Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,— , I must inform you of a dismal fight Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is 't so? The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, No leisure had he to enrank his men ; He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him; Here, there, and every where, enraged he slew: The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms; All the whole army stood agazed on him. With purpose to relieve and follow them) Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke. A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, Durst not presume to look once in the face. 3 Mes. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Most of the rest slaughter'd or took likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay. I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne; His crown shall be the ransom of my friend : Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours. Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake. 3 Mes. So you had need; for Orleans is besieged; The English army is grown weak and faint: The earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny; Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn; Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave, To go about my preparation. [Exit. Glos. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can, To view the artillery and munition; And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordain'd his special governor ; And for his safety there I'll best devise. [Exit. Win. Each hath his place and function to attend : I am left out; for me nothing remains. But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office: The king from Eltham I intend to send, And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his forces; ALENÇON, Charles. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known. What towns of any moment, but we have? Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves: Either they must be dieted, like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Charles. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Now for the honor of the forlorn French : Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, Alençon, REIGNIER, and others. Charles. Who ever saw the like? what men have I?— Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midst my enemies. Rei. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; He fighteth as one weary of his life. Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.1 Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Charles. Let's leave this town; for they are hairbrain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager. The walls they 'll tear down, than forsake the siege. Rei. I think, by some odd gimmals 3 or device, Enter BASTARD OF ORLEANS. Bas. Where's the prince Dauphin? I have news for him. Charles. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. i. e. the prey for which they are hungry. 2 Famous peers in the time of Charlemagne. A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another: here it is taken at large for an engine. |