King Henry VI, Part I

King Henry VI, Part I

ACT I SCENE II	France. Before Orleans.
	Sound a flourish. Enter CHARLES, ALENCON, andREIGNIER, marching with drum and Soldiers
CHARLES	Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens
	So in the earth, to this day is not known:
	Late did he shine upon the English side;
	Now we are victors; upon us he smiles.	5
	What towns of any moment but we have?
	At pleasure here we lie near Orleans;
	Otherwhiles the famish'd English, like pale ghosts,
	Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.
ALENCON	They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves:	10
	Either they must be dieted like mules
	And have their provender tied to their mouths
	Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.
REIGNIER	Let's raise the siege: why live we idly here?
	Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:	15
	Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury;
	And he may well in fretting spend his gall,
	Nor men nor money hath he to make war.
CHARLES	Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on them.
	Now for the honour of the forlorn French!	20
	Him I forgive my death that killeth me
	When he sees me go back one foot or fly.
	Exeunt
	Here alarum; they are beaten back by the Englishwith great loss. Re-enter 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.	25
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,	30
	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!	35
	Lean, raw-boned 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	40
	The walls they'll tear down than forsake the siege.
REIGNIER	I think, by some odd gimmors or device
	Their arms are set like clocks, stiff to strike on;
	Else ne'er could they hold out so as they do.
	By my consent, we'll even let them alone.	45
ALENCON	Be it so.
	Enter the BASTARD OF ORLEANS
BASTARD OF ORLEANS	Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.
CHARLES	Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS	Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd:
	Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?	50
	Be not dismay'd, for succor 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.	55
	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.	60
CHARLES	Go, call her in.
	Exit BASTARD OF ORLEANS
	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.	65
	Re-enter the BASTARD OF ORLEANS, with JOAN LA PUCELLE
REIGNIER	Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats?
JOAN LA 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 amazed, there's nothing hid from me:	70
	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.
JOAN LA PUCELLE	Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter,
	My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.	75
	Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased
	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	80
	And in a vision full of majesty
	Will'd me to leave my base vocation
	And free my country from calamity:
	Her aid she promised and assured success:
	In complete glory she reveal'd herself;	85
	And, whereas I was black and swart before,
	With those clear rays which she infused on me
	That beauty am I bless'd with which you see.
	Ask me what question thou canst possible,
	And I will answer unpremeditated:	90
	My courage try by combat, if thou darest,
	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:	95
	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.
JOAN LA PUCELLE	I am prepared: here is my keen-edged sword,	100
	Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side;
	The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's
	churchyard,
	Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth.
CHARLES	Then come, o' God's name; I fear no woman.	105
JOAN LA 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.
JOAN LA PUCELLE	Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak.
CHARLES	Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me:	110
	Impatiently I burn with thy desire;
	My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued.
	Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
	Let me thy servant and not sovereign be:
	'Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.	115
JOAN LA 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.	120
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 poor men do know:	125
	These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues.
REIGNIER	My lord, where are you? what devise you on?
	Shall we give over Orleans, or no?
JOAN LA PUCELLE	Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants!
	Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard.	130
CHARLES	What she says I'll confirm: we'll fight it out.
JOAN LA PUCELLE	Assign'd am I to be the English scourge.
	This night the siege assuredly I'll raise:
	Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days,
	Since I have entered into these wars.	135
	Glory is like a circle in the water,
	Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself
	Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought.
	With Henry's death the English circle ends;
	Dispersed are the glories it included.	140
	Now am I like that proud insulting ship
	Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once.
CHARLES	Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
	Thou with an eagle art inspired then.
	Helen, the mother of great Constantine,	145
	Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee.
	Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
	How may I reverently worship thee enough?
ALENCON	Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.
REIGNIER	Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;	150
	Drive them from Orleans and be immortalized.
CHARLES	Presently we'll try: come, let's away about it:
	No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.
	Exeunt