Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

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

8

CHAR. Baftard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. BAST. Methinks, your looks are fad, your cheer appall'd; 9

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not difmay'd, for fuccour is at hand:
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which, by a vifion fent 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 fhe hath,

Baftard of Orleans, That this in former times was not a term of reproach, fee Bishop Hurd's Letters on Chivalry and Romance, in the third volume of his Dialogues, p. 233, who observing on circumftances of agreement between the heroic and Gothick manners, fays that "Baftardy was in credit with both." One of William the Conqueror's charters begins, Ego Gulielmus cognomento Baftardus." And in the reign of Edward I. John Earl Warren and Surrey being called before the King's Juftices to show by what title he held his lands, produxit in medium gladium antiquum evaginatum ait, Ecce Domini mei, ecce warrantum meum! Anteceffores mei cum Willo Baflardo venientes conquefti funt terras fuas, &c. Dugd. Orig. Jurid. p. 13. Dugd. Bar. of Engl. Vol. I. Blount 9.

Le Baftarde de Savoy," is infcribed over the head of one of the figures in a curious picture of the Battle of Pavia, in the Afhmolean Museum. In Fenn's Paton Letters, Vol. III. p. 72-3, in the articles of impeachment against the Duke of Suffolk, we read of the Erle of Danas, baftard of Orlyaunce――."

9

your cheer appall'd] Cheer is jollity, gaiety.

VAILLANT.

M. MASON.

Cheer, rather fignifies-countenance. So, ia A Midfummer Night's

Dream:

"All fancy-fick the is, and pale of cheer." See Vol. VII. p. 95, n. 4. STELVENS.

Exceeding the nine fibyls of old Rome; ?

2

3

What's paft, and what's to come, fhe can defcry,
Speak, fhall I call her in? Believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

CHAR. Go, call her in: [Exit Bastard.] But, first, to try her skill,

Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place:
Queftion her proudly, let thy looks be ftern;-
By this means fhall we found what fkill fhe bath.

[Retires.

Enter LA PUCELLE, Baftard of Orleans, and

Others.

REIG. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats?

Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?

Where is the Dauphin ?-come, come from behind;
I know thee will, though never feen 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.
Puc. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's daugh-

ter,

My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.

nine fibyls of old Rome;] There were no nine fibyls of Rome; but he confounds things, and miftakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Tarquins.

3

Believe my words, ] It fhould be read:
Believe her words. JOHNSON.

WARBURTON.

I perceive no need of change. The Baftard calls upon the Dauphin to believe the extraordinary account he has juft given of the prophetick spirit and prowess of the Maid of Orleans:

C S

MALONE.

Heaven, and our Lady gracious. hath it pleas'd
To fhine on my contemptibie eftate: 4

Lo, whilft waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat dilplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;

And, in a vifion full of majesty,

5

6

Will'd me to leave my bafe vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid fhe promis'd, and affur'd fuccess:
In complete glory fhe reveal'd herself;
And, whereas I was black and swart before,
With thofe clear rays which fhe infus'd on me,
That beauty am I blefs'd with, which you fce.
Afk me what queftion thou canft poffible,
And I will answer unpremeditated:
My courage try by combat, if thou dar't,
And thou fhalt find that I exceed my fex.
Refolve on this: Thou fhalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
CHAR. 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;

4 To Shine on my contemptible eftate:] So, in Daniel's Complaint of Rofamond, 1594:

5.

6

66

thy king &c.

Lightens forth glory on thy dark eftate." STEEVENS.
——a vifion full of majefty,} So, in The Tempest:
"This is a molt majeftick vifion---." STEEVENS.

which you fee.]

Thus the fecond folio. The firft, injudiciously as well as redundantly,-which you may see.

STEEVENS.

7 Refolve on this:] i. e. be firmly perfuaded of it. So, Vol. XV.

p. 62:

I am refolu'd,

"That Clifford's manhood lies upon his tongue.",

STEEVENS.

And, if thou vanquifheft, thy words are true;
Otherwise, I renounce all confidence.

Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd

fword,

8

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

Out of a deal of old iron I chofe forth. 9

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

man. }

Puc. And, while I live, I'll ne'er fly from

man.

[They fight. CHAR. Stay, ftay thy hands; thou art an Amazon, And fighteft with the fword of Deborah.

Puc. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too weak.

CHAR. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me :

Impatiently I burn with thy defire; *

8 Deck'd with five flower-de-luces, &c.] Old copy-fine; but we fhould read, according to Holinfhed, -five flower-de-luces.. -in a fecret place there among old iron, appointed the hir fword to be fought out and brought her, that with five floure-delices was graven on both fides," &c. STEEVENS./

་་

The fame mistake having happened in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and in other places, I have not hesitated to reform the text, according to Mr. Steevens's fuggeftion. In the MSS. of the age of Queen Elizabeth, u and n are undiftinguishable. MALONE.

9 Out of a deal of old iron &c.] The old copy yet more redundantly-Out of a great deal &c. I have no doubt but the original line ftood, elliptically, thus:

Out a deal of old iron I chofe forth.

The phrafe of hofpitals is fill an out door, not an out of door pasient. STEEVENS.

2

Impatiently I burn with thy defire;] The amorous conftitution of the Dauphin has been mentioned in the preceding play :

Doing is activity, and he will fill be doing.'

COLLINS.

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

Let me thy fervant, and not fovereign, be;
'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.
Puc. 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 recompenfe.

CHAR. Mean time, look gracious on thy proftrate

thrall.

REIG. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. ALEN. Doubtless, he fhrives this woman to her fmock;

Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his speech. REIG. Shall we disturb him, fince he keeps no mean?

ALEN. He may mean more than we poor men do know:

These women are fhrewd tempters with their tongues. REIG. My lord, where are you? what devise

you on?

Shall we give over Orleans, or no?

Puc. Why, no, I fay, diftruftful recreants! Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard. CHAR. What fhe fays, I'll confirm; we'll fight

it out.

Puc. Affign'd am I to be the English fcourge. This night the fiege affuredly I'll raise:

3

Expect faint Martin's fummer, halcyon days,

The Dauphin in the preceding play is John, the elder brother of the present speaker: He died in 1416, the year after the battle of Agincourt. RITSON.

3 Expe faint Martin's fummer, ] That is, expect prosperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has begun.

JOHNSON.