(When others sleep upon their quiet beds) Constrain'd to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, and BURGUNDY, with scaling Ladders. Their Drums beating a dead March.

Tal. Lord regent-and redoubted Burgundy-
By whose approach, the regions of Artois,
Walloon, and Picardy, are friends to us—————
This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,
Having all day carous'd and banqueted :
Embrace we then this opportunity;

As fitting best to quittance their deceit,
Contriv'd by art, and baleful sorcery.

10

Bed. Coward of France!-how much he wrongs his fame,

Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,

To join with witches, and the help of hell.
Bur. Traitors have never other company.-
But what's that Pucelle, whom they term so pure?
Tal. A maid, they say.

Bed. A maid! and be so martial!

21

Bur. Pray God, she prove not masculine ere long ; If underneath the standard of the French,

She carry armour, as she hath begun.

Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:

God is our fortress; in whose conquering name,
Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.

Bed. Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.
Tal. Not all together: better far, I guess,

D

30

That

That we do make our entrance several ways;
That, if it chance the one of us do fail,
The other yet may rise against their force.
Bed. Agreed; I'll to yon corner.

Bur. And I to this.

Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his

grave.

Now, Salisbury! for thee, and for the right
Of English Henry, shall this night appear
How much in duty I am bound to both.

[The English, scaling the Walls, cry, St. George!
A Talbot!

Cent. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth make

assault!

40

The French leap over the Walls in their Shirts. Enter several Ways, BASTARD, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready.

Alen. How now, my lords? what, all unready so? Bast. Unready? ay, and glad we scap'd so well. Reig. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake, and leave our beds,

Hearing alarums at our chamber doors.

Alen. Of all exploits, since first I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize

More venturous, or desperate, than this.

Bast. I think, this Talbot is a fiend of hell.

Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him. Alen. Here cometh Charles; I marvel, how he

sped.

50 Enter

Enter CHARLES, and PUCELLE.

Bast. Tut!. holy Joan was his defensive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal,

Make us partakers of a little gain,

That now our loss might be ten times so much?
Pucel. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his
friend?

At all times will you have my power alike ?
Sleeping, or waking, must I still prevail.
Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?—
Improvident soldiers! had your watch been good, 60
This sudden mişchief never could have fall'n.
Char. Duke of Alençon, this was your default;
That, being captain of the watch to-night,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.

Alen. Had all your quarters been as safely kept,
As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus shamefully surpriz'd.
Bast. Mine was secure.

Reig. And so was mine, my lord.

71

Char. And, for myself, most part of all this night, Within her quarter, and mine own precinct, I was employ'd in passing to and fro, About relieving of the centinels;

Then how, or which way, should they first break in ?

Pucel. Question, my lords, no further of the case, How, or which way; 'tis sure, they found some part But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.

And now there rests no other shift but this-
To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispers'd,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.

80

Alarum. Enter a Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot! they fly, leaving their Clothes behind.

Sol. I'll be so bold to take what they have left.

The

cry of Talbot serves me for a sword; For I have loaden me with many spoils,

Using no other weapon but his name.

[Exit.

The same.

SCENE 11.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, Bur-
GUNDY, &c.

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled,
Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth.
Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit.

[Retreat.

Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury;
And here advance it in the market-place,
The middle centre of this cursed town.
Now have I pay'd my vow unto his soul;

For every drop of blood was drawn from him,
"There hath at least five Frenchmen dy'd to-night.
And, that hereafter ages may behold

What ruin happen'd in revenge of him,

Within their chiefest temple I'll ere&t

go

A tomb,

A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd :
Upon the which, that every one may read,
Shall be engrav'd the sack of Orleans;

The treacherous manner of his mournful death, 100
And what a terror he had been to France.
But, lords, in all our bloody massacre,,

I muse, we met not with the dauphin's grace;
His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc;
Nor any of his false confederates.

Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began,

Rous'd on the sudden from their drowsy beds,
They did, amongst the troops of armed men,
Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field.

Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern,
For smoke, and dusky vapours of the night)
Am sure, I scar'd the dauphin, and his trull;
When arm in arm they both came swiftly running,
Like to a pair of loving turtle doves,

That could not live asunder day or night.

After that things are set in order here,

We'll follow them with all the power we have.

Enter a Messenger.

110

Mess. All hail, my lord! which of this princely train :

Call ye the warlike Talbot, for his acts

So much applauded through the realm of France? Tal. Here is the Talbot; Who would speak with

him?

Diij

121

Mess.