3 Me. My gracious Lords, to add to your laments Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearfe,. I must inform you of a dismal fight

Betwixt the ftout Lord Talbot and the French.

Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't fo?
3 Me. O no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'er-
thrown.

The circumftance I'll tell you more at large.
The tenth of Auguft laft this dreadful Lord,
Retiring from the fiege of Orleans,

Having fcarce full fix thoufand in his troops
By three and twenty thousand of the French.
Was round encompaffed and fet upon.
No leifure had he to enrank his men,
He wanted pikes to fet before his archers,
Inftead whereof fharp ftakes pluck'd out of hedges
They pitched in the ground confusedly,

To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued;
Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,
Enacted wonders with his fword and lance.
Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durst stand him;
Here, there, and ev'ry where, enrag'd he flew..
The French exclaim'd, "The devil was in arms!"
All the whole army stood agaz'd on him.
His foldiers, fpying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! Talbot! cried out amain,
And rufh'd into the bowels of the battle:
Here had the conqueft fully been feal'd up,.
If Sir John Faftolfe had not play'd the coward;
He being in the vaward, (plac'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them),
Cowardly fled, not having ftruck one ftroke.
Hence grew the gen'ral wreck and mafiacre;
Inclofed were they with their enemies.

A bafe Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thruft Talbot with a fpear into the back;
Whom all France with her chief affembled ftrength

Durft not prefume to look once in the face.
Bed. Is Talbot flain? then I will flay myself,
For living idly here in pomp and ease,
Whilft fuch a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his daftard foe-men is betray'd.

3 Melf. O no, he lives, but is took prifoner, And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford, Most of the rest flaughter'd, or took likewife.

Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall pay
I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown fhall be the ranfom of my friend.
Four of their Lords I'll change for one of ours,
Farewell, my mafters, to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great St George's feast withal.
Ten thoufand foldiers with me I will take,
Whofe bloody deeds fhall make all Europe quake.
3 Melf. So you had need, for Orleans is b fieg'd,
The English army is grown weak and faint,
The Earl of Salisbury craveth fupply,

And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
Since they fo few watch fuch a multitude.

Exet. Remember, Lords, your oaths to Henry Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

[fworn,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.
Bed. I do remember it, and here take leave,
To go about my preparation.

[Exit Bed. Glou. I'll to the Tower with all the hafte I can,

To view th' artillery and ammunition :

And then I will proclaim young Henry King.
Exet. To Eltam will I, where the young King is,
Being ordain'd his fpecial governor ;

And for his fafety there I'll best devise.

[Exit.

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend;

I am left out, for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be thus out of office;
The King from Eltam I intend to send,
And fit at chiefeft ftern of public weal.

[Exit.

SCENE V.

Before Orleans in France.

Enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier, marching with a drum and foldiers.

Char. Mars his true moving, ev'n as in the heav'ns,

So in the earth to this day is not known;
Late did he shine upon the English fide,
Now we are victors, upon us he fmiles;
What towns of any moment but we have?
At pleasure here we ly near Orleans,
Tho' ftill the famifl'd English, like pale ghosts,
Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alan. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves;

Either they must be dieted like mules,

And have their provender ty'd to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look like drowned mice.

Reig. Let's raife the fiege, why live we idly here?
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear;
Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury,
And he may well in fretting fpend his gall,
Nor men nor money hath he to make war.
Char. Sound, found alarum: we will rush on
them.

Now for the honour of the forlorn French. Him I forgive my death that killeth me, When he fees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt. Here alarm, they are beaten back by the English with great lofs.

Re-enter Charles, Alanfon, and Reignier.

Char. Who ever faw the like? what men have P? Dogs, cowards, daftards! I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me mid'ft my enemies.

Reig. Salisbury is a desp'rate homicide,
He fighteth as one weary of his life;
The other Lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

Alan. Froyfard, a countryman of ours, records, England all Olivers and Rowlands * bred, During the time Edward the Third did reign; More truly now may this be verified,

For none but Samfons and Goliaffes

It fendeth forth to fkirmish. One to ten!
Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er fuppofe,
They had such courage and audacity!

Char. Let's leave this town, for they are hairbrain'd flaves,

And hunger will enforce them be more eager :
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they'll tear down, than forfake the

fiege.

Reig. I think by fome odd gimmals, or device Their arms are fet like clocks, ftill to ftrike on; Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo as they do. By my confent we'll e'en let them alone.

Alan. Be it fo.

Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

Baft. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

Dau, Baftard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us, Baft. Methinks your looks are fad, your cheart appall'd;

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay'd, for fuccour is at hand.

A holy maid hither with me I bring,

Which by a vifion fent to her from heav'n,
Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The fpirit of deep prophecy fhe hath,

*These were two of the most famous in the lift of. Charlemagne's twelve peers: and their exploits are render'd fo ridiculously and equally extravagant by the old romancers, that from thence arofe that faying amongst our plain and fenfibie ancestors, of giving one a Rowland for his Oliver, to fignify the matching one incre dible lie with another. Warb.

+ Chear is countenance, appearance. Johnson.

*Exceeding the nine † Sibyls of old Rome;
What's paft, and what's to come, fhe can defcry.
Speak, fhall I call her in? Believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

Dau. Go call her in. But first, to try her skill,
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Queftion her proudly, let thy looks be ftern;
By this means fhall we found what skill fhe hath.

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats?

Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?

Where is the Dauphin? Come, come from behind;
I know thee well, tho' never seen before.

Be not amaz'd, there's nothing hid from me;
In private will I talk with thee apart.

Stand back, you Lords, and give us leave a-while.
Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash.
Pucel. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's
daughter,

My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.

Heav'n and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd
To fhine on my contemptible estate.

Lo, whilft I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;
And in a vision, full of majesty,
Will'd me to leave my bafe vocation,
And free my country from calamity.
Her aid fhe promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs.
In compleat glory fhe reveal'd herself;
And whereas I was black and fwart before,
With those clear rays which the infus'd on me,

†There were no nine Sibyls of Rome; but he confounds things, and mistakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Tarquins.

Warburton.