King Henry VI, Part 1 | Page 9

promises are like Adonis' gardens,

That one day bloom'd and fruitful were the next.
France, triumph in
thy glorious prophetess.
Recover'd is the town of Orleans.
More
blessed hap did ne'er befall our state.
REIGNIER. Why ring not out
the bells aloud throughout the town?
Dauphin, command the citizens

make bonfires
And feast and banquet in the open streets
To
celebrate the joy that God hath given us.
ALENCON. All France will
be replete with mirth and joy
When they shall hear how we have
play'd the men.
CHARLES. 'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is
won;
For which I will divide my crown with her;
And all the priests
and friars in my realm
Shall in procession sing her endless praise.
A
statelier pyramis to her I'll rear
Than Rhodope's of Memphis ever was.

In memory of her, when she is dead,
Her ashes, in an urn more
precious
Than the rich jewel'd coffer of Darius,
Transported shall
be at high festivals
Before the kings and queens of France.
No
longer on Saint Denis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle shall be
France's saint.
Come in, and let us banquet royally
After this golden
day of victory. Flourish. Exeunt
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ACT II. SCENE 1.
Before Orleans
Enter a FRENCH SERGEANT and two SENTINELS
SERGEANT. Sirs, take your places and be vigilant.
If any noise or
soldier you perceive
Near to the walls, by some apparent sign
Let
us have knowledge at the court of guard.
FIRST SENTINEL.

Sergeant, you shall. [Exit SERGEANT] Thus are poor servitors,

When others sleep upon their quiet beds,
Constrain'd to watch in
darkness, rain, and cold.
Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and forces,
with
scaling-ladders; their drums beating a dead
march
TALBOT. Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy,
By whose
approach the regions of Artois,
Wallon, and Picardy, are friends to us,

This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,
Having all day
carous'd and banqueted;
Embrace we then this opportunity,
As
fitting best to quittance their deceit,
Contriv'd by art and baleful
sorcery.
BEDFORD. Coward of France, how much he wrongs his
fame,
Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,
To join with witches
and the help of hell!
BURGUNDY. Traitors have never other
company.
But what's that Pucelle whom they term so pure?

TALBOT. A maid, they say.
BEDFORD. A maid! and be so martial!

BURGUNDY. Pray God she prove not masculine ere long,
If
underneath the standard of the French
She carry armour as she hath
begun.
TALBOT. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:
God is our fortress, in whose conquering name
Let us resolve to scale
their flinty bulwarks.
BEDFORD. Ascend, brave Talbot; we will
follow thee.
TALBOT. Not all together; better far, I guess,
That we
do make our entrance several ways;
That if it chance the one of us do
fail
The other yet may rise against their force.
BEDFORD. Agreed;
I'll to yond corner.
BURGUNDY. And I to this.
TALBOT. And
here will Talbot mount or make his grave.
Now, Salisbury, for thee,
and for the right
Of English Henry, shall this night appear
How
much in duty I am bound to both.
[The English scale the walls and cry
'Saint George!
a

Talbot!']
SENTINEL. Arm! arm! The enemy doth make assault.
The French leap o'er the walls in their shirts.
Enter, several ways,
BASTARD, ALENCON, REIGNIER,
half ready and half unready
ALENCON. How now, my lords? What, all unready so?
BASTARD.
Unready! Ay, and glad we 'scap'd so well.
REIGNIER. 'Twas time, I
trow, to wake and leave our beds, Hearing alarums at our chamber
doors.
ALENCON. Of all exploits since first I follow'd arms
Ne'er
heard I of a warlike enterprise
More venturous or desperate than this.

BASTARD. I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.
REIGNIER. If
not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him
ALENCON. Here cometh
Charles; I marvel how he sped.
Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE
BASTARD. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard.
CHARLES. Is
this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?
Didst thou at first, to flatter us
withal,
Make us partakers of a little gain
That now our loss might
be ten times so much?
PUCELLE. Wherefore is Charles impatient
with his friend?
At all times will you have my power alike?

Sleeping or waking, must I still prevail
Or will you blame and lay the
fault on me?
Improvident soldiers! Had your watch been good
This