Came to the field, and vanquished his foes. Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!— [Exeunt BURGUNDY, TALBOT, and Forces, leaving BEDFORD, and others. Alarum: excursions. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE, and a Captain. Cap. Whither away, sir John Fastolfe, in such haste? Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight: We are like to have the overthrow again. Cap. What! will you fly, and leave lord Talbot? Fast. Ay, All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. [Exit. Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee! [Exit. Retreat: excursions. Enter, from the Town, LA PUCELLE, ALENÇON, CHARLES, &c., and exeunt, flying. Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when Heaven please, For I have seen our enemies' overthrow. Alarum. [Dies, and is carried off in his chair. Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and others. Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again! This is a double honour, Burgundy; Yet heavens have glory for this victory. Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument. Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now? I think her old familiar is asleep: Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles his gleeks? What, all a-mort? Rouen hangs her head for grief, Bur. What wills lord Talbot, pleaseth Burgundy. A gentler heart did never sway in court; SCENE III.-The Same. City. [Exeunt. The Plains near the Enter CHARLES, the Bastard, ALENÇON, LA PU- Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident, Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while, And like a peacock sweep along his tail, Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto, Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words, To leave the Talbot, and to follow us. Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, France were no place for Henry's warriors; Nor should that nation boast it so with us, But be extirped from our provinces. Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd from France, And not have title of an earldom here. Puc. Your honours shall perceive how I will work, To bring this matter to the wished end. [Drums heard afar off. There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread, A French March. Enter the Duke of BURGUNDY, and Forces. Now, in the rearward comes the duke, and his : Fortune in favour makes him lag behind. Summon a parley; we will talk with him. [Trumpets sound a parley. Char. A parley with the duke of Burgundy. Bur. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy? Puc. The princely Charles of France, thy countryman. Bur. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am marching hence. Char. Speak, Pucelle, and enchant him with thy words. Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France, Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee. As looks the mother on her lowly babe, Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help gore: Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears, Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with ner words, Or nature makes me suddenly relent. Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny. Whom join'st thou with, but with a lordly nation And join'st with them will be thy slaughter-men. Come, come, return; return, thou wand'ring lord: Charles, and the rest, will take thee in their arms Bur. I am vanquished: these haughty words of hers Have batter'd me like roaring cannon-shot, Char. Welcome, brave duke! thy friendship makes us fresh. Bast. And doth beget new courage in our breasts. Alen. Pucelle hath bravely play'd her part in this, And doth deserve a coronet of gold. Char. Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers, And seek how we may prejudice the foe. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Paris. A Room in the Palace. Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, and other Lords, VERNON, BASSET, &c. To them TALBOT, and some of his Officers. Tal. My gracious prince, and honourable peers, Hearing of your arrival in this realm, I have a while given truce unto my wars, K. Hen. Is this the lord Talbot, uncle Gloster, K. Hen. Welcome, brave captain, and victorious lord. When I was young, (as yet I am not old,) [Flourish. Exeunt King HENRY, GLOSTER, Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours, that I wear In honour of my noble lord of York, Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st? ACT I SCENE 1.-The Same. A Room of State. Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, EXETER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and others. Glo. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head. Win. God save king Henry, of that name the sixth! Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,— [Governor kneels. That you elect no other king but him, Esteem none friends, but such as are his friends, And none your foes, but such as shall pretend Malicious practices against his state: This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! [Exeunt Governor, and his Train. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE. Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To haste unto your coronation, A letter was deliver'd to my hands, [Plucking it off. Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, And ill beseeming any common man, Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader. Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords, Knights of the garter were of noble birth, Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy doom: Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight. And now, my lord protector, view the letter No more but, plain and bluntly,-" To the king!" What's here?-[Reads.]—“I have upon especial cause, "Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck, "Together with the pitiful complaints "Of such as your oppression feeds upon,— O, monstrous treachery! Can this be so? There should be found such false dissembling guile? K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt? Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe. K. Hen. Is that the worst this letter doth contain ? Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. K. Hen. Why then, lord Talbot, there, shall talk with him, And give him chastisement for this abuse.- I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. him straight. Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treason; And what offence it is, to flout his friends. Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France, This fellow, here, with envious carping tongue Upbraided me about the rose I wear; Saying, the sanguine colour of the leaves Did represent my master's blushing cheeks, When stubbornly he did repugn the truth, About a certain question in the law, Argu'd betwixt the duke of York and him; With other vile and ignominious terms: In confutation of which rude reproach, And in defence of my lord's worthiness, I crave the benefit of law of arms. Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord: Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him, Pronouncing, that the paleness of this flower York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left? Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York, will out, Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it. When, for so slight and frivolous a cause, York. Let this dissension first be tried by fight, And then your highness shall command a peace. Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone; Betwixt ourselves let us decide it, then. York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset. |