Profper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious ftar thy foul will make
Than Julius Cæfar.

SCENE II.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all!
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of lofs, of flaughter, and difcomfiture;
Guienne, Champaign, and Rheims, and Orleans,

Paris, Guyfors, Poitiers, are all quite loft.

Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse?
Speak foftly, or the lofs of those great towns

Will make him burst his lead, and rife from death.
Glou. Is Paris loft, and Orleans yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the ghoft.
Exe. How were they loft? what treachery was us’d?
Mess. No treachery, but want of men and money.
Amongst the foldiers this is muttered,

That here you maintain fev'ral factions;

And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,
You are difputing of your generals.

One would have ling'ring wars with little cost;
Another would fly fwift, but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expence at all
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain❜d.
Awake, awake, English nobility!
Let not floth dim your honours, new begot:
Crop'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call forth her flowing tides..

a

England's.

Bed.

Bed. Me they concern, regent I am of France: Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France. Away with these disgraceful, wailing robes! Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes, To weep their intermiffive miseries.

2 Meff. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mifchance. France is revolted from the English quite,

Except fome petty towns of no import.

The dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims;
The baftard Orleans with him is join'd;
Reignier duke of Anjou takes his part;
The duke of Alanfon flies to his fide.

Exe. The dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!

O, whither fhall we fly from this reproach?

Glou. We will not fly but to our enemies' throats. Bedford, if thou be flack, I'll fight it out.

Bed. Glofter, why doubt'ft thou of my forwardness? An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is overrun.

SCENE IV.

Enter a Third Messenger.

3 Meff. My gracious lords, to add to your laments Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse, I must inform you of a dismal fight

Betwixt the ftout lord Talbot and the French.

Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't fo?

3. Meff. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumftance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of august laft, this dreadful lord Retiring from the fiege of Orleans,

Having scarce full fix thousand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompaffed and fet upon.
No leisure had he to enrank his men;
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges,
They pitched in the ground confufedly,

To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued;
Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,
Enacted wonders with his fword and lance.
Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durft ftand him;
Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he flew.
The French exclaim'd, the devil was in arms;
All the whole army stood agaz'd on him.
His foldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! Talbot! cried out amain,
And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conqueft fully been feal'd up,
If fir John Falstaff had not play'd the coward:
He being in the rereward, (plac'd behind
With purpose to relieve and follow them)
Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.
Hence grew
the gen'ral wreck and massacre;
Enclosed were they with their enemies.
A base Walloon, to win the dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back,

Whom all France with their chief affembled strength

Durft not prefume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot flain then? I will flay myself,

For living idly here in pomp and ease;
Whilft fuch a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his daftard foemen is betray'd.

3 Meff. O, no, he lives, but is took prifoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford;

VOL. IV.

* See the note on the fifth scene of act 3.
B

Moft

Most of the rest slaughter'd or took likewise.

Bed. His ranfome there is none but I fhall pay.
I'll hale the dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown fhall be the ransome of my friend:
Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.
Farewel, my mafters, to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great faint George's feast withal.
Ten thousand foldiers with me I will take,
Whose bloody deeds fhall make all Europe quake.
3 Meff. So you had need; 'fore Orleans befieg'd
The English army is grown weak and faint :
The earl of Salisbury craveth fupply,

And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,

Since they fo few watch fuch a multitude.

Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry fworn:

Either to quell the dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

Bed. I do remember it, and here take leave,

To go about my preparation.

[Exit.

Glou. I'll to the tower with all the hafte I can,

To view th' artillery and ammunition,

And then I will proclaim young Henry king.

[Exit.

Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is,

Being ordain'd his fpecial governour,

And for his fafety there I'll beft devise.

[Exit.

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend :

SCENE V.

Before Orleans in France.

Enter Dauphin, Alanfon, and Reignier, marching with a drum

Dau.

M

and Soldiers.

ARS his true moving, ev'n as in the heav'ns,

So in the earth, to this day is not known.

Late did he shine upon the English fide:

Now we are victors, upon us he smiles.
What towns of any moment but we have?

At pleasure here we lie near Orleans:

Though still the famish'd English, like pale ghofts,

Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alan. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves ;

Either they must be dieted like mules,

And have their provender ty'd to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look like drowned mice.
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:
Remaineth none but madbrain'd Salisbury;
And he may well in fretting spend his gall,
Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

Dau. Sound, found alarum: we will rufh on them:
Now for the honour of the forlorn French:

Him I forgive my death that killeth me,

When he fees me go back one foot to fly.

[Exeunt.

[Here alarum, they are beaten back by the English, with great lofs.

Enter Dauphin, Alanfon, and Reignier.

Dau. Who ever faw the like? what men have I? Dogs, cowards, daftards! I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midft my enemies.

Reig. Salisbury is a defp'rate homicide; He fighteth as one weary of his life:

B 2

Two