As if, with Circe, she would change my shape. Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles, and thee! And may ye both be suddenly surpriz'd By bloody_hands, in sleeping on your beds! York. Fell, banning hag! enchantress, hold thy tongue. stake. Puc. I pr'ythee, give me leave to curse awhile. York. Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to the [Exeunt. Alarums. Enter SUFFOLK, leading in LadyMARGARET. Suf. Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner. fairest beauty, do not fear, nor fly; [Gazes on her. For I will touch thee but with reverent hands, And lay them gently on thy tender side. I kiss these fingers [Kissing her hand.] for eternal peace: Who art thou? say, that I may honour thee. Mar. Margaret my name; and daughter to a king, The king of Naples, whosoe'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 : So doth the swan her downy cygnets save. 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 says--no. As plays the sun upon the glassy streams, Twinkling another counterfeited beam, So seems 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: Fye, De la Poole ! disable not thyself;' Hast not a tongue? is she not here thy prisoner ? [8] To ban is to curse! STEEV. [9] This comparison, made between things which seem sufficiently unlike, is intended to express she softness and delicacy of Lady Margaret's beauty, which delighted, but did not dazzle; which was bright, but gave no pain by its lustre. JOHNS. [1] Do not represent thyself so weak. To disable the judgment of another was, in that age, the same as to destroy its credit or authority. JOHNS. Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's sight? Confounds the tongue, and makes the senses rough. Suf. How canst thou tell, she will deny thy suit, [Aside. Mar.Why speak'st thou not? what ransome must I pay? Suf. She's beautiful; and therefore to be woo'd: She is a woman; therefore to be won. [Aside Mar. Wilt thou accept of ransome, yea, or no? Mar. And yet I would that you would answer me. [Aside. Mar. Hear ye, captain? Are you not at leisure ? Mar. What though I be enthral'd? he seems a knight, And will not any way dishonour me. [Aside. Suf. Lady, vouchsafe to listen what I say. Mar. Perhaps, I shall be rescu'd by the French; And then I need not crave his courtesy. [Aside. Suf. Sweet madam, give me hearing in a cause Mar.Tush! women have been captivate ere now. [Asi Suf. Lady, wherefore talk you so ? Mar. I cry you mercy, 'tis but quid for quo. Suf. Say, gentle princess, would you not suppose Your bondage happy, to be made a queen ? Mar. To be a queen in bondage, is more vile, Than is a slave in base servility; Z* VOL. V. For princes should be free. Suf. And so shall you, If happy England's royal king be free. Mar. Why, what concerns his freedom unto me? Mar. I am unworthy to be Henry's wife. Mar. An if my father please, I am content. Suf. Then call our captains, and our colours, forth : And, madam, at your father's castle walls We'll crave a parley, to confer with him. [Troops come forward. A Parley sounded. Enter REIGNIER, on the Walls. Suf. See, Reignier, see, thy daughter prisoner. Reig. To whom? Suf. To me. Reig. Suffolk, what remedy? I am a soldier; and unapt to weep, Or to exclaim on fortune's fickleness. Suf. Yes, there is remedy enough, my lord: 2 That Suffolk doth not flatter, face, or feign. To give thee answer of thy just demand. [Exit from the Walls. Suf. And here I will expect thy coming. Trumpets sounded. Enter REIGNIER, below. Reig. Welcome, brave earl, into our territories; Command in Anjou what your honour pleases. [2] To face is to carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite. JOHN. Suf. Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child, Fit to be made companion with a king: What answer makes your grace unto my suit? Reig. Since thou dost deign to woo her little worth, To be the princely bride of such a lord ; Upon condition I may quietly Enjoy mine own, the county Maine, and Anjou, Reig. And I again,-in Henry's royal name, Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith. Suf. Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks, Because this is in traffic of a king: And yet, methinks, I could be well content [Aside. Reig. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace The Christian prince, king Henry, were he here. Mar. Farewell, my lord! Good wishes, praise, and prayers, Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret. [Going. Suf.Farewell, sweet madam! But hark you Margaret; No princely commendations to my king? Mar. Such commendations as become a maid, A virgin, and his servant, say to him. Suf. Words sweetly plac'd, and modestly directed. But, madam, I must trouble you again,— No loving token to his majesty ? Mar. Yes, my good lord; a pure unspotted heart, Never yet taint with love, I send the king. Suf. And this withal. [Kisses her. Mar. That for thyself;-I will not so presume, To send such peevish tokens to a king. [Ex.RE1.& MAR. Thou may'st not wander in that labyrinth; Mad, natural graces that extinguish art ;5 That, when thou com'st to kneel at Henry's feet, SCENE IV. Camp of the Duke of YORK, in Anjou. Enter YORK, WARWICK, and Others. York. Bring forth that sorceress, condemn'd to burn. Enter LA PUCELLE, guarded, and a Shepherd. Shep. Ah, Joan! this kills thy father's heart outright! Have I sought every country far and near, And, now it is my chance to find thee out, Ah, Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I'll die with thee! I am descended of a gentler blood; Thou art no father, nor no friend, of mine. Shep. Out, out !—My lords, an please you, 'tis not so; I did beget her, all the parish knows : Her mother liveth yet, can testify She was the first fruit of my bachelorship. War. Graceless! wilt thou deny thy parentage? York. This argues what her kind of life hath been, Wicked and vile; and so her death concludes. Shep. Fie, Joan ! that thou wilt be so obstacle !7 God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh; And for thy sake I have shed many a tear: Deny me not, I pray thee, gentle Joan. Puc. Peasant, avaunt!-You have suborn'd this man, On purpose to obscure my noble birth. Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest, The morn that I was wedded to her mother.Kneel down and take my blessing, good my girl. Wilt thou not stoop? Now cursed be the time Of thy nativity! I would, the milk Thy mother gave thee, when thou suck'st her breast, Or else, when thou didst keep my lambs a-field, [5] By the word mad, I believe the poet meant wild or uncultivated. We call a wild girl, to this day, a mad-cap. Mad, in some of the ancient books of gardening, is used of plants which grow rampant and wild. STEEV. [6] Miser has here no relation to avarice, but simply means a miserable creature, in which sense it was frequently used by old writers. STEEV. [7] A vulgar corruption of cbstinate, which I think has oddly lasted since ar author's time till now. JOHNS. |