ACT II. SCENE I.-The same. Enter to the Gates, a French Sergeant, and Two Sentinels. Serg. Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant : If any noise, or soldier, you perceive, Near to the walls, by some apparent sign, Let us have knowledge at the court of guard. 1 Sent. Sergeant, you shall. Thus are poor servitors [Exit Sergeant. (When others sleep upon their quiet beds,) Constrain❜d to watch in darkness, rain, and cold. As fitting best to quittance their deceit, Bed. Coward of France!-how much he wrongs his fame, Despairing of his own arm's fortitude, To join with witches, and the help of hell. Bur. Traitors have never other company.— Tal. A maid, they say. Bed. A maid! and be so martial! Bur. Pray God, she prove not masculine ere long; If underneath the standard of the French, She carry armour, as she hath begun. Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits: Bed. Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee. Bur. And I to this. Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.Now, Salisbury! for thee, and for the right Of English Henry, shall this night appear [The English scale the Walls, crying St GEORGE! a TALBOT! and all enter by the Town. Sent. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth make assault! The French leap over the Walls in their Shirts. Enter, several ways, BASTARD, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready. Alen. How now, my lords? what, all unready so? Bast. Unready? ay, and glad we 'scap'd so well. Reig. "Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds, Hearing alarums at our chamber doors. Alen. Of all exploits, since first I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize More venturous, or desperate than this. Bast. I think, this Talbot be a fiend of hell. Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him. Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE. Bast. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal, Make us partakers of a little gain, That now our loss might be ten times so much? Puc. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend? At all times will you have my power alike? Sleeping, or waking, must I still prevail, Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?— Alen. Had all your quarters been as safely kept, We had not been thus shamefully surpriz'd. Bast. Mine was secure. Reig. And so was mine, my lord. Char. And, for myself, most part of all this night, Within her quarter, and mine own precinct, I was employ'd in passing to and fro, About relieving of the sentinels: Then how, or which way, should they first break in? Puc. Question, my lords, no further of the case, How, or which way; 'tis sure, they found some place But weakly guarded, where the breach was made. And now there rests no other shift but this,— To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispers'd, And lay new platforms to endamage them. Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying, a TALBOT! a The Using no other weapon but his name. [Exit. SCENE II.-Orleans. Within the Town. Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, a Captain, and Others. Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled, [Retreat sounded, Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury ; What ruin happen'd in revenge of him, Within their chiefest temple I'll erect A tomb, wherein his corps shall be interr'd: The treacherous manner of his mournful death, I muse, we met not with the Dauphin's grace; Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began, Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern, Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves, That could not live asunder day or night. After that things are set in order here, We'll follow them with all the power we have. Enter a Messenger. Mess. All hail, my lords! which of this princely train Call ye the warlike Talbot, for his acts So much applauded through the realm of France? Tal. Here is the Talbot; who would speak with him? Mess. The virtuous lady, countess of Auvergne, With modesty admiring thy renown, By me entreats, good lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe That she may boast, she hath beheld the man |