King Henry VI, Part 1 | Page 8

fall down]
SALISBURY. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!?GARGRAVE. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!?TALBOT. What chance is this that suddenly hath cross'd us? Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak.?How far'st thou, mirror of all martial men??One of thy eyes and thy cheek's side struck off!?Accursed tower! accursed fatal hand?That hath contriv'd this woeful tragedy!?In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame;?Henry the Fifth he first train'd to the wars;?Whilst any trump did sound or drum struck up,?His sword did ne'er leave striking in the field.?Yet liv'st thou, Salisbury? Though thy speech doth fail, One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace;?The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.?Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive?If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands!?Bear hence his body; I will help to bury it.?Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life??Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him.?Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort,?Thou shalt not die whiles?He beckons with his hand and smiles on me,?As who should say 'When I am dead and gone,?Remember to avenge me on the French.'?Plantagenet, I will; and like thee, Nero,?Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn.?Wretched shall France be only in my name.
[Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens] What stir is this? What tumult's in the heavens??Whence cometh this alarum and the noise?
Enter a MESSENGER
MESSENGER. My lord, my lord, the French have gather'd?head?The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'd,?A holy prophetess new risen up,?Is come with a great power to raise the siege.
[Here SALISBURY lifteth himself up and groans] TALBOT. Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan.?It irks his heart he cannot be reveng'd.?Frenchmen, I'll be a Salisbury to you.?Pucelle or puzzel, dolphin or dogfish,?Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels?And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.?Convey me Salisbury into his tent,?And then we'll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare.
Alarum. Exeunt
SCENE 5.
Before Orleans
Here an alarum again, and TALBOT pursueth the?DAUPHIN and driveth him. Then enter JOAN LA PUCELLE?driving Englishmen before her. Then enter TALBOT
TALBOT. Where is my strength, my valour, and my force??Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them;?A woman clad in armour chaseth them.
Enter LA PUCELLE
Here, here she comes. I'll have a bout with thee.?Devil or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee;?Blood will I draw on thee--thou art a witch?And straightway give thy soul to him thou serv'st.?PUCELLE. Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace thee.
[Here they fight] TALBOT. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail??My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage.?And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder,?But I will chastise this high minded strumpet.
[They fight again] PUCELLE. Talbot, farewell; thy hour is not yet come.?I must go victual Orleans forthwith.
[A short alarum; then enter the town with soldiers] O'ertake me if thou canst; I scorn thy strength.?Go, go, cheer up thy hungry starved men;?Help Salisbury to make his testament.?This day is ours, as many more shall be. Exit TALBOT. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel;?I know not where I am nor what I do.?A witch by fear, not force, like Hannibal,?Drives back our troops and conquers as she lists.?So bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench?Are from their hives and houses driven away.?They call'd us, for our fierceness, English dogs;?Now like to whelps we crying run away.
[A short alarum] Hark, countrymen! Either renew the fight?Or tear the lions out of England's coat;?Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions' stead:?Sheep run not half so treacherous from the wolf,?Or horse or oxen from the leopard,?As you fly from your oft subdued slaves.
[Alarum. Here another skirmish] It will not be-retire into your trenches.?You all consented unto Salisbury's death,?For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.?Pucelle is ent'red into Orleans?In spite of us or aught that we could do.?O, would I were to die with Salisbury!?The shame hereof will make me hide my head.
Exit TALBOT. Alarum; retreat
SCENE 6.
ORLEANS
Flourish. Enter on the walls, LA PUCELLE, CHARLES,
REIGNIER, ALENCON, and soldiers
PUCELLE. Advance our waving colours on the walls;?Rescu'd is Orleans from the English.?Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.?CHARLES. Divinest creature, Astraea's daughter,?How shall I honour thee for this success??Thy 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