V

And faithful fervice, till the point of death. K. Henry. Stoop, then, and fet your knee against my foot.

And in reguerdon of that duty done,

I gird thee with the valiant fword of York.
Rife, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,
And rife created princely Duke of York.

Rich. And fo thrive Richard, as thy foes may fall!@ And as my duty fprings, fo perifh they

That grudge one thought against your Majefty!
All. Welcome, high Prince, the mighty Duke of
York!

Som. Perith, bafe Prince, ignoble Duke of York!

[Afide.

Glou. Now will it beft avail your Majefty
To crofs the feas, and to be crown'd in France:
The prefence of a King engenders love
Amongst his fubjects and his loyal friends,
As it difanimates his enemies.

K. Henry. When Glo'fter fays the word, King
Henry goes;

For friendly counfel cuts off many foes.

Glou. Your fhips already are in readiness. [Exeunt.
Manet Exeter.

Exet. Ay, we may march in England or in France, Not feeing what is likely to ensue :

This late diffention grown betwixt the peers,
Burns under feigned afhes of forg'd love,
And will at last break out into a flame.
As fefter'd members, rot but by degrees,
Till bones, and flesh, and finews fall away,
So will this bafe and envious difcord breed.
And now I fear that fatal prophecy,

Which in the time of Henry, nam'd the Fifth,
Was in the mouth of every fucking babe;

That Henry, horn at Monmouth, fhould win all :
And Henry, born at Windsor, fhould lose all;
Which is fo plain, that Exeter doth with

His days may finish ere that haplefs time. [Exit.

Changes to Roan in France..

Enter Joan la Pucelle difquis'd, and four Soldierswith facks upon their backs.

Pucel. Thefe are the city gates, the gates of Roan, Thro' which our policy muit make a breach. Take heed, be wary how you place your words;. Tak like the vulgar fört of market-men, That come to gather money for their corn. If we have entrance, (as I hope we fhall), And that we find the flothful watch but weak, Ell by a fign give notice to our friends, That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them. Sol. Our facks fhall be a mean to fack the city, And we be Lords and rulers over Roan; Therefore we'll knock.

Watch. Qui va là ?

Pucel. Paifans, pauvres gens de France;

[Knocks,

Poor market-folks, that come to fell their corn.
Watch. Enter, go in, the market-bell is rung.
Pucel. Now, Roan, I'll flake thy bulwarks to the
ground.
[Exeunt.
Enter Dauphin, Baftard, and Alanfon.
Dau. St Dennis blefs this happy ftratagem!
And once again we'll fleep fecure in Roan.
Baft. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practifants
Now he is there, how will the fpecify
Where is the beft and fafeft paffage in?

Reig. By thrufting out a torch from yonder tow'r, Which, once difcern'd, Thews that her meaning is, No way to that for weakhefs which the enter❜d.

Practice, in the language of that time, was treachery, and perhaps in the fofter fenfe firatagem. Practifants are therefore confederates in fratagem. Johnson.

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

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

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

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! presently,

And then do execution on the watch.

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

[tears,

Pucelle, that witch, that damned forceress,
Hath wrought this hellifh mifchief unawares,
That hardly we efcap'd the pride of France. [Exit.

· An alarm: excurfions. Bedford brought in, sick,“ 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 faft
Before he'll buy again at fuch a rate.
'Twas full of darnel; do you like the tafte?
Burg. Scoff on, vile fiend, and fhameless cour-
tizan!

I truft ere long to choke thee with thine own,
And make thee curfe the harvest of that corn.
Dau. Your Grace may starve, perhaps, before
that time.

Bed. Oh let not words, but deeds, revenge this treafon !

Pucel. What will you do, good grey-beard? break a lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?

Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all defpight, Incompaís'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 fhame. Pucel. Are you lo hot? yet, Pucelle, hold thy

peace;

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[Talbot and the rest whisper together in council. God speed the parliament ! who fhall be the speaker? 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 speak not to that railing Hecate,
But unto thee, Alanfon, and the reft.

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

Tal. Seignior, hang.-Bafe muleteers of France!
Like peafant 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 else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame! Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house, Prick'd on by public 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 Coeur-de-lion's heart was buried, So fure I fwear, 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, We will bestow, you in fome better place, Fitter for ficknefs and for crazy age.

Bed. Lord Talbot, do not fo dishonour 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 perfuade

you.

Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read
That ftout Pendragon, in his litter sick,
Came to the field, and vanquished his foes.
Methinks I fhould revive the foldiers' hearts,
Because I ever found them as myself.

Tal. Undaunted spirit 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..

[Exit.

An alarm: excurfions. Enter Sir John Fastolffe, and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, Sir John Fastolffe, in fuch hafte?

Faft. Whither away? to fave myself by flight. We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot? Faft. Ay, all the Talbots in the world to fave my

life.

[Exit

Cap. Cowardly Knight, ill fortune follow thee!

[Exit.

Retreat excurfions. Pucelle, Alanfon, and Dau phin fly.

Bed. Now, quiet foul, depart when Heav'n fhall pleafe,

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.