My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Resolve on this: Thou shalt be fortunate,

If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Dau. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high terms: Only this proof I'll of thy valour make

In single combat thou shalt buckle with me;

And, if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;
Otherwise, I renounce all confidence.

271

Pucel. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd sword, Deck'd with fine fleur-de-luces on each side;

The which, at Touraine in saint Katharine's church. yard,

Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth.

Dau. Then come o'God's name, I fear no woman. Pucel. And, while I live, I'll never fly no man. 280 [Here they fight, and JOAN LA PUCELLE overcomes. Dau. Stay, stay thy hands; thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah.

Pucel. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak.

Dau. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help

me:

Impatiently I burn with thy desire;

My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu'd.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy servant, and not sovereign be;
'Tis the French dauphin sueth to thee thus.

Pucel. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profession's sacred from above;

290

When

When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau. Mean time, look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.

Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. 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 :

299

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?

Pucel. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants! Fight 'till the last gasp; I will be your guard. Dau. What she says, I'll confirm; we'll fight it out. Pucel. Assign'd I am to be the English scourge. This night the siege assuredly I'll raise: Expect saint Martin's summer, halcyon days, Since I have enter'd thus into these wars.

Glory is like a circle in the water,

Which never ceases 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.

Dau. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?

310

Thou

Thou with an eagle art inspired then.

Helen, the mother of great Constantine,

Nor yet saint Philip's daughters, were like thee. 320
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 immortaliz'd. Dau. Presently we'll try :-Come, let's away about it :

No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Tower-Gates, in London. Enter GLOSTER, with his Serving-Men.

Glo. 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? 330 Open the gates; it is Gloster that calls.

1 Ward. Who's there, that knocketh so imperi. ously?

1 Man. It is the noble duke of Gloster.

2 Ward. Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in.

1 Man. Villains, answer you so the lord protector? 1 Ward. The Lord protect him! so we answer him: We do no otherwise than we are will'd.

Glo.

Glo. 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?

1

340

GLOSTER'S Men rush at the Tower-Gates, and WOODVILE, the Lieutenant, speaks within.

Wood. 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. Have patience, noble duke; I may not open; The cardinal of Winchester forbids:

From him I have express commandement,
That thou, nor none of thine, shall be let in.

Glo. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me?
Arrogant Winchester? that haughty prelate, 350
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.

Serv. Open the gates there to the lord protector; 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 Humphrey ? What means this?

Glo. Piel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut

out?

C

Win.

Win. do, thou most usurping proditor, And not protector of the king or realm.

Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator; 360 Thou, that contriv'dst to murder our dead lord; Thou, that giv'st whores indulgences to sin :

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.

370

Win. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy face.
Glo. What am I dar'd, and bearded to my face?-
Draw, men, for all this privileged place;
Blue-coats to tawny-coats. Priest, beware thy beard;
I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly:
Under my feet I'll 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!

380

Now beat them hence, Why do you let them stay ?--Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array,Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite!

Here