His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc;
Nor any of his falfe confederates.

Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began, Rous'd on the fudden from their drowsy beds, They did, amongst the troops of armed men, Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field. Bur. Myfelf (as far as I could well difcern, For fmoke, and dufky vapours of the night) Am fure, I fcar'd the Dauphin, and his trull; When arm in arm they both came fwiftly running, Like to a pair of loving turtle doves,

That could not live afunder day or night.

After that things are fet in order here,

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

Enter a Meffenger.

Me. All hail, my lords! 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? Me. The virtuous lady, countess of Auvergne,

With modefty admiring thy renown,

By me entreats, great lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe
To vifit her poor caftle where the lies;

That the may boaft, fhe hath beheld the man
Whofe glory fills the world with loud report.

Bur. Is it even fo? Nay, then, I fee, our wars

Will turn unto a peaceful comick sport,
When ladies crave to be encounter'd with.-
You may not, my lord, defpife her gentle fuit.

Tal. Ne'er truft me then; for, when a world of men Could not prevail with all their oratory,

Yet hath a woman's kindness over-rul'd:

And therefore tell her, I return great thanks;

And in fubmiffion will attend on her.

5- and bis trull;] So afterwards:

"Scoff on, vile fiend, and shameless courtezan."

See alfo p. 26, n. 4. MALONE.

where fe lies;] i. e. where the dwells. See Vol. V. p. 365, A. 9. MALONE.

D 2

Wil

Will not your honours bear me company?

Bed. No, truly; it is more than manners will:
And I have heard it faid,-Unbidden guests
Are often welcomeft when they are gone.

Tal. Well then, alone, fince there's no remedy,
I mean to prove this lady's courtesy.

Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]-You perceive my mind.

Capt. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Auvergne. Court of the Cafle.

Enter the Countess, and her Porter.

Count. Porter, remember what I gave in charge; And, when you have done fo, bring the keys to me. Port. Madam, I will.

[Exit.

Count. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right,

I fhall as famous be by this exploit,

As Scythian Tomyris by Cyrus' death.

Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight,
And his atchievements of no lefs account:

Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears,
To give their censure of these rare reports.

Enter Meffenger, and TALBOT.

Me. Madam, according as your ladyship defir'd,

By meffage crav'd, fo is lord Talbot come."

Count. And he is welcome.

Me. Madam, it is.

What! is this the man?

Count. Is this the fcourge of France?

Is this the Talbot, fo much fear'd abroad,

That with his name the mothers ftill their babes?

I fee, report is fabulous and falfe:

I thought, I fhould have feen fome Hercules,
A fecond Hector, for his grim afpéct,

And large proportion of his ftrong-knit limbs.
Alas! this is a child, a filly dwarf:

It cannot be, this weak and writhled' shrimp
Should ftrike fuch terror to his enemies.

Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble
But, fince your ladyship is not at leisure,

I'll fort fome other time to vifit you.

you:

Count. What means he now ?-Go ask him, whither he

goes.

Me. Stay, my lord Talbot; for my lady craves To know the cause of your abrupt departure.

Tal. Marry, for that she's in a wrong belief, I go to certify her, Talbot's here.

Re-enter Porter, with keys.

Count. If thou be he, then art thou prifoner.
Tal. Prifoner! to whom?

Count. To me, blood-thurfty lord;

And for that cause I train'd thee to my house.
Long time thy fhadow hath been thrall to me,
For in my gallery thy picture hangs

But now the fubftance fhall endure the like;
And I will chain these legs and arms of thine,
That haft by tyranny, these many years,
Wafted our country, flain our citizens,
And fent our fons and husbands captivate 3.
Tal. Ha, ha, ha!

Count. Laughest thou, wretch? thy mirth fhall turn to

moan.

Tal. I laugh to fee your ladyship fo fond,

To think that you have aught but Talbot's fhadow,
Whereon to practise your severity.

Count. Why, art not thou the man?

7-writbled-] i. e. wrinkled. The word is ufed by Spenfer. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads-wrixled, which has been followed in fubfequent editions. MALONE.

STEEVENS.

- captivate.] So, in Soliman and Perfeda, 1599:
"If not destroy'd and bound, and captivate,
"If captivate, then forc'd from holy faith.”
-fo fond,] i. e. fo foolish. So, in K. Henry IV. Part II:
Fondly brought here, and foolishly fent hence." STEEVENS.

D 3

Tal.

Tal. I am, indeed.

Count. Then have I fubftance too.

Tal. No, no, I am but shadow of myself:
You are deceiv'd, my fubftance is not here;
For what you fee, is but the smallest part
And leaft proportion of humanity:

I tell you, madam, were the whole frame here,
It is of fuch a fpacious lofty pitch,

Your roof were not fufficient to contain it.

Count. This is a riddling merchant for the nonce';

He will be here, and yet he is not here:

How can these contrarieties agree?

Tal. That will I fhew you prefently.

He winds a born. Drums heard; then a peal of ordnance. The gates being forced, enter Soldiers.

How fay you, mâdam ? are you now perfuaded,

That Talbot is but fhadow of himself?

Thefe are his fubftance, finews, arms, and ftrength,
With which he yoketh your rebellious necks;
Razeth your cities, and fubverts your towns,
And in a moment makes them defolate.

Count. Victorious Talbot! pardon my abuse:
I find, thou art no less than fame hath bruited,
And more than may be gather'd by thy fhape.
Let my prefumption not provoke thy wrath;
For I am forry, that with reverence

I did not entertain thee as thou art.

Tal. Be not difmay'd, fair lady; nor misconftrue The mind of Talbot, as you did mistake

The outward compofition of his body.

What you have done, hath not offended me:

Nor other fatisfaction do I crave,

But only (with your patience) that we may

Tafte of your wine, and fee what cates you have ;

1 This is a riddling merchant, &c.] So, in Romeo and Juliet: "What faucy merchant was this." See a note on this paffage, A& II. fc. iv. STEEVENS.

For

[Exeunt.

For foldiers' ftomachs always ferve them well.
Count. With all my heart; and think me honoured
To feast fo great a warrior in my house.

SCENE IV.

London. The Temple Garden.

Enter the Earls of SOMERSET, SUFFOLK, and WARWICK; Richard PLANTAGENET, VERNON, and another Lawyer.

Plan. Great lords, and gentlemen, what means this filence?

Dare по man answer in a case of truth?

Suf. Within the Temple hall we were too loud;
The garden here is more convenient.

Plan. Then fay at once, If I maintain'd the truth;
Or, elfe, was wrangling Somerset in the error?
Suf. 'Faith, I have been a truant in the law;
And never yet could frame my will to it;
And, therefore, frame the law unto my will.

Som. Judge you, my lord of Warwick, then between us.
War. Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch,
Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth,
Between two blades, which bears the better temper,
Between two horses, which doth bear him beft,
Between two girls, which hath the merrieft eye,
I have, perhaps, fome fhallow spirit of judgment;
But in thefe nice fharp quillets of the law,
Good faith, I am no wifer than a daw.

Plan. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbearance: The truth appears fo naked on my fide,

That any purblind eye may find it out.

Som. And on my fide it is fo well apparell'd,

2 Or,elfe, was wrangling Somerset in the error ?] So all the editions. There is apparently a want of oppofition between the two questions. I once read,

Or else was wrangling Somerfet i'th' right? JOHNSON. Sir, T. Hanmer would readAnd was not. STEEVENS.