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In memory of her, when fhe is dead,
Her afhes, in an urn more precious.
Than the rich-jewel'd coffer of Darius,*

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married Pfammetichus, king of Egypt. Dr. Johnfon thinks that the Dauphin means to call Joan of Arc a ftrumpet, all the while he is making this loud praife of her.

Rhodope is mentioned in the play of The Coftly Whore, 1633: " a base Rhodope,

"Whole body is as common as the fea
"In the receipt of every luftful spring."

I would read:

Than Rhodope's of Memphis ever was.

STEEVENS.

The brother of Sappho, was in love with Rhodope, and purchafed her freedom (for fhe was a flave in the fame houfe with Esop the fabulift at a great price. Rhodope was of Thrace, not of Memphis. Memphis, a city of Egypt, was celebrated for its pyramids: "Barbara Pyramidum fileat miracula Memphis.

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MART. De fpe&aculis Libel. Ep. I. MALONE. The queftion, I apprehend, is not where Rhodope was born, but where the obtained celebrity. Her Thracian birth-place would not have rescued her from oblivion. STEEVENS.

The emendation proposed by Mr. Steevens must be adopted. The meaning is. not that Rhodope herfelf was of Memphis. butthat her pyramis was there. I will rear to her, fays the Dauphin, a pyramid more flately than that of Memphis, which was called Rhodope's. Pliny fays the pyramids were fix miles from that city, and that the faireft and moft commended for workmanship was built at the coft and charges of one Rhodope, a verie ftrumpet." RITSON.

coffer of Darius, ] When Alexander the Great took the city of Gaza, the metropolis of Syria, amid ft the other fpoils and wealth of Darius treasured up there, be found an exceeding rich and beautiful little cheft or cafket, and afked those about him what they thought fittest to be laid up in it. When they had severally delivered their opinions, he told them, he esteemed nothing fo worthy to be preserved in it as Homer's Iliad. Vide Plutarchum in Vitâ Alexandri Magni. THEOBALD.

The very words of the text are found in Puttenham's Arte of English Poefe, 1589: “In what price the noble poems of Homer were holden with Alexander the Great, infomuch as everie night they were layd under his pillow, and by day were carried in the rich jewel cofer of Darius, lately before vanquished by him in battaile. MALONE.

Tranfported fhall be at high feftivals.
Before the kings and queens of France.
No longer on faint Dennis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle fhall be France's faint.
Come in; and let us banquet royally,

After this golden day of victory.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

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Enter to the gates, a French Sergeant, and two Sentinels.

SERG. Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant: If any noife, or foldier, you perceive, Near to the walls, by fome apparent fign, Let us have knowledge at the court of guard.4 1. SENT. Sergeant, you fhall. [Exit Sergeant.] Thus are poor fervitors

(When others fleep upon quiet beds,)

Conftrain'd to watch in darkness, rain, and cold,

I believe, we should read, with Puttenham, jewel-coffer," and not, as in the text, "jewel'd coffer." The jewel-coffer of Darius was, I fuppofe, the cabinet in which he kept his gems.

To a jewelled coffer (i. e. a coffer ornamented with jewels) the epithet rich would have been fuperfluous. STEEVENS,

3 Before the kings and queens of France, ] Sir Thomas Hanmer fupplies the obvious defect in this line, by reading-

Ever before the kings &c. STEEVENS.

court of guard.] The fame phrafe occurs again in Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, &c. and is equivalent to the modern termguard-room. STEEVENS.

VOL. XIV.

E

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and Forces, with fealing ladders; their drums beating a dead

march.

TAL. Lord regent,-and redoubted Burgundy.By whofe approach, the regions of Artois, Walloon, and Picardy, are friends to us,-This happy night the Frenchmen are fecure, Having all day carous'd and banqueted: Embrace we then this opportunity;

As fitting beft to quittance their deceit,
Contriv'd by art, and baleful forcery.

BED. Coward of France!-how much he wrongs his fame,

Defpairing of his own arm's fortitude,

To join with witches, and the help of hell.
BUR. Traitors have never other company.
But what's that Pucelle, whom they term fo pure?
TAL. A maid, they fay.

Bed.

A maid! and be fo martial! BUR. Pray God, fhe prove not masculine ere

long;

If underneath the ftandard of the French,

She carry armour, as fhe hath begun.

TAL. Well, let them practise and converfe with fpirits:

God is our fortrefs; in whofe conquering name,
Let us refolve to fcale their flinty bulwarks.

BED. Afcend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.
TAL. Not all together: better far, I guess,
That we do make our entrance feveral ways;
That, if it chance the one of us do fail,
The other yet may rise against their force.

BED. Agreed; I'll to yon corner.

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, fhall this night appear
How much in duty I am bound to both.

[The English Jcale the walls, crying St. George! a Talbot! and all enter by the town.

SENT. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth make affault!

The French leap over the walls in their fhirts. Enter, Jeveral ways, BASTARD, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready.

3

ALEN. How now, my lords? what all unready fo ? 3 fo?

BAST. Unready? ay, and glad we 'fcap'd fo well.

==

unready fo?] Unready was the current word in thofe times for undrefs'd. JOHNSON.

So, in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1638: "Enter Sixtus and Lucrece unready."

Again, in The Two Maids of More-clacke, 1609:

"Enter James unready in his night cap, garterlefs," &c. Again, in A Match at Midnight, 1633, is this ftage dire&ion:

"He makes himself uuready.'

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"Why what do you mean? you will not be fo uncivil as to un brace you here?"

Again, in Monfieur D'Olive, 1606:

"You are not going to bed, I fee you are not yet unready." Again, in Heywood's Golden Age, 1611:

"Here Jupiter puts out the lights, and makes himself unready. Unready is equivalent to the old French word-di-pret.

STEEVENS:

REIG. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake, and leave our beds,

Hearing alarums at our chamber doors. "

2

ALEN. Of all exploits, fince first I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize

More venturous, or defperate than this.

BAST. I think, this Talbot is a fiend of hell. REG. If not of hell, the heavens, fure, favour

him.

ALEN. Here cometh Charles; I marvel, how he fped.

Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE.

BAST. Tut! holy Joan was his defenfive guard. CHAR. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didft thou at firft, to flatter us withal,

Make us partakers of a little gain,

That now our lofs might be ten times fo much? Puc. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend?

At all times will you have my power alike?
Sleeping, or waking, muft I ftill prevail,

Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?-
Improvident foldiers! had your watch been good,
This fudden mifchief never could have fall'n.

CHAR. Duke of Alençon, this was your default; That, being captain of the watch to-night, Did look no better to that weighty charge. ALEN. Had all your quarters been as fafely kept, As that whereof I had the government, We had not been thus fhamefully furpriz'd.

2 Hearing alarums at our chamber doors.] So, in King Lear: Or, at their chamber door I'll beat the drum--.'

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STEEVENS.

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