Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

  [Exit]

  EXETER    Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn:

  Either to quell163 the dauphin utterly,

  Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

  BEDFORD    I do remember it, and here take my leave,

  To go about my preparation.

  Exit Bedford

  GLOUCESTER    I’ll to the Tower167 with all the haste I can,

  To view th’artillery and munition,

  And then I will proclaim young Henry king.

  Exit Gloucester

  EXETER    To Eltham170 will I, where the young king is,

  Being ordained his special governor171,

  And for his safety there I’ll best devise.

  Exit

  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-office175.

  The king from Eltham I intend to steal

  And sit at chiefest stern of public weal177.

  Exit

  [Act 1 Scene 2]

  running scene 2

  Sound a flourish. Enter Charles [the Dauphin, the Duke of] Alençon and Reignier [Duke of Anjou], marching with Drum and Soldiers

  CHARLES    Mars his true moving1, even as in the heavens

  So in the earth, to this day is not known.

  Late3 did he shine upon the English side:

  Now we are victors: upon us he smiles.

  What towns of any moment5 but we have?

  At pleasure here we lie near Orléans;

  Otherwhiles7 the famished English, like pale ghosts,

  Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

  ALENÇON    They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves9:

  Either they must be dieted10 like mules,

  And have their provender11 tied to their mouths,

  Or piteous they will look, like drownèd mice.

  REIGNIER    Let’s raise13 the siege: why live we idly here?

  Talbot is taken, whom we wont14 to fear:

  Remaineth none but mad-brained Salisbury,

  And he may well in fretting spend his gall16,

  Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

  CHARLES    Sound, sound alarum18! We will rush on them.

  Now for the honour of the forlorn19 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

  Enter Charles, Alençon and Reignier

  CHARLES    Who ever saw the like? What men have I?

  Dogs, cowards, dastards23! I would ne’er have fled,

  But that they left me ’midst my enemies.

  REIGNIER    Salisbury is a desperate homicide25;

  He fighteth as one weary of his life:

  The other lords, like lions27 wanting food,

  Do rush upon us as their hungry28 prey.

  ALENÇON    Froissart29, a countryman of ours, records

  England all Olivers and Rowlands30 bred,

  During the time Edward the Third did reign:

  More truly now may this be verified;

  For none but Samsons and Goliases33

  It sendeth forth to skirmish: one to ten34!

  Lean raw-boned rascals35, who would e’er suppose

  They had such courage and audacity?

  CHARLES    Let’s leave this town, for they are hare-brained slaves37,

  And hunger will enforce them to be more eager38:

  Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

  The walls they’ll tear down than forsake40 the siege.

  REIGNIER    I think by some odd gimmers or device41

  Their arms are set, like clocks, still42 to strike on;

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

  By my consent, we’ll even44 let them alone.

  ALENÇON    Be it so.

  Enter the Bastard of Orléans

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

  CHARLES    Bastard of Orléans, thrice welcome to us.

  BASTARD    Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appalled48.

  Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence49?

  Be not dismayed, for succour is at hand:

  A holy maid hither with me I bring,

  Which by a vision sent to her from heaven,

  Ordainèd is to raise this tedious53 siege

  And drive the English forth the bounds54 of France:

  The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,

  Exceeding the nine sibyls56 of old Rome:

  What’s past and what’s to come she can descry57.

  Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,

  For they are certain and unfallible.

  CHARLES    Go, call her in.

  [Exit Bastard of Orléans]

                                           But first, to try60 her skill,

  Reignier, stand thou as dauphin in my place:

  Question her proudly62: let thy looks be stern:

  By this means shall we sound63 what skill she hath.

  Enter [the Bastard of Orléans, with] Joan [la] Pucelle [armed]

  As Charles

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

  PUCELLE    Reignier, is’t thou that thinkest to beguile65 me?

  To Charles

  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 apart69:

  Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.

  Reignier, Aiençon, and Bastard stand apart

  REIGNIER    She takes upon her bravely at first dash71.

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

  My wit untrained in any kind of art73:

  Heaven and our Lady gracious74 hath it pleased

  To shine on my contemptible estate75.

  Lo, whilst I waited on my tender76 lambs,

  And to sun’s parching heat displayed my cheeks,

  God’s mother deignèd to appear to me,

  And in a vision full of majesty,

  Willed me to leave my base vocation

  And free my country from calamity:

  Her aid she promised, and assured success.

  In complete83 glory she revealed herself:

  And whereas I was black and swart84 before,

  With those clear rays which she infused on85 me

  That beauty am I blessed with, which you may see.

  Ask me what question thou canst possible,

  And I will answer unpremeditated88:

  My courage try by combat, if thou dar’st,

  And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.

  Resolve on91 this, thou shalt be fortunate,

  If thou receive me for thy warlike mate92.

  CHARLES    Thou hast astonished me with thy high terms93:

  Only this proof94 I’ll of thy valour make,

  In single combat thou shalt buckle95 with me,

  And if thou vanquishest96, thy words are true:

  Otherwise I renounce all confidence97.

  PUCELLE    I am prepared: here is my keen-edged98 sword,

  Decked with five flower-de-luces99 on each side,

  The which at Touraine, in Saint Katherine100’s churchyard,

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

  CHARLES    Then come, a102 God’s name: I fear no woman.

  PUCELLE    And while I live, I’ll ne’er fly from a man103.

  Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes

  CHARLES    Stay, stay thy hands! Thou art an Amazon104

  And fightest with the sword of Deborah105.

  PUCELLE    Christ’s mother helps me, else106 I were too weak.

  CHARLES    Whoe’er helps thee, ’tis thou that must help me:

  Impatiently I burn with thy desire108:

  My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued.

  Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,

  Let me thy servant111 and not sovereign be:

  ’Tis the French dauphin sueth to112 thee thus.

  PUCELLE    I must not yield to any rites of love,

  For my profession’s114 sacred from above:

  When I have chased all thy foes from hence,

  Then will I think upon a recompense116.

  CHARLES    Meantime, look gracious on thy prostrate thrall117.

  To the others, apart

  REIGNIER    My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

  ALENÇON    Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock119,

  Else ne’er could he so long protract120 his speech.

  REIGNIER    Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean121?

  ALENÇON    He may mean more than we poor men do know122.

  These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues123.

  REIGNIER    My lord, where are you? What devise you on124?

  Shall we give o’er125 Orléans, or no?

  PUCELLE    Why, no, I say: distrustful recreants126,

  Fight till the last gasp: I’ll be your guard.

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

  PUCELLE    Assigned am I to be the English scourge129.

  This night the siege assuredly I’ll raise:

  Expect Saint Martin’s summer, halcyon’s days131,

  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 naught.

  With Henry’s death, the English circle ends:

  Dispersèd are the glories it included:

  Now am I like that proud insulting138 ship

  Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once139.

  CHARLES    Was Mahomet inspirèd with a dove140?

  Thou with141 an eagle art inspirèd then.

  Helen142, the mother of great Constantine,

  Nor yet Saint Philip’s daughters143 were like thee.

  Bright star of Venus144, fall’n down on the earth,

  How may I reverently worship thee enough?

  ALENÇON    Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.

  REIGNIER    Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;

  Drive them from Orléans, and be immortalized148.

  CHARLES    Presently149 we’ll try: come, let’s away about it:

  No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.

  Exeunt

  [Act 1 Scene 3]

  running scene 3

  Enter Gloucester, with his Servingmen [in blue coats]

  GLOUCESTER    I am come to survey the Tower this day:

  Since Henry’s death, I fear, there is conveyance2:

  Servingmen knock on gates

  Where be these warders3, that they wait not here?

  Open the gates; ’tis Gloucester that calls.

  Within

  FIRST WARDER    Who’s there that knocks so imperiously?

  FIRST SERVINGMAN    It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.

  Within

  SECOND WARDER    Whoe’er he be, you may not be let in.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN    Villains8, answer you so the Lord Protector?

  Within

  FIRST WARDER    The Lord protect him, so we answer him:

  We do no otherwise than we are willed10.

  GLOUCESTER    Who willèd you? Or whose will stands but mine?

  There’s none12 protector of the realm but I.

  To Servingmen

  Break up the gates, I’ll be your warrantize13:

  Shall I be flouted14 thus by dunghill grooms?

  Gloucester’s men rush at the Tower Gates, and Woodville the Lieutenant speaks within

  WOODVILLE    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.

  WOODVILLE    Have patience, noble duke: I may not open:

  The Cardinal19 of Winchester forbids:

  From him I have express commandment

  That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.

  GLOUCESTER    Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him ’fore22 me?

  Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,

  Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne’er could brook24?

  Thou art no friend to God or to the king:

  Open the gates, or I’ll shut thee out shortly26.

  SERVINGMEN    Open the gates unto the Lord Protector,

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

  Enter to the [Lord] Protector at the Tower Gates, [the Bishop of] Winchester and his men in tawny coats

  WINCHESTER    How now, ambitious umpire29! What means this?

  GLOUCESTER    Peeled30 priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?

  WINCHESTER    I do, thou most usurping proditor31,

  And not ‘Protector’, of the king or realm.

  GLOUCESTER    Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,

  Thou that contrived’st to murder our dead lord34:

  Thou that giv’st whores indulgences to sin35:

  I’ll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal’s hat36,

  If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

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

  This be Damascus, be thou cursèd Cain39,

  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-cloth42

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

  WINCHESTER    Do what thou dar’st, I beard44 thee to thy face.

  GLOUCESTER    What? Am I dared45 and bearded to my face?

  Draw, men, for all this privilegèd place46;

  All draw their swords

  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 dignities50 of Church,

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

  WINCHESTER    Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the Pope.

  GLOUCESTER    Winchester goose, I cry, ‘A rope53, a rope!’—

  To Servingmen

  Now beat them hence: why do you let them stay?—

  To Winchester

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

  Out, tawny coats!— Out, scarlet hypocrite!

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

  MAYOR    Fie57, lords, that you, being supreme magistrates,

  Thus contumeliously58 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 distrained61 the Tower to his use.

  WINCHESTER    Here’s Gloucester — a foe to citizens,

  One that still63 motions war and never peace,

  O’ercharging your free64 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 prince68.

  GLOUCESTER    I will not answer thee with words, but blows.

  Here they skirmish again

  MAYOR    Naught rests70 for me, in this tumultuous strife,

  But to make open proclamation.

  Come, officer, as loud as e’er thou canst, cry.

  Handing a paper to the Officer, who reads

  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 repair75

  to your several76 dwelling-places, and not to wear, handle, or

  use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain

  of death.

  The skirmish ends

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

  But we shall meet, and break our minds at large80.