Glo. Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut

out?

Win. I do, thou most usurping proditor,

And not protector of the king or realm.

Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,
Thou that contriv'dst to murder our dead lord;
Thou that giv'st whores indulgences to sin:
I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat,

If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

Win. Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot: This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,

To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

Glo. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back: Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth

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

Win. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy face.
Glo. What! am I dar'd, and bearded to my face?—
Draw, men, for all this privileged place;

Blue-coats to tawny-coats.-Priest, beware your beard;
I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly:
Under my feet I'll stamp thy cardinal's hat;
In spite of pope or dignities of church,

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

Win. Gloster, thou wilt answer this before the pope.
Glo. Winchester goose! I cry, a rope! a rope!-
Now beat them hence, why do you let them stay?-
Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.-
Out, tawny-coats!-Out, scarlet hypocrite!

GLOSTER and his Servants attack the other Party. In the tumult, enter the Mayor of London and 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.

Win. Here's Gloster, too, a foe to citizens; One that still motions 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. Naught rests for me, in this tumultuous strife,

But to make open proclamation:

Come, officer, as loud as e'er thou canst.

Off [reads.] 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 repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death. Glo. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law; But we shall meet and break our minds at large. Win. Gloster, we'll meet, to thy dear cost, be Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work. May. I'll call for clubs if you will not away:— This cardinal's more haughty than the devil. Glo. Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou may'st. Win. Abominable Gloster! guard thy head; For I intend to have it ere long.

sure:

[Exeunt severally, GLO. and WIN., with their Servants.

May. See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart.Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear! I myself fight not once in forty year.

SCENE IV.-FRANCE. Before Orleans.

[Exeunt.

Enter, on the walls, the Master-Gunner and his Son. M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieg'd, And how the English have the suburbs won.

Son. Father, I know; and oft have shot at them,

Howe'er, unfortunate, I missed my aim.

M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. Be thou rul'd by me : Chief master-gunner am I of this town;

Something I must do to procure me grace.

The prince's espials have informed me

How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd,

Wont, 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 inconvenience,

A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd;
And even these three days have I watch'd 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.

[Exit.

Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care;

I'll never trouble you if I may spy them.

Enter, in an upper Chamber of a Tower, 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 gott'st thou to be releas'd?
Discourse, I pr'ythee, on this turret's top.

Tal. The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner
Call'd 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:
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. 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.
That they suppos'd I could rend bars of steel,
And spurn in pieces posts of adamant:
Wherefore a guard of chosen shot 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.

Sal. grieve to hear what torments you endur'd; But we will be reveng'd sufficiently.

Now it is supper-time in Orleans:

Here, through this grate, I can 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 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.

[Shot from the town. SAL. and SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE fall. Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!

Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful 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 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 wants mercy at thy hands!—
Bear hence his body; I will help to bury it.
Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him.-
Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort;
Thou shalt not die whiles-

He beckons with his hand, and smiles on me,
As 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 burn:
Wretched shall France be only in my name.

[Thunder heard; afterwards an alarum. What stir is this? What tumult's in the heavens? Whence cometh this alarum, and the noise?

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord, my lord, the French have gather'd head : The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'd,—

A holy prophetess new risen up,—

Is come with a great power to raise the siege.

[SAL. lifts himself and groans.

Tal. Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan !
It irks his heart he cannot be reveng'd.-
Frenchmen, I'll be a Salisbury to you:-
Pucelle or puzzle, dolphin or dogfish,

Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels,
And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.-
Convey me Salisbury into his tent,

And then we'll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare. [Exeunt, bearing out the bodies.

SCENE V.-The same. Before one of the Gates. Alarum; skirmishings. Enter TALBOT, pursuing the DauPHIN, drives him in, and exit: then enter JOAN LA PUCELLE, driving Englishmen before her, and exit after them: then re-enter TALBOT.

Tal. Where is my strength, my valour, and my force? Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them; A woman clad in armour chaseth them.

Here, here she comes.

Enter LA PUCELLE.

I'll have a bout with thee;

Devil or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee:

Blood will I draw on thee,-thou art a witch,--
And straightway give thy soul to him thou serv'st.
Puc. Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace thee.

[They fight.

Tal. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail? My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage, And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder, But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet.

[They fight again. Puc. [retiring.] Talbot, farewell: thy hour is not yet

come:

I must go victual Orleans forthwith.

O'ertake me if thou canst; I scorn thy strength.

Go, go, cheer up thy hunger-starved men;

Help Salisbury to make his testament:

This day is ours, as many more shall be.

[LA PUC. enters the town with Soldiers.

Tal. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel;

I know not where I am nor what I do:

A witch by fear, not force, like Hannibal

Drives back our troops, and conquers as she lists: