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
prevailOr 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 weakly guarded, where the
breach was made.
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.
Alarum. Enter an ENGLISH SOLDIER, crying
'A Talbot! A Talbot!' They fly, leaving their
clothes behind
SOLDIER. 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
SCENE 2.
ORLEANS. Within the town
Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, a CAPTAIN,
and others
BEDFORD. 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 sounded]
TALBOT. 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 paid my vow unto his soul;
For every drop of blood was drawn from him
There hath at least five Frenchmen died to-night.
And that
hereafter ages may behold
What ruin happened in
revenge of him,
Within their chiefest
temple I'll erect
A tomb,
wherein his
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,
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.
BEDFORD. '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.
BURGUNDY. 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
MESSENGER. All hail, my lords! Which of this
princely train
Call ye the
warlike Talbot, for his acts
So much applauded through the realm of France?
TALBOT. Here is the Talbot; who would speak with him?
MESSENGER. 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.
BURGUNDY. Is it even so? Nay, then I see our wars
Will turn into a
peaceful comic sport,
When ladies crave to be encount'red with.
You may not, my lord,
despise her gentle suit.
TALBOT. Ne'er trust me then; for when a world of men
Could not
prevail with all their oratory,
Yet hath a woman's kindness overrul'd;
And
therefore tell her I return great thanks
And in
submission will attend on her.
Will not your honours bear me company?
BEDFORD. No, truly; 'tis more than manners will;
And I have heard it said unbidden guests
Are often
welcomest when they are gone.
TALBOT. Well then, alone, since there's no remedy,
I mean to prove this lady's courtesy.
Come
hither, Captain. [Whispers] You
perceive my mind?
CAPTAIN. I do, my lord, and mean
accordingly. Exeunt
SCENE 3.
AUVERGNE. The Castle
Enter the COUNTESS and her PORTER
COUNTESS. Porter, remember what I gave in charge;
And when you have done so, bring the keys to me.
PORTER. Madam, I will.
COUNTESS. The plot is laid; if all things fall out right,
I shall as famous be by this exploit.
As Scythian Tomyris by Cyrus' death.
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.
MESSENGER. Madam, according as your ladyship desir'd,
By message crav'd, so is Lord Talbot come.
COUNTESS. And he is
welcome. What! is this the man?
MESSENGER. Madam, it is.
COUNTESS. Is this the
scourge of France?
Is this 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.
Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf!
It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp
Should strike such
terror to his enemies.
TALBOT. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you;
But since your ladyship is not at leisure,
I'll sort some other time to visit you. [Going]
COUNTESS. What means he now? Go ask him w
hither he
goes.
MESSENGER. Stay, my Lord Talbot; for my lady craves
To know the cause of your
abrupt departure.
TALBOT. Marry, for that she's in a wrong belief,
I go to certify her Talbot's here.
Re-enter PORTER With keys
COUNTESS. If thou be he, then art thou prisoner.
TALBOT. Prisoner! To whom?
COUNTESS. To me, blood-thirsty lord
And for that cause I train'd thee to my house.
Long time thy shadow hath been
thrall to me,
For in my
gallery thy picture hangs;
But now the substance shall
endure the like
And I will chain these legs and arms of thine
That hast by
tyranny these many years
Wasted our country, slain our citizens,
And sent our sons and husbands captivate.
TALBOT. Ha, ha, ha!
COUNTESS. Laughest thou,
wretch? Thy mirth shall turn to
moan.
TALBOT. I laugh to see your ladyship so fond
To think that you have aught but Talbot's shadow
Whereon to
practise your severity.
COUNTESS. Why, art not thou the man?
TALBOT. I am indeed.
COUNTESS. Then have I substance too.
TALBOT. No, no, I am but shadow of myself.
You are deceiv'd, my substance is not here;
For what you see is but the smallest part
And least
proportion of humanity.
I tell you, madam, were the whole frame here,
It is of such a
spacious lofty pitch
Your roof were not sufficient to
contain 't.
COUNTESS. This is a riddling merchant for the nonce;
He will be here, and yet he is not here.
How can these contrarieties agree?
TALBOT. That will I show you presently.
Winds his horn; drums strike up;
a peal of ordnance. Enter soldiers
How say you, madam? Are you now persuaded
That Talbot is but shadow of himself?
These are his substance, sinews, arms, and strength,
With which he yoketh your
rebellious necks,
Razeth your cities, and subverts your towns,
And in a moment makes them desolate.
COUNTESS. Victorious Talbot!
pardon my abuse.
I find thou art no less than fame hath bruited,
And more than may be gathered by thy shape.
Let my
presumption not
provoke thy wrath,
For I am sorry that with reverence
I did not
entertain thee as thou art.
TALBOT. Be not dismay'd, fair lady; nor misconster
The mind of Talbot as you did mistake
The
outwardcomposition of his body.
What you have done hath not offended me.
Nor other
satisfaction do I crave
But only, with your
patience, that we may
Taste of your wine and see what cates you have,
For soldiers' stomachs always serve them well.
COUNTESS. With all my heart, and think me honoured
To feast so great a
warrior in my house. Exeunt
SCENE 4.
London. The Temple garden
Enter the EARLS OF SOMERSET, SUFFOLK, and WARWICK;
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, VERNON, and another LAWYER
PLANTAGENET. Great lords and gentlemen, what means this
silence?
Dare no man answer in a case of truth?
SUFFOLK. Within the Temple Hall we were too loud;
The garden here is more
convenient.