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Puc. Paisans, les pauvres gens de France:
Poor market-folks, that come to sell their corn.
Guard. Enter; go in the market-bell is rung.

[Opens the gates.

Puc. Now, Rouen, I'll shake thy bulwarks to the
ground.
[Pucelle, &c., enter the city.

Enter CHARLES, Bastard of Orleans, ALENÇON,
and Forces.

Char. Saint Denis bless this happy stratagem,
And once again we 'll sleep secure in Rouen.

Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle and her practisants;
Now she is there, how will she specify
Where is the best and safest passage in?

Reig. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower; Which, once discern'd, shews that her meaning is, No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd.

Enter La Pucelle on a battlement, holding out a
burning torch.

Puc. Behold! this is the happy wedding torch
That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen,

But burning fatal to the Talbotites.

Bast.

See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend! The burning torch in yonder turret stands.

ing. Folios, che la. Rowe suggested, Qui va là? (R)

Cam

14 Paisans, les pauvres. bridge, Paysans, pauvres. Folios, peasauns la pouure. This use of French is possibly a touch of the older Talbot play. (R)

20 practisants [accomplices, plotters]. "Practice" was used to mean practice by treacherous arts especially. So 66 would'st

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30

thou have practis'd on me for thy use, " Henry V., II. ii. 99. (w)

22 Where is. The folio, Here is, an obvious misprint corrected by Rowe. (w)

23, 33 Given by White to Alençon. (R)

25 to that, compared with that. "No way into the town is so illdefended as that by which she entered." (R)

Char. Now shine it like a comet of revenge,

A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

Reig. Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends: Enter, and cry, "The Dolphin !" presently,

And then do execution on the watch.

[They enter.

Alarums. Enter TALBOT and English Soldiers.

Tal. France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy

tears,

If Talbot but survive thy treachery.

Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress,
Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,
That hardly we escap'd the pride of France.

[Exeunt to the town.

Alarum: Excursions. Enter, from the town, BEDFORD, brought in sick in a chair, with TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and the English Forces. Then, enter on the walls, La Pucelle, CHARLES, Bastard, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others.

Puc. Good morrow, gallants. Want ye corn for bread?

I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast

Before he 'll buy again at such a rate.

"T was full of darnel; do you like the taste?

Bur. Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtezan!
I trust, ere long, to choke thee with thine own,
And make thee curse the harvest of that corn.

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40

44 darnel. "Darnel hurteth the eyes, and maketh them dim, if it happen either in corne for bread or drink" (Gerarde's Herball). (R)

(R)

Char. Your Grace may starve, perhaps, before that

time.

Bed. O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason!

Puc.

What will you do, good grey-beard? break 50 a lance,

And run a tilt at Death within a chair?

Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite,
Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours,
Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age,
And twit with cowardice a man half dead?
Damsel, I'll have a bout with you again,

Or else let Talbot perish with this shame.

Puc. Are you so hot, sir ?— Yet, Pucelle, hold thy

peace:

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[TALBOT and the rest consult together. God speed the Parliament! who shall be the speaker? 60 Dare ye come forth and meet us in the field?

Tal.

Puc. Belike your lordship takes us then for fools,

To try if that our own be ours or no.

Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecate,

But unto thee, Alençon, and the rest.

Will

ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out?

Alen. Signior, no.

Tal. Signior, hang! - base muleteers of France!
Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls,
And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

Puc. Away, captains! let's get us from the walls,

51 A reference to Bedford's age; cf. ll. 88-9, below. (R)

64 Hecate, one of the names given Diana; here used generally, as in Macbeth, to mean a witch. A trisyllable, but else

70

where in Shakespeare dissyllabic. (R)

67 Signior, used ironically, a fact which accounts for a part of the heat of Talbot's answer. (R)

For Talbot means no goodness, by his looks.
God b' wi' y', my lord: we came but to tell
That we are here.

you

[Exeunt La Pucelle, &c., from the walls.
Tal. And there will we be, too, ere it be long,
Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame.
Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house,
Prick'd on by public wrongs sustain'd in France,
Either to get the town again or die;
And I, as sure as English Henry lives,
And as his father here was conqueror,
As sure as in this late-betrayed town
Great Coeur-de-lion's heart was buried,
So sure I swear to get the town or die.

Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows.
Tal. But ere we go, regard this dying Prince,
The valiant Duke of Bedford. - Come, my lord,
We will bestow you in some better place,
Fitter for sickness and for crazy age.

Bed.

Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me:
Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen,
And will be partner of your weal or woe.

Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade

you.

Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick,

88 The heart of Richard Cœurde-lion was buried in the cathedral at Rouen. Holinshed tells of this and not Hall. (R)

89 crazy. An old, shaky building is still spoken of as crazy. (R)

95 stout Pendragon. Uther Pendragon was King Arthur's

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father. It was Aurelius, the brother of Pendragon, who, as we read in Holinshed, caused himself to be carried forth in a litter, and by his presence so encouraged the Britons that they were victorious over the Saxons. (w) [Rolfe says that the story is found in Harding.]

Came to the field and vanquished his foes.
Methinks I should revive the soldiers' hearts,
Because I ever found them as myself.

Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!

Then, be it so:- Heavens keep old Bedford safe! -
And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,

But gather we our forces out of hand,

And set upon our boasting enemy.

[Exeunt BURGUNDY, TALBOT, and Forces, leaving BEDFORD and others.

Alarums: Excursions. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE, and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such haste?

Fastolfe. Whither away? to save myself by flight: We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot?
Fast.

Ay, [Exit.

[Exit.

All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.
Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee.

Retreat: Excursions. Enter, from the town, La Pucelle, ALENÇON, CHARLES, &c., and exeunt, flying.

100

Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when Heaven please, 110 For I have seen our enemies' overthrow.

What is the trust or strength of foolish man?
They, that of late were daring with their scoffs,
Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves.

VOL. VIII.

[Dies, and is carried off in his chair.

102 out of hand, immediately. (R)

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