With purpose to relieve and follow them)

Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.
Hence grew the general wreck and massacre :
Enclosed were they with their enemies.
A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;
Whom all France, with their chief assembled
strength,

Durst not presume to look once in the face.
Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,
For living idly here, in pomp and ease,
Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his dastard foemen is betray'd.

3 Mes. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerfo.d: Most of the rest slaughter'd or took likewise.

Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay. I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne ; His crown shall be the ransom of my friend : Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours. Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, -To keep our great saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,

Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.

3 Mes. So you had need; for Orleans is besieged ; The English army is grown weak and faint: The earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny; Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry

sworn ;

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. Glos. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can, To view the artillery and munition ;

And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordain'd his special governor ;

And for his safety there I'll best devise.

[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 send, And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

[Exit. Scene closes.

SCENE II.

France. Before Orleans.

Enter CHARLES, with his forces;

REIGNIER, and others.

ALENÇON,

Charles. Mars his true moving, even as in the

heavens,

So in the earth, to this day is not known.
Late did he shine upon the English side;
Now we are victors, upon us he smiles.

What towns of any moment, but we have?
At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans ;
Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts,
Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

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

Either they must be dieted, like mules,

And have their provender tied to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.
Rei. Let's raise the siege; why live we idly
here?

Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:
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.

Charles. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush or them.

Now for the honor of the forlorn French

Him I forgive my death, that killeth me,

When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt.

Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat.
Re-enter CHARles, alençon, reignier, and others.
Charles. Who ever saw the like? what men have
I?—

Dogs! cowards! dastards!—I would ne'er have fled,
But that they left me 'midst my enemies.
Rei. Salisbury is a desperate homicide;

He fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting food,

Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.1

Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands bred,
During the time Edward the third did reign.
More truly now may this be verified;
For none but Samsons and Goliaths

It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!
Lean, raw-boned rascals! Who would e'er suppose
They had such courage and audacity?

Charles. Let's leave this town; for they are hairbrain'd slaves,

And hunger will enforce them to be more eager.
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

The walls they 'll tear down, than forsake the siege.

Rei. I think, by some odd gimmals 3 or device,
Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike on,
Else ne'er could they hold out so, as they do.
By my consent, we 'll ev'n let them alore.
Alen. Be it so.

Enter BASTARD OF ORLEANS.

Bas. Where's the prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

Charles. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

i. e. the prey for which they are hungry.

2 Famous peers in the time of Charlemagne.

3 A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another: here it is taken at large for an engine,

Bas. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheer1 appall'd.

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?

Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand :

A holy maid hither with me I bring,

Which, by a vision sent to her from Heaven,
Ordained is to raise this tedious siege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,

Exceeding the nine sibyls 2 of old Rome :
What's past, and what's to come, she can descry.
Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,
For they are certain and unfallible.

Charles. Go, call her in: [Exit Bastard.] but, first, to try her skill,

Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place :
Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern.-
By this means shall we sound what skill she hath.

[retires.

Enter LA PUCELLE, BASTARD OF ORLEANS, and others. Rei. Fair maid, is 't thou wilt do these wondrous feats ?

Pu. Reignier, is 't thou that thinkest to beguile me?

Where is the Dauphin ?—come, come from behind;

Countenance.

2 Meaning, probably, the nine sibylline books brought to one of the Tarquins.