We will bestow you in some better place,
Fitter for sickness, and for crazy age.

Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me:
Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen,
And will be partner of your weal, or woe.
Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade
you.

Bed. Not to he gone from hence; for once I read,

That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick, Came to the field, and vanquished his foes: Methinks, I should revive the soldiers' hearts, Because I ever found them as myself.

Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast! Then be it so: Heavens keep old Bedford

And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand,
And set upon our boasting enemy.

[Exeunt BURGUNDY, TALBOT, and Forces,
leaving BEDFORD, and Others.

Alarum: Excursions. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE, and a Captain.

Cap. Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such haste?

Fast. Whither away? to safe myself by flight; We are like to have the overthrow again.

Cap. What! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot?

Fast. Ay,

All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.

[Exit.

Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow

thee!

[Exit.

Retreat: Excursions. Enter from the town, LA PUCELLE, ALENÇON, CHARLES, &c. and Exeunt, flying.

Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please;

For I have seen our enemies' overthrow.
What is the trust or strength of foolish man?
They, that of late were daring with their scoffs,
Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves.

[Dies, and is carried off in his chair,

Alarum: Enter TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and Others.

1

Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again!
This is a double honour, Burgundy:
Yet, heaveus have glory for this victory!

Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects
Thy poble deeds, as valour's monument.
Tal. Thanks, gentle Duke.

But where is

Pucelle now?

I think, her old familiar is asleep:

Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles

What, all a-mort? Rouen hangs her head for

grief,

That such a valiant company are fled.

Now will we take some order in the town,
Placing therein some expert officers;
And then depart to Paris, to the King;
For there young Henry, with his nobles, lies.
Bur. What wills Lord Talbot, pleaseth Bur-
gundy,

Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget

The noble Duke of Bedford, late deceas'd,
But see his exequies fulfill'd in Roüen;
A braver soldier never couched lance,
A gentler heart did never sway in court:
But Kings, and mightiest Potentates, must die;
For that's the end of human misery. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same. The Plains near the City.

Enter CHARLES, the Bastard, ALENÇON, LA PUCELLE, and Forces.

Pue. Dismay not, Princes, at this accident, Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered: Care is no cure, but rather corrosive, For things that are not to be remedy'd. Let frantick Talbot triumph for a while, And like a peacock sweep along his tail; We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train, If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but rul'd. Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto. And of thy cunning had no diffidence; One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.

Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, And we will make thee famous through the world.

Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place, And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saint; Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good. Puc. Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise:

By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words,

We will entice the Duke of Burgundy
To leave the Talbot, and to follow us.
Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could
do that,

France were no place for Henry's warriors;
Nor should that nation boast it so with us,
But be extirped from our provinces.

Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd from
France,

And not have title of an earldom here.

Puc. Your Honours shall perceive how I will ́

work,

To bring this matter to the wished end.

[Drums heard. Hark! by the sound of drum, you may perceive Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward.

An English March. Enter and pass over, at a distance, TALBOT and his Forces.

There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread ; And all the troops of English after him.

A French March. Enter the Duke of BURGUNDY and Forces.

Now, in the rearward, comes the Duke, and his; Fortune, in favour, makes him lag behind. Summon a parley, we will talk with him.

A parley sounded. Char. A parley with the Duke of Burgundy. Bur. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy? Puc. The princely Charles of France, thy countryman.

Bur. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am marching hence.

Char. Speak, Pucelle; and enchant him with

thy words.

Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of
France!

Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.
Bur. Speak on; but be not over-tedious.
Puo. Look on thy country, look on fertile
France,

And see the cities and the towns defac'd'
By wasting ruin of the cruel foe!

As looks the mother ou her lowly babe,
When death doth close his tender dying eyes,
See, see, the pining malady of France;

Behold the wounds, the nost unnaturel wounds,
Which thou thyself hast given her woful breast!
O, turn thy edged sword another way;
Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that
help!

One drop of blood, drawn from thy country's bosom,

Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign

gore;

Return thee, therefore, with a flood of tears,
And wash away thy country's stained spots!
Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her
words,

Or nature makes me suddenly relent.

Puc. Besides, all French and France exclaims on thee,

Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.
Who join'st thou with, but with a lordly
nation,

That will not trust thee, but for profit's sake?
When Talbot hath set footing once in France,
And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill,
Who then, but English Henry, will be lord,