These tidings would call forth a her flowing tides.
Bed. Me they concern, Regent I am of France;
Give me my fteeled coat, I'll fight for France.
Away with these disgraceful, wailing robes;
Wounds I will lend the French, inftead of eyes,
To weep their intermiffive miferies.

SCENE III.

Enter to them another Messenger.

2 Melf. Lords, view thefe letters, full of bad mifFrance is revolted from the English quite,

Except fome petty towns of no import.

The Dauphin Charles is crowned King in Rheims,
The baftard Orleans with him is join'd:

Reignier Duke of Anjou 'takes his

part, The Duke of Alanfon flies to his fide.

[chance.

[Exit.

Exe. The Dauphin crowned King? all fly to him? O, whither fhall we fly from this reproach?

Glou. We will not fly but to our enemies throats. Bedford, if thou be flack, I'll fight it out.

Bed. Glofter, why doubt'ft thou of my forwardness? An army have I mufter'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is over-run.

SCENE IV.

Enter a third Messenger.

3 Melf. My gracious Lords, to add to your laments Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse, I must inform you of a dismal fight

Betwixt the ftout Lord Talbot and the French.

Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't fo?

3 Meff. O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'er-thrown.

The circumftance I'll tell you more at large.

(a) England's.

5 doth take

Pope

The

The tenth of Auguft laft, this dreadful Lord
Retiring from the fiege of Orleans,

Having fcarce full fix thousand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompaffed and fet upon.
No leifure had he to enrank his men ;
He wanted pikes to fet before his archers;
Instead whereof fharp ftakes pluckt out of hedges
They pitched in the ground confufedly,

To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued,
Where valiant Talbot above human thought
Enacted wonders with his fword and lance.
Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durft ftand him,
Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he flew.
The French exclaim'd, the devil was in arms,
All the whole army ftood agaz'd on him.
His foldiers fpying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! Talbot! cried out amain,
And rufh'd into the bowels of the battel.
Here had the conqueft fully been seal'd up,
If Sir John Falstaff had not play'd the coward;
He being in the 'rereward, (plac'd behind
With purpose to relieve and follow them)
Cowardly fled, not having ftruck one stroak.
Hence grew the gen'ral wreck and maffacre;
Enclosed were they with their enemies.

6

A bafe Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thruft Talbot with a fpear into the back,
Whom all France with their chief affembled ftrength
Durft not prefume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot flain then? I will flay my self,
For living idly here in pomp and eafe;
Whilft fuch a worthy leader wanting aid,
Unto his daftard foe-men is betray'd.

3 Meff. O, no, he lives, but is took prifoner,

(a) See the note on the fifth Scene of A& 3. 6 vaward

And

Pope.

And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford;
Most of the rest flaughter'd or took likewife.

Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall
pay.
I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown fhall be the ranfom of my friend:
Four of their Lords I'll change for one of ours.
Farewel, my mafters, to my task will T;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great St. George's feaft withal.
Ten thousand foldiers with me I will take,
Whose bloody deeds fhall make all Europe quake.

3 Melf. So you had need; 7 "fore Orleans befieg'd The English army is grown weak and faint:

The Earl of Salisbury craveth fupply,

And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,

Since they fo few watch fuch a multitude.

Exe. Remember, Lords, your oaths to Henry fworn: Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoak.

Bed. I do remember it, and here take leave, To go about my preparation.

[Exit Bedford.

Glou. I'll to the Tower with all the hafte I can,

To view th' artillery and ammunition,

And then I will proclaim young Henry King.

[Exit Gloucefter.

Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young King is,

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend:

[Exit.

Being ordain'd his special governor,

And for his fafety there I'll beft devife.

I am left out; for me nothing remains:

But long I will not be thus out of office:

The king from Eltham I intend to fend,
And fit at chiefeft ftern of publick weal

[Exit

7 for Orleans is

SCENE

SCENE V.

Before ORLEANS in FRANCE.

Enter Dauphin, Alanfon, and Reignier,, marching with a drum and Soldiers..

ARS his true moving, ev'n as in the heav'ns

Dau. MAR

So in the earth to this day is not known.

Late did he fhine upon the English side:
Now we are victors, upon us he finiles.
What towns of any moment but we have?
At pleasure here we lye near Orleans:

Tho' ftill the famifh'd English like pale ghosts
Faintly befiege us one hour in a month.

Alan. They want their porridge, and their fat Bull-beeves;

Either, they must be dieted like mules

And have their provender ty'd to their mouths,
Or piteous they, will look like drowned mice.
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:
Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury,
And he may well in fretting spend his gall,
Nor men nor mony hath he to make war.

Dau. Sound, found alarum: we will rush on them:
Now for the honour of the forlorn French:

Him I forgive my death that killeth me,

When he fees me go back one foot to fly.

[Exeunt.

[Here alarum, they are beaten back by the English, with great loss.

Enter Dauphin, Alanson, and Reignier.

Dau. Who ever faw the like? what men have I? Dogs, cowards, daftards! I would ne'er have fled, But that they left me 'midft my enemies.

Reig. Salisbury is a defp'rate homicide,

He fighteth as one weary of his life:

8 or

Two.

Two other Lords, like Lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

Ala. Froyfard a countryman of ours records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands a bred,
During the time Edward the Third did reign:
More truly now may this be verified;

For none but Sampfons and 'Goliahs now`
It fendeth forth to skirmish; one to ten!
Lean raw-bon'd rafcals! who would e'er fuppofe
They had fuch courage and audacity!

Dau. Let's leave this town, for they are hair-brain'd flaves, And hunger will enforce them be more eager:

Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

The walls they'll tear down, than forfake the fiege.
Reig. I think by fome odd gimmals or device
Their arms are fet like clocks, ftill to ftrike on;
Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo as they do:
By my confent we'll e'en let them alone.
Alan. Be it fo.

Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

Baft. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him. Dau. Baftard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

Baft. Methinks your looks are fad, your chear appal'd. Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?

Be not difmay'd, for fuccour is at hand:

A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which by a vifion fent to her from heav'n
Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophefie fhe hath,

Exceeding

(a) Oliver and Rowland were two of the most famous Worthies in the lift of the twelve Peers of Charlemagne, and their exploits are celebrated by the old Romantick Writers to that height of ridiculous extravagance, and fo equally, that it is hard to fay from those accounts which of the two was the most wonderful Hero: and from thence arofe the old English faying of a Rowland for your Oliver to fignifie, the being even with one in a tale, or the matching one extraordinary thing with another. Warburton.

9 Golia Jes