WINCHESTER    Gloucester, we’ll meet to thy cost, be sure:

  Thy heart-blood I will have for this day’s work.

  MAYOR    I’ll call for clubs83, if you will not away:

  This cardinal’s more haughty than the devil.

  GLOUCESTER    Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst.

  WINCHESTER    Abominable86 Gloucester, guard thy head,

  For I intend to have it ere87 long.

  Exeunt [separately, Gloucester and Bishop of Winchester with their Servingmen]

  MAYOR    See the coast cleared, and then we will depart.

  Good God, these nobles should such stomachs89 bear!

  I myself fight not once in forty year.

  Exeunt

  [Act 1 Scene 4]

  running scene 4

  Enter the Master Gunner of Orléans and his Boy

  MASTER GUNNER    Sirrah1, thou know’st how Orléans is besieged,

  And how the English have the suburbs2 won.

  BOY    Father, I know, and oft have shot at them,

  Howe’er, unfortunate, I missed my aim.

  MASTER GUNNER    But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me:

  Chief Master Gunner am I of this town,

  Something I must do to procure me grace7:

  The prince’s espials8 have informèd me

  How the English, in the suburbs close entrenched9,

  Wont10, through a secret grate of iron bars

  In yonder tower, to overpeer the city,

  And thence discover how with most advantage

  They may vex us with shot or with assault.

  To intercept this inconvenience14,

  A piece of ordnance gainst15 it I have placed,

  And even these three days have I watched,

  If I could see them. Now do thou watch

  For I can stay no longer.

  If thou spy’st any, run and bring me word,

  And thou shalt find me at the governor’s.

  BOY    Father, I warrant you, take you no care21:

  Exit [Master Gunner]

  I’ll never trouble you, if I may spy them.

  Exit

  Enter Salisbury and Talbot on the turrets, with others [including Sir Thomas Gargrave and Sir William Glasdale]

  SALISBURY    Talbot, my life, my joy, again returned?

  How wert thou handled, being prisoner?

  Or by what means got’st thou to be released?

  Discourse, I prithee, on this turret’s top.

  TALBOT    The Earl of Bedford had a prisoner,

  Called the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles:

  For him was I exchanged and ransomèd.

  But with a baser man of arms30 by far

  Once in contempt they would have bartered me:

  Which I, disdaining, scorned, and cravèd32 death,

  Rather than I would be so pilled33 esteemed:

  In fine, redeemed34 I was as I desired.

  But O, the treacherous Falstaff wounds my heart,

  Whom with my bare fists I would execute,

  If I now had him brought into my power.

  SALISBURY    Yet tell’st thou not how thou wert entertained38.

  TALBOT    With scoffs and scorns and contumelious39 taunts:

  In open market-place produced they me,

  To be a public spectacle to all:

  ‘Here’, said they, ‘is the terror of the French,

  The scarecrow that affrights our children so.’

  Then broke I from the officers that led me,

  And with my nails digged stones out of the ground,

  To hurl at the beholders of my shame.

  My grisly47 countenance made others fly:

  None durst come near for fear of sudden48 death.

  In iron walls they deemed me not secure:

  So great fear of my name ’mongst them was spread,

  That they supposed I could rend bars of steel,

  And spurn in pieces posts of adamant52.

  Wherefore a guard of chosen shot53 I had,

  That walked about me every minute while54:

  And if I did but stir out of my bed,

  Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.

  Enter the Boy [who passes over the stage and exits] with a linstock [lit and burning]

  SALISBURY    I grieve to hear what torments you endured,

  But we will be revenged sufficiently.

  Now it is supper-time in Orléans:

  Here, through this grate, I count each one

  And view the Frenchmen how they fortify:

  Let us look in: the sight will much delight thee:

  Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glasdale,

  Let me have your express64 opinions

  They look through the grate

  Where is best place to make our batt’ry65 next.

  GARGRAVE    I think, at the north gate, for there stands lords.

  GLASDALE    And I, here, at the bulwark67 of the bridge.

  TALBOT    For aught68 I see, this city must be famished,

  Or with light skirmishes enfeeblèd69.

  Here they shoot [within] and Salisbury [and Gargrave] fall down

  SALISBURY O    Lord have mercy on us, wretched sinners!

  GARGRAVE    O Lord have mercy on me, woeful man!

  TALBOT    What chance72 is this that suddenly hath crossed us?

  Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst, speak:

  How far’st thou, mirror74 of all martial men?

  One of thy eyes and thy cheek’s side struck off?

  Accursèd tower! Accursèd fatal76 hand

  That hath contrived this woeful tragedy.

  In thirteen battles Salisbury o’ercame:

  Henry the Fifth he first trained to the wars:

  Whilst any trump80 did sound, or drum struck up,

  His sword did ne’er leave striking in the field.

  Yet liv’st thou, Salisbury? Though thy speech doth fail,

  One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace.

  The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.

  Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive,

  If Salisbury wants86 mercy at thy hands.

  Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?

  Speak unto Talbot: nay, look up to him.

  Bear hence his body: I will help to bury it.

  [Exit one with Gargrave’s body]

  Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort:

  Thou shalt not die whiles—

  He beckons with his hand and smiles on me:

  As93 who should say ‘When I am dead and gone,

  Remember to avenge me on the French.’

  Plantagenet, I will; and like thee, Nero,

  Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn96:

  Wretched shall France be only in97 my name.

  Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens

  What stir is this? What tumult’s in the heavens?

  Whence cometh this alarum and the noise?

  Enter a Messenger

  MESSENGER    My lord, my lord, the French have gathered head100.

  The dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle joined,

  A holy prophetess new risen up,

  Is come with a great power103 to raise the siege.

  Here Salisbury lifteth himself up and groans

  TALBOT    Hear, hear, how dying Salisbury doth groan!

  It irks105 his heart he cannot be revenged.

  Frenchmen, I’ll be a Salisbury to you.

  Puzzel or pucelle, dolphin107 or dogfish,

  Your hearts I’ll stamp out with my horse’s heels,

  And make a quagmire of your mingled109 brains.

  Convey me110 Salisbury into his tent,

  And then we’ll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare.

  Alarum. Exeunt

  [Act 1 Scene 5]

  running scene 4 continues

  Here an alarum again, and Talbot pursueth the Dauphin, and driveth him: then enter Joan la Pucelle, driving Englishmen before her, [and

  Exeunt]. Then enter Talbot

  TALBOT    Where is my strength, my valour, and my force?

  Our English troops retire, I cannot stay2 them:

  A woman clad in armour chaseth them.

  Enter [Joan la] Pucelle

  Here, here she comes. I’ll have a bout4 with thee:

  Devil or devil’s dam5, I’ll conjure thee:

  Blood will I draw on thee — thou art a witch6 —

  And straightway give thy soul to him7 thou serv’st.

  PUCELLE    Come, come, ’tis only I that must disgrace thee.

  Here they fight

  TALBOT    Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail?

  My breast I’ll burst with straining of my courage10

  And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder.

  But I will chastise this high-minded12 strumpet.

  They fight again

  PUCELLE    Talbot, farewell: thy hour is not yet come:

  I must go victual14 Orléans forthwith.

  A short alarum: then [the French] enter the town with soldiers

  O’ertake me if thou canst: I scorn thy strength.

  Go, go, cheer up thy hungry-starvèd men:

  Help Salisbury to make his testament17:

  This day is ours, as many more shall be.

  Exit

  TALBOT    My thoughts are whirlèd like a potter’s wheel:

  I know not where I am, nor what I do:

  A witch by fear, not force, like Hannibal21,

  Drives back our troops and conquers as she lists22:

  So bees with smoke and doves with noisome23 stench

  Are from their hives and houses driven away.

  They called us, for our fierceness, English dogs:

  A short alarum

  Now, like to whelps26, we crying run away.

  Hark, countrymen: either renew the fight,

  Or tear the lions out of England’s coat28;

  Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions’ stead29:

  Sheep run not half so treacherous30 from the wolf,

  Or horse or oxen from the leopard,

  As you fly from your oft-subduèd32 slaves.

  Alarum. Here another skirmish

  It will not be33: retire into your trenches:

  You all consented unto34 Salisbury’s death,

  For none would strike a stroke in his revenge35.

  Pucelle is entered into Orléans,

  In spite of us or aught that we could do.

  O would38 I were to die with Salisbury!

  The shame hereof will make me hide my head.

  Exit Talbot

  Alarum: retreat: flourish

  [Act 1 Scene 6]

  running scene 4 continues

  Enter on the walls, [Joan la] Pucelle, Charles [the Dauphin], Reignier, Alençon and Soldiers [with colours]

  PUCELLE    Advance1 our waving colours on the walls:

  Rescued is Orléans from the English.

  Thus Joan la Pucelle hath performed her word.

  CHARLES    Divinest creature, Astraea4’s daughter,

  How shall I honour thee for this success?

  Thy promises are like Adonis’ garden6

  That one day bloomed and fruitful were the next.

  France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess!

  Recovered is the town of Orléans:

  More blessèd hap10 did ne’er befall our state.

  REIGNIER    Why ring not out the bells aloud throughout the town?

  Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires

  And feast and banquet in the open streets,

  To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.

  ALENÇON    All France will be replete with mirth and joy,

  When they shall hear how we have played the men16.

  CHARLES    ’Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won:

  For which I will divide my crown with her,

  And all the priests and friars in my realm

  Shall in procession sing her endless praise.

  A statelier pyramid to her I’ll rear

  Than Rhodope’s of Memphis’22 ever was.

  In memory of her, when she is dead,

  Her ashes, in an urn more precious

  Than the rich-jewelled coffer of Darius25,

  Transported shall be at high26 festivals

  Before the kings and queens of France.

  No longer on Saint Denis28 will we cry,

  But Joan la Pucelle shall be France’s saint.

  Come in, and let us banquet royally,

  After this golden day of victory.

  Flourish. Exeunt

  Act 2 Scene 1

  running scene 5

  Enter [above] a [French] Sergeant of a band with two Sentinels

  SERGEANT    Sirs, take your places and be vigilant:

  If any noise or soldier you perceive

  Near to the walls, by some apparent3 sign

  Let us have knowledge at the court of guard4.

  FIRST SENTINEL    Sergeant, you shall.

  [Exit Sergeant]

               Thus are poor servitors5,

  When others sleep upon their quiet beds,

  Constrained7 to watch in darkness, rain and cold.

  Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, [and soldiers], with scaling-ladders, their drums beating a dead march

  TALBOT    Lord Regent, and redoubted8 Burgundy,

  By whose approach9 the regions of Artois,

  Wallon10, and Picardy are friends to us:

  This happy night the Frenchmen are secure11,

  Having all day caroused and banqueted:

  Embrace we then this opportunity,

  As fitting best to quittance14 their deceit,

  Contrived by art and baleful15 sorcery.

  BEDFORD    Coward of France! How much he wrongs his fame16,

  Despairing of his own arm’s fortitude17,

  To join with witches and the help of hell.

  BURGUNDY    Traitors have never other company.

  But what’s that Pucelle whom they term so pure?

  TALBOT    A maid, they say.

  BEDFORD    A maid? And be so martial?

  BURGUNDY    Pray God she prove not masculine23 ere long,

  If underneath the standard24 of the French

  She carry armour25 as she hath begun.

  TALBOT    Well, let them practise and converse26 with spirits.

  God is our fortress, in whose conquering name

  Let us resolve to scale their flinty28 bulwarks.

  BEDFORD    Ascend, brave Talbot, we will follow thee.

  TALBOT    Not all together: better far, I guess,

  That we do make our entrance several31 ways:

  That, if it chance the one of us do fail,

  The other yet may rise against their force.

  BEDFORD    Agreed: I’ll to yond34 corner.

  BURGUNDY    And I to this.

  TALBOT    And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.

  Now, Salisbury, for thee, and for the right

  Of English Henry, shall this night appear

  How much in duty I am bound to both.

  SENTINELS    Arm! Arm! The enemy doth make assault!

  [English soldiers, having scaled the walls] cry: ‘Saint George,’ ‘A Talbot.’

  The French leap o’er the walls in their shirts. Enter several ways [the] Bastard [of Orléans], Alençon [and] Reignier, half ready, and half unready

  ALENÇON    How now, my lords? What, all unready so?

  BASTARD    Unready? Ay, and glad we scaped so well.

  REIGNIER    ’Twas time, I trow43, to wake and leave our beds,

  Hearing alarums at our chamber doors.

  ALENÇON    Of all exploits since first I followed arms,

  Ne’er heard I of a warlike enterprise

  More venturous or desperate47 than this.

  BASTARD    I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.

  REIGNIER    If not of hell, the heavens sure favour him.

  ALENÇON    Here cometh Charles: I marvel how he sped50.

  Enter Charles and Joan [la Pucelle]

  BASTARD    Tut, holy51 Joan was his defensive guard.

  CHARLES    Is this thy cunning52, thou deceitful dame?

  Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal53,

  Make us partakers of a little gain,

  That now our loss might be ten times so much?

  PUCELLE    Wherefore is Charles impatient56 with his friend?

  At all times will you have my power alike57?

  Sleeping or waking must I still prevail58,

  Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?

  Improvident60 soldiers, had your watch been good,

  This sudden mischief never could have fall’n61.

  CHARLES    Duke of Alençon, this was your default62,

  That, being captain of the watch tonight,