And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex. 90
Resolve on this,-thou shalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy
high terms:

Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,—
In single combat thou shalt buckle with me,
And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;
Otherwise I renounce all confidence.

Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd sword,

Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side;

The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's

110

Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy servant, and not sovereign, be:
"Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.
Puc. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profession's sacred from above:
When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompense.

Char. Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. 4

[Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;

Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?5

121

Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge. This night the siege assuredly I'll raise: Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days, 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 nought. With Henry's death the English circle ends; Dispersed are the glories it included. Now am I like that proud insulting ship Which Cæsar and his fortune bare at once.]

141

Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove? Thou with an eagle art inspired, then. [Helen, the mother of great Constantine, Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee.

Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth, How may I reverent worship thee enough?]

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

Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;

Drive them from Orleans, be immortaliz'd. Char. Presently we 'll try:-come, let 's away

about it:-

No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. 150 [Exeunt.

[SCENE III. London. Before the Gates of

the Tower.

Enter the DUKE OF GLOSTER, with his Serving-' men in blue coats.

Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day:

Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.6

• Conveyance, dishonesty.

27

array.Out, tawny coats!-out, scarlet hypocrite!

55

Here Gloster's men beat out the Cardinal's men; enter, in the hurly-burly, the Mayor of London' and his officers.

May. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates,

Thus contumeliously should break the peace! Glo. Peace, mayor!" thou know'st little of my wrongs: } Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,

Hath here distrain'd' the Tower to his use.

60

Win. Here's Gloster too, a foe to citizens, One that still motionss war, and never peace, O'ercharging your free 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 prince.
Glo. I will not answer thee with words, but
blows.
[Here they skirmish again..
May. Nought rests for me in this tumultuous
strife,

But to make open proclamation:
Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst.

70

Enter, on the turret, the LORDS SALISBURY and TALBOT, SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE, SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE, and others.

Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! How wert thou handled, being prisoner? Or by what means got'st thou to be releas'd? Discourse, I prithee, on this turret's top.

[Tal. The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner Called the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles; For him was I exchang'd and ransomed. But with a baser man of arms by far, Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd

me:

30

Which I, disdaining, scorn'd; and craved death
Rather than I would be so vile-esteem'd.
In fine, redeem'd I was as I desir'd.
But, O, the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my
heart!

Whom with my bare fists I would execute,
If I now had him brought into my power.

Sal. Yet tell'st thou not how thou wert entertain'd.]

Tal. With scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts.

40

In open market-place produc'd 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 digg'd stones out of the
ground,

To hurl at the beholders of my shame:
My grisly countenance made others fly;
None durst come near for fear of sudden death.
In iron walls they deem'd me not secure;
So great fear of my name 'mongst them was
spread,

50

That they suppos'd I could rend bars of steel,
And spurn in pieces posts of adamant:
Wherefore a guard of chosen shot2 I had,
That walk'd about me every minute-while;
And if I did but stir out of my bed,
Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.

And view the Frenchmen how they fortify: Let us look in; the sight will much delight thee.

[Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glansdale,

Let me have your express opinions

Where is best place to make our battery next. Gar. I think, at the north gate; for there stand lords.

Glan. And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge.]

Tal. For aught I see, this city must be famish'd,

Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.3

[A shot comes from the town. Salisbury and Gargrave fall.

Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!

70

[Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woful man!]

Tal. What chance is this that suddenly hath cross'd us?

Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak:
How far'st thou, mirror of all martial men?
[One of thy eyes and thy cheek's side struck
off!-]

Accursed tower! accursed fatal hand
That hath contriv'd this woeful tragedy!
[In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame;
Henry the Fifth he first train'd to the wars;
Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck

1 Grisly, grim, terrible.

2 Shot, i.e. marksmen.

3 Enfeebled, pronounced here as a quadrisyllable.