King Henry VI, Part I

King Henry VI, Part I

ACT V SCENE III	Before Angiers.
	Alarum. Excursions. Enter JOAN LA PUCELLE
JOAN LA PUCELLE	The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen fly.
	Now help, ye charming spells and periapts;
	And ye choice spirits that admonish me
	And give me signs of future accidents.	5
	Thunder
	You speedy helpers, that are substitutes
	Under the lordly monarch of the north,
	Appear and aid me in this enterprise.
	Enter Fiends
	This speedy and quick appearance argues proof
	Of your accustom'd diligence to me.	10
	Now, ye familiar spirits, that are cull'd
	Out of the powerful regions under earth,
	Help me this once, that France may get the field.
	They walk, and speak not
	O, hold me not with silence over-long!
	Where I was wont to feed you with my blood,	15
	I'll lop a member off and give it you
	In earnest of further benefit,
	So you do condescend to help me now.
	They hang their heads
	No hope to have redress? My body shall
	Pay recompense, if you will grant my suit.	20
	They shake their heads
	Cannot my body nor blood-sacrifice
	Entreat you to your wonted furtherance?
	Then take my soul, my body, soul and all,
	Before that England give the French the foil.
	They depart
	See, they forsake me! Now the time is come	25
	That France must vail her lofty-plumed crest
	And let her head fall into England's lap.
	My ancient incantations are too weak,
	And hell too strong for me to buckle with:
	Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust.	30
	Exit
	Excursions. Re-enter JOAN LA PUCELLE fighting handto hand with YORK JOAN LA PUCELLE is taken. TheFrench fly
YORK	Damsel of France, I think I have you fast:
	Unchain your spirits now with spelling charms
	And try if they can gain your liberty.
	A goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace!
	See, how the ugly wench doth bend her brows,	35
	As if with Circe she would change my shape!
JOAN LA PUCELLE	Changed to a worser shape thou canst not be.
YORK	O, Charles the Dauphin is a proper man;
	No shape but his can please your dainty eye.
JOAN LA PUCELLE	A plaguing mischief light on Charles and thee!	40
	And may ye both be suddenly surprised
	By bloody hands, in sleeping on your beds!
YORK	Fell banning hag, enchantress, hold thy tongue!
JOAN LA PUCELLE	I prithee, give me leave to curse awhile.
YORK	Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to the stake.	45
	Exeunt
	Alarum. Enter SUFFOLK with MARGARET in his hand
SUFFOLK	Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner.
	Gazes on her
	O fairest beauty, do not fear nor fly!
	For I will touch thee but with reverent hands;
	I kiss these fingers for eternal peace,
	And lay them gently on thy tender side.	50
	Who art thou? say, that I may honour thee.
MARGARET	Margaret my name, and daughter to a king,
	The King of Naples, whosoe'er thou art.
SUFFOLK	An earl I am, and Suffolk am I call'd.
	Be not offended, nature's miracle,	55
	Thou art allotted to be ta'en by me:
	So doth the swan her downy cygnets save,
	Keeping them prisoner underneath her wings.
	Yet, if this servile usage once offend.
	Go, and be free again, as Suffolk's friend.	60
	She is going
	O, stay! I have no power to let her pass;
	My hand would free her, but my heart says no
	As plays the sun upon the glassy streams,
	Twinkling another counterfeited beam,
	So seems this gorgeous beauty to mine eyes.	65
	Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak:
	I'll call for pen and ink, and write my mind.
	Fie, de la Pole! disable not thyself;
	Hast not a tongue? is she not here?
	Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's sight?	70
	Ay, beauty's princely majesty is such,
	Confounds the tongue and makes the senses rough.
MARGARET	Say, Earl of Suffolk--if thy name be so--
	What ransom must I pay before I pass?
	For I perceive I am thy prisoner.	75
SUFFOLK	How canst thou tell she will deny thy suit,
	Before thou make a trial of her love?
MARGARET	Why speak'st thou not? what ransom must I pay?
SUFFOLK	She's beautiful, and therefore to be woo'd;
	She is a woman, therefore to be won.	80
MARGARET	Wilt thou accept of ransom? yea, or no.
SUFFOLK	Fond man, remember that thou hast a wife;
	Then how can Margaret be thy paramour?
MARGARET	I were best to leave him, for he will not hear.
SUFFOLK	There all is marr'd; there lies a cooling card.	85
MARGARET	He talks at random; sure, the man is mad.
SUFFOLK	And yet a dispensation may be had.
MARGARET	And yet I would that you would answer me.
SUFFOLK	I'll win this Lady Margaret. For whom?
	Why, for my king: tush, that's a wooden thing!	90
MARGARET	He talks of wood: it is some carpenter.
SUFFOLK	Yet so my fancy may be satisfied,
	And peace established between these realms
	But there remains a scruple in that too;
	For though her father be the King of Naples,	95
	Duke of Anjou and Maine, yet is he poor,
	And our nobility will scorn the match.
MARGARET	Hear ye, captain, are you not at leisure?
SUFFOLK	It shall be so, disdain they ne'er so much.
	Henry is youthful and will quickly yield.	100
	Madam, I have a secret to reveal.
MARGARET	What though I be enthrall'd? he seems a knight,
	And will not any way dishonour me.
SUFFOLK	Lady, vouchsafe to listen what I say.
MARGARET	Perhaps I shall be rescued by the French;	105
	And then I need not crave his courtesy.
SUFFOLK	Sweet madam, give me a hearing in a cause--
MARGARET	Tush, women have been captivate ere now.
SUFFOLK	Lady, wherefore talk you so?
MARGARET	I cry you mercy, 'tis but Quid for Quo.	110
SUFFOLK	Say, gentle princess, would you not suppose
	Your bondage happy, to be made a queen?
MARGARET	To be a queen in bondage is more vile
	Than is a slave in base servility;
	For princes should be free.	115
SUFFOLK	And so shall you,
	If happy England's royal king be free.
MARGARET	Why, what concerns his freedom unto me?
SUFFOLK	I'll undertake to make thee Henry's queen,
	To put a golden sceptre in thy hand	120
	And set a precious crown upon thy head,
	If thou wilt condescend to be my--
MARGARET	What?
SUFFOLK	His love.
MARGARET	I am unworthy to be Henry's wife.	125
SUFFOLK	No, gentle madam; I unworthy am
	To woo so fair a dame to be his wife,
	And have no portion in the choice myself.
	How say you, madam, are ye so content?
MARGARET	An if my father please, I am content.	130
SUFFOLK	Then call our captains and our colours forth.
	And, madam, at your father's castle walls
	We'll crave a parley, to confer with him.
	A parley sounded. Enter REIGNIER on the walls
	See, Reignier, see, thy daughter prisoner!
REIGNIER	To whom?	135
SUFFOLK	To me.
REIGNIER	Suffolk, what remedy?
	I am a soldier, and unapt to weep,
	Or to exclaim on fortune's fickleness.
SUFFOLK	Yes, there is remedy enough, my lord:	140
	Consent, and for thy honour give consent,
	Thy daughter shall be wedded to my king;
	Whom I with pain have woo'd and won thereto;
	And this her easy-held imprisonment
	Hath gained thy daughter princely liberty.	145
REIGNIER	Speaks Suffolk as he thinks?
SUFFOLK	Fair Margaret knows
	That Suffolk doth not flatter, face, or feign.
REIGNIER	Upon thy princely warrant, I descend
	To give thee answer of thy just demand.	150
	Exit from the walls
SUFFOLK	And here I will expect thy coming.
	Trumpets sound. Enter REIGNIER, below
REIGNIER	Welcome, brave earl, into our territories:
	Command in Anjou what your honour pleases.
SUFFOLK	Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child,
	Fit to be made companion with a king:	155
	What answer makes your grace unto my suit?
REIGNIER	Since thou dost deign to woo her little worth
	To be the princely bride of such a lord;
	Upon condition I may quietly
	Enjoy mine own, the country Maine and Anjou,	160
	Free from oppression or the stroke of war,
	My daughter shall be Henry's, if he please.
SUFFOLK	That is her ransom; I deliver her;
	And those two counties I will undertake
	Your grace shall well and quietly enjoy.	165
REIGNIER	And I again, in Henry's royal name,
	As deputy unto that gracious king,
	Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith.
SUFFOLK	Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks,
	Because this is in traffic of a king.	170
	Aside
	And yet, methinks, I could be well content
	To be mine own attorney in this case.
	I'll over then to England with this news,
	And make this marriage to be solemnized.
	So farewell, Reignier: set this diamond safe	175
	In golden palaces, as it becomes.
REIGNIER	I do embrace thee, as I would embrace
	The Christian prince, King Henry, were he here.
MARGARET	Farewell, my lord: good wishes, praise and prayers
	Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret.	180
	Going
SUFFOLK	Farewell, sweet madam: but hark you, Margaret;
	No princely commendations to my king?
MARGARET	Such commendations as becomes a maid,
	A virgin and his servant, say to him.
SUFFOLK	Words sweetly placed and modestly directed.	185
	But madam, I must trouble you again;
	No loving token to his majesty?
MARGARET	Yes, my good lord, a pure unspotted heart,
	Never yet taint with love, I send the king.
SUFFOLK	And this withal.	190
	Kisses her
MARGARET	That for thyself: I will not so presume
	To send such peevish tokens to a king.
	Exeunt REIGNIER and MARGARET
SUFFOLK	O, wert thou for myself! But, Suffolk, stay;
	Thou mayst not wander in that labyrinth;
	There Minotaurs and ugly treasons lurk.	195
	Solicit Henry with her wondrous praise:
	Bethink thee on her virtues that surmount,
	And natural graces that extinguish art;
	Repeat their semblance often on the seas,
	That, when thou comest to kneel at Henry's feet,	200
	Thou mayst bereave him of his wits with wonder.
	Exit