I did beget her, all the parish knows:
Her mother living yet can teftify

She was the first fruit of my batch'lorship.

War. Graceless, wilt thou deny thy parentage?
· York. This argues what her kind of life hath been,
Wicked and vile, and fo her death concludes.
Shep. Fie, Joan, that thou wilt be fo obftacle:
God knows thou art a collop of my flesh,
And for thy fake have I fhed many a tear;
Deny me not, I pray thee, gentle Joan.

Pucel. Peafant, avaunt! You have fuborn'd this man Of purpose to obfcure my noble birth.

Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest,
The morn that I was wedded to her mother.
Kneel down and take my bleffing, good my girl.
Wilt thou not stoop? now curfed be the time
Of thy nativity! I would the milk

Thy mother gave thee when thou fuck'dft her breaft,
Had been a little ratsbane for thy fake:

Or elfe when thou did❜ft keep my lambs a-field,
I wish fome rav'nous wolf had eaten thee.

Doft thou deny thy father, curfed drab?

O, burn her, burn her, hanging is too good.

York. Take her away, for fhe hath liv'd too long,

To fill the world with vicious qualities.

{Exit.

Pucel. First let me tell you whom you have condemn'd, Not me begotten of a fhepherd fwain, But iffu'd from the progeny of Kings; Virtuous and holy, chofen from above, By infpiration of celestial grace, To work exceeding miracles on earth. I never had to do with wicked fpirits. But you that are polluted with your lufts, Stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents, Corrupt and tainted with a thoufand vices, Becaufe you want the grace that others have, You judge it ftraight a thing impoffible To compafs wonders, but by help of devils. F 2

Ne,

No, mifconceived Joan of Arc hath been
A virgin from her tender infancy,
Chafte and immaculate in very thought;
Whose maiden blood thus rig'rously effus'd,
Will cry for vengeance at the gates of heav'n.
York. Ay, ay; away with her to execution.
War. And hark ye, Sirs; because she is a maid,
Spare for no faggots, let there be enow:
Place pitchy barrels on the fatal stake,
That fo her torture may be shortened.

Pucel. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts?
Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity,
That warranteth by law 5 'thy privilege.
I am with child, ye bloody homicides:
Murther not then the fruit within my womb,
Although ye hale me to a violent death.

York. Now heav'n forefend! the holy maid with child?
War. The greatest miracle that e'er you wrought:
Is all your ftrict precifenefs come to this?

York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling fure, I did imagine what would be her refuge.

War. Well, go to, we will have no bastards live, Efpecially fince Charles muft father it.

Pucel. You are deceiv'd, my child is none of his,
It was Alanfon that enjoy'd my love.

York. It dies, an if it had a thousand lives.
Pucel. 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 married man! that's moft intolerable.
York. Why, here's a girl; I think she knows not well
(There were fo many) whom the may accufe.
War. It's fign fhe had been liberal and free.
York. And yet forfooth fhe is a virgin pure.
Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat and thee.
Ufe no intreaty, for it is in vain.

(a) York. Alanfou! that notorious Machiavel! It dies

5 to be thy

Pucel.

Pucel. Then lead me hence; with whom I leave my curse. May never glorious fun reflex his beams Upon the country where you make abode; But darkness and the gloomy fhade of death Inviron you, 'till mischief and despair

Drive you to break your necks, or hang your felves!

[Exit guarded. York. Break thou in pieces, and confume to afhes, Thou foul accurfed minifter of hell!

Enter Cardinal of Winchester.

Car. Lord Regent, I do greet your Excellence
With letters of commiffion from the King.
For know, my Lords, the states of Christendom,
Mov'd with remorfe of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implor'd a gen'ral peace
Betwixt our nation and th' afpiring French;
And fee at hand the Dauphin and his train
Approaching, to confer about fome matters.
York. Is all our travel turn'd to this effect?
After the slaughter of fo many Peers,
So many captains, gentlemen, and foldiers,
That in this quarrel have been over-thrown,
And fold their bodies for their country's benefit,
Shall we at last conclude effeminate peace?
Have we not loft moft part of all the towns,
(By treason, falfhood, and by treachery)
Our great progenitors had conquered?
O Warwick, Warwick, I forefee with grief
The utter lofs of all the realm of France.
War. Be patient, York; if we conclude a peace,
It fhall be with fuch ftrict and fevere cov'nants,
As little fhall the Frenchmen gain thereby.

Enter Dauphin, Alanfon, Baftard and Reignier.
Dau. Since, Lords of England, it is thus agreed,
That peaceful truce fhall be proclaim'd in France;

We come to be informed by your felves,
What the conditions of that league muft be.

York. Speak, Winchester, for boiling choler chokes The hollow paffage of my prifon'd voice,

By fight of these our baleful enemies.

Win. Charles and the reft! it is enacted thus:
That in regard King Henry gives confent,
Of meer compaffion and of lenity,
To cafe your country of distressful war,
And fuffer you to breathe in fruitful peace;
You fhall become true liegemen to his crown.
And, Charles, upon condition thou wilt fwear
To pay him tribute and fubmit thy felf,
Thou shalt be plac'd as Viceroy under him,
And ftill enjoy thy regal dignity.

Alan. Muft he be then a fhadow of himself?
Adorn his temples with a coronet,
And yet in fubftance and authority
Retain but privilege of a private man?
This profer is abfurd and reafonlefs.

Dau. 'Tis known already that I am poffeft
Of more than half the Gallian territories,
And therein rev'renc'd for their lawful King.
Shall I for lucre of the reft un-vanquifh'd,
Detract fo much from that prerogative,
As to be call'd but Viceroy of the whole?
No, Lord ambaffador, I'll rather keep
That which I have, than coveting for more
Be caft from poffibility of all.

York. Infulting Charles, haft thou by fecret means Us'd interceffion to obtain a league,

And now the matter grows to compromife,
Stand'ft thou aloof upon comparison?
Either accept the title thou ufurp'ft,
Of benefit proceeding from our King,
And not of any challenge of desert,
Or we will plague thee with inceffant wars.

Reig. My Lord, you do not well in obftinacy

[To the Dauphin afide.

To cavil in the course of this contract:
If once it be neglected, ten to one
We shall not find like opportunity.

Alan. To fay the truth, it is your policy
To fave your subjects from fuch maffacre
And ruthless flaughters, as are daily feen
By our proceeding in hoftility.

And therefore take this compact of a truce,
Although you break it when your pleafure ferves.

[Afide to the Dauphin.

War. How fay'ft thou, Charles? fhall our condition ftand? Dau. It fhall:

Only referv'd you claim no intereft

In any of our towns of garrifon.

York. Then fwear allegiance to his Majefty,
As thou are Knight, never to difobey
Nor be rebellious to the crown of England:
Thou, nor thy Nobles, to the crown of England.
So now difmifs your army when you pleafe:
Hang up your enfignis, let your drums be ftill,
For here we entertain a folemn peace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Suffolk in conference with King Henry, Gloucester and Exeter.

K. Henry. YOUR wond'rous rare defcription, noble Earl,
Of beauteous Margaret hath aftonish'd me:

Her virtues graced with external gifts,
Do breed love's fettled paffions in my heart.
And like as rigour of tempeftuous gufts
Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide,