How joyful am I made by this contract!- 2 Serv. And so will I. 3 Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. [Exeunt Servants, Mayor, &c. War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign; Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your majesty. Glo. Well urg'd, my Lord of Warwick ;-for, sweet prince, An if your grace mark every circumstance, You have great reason to do Richard right; Especially for those occasions At Eltham Place I told your majesty. K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of force: War. Let Richard be restored to his blood; Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester. That doth belong unto the house of York, Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience And humble service till the point of death. K. Hen. Stoop, then, and set your knee against my foot; And in reguerdon of that duty done I girt thee with the valiant sword of York: Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet, And rise created princely Duke of York. Plan. And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall! And as my duty springs, so perish they That grudge one thought against your majesty! All. Welcome, high prince, the mighty Duke of York! Som. Perish, base prince, ignoble Duke of York! [Aside. Glo. Now will it best avail your majesty To cross the seas, and to be crown'd in France: The presence of a king engenders love Amongst his subjects and his loyal friends, As it disanimates his enemies. K. Hen. When Gloster says the word, King Henry goes; For friendly counsel cuts off many foes. Glo. Your ships already are in readiness. [Flourish. Exeunt all but EXETER. Exe. Ay, we may march in England or in France, This late dissension grown betwixt the peers Which in the time of Henry named the Fifth SCENE II.-FRANCE. Before Rouen. [Exit. Enter LA PUCELLE disguised, and Soldiers dressed like Puc. These are the city-gates, the gates of Rouen, That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them. 1 Sold. Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city, And we be lords and rulers over Rouen; Therefore we'll knock. Guard. [within.] Qui est là? Puc. Paysans, pauvres gens de France, Poor market-folks that come to sell their corn. [Knocks. Guard. [opening the gates.] Enter, go in; the market bell is rung. Puc. Now, Rouen, I'll shake thy bulwarks to the ground. [LA PUCELLE, &c., enter the Town. Enter CHARLES, BASTARD OF ORLEANS, ALENÇON, and Forces. Char. Saint Denis bless this happy stratagem! And once again we'll sleep secure in Rouen. Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle and her practisants; Now she is there, how will she specify Alen. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower; Enter LA PUCELLE on a battlement, holding out a torch burning. Puc. Behold, this is the happy wedding-torch That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen, But burning fatal to the Talbotites. Bast. See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend; The burning torch in yonder turret stands. 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. Alarum. Enter, from the Town, TALBOT and English Soldiers. Tal. France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears, If Talbot but survive thy treachery. Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress, [Exeunt into the Town. Alarum: excursions. Enter, from the Town, BEDFORD, brought in sick in a chair, with TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and the English Forces. Then enter on the walls LA PUCELLE, CHARLES, BASTARD, ALENÇON, and others. Puc. Good-morrow, gallants! want ye corn for bread? I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast Before he'll buy again at such a rate: 'Twas full of darnel;-do you like the taste? Bur. Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtezan! I trust ere long to choke thee with thine own, And make thee curse the harvest of that corn. 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 a lance, And run a tilt at death within a chair? Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite, Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours! Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age, Puc. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace; If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow. [TALBOT and the rest consult together. God speed the parliament! who shall be the speaker? 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 Hecaté, But unto thee, Alençon, and the rest; Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out? Tal. Signior, hang!-base muleteers of France! Puc. Away, captains! let's get us from the walls; Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame!- Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows. Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me: And will be partner of your weal or woe. Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you. That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick Came to the field, and vanquished his foes: Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast! Then be it so:-heavens keep old Bedford safe!— But gather we our forces out of hand, And set upon our boasting enemy. [Exeunt into the Town, BUR., TAL., and Forces, leaving BED. and others. Alarum: 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. Cap. What! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot? All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. [Exit into the Town. Retreat: excursions. Re-enter, from the Town, LA PUCELLE, Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please, [Dies, and is carried off in his chair. Alarum. Re-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 monuments. 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? 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, And then depart to Paris to the king, For there young Harry with his nobles lie. Bur. What wills Lord Talbot pleaseth Burgundy. The noble Duke of Bedford, late deceas'd, |