Let's to the altar:-Heralds, wait on us:- Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.- When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck; And none but women left to wail the dead. Enter a Messenger. you Mess. My honourable lords, health to Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture: Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost. all! Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered,— That here you maintain several factions; And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought, You are disputing of your generals. One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost; Another would fly swift but wanteth wings; Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot: Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, Enter another Messenger. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance, France is revolted from the English quite; The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats:— Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out, Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness ? An army have I muster'd in my thought Wherewith already France is over-run. Enter a third Messenger. 3 Mess. 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 stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand hirn; Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke. A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, 3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransome there is none but I shall pay: I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne, His crown shall be the ransome of my friend; Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.— Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake. 3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint: The earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Since they, sc few, watch such a multitude. Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn; Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave, To go about my preparation. [Exit. Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, [Exit Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, [Exit. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II.-France. Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Chur. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known: Late did he shine upon the English side; Now we are victors upon us he smiles. Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull.beeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tyed to their mouths, Reig. Let's raise the siege; Why live we idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: |