Puc. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

[Here they fight, and Joan La Pucelle overcomes. Char. Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon,

And fightest with the sword of Deborah.

Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak.
Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me :
Impatiently I burn with thy desire ;

My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued.
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.
Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.
Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;

IIO

Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. 120 Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do know: These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans, or no?

Puc. Why, no, I say,

distrustful recreants!

Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard.
Char. What she says I'll confirm: we'll fight it out.
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.
Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?

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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 reverently 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 and be immortalized. Char. Presently we'll try: come, let's away about it: No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.

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[Exeunt.

Scene III.

London. Before the Tower.

Enter the Duke of Gloucester, with his Serving-men in blue coats.

Glou. I am come to survey the Tower this day:
Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.
Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls.

First Warder. [Within] Who's there that knocks so imperiously?

First Serv. It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.

Second Warder. [Within] Whoe'er he be, you may not

be let in.

First Serv. Villains, answer you so the lord protector? First Warder. [Within] The Lord protect him! so we answer him:

IO

We do no otherwise than we are will'd. Glou. Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine? There's none protector of the realm but I. Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize : Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? [Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, and Woodvile the Lieutenant speaks within.

Woodv. What noise is this? what traitors have we here? Glou. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?

Open the gates; here's Gloucester that would enter. Woodv. Have patience, noble duke; I may not open ; The Cardinal of Winchester forbids:

From him I have express commandment

That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.
Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me?
Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,

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Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? Thou art no friend to God or to the king: Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly. Serving-men. Open the gates unto the lord protector, Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.

Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates Winchester and his men in tawny coats.

Win. How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this? Glou. 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.

Glou. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,

Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord;
Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin:
I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat,
20 b

17

31

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.

Glou. 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.

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:

Win. Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face.
Glou. What! am I dared 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

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. Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope.

Glou. Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope!
Now beat them hence; why do

you

50

let them stay? Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array. Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite!

Here Gloucester's men beat out the Cardinal's men, and 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!