Charles. Your grace may starve, perhaps, before

that time.

Bed. O, let no words, but deeds revenge this treason!

Pu. What will you do, good greybeard? break a

lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?

Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all 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.

Pu. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace :

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[Talbot and the rest consult together. God speed the parliament ! who shall be the speaker? Tal. Dare ye come forth, and meet us in the

field?

Pu. 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 footboys do they keep the walls,
And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

Pu. Captains, away! 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. Tal. And there will we be too, ere it be long,

Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame!
Vow, Burgundy, by honor 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 Coeur-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 dishonor 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,1 in his litter, sick,

Came to the field, and vanquished his foes.

1 Father to king Arthur.

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?

Fas. Whither away? to save myself by flight: We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What! will you fly, and leave lord Talbot? Fas. Ay, All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. [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;

For I have seen our enemies' overthrow.

What is the trust or strength of foolish man?

They, that of late were daring with their scoffs, Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves. [dies, and is carried off in his chair.

Alarum.

Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and others.

Tal. Lost and recover'd in a day again!
This is a double honor, Burgundy :
Yet Heavens have glory for this victory!

Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects
Thy noble deeds, as valor's monument.

Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now?

I think, her old familiar is asleep.

Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles his

gleeks? 1

What, all a-mort? Rouen hangs her head for

grief,

That such a valiant company are fled.

Now will we take some order 3 in the town,

Placing therein some expert officers;

And then depart to Paris, to the king;

For there young Henry, with his nobles, lies.

Bur. What wills lord Talbot, pleaseth Burgundy. Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget The noble duke of Bedford, late deceased,

But see his exequies fulfill'd in Rouen.
A braver soldier never couched lance;
A gentler heart did never sway in court.
But kings and mightiest potentates must die,
For that's the end of human misery.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same. The plains near the city.

Enter CHARLES, THE BASTARD, ALENÇON, LA PU-
CELLE, and forces.

Pu. Dismay not, princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered:
Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things that are not to be remedied.
Let frantic Talbot triumph for awhile,
And like a peacock sweep along his tail:

We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train,
If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but ruled.

Charles. We have been guided by thee hitherto, And of thy cunning had no diffidence.

One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.

Bas. Search out thy wit for secret policies, And we will make thee famous through the world. Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place, And have thee reverenced like a blessed saint: Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good.

Pu. Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise.

By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words,

We will entice the duke of Burgundy