20

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

  21

  TALBOT

  A maid, they say.

  22

  BEDFORD A maid? And be so martial?

  23

  BURGUNDY

  Pray God she prove not masculine ere long,

  24

  If underneath the standard of the French

  25

  She carry armor as she hath begun.

  26

  TALBOT

  Well, let them practice and converse with spirits.

  27

  God is our fortress, in whose conquering name

  28

  Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.

  29

  BEDFORD

  Ascend, brave Talbot. We will follow thee.

  30

  TALBOT

  Not all together. Better far, I guess,

  31

  That we do make our entrance several ways,

  32

  That if it chance the one of us do fail,

  33

  The other yet may rise against their force.

  34

  BEDFORD

  Agreed. I’ll to yond corner.

  35

  BURGUNDY And I to this.

  36

  TALBOT

  And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.

  37

  Now, Salisbury, for thee and for the right

  38

  Of English Henry, shall this night appear

  39

  How much in duty I am bound to both.

  40

  cry

  “Saint George! À Talbot!”

  SENTINEL

  Arm, arm! The enemy doth make assault.

  41

 

  The French leap o’er the walls in their shirts.

  Enter several ways, Bastard, Alanson, Reignier,

  half ready, and half unready.

  ALANSON

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

  42

  BASTARD

  Unready? Ay, and glad we scaped so well.

  43

  REIGNIER

  ’Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,

  44

  Hearing alarums at our chamber doors.

  45

  ALANSON

  Of all exploits since first I followed arms

  46

  Ne’er heard I of a warlike enterprise

  47

  More venturous or desperate than this.

  48

  BASTARD

  I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.

  49

  REIGNIER

  If not of hell, the heavens sure favor him.

  50

  ALANSON

  Here cometh Charles. I marvel how he sped.

  51

  Enter Charles and Joan

  BASTARD

  Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.

  52

  CHARLES

  Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?

  53

  Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal,

  54

  Make us partakers of a little gain

  55

  That now our loss might be ten times so much?

  56

  PUCELLE

  Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend?

  57

  At all times will you have my power alike?

  58

  Sleeping or waking, must I still prevail,

  59

  Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?—

  60

  Improvident soldiers, had your watch been good,

  61

  This sudden mischief never could have fall’n.

  62

  CHARLES

  Duke of Alanson, this was your default,

  63

  That, being captain of the watch tonight,

  64

  Did look no better to that weighty charge.

  65

  ALANSON

  Had all your quarters been as safely kept

  66

  As that whereof I had the government,

  67

  We had not been thus shamefully surprised.

  68

  BASTARD

  Mine was secure.

  69

  REIGNIER And so was mine, my lord.

  70

  CHARLES

  And for myself, most part of all this night

  71

  Within her quarter and mine own precinct

  72

  I was employed in passing to and fro

  73

  About relieving of the sentinels.

  74

  Then how or which way should they first break in?

  75

  PUCELLE

  Question, my lords, no further of the case,

  76

  How or which way; ’tis sure they found some place

  77

  But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.

  78

  And now there rests no other shift but this:

  79

  To gather our soldiers, scattered and dispersed,

  80

  And lay new platforms to endamage them.

  81

  Alarum. Enter Soldier, crying,

  “À Talbot, À Talbot!” fly,

  leaving their clothes behind.

  SOLDIER

  I’ll be so bold to take what they have left.

  82

  The cry of “Talbot” serves me for a sword,

  83

  For I have loaden me with many spoils,

  84

  Using no other weapon but his name.

  85

  He exits.

 

  Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy,

  BEDFORD

  The day begins to break and night is fled,

  1

  Whose pitchy mantle over-veiled the earth.

  2

  Here sound retreat and cease our hot pursuit.

  3

  Retreat

  TALBOT

  Bring forth the body of old Salisbury,

  4

  And here advance it in the marketplace,

  5

  The middle center of this cursèd town.

  6

 

  Drums beating a dead march.

  Now have I paid my vow unto his soul:

  7

  For every drop of blood was drawn from him

  8

  There hath at least five Frenchmen died tonight.

  9

  And, that hereafter ages may behold

  10

  What ruin happened in revenge of him,

  11

  Within their chiefest temple I’ll erect

  12

  A tomb wherein his corpse shall be interred,

  13

  Upon the which, that everyone may read,

  14

  Shall be engraved the sack of Orleance,

  15

  The treacherous manner of his mournful death,

  16

  And what a terror he had been to France.

  17

 

  But, lords, in all our bloody massacre,

  18

  I muse we met not with the Dauphin’s grace,

  19

  His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of

  20

  Nor any of his false confederates.

  21

  BEDFORD

  ’Tis thought, Lord Talbot, when the fight began,

  22

  Roused on the sudden from their drowsy beds,

  23

  They did amongst the troops of armèd men

  24

  Leap o’er the walls for refuge in the field.

  25

  BURGUNDY

  Myself, as far as I could well discern

  26

  For smoke and dusky vapors of the night,

  27

  Am sure I scared the Dauphin and his trull,

  28

  When arm-in-arm they both came swiftly running,

  29

  Like to a pair of loving turtledoves

  30

  That could not live asunder day or night.

  31

  After that things are set in order here,

  32

  We’ll follow them with all the power we have.

  33

  Enter a Messenger.

  MESSENGER

  All hail, my lords. Which of this princely train

  34

  Call you the warlike Talbot, for his acts

  35

  So much applauded through the realm of France?

  36

  TALBOT

  Here is the Talbot. Who would speak with him?

  37

  MESSENGER

  The virtuous lady, Countess of Auvergne,

  38

  With modesty admiring thy renown,

  39

  By me entreats, great lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe

  40

  To visit her poor castle where she lies,

  41

  That she may boast she hath beheld the man

  42

  Whose glory fills the world with loud report.

  43

  BURGUNDY

  Is it even so? Nay, then, I see our wars

  44

  Will turn unto a peaceful comic sport,

  45

  When ladies crave to be encountered with.

  46

  You may not, my lord, despise her gentle suit.

  47

  TALBOT

  Ne’er trust me, then; for when a world of men

  48

  Could not prevail with all their oratory,

  49

  Yet hath a woman’s kindness overruled.—

  50

  And therefore tell her I return great thanks,

  51

  And in submission will attend on her.—

  52

  Will not your Honors bear me company?

  53

  BEDFORD

  No, truly, ’tis more than manners will;

  54

  And I have heard it said unbidden guests

  55

  Are often welcomest when they are gone.

  56

  TALBOT

  Well then, alone, since there’s no remedy,

  57

  I mean to prove this lady’s courtesy.—

  58

  Come hither, captain.

  59

  Whispers.

  You perceive my mind?

  60

  CAPTAIN

  I do, my lord, and mean accordingly.

  61

  They exit.

 

  Enter Countess

  COUNTESS

  Porter, remember what I gave in charge,

  1

  And when you have done so, bring the keys to me.

  2

  PORTER  Madam, I will.

  3

  He exits.

  COUNTESS

  The plot is laid. If all things fall out right,

  4

  I shall as famous be by this exploit

  5

  As Scythian Tamyris by Cyrus’ death.

  6

  Great is the rumor of this dreadful knight,

  7

  And his achievements of no less account.

  8

  Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears

  9

  To give their censure of these rare reports.

  10

  Enter Messenger and Talbot.

  MESSENGER

  Madam, according as your Ladyship desired,

  11

  By message craved, so is Lord Talbot come.

  12

  COUNTESS

  And he is welcome. What, is this the man?

  13

  MESSENGER

  Madam, it is.

  14

  COUNTESS Is this the scourge of France?

  15

  Is this the Talbot, so much feared abroad

  16

  That with his name the mothers still their babes?

  17

  I see report is fabulous and false.

  18

  I thought I should have seen some Hercules,

  19

  A second Hector, for his grim aspect

  20

  And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.

  21

  Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf!

  22

  It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp

  23

  Should strike such terror to his enemies.

  24

  TALBOT

  Madam, I have been bold to trouble you.

  25

  But since your Ladyship is not at leisure,

  26

  I’ll sort some other time to visit you.

  27

 

  COUNTESS,

  What means he now? Go ask him whither he goes.

  28

  MESSENGER

  Stay, my Lord Talbot, for my lady craves

  29

  To know the cause of your abrupt departure.

  30

  TALBOT

  Marry, for that she’s in a wrong belief,

  31

  I go to certify her Talbot’s here.

  32

  Enter Porter with keys.

  COUNTESS,

  If thou be he, then art thou prisoner.

  33

  TALBOT

  Prisoner? To whom?

  34

  COUNTESS To me, bloodthirsty lord.

  35

  And for that cause I trained thee to my house.

  36

  Long time thy shadow hath been thrall to me,

  37

  For in my gallery thy picture hangs.

  38

  But now the substance shall endure the like,

  39

  And I will chain these legs and arms of thine,

  40

  That hast by tyranny these many years

  41

  Wasted our country, slain our citizens,

  42

  And sent our sons and husbands captivate.

  43

  TALBOT  Ha, ha, ha!

  44

  COUNTESS

  Laughest thou, wretch? Thy mirth shall turn to moan.

  45

  TALBOT

  I laugh to see your Ladyship so fond

  46

  To think that you have aught but Talbot’s shadow

  47

  Whereon to practice your severity.

  48

  COUNTESS  Why, art not thou the man?

  49

  TALBOT  I am, indeed.

  50

  COUNTESS  Then have I substance too.

  51