For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent:
What! shall a child instruct you what to do

Win. Well, duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give.

[Gives his hand.1 Glo. Ay; but I fear me, with a hollow heart. [Aside. See here, my friends, and loving countrymen ; This token serveth for a flag of truce, Betwixt ourselves, and all our followers. So help me God, as I dissemble not!

Win. So help me God, as I intend it not!

[Aside.

K. Hen. O, loving uncle, and kind duke of Gloster, How joyful am I made by this contract !Away, my masters: trouble us no more,

But join in friendship, as your lords have done. 1 Serv. Content: I'll to the surgeon's.

2 Serv.

2

And so will I.

3 Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. [Exeunt Mayor, Citizens, Servants, &c. War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign, Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet

We do exhibit to your majesty.

Glo. Well urg'd, my lord of Warwick :-for, sweet prince,

And if your grace mark every circumstance,

You have great reason to do Richard right;
Especially for those occasions

At Eltham-place I told your majesty.

K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of force :
Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is,
That Richard be restored to his blood.

War. Let Richard be restor'd to his blood;
So shall his father's wrongs be recompens'd.
Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
K. Hen. If Richard will be true, not that alone,
But all the whole inheritance I give,

That doth belong unto the house of York,
From whence you spring by lineal descent.

Plan. Thy honour'd3 servant vows obedience,

And humble service, till the point of death.

K. Hen. Stoop then, and set your knee against my foot;

And in reguerdon of that duty done,

1 Not in fe. 2 This word is not in f. e. 3 humble: in f. e.

I girt thee with the valiant sword of York.
Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,
And rise created princely duke of York.

Plan. And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall: And as my duty springs, so perish they

That grudge one thought against your majesty.

All. Welcome, high prince, the mighty duke of York!

Som. Perish, base prince, ignoble duke of York!

Glo. Now will it best avail your majesty,

To cross the seas, and to be crown'd in France.
The presence of a king engenders love
Amongst his subjects, and his loyal friends,
As it disanimates his enemies.

[Aside.

K. Hen. When Gloster says the word, King Henry

goes;

For friendly counsel cuts off many foes.

Glo. Your ships already are in readiness.

[Flourish.

Exeunt all but EXETER.

Exe. Ay, we may march in England, or in France, Not seeing what is likely to ensue.

This late dissension, grown betwixt the peers,
Burns under feigned ashes of forg'd love,
And will at last break out into a flame:
As fester'd members rot but by degrees,
Till bones, and flesh, and sinews, fall away,
So will this base and envious discord breed.
And now I fear that fatal prophecy,

Which, in the time of Henry, nam'd the fifth,
Was in the mouth of every sucking babe,-
That Henry, born at Monmouth, should win all,
And Henry, born at Windsor, should lose all:
Which is so plain, that Exeter doth wish
His days may finish ere that hapless time.

[Exit.

SCENE II.-France. Before Rouen. Enter LA PUCELLE disguised, and Soldiers dressed like Countrymen, with Sacks upon their Backs.

Buc. These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen, Through which our policy must make a breach. Take heed, be wary how you place your words; Talk like the vulgar sort of market-men,

That come to gather money for their corn.

If we have entrance, (as I hope we shall)
And that we find the slothful watch but weak,
I'll by a sign give notice to our friends,

That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them.

1 Sold. Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city, And we be lords and rulers over Rouen; Therefore we'll knock.

Guard. [Within.] Qui est là?

[Knocks.

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.

[Opening 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 Dennis bless this happy stratagem,
And once again we 'll sleep secure in Rouen.
Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practisants1.
Now she is there, how will she specify
Where is the best and safest passage in?

Alen. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower;
Which, once discern'd, shows, that her meaning is,—
No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd.
Enter LA PUCELLE on a Battlement, holding out a Torch
burning.

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.

Char. Now shine it like a comet of revenge,

A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

Alen. Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends: Enter, and cry The Dauphin! 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.

1 Confederates.

[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.

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 a

lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?

Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of hell's1 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 If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[peace:

[TALBOT, and the rest, consult together. God speed the parliament ! who shall be speaker? Tal. Dare ye come forth, and meet us in the field? 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,
For Talbot means no goodness by his looks.-
God be wi' you, my lord: we came, but to tell you
That we are here.

[Exeunt LA PUCELLE, &c. from the Walls.

1 all in f. e.

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 Cour-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,
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.

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

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

Fast. 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.

All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.

Ay, [Exit.

Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee! [Exit. Retreat: Excursions. Enter, from the Town, LA PUCELLE, ALENÇON, CHARLES, &c. and exeunt, flying. Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when Heaven please,