The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 201

by William Shakespeare


  150

  Four of their lords I’ll change for one of ours.

  Farewell, my masters. To my task will I.

  Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,

  To keep our great Saint George’s feast withal.

  Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,

  155

  Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.

  3 MESSENGER

  So you had need, for Orleans is besieged.

  The English army is grown weak and faint:

  The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply

  And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,

  160

  Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. Exit.

  EXETER Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn:

  Either to quell the Dolphin utterly,

  Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

  BEDFORD I do remember it, and here take my leave,

  165

  To go about my preparation. Exit.

  GLOUCESTER 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.

  EXETER To Eltham will I, where the young King is,

  170

  Being ordained his special governor,

  And for his safety there I’ll best devise. Exit.

  WINCHESTER

  Each hath his place and function to attend.

  I am left out; for me nothing remains.

  But long I will not be Jack out of office.

  175

  The King from Eltham I intend to steal,

  And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

  Exit Winchester one way. Exit the funeral

  another way, with Warwick and Somerset.

  1.2 Sound a flourish. Enter CHARLES the Dolphin, ALENÇON and REIGNIER, marching with drum and soldiers.

  CHARLES Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens

  So in the earth, to this day is not known.

  Late did he shine upon the English side:

  Now we are victors – upon us he smiles.

  What towns of any moment but we have?

  5

  At pleasure here we lie near Orleans:

  Otherwhiles, the famished English, like pale ghosts,

  Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

  ALENÇON

  They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves:

  Either they must be dieted like mules

  10

  And have their provender tied to their mouths,

  Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.

  REIGNIER Let’s raise the siege: why live we idly here?

  Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear.

  Remaineth none but mad-brained Salisbury,

  15

  And he may well in fretting spend his gall;

  Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

  CHARLES Sound, sound alarum, we will rush on them.

  Now for the honour of the forlorn French:

  Him I forgive my death that killeth me

  20

  When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. Exeunt.

  Here alarum. They are beaten back by the English, with

  great loss. Enter CHARLES, ALENÇON and REIGNIER.

  CHARLES Who ever saw the like? What men have I?

  Dogs, cowards, dastards! I would ne’er have fled,

  But that they left me midst my enemies.

  REIGNIER

  Salisbury is a desperate homicide;

  25

  He fighteth as one weary of his life.

  The other lords, like lions wanting food,

  Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

  ALENÇON Froissart, a countryman of ours, records

  England all Olivers and Rolands bred

  30

  During the time Edward the Third did reign.

  More truly now may this be verified,

  For none but Samsons and Goliases

  It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten?

  Lean raw-boned rascals – who would e’er suppose

  35

  They had such courage and audacity?

  CHARLES

  Let’s leave this town, for they are hare-brained slaves,

  And hunger will enforce them to be more eager.

  Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

  The walls they’ll tear down than forsake the siege.

  40

  REIGNIER I think by some odd gimmers or device

  Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike on;

  Else ne’er could they hold out so as they do.

  By my consent, we’ll even let them alone.

  ALENÇON Be it so.

  45

  Enter the BASTARD of Orleans.

  BASTARD

  Where’s the Prince Dolphin? I have news for him.

  CHARLES Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

  BASTARD

  Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appalled.

  Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?

  Be not dismayed, for succour is at hand:

  50

  A holy maid hither with me I bring,

  Which by a vision sent to her from heaven

  Ordained is to raise this tedious siege

  And drive the English forth the bounds of France.

  The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,

  55

  Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome:

  What’s past and what’s to come she can descry.

  Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,

  For they are certain and unfallible.

  CHARLES Go call her in: but first – to try her skill –

  60

  Reignier, stand thou as Dolphin in my place.

  Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern.

  By this means shall we sound what skill she hath.

  Enter JOAN Puzel.

  REIGNIER

  Fair maid, is’t thou wilt do these wondrous feats?

  JOAN Reignier, is’t thou that thinkest to beguile me?

  65

  Where is the Dolphin? Come, come from behind.

  I know thee well, though never seen before.

  Be not amazed, there’s nothing hid from me.

  In private will I talk with thee apart.

  Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.

  70

  REIGNIER She takes upon her bravely at first dash.

  JOAN Dolphin, I am by birth a shepherd’s daughter,

  My wit untrained in any kind of art;

  Heaven and Our Lady gracious hath it pleased

  To shine on my contemptible estate.

  75

  Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs

  And to sun’s parching heat displayed my cheeks,

  God’s mother deigned to appear to me

  And, in a vision full of majesty,

  Willed me to leave my base vocation

  80

  And free my country from calamity:

  Her aid she promised and assured success.

  In complete glory she revealed herself.

  And, whereas I was black and swart before,

  With those clear rays which she infused on me,

  85

  That beauty am I blest with, which you may see.

  Ask me what question thou canst possible

  And I will answer unpremeditated;

  My courage try by combat, if thou dar’st,

  And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.

  90

  Resolve on this: thou shalt be fortunate,

  If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

  CHARLES

  Thou hast astonished me with thy high terms.

  Only this proof I’ll of thy valour make –

  In single combat thou shalt buckle with me,

  95

  And, if thou vanq
uishest, thy words are true;

  Otherwise I renounce all confidence.

  JOAN I am prepared. Here is my keen-edged sword,

  Decked with five flower-de-luces on each side,

  The which at Touraine, in Saint Katherine’s

  churchyard,

  100

  Out of a great deal of old iron, I chose forth.

  CHARLES

  Then come, o’ God’s name. I fear no woman.

  JOAN And while I live I’ll ne’er fly from a man.

  [Here they fight and Joan Puzel overcomes.]

  CHARLES Stay, stay thy hands. Thou art an Amazon

  And fightest with the sword of Deborah.

  105

  JOAN Christ’s mother helps me, else I were too weak.

  CHARLES

  Whoe’er helps thee, ’tis thou that must help me.

  Impatiently I burn with thy desire,

  My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued.

  Excellent Puzel, if thy name be so,

  110

  Let me thy servant and not sovereign be.

  ’Tis the French Dolphin sueth to thee thus.

  JOAN I must not yield to any rights of love,

  For my profession’s sacred from above:

  When I have chased all thy foes from hence,

  115

  Then will I think upon a recompense.

  CHARLES

  Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.

  REIGNIER My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

  ALENÇON

  Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock –

  Else ne’er could he so long protract his speech.

  120

  REIGNIER

  Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?

  ALENÇON

  He may mean more than we poor men do know:

  These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues.

  REIGNIER

  My lord, where are you? What devise you on?

  Shall we give o’er Orleans, or no?

  125

  JOAN Why no, I say. Distrustful recreants!

  Fight till the last gasp. I’ll be your guard.

  CHARLES What she says I’ll confirm. We’ll fight it out.

  JOAN Assigned am I to be the English scourge.

  This night the siege assuredly I’ll raise.

  130

  Expect Saint Martin’s summer, halcyons’ days,

  Since I have entered into these wars.

  Glory is like a circle in the water,

  Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself

  Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought.

  135

  With Henry’s death the English circle ends:

  Dispersed are the glories it included.

  Now am I like that proud insulting ship

  Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once.

  CHARLES Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?

  140

  Thou with an eagle art inspired then.

  Helen, the mother of great Constantine,

  Nor yet Saint Philip’s daughters were like thee.

  Bright star of Venus, fallen down on the earth,

  How may I reverently worship thee enough?

  145

  ALENÇON Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.

  REIGNIER

  Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours,

  Drive them from Orleans and be immortalized.

  CHARLES Presently we’ll try. Come, let’s away about it.

  No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. Exeunt.

  150

  1.3 Enter GLOUCESTER, with his Servingmen in blue coats.

  GLOUCESTER I am come to survey the Tower this day:

  Since Henry’s death I fear there is conveyance.

  Where be these warders that they wait not here?

  Open the gates, ’tis Gloucester that calls.

  Enter two Warders on the walls.

  1 WARDER Who’s there, that knocks so imperiously?

  5

  1 SERVINGMAN It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.

  2 WARDER Whoe’er he be, you may not be let in.

  1 SERVINGMAN

  Villains, answer you so the Lord Protector?

  1 WARDER The Lord protect him – so we answer him.

  We do no otherwise than we are willed.

  10

  GLOUCESTER

  Who willed you? Or whose will stands but mine?

  There’s none Protector of the realm, but I.

  Break up the gates, I’ll be your warrantize;

  Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?

  [Gloucester’s men rush at the Tower gates, and

  Woodville, the Lieutenant, speaks within.]

  WOODVILLE

  What noise is this? What traitors have we here?

  15

 

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