cæfar and his fortune bore at once.
Dau. Was Mahomet inspired with a Dove? -
Thou with an Eagle art inspired then.
Helen the mother of great Conftantine,

Nor yet St. Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright far of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee?

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raise the fiege.
Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to fave our
honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.
Dau. Presently try: come, let's away about it.
No prophet will I truft, if the proves falle. [Exeunt.

Glou.

I

The Tower-gates, in LONDON.

Enter Gloucefter, with his Serving-men.

Am this day come to furvey the Tower; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.

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Where

Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates. 'Tis Gloucester, that calls.

1 Ward. Who's there, that knocketh so imperiously? 1 Man. It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.

2 Ward. Who e'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Man. Villains, anfwer you fo the Lord Protector? 1 Ward. The Lord protect him! fo we answer him; We do no otherwise than we are will'd.

Glou. Who willed you? or whofe will ftands, but There's none Protector of the realm but I. [mine? Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize;

Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?

Gloucester's men rush at the Tower-gates, and Woodvile the Lieutenant fpeaks within.

Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have we here ?

Glou Lieutenant, is it you, whofe voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Glofter, that would enter. Wood. Have patience, noble Duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchefter forbids;

From him I have exprefs commandment,
That thou, nor none of thine, shall be let in.

Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizeft him 'fore me?
Arrogant Winchefter, that haughty prelate,
Whom Henry, our late Sovereign, ne'er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God, or to the King:
Open the gate, or I'll fhut thee out shortly.

Serv. Open the gates there to the Lord Protector; We'll burit them open, if you come not quickly.

Enter to the Protector at the Tower-gates, Winchester and his men in tawny coats.

Win. How now, ambitious Umpire, what means [fhut out? Glou. Piel'd Pricft, doft thou command me be

this?

*

Pield Prieft,] Alluding to his fhaven Crown, a Metaphor from a peel'd Orange.

Mr. Pope.

Win. I do, thou most ufurping proditor,
And not protector, of the King or realm.

Glou. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator;
Thou, that contriv'ft to murder our dead lord ;
Thou, that giv'ft whores indulgences to fin;
I'll canvas thee in thy broad Cardinal's hat,
If thou proceed in this thy infolence.

Win. Nay, ftand thou back, I will not budge a foot: This be Damafcus, be thou cursed Cain, To flay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

Glou, I will not flay thee, but I'll drive thee back; Thy scarlet robes, as a child's bearing cloth, I'll ufe to carry thee out of this place.

Win. Do, what thou dar'ft; I beard thee to thy face. Glou. What? am I dar'd, and bearded to my face? Draw, men, for all this privileged place. Blue coats to tawny. Prieft, beware thy beard;. I mean to tug it, and to cuff you foundly. Under my feet I'll ftamp thy Cardinal's hat : In fpight of Pope or dignities of Church, Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.

Win. Glou'fter, thou'lt anfwer this before the Pope. Glou. Winchefter Goofe! I cry, a rope, a rope. Now beat them hence, why do you let them stay? Thee I'll chafe hence, thou Wolf in Sheep's array. Out, tawny coats; out, fcarlet hypocrite!

Here Gloucefter's men beat out the Cardinal's; and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London, and his Officers. Mayor. Fy, lords; that you, being supreme magiftrates,

Thus contumeliously should break the peace!
Glou. Peace, Mayor, for thou know'ft little of my

wrongs:

Here's Beauford, that regards not God nor King,
Hath here diftrain'd the Tower to his use.

Win. Here's Glofter too, a foe to citizens,

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