Win. Stay, my lord legate; you shall first receive
The sum of money, which I promised
Should be deliver'd to his holiness

For clothing me in these grave ornaments,
Leg. I will attend upon your lordship's leisure.
Win. Now, Winchester will not submit, I trow,
Or be inferior to the proudest peer.

Humphrey of Gloster, thou shalt well perceive,
That, neither in birth, or for authority,
The bishop will be overborne by thee:

I'll either make thee stoop, and bend thy knee,
Or sack this country with a mutiny.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. France. Plains in Anjou.

Enter CHARLES, BURGUNDY, ALENÇON, LA PUCELLE, and Forces, marching.

Char. These news, lords, may cheer our drooping spirits:

"Tis said, the stout Parisians do revolt,

And turn again unto the warlike French.
Alen. Then march to Paris, royal Charles of
France,

And keep not back your powers in dalliance.
Puc. Peace be amongst them, if they turn to us;
Else, ruin combat with their palaces!

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Success unto our valiant general, And happiness to his accomplices!

Char. What tidings send our scouts? I pr'ythee speak.

Mess. The English army, that divided was Into two parts, is now conjoin'd in one; And means to give you battle presently.

Char. Somewhat too sudden, sirs, the warning is; But we will presently provide for them.

Bur. I trust, the ghost of Talbot is not there; Now he is gone, my lord, you need not fear. Puc. Of all base passions, fear is most accurs'd:

Command the conquest, Charles, it shall be thine; Let Henry fret, and all the world repine.

Char. Then on, my lords; And France be fortunate!

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. Before Angiers.

Alarums: Excursions. Enter La PUCELLE. Puc. The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen fly.

Now help, ye charming spells, and periapts1;
And ye choice spirits that admonish me,
And give me signs of future accidents! [Thunder.
You speedy helpers, that are substitutes
Under the lordly monarch of the north 2,
Appear, and aid me in this enterprise!

Enter Fiends.

This speedy quick appearance argues proof
Of your accustom'd diligence to me.
Now, ye familiar spirits, that are cull'd
Out of the powerful regions 3 under earth,
Help me this once, that France may get the field.
[They walk about, and speak not.
O, hold me not with silence over-long!
Where I was wont to feed you with my blood,

4

1 Periapts were certain written charms worn about the person as preservatives from disease and danger. Of these the first chapter of St. John's Gospel was deemed the most efficacious. See Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft, 1584, p. 230, &c. The following story is related in Wits, Fits, and Fancies, 1595:- A cardinal seeing a priest carrying a cudgel under his gown, reprimanded him. His excuse was, that he only carried it to defend himself against the dogs of the town. Wherefore, I pray you, replied the cardinal, serves St. John's G Gospel? Alas, my lord, said the priest, these curs understand no Latin.

2 The monarch of the north was Zimimar, one of the four principal devils invoked by witches. The north was supposed to be the particular habitation of bad spirits. Milton assembles the rebel angels in the north.

3 Warburton thought that we should read legions here, the same mistake having occurred before in this play.

4 Where for whereas, a common substitution in old writers; whereas is also sometimes used for where.

Where now you're both a father and a son.*

Pericles.

I'll lop a member off, and give it you,
In earnest of a further benefit;

So you do condescend to help me now.

[They hang their heads. No hope to have redress?-My body shall Pay recompense, if you will grant my suit.

[They shake their heads.

come,

Cannot my body, nor blood-sacrifice,
Entreat you to your wonted furtherance?
Then take my soul; my body, soul, and all,
Before that England give the French the foil.
[They depart.
See! they forsake me. Now the time is
That France must vail 5 her lofty-plumed crest,
And let her head fall into England's lap,
My ancient incantations are weak,
And hell too strong for me to buckle with:
Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust.

S

[Exit. Alarums. Enter French and English, fighting. LA PUCELLE and YORK fight hand to hand. La PUCELLE is taken. The French fly.dem

York. Damsel of France, I think I have you fast: Unchain your spirits now with spelling charms, And try if they can gain your liberty.A goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace! See, how the ugly witch doth bend her brows, As if, with Circe, she would change my shape. Puc. Chang'd to a worser shape thou canst not be. York. O, Charles the Dauphin is a proper man; No shape but his can please your dainty eye. Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles, and thee!

And may ye both be suddenly surpris'd

By bloody hands, in sleeping on your beds!

5 To vail is to lower. See note on Merchant of Venice, Act i.

York. Fell, banning 6 hag! enchantress, hold thy

tongue.

Puc. I pr'ythee, give me leave to curse a while. York. Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to the

stake.

[Exeunt.

Alarums. Enter SUFFOLK, leading in LADY

MARGARET.

Suf. Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner. [Gazes on her. O fairest beauty, do not fear, nor fly; For I will touch thee but with reverent hands, And lay them gently on thy tender side.

I kiss these fingers [Kisses her hand] for eternal

peace:

Who art thou? say, that I may honour thee. Mar. Margaret my name; and daughter to a king, The king of Naples, whosoe'er thou art.

Suf. An earl I am, and Suffolk am I call'd.
Be not offended, nature's miracle,

Thou art allotted to be ta'en by me:
So doth the swan her downy cygnets save,
Keeping them prisoners underneath her wings.
Yet, if this servile usage once offend,

Go, and be free again as Suffolk's friend.

sfriend.

[She turns away as going. O, stay!-I have no power to let her pass; My hand would free her, but my heart says-no. As plays the sun upon the glassy streams, Twinkling another counterfeited beam,

So seems this gorgeous beauty to mine eyes.

9

To ban is to curse. Thus in the Jew of Malta, 1633:-
I ban their souls to everlasting pain.'
So in Hamlet:-

With Hecat's ban thrice blasted.

This comparison, made between things sufficiently unlike (Johnson observes), is intended to express the softness and delicacy of Lady Margaret's beauty, which delighted, but did not dazzle; which was bright, but gave no pain by its lustre. Thus

Tasso:

Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak:
I'll call for pen and ink, and write my mind:
Fye, De la Poole! disable not thyself8;

Hast not a tongue? is she not here thy prisoner?
Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's sight?
Ay; beauty's princely majesty is such,

Confounds the tongue, and makes the senses rough 9.
Mar. Say, earl of Suffolk,-if thy name be so,-
What ransome must I pay before I pass?
For, I perceive, I am thy prisoner.

Suf. How canst thou tell she will deny thy suit, Before thou make a trial of her love? [Aside. Mar. Why speak'st thou not? what ransome must I pay?

Suf. She's beautiful; and therefore to be woo'd: She is a woman; therefore to be won. [Aside. Mar. Wilt thou accept of ransome, yea, or no? Suf. Fond man! remember, that thou hast a wife: Then how can Margaret be thy paramour?

[Aside.

Mar. I were best leave him, for he will not hear. Suf. There all is marr'd; there lies a cooling card 10.

Mar. He talks at random; sure, the man is mad. Suf. And yet a dispensation may be had.

Mar. And yet I would that you would answer me.

Qual raggio in onda, te scintilla un riso

Negli umidi occhi tremulo.'

Sidney, in his Astrophel and Stella, serves to support Johnson's explanation:

Lest if no vaile these brave gleams did disguise,

They, sunlike, should more dazzle than delight."

8 Do not represent thyself so weak.' To disable was to dispraise, or impeach. Thus in As You Like It, Act v. 'If again it was not well cut, he disabled my judgment.'

9 The meaning of rough here is not very evident. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads crouch.

10 A cooling card was most probably a card so decisive as to cool the courage of the adversary. Metaphorically, something to damp or overwhelm the hopes of an expectant. Thus in Beaumont and Fletcher's Island Princess :