Henry VI (Parts I, II and III) (Signet Classics)

  Either they must be dieted10 like mules,

  And have their provender11 tied to their mouths,

  Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.

  REIGNIER Let's raise13 the siege: why live we idly here?

  Talbot is taken, whom we wont14 to fear:

  Remaineth none but mad-brained Salisbury,

  And he may well in fretting spend his gall16,

  Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

  CHARLES Sound, sound alarum18! We will rush on them.

  Now for the honour of the forlorn19 French:

  Him I forgive my death that killeth me

  When he sees me go back one foot or fly.

  Exeunt

  Here alarum: they are beaten back by the English with great loss

  Enter Charles, Alencon and Reignier

  CHARLES Who ever saw the like? What men have I?

  Dogs, cowards, dastards23! I would ne'er have fled,

  But that they left me 'midst my enemies.

  REIGNIER Salisbury is a desperate homicide25;

  He fighteth as one weary of his life:

  The other lords, like lions27 wanting food,

  Do rush upon us as their hungry28 prey.

  ALENCON Froissart29, a countryman of ours, records

  England all Olivers and Rowlands30 bred,

  During the time Edward the Third did reign:

  More truly now may this be verified;

  For none but Samsons and Goliases33

  It sendeth forth to skirmish: one to ten34!

  Lean raw-boned rascals35, who would e'er suppose

  They had such courage and audacity?

  CHARLES Let's leave this town, for they are hare-brained slaves37,

  And hunger will enforce them to be more eager38:

  Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

  The walls they'll tear down than forsake40 the siege.

  REIGNIER I think by some odd gimmers or device41

  Their arms are set, like clocks, still42 to strike on;

  Else ne'er could they hold out so as they do:

  By my consent, we'll even44 let them alone.

  ALENCON Be it so.

  Enter the Bastard of Orleans

  BASTARD Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

  CHARLES Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

  BASTARD Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appalled48.

  Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence49?

  Be not dismayed, for succour is at hand:

  A holy maid hither with me I bring,

  Which by a vision sent to her from heaven,

  Ordained is to raise this tedious53 siege

  And drive the English forth the bounds54 of France:

  The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,

  Exceeding the nine sibyls56 of old Rome:

  What's past and what's to come she can descry57.

  Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,

  For they are certain and unfallible.

  CHARLES Go, call her in.

  [Exit Bastard of Orleans]

  But first, to try60 her skill,

  Reignier, stand thou as dauphin in my place:

  Question her proudly62: let thy looks be stern:

  By this means shall we sound63 what skill she hath.

  Enter [the Bastard of Orleans, with] Joan [la] Pucelle [armed]

  As Charles

  REIGNIER Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats?

  PUCELLE Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to beguile65 me?

  To Charles

  Where is the dauphin?-- Come, come from behind:

  I know thee well, though never seen before.

  Be not amazed, there's nothing hid from me;

  In private will I talk with thee apart69:

  Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.

  Reignier, Aiencon, and Bastard stand apart

  REIGNIER She takes upon her bravely at first dash71.

  PUCELLE Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter,

  My wit untrained in any kind of art73:

  Heaven and our Lady gracious74 hath it pleased

  To shine on my contemptible estate75.

  Lo, whilst I waited on my tender76 lambs,

  And to sun's parching heat displayed my cheeks,

  God's mother deigned to appear to me,

  And in a vision full of majesty,

  Willed me to leave my base vocation

  And free my country from calamity:

  Her aid she promised, and assured success.

  In complete83 glory she revealed herself:

  And whereas I was black and swart84 before,

  With those clear rays which she infused on85 me

  That beauty am I blessed with, which you may see.

  Ask me what question thou canst possible,

  And I will answer unpremeditated88:

  My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,

  And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.

  Resolve on91 this, thou shalt be fortunate,

  If thou receive me for thy warlike mate92.

  CHARLES Thou hast astonished me with thy high terms93:

  Only this proof94 I'll of thy valour make,

  In single combat thou shalt buckle95 with me,

  And if thou vanquishest96, thy words are true:

  Otherwise I renounce all confidence97.

  PUCELLE I am prepared: here is my keen-edged98 sword,

  Decked with five flower-de-luces99 on each side,

  The which at Touraine, in Saint Katherine100's churchyard,

  Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth.

  CHARLES Then come, a102 God's name: I fear no woman.

  PUCELLE And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man103.

  Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes

  CHARLES Stay, stay thy hands! Thou art an Amazon104

  And fightest with the sword of Deborah105.

  PUCELLE Christ's mother helps me, else106 I were too weak.

  CHARLES Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me:

  Impatiently I burn with thy desire108:

  My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued.

  Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,

  Let me thy servant111 and not sovereign be:

  'Tis the French dauphin sueth to112 thee thus.

  PUCELLE I must not yield to any rites of love,

  For my profession's114 sacred from above:

  When I have chased all thy foes from hence,

  Then will I think upon a recompense116.

  CHARLES Meantime, look gracious on thy prostrate thrall117.

  To the others, apart

  REIGNIER My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

  ALENCON Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock119,

  Else ne'er could he so long protract120 his speech.

  REIGNIER Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean121?

  ALENCON He may mean more than we poor men do know122.

  These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues123.

  REIGNIER My lord, where are you? What devise you on124?

  Shall we give o'er125 Orleans, or no?

  PUCELLE Why, no, I say: distrustful recreants126,

  Fight till the last gasp: I'll be your guard.

  CHARLES What she says, I'll confirm: we'll fight it out.

  PUCELLE Assigned am I to be the English scourge129.

  This night the siege assuredly I'll raise:

  Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon's days131,

  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 naught.

  With Henry's death, the English circle ends:

  Dispersed are the glories it included:

  Now am I like that proud insulting138 ship

&
nbsp; Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once139.

  CHARLES Was Mahomet inspired with a dove140?

  Thou with141 an eagle art inspired then.

  Helen142, the mother of great Constantine,

  Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters143 were like thee.

  Bright star of Venus144, fall'n down on the earth,

  How may I reverently worship thee enough?

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

  REIGNIER Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;

  Drive them from Orleans, and be immortalized148.

  CHARLES Presently149 we'll try: come, let's away about it:

  No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.

  Exeunt

  [Act 1 Scene 3]

  running scene 3

  Enter Gloucester, with his Servingmen [in blue coats]

  GLOUCESTER I am come to survey the Tower this day:

  Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance2:

  Servingmen knock on gates

  Where be these warders3, that they wait not here?

  Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls.

  Within

  FIRST WARDER Who's there that knocks so imperiously?

  FIRST SERVINGMAN It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.

  Within

  SECOND WARDER Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Villains8, answer you so the Lord Protector?

  Within

  FIRST WARDER The Lord protect him, so we answer him:

  We do no otherwise than we are willed10.

  GLOUCESTER Who willed you? Or whose will stands but mine?

  There's none12 protector of the realm but I.

  To Servingmen

  Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize13:

  Shall I be flouted14 thus by dunghill grooms?

  Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, and Woodville the Lieutenant speaks within

  WOODVILLE What noise is this? What traitors have we here?

  GLOUCESTER Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?

  Open the gates: here's Gloucester that would enter.

  WOODVILLE Have patience, noble duke: I may not open:

  The Cardinal19 of Winchester forbids:

  From him I have express commandment

  That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.

  GLOUCESTER Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore22 me?

  Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,

  Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook24?

  Thou art no friend to God or to the king:

  Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly26.

  SERVINGMEN Open the gates unto the Lord Protector,

  Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.

  Enter to the [Lord] Protector at the Tower Gates, [the Bishop of] Winchester and his men in tawny coats

  WINCHESTER How now, ambitious umpire29! What means this?

  GLOUCESTER Peeled30 priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?

  WINCHESTER I do, thou most usurping proditor31,

  And not 'Protector', of the king or realm.

  GLOUCESTER Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,

  Thou that contrived'st to murder our dead lord34:

  Thou that giv'st whores indulgences to sin35:

  I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat36,

  If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

  WINCHESTER Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot:

  This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain39,

  To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

  GLOUCESTER I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back:

  Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth42

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

  WINCHESTER Do what thou dar'st, I beard44 thee to thy face.

  GLOUCESTER What? Am I dared45 and bearded to my face?

  Draw, men, for all this privileged place46;

  All draw their swords

  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 dignities50 of Church,

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

  WINCHESTER Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the Pope.

  GLOUCESTER Winchester goose, I cry, 'A rope53, a rope!'--

  To Servingmen

  Now beat them hence: why do you let them stay?--

  To Winchester

  Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.--

  Out, tawny coats!-- Out, scarlet hypocrite!

  Here Gloucester's men beat out the [Bishop of Winchester's] men, and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his Officers

  MAYOR Fie57, lords, that you, being supreme magistrates,

  Thus contumeliously58 should break the peace!

  GLOUCESTER Peace, mayor, thou know'st little of my wrongs:

  Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,

  Hath here distrained61 the Tower to his use.

  WINCHESTER Here's Gloucester -- a foe to citizens,

  One that still63 motions war and never peace,

  O'ercharging your free64 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 prince68.

  GLOUCESTER I will not answer thee with words, but blows.

  Here they skirmish again

  MAYOR Naught rests70 for me, in this tumultuous strife,

  But to make open proclamation.

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

  Handing a paper to the Officer, who reads

  OFFICER 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 repair75

  to your several76 dwelling-places, and not to wear, handle, or

  use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain

  of death.

  The skirmish ends

  GLOUCESTER Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law:

  But we shall meet, and break our minds at large80.

  WINCHESTER Gloucester, we'll meet to thy cost, be sure:

  Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work.

  MAYOR I'll call for clubs83, if you will not away:

  This cardinal's more haughty than the devil.

  GLOUCESTER Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst.

  WINCHESTER Abominable86 Gloucester, guard thy head,

  For I intend to have it ere87 long.

  Exeunt [separately, Gloucester and Bishop of Winchester with their Servingmen]

  MAYOR See the coast cleared, and then we will depart.

  Good God, these nobles should such stomachs89 bear!

  I myself fight not once in forty year.

  Exeunt

  [Act 1 Scene 4]

  running scene 4

  Enter the Master Gunner of Orleans and his Boy

  MASTER GUNNER Sirrah1, thou know'st how Orleans is besieged,

  And how the English have the suburbs2 won.

  BOY Father, I know, and oft have shot at them,

  Howe'er, unfortunate, I missed my aim.

  MASTER GUNNER But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me:

  Chief Master Gunner am I of this town,

  Something I must do to procure me grace7:

  The prince's espials8 have informed me

  How the English, in the suburbs close entrenched9,

  Wont10, 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 inconvenience14,

  A piece of ordnance gainst15 it I have placed,

  And even these three days have I watched,

  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.

  BOY Father, I warrant you, take you no care21:

  Exit [Master Gunner]

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

  Exit

  Enter Salisbury and Talbot on the turrets, with others [including Sir Thomas Gargrave and Sir William Glasdale]

  SALISBURY Talbot, my life, my joy, again returned?

  How wert thou handled, being prisoner?

  Or by what means got'st thou to be released?

  Discourse, I prithee, on this turret's top.

  TALBOT The Earl of Bedford had a prisoner,

  Called the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles:

  For him was I exchanged and ransomed.

  But with a baser man of arms30 by far

  Once in contempt they would have bartered me:

  Which I, disdaining, scorned, and craved32 death,

  Rather than I would be so pilled33 esteemed:

  In fine, redeemed34 I was as I desired.

  But O, the treacherous Falstaff wounds my heart,

  Whom with my bare fists I would execute,

  If I now had him brought into my power.

  SALISBURY Yet tell'st thou not how thou wert entertained38.

  TALBOT With scoffs and scorns and contumelious39 taunts:

  In open market-place produced 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 digged stones out of the ground,