Glo. Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? Win. I do, thou most usurping proditor, And not protector of the king or realm. Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, If thou proceed in this thy insolence. Win. 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. Glo. 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. Win. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy face. Blue-coats to tawny-coats.-Priest, beware your beard; In spite of pope or dignities of church, Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down. Win. Gloster, thou wilt answer this before the pope. GLOSTER and his Servants attack the other Party. In the tumult, enter the Mayor of London and Officers. May. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, Thus contumeliously should break the peace! Glo. 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. Win. Here's Gloster, too, 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. Glo. I will not answer thee with words, but blows. [Here they skirmish again. May. Naught rests for me, in this tumultuous strife, But to make open proclamation:- Off. [reads.] 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. Glo. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law; But we shall meet and break our minds at large. Win. Gloster, we'll meet, to thy dear cost, be sure : Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work. May. I'll call for clubs if you will not away:This cardinal's more haughty than the devil. Glo. Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou may'st. Win. Abominable Gloster! guard thy head; For I intend to have it ere long. [Exeunt severally, GLO. and WIN., with their Servants. May. 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. SCENE IV.-FRANCE. Before Orleans. [Exeunt. Enter, on the walls, the Master-Gunner and his Son. M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieg'd, And how the English have the suburbs won. Son. Father, I know; and oft have shot at them, Howe'er, unfortunate, I missed my aim. Be thou rul'd by me: M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd, In yonder tower, to overpeer the city, And thence discover how with most advantage A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd; Now do thou watch, for I can stay no longer. And thou shalt find me at the governor's. [Exit. Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care; I'll never trouble you if I may spy them. Enter, in an upper Chamber of a Tower, the LORDS SALISBURY and TALBOT, SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE, SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE, and others. Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! Tal. The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd me: In fine, redeem'd I was as I desir'd. But, O! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my heart If I now had him brought into my power. Sal. Yet tell'st thou not how thou wert entertain'd. Tal. With scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts. In open market-place produc'd they me, To be a public spectacle to all: Here, said they, is the terror of the French, My grisly countenance made others fly; So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread Ready they were to shoot me to the heart. Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you endur'd; But we will be reveng'd sufficiently. Now it is supper-time in Orleans: Here, through this grate, I can count each one, Let us look in; the sight will much delight thee.- Sir Thomas Gargrave and Sir William Glansdale, Where is best place to make our battery next. Gar. I think at the north gate; for there stand lords. Or with light skirmishes enfeebled. [Shot from the town. SAL. and SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE fall. Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners! Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man! Tal. What chance is this that suddenly hath cross'd us?— Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak: How far'st thou, mirror of all martial men? One of thy eyes and thy cheek's side struck off!— -- That hath contriv'd this woeful tragedy! He beckons with his hand, and smiles on me, [Thunder heard; afterwards an alarum. What stir is this? What tumult's in the heavens? Whence cometh this alarum, and the noise? Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, my lord, the French have gather'd head : The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'ď,- A holy prophetess new risen up, Is come with a great power to raise the siege. [SAL. lifts himself and groans. Tal. Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan! Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels, And then we'll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare. [Exeunt, bearing out the bodies. SCENE V.-The same. Before one of the Gates. Alarum; skirmishings. Enter TALBOT, pursuing the DAUPHIN, drives him in, and exit: then enter JOAN LA PUCELLE, driving Englishmen before her, and exit after them: then re-enter TALBOT. Tal. Where is my strength, my valour, and my force? Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them; A woman clad in armour chaseth them. Here, here she comes. Enter LA PUCELLE. I'll have a bout with thee; Devil or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee: Blood will I draw on thee,-thou art a witch,-- Tal. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail? [They fight again. Puc. [retiring.] Talbot, farewell: thy hour is not yet come: I must go victual Orleans forthwith. O'ertake me if thou canst; I scorn thy strength. Go, go, cheer up thy hunger-starved men; Help Salisbury to make his testament: This day is ours, as many more shall be. [LA PUC. enters the town with Soldiers. Tal. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel; I know not where I am nor what I do: A witch by fear, not force, like Hannibal Drives back our troops, and conquers as she lists: |