And, whereas I was black and swart before,
With those clear rays which fhe infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bleft with, which you fee.
Afk me what question thou canft poffible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'ft,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Refolve on this, thou fhalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
Dau. Thou haft aftonifh'd me with thy high terms.
Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,
In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And, if thou vanquifheft, thy words are true;
Otherwife, I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword,
Deck'd with fine Flow'r-de-luces on each fide;
The which, at Tourain in St. Catharine's church,
Out of a deal of old iron I chofe forth.

Dau. Then come o' God's name, for I fear no wo

man.

Pucel. And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man. [Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes. Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands, thou art an Amazon; And fighteft with the fword of Debora.

Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too weak.

Dau. Who-e'er helps thee, 'tis thou that muft help

me.

Impatiently I burn with thy defire,

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd;
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy fervant and not Sovereign be,
'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.
Pucel. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profeffion's facred from above;
When I have chafed all thy focs from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.

Dau.

Dau. Mean time, look gracious on thy proftrate

thrall.

Reig. My Lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alan. Doubtless, he fhrives this woman to her fmock;

Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his speech.

Reig. Shall we difturb him, fince he keeps no mean? Alan. He may mean more than we poor men do know; These women are fhrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My Lord, where are you? what devife you on? Shall we give over Orleans or no?

Pucel. Why, no, I fay; diftruftful recreants!
Fight till the laft gafp, for I'll be your guard.
Dau. What fhe fays, I'll confirm; we'll fight it out.
Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English fcourge.
This night the fiege affuredly I'll raife,

* Expect Saint Martin's fummer, Halcyon days,
Since I have enter'd thus into thefe wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water;
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,

Till by broad fpreading it difperfe to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends;
Difperfed are the glories it included.

Now am I like that proud infulting fhip,
= Which Cefar and his fortune bore at once.
Dau. Was Mahomet infpired with a Dove?
Thou with an Eagle art infpired then.
Helen the mother of great Conftantine,
Nor yet St. Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright ftar of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee?

Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raise the fiege.
Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to fave our honours;
Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.

Expect St. Martin's fummer.]
That is, expect prosperity after
misfortune, like fair weather at
Martlemas, after winter has begun.

5 Meaning the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the Alts.

Kk 4

HANMER.

Dau.

Dau. Presently try. Come, let's away about it. No prophet will I trust, if fhe proves falfe. [Exeunt,

Glou. I

Tower-Gates, in LONDON.

Enter Gloucefter, with bis Serving-men.

AM this day come to furvey the Tower;
Since Henry's death, I fear, there is con.

veyance.

6

Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
Open the gates. 'Tis Gloucefter, that calls.

1 Ward. Who's there, that knocketh so imperiously? 1 Man. It is the noble Duke of Gloucester. 2 Ward. Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Man. Villains, answer you fo the Lord Protector? 1 Ward. The Lord protect him! fo we answer him; We do no otherwise than we are will'd.

Glou. Who willed you? or whofe will stands, but
mine?

There's none Protector of the realm but I.
Break up the gates, I'll be your warranty.
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?

Gloucester's men rush at the Tower-gates, and Woodvile the Lieutenant speaks within.

Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have we here?

Glou. Lieutenant, is it you, whofe voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Glofter, that would enter. Wood. Have patience, noble Duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchefter forbids;

From him I have exprefs commandement,
That thou, nor none of thine, fhall be let in.

• Conveyance means theft.

HANMER.

Glow.

Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me? Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,

Whom Henry, our late Sovereign, ne'er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God, or to the King;
Open the gate, or I'll fhut thee out fhortly.

Serv. Open the gates there to the Lord Protector; We'll burft them open, if you come not quickly.

Enter to the Protector at the Tower-gates, Winchester and his men in tawny coats.

Win. How now, ambitious Humphrey, what means this? 7

8

Glou. Piel'd Prieft, doft thou command me be fhut out ?

Win. I do, thou moft ufurping proditor,
And not protector, of the King or realm.

Glou. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator;
Thou, that contriv'd'ft to murder our dead Lord;
Thou, that giv'ft whores indulgences to fin;
I'll canvass thee in thy broad Cardinal's hat,
If thou proceed in this thy infolence.

Win. Nay, ftand thou back, I will not budge a foot. This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain,

To flay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

9

7 How now ambitious umpire, ing to his fhaven crown. what means this?] This Reading has obtained in all the Editions fince the 2d Folio. The first Folio has it Umpheir. In both the Word is diftinguish'd in Italicks. But why, Umpire? Or of what? The Traces of the Letters, and the Word being printed in Italicks, convince me, that the Duke's Chriftian Name Jurk'd under this Corruption.

THEOBALD.
Piel'd Prieft,] Allud-

POPE, -giv'ft whores indulgences to fin;] The public ftews were formerly under the district of the Bishop of Wine chefter. POPE. This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain,] N. B. About four miles from Damafcus is a high hill, reported to be the fame on which Cain flew his brother Abel. Maundrell's Travels, page 131.

POPE.

Glou.

Glou. I will not flay thee, but I'll drive, thee back. Thy fcarlet robes, as a child's bearing cloth, I'll ufe to carry thee out of this place.

Win. Do, what thou dar'ft; I beard thee to thy face. Glou. What? am I dar'd, and bearded to my face? Draw, men, for all this privileged place.

Blue coats to tawny. Prieft, beware thy beard;
I mean to tug it, and to cuff you foundly.
Under my feet I'll ftamp thy Cardinal's hat:
In fpight of Pope or dignities of Church,
Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.
Win. Glo'fter, thou'lt answer this before the Pope.
Glou. Winchester Goose! I cry, a rope, a rope.
Now beat them hence, why do you let them ftay?
Thee I'll chafe hence, thou Wolf in Sheep's array.
Out, tawny coats; out, fcarlet hypocrite!

Here Gloucefter's men beat out the Cardinal's; and enter in the burly-burly the Mayor of London, and bis Officers.

Mayor. Fy, Lords; that you, being fupreme magiftrates,

Thus contumeliously should break the peace!

Glou. Peace, Mayor, for thou know'ft little of my
wrongs;

Here's Beauford, that regards not God nor King,
Hath here diftrain'd the Tower to his ufe.

Win. Here's Glofter too, a foe to citizens,
One that still motions war, and never peace,
O'er charging your free purfes with large fines,
That feeks to overthrow religion,

Because he is Protector of the realm,

And would have armour here out of the Tower,
To crown himself King, and fupprefs the Prince.
Glou. I will not answer thee with words, but blows.
[Here they fkirmish again.

* Winchester Goofe! clap, or rather a ftrumpet was

A

called a Winchester Goose.

Mayor.