All the whole army flood agaz'd on him:
His foldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,
And rufh'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conqueft fully been feal'd up,
If Sir John Faftolfe had not play'd the coward:
He being in the vaward (plac'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them)
Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.
Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;
Enclofed were they with their enemies :

A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a fpear into the back;
Whom all France, with her chief affembled ftrength,
Durft not prefume to look once in the face.

Bad. Is Talbot flain? then I will flay myself,
For living idly here, in pomp and ease,
Whilst fuch a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his daftard foe-men is betray'd.

3 M. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Moft of the rest flaughter'd, or took, likewife.

Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall pay :
I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown fhall be the ranfom of my friend;
Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.-
Farewel, my mafters; to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great Saint George's feaft withal:
Ten thoufand foldiers with me I will take,
Whofe bloody deeds fhall make all Europe quake.
3 Meff. So you had need; for Orleans is befieg'd;
The English army is grown weak and faint:
The earl of Salisbury craveth fupply;
And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
Since they, fo few, watch fuch a multitude.

Exc. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry
fworn ;

Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave, To go about my preparation.

[Exit.

Gls. I'll to the Tower with all the hafte I can,

To view the artillery and munition;

So in the earth, to this day is not known:
Late, did he fhine upon the English fide;
Now we are victors, upon us he fmiles.
What towns of any moment, but we have?
5 At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans;
Otherwhiles, the famifh'd English, like pale ghofts,
Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat
bull-beeves:

IcEither they must be dieted, like mules,

And have their provender ty'd to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.
Reig. Let's raife the fiege; Why live we idly here?
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear :
15 Remaineth none, but mad-brain'd Salisbury;
And he may well in fretting spend his gall,
Nor men, nor money, hath he to make war.
Char. Sound, found alarum; we will rush on
them.

20 Now for the honour of the forlorn French :-
Him I forgive my death, that killeth me,
When he fees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt.
[Here alarum, they are beaten back by the English,

25

30

with great lefs.

Re-enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier.

Char. Who ever faw the like? what men have

Dogs! cowards! daftards!-I would ne'er have
But that they left me 'midft my enemies.
Reig. Salisbury is a defperate homicide;
He fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do ruth upon us as their hungry prey.

2

Alen. Froifard, a countryman of ours, records,
35 England all Olivers and Rowlands bred,
During the time Edward the third did reign.
More truly now may this be verified;
For none but Sampfons, and Goliaffes,
It fendeth forth to fkirmish. One to ten!
40Lean raw-bon'd rafcals! who would e'er fuppofe
They had fuch courage and audacity?

Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-
brain'd flaves,

And hunger will enforce them to be more eager :

And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. 45 Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is,

Being ordain'd his special governor;

And for his fafety there I'll beft advise.

[Exit.

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend :

I am left out; for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office;
The king from Eltham I intend to fend,
And fit at chiefeft ftern of public weal.

The walls they'll tear down, than forfake the ficge.
Reig. I think, by fome odd gimmals 3 or device,
Their arms are fet, like clocks, ftill to ftrike on;
Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo, as they do.
50By my confent, we'll e'en let them alone.
Alen. Be it fo.

[Exit.

55

Enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier, marching with

a Drum and Soldiers.

Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the
heavens,

i. e. the back part of the van or front. Charlemagne's twelve peers; and their exploits are render'd fo ridiculously and equally extravagant by the old romancers, that from thence arofe that faying amongst our plain and fenfible ancestors, of giving one a Rowland for bis Oliver, to fignify the matching one incredible lye with another; or, as in the modern acceptation of the proverb, to give a perfen as good a one as he brings. 3 A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another, whence it is taken at large for an engine. It is now vulgarly called a gimcrack, 4 Chear is countenance, appearance.

2 Thefe were two of the most famous in the lift of

A holy maid hither with me I bring,

Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven,

Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The fpirit of deep prophecy the hath,
Exceeding the nine fibyls of old Rome;

What's paft, and what's to come, she can defcry.
Speak, fhall I call her in? Believe my 2 words,

For they are certain and unfallible.

5

Dau. Then come o' God's name, I fear no wo

man.

Pucel. And, while I live, I'll never fly no 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.

Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too
weak.
[help me ;

Dau. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must

Dau. Go, call her in: But first, to try her skill, 10 Impatiently I burn with thy defire ;
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place :
Question her proudly, let thy looks be ftern;-
By this means fhall we found what skill she hath.
Enter Jan la Pucelle.

My heart and hands thou hast at once fubdu'd.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do thefe wond'rous 15
[me?

feats ?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile
Where is the Dauphin? come, come from behind;
I know thee well, though 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 shepherd's

daughter,

My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.
Heaven, and our Lady gracious, hath it pleas'd
To thine on my contemptible estate :
Lo, whilft I waited on my tender lambs,

And to fun's parching heat display'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 the promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs:
In compleat glory the reveal'd herself;
And, whereas I was black and fwart before,
With those clear rays which the infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bleft with, which you fee.
Ask me what question thou canst possible,
And I will answer unpremeditated:
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Refolve on this: Thou shalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
Dau. Thou haft aftonish'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 vanquisheft, thy words are true;
Otherwife, I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd
fword,

20

25

30

35

40

Let me thy fervant, and not sovereign, be;
Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.
Pucel. I must 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.
Alen. Doubtlefs, he fhrives this woman to her
(mock;

Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his speech.
Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no

Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English fcourge.
This night the fiege affuredly I'll raise :
Expect Saint Martin's fummer 3, halcyon days,
Since I have enter'd thus into thefe wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceafeth to enlarge itself,

Till, by broad fpreading, it difperse to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends;
45 Difperfed are the glories it included.

Now am I like that proud infulting ship,
Which Cæfar and his fortune bare at once.
Dau. Was Mahomet infpired with a dove +?
Thou with an eagle art infpired then.

50 Helen, the mother of great Conftantine,
Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters 5, were like thee.
Bright ftar of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee enough?

Deck'd with fine flower-de-luces on each fide;
The which, at Touraine in Saint Katharine's church-55
yard,

Out of a deal of old iron I chofe forth.

Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raife the fiege. Reig. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz`d.

There were no nine fiby's of Rome! but our author confounds things, and mistakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Tarquins. 2 It should be read, believe ber words. 3 That is, expec& profperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has 4 Mahomet had a dove, which he used to feed with wheat out of his ear; which dove, when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomet's fhoulder, and thruft its bill in to find it's breakfast; Mibomet perfuading the rude and simple Arabians, that it was the Holy Ghoft that gave him advice. ing, the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the Afis.

begun.

5 Mean

Dau

Glo. Stand back, thou manifeft confpirator;
Thou, that contriv'dft to murder our dead lord;
Thou, that giv'ft whores indulgences to fin +:
I'll canvafs thee in thy broad cardinal's hat 5,
5 If thou proceed in this thy infolence. [foot:
Win. Nay, ftand thou back, I will not budge a
This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain,
To flay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

Gle. I am come to furvey the Tower this day; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is convey-10

ance 1.

Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
Open the gates: it is Glofter that calls.

1 Ward. Who's there, that knocketh fo im-
periously?

1 Man. It is the noble duke of Glofter.

2 Ward. Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in.

1 Man. Villains, answer you fo the lord protector?

Glo. I will not flay thee, but I'll drive thee back:
Thy fcarlet robes, as a child's bearing-cloth
I'll ufe, to carry thee out of this place. [face.
Win. Do what thou dar'ft; I beard thee to thy
Gl. What? am I dar'd, and bearded to my
Draw, men, for all this privileged place; [face?
15 Blue-coats to tawny-coats. 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 fpite of pope, or dignities of church,

I Ward. The Lord protect him! fo we20 Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.

anfwer him :

We do no otherwise than we are will'd.

Glo. Who will'd you? or whose will stands,

but mine?

There's none protector of the realm, but I.-
Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize :
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?
Glofter's Men rufb at the Tower-Gates, and Wood-vile,
the Lieutenant, fpeaks within.

Win. Glofter, thou'lt answer this before the pope. Glo. Winchester goofe 6! I cry-A rope! a rope!

[stay Now beat them hence, Why do you let them 25 Thee I'll chafe hence, thou wolf in theep's array.Out, tawny-coats !-out, fcarlet hypocrite! Here Glofter's Men beat out the Cardinal's; and enter in the burly-burly, the Mayor of London and bis Officers.

Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have 30 we here?

Glo. 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 Winchester forbids:

From him I have exprefs commandement,
That thou, nor none of thine, fhall be let in. [me?
Glo. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizeft him 'fore
Arrogant Winchester? that haughty prelate,
Whom Henry, our late fovereign, ne'er could
brook ?

Mayor. Fie, lords! that you, being fupreme
magiftrates,

Thus contumeliously should break the peace!
Glo. Peace, mayor; for thou know'ft little of

my wrongs:

35 Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king, Hath here diftrain'd the Tower to his ufe.

40

Thou art no friend to God, or to the king:
Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.
Serv. Open the gates there to the lord protector ;|45|
We'll burst them open, if that you come not
quickly.

Enter to the Protector, at the Tower-Gates, Win-
chefter and bis men in tarwny coats 2.

Win. Here's Glofter too, a foe to citizens;
One that ftill motions war, and never peace,
O'er-charging your free purfes with large fines;
That feeks to overthrow religion,
Because he is protector of the realm;

And would have armour here out of the Tower,
To crown himself king, and fupprefs the prince.
Glo. I will not answer thee with words, but
[Here they firmifh again.
Mayor. Nought refts for me, in this tumultu-
ous ftrife,

blows.

But to make open proclamation :-
Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canft.

Win. How now, ambitious Humphry? what 500ff. All manner of men, assembled bere in arms this day,

1 Conveyance means theft. 2 A tarony coat was the drefs of the officer whofe business it was to fummon offenders to an ecclefiaftical court. These are the proper attendants therefore on the bishop of Winchester. 3 Alluding to his fhaven crown. In Weever's Funeral Monuments, p. 154, Robert Baldocke, bishop of London, is called a peeled priest, pilide clerk, feemingly in allufion to his fhaven crown alone. So, bald-head was a term of fcorn and mockery. 4 The public flews were formerly

under the district of the bishop of Winchester. 5 This means, I believe, I'll tumble thee into thy great Eat, and foake thee, as bran and meal are fhaken in a fieve. 6 Maundrel, in his Travels, fays, that about four miles from Damascus is a high hill, reported to be the fame on which Cain flew his brother Abel. 7 A ftrumpet, or the confequences of her love, was a Winchester goofe.

Glo. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law:
But we shall meet, and break our minds at large.
Win. Glofter, we'll meet; to thy coft, be thou
fure :

Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work.
Mayor. I'll call for clubs, if you will not away:
This cardinal is more haughty than the devil.
Glo. Mayor, farewel: thou doft but what thou
'may'ft.

Win. Abominable Glofter! guard thy head;
For I intend to have it, ere long. [Exeunt.
Mayer. See the coaft clear'd, and then we will
depart.--

Tal. With fcoffs, and fcorns, and contumelious

taunts.

In open market-place produc'd they me,
To be a public fpectacle to all;

5 Here, faid they, is the terror of the French,
The fcare-crow that affrights our children fo.
Then broke I from the officers that led me;
And with my nails digg'd ftones out of the ground,
To hurl at the beholders of my shame.

10 My grifly countenance made others fly;
None durft come near, for fear of fudden death.
In iron walls they deem'd me not secure;
So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread,
That they fuppos'd, I could rend bars of steel,
And fpurn in picces pofts of adamant :
Wherefore a guard of chofen shot I had,
That walk'd about me every minute while;
And if I did but ftir out of my bed,

Good God! that nobles fhould fuch ftomachs bear!
I myself fight not once in forty year. [Exeunt. 15

Enter the Mafter-Gunner of Orleans, and his Boy.
M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'ft how Orleans is 20
befieg'd;

And how the English have the suburbs won.

Boy. Father, I know; and oft have fhet at them,

Howe'er, unfortunate, I mifs'd my aim.

Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.
Enter the Bey, with a linftock.

Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you en-
dur'd;

But we will be reveng'd fufficiently.

Now it is fupper-time in Orleans:

M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. Be thou 25 Here, through this grate, I can count every one,

rul'd by me:

Chief mafter-gunner am I of this town;

Something I must do to procure me grace.
The prince's 'fpials have informed me,
How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd,
2 Went, through a fecret grate of iron bars
In yonder tower, to over-peer the city;
And thence difcover, how, with moft advantage,
They may vex us, with fhot, or with affault.
To intercept this inconvenience,

A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd;
And fully even these three days have I watch'd,
If I could fee them: Now, boy, do thou watch;
For I can ftay no longer.

If thou spy'ft any, run and bring me word;
And thou shalt find me at the governor's. [Exit.
Boy. Father, I warrant you take you no care;
I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them.
Enter the Lords Salisbury and Talbot, with Sir W.
Glanfdale and Sir Tho. Gargrave, on the turrets.
Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd!
How wert thou handled, being prifoner?
Or by what means got'ft thou to be releas'd?
Difcourfe, I pry'thee, on this turret's top.

Tal. The duke of Bedford had a prifoner,
Called the brave lord Ponton de Santrailles;
For him was I exchang`d and ranfomed.
But with a bafer man of arms by far,
Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd me:
Which I, difdaining, fcorn'd; and craved death
Rather than I would be fo pill'd 3 esteemed.
In fine, redeem'd I was as I defir'd.
But, oh! the treacherous Faftolfe wounds my
heart!

Whom with my bare fits I would execute,
If I now had him brought into my power.
Sal. Yet tell'ft thou not, how thou wert en-
tertain'd.

Elpials are fpies. bonours.

And view the Frenchmen how they fortify;

Let us look in, the fight will much delight thee.-
Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glanfdale,
Let me have your exprefs opinions,

30 Where is best place to make our battery next.
Gar. I think, at the north gate: for there ftand

lords.

Glan. And I here, at the bulwark of the bridge. Tal. For aught I fee, this city must be famish'd, 35 Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.

40

[Shot from the town. Salisbury and Sir Tho. Gargrave fall down.

Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched

finners!

Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!
Tal. What chance is this, that suddenly hath

crofs'd us?

Speak, Salisbury; at leaft, if thou canst fpeak;
How far'ft thou, mirror of all martial men?
45 One of thy eyes, and thy cheek's fide ftruck off !—
Accurfed tower! accurfed 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:
5c Whilft any trump did found, or drum ftruck up,
His fword did ne'er leave ftriking in the field.-
Yet liv't thou, Salisbury? though thy fpeech doth
fail,

One eye thou haft to look to heaven for grace:
55 The fun 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, haft thou any life?
6c Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him.
Salisbury, chear thy fpirit with this comfort;
That fhalt not die, whiles

He beckons with his hand, and fimiles on me;

2 Wont, i. e. were accustomed.

3. So pildid, means so pillaged, so siripp'd of

As

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,

5 Drives back our troops, and conquers as the lifts:
So bees with smoke, and doves with noisome stench,
Are from their hives, and houfes, driven away.
They call'd us, for our fiercenefs, English dogs;
Now, like their whelps, we crying run away.
[A fhort alarum.

Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight,
Or tear the hons out of England's coat;
Renounce your foil, give theep in lions' ftead:
Sheep run not half fo timorous from the wolf,
Or horfe, or oxen, from the leopard,
As you fly from your oft-fubdued flaves.-

[Alarum. Here another fkirmish.

It will not be :-Retire into your trenches:
You all confented unto Salisbury's death,
20 For none would ftrike a stroke in his revenge.-
Pucelle is enter'd into Orleans,

SCENE VI.

Enter, on the walls, Pucelle, Dauphin, Reignier,
Alençon, and Soldiers.

Pucel. Advance our waving colours on the walls,
Refcu'd is Orleans from the English wolves :--
Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.
Dau. Divineft creature, bright Aftræa's daughter,
How fhall I honour thee for this fuccefs?

35 Thy promifes 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:

Mr. Tollet fays, Puffel means a dirty vench or a drab, from puzza, i. e. malus fætor, fays Minfhew. In a tranflation from Stephens's Apology for Herodotus, in 1607, p. 98, we read," Some filthy queans, especially our puzzles of Paris, ufe this other theft." 2 The fuperftition of those times taught, that he that could draw the witch's blood, was free from her power. 3 Rhodope was a famous ftrumpet, who acquired great riches by her trade. The leaft but moft finished of the Egyptian pyramids was built by her. She is faid afterwards to have married Pfammetichus, king of Egypt.