Enter Joan la Pucelle on the top, thrusting out a torch burning.

Pucel. Behold this is the happy wedding torch,
That joineth Roan unto her countrymen,
But burning fatal to the 'Talbotines.

Baft. See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend,
The burning torch in yonder turret stands.

Dau. Now fhines it like a comet of revenge, A prophet to the fall of all our foes.

Reig. Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends, Enter and cry, The Dauphin, prefently,

And then do execution on the watch.

[An alarm, Talbot in an excurfion. Tal. France, thou fhalt rue this treason with thy tears, If Talbot but furvive thy treachery.

Pucelle, that witch, that damned forcerefs,

Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,

That hardly we escap'd ? 'being 'prize of France.

SCENE

V.

[Exit.

An alarm: excurfions. Bedford brought in fick in a chair. Enter Talbot and Burgundy without; within Joan la Pucelle, Dauphin, Baftard, and 'Alanfon on the walls.

Pucel. Good morrow, gallants, want ye corn for bread? I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast,

Before he'll buy again at such a rate.

'Twas full of darnel; do you like the taste?

Burg. Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtezan:
I truft ere long to choak thee with thine own,
And make thee curfe the harveft of that corn.

Dau. Your Grace must starve perhaps before that time.
Bed. Oh, let not words but deeds revenge this treason!
Pucel. What will you do, good grey-beard? break a
And run a tilt at death within a chair?
[lance,
Tal.

6 Talbonites. 7 the 8 pride... old edit. Theob. emend. 9 Reignier

Tal. Foul fiend of France and hag of all defpight,
Incompass'd with thy luftful paramours,

Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age,
And twit with cowardife a man half dead?
Damfel, I'll have a bout with you again,
Or elfe let Talbot perish with his shame.

Pucel. Are you fo hot? yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace; If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[They whisper together in counfel. God fpeed the parliament! who fhall be the fpeaker? Tal. Dare ye come forth and meet us in the field? Pucel. Belike your Lordship takes us then for fools, To try if that our own be ours or no.

Tal. I fpeak not to that railing Hecate,

But unto thee, Alanfon, and the rest.

Will ye like foldiers come and fight it out?
Alan. Seignior, no.

I

Tal. Seignior, hang then :-bafe muleteers of France! Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls,

And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

Pucel. Captains, away, let's get us from the walls, For Talbot means no goodness by his looks.

God be wi' you, my Lord; we came, Sir, but to tell you That we are here. [Exeunt from the walls.

Tal. And there will we be too ere it be long,

Or elfe reproach be Talbot's greatest fame!
Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house,

Prick'd on by publick wrongs fuftain'd in France,
Either to get the town again or die.
And I as fure as English Henry lives,
And as his father here was conqueror,
As fure as in this late betrayed town
Great Caurdelion's heart was buried;
So fure I swear to get the town or die.

Burg. My vows are equal partners with thy vows.
Tal. But ere we go, regard this dying Prince,
The valiant Duke of Bedford: come, my Lord,
VOL. IV.

1 hang:

D

We

We will bestow you in fome better place,
Fitter for ficknefs and for crazy age.

Bed. Lord Talbot, do not fo difhonour me:
Here I will fit before the walls of Roan,

And will be partner of your weal and woe.

Burg. Couragious Bedford, let us now perfwade you. Bed. Not to be gone from hence: for once I read, That ftout Pendragon in his litter fick

Came to the field and vanquished his foes.
Methinks I fhould revive the foldiers hearts,
Because I ever found them as my felf.

Tal. Undaunted fpirit in a dying breast!
Then be it fo: heav'ns keep old Bedford fafe!
And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand,
And fet upon our boafting enemy.

[Exeunt.

An alarm: excurfions: a Enter Sir John Falstaff, and a

Captain.

Cap. Whither away, Sir John Falstaff, in fuch hafte ? Fal. Whither away? to fave my felf by flight.

We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What! will you fly and leave Lord Talbot?
Fal. Ay,

All th' Talbots in the world to fave my life.

[Exit. Cap. Cowardly Knight, ill fortune follow thee! [Exit.

Retreat: excurfions. Pucelle, Alanfon, and Dauphin fly.
Bed. Now, quiet foul, depart when heav'n fhall please!
For I have feen our enemies overthrow.
What is the truft or ftrength of foolish man?
They that of late were daring with their fcoffs,
Are glad and fain by flight to fave themselves.

[Dies, and is carried off in his chair.

(a) Falstaff is here introduced again, who was Fifth. Act 2, Scene 3; the occafion whereof is, seritten by Shakespear before Hen. 4, or Hen. 5.

Hen. 5.

SCENE dead in Henry the that this Play was See the last lines of Pope.

An alarm: Enter Talbot, Burgundy, and the rest.
Tal. Loft and recover'd in a day again?
This is a double honour, Burgundy;
Yet heav'ns have glory for this victory!

Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
Infhrines thee in his heart, and there erects
Thy noble deeds as valour's monuments.

Tal. Thanks, gentle Duke; but where is Pucelle now? I think her old familiar is afleep.

Now where's the baftard's braves, and Charles his gleeks? What, all a-mort? Roan hangs her head for grief,

That fuch a valiant company are fled.

Now we will take fome order in the town,
Placing therein fome expert officers,

And then depart to Paris to the King;
For there young Henry with his Nobles lyes.
Burg. What wills Lord Talbot, pleaseth Burgundy.
Tal. But yet before we go let's not forget
The noble Duke of Bedford, late deceas'd,
But fee his exequies fulfill'd in Roan.
A braver foldier never couched launce,
A gentler heart did never fway in Court.
But Kings and mightiest Potentates must die,
For that's the end of human misery.

[Exeunt.

Enter Dauphin, Baftard, Alanfon, and Joan la Pucelle.

Pucel. Difmay not, Princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve that Roan is fo recovered.
Care is no cure, but rather corrofive,
For things that are not to be remedy'd.
Let frantick Talbot triumph for a while,
And like a Peacock fweep along his tail;

D 2

We'll

We'll pull his plumes and take away his train,
If Dauphin and the reft will be but rul'd.
Dau. We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence.
One fudden foil fhall never breed distrust.
Baft. Search out thy wit for fecret policies,
And we will make thee famous through the world.
Alan. We'll fet thy ftatue in fome holy place,
And have thee reverenc'd like a bleffed Saint.
Employ thee then, fweet virgin, for our good.
Pucel. Then thus it must be, this doth Joan devife :
By fair perfwafions mix'd with fugar'd words
We will entice the Duke of Burgundy

To leave the Talbot, and to follow us.

Dau. Ay marry, fweeting, if we could do that, France were no place for Henry's warriors;

Nor fhall that nation boaft it fo with us,

But be extirped from our provinces.

Alan. For ever fhould they be expuls'd from France, And not have title of an Earldom here.

Pucel. Your honours fhall perceive how I will work,

To bring this matter to the wifhed end.

[Drum beats afar off. Hark, by the found of drum you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward.

[Here beat an English march. There goes the Talbot with his colours spread, And all the troops of English after him. [French march. Now in the rereward comes the Duke and his: Fortune in favour makes him lag behind. Summon a parley, we will talk with him.

[Trumpets found a parley.

SCE NE VIII.

Enter the Duke of Burgundy marching.

Dau. A parley with the Duke of Burgundy.
Burg. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy?

Pucel.