King Henry VI, Part 1 | Page 5

CHARLES, ALENCON, and REIGNIER
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.
REIGNIER. Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
He
fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting
food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.
ALENCON. Froissart,
a countryman of ours, records
England all Olivers and Rowlands bred

During the time Edward the Third did reign.
More truly now may
this be verified;
For none but Samsons and Goliases
It sendeth forth
to skirmish. One to ten!
Lean raw-bon'd rascals! Who would e'er
suppose
They had such courage and audacity?
CHARLES. Let's
leave this town; for they are hare-brain'd slaves,
And hunger will
enforce them to be more eager.
Of old I know them; rather with their
teeth
The walls they'll tear down than forsake the siege.
REIGNIER.
I think by some odd gimmers or device
Their arms are set, like clocks,
still to strike on;
Else ne'er could they hold out so as they do.
By my
consent, we'll even let them alone.
ALENCON. Be it so.
Enter the BASTARD OF ORLEANS
BASTARD. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.
CHARLES. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.
BASTARD.
Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd. Hath the late
overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay'd, for succour is at
hand.
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which, by a vision sent
to her from heaven,
Ordained is to raise this tedious siege
And
drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep

prophecy she hath,
Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome:
What's
past and what's to come she can descry.
Speak, shall I call her in?
Believe my words,
For they are certain and unfallible.
CHARLES.
Go, call her in. [Exit BASTARD] But first, to try her skill,
Reignier,
stand thou as Dauphin in my place;
Question her proudly; let thy
looks be stern;
By this means shall we sound what skill she hath.
Re-enter the BASTARD OF ORLEANS with
JOAN LA PUCELLE
REIGNIER. Fair maid, is 't thou wilt do these wondrous feats?
PUCELLE. Reignier, is 't thou that thinkest 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 awhile.
REIGNIER. She takes upon her bravely at first dash.

PUCELLE. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter,
My wit
untrain'd in any kind of art.
Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it
pleas'd
To shine on my contemptible estate.
Lo, whilst I waited on
my tender lambs
And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks,

God's Mother deigned to appear to me,
And in a vision full of
majesty
Will'd me to leave my base vocation
And free my country
from calamity
Her aid she promis'd and assur'd success.
In
complete glory she reveal'd herself;
And whereas I was black and
swart before,
With those clear rays which she infus'd on me
That
beauty am I bless'd with which you may see.
Ask me what question
thou canst possible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.
My courage
try by combat if thou dar'st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.

Resolve on this: thou shalt be fortunate
If thou receive me for thy
warlike mate.
CHARLES. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high
terms.

Only this proof I'll of thy valour make
In single combat thou
shalt buckle with me;
And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;

Otherwise I renounce all confidence.
PUCELLE. I am prepar'd; here
is my keen-edg'd sword,
Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each
side,
The which at Touraine, in Saint Katherine's churchyard, Out of

a great deal of old iron I chose forth.
CHARLES. Then come, o'
God's name; I fear no woman.
PUCELLE. And while I live I'll ne'er
fly from a man.
[Here they fight and JOAN LA PUCELLE overcomes] CHARLES.
Stay, stay thy hands; thou art an Amazon,
And fightest with the
sword of Deborah.
PUCELLE. Christ's Mother helps me, else I were
too weak.
CHARLES. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me.
Impatiently I burn with thy desire;
My heart and hands thou hast at
once subdu'd.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy
servant and not sovereign be.
'Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee
thus.
PUCELLE. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my
profession's sacred from above.
When I have chased all thy foes from
hence,
Then will I think upon a recompense.
CHARLES. Meantime
look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.
REIGNIER. My lord, methinks,
is very long in talk.
ALENCON. Doubtless he shrives this woman to
her smock;
Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech.

REIGNIER. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?

ALENCON. He may mean more than we