Trumpets sounded. Enter REIGNIER, below. Reig. Welcome, brave earl, into our territories; Command in Anjou what your honour pleases Suf. Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child, Fit to be made companion with a king: What answer makes your grace unto my suit? Reig. Since thou dost deign to woo her little worth, Enjoy mine own, the county Maine, and Anjou, Reig. And I again,-in Henry's royal name, Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith. Suf. Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks, Because this is in traffic of a king : And yet, methinks, I could be well content To be mine own attorney in this case. Reig. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace [Aside. Mar. Farewell, my lord! Good wishes, praise, and [Going Suf. Farewell, sweet madam! But hark you, Margaret: No princely commendations to my king? Mar. Such commendations as become a maid, A virgin, and his servant, say to him. Suf. Words sweetly plac'd, and modestly directed. But, madam, I must trouble you again, No loving token to his majesty ? Mar. Yes, my good lord; a pure unspotted heart, [Kisses her. Mar. That for thyself;-I will not so presume, To send such peevish tokens to a king. [Ex. REI. & Mar. SCENE IV. [Exit, Camp of the Duke of YORK, in Anjou. Enter YORK, WARWICK, and Others. York. Bring forth that sorceress, condemn'd to burn. Enter LA PUCELLE, guarded, and a Shepherd. Shep. Ah, Joan! this kills thy father's heart outright! Have I sought every country far and near, And, now it is my chance to find thee out, Must I behold thy timeless, cruel death? Ah, Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I'll die with thee! I am descended of a gentler blood; Thou art no father, nor no friend, of mine. Shep. Out, out!-My lords, an please you, 'tis not so; I did beget her, all the parish knows : Her mother liveth yet, can testify She was the first fruit of my bacherloship. War. Graceless! wilt thou deny thy parentage? York. This argues what her kind of life hath been; Wicked and vile; and so her death concludes. Shep. Fye, Joan! that thou wilt be so obstacle!7 God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh; Deny me not, I pray thee, gentle Joan. Puc. Peasant, avaunt!-You have suborn'd this man, Of purpose to obscure my noble birth. We call a [5] By the word mad, I believe the poet meant wild or uncultivated. wild girl, to this day, a mud-cap. Mad, in some of the ancient books of gardening, is used of plants which grow rampant and wild. STEEVENS. [6] Miser has here no relation to avarice, but simply means a miserable creature, in which sense it was frequently used by old writers. STEEVENS. [7] A vulgar corruption of obstinate, which I think has oddly lasted since our author's time till now. JOHNSON, Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest, Thy mother gave thee, when thou suck'st her breast, Or else, when thou didst keep my lambs a-field, I wish some ravenous wolf had eaten thee! Dost thou deny thy father, cursed drab ? O, burn her, burn her; hanging is too good. [Exit. York. Take her away; for she hath liv'd too long, To fill the world with vicious qualities. Puc. First, let me tell you whom you have condem'd : To work exceeding miracles on earth. Chaste and immaculate in very thought; That so her torture may be shortened. Puc. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts ?— Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity; That warranteth by law to be thy privilege. I am with child, ye bloody homicides : Murder not then the fruit within my womb, [8] No, ye misconceivers, ye who mistake me and my qualities STEEVENS. York. Now heaven forfend! the holy maid with child? War. The greatest miracle that e'er ye wrought: Is all your strict preciseness come to this? York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling : I did imagine what would be her refuge. War. Well, go to; we will have no bastards live ; Especially, since Charles must father it. Puc. You are deceiv'd; my child is none of his ; It was Alençon, that enjoy'd my love. York. Alençon ! that notorious Machiavel! It dies, an if it had a thousand lives. Puc. O, give me leave, I have deluded you ; 'Twas neither Charles, nor yet the duke I nam'd, But Reignier, king of Naples, that prevail'd. War. A marry'd man! that's most intolerable. York. Why, here's a girl! I think, she knows not well, There were so many, whom she may accuse. War. It is a sign, she hath been liberal and free. York. And, yet, forsooth, she is a virgin pure.Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat, and thee: Use no entreaty, for it is in vain. Puc. Then lead me hence;-with whom I leave my curse: May never glorious sun reflex his beams Drive you to break your necks, or hang yourselves !! [Exit, guarded. York. Break thou in pieces, and consume to ashes, Thou foul accursed minister of hell! Enter Cardinal BEAUFORT, attended. Car. Lord regent, I do greet your excellence [9] Perhaps Shakespeare intended to remark, in this execration, the frequency of suicide among the English, which has been commonly imputed to the gloominess of their air. JOHNSON. York. Is all our travail turn'd to this effect? So many captains, gentlemen, and soldiers, War. Be patient, York: if we conclude a peace, Enter CHARLES, attended; ALENÇON, Bastard. RRIGNIER, and others. Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed, That peaceful truce shall be proclaim'd in France, We come to be informed by yourselves What the conditions of that league must be. York. Speak, Winchester; for boiling choler chokes The hollow passage of my poison'd voice, By sight of these our baleful enemies.' Win. Charles, and the rest, it is enacted thus: Of mere compassion, and of lenity, Alen. Must he be then as shadow of himself? And yet, in substance and authority, Retain but privilege of a private man? This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Char. 'Tis known, already, that I am possess'd With more than half the Gallian territories, [1] Baleful had anciently the same meaning as baneful. It is an epithet very fre quently bestowed on poisonous plants and reptiles. STEEVENS. |