The French leap o'er the Walls in their fhirts. Enter,
feveral ways, Bastard, Alanfon, Reignier, half ready
and half unready.

Alan. How now, my Lords? what all * unready fo?
Baft. Unready? ay, and glad we 'fcap'd fo well.
Reig. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our
beds;

Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.

Alan. Of all exploits, fince firft I follow'd arms, Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize

More venturous, or defperate than this.

Baft. I think, this Talbot is a fiend of hell.
Reig. If not of hell, the heav'ns, fure, favour him.
Alan. Here cometh Charles, I marvel how he sped.

Enter Charles and Joan.

Baft. Tut! holy Joan was his defenfive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at firft, to flatter us withal,

Make us partakers of a little gain;

That now our lofs might be ten times as much?
Pucel. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend?
At all times will you have my pow'r alike?
Sleeping, or waking, muft I ftill prevail?
Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?
Improvident foldiers, had your watch been good,
This fudden mischief never could have fal'n.
Char. Duke of Alanfon, this was your default,
That, being captain of the watch to night,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Alan. Had all you quarters been as safely kept,
As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus fhamefully furpriz'd.
*Unready was the current word in thofe times for undressed.

L13

Baft

1

Baft. Mine was fecure.

Reig. And fo was mine, my Lord.

Char. And for myself, moft part of all this night,
Within her quarter, and mine own precinct,
I was employ'd in paffing to and fro,
About relieving of the centinels.

Then how, or which way, fhould they first break in ?
Pucel. Queftion, my Lords, no further of the cafe,
How, or which way; 'tis fure, they found fome part
But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.
And now there refts no other fhift but this,
To gather our foldiers, scatter'd and disperst,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.

SCENE III,

Within the Walls of Orleans.

[Exeunt.

Alarm. Enter a Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot! they fly, leaving their cloaths behind.

Sol. T'LL be fo bold to take what they have left.

I

The cry of Talbot ferves me for a fword,

For I have loaden me with many fpoils,

Ufing no other weapon but his name.

Enter Talbot, Bedford, and Burgundy.

[Exit,

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is filed, Whofe pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth.

Here found retreat, and ceafe our hot pursuit. [Retreat.

Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury,

And here advance it in the market place,
The middle centre of this curfed town.
Now have I pay'd my vow unto his foul,
For ev'ry drop of blood was drawn from him,
There have at leaft five Frenchmen dy'd to-night.
And that hereafter ages may behold

What ruin happen'd in revenge of him,

Within their chiefeft temple I'll erect
A tomb, wherein his corps fhall be interr'd,
Upon the which, that every one may read,
Shall be engrav'd the Sack of Orleans,

The treach'rous 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 falfe confederates.

Bed. 'Tis thought, Lord Talbot, when the fight
began,

Rous'd on the fudden from their drowsy beds,
They did amongst the troops of armed men
Leap o'er the walls, for refuge in the field.

Bur. Myfelf, as far as I could well difcern
For fmoke and dufky vapours of the night,
Am fure, I fcar'd the Dauphin and his trull,
When, arm in arm, they both came fwiftly running,
Like to a pair of loving Turtle Doves,
That could not live afunder day or night.

After that things are fet in order here,

We'll follow them with all the pow'r we have.

Enter a Messenger.

Meff. 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?
Tal. Here is the Talbot, who would fpeak with him?
M. The virtuous lady, Countefs of Auvergne,
With modefty, admiring thy renown,'

By me intreats, great Lord, thou wouldft vouchfafe
To vifit her poor Castle where fhe lies;
That she may boast she hath beheld the man,
Whofe glory fills the world with loud report.
Bur. Is it ev'n fo? nay, then, I fee, our wars

Will turn into a peaceful comick sport,
When ladies crave to be encounter'd with.
You can't, my Lord, defpife her gentle fuit.
Tal. Ne'er truft me then; for when a world of men
Could not prevail with all their oratory,

Yet hath a woman's kindness over-rul'd:
And therefore tell her, I return great thanks;
And in fubmiffion will attend on her.
Will not your honours bear me company ?

Bed. No, truly, that is more than manners will;
And I have heard it faid, unbidden guests
Are often welcomeft when they are gone.

Tal. Well then, alone, fince there's no remedy, I mean to prove this lady's courtesy.

Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]-You perceive my

mind.

Capt. I do, my Lord, and mean accordingly. [Exeunt.

Count.

The Countess of Auvergne's Caftle.

Enter the Countess, and her Porter.

Orter, remember what I gave in charge;
And, when you've done fo, bring the keys

to me.

Port. Madam, I will.

[Exit.

Count. The plot is laid. If all things fall out right

I fhall as famous be by this exploit

As Scythian Tomyris by Cyrus' death.

Great is the rumour of this dreadful Knight,
And his atchievements of no less account.

Fain would mine eyes be witnefs with mine ears,
To give their cenfure of these rare reports.

Enter Messenger and Talbot.

Me. Madam, according as your ladyship

By

By meffage crav'd, fo is Lord Talbot come.

Count. And he is welcome. What! is this the man? Mell. Madam, it is.

Count. [as mufing] Is this the fcourge of France ?

Is this the Talbot fo much fear'd abroad

That with his name the mothers ftill their babes?

I fee, report is fabulous and falfe;

I thought, I fhould have seen fome Hercules;
A fecond Hector, for his grim afpect,

And large proportion of his ftrong-knit limbs.
Alas! this is a child, a filly dwarf.

It cannot be, this weak and writhled Shrimp
Should ftrike fuch terror in his enemies.

Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you,
But fince your ladyship is not at leisure,

I'll fort fome other time to vifit you.

Count. What means he now? Go afk him, whether he goes.

Meff. Stay, my Lord Talbot; for my lady craves, To know the cause of your abrupt departure. Tal. Marry, for that she's in a wrong belief, I go to certify her, Talbot's here.

Enter Porter with keys.

Count. If thou be he, then art thou prisoner.
Tal. Pris'ner? to whom?

Count. 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 fubitance fhall endure the like,
And I will chain these legs and arms of thine,

That haft by tyranny these many years

Wafted our country, flain our citizens,
And fent our fons and husbands captivate.
Tal. Ha, ha, ha.

Count. Laugheft thou, wretch? thy mirth fhall turn

to moan.

Tal.