Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.
Who join'st thou with but with a lordly nation
That will not trust thee but for profit's sake?
When Talbot hath set footing once in France,
And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill,
Who then but English Henry will be lord,
And thou be thrust out like a fugitive?

64

Call we to mind, and mark but this for proof,
Was not the Duke of Orleans thy foe,

68

72

And was he not in England prisoner?
But when they heard he was thine enemy,
They set him free, without his ransom paid,
In spite of Burgundy and all his friends.
See then, thou fight'st against thy countrymen !
And join'st with them will be thy slaughtermen.
Come, come, return; return, thou wandering lord; 76
Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms.

Bur. I am vanquished; these haughty words of hers

Have batter'd me like roaring cannon-shot,

And made me almost yield upon my knees.
Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen!
And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace:
My forces and my power of men are yours.
So, farewell, Talbot; I'll no longer trust thee.

80

84

Joan. Done like a Frenchman: turn, and turn again!

Char. Welcome, brave duke! thy friendship makes us fresh.

Bast. And doth beget new courage in our breasts. Alen. Pucelle hath bravely play'd her part in this,

61 progeny: descent 49-73 Cf. n.

88

65 that instrument of: instrument of that (?) 85 Cf. n.

And doth deserve a coronet of gold.

Char. Now let us on, my lords, and join our

powers:

And seek how we may prejudice the foe.

Scene Four

[Paris. A Room in the Palace]

Exeunt.

Enter the King, Gloucester, Winchester, York, Suffolk, Somerset, Warwick, Exeter [Vernon, Basset, and Others]. To them, with his Soldiers, Talbot.

Tal. My gracious prince, and honourable peers, Hearing of your arrival in this realm,

I have a while giv'n truce unto my wars,
To do my duty to my sovereign:

In sign whereof, this arm,-that hath reclaim'd
To your obedience fifty fortresses,

Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength, Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem,

Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet,
And with submissive loyalty of heart,
Ascribes the glory of his conquest got,

First to my God, and next unto your Grace.

King. Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloucester,

8

12

That hath so long been resident in France?
Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege.
King. Welcome, brave captain and victorious
lord!

When I was young,-as yet I am not old,-
I do remember how my father said,

A stouter champion never handled sword.
91 prejudice: injure

16

18 Cf. n.

Long since we were resolved of your truth,
Your faithful service and your toil in war;
Yet never have you tasted our reward,

Or been reguerdon'd with so much as thanks,
Because till now we never saw your face:
Therefore, stand up; and for these good deserts,
We here create you Earl of Shrewsbury;

And in our coronation take your place.

20

24

Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt.

Mane[n]t Vernon and Basset.

Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours that I wear

In honour of my noble Lord of York,

29

Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?
Bas. Yes, sir: as well as you dare patronage

The envious barking of your saucy tongue
Against my lord the Duke of Somerset.

Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.

Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York.
Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that.

33

38

Strikes him.

Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such That, whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death, Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood. 40 But I'll unto his majesty, and crave

I

may have liberty to venge this wrong;

When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost.
Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as

you;

And, after, meet you sooner than you would.

20 resolved: convinced

soon as

44

ACT FOURTH

Scene One

[Paris. A Room of State]

Enter King, Gloucester, Winchester, York, Suffolk, Somerset, Warwick, Talbot, Exeter, and Gov

ernor.

Glo. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head. Win. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth. Glo. Now, Governor of Paris, take your oath,

[Governor kneels.] That you elect no other king but him, Esteem none friends but such as are his friends, And none your foes but such as shall pretend Malicious practices against his state:

This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!

8

[The Governor takes the oath and exit.]

Enter Fastolfe.

Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your Grace from the Duke of Burgundy. 12
Tal. Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!
I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the garter from thy craven's leg;

[Plucking it off.]

Which I have done, because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree.
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest:
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,

Act Fourth, Scene One; cf. n.
4 elect: accept

15 the garter: Order of the Garter

16

6 pretend: purpose

19 Patay; cf. n.

When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire did run away:

In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,
Were there surpris'd and taken prisoners.

Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no?

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous
And ill beseeming any common man,

20

24

28

Much more a knight, a captain and a leader.

32

Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,

Knights of the garter were of noble birth,

Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;

36

40

Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.
He then that is not furnish'd in this sort
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order;
And should-if I were worthy to be judge-
Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.
King. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy
doom.

Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
Henceforth we banish thee on pain of death.

44

[Exit Fastolfe.]

And now, my Lord Protector, view the letter
Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy.

30 fact: misdeed

38 most extremes: greatest extremities 39 furnish'd in this sort: so endowed

48

37 distress: physical suffering