a

Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome :
What's paft and what's to come fhe can defcry.
Speak, fhall I call her in? believe my words,
For they are certain and infallible.

Dau. Go call her in; but first to try her skill,
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Queftion her proudly, let thy looks be ftern:
By this means fhall we found what skill fhe hath.

SCEN

E

VI.

Enter Joan la Pucelle.

M

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats?
Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin? come, come from behind,
I know thee well, though never seen before.

Be not amaz'd: there's nothing hid from me:
In private will I talk with thee apart:

Stand back, you Lords, and give us leave a while.
Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash.
Pucel. Dauphin, I am by birth a fhepherd's daughter,
My wit untrain❜d in any kind of art:

Heav'n, and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd
To shine on my contemptible estate.

Lo, whilft I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;
And in a vision full of Majefty
Will'd me to leave my base vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid fhe promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs,
In compleat glory fhe reveal'd her felf;
And whereas I was black and fwart before,
With those clear rays which fhe infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bleft with which you fee.
Ask me what question thou canft poffible,

And

(a) Though the Sibyls were reckon'd more than nine, yet the books of their oracles which were brought to Rome were but nine. Warburton.

And I will anfwer unpremeditated.
My courage try by combat, if thou darʼst,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my fex.
Refolve on this, thou fhalt be fortunate
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Dau. Thou haft aftonish'd me with thy high terms:
Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,

In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And if thou vanquisheft, thy words are true,
Otherwise I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword, Deck'd with fine Flow'r-de-luces on each fide,

The which at Tourain in St. Catharine's church
Out of a deal of old iron I chofe forth.

Dau. Then come o' God's name, for I fear no woman.
Pucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes. Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands, thou art an Amazon, And fighteft with the fword of Debora.

Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too weak. Dau. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me: Impatiently I burn with thy defire,

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd;
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be fo,

Let me thy fervant and not Sovereign be,
'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.

Pucel. I muft not yield to any rites of love,

For my profeffion's facred from above:
When I have chaced all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau. Mean time look gracious on thy proftrate thrall.
Reig. My Lord, methinks, is very long in talk.
Alan. Doubtlefs he fhrives this woman to her fmock,

Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his speech.

Reig. Shall we disturb him fince he keeps no mean? Alan. He may mean more than we poor men do know: Thefe women are threwd 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 fay; diftrustful recreants!
Fight 'till the last gafp; for I'll be your guard.
Dau. What fhe fays I'll confirm; we'll fight it out,
Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English fcourge.
This night the fiege affuredly I'll raife:
Expect Saint Martin's fummer, Halcyon days,
Since I have enter'd thus into these wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water;
Which never ceafeth to enlarge it felf,
'Till by broad fpreading it difperfe to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends,
Difperfed are the glories it included:
Now am I like that proud infulting ship,
Which Cefar and his fortune bore at once.
Dau. Was Mahomet inspired with a Dove?
Thou with an Eagle art infpired then.
Helen the mother of great Conftantine,
Nor yet St. Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright ftar of Venus fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee?

a

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raise the fiege. Reig. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our honours, Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd. Dau. Prefently try: come, let's away about it.

No prophet will I truft if fhe proves falfe.

[Exeunt.

(a) Meaning the four daughters of Philip, mention'd in the 21ft chap. of the Acts of the Apofiles, who had all the gift of prophesying: He being there also called Philip the Evangelist

SCENE

Before the Tower-Gates in LONDON.
Enter Gloucester, with his Serving-men.

ou.IA

Glou. Am this day come to furvey the Tower;
Since Henry's death I fear there is conveyance.
Where be thefe warders, that they wait not here?
Open the gates. 'Tis Gloucefter that calls.

I Ward. Who's there that knocketh fo imperiously?
I Man. It is the noble Duke of Gloucester."
2 Ward. Who-e'er he be, you may not be let in.
1 Man. Villains, anfwer you fo the Lord Protector?
I Ward. The Lord protect him! fo we answer him;
We do no otherwife than we are will'd.

Glou. Who willed you? or whofe will ftands 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 dunghil grooms?

Gloucester's men rush at the Tower gates, and Woodvile the Lieutenant fpeaks within.

Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have we here? Glou. Lieutenant, is it you whofe voice I hear? Open the gates, here's Glo'fter that would enter.

Wood. Have patience, noble Duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchester forbids;

From him I have exprefs commandment,

That thou, nor none of thine fhall be let in.

Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizeft him 'fore me? Arrogant Winchester, the haughty Prelate,

Whom Henry our late Sovereign ne'er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God or to the King:
Open the gate, or I'll fhut thee out shortly.

Serv.

(a) By Conveyance is meant Theft, a clandeftine conveyance of things away.

Serv. Open the gates there to the Lord Protector, We'll burft them open if you come not quickly.

Enter to the Protector at the Tower gates, Winchester and bis men in tawny coats.

I

Win, How now, ambitious 'Humphry, what means this? Glou. Piel'd Priest, doft thou command me be shut out? Win. I do, thou moft ufurping Proditor,

And not Protector of the King or realm.

Glou. Stand back, thou manifeft confpirator,
Thou that contriv'd'ft to murder our dead Lord,
Thou that giv'ft b whores indulgencies to fin;
I'll canvass thee in thy broad Cardinal's hat,
If thou proceed in this thy infolence.

Win. Nay, ftand thou back, I will not budge a foot: This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain,

To flay thy brother Abel if thou wilt. d

Here

(a) Peel'd, alluding to his fhaven crown, a metaphor from a peet d

crange.

Pope.

(b) The publick fews were formerly under the diftri&t of the Bishop of Winchester.

Pope.

(c) Damafcus. N. B. About four miles from Damafcus is a high bill, reported to be the fame on which Cain flew his brother Abel,

Maundr. Trav. p. 131.

(d) if thou wilt,

Glou. I will not flay thee, but I'll drive thee back:

Thy fcarlet robes, as a child's bearing cloth,

I'll ufe to carry thee out of this place.

Win. Do what thou dar'ft, I beard thee to thy face.
Glou. What? am I dar'd, and bearded to my face?
Draw, men, for all this privileged place.

Blue coats to tawny. Prieft, beware thy beard,
I mean to tug it, and to cuff you foundly.
Under my feet I'll ftamp thy Cardinal's hat:
In fpight of Pope or dignities of church,
Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.
Win. Glofter, thou'lt answer this before the Pope.
Glou. Winchester Goofe, I cry a rope, a rope.
Now beat them hence, why do you let them stay?
Thee I'll chafe hence, thou Wolf in Sheep's array.
Out, tawny-coats! out, fcarlet hypocrite!

Here Gloucefter's ---

1 Umpire, . . . old edit. Theob. emend. VOL. IV.

B

Pope.