Enter CHARLES, and PUCELLE.

Bast. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard. Char. 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?. Pucel. 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, 60
This sudden mischief never could have fall'n.
Char. Duke of Alençon, this was your default;
That, being captain of the watch to-night,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Alen. Had all your quarters been as safely kept,
As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus shamefully surpriz'd.
Bast. Mine was secure.

Reig. And so was mine, my lord.

71

Char. 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 centinels:

Then how, or which way, should they first break in ?

Pucel. Question, my lords, no further of the case, How, or which way; 'tis sure, they found some part But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.

Dij

And

And now there rests no other shift but this-
To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispers'd,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.

80

Alarum. Enter a Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot! they fly, leaving their Clothes behind.

Sol. I'll be so bold to take what they have left.

The cry of Talbot serves me for a sword;

For I have loaden me with many spoils,

Using no other weapon but his name.

[Exit.

The same.

SCENE 11.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BUR

GUNDY, &c.

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled,
Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth.
Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit.

[Retreat.

Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury;
And here advance it in the market-place,
The middle centre of this cursed town.-
Now have I pay'd my vow unto his soul;
For every drop of blood was drawn from him,
There hath at least five Frenchmen dy'd to-night.
And, that hereafter ages may behold

What ruin happen'd in revenge of him,

Within their chiefest temple I'll erect

90

A tomb,

A tomb, wherein bis corpse shall be interr'd:
Upon the which, that every one may read,
Shall be engrav'd the sack of Orleans;

The treacherous manner of his mournful death, 100
And what a terror he had been to France.
But, lords, in all our bloody massacre,

I muse, we met not with the dauphin's grace;
His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc;

Nor any of his false confederates.

Bed. 'Tis thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began,

Rous'd on the sudden from their drowsy beds,
They did, amongst the troops of armed men,
Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field.

Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern,
For smoke, and dusky vapours of the night)
Am sure, I scar'd the dauphin, and his trull;
When arm in arm they both came swiftly running,
Like to a pair of loving turtle doves,

That could not live asunder day or night.

After that things are set in order here,

We'll follow them with all the power we have.

Enter a Messenger.

110

Mess. All hail, my lord! which of this princely train

Call ye

the warlike Talbot, for his acts

So much applauded through the realm of France?
Tal. Here is the Talbot; Who would speak with

him?

Diij

121

Mess.

Mess. The virtuous lady, countess of Auvergne, With modesty admiring thy renown,

By me entreats, great lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe
To visit her poor castle where she lies ;

That she may boast, she hath beheld the man
Whose glory fills the world with loud report.
Bur. Is it even so? Nay, then, I see, our wars
Will turn into a peaceful comic sport,
When ladies crave to be encounter'd with.-
You may not, my lord, despise her gentle suit.
Tal. Ne'er trust me then; for, when a world of

men

Could not prevail with all their oratory,

Yet hath a woman's kindness over-rul'd:-
And therefore tell her, I return great thanks;
And in submission will attend on her.-
Will not your honours bear me company?

Bed. No, truly; that is more than manners will
And I have heard it said-Unbidden guests
Are often welcomest when they are gone.

130

Tal. Well then, alone, since there's no remedy,

I mean to prove this lady's courtesy.

140

Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]-You perceive my

mind.

Capt. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE III.

The Countess of AUVERGNE's Castle. Enter the Countess, and her Porter.

Count. Porter, remember what I gave in charge; And, when you have done so, brings the keys to me.

Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight,

And his achievements of no less account:

Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears,
To give their censure of these rare reports.

Enter Messenger, and TALBOT.

150

Mess. Madam, according as your ladyship desir'd, By message crav'd, so is lord Talbot come.

Count. And he is welcome.

man?

Mess. Madam, it is.

What is this the

Count. [As musing.] Is this the scourge of France ?

Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad,

That with his name the mothers still their babes?

I see, report is fabulous and false:

I thought I should have seen some Hercules,
A second Hector, for his grim aspect,

And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.

160

Alas!