A gentler heart did never sway in court:
But kings and mightiest potentates must die;
For that's the end of human misery. [Exeunt.
SCENE III. The same.
The Plains near the City.
Enter CHARLES, the Bastard, ALENÇON, LA
PUCELLE, and Forces.

Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered;
Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things that are not to be remedied.
Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while,
And like a peacock sweep along his tail:
We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train,
If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but rul'd.

Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence ;
One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.

Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies,
And we will make thee famous through the world.
Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place,
And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saint;
Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good."
Puc. Then thus it must be ; this doth Joan devise:
By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words,
We will entice the duke of Burgundy
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.

Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore
Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears,
And wash away thy country's stained spots!

Or nature makes me suddenly relent.
Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words,

Puc. Besides, all French and France exciaims or thee,

Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.
Who join'st thou with, but with a lordly nation,
That will not trust thee, but for profit's sake?
When Talbot hath set footing once in France,
And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill,
Who then but English Henry will be lord,
And thou be thrust out, like a fugitive?
Call we to mind,-and mark but this, for proof;-
Was not the duke of Orleans thy foe?
And was he not in England prisoner?
But, when they heard he was thine enemy,
They set him free, without his ransom paid
In spite of Burgundy, and all his friends.
See then! thou fightest against thy countrymen,
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, And made me almost yield upon my knees.Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen! And, fords, accept this hearty kind embrace : My forces and my power of men are yours;

France,

And not have title to an earldom here.

Puc. Your honours shall perceive how I will work, To bring this matter to the wished end.

[Drums heard. Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward. An English March. Enter, and pass over at a distance, TALBOT and his Forces.

There goes the Talbot with his colours spread;
And all the troops of English after him.

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 wili talk with him.

[A Parley sounded. 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.

Bur. Speak on; but be not over-tedious.
Puc. Look on thy country, look on fertile France,
And see the cities and the towns defac'd
By wasting ruin of the cruel foe!

As looks the mother on her lowly babe,
When death doth close his tender dying eyes,
See, see, the pining malady of France;
Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds,
Which thou thyself hast given her woeful breast!
O, turn thy edged sword another way;
Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help!
One drop of blood, drawn from thy country's bosom,

1 i. e. extirpated, rooted out.
2 Erpuls'd is expell'd.

3 Another mistake. The duke was not liberated till after Burgundy's decline to the French interest; which did not happen, by the way, till some years after the execution of La Pucelle; nor was that during the regency of York, but of Bedford.

4 Haughty does not mean disdainful, or violent, as Johnson supposed; but elevated, high-spirited.

Puc. Done like a Frenchman, turn, and turn again !5

Char. Welcome, brave duke! thy friendship makes us fresh.

Bast. And doth beget new courage in our breasts. Alen. Pucelle hath bravely played 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,
To do my duty to my sovereign:

In sign whereof, this arm-that hath reclaim'd
To your obedience fifty fortresses,
Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength,
Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem,—
Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet;
And, with submissive loyalty of heart,
Ascribes the glory of his conquest gol,
First to my God, and next unto your grace.

K. Hen. Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloster,
That hath so long been resident in France?
Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege.
K. Hen. Welcome, brave captain, and victorious
lord!

When I was young (as yet I am not old),
I do remember how my father said,"
A stouter champion never handled sword
Long since we were resolved" of your truth,
Your faithful service, and your toil in wat;
Yet never have you tasted our reward,
Or been reguerdon'd' with so much as thanks,
Because till now we never saw your face:
Therefore, stand up; and, for these good deserts,
tion written to prove that the index of the wind upon our
steeples was made in form of a cock to ridicule the
French for their frequent changes.'

6 Hanmer supplied the apparent.deficiency in this line, by reading :

Is this the fam'd Lord Talbot,' &c.

7 Malone remarks that Henry was but nine months old when his father died, and never saw him.' The

8 Convinced.

9 Rewarded

wrong.

Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong. K. Her. What is that wrong whereof you both complain?

First let me know, and ther. I'll answer you.

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;
For though he seem, with forged quaint conceit,
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,

Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower
Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.

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.

K. Hen. Good lord! what madness rules in brain-
sick men;

When, for so slight and frivolous a cause,
Such factious emulations shall arise!-
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace,
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.
Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first.
Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord.
Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife!
And perish ye, with your audacious prate!
Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd,
With this immodest, clamorous outrage
To trouble and disturb the king and us?
And you, my lords,-methinks you do not well,
To bear with their perverse objections;
Much less, to take occasion from their mouths
To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves;
Let me persuade you take a better course.
Exe. It grieves his highness;-Good my lords,

be friends.

K. Hen. Come hither, you that would be com

batants:

Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour,
Quite to forget this quarrel and the cause.-
And you, my lords,-remember where we are:
In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation:
If they perceive dissension in our looks,
And that within ourselves we disagree,
How will their grudging stomachs be provok'd
To wilful disobedience, and rebel?
Beside, What infamy will there arise,
When foreign princes shall be certified,
That, for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's peers, and chief nobility,
Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of France?
O, think upon the conquest of my father,
My tender years; and let us not forego
That for a trifle, that was bought with blood!

1 To repugn is to resist. From the Latin repugno. 2 i. e. discovered. 3 The old copy reads 'And if I wish he did an evident typographical error. York says that he is not pleased that the king should prefer the red rose, the Sadge of Somerset, his enemy; Warwick desires him: not to be offended at it, as he dares say the king meant no harm. To which York, yet unsatisfied, hastily replies in a menacing tone, If I thought he did but

[Putting on a red Rose, That any one should therefore be suspicious I more incline to Somerset than York: Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both: As well may they upbraid me with my crown, Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd. But your discretions better can persuade, Than I am able to instruct or teach: And therefore, as we hither came in peace, So let us still continue peace and love.Cousin of York, we institute your grace To be our regent in these parts of France: And good my lord of Somerset, unite Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot ;And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors, Go cheerfully together, and digest Your angry choler on your enemies. Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest, After some respite, will return to Calais; From thence to England; where I hope ere long. To be presented by your victories, With Charles, Alençon, and that traitorous rout. [Flourish. Exeunt K. HEN. GLO. SOM. WIN. SUF. and BASSET. War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king Prettily, methought, did play the orator.

York. And so he did; but yet I like it not, In that he wears the badge of Somerset.

War. Tush! that was but his fancy, blame him not;

I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm. York. And if I wist he did,3-But let it rest; Other affairs must now be managed.

[Exeunt YORK, WARWICK, and VERNON. Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy

voice:

For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,
I fear we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd.
But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,
This should'ring of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favourites,
But that it doth presage some ill event.
'Tis much, when sceptres are in children's hands
But more, when envy breeds unkind division;
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.

[Exit.

SCENE II. France. Before Bordeaux. Enter
TALBOT, with his Forces.

Summon their general unto the wall.
Tal. Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter,

Trumpet sounds a Parley. Enter, on the Walls, the

General of the French Forces, and others. English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,, Servant in arms to Harry king of England; And thus he would,-Open your city gates, Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours, And do him homage as obedient subjects, And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power: But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace, You tempt the fury of my three attendants, Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire; Who, in a moment, even with the earth Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers, If you forsake the offer of our love."

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death, Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge ! It is an

he instantly checks his threat with, let it rest. example of a rhetorical figure not uncommon. 4 'Tis an alarming circumstance, a thing of great consequence, or much weight.

5 Envy, in old English writers, frequently means malice, enmity.

6 Unkind is unnatural.

7 The old editions read their love." Sir Thomas Hanmer altered it to our love; and I think, with Steevens, that the alteration should be adopted.

The period of thy tyranny approacheth. On us thou canst not enter, but by death: For, I protest, we are well fortified,

And strong enough to issue out and fight:
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee:
On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd,
To wall thee from the liberty flight;
And no way canst thou turn thee for redress,
But death doth front thee with apparent spoil,
And pale destruction meets thee in the face.
Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament,
To rive their dangerous artillery!

Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo! there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit:
This is the latest glory of thy praise,
That I, thy enemy, due thee withal;
For ere the glass, that now begins to run,
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes, that see thee now well coloured,
Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead.
[Drum afar off.
Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul;
And mine shall ring thy dire departure out.

[Exeunt General, &c. from the Walls.
Tal. He fables not, I hear the enemy ;-
Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings.-
O, negligent and heedless discipline!
How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale;
A little herd of England's timorous deer,
Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs!
If we be English deer, be then in blood:4
Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch;
But rather moody-mad, and desperate stags,
Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel,
And make the cowards stand aloof at bay:
Sell every man his life as dear as mine,
And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.
God, and Saint George! Talbot, and England's
right!

Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight!

[Exeunt.

York. A plague upon that villain Somerset ;
That thus delays my promised supply

Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege!
Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid;
And I am louted by a traitor villain,
And cannot help the noble chevalier:
God comfort him in this necessity!

If he miscarry, farewell wars in France.

Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY.

Lucy. Thou princely leader of our English strength,

York. He dies, we lose; I break my warlike word; We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get; All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset.

Lucy. Then, God take mercy on brave Talbot's soul!

And on his son, young John; whom, two hours since,

I met in travel toward his warlike father!
This seven years did not Talbot see his son;
And now they meet where both their lives are done."
York. Alas! what joys shall noble Talbot have,
To bid his young son welcome to his grave?
Away! vexation almost stops my breath,
That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death.-
Lucy, farewell: no more my fortune can,
But curse the cause I cannot aid the man.-
Maine, Blois, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away,
'Long all of Somerset, and his delay.

[Exit.
Lucy. Thus, while the vulture of sedition
Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders,
Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss
The conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror,
That ever-living man of memory,
Henry the Fifth-Whiles they each other cross,
Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss. [Exit.
SCENE IV. Other Plains of Gascony. Enter
SOMERSET, with his Forces; an Officer of TAL-
BOT' with him.

Som. It is too late; I cannot send them now:
This expedition was by York, and Talbot,
Too rashly plotted; all our general force
Might with a sally of the very town

Be buckled with the over-daring Talbot
Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour,
By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure:
York set him on to fight, and die in shame,
That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name.
Off. Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me
Set from our o'ermatch'd forces forth for aid.

Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY.

Som. How now, Sir William? whither were you sent ?

Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and sold
Lord Talbot;10

Who, ring'd about11 with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions.

2 Due for endue, or giving due and merited praise. 3 So Milton's Comus:

'She fables not, I feel that I do fear.'

4 In blood is a term of the forest; a deer was said to be in blood when in vigour or in good condition, and full of courage, here put in opposition to rascal, which was the term for the same animal when lean and out of condition.

6 Spies

the word here is evidently loitered, retarded: and the following quotation from Cotgrave will show that this was sometimes the sense of to lowt:-'Loricarder, to luske, lowt, or lubber it; to loyter about like a master less man.'

That as a waist do girdle you about.' King John. Si. e. expended, consumed. Malone says that the word is still used in this sense in the western counties. 9 Alluding to the tale of Prometheus.

10 i. e. from one utterly ruined by the treacherous