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Char. Now shine it like a comet of revenge,
A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

Alen. Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends;
Enter, and cry-The Dauphin!-presently,
And then do execution on the watch. [They enter.

Alarums. Enter TALBOT, and certain English.

Tal. France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy
tears,
If Talbot but survive thy treachery.-
Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress,
Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,
That hardly we escaped the pride1 of France.

[Exeunt to the Town.

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Char. Your grace may starve, perhaps, before that time.

Bed. O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this

treason!

Puc. What will you do, good gray-beard? break

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you.

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

Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!-
Then be it so: -Heavens keep old Bedford safe!-
And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand,
And set upon our boasting enemy.

[Exeunt BURGUNDY, TALBOT, and Forces,
leaving BEDFORD, and others.

Alarums: Excursions. Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such haste?

Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight; We are like to have the overthrow again.

Fast.

Cap. What! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot? Ay, All the Talbots in the world to save my life. [Exit. Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee. [Exit.

Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite, Retreat: Excursions. Enter, from the Town, LA

a lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?

Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours!
Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age,

And twit with cowardice a man half dead?

Damsel, I'll have a bout with you again,

Or else let Talbot perish with this shame.

PUCELLE, ALENGON, CHARLES, &c. and exeunt,
flying.

Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please;
For I have seen our enemies' overthrow.
What is the trust or strength of foolish man?

Puc. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold They, that of late were daring with their scoffs,

thy peace;

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.-
[TALBOT, and the rest, consult together.
be the speaker?

God speed the parliament! who shall
Tal. Dare ye come forth and meet us in the field?
Puc. 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, Alençon, and the rest;
Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out?
Alen. Signior, no.

Tal. Signior, hang!-base muleteers of France!
Like peasant footboys do they keep the walls;
And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

Puc. 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 LA PUCELLE, &c. 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, sustain'd in France,)
Either to get the town again, or die:
And I, as sure as English Henry lives,
And as his father here was conqueror;
As sure as in this late-betrayed town

Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves.
[Dies, and is carried off in his Chair.
Alarum: Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and others.
Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again!
This is a double honour, Burgundy:
Yet, heavens have glory for this victory!
Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects
Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument.

Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle
now?

I think, her old familiar is asleep:

Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles his

gleeks?5

:

What, all a-mort? Rouen hangs her head for grief,
That such a valiant company are fled.
Now will we take some order in the town,
Placing therein some expert officers;
And then depart to Paris, to the king;
For there young Harry, with his nobles, lies.
Bur. What wills Lord Talbot, pleaseth Burgundy.
Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget

The noble duke of Bedford, late deceas'd,
But see his exequies fulfill'd in Rouen;
A braver soldier never couched lance,

1 Pride signifies haughty power. The same speaker afterwards says, in Act. iv. :

"And from the pride of Gallia rescued thee." 2 Darnel (says Gerarde, in his Herbal) hurteth the eyes, and maketh them dim, if it happen efther in corne for breade, or drinke. Hence the old proverb-Lolio victitare, applied to such as were dim-sighted. Thus also Ovid. Fast. i. 691 :

'Et careant loliis oculos vitiantibus agri.' La Pucelle means to intimate that the corn she carried with her had produced the same effect on the guards of Rouen; otherwise they would have seen through her disguise, and defeated her stratagem.

3 This is from Harding's Chronicle, who gives this account of Uther Pendragon:

'For which the king ordained a horse-litter
To beare him so then unto Verolame,
Where Occa lay and Oysa also in feer,
That Saynt Albons, now hight of noble fame,
Bet downe the walles, but to him forthe thei came
Wher in battayl Occa and Oyssa were slayne,
The felde he had, and thereof was ful fayne."
4 The Duke of Bedford died at Rouen in September
1435; but not in any action before that town.
5 Scoffs

6 i. e. what quite cast down, or dispirited
7 Make some necessary dispositions.

A gentler heart did never sway in court:
But kings and mightiest potentates must die;
For that's the end of human misery. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. The Plains near the City.
Enter CHARLES, the Bastard, ALENGON, LA
PUCELLE, and Forces.

Puc. Dismay not, princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered;
Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things that are not to be remedied.
Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while,
And like a peacock sweep along his tail:
We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train,
If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but rul'd.

Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence;
On sudden foil shall never breed distrust.

Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies,
And we will make thee famous through the world.
Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place,
And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saint;
Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good.
Puc. Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise:
By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words,
We will entice the duke of Burgundy

To leave the Talbot, and to follow us.

Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore;
Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears,
And wash away thy country's stained spots!

Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words,
Or nature makes me suddenly relent.

Puc. Besides, all French and France exclaims on

thee,

Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.
Who join'st thou with, but with a lordly nation,
That will not trust thee, but for profit's sake ?
When Talbot hath set footing once in France,
And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill,
Who then but English Henry will be lord,
And thou be thrust out, like a fugitive?
Call we to mind, and mark but this, for proof;-
Was not the duke of Orleans thy foe?
And was he not in England prisoner?
But, when they heard he was thine enemy,
They set him free, without his ransom paid
In spite of Burgundy, and all his friends.

See then! thou fightest against thy countrymen,
And join'st with them will be thy slaughter-men.
Come, come, return; return, thou wand'ring lord,
Charles, and the rest, will take thee in their arms.
Bur. I am vanquished: these haughty words of
hers

Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, And made me almost yield upon my knees.

France were no place for Henry's warriors;
Nor should that nation boast it so with us,

But be extirped from our provinces.

Have batter'd me like roaring cannon shot,

Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen!
And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace:
My forces and my power of men are yours;

Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd2 from So, farewell, Talbot; I'll no longer trust thee.

France,

And not have title to an earldom here.

Puc. Your honours shall perceive how I will work,
To bring this matter to the wished end.
[Drums heard.
Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive
Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward.

An English March. Enter, and pass over at a dis-
tance, TALBOT and his Forces.
There goes the Talbot with his colours spread;
And all the troops of English after him.

A French March. Enter the DUKE of BURGUNDY
and Forces.

Now, in the rearward, comes the duke, and his;
Fortune, in favour, makes him lag behind.
Summon a parley, we will talk with him.

[A Parley sounded.

Char. A parley with the duke of Burgundy.
Bur. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy?
Puc. The princely Charles of France, thy coun-

tryman.

ing hence.

Bur. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am march-
Char. Speak, Pucelle; and enchant him with thy
Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France!
Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.
Bur. Speak on; but be not over-tedious.

words.

Puc. Look on thy country, look on fertile France,
And see the cities and the towns defac'd
By wasting ruin of the cruel foe!
As looks the mother on her lowly babe,
When death doth close his tender dying eyes,
See, see, the pining malady of France;
Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds,
Which thou thyself hast given her woeful breast!
O, turn thy edged sword another way;

Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help!
One drop of blood, drawn from thy country's bosom,

1 i. e. extirpated, rooted out.

2 Expuls'd is expell'd.

3 Another mistake. The duke was not liberated till after Burgundy's decline to the French interest; which did not happen, by the way, till some years after the execution of La Pucelle; nor was that during the regency of York, but of Bedford.

4 Haughty does not mean disdainful, or violent, as Johnson supposed; but elevated, high-spirited.

5 The inconstancy of the French was always the subject of satire. 'I have read (says Johnson) a disserta

Puc. Done like a Frenchman, turn, and turn again!5

Char. Welcome, brave duke! thy friendship makes us fresh.

Bast. And doth beget new courage in our breasts. Alen. Pucelle hath bravely played her part in this, And doth deserve a coronet of gold.

Char. Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers;

And seek how we may prejudice the foe. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Paris. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, and other Lords, VERNON, BASSET, &c. To them TALBOT, and some of his Officers.

Tal. My gracious prince, and honourable peers, -
Hearing of your arrival in this realm,

I have a while given truce unto my wars,
To do my duty to my sovereign:
In sign whereof, this arm-that hath reclaim'd
To your obedience fifty fortresses,
Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength,
Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem, -
Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet;
And, with submissive loyalty of heart,
Ascribes the glory of his conquest got,
First to my God, and next unto your grace.
K. Hen. Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloster,
That hath so long been resident in France?

Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege.
K. Hen. Welcome, brave captain, and victorious

lord!

When I was young (as yet I am not old),
I do remember how my father said,"
A stouter champion never handled sword.
Long since we were resolved of your truth,
Your faithful service, and your toil in war;
Yet never have you tasted our reward,
Or been reguerdon'd' with so much as thanks,
Because till now we never saw your face:
Therefore, stand up; and, for these good deserts,

tion written to prove that the index of the wind upon our
steeples was made in form of a cock to ridicule the
French for their frequent changes.'

6 Hanmer supplied the apparent deficiency in this line, by reading:

'Is this the fam'd Lord Talbot, &c.

7 Malone remarks that Henry was but nine mor old when his father died, and never saw him." poet did not perhaps deem historical accuracy neces 8 Convinced. 9 Rewarded

We here create you earl of Shrewsbury; And in our coronation take your place.

[Exeunt KING HENRY, GLOSTER, TALBOT, and Nobles.

Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea,
Disgracing of these colours' that I wear
In honour of my noble lord of York.-
Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?
Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage
The envious barking of your saucy tongue
Against my lord the duke of Somerset.

Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.
Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York.
Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that.
[Strikes him.

Bas. Villain, thou knowest the law of arms
is such,
That whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death;2
Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood.
But I'll unto his majesty, and crave
I may have liberty to venge this wrong;
When thou shalt see, I'll meet thee to thy cost.
Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you;
And, after, meet you sooner than you would.

ACT IV.

[Exeunt.

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To haste unto your coronation,
A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy.

Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no.

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
And ill beseeming any common man;
Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords, Knights of the garter were of noble birth: Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, But always resolute in most extremes." He then, that is not furnish'd in this sort, Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, Profaning this most honourable order; And should, (if I were worthy to be judge,) Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood. K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st

thy doom:

Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.-
[Exit FASTOLFE.
And now, my lord protector, view the letter
Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy.
Glo. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd
[Viewing the superscription.
the king?

No more but, plain and bluewing the
Hath he forgot, he is his sovereign?
Or doth this churlish superscription
Pretend some alteration in good will?
What's here? I have upon especial cause,-

[Reads.

Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck,
Together with the pitiful complaints
Of such as your oppression feeds upon,-
Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of

France.

O monstrous treachery! Can this be so;
That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling guile ?
K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe.
K. Hen. Is that the worst this letter doth contain ?
Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
K. Hen. Why then, Lord Talbot there shall talk
with him,

And give him chastisement for this abuse :--
My lord, how say you? are you not content?

Tal. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am prevented,

Tal. Shame to the duke of Burgundy, and thee! I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. I vow'd base knight, when I did meet thee next,

To tear the garter from thy craven's leg,

K. Hen. Then gather strength, and march unto

him straight:
[Plucking it off. Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason;

5

(Which I have done,) because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree.-
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest:
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,
When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,-
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away;
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,
Were there surpris'd and taken prisoners.

Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;

1 i. e. the badge of a rose.

2 By the ancient law before the conquest, fighting in the king's palace, or before the king's judges, was punished with death. And still by the Stat. 33 Hen. VIII. c. xii. maliciously striking in the king's palace, whereby

And what offence it is, to flout his friends. Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still, You may behold confusion of your foes.

Enter VERNON and BASSET.

[Exit.

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too! York. This is my servant; hear him, noble prince! Som. And this is mine; Sweet Henry, favour him! K. Hen. Be patient, lords; and give them leave to speak.

Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim? And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?

5 The old copy has Poictiers instead of Patay. The battle of Poictiers was fought in 1357, the 31st of King Edward III. and the scene now lies in the 7th of King Henry VI. viz. 1428. The action happened (according

blood is drawn, is punishable by perpetual imprison- to Holinshead) 'neere unto a village in Beausse, called

ment and fine, at the king's pleasure, and also with loss of the offender's right hand. Stowe gives a circumstantial account of Sir Edmond Knevet being found guilty of this offence, with the ceremonials for carrying the sentence into execution. He petitioned the king to take his left hand instead of his right; and the king was pleased to pardon him altogether. - Annals, edit. 1605, p. 978.

3 To pretend is to intend, to design. 4 Warburton would read thy craven leg. Craven is mean, dastardly.

Pataie. From this battel departed, without any stroke stricken, Sir John Fastolfe, the same yeere by his valiantnese elected into the order of the garter. But for doubt of misdealing at this brunt, the duke of Bedford tooke from him the image of St. George and his garter,' &c.

6 Vide note 8 on p. 13; and note 4 on p. 17. 7 i. e. in greatest extremities. More and most were

used by our ancestors for greater and greatest. 8 See note 3.

9 Prevented is anticipated.

1

Ver. With him, my lord, for he hath done me | Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife. wrong.

Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong.
K. Hen. What is that wrong whereof you both
complain?

First let me know, and ther. I'll answer you.
Bas. Crossing the sea, from England into France,
This fellow here, with envious, carping tongue,
Upbraided me about the rose I wear;
Saying the sanguine colour of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn1 the truth,
About a certain question in the law,
Argu'd betwixt the duke of York and him;
With other vile and ignominious terms:
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord;
For though he seem, with forged quaint conceit,
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,
Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing--that the paleness of this flower
Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.
York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York, will
out,

Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.

I see no reason, if I wear this rose,

[Putting on a red Rose,
That any one should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset than York:
Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both:
As well may they upbraid me with my crown,
Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd.
But your discretions better can persuade,
Than I am able to instruct or teach:

And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
So let us still continue peace and love.-
Cousin of York, we institute your grace
To be our regent in these parts of France:
And good my lord of Somerset, unite
Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot;-
And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors,
Go cheerfully together, and digest
Your angry choler on your enemies.
Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest,
After some respite, will return to Calais;
From thence to England; where I hope ere long
To be presented by your victories,
With Charles, Alençon, and that traitorous rout.
[Flourish. Exeunt K. HEN. GLO. SOM.
WIN. SUF. and BASSET.

War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king
Prettily, methought, did play the orator.
York. And so he did; but yet I like it not,

K. Hen. Good lord! what madness rules in brain- In that he wears the badge of Somerset.

sick men;

When, for so slight and frivolous a cause,
Such factious emulations shall arise!-
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace,

York. Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
And then your highness shall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.

York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset.
Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first.
Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord.
Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife!

And perish ye, with your audacious prate!
Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd,
With this immodest, clamorous outrage,
To trouble and disturb the king and us?
And you, my lords,-methinks you do not well,
To bear with their perverse objections;
Much less, to take occasion from their mouths
To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves;
Let me persuade you take a better course.

Exe. It grieves his highness; -Good my lords,
be friends.

K. Hen. Come hither, you that would be com-
batants:

Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour,
Quite to forget this quarrel and the cause.-
And you, my lords, remember where we are:
In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation:
If they perceive dissension in our looks,
And that within ourselves we disagree,

How will their grudging stomachs be provok'd

War. Tush! that was but his fancy, blame him
not;

I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.
York. And if I wist he did,-But let it rest;
Other affairs must now be managed.

[Exeunt YORK, WARWICK, and VERNON. Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy

voice:

For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,
I fear we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd.
But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,
This should'ring of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favourites,
But that it doth presage some ill event.
'Tis much, when sceptres are in children's hands;
But more, when envys breeds unkind division;
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.

[Exit. SCENE II. France. Before Bordeaux. Enter TALBOT, with his Forces.

Tal. Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter,
Summon their general unto the wall,

Trumpet sounds a Parley. Enter, on the Walls, the
General of the French Forces, and others.
English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry king of England;
And thus he would, Open your city gates,
Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects,
And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power:
But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire;.
Who, in a moment, even with the earth

To wilful disobedience, and rebel?

Beside, What infamy will there arise,
When foreign princes shall be certified,

That, for a toy, a thing of no regard,

King Henry's peers, and chief nobility,

O, think upon the conquest of my father,

If you forsake the offer of our love."

My tender years; and let us not forego

That for a trifle, that was bought with blood!

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death, Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge!

Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of France? Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,

1 To repugn is to resist. From the Latin repugno. 2 i. e. discovered.

3 The old copy reads 'And if I wish he did: an evident typographical error. York says that he is not pleased that the king should prefer the red rose, the badge of Somerset, his enemy; Warwick desires him not to be offended at it, as he dares say the king meant no harm. To which York, yet unsatisfied, hastily replies, in a menacing tone, 'If I thought he did; but

he instantly checks his threat with, let it rest. It is an example of a rhetorical figure not uncommon.

4 'Tis an alarming circumstance, a thing of great consequence, or much weight.

5 Envy, in old English writers, frequently means malice, enmity. 6 Unkind is unnatural.

7 The old editions read their love. Sir Thomas Hanmer altered it to our love; and I think, with Steevens, that the alteration should be adopted.

The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us thou canst not enter, but by death:
For, I protest, we are well fortified,
And strong enough to issue out and fight:
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee:
On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd,
To wall thee from the liberty of flight;
And no way canst thou turn thee for redress,
But death doth front thee with apparent spoil,
And pale destruction meets thee in the face.
Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament,
To rive their dangerous artillery1

Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo! there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit:
This is the latest glory of thy praise,
That I, thy enemy, due thee withal;
For ere the glass, that now begins to run,
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes, that see thee now well coloured,
Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead.
[Drum afar off.
Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul;
And mine shall ring thy dire departure out.

[Exeunt General, &c. from the Walls.

Tal. He fables not, I hear the enemy ;-
Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings.-
O, negligent and heedless discipline!

• How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale;
A little herd of England's timorous deer,
Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs!
If we be English deer, be then in blood:4
Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch;
But rather moody-mad, and desperate stags,
Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel,
And make the cowards stand aloof at bay:
Sell every man his life as dear as mine,

And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.
God, and Saint George! Talbot, and England's

right!

Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight!

[Exeunt. SCENE III. Plains in Gascony. Enter YORK, with Forces; to him a Messenger. York. Are not the speedy scouts return'd again, That dogg'd the mighty army of the Dauphin? Mess. They are return'd, my lord; and give it out, That he is march'd to Bordeaux with his power, To fight with Talbot: As he march'd along, By your espials were discovered,

Two mightier troops than that the Dauphin led; Which join'd with him, and made their march for

Bordeaux.

York. A plague upon that villain Somerset;
That thus delays my promised supply
Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege!
Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid;
And I am louted by a traitor villain,
And cannot help the noble chevalier:
God comfort him in this necessity!
If he miscarry, farewell wars in France.

Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY.

Lucy. Thou princely leader of our English strength,

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York. He dies, we lose; I break my warlike word; We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get; All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset.

Lucy. Then, God take mercy on brave Talbot's soul!

And on his son, young John; whom, two hours
since,
I met in travel toward his warlike father!
This seven years did not Talbot see his son;
And now they meet where both their lives are done..

York. Alas! what joys shall noble Talbot have,
To bid his young son welcome to his grave?
Away! vexation almost stops my breath,
That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death.-
Lucy, farewell: no more my fortune can,
But curse the cause I cannot aid the man.-
Maine, Blois, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away,
'Long all of Somerset, and his delay.
[Exit.

Lucy. Thus, while the vulture of sedition Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders, Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss The conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror, That ever-living man of memory, Henry the Fifth:-Whiles they each other cross, Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss. [Exit. SCENE IV. Other Plains of Gascony. Enter SOMERSET, with his Forces; an Officer of TAL

BOT's with him.

Som. It is too late; I cannot send them now: This expedition was by York, and Talbot, Too rashly plotted; all our general force Might with a sally of the very town Be buckled with: the over-daring Talbot Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour, By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure: York set him on to fight, and die in shame, That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name. Of. Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me

Set from our o'ermatch'd forces forth for aid.

Enter SIR WILLIAM LUCY.

Som. How now, Sir William? whither were you sent?

Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and sold
Lord Talbot; 10

Who, ring'd about11 with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions.

or baffled. To be treated with contempt like a lowt or country fellow, says Malone. But the meaning of the word here is evidently loitered, retarded: and the following quotation from Cotgrave will show that this was sometimes the sense of to lowt:-'Loricarder, to luske, tout, or lubber it; to loyter about like a master less man.'

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those sleeping stones

That as a waist do girdle you about.'

King John.

Si. e. expended, consumed. Malone says that the word is still used in this sense in the western counties. 9 Alluding to the tale of Prometheus.

10 i. e. from one utterly ruined by the treacherous practices of others. The expression seems to have been proverbial; intimating that foul play had been used.

1 To rive their dangerous artillery' is merely a figurative way of expressing to discharge it. To rive is to burst; and burst is applied by Shakspeare more than once to thunder, or to a similar sound.

2 Due for endue, or giving due and merited praise. 3 So Milton's Comus:

'She fables not, I feel that I do fear."

4 In blood is a term of the forest; a deer was said to be in blood when in vigour or in good condition, and full of courage, here put in opposition to rascal, which was the term for the same animal when lean and out of condition.

5 Spies

6 To lowt may signify to depress, to lower, to dishonour, says Johnson: but in his Dictionary he explains it to overpower. Steevens knows not what to make of it to let down, to be subdued, or vanquished,

11 Encircled, environed.

۱

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