Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock, Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech.

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? [To him.1

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 fortunes bare at once

Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
Thou with an eagle art inspired, then.
Helen, the mother of great Constantine,
Nor yet St. Philip's daughters were like thee.
Bright star of Venus fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverent 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 immortaliz❜d.
Char. Presently we'll try.—Come, let's away about it:
No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.

SCENE III.-London. Tower Hill.

[Exeunt.

Enter at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men.

Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.2 Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates! 'Tis Gloster that now calls.

1 Not in f. e. 2 Fraud, theft.

[Servants knock.

1 Ward. [Within.] Who's there, that knocks so imperiously?

1 Serv. It is the noble duke of Gloster.

2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not be

let in.

1 Serv. Villains, answer you so the lord protector? 1 Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! so we answer him:

We do no otherwise than we are will'd.

Glo. Who will'd you so? 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?
GLOSTER'S Men rush at the Tower Gates. Enter, to the
gates, WOODVILLE, the Lieutenant.

Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what traitors

have we here?

Glo. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? Open the gates! here's Gloster that would enter. Wood. [Within.] 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.

Glo. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore me?
Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,
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.

1 Serv. Open the gates unto the lord protector : We'll burst them open, if you come not quickly. Enter WINCHESTER, and Servants in tawney coats.1 Win. How now, ambitious Humphrey ! what means this.

Glo. Pill'd' priest, dost thou command me 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,3

1This, according to Stow, was the dress of a bishop's attendants. 2 Shorn. 3 The stews in Southwark were under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester, whose palace stood near by.

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'll beard thee to thy face. Glo. What am I dar'd, and bearded to my face ?— Draw, men, for all this is a privileg'd place; Blue coats2 to tawney coats. Priest, beware your beard! [GLOSTER and his Men attack the Bishop. 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. Gloster, thou 'lt 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, tawney coats!-out, scarlet hypocrite! Here GLOSTER'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!

Glo. Peace, mayor! thou knowest 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. Nought rests for me, in this tumultuous strife,

1 It was the old popular belief, that the site of Damascus was the place where Cain killed Abel. 2 This was the usual livery of servants. 3 A title applied to those who had contracted a malady to which frequenters of the stews are liable

But to make open proclamation.—
Come, officer: as loud as thou canst cry.
Off. 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 sure:
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 off ere long.

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

SCENE IV.-France.

[Exeunt.

Before Orleans.

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 miss'd 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 entrench'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 fully even these three days have I watch'd,
If I could see them. Now, boy, do thou watch,
For I can stay no longer on my post.

1 The usual city cry in times of tumult. 2 these in folio. 3 went in folio.

1

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 got'st thou to be releas'd,
Discourse, I pr'ythee, on this turret's top.

Tal. The duke of Bedford had a prisoner,
Called the brave lord of Ponton de Santrailes;
For him I was 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 vile1 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 scare-crow 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. I grieve to hear what torments you endur'd,

But we will be reveng'd sufficiently.

1 pil'd: in folio.