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Thy daughter shall be wedded to my King;
Whom I with pain have woo'd and won thereto;
And this her easy-held imprisonment

Hath gain'd thy daughter princely liberty.
Reig. Speaks Suffolk as he thinks?
Suf. Fair Margaret knows,

That Suffolk doth not flatter, face, or fain.
Reig. Upon thy princely Warrant I defcend;
To give thee anfwer of thy just demand.
Suf. And here I will expect thy Coming.

Trumpets found. Enter Reignier.

Reig. Welcome, brave Earl, into our territories;
Command in Anjou, what your Honour pleases.
Suf. Thanks, Reignier, happy in fo fweet a child,
Fit to be made companion of a King:

What answer makes your Grace unto my fuit?
Reig. Since thou doft deign to woo her little worth,
To be the Princely bride of such a lord;

Upon condition I may quietly

Enjoy mine own, the country Maine and Anjou,
Free from oppreffion or the stroke of war,
My daughter fhall be Henry's, if he please.

Suf. That is her ranfom, I deliver her;
And those two Counties, I will undertake,
Your Grace shall well and quietly enjoy.

Reig. And I again in Henry's Royal name,
As Deputy unto that gracious King,
Give thee her hand for fign of plighted faith.

Suf. Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks,
Because this is in traffick of a King.

And yet, methinks, I could be well content

To be mine own Attorney in this case.

I'll over then to England with this News,
And make this marriage to be folemniz'd:
So farewel, Reignier; fet this diamond safe
In golden Palaces, as it becomes.

Reig. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace
The Christian Prince King Henry, were he here.
VOL. IV.

U

[Afide.

Mar.

Mar. Farewel, my lord: good wishes, praise and pray'rs Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret.

[She is going. Suf. Farewel, sweet Madam; hark you, Margaret; No princely commendations to my King?

Mar. Such commendations as become a maid, A virgin and his fervant, say to him.

Suf. Words fweetly plac'd, and modeftly directed. But, Madam, I muft trouble you again,

No loving token to his Majefty?

Mar. Yes, my good lord, a pure unfpotted heart, Never yet taint with love, I fend the King.

Suf. And this withal.

Mar. That for thy felf.

[Kiffes her.

I will not fo presume,

To fend fuch peevish tokens to a King.

Suf. O, wert thou for my felf!-but, Suffolk, ftay; Thou may'st not wander in that labyrinth; There Minotaurs, and ugly treafons, lurk. Sollicit Henry with her wond'rous praise, Bethink thee on her virtues that furmount, Her nat❜ral graces that extinguish art; Repeat their femblance often on the feas; That, when thou com'ft to kneel at Henry's feet, Thou may'ft bereave him of his wits with wonder. [Ext.

Enter York, Warwick, a shepherd, and Pucelle. York. Bring forth that forcerefs, condemn'd to burn. Shep. Ah, Joan! This kills thy father's heart outright. Have I fought ev'ry Country far and near, And now it is my chance to find thee out, Muft I behold thy timeless, cruel, death! Ah, Joan, fweet daughter, I will die with thee. Pucel. Decrepit mifer! bafe ignoble wretch !

I am defcended of a gentler blood.

Thou art no father, nor no friend of mine.

Shep. Out, out! my lords, an please you, 'tis not fo; I did beget her, all the parish knows :

Her mother, living yet, can teftify,

She was the firft-fruit of my batch'lorship.

War. Gracelefs, wilt thou deny thy parentage?

York.

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York. This argues, what her kind of life hath been,
Wicked and vile; and fo her death concludes.

Shep. Fie, Joan, that thou wilt be so obstacle :
God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh,
And for thy fake have I fhed many a tear;
Deny me not, I pray thee, gentle Joan.

Pucel. Peafant, avaunt! You have fuborn'd this man
Of purpose to obfcure my noble Birth.

Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest,
The morn that I was wedded to her mother.
Kneel down and take my bleffing, good my girl.
Wilt thou not stoop? now curfed be the time
Of thy nativity! I would, the milk,

Thy mother gave thee when thou fuck'dft her breast,
Had been a little ratsbane for thy fake:

Or elfe, when thou didst keep my lambs a-field,
I wish fome rav'nous wolf had eaten thee.

Doft thou deny thy father, curfed drab ?

O, burn her, burn her; hanging is too good.

[Exit.

York. Take her away, for fhe hath liv'd too long,

To fill the world with vitious qualities.

Pucel. First, let me tell you, whom you have con-
demn'd;

Not me begotten of a fhepherd swain,
But iffu'd from the progeny of Kings;
Virtuous and holy, chofen from above,
By infpiration of celestial grace,

To work exceeding miracles on earth:
I never had to do with wicked Spirits.
But you, that are polluted with your lufts,
Stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents,
Corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices,
Because you want the grace, that others have,
You judge it ftraight a thing impoffible
To compafs wonders, but by help of devils.
No, mifconceived Joan of Arc hath been
A virgin from her tender infancy,
Chafte and immaculate in very thought;
Whofe maiden blood, thus rig'roufly effus'd,
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Will

Will cry

for vengeance at the gates of heav'n.
York. Ay, ay; away with her to execution.
War. And heark ye, Sirs; because she is a maid,
Spare for no faggots, let there be enow:

Place pitchy barrels on the fatal stake,

That fo her torture may be shortened.

Pucel. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts ?
Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity;
That warranteth by law to be thy privilege.
I am with child, ye bloody homicides:
Murther not then the fruit within my womb,
Although ye hale me to a violent death.

York. Now heav'n forefend! the holy maid with child!
War. The greatest miracle that ere you wrought:
Is all your ftrict precifeness come to this?

York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling: I did imagine, what would be her refuge.

War. Well, go to; we will have no baftards live; Efpecially, fince Charles muft father it.

Pucel. You are deceiv'd, my child is none of his; It was Alanfon that enjoy'd my love.

York. Alanfon! that notorious Machiavel!

It dies, an if it had a thousand lives.

Pucel. O, give me leave, I have deluded you; 'Twas neither Charles, nor yet the Duke I nam'd, But Reignier, King of Naples, that prevail'd.

War. A married man! that's most intolerable. York. Why, here's a girl; I think, fhe knows not well, (There were so many) whom the may accuse. War. It's fign, the hath been liberal and free. York. And yet forfooth, fhe is a virgin pure. Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat and thee: Use no intreaty, for it is in vain.

Pucel. Then lead me hence; with whom I leave my
curfe.

May never glorious fun reflex his beams
Upon the country where you make abode!
But darkness and the gloomy fhade of death
Inviron you, 'till mischief and despair

Drive you to break your necks, or hang your felves!
[Exit guarded.
York. Break thou in pieces, and confume to afhes,
Thou foul accurfed minifter of hell!

Enter Cardinal of Winchester.

Car. Lord Regent, I do greet your Excellence
With letters of Commiffion from the King.
For know, my lords, the states of Christendom,
Mov'd with remorfe of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implor'd a gen'ral Peace
Betwixt our nation and th' afpiring French;
And fee at hand the Dauphin, and his train,
Approaching to confer about fome matters.

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York. Is all our travel turn'd to this effect?
After the flaughter of fo many Peers,

So many Captains, gentlemen and foldiers,
That in this quarrel have been overthrown,
And fold their bodies for their country's benefit,
Shall we at laft conclude effeminate Peace?
Have we not loft moft part of all the towns,
By treason, falfhood, and by treachery,
Our great progenitors had conquered?
Oh, Warwick, Warwick! I foresee with grief
The utter lofs of all the realm of France.

War. Be patient, York; if we conclude a Peace ;.
It shall be with fuch ftrict and fevere covenants,
As little fhall the Frenchmen gain thereby.

Enter Charles, Alanfon, Baftard, and Reignier. Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed, That peaceful Truce fhall be proclaim'd in France; We come to be informed by your felves, What the conditions of that league must be. York. Speak, Winchefter; for boiling choler chokes The hollow paffage of my prifon'd voice, By fight of these our baleful enemies.

Win. Charles and the reft, it is enacted thus: That in regard King Henry gives confent,

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