Except some petty towns of no import. The Dauphin, Charles, is crowned king in Rheims ; Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats.— Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? Enter a third Messenger. Third Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse, I must inform you of a dismal fight Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is 't so? The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord, Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, No leisure had he to enrank his men ; He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Instead whereof, sharp stakes, 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; A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, Bed. Is Talbot slain? then, I will slay myself, For living idly here in pomp and ease, Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid, Unto his dastard foemen is betray'd. If sir John FASTOLFE-] Mis-spelt Falstaffe in the old copies, but not, of course, intended for the humorous knight who figures in Henry IV, Pt. I and II, and who died in Henry V. ' —VAWARD] The meaning seems to be, that what was usually the vaward of the army had in this instance purposely been "plac'd behind", in order to "relieve and follow" the rest. Third Mess. O, no! he lives; but is took prisoner, Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay. Third Mess. So you had need, for Orleans is besieg'd. The English army is grown weak and faint; The earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn, Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take my leave, To go about my preparation. [Exit. Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, To view th' artillery and munition; And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordain'd his special governor ; And for his safety there I'll best devise. [Exit. Win. Each hath his place and function to attend : I am left out for me nothing remains. The king from Eltham I intend to steal, [Exit. SCENE II.-France. Before Orleans. Flourish. Enter CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and Others. Char. Mars is true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known. At pleasure here we lie near Orleans; The whiles the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull beeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Or piteous they will look like drowned mice. Reig. Let's raise the siege. 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 spend his gall; Nor men, nor money, hath he to make war. Char. Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on them. [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and Others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I !- Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; Alen. Froissart, a countryman of ours, records, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er suppose They had such courage and audacity? Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-brain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them be more eager : Of old I know them; rather with their teeth The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege. Alen. Be it so. -GIMMALS,] A "gimmal" (gemellus), is a piece of double machinery, which in the text is supposed to strike, like the figures in connection with clocks, which of old marked the hours. |