Complete Plays, The

by William Shakespeare

  Exeter

  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

  Bishop Of 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:

  The king from Eltham I intend to steal

  And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

  Exeunt

  SCENE II. FRANCE. BEFORE ORLEANS.

  Sound a flourish. Enter Charles, Alencon, 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?

  At pleasure here we lie near Orleans;

  Otherwhiles the famish’d English, like pale ghosts,

  Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

  Alencon

  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.

  Reignier

  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.

  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

  When he sees me go back one foot or fly.

  Exeunt

  Here alarum; they are beaten back by the English with great loss. Re-enter Charles, Alencon, 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;

  He fighteth as one weary of his life.

  The other lords, like lions wanting food,

  Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

  Alencon

  Froissart, 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 Samsons and Goliases

  It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!

  Lean, raw-boned rascals! who would e’er suppose

  They had such courage and audacity?

  Charles

  Let’s leave this town; for they are hare-brain’d 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.

  Reignier

  I think, by some odd gimmors or device

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

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

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

  Alencon

  Be it so.

  Enter the Bastard Of Orleans

  Bastard Of Orleans

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

  Charles

  Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

  Bastard Of Orleans

  Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall’d:

  Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?

  Be not dismay’d, for succor is at hand:

  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,

  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.

  Exit Bastard Of Orleans

  But first, to try her skill,

  Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place:

  Question her proudly; let thy looks be stern:

  By this means shall we sound what skill she hath.

  Re-enter the Bastard Of Orleans, with Joan La Pucelle

  Reignier

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

  Joan La Pucelle

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

  Where is the Dauphin? 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.

  Reignier

  She takes upon her bravely at first dash.

  Joan La Pucelle

  Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd’s daughter,

  My wit untrain’d in any kind of art.

  Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased

  To shine on my contemptible estate:

  Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs,

  And to sun’s parching heat display’d my cheeks,

  God’s mother deigned to appear to me

  And in a vision full of majesty

  Will’d me to leave my base vocation

  And free my country from calamity:

  Her aid she promised and assured success:

  In complete glory she reveal’d herself;

  And, whereas I was black and swart before,

  With those clear rays which she infused on me

  That beauty am I bless’d with which you see.

  Ask me what question thou canst possible,

  And I will answer unpremeditated:

  My courage try by combat, if thou darest,

  And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.

  Resolve on this, thou shalt be fortunate,

  If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

  Charles

  Thou hast astonish’d me with thy high terms:

  Only this proof I’ll of thy valour make,

  In single combat thou shalt buckle with me,

  And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;

  Otherwise I renounce all confidence.

  Joan La Pucelle

  I am prepared: here is my keen-edged sword,

  Deck’d with five flower-de-luces on each side;

  The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine’s churchyard,

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

  Charles

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

  Joan La Pucelle

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

  Here they fight, and Joan La Pucelle overcomes

  Charles

  Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon

  And fightest with the sword of Deborah.

  Joan La Pucelle

  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 Pucelle, if thy name be so,

  Let me thy servant and not sovereign be:

  ’Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.

  Joan La Pucelle

  I must not yield to any rites of love,

  For my
profession’s sacred from above:

  When I have chased all thy foes from hence,

  Then will I think upon a recompense.

  Charles

  Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.

  Reignier

  My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

  Alencon

  Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;

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

  Reignier

  Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?

  Alencon

  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 over Orleans, or no?

  Joan La Pucelle

  Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants!

  Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard.

  Charles

  What she says I’ll confirm: we’ll fight it out.

  Joan La Pucelle

  Assign’d am I to be the English scourge.

  This night the siege assuredly I’ll raise:

  Expect Saint Martin’s summer, halcyon 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.

  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?

  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, fall’n down on the earth,

  How may I reverently worship thee enough?

  Alencon

  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

  SCENE III. LONDON. BEFORE THE TOWER.

  Enter Gloucester, with his Serving-men 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.

  First Warder

  [Within] Who’s there that knocks so imperiously?

  First Serving-Man

  It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.

  Second Warder

  [Within] Whoe’er he be, you may not be let in.

  First Serving-Man

  Villains, answer you so the lord protector?

  First Warder

  [Within] The Lord protect him! so we answer him:

  We do no otherwise than we are will’d.

  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 Woodvile the Lieutenant speaks within

  Woodvile

  What noise is this? what traitors have we here?

  Gloucester

  Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?

  Open the gates; here’s Gloucester that would enter.

  Woodvile

  Have patience, noble duke; I may not open;

  The Cardinal of Winchester forbids:

  From him I have express commandment

  That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.

  Gloucester

  Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him ’fore me?

  Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,

  Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne’er could brook?

  Thou art no friend to God or to the king:

  Open the gates, or I’ll shut thee out shortly.

  Serving-Men Open the gates unto the lord protector,

  Or we’ll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.

  Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates Bishop Of Winchester and his men in tawny coats

  Bishop Of Winchester

  How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this?

  Gloucester

  Peel’d priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?

  Bishop Of Winchester

  I do, thou most usurping proditor,

  And not protector, of the king or realm.

  Gloucester

  Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,

  Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord;

  Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin:

  I’ll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal’s hat,

  If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

  Bishop Of Winchester

  Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot:

  This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,

  To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

  Gloucester

  I will not slay thee, but I’ll drive thee back:

  Thy scarlet robes as a child’s bearing-cloth

  I’ll use to carry thee out of this place.

  Bishop Of Winchester

  Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face.

  Gloucester

  What! am I dared and bearded to my face?

  Draw, men, for all this privileged place;

  Blue coats to tawny coats. Priest, beware your beard,

  I mean to tug it and to cuff you soundly:

  Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal’s hat:

  In spite of pope or dignities of church,

  Here by the cheeks I’ll drag thee up and down.

  Bishop Of Winchester

  Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope.

  Gloucester

  Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope!

  Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay?

  Thee I’ll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep’s array.

  Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite!

  Here Gloucester’s men beat out Bishop Of Winchester’s men, and enter in the hurly- burly the Mayor of London and his Officers

  Mayor

  Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates,

  Thus contumeliously should break the peace!

  Gloucester

  Peace, mayor! thou know’st little of my wrongs:

  Here’s Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,

  Hath here distrain’d the Tower to his use.

  Bishop Of Winchester

  Here’s Gloucester, a foe to citizens,

  One that still motions war and never peace,

  O’ercharging your free purses with large fines,

  That seeks to overthrow religion,

  Because he is protector of the realm,

  And would have armour here out of the Tower,

  To crown himself king and suppress the prince.

  Gloucester

  I will not answer thee with words, but blows.

  Here they skirmish again

  Mayor

  Naught rests for me in this tumultuous strife

  But to make open proclamation:

  Come, officer; as loud as e’er thou canst,

  Cry.

  Officer

  All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God’s peace and the king’s, we charge and command you, in his highness’ name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon,
or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death.

  Gloucester

  Cardinal, I’ll be no breaker of the law:

  But we shall meet, and break our minds at large.

  Bishop Of Winchester

  Gloucester, we will meet; to thy cost, be sure:

  Thy heart-blood I will have for this day’s work.

  Mayor

  I’ll call for clubs, if you will not away.

  This cardinal’s more haughty than the devil.

  Gloucester

  Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst.

  Bishop Of Winchester

  Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head;

  For I intend to have it ere long.

  Exeunt, severally, Gloucester and Bishop Of Winchester with their Serving-men

  Mayor

  See the coast clear’d, and then we will depart.

  Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear!

  I myself fight not once in forty year.

  Exeunt

  SCENE IV. ORLEANS.

  Enter, on the walls, a Master Gunner and his Boy

  Master-Gunner Sirrah, thou know’st how Orleans is besieged,

  And how the English have the suburbs won.

  Boy

  Father, I know; and oft have shot at them,

  Howe’er unfortunate I miss’d my aim.

  Master-Gunner But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me:

  Chief master-gunner am I of this town;

  Something I must do to procure me grace.

  The prince’s espials have informed me

  How the English, in the suburbs close intrench’d,

  Wont, through a secret grate of iron bars

  In yonder tower, to overpeer the city,

  And thence discover how with most advantage

  They may vex us with shot, or with assault.

  To intercept this inconvenience,

  A piece of ordnance ’gainst it I have placed;

  And even these three days have I watch’d,

  If I could see them.

  Now do thou watch, for I can stay no longer.

  If thou spy’st any, run and bring me word;

  And thou shalt find me at the governor’s.

  Exit

  Boy

  Father, I warrant you; take you no care;

  I’ll never trouble you, if I may spy them.

  Exit

  Enter, on the turrets, Salisbury and Talbot, Glansdale, Gargrave, and others

  Salisbury

  Talbot, my life, my joy, again return’d!

  How wert thou handled being prisoner?

  Or by what means got’st thou to be released?

  Discourse, I prithee, on this turret’s top.

  Talbot

  The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner

  Call’d the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles;

  For him was I exchanged and ransomed.

  But with a baser man of arms by far

  Once in contempt they would have barter’d me: