King Henry VI, Part 1 | Page 9

William Shakespeare
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 sudden mischief never could have fall'n.?CHARLES. Duke of Alencon, this was your default?That, being captain of the watch to-night,?Did look no better to that weighty charge.?ALENCON. Had all your quarters been as safely kept?As that whereof I had the government,?We had not been thus shamefully surpris'd.?BASTARD. Mine was secure.?REIGNIER. And so was mine, my lord.?CHARLES. And, for myself, most part of all this night,?Within her quarter and mine own precinct?I was employ'd in passing to and fro?About relieving of the sentinels.?Then how or which way should they first break in??PUCELLE. Question, my lords, no further of the case,?How or which way; 'tis sure they found some place?But
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